[BloodKnight has issued a live challenge!]
[BloodKnight: I will gift one Platinum Shield (1,000 Points) for every single undead soldier you kill.]
[GamerGuy: do not fall for a trick. you will just end up dying.]
[Skeptic: if you cannot even use your talent, you are practically talentless. you should just run away.]
[LazyCat: believe in the newbie!]
Solomon glanced at the floating screen. The viewer count had climbed to exactly sixty-seven. He drew his iron sword from its scabbard and took a low stance while walking directly toward the corrupted soldiers. The twelve undead figures noticed his approach, turning their rotting skulls simultaneously before charging forward as a group.
[NewbHunter: RIP Solo Man.]
The first soldier lunged with a rusted broadsword. Solomon stepped smoothly to the side, allowing the clumsy attack to strike the empty air. He brought his own blade up, deflecting a second incoming strike, and spun around to slice through the exposed neck joints of the two lead attackers.
Their skulls detached and crashed against the cobblestones.
He immediately used the narrow dimensions of the corridor to his advantage. The remaining ten soldiers bottlenecked against each other, completely unable to surround him. Another undead thrust a spear at his chest.
Solomon sidestepped the weapon, stepped inside the creature's guard, and kicked its rotting knee joint backward. The soldier crumbled to the floor.
He slashed his iron sword diagonally across its collarbone, severing the corrupted golden light animating the corpse. He moved fluidly between their uncoordinated attacks, identifying the weak points in their decaying armor and striking with precision.
Within a few short minutes, twelve piles of scattered bones and rusted metal littered the stone floor. Solomon wiped a speck of bone dust from his jacket sleeve and sheathed his sword without suffering a single scratch.
[User12: liar! you totally used your talent!]
[Skeptic: what just happened? there is no way a talentless guy moves like that.]
[LazyCat: bro is definitely cheating.]
Solomon stepped over a shattered ribcage and looked at the chat. "I did not use my talent. That was simply basic swordsmanship. Did you guys actually expect me to be some complete weakling who has absolutely no idea how to fight?"
He adjusted his collar and resumed his walk down the dark corridor. "I awakened my talent at fifteen, and I spent the next three years training relentlessly. I went from one guild to another, getting humiliated and kicked out of countless organizations. I trained extremely hard through all of those rejections. I never found a way to activate my power during those three years. I did manage to gain thirty-four different skills along the way. They are all basic level, like basic swordsmanship, basic archery, and parkour."
[GamerGuy: wow. massive respect for the grind.]
[LazyCat: that actually explains how you easily destroyed that solid stone pillar with one punch earlier.]
[NewbHunter: bro earned his survival.]
A rapid sequence of bright chimes rang directly inside his head.
[BloodKnight gifted a Platinum Shield! (1000 Points) x12]
[BloodKnight gifted a Golden Throne! (2000 Points)]
[BloodKnight: you totally fooled me. that was a great battle, even though it ended far too quickly.]
Solomon tapped the projection with a genuine smile. "Thank you for following up on your challenge. I appreciate you gifting me even more than you originally promised."
He closed the donation prompt and walked ahead into the next passage. His mind raced as he calculated his massive earnings. He had made incredible progress on his very first day inside the academy, securing a large portion of his monthly quota in a matter of hours.
He decided he would simply find the nearest exit and leave the labyrinth before pushing his luck any further.
A while later, as Solomon was walking while talking with the chat, a sharp click echoed beneath Solomon's boot.
He immediately threw his weight sideways as a dozen steel darts shot from hidden holes in the masonry. He hit the cobblestones, tucked his shoulder, and rolled out of the kill zone. The projectiles shattered against the opposite wall and showered the floor with metal splinters.
He scrambled to his feet and dusted off his knees.
[GamerGuy: nice dodge!]
[LazyCat: bro is playing temple run in real life.]
[NewbHunter: do a backflip next!]
"I am not doing this for your entertainment," Solomon muttered between breaths. "I am just trying to survive."
He jogged down the corridor while keeping a close eye on the uneven floorboards. The moss grew brighter here, guiding him toward a potential exit. Suddenly, the ground beneath him groaned loudly.
Suddenly, the stone tiles crumbled and dropped away into a deep chasm lined with rusted iron spikes.
Solomon leaped forward without breaking his stride. He planted his boot against the left wall, pushed off using his basic parkour skills, and launched himself toward the remaining solid ledge. He grabbed the rough stone edge with both hands. His legs dangled over the dark pit for a brief second before he pulled his body up and collapsed safely onto the floor.
[User12: that wall run was clean.]
[Skeptic: okay he actually has skills.]
[BloodKnight gifted a Silver Sword! (500 Points)]
[BloodKnight: keeping me on the edge of my seat.]
A chorus of bright chimes rang in his head as smaller donations poured in from the new viewers. Solomon wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. He ignored the flood of cheering emojis scrolling across his vision and stood back up.
The translucent chat screen flared in the upper corner of his vision, and the viewer counter ticked rapidly past one hundred.
He navigated three more corridors and soon encountered a hallway filled with swinging pendulum blades. The massive iron axes swept back and forth across the narrow passage, scraping the stone walls with loud sparks.
Solomon watched their arcs and timed his movements carefully. He dashed straight into the gauntlet. He slid under the first blade, vaulted over a low stone block, and sidestepped the final two axes with precise footwork.
[ThrillSeeker: flawless execution.]
[LazyCat: this stream is way better than watching the high-rankers just blast everything with magic.]
[GamerGuy: true, physical runs are rare these days.]
[OldTimer gifted a Copper Dagger! (100 Points)]
Solomon cleared the trap room and leaned against a safe pillar to catch his breath. The constant near-death experiences drained his stamina quickly. He checked his system interface and realized his accidental acrobatics show was generating a massive profit from the highly entertained audience.
He pushed himself off the pillar and continued walking, determined to find an exit portal before a trap finally caught him.
Meanwhile at the academy, the Grandmaster swiped his hand across the glowing crystal sphere resting on his desk. A transparent projection immediately expanded across the room, displaying Solomon's official enrollment data.
The academy system automatically generated these comprehensive entries the exact moment a student submitted their invitation. The magical scan guaranteed absolute truth and bypassed any attempts at forgery or deception.
He leaned closer to the floating blue text. The system listed Solomon's talent as SSS-rank Convergence. The section labeled 'Abilities' directly below it displayed a stark zero.
"Thirty-four skills," the Grandmaster muttered, scrolling down to the bottom of the profile. He read the long list of proficiencies illuminating his dark office. "Basic swordsmanship. Basic archery. Basic spearmanship. Basic dual-wielding. Basic axe combat. Basic stealth. Basic tracking."
A small dropdown arrow blinking with the words 'read more' rested beneath the initial list. He tapped the icon, revealing dozens of additional combat techniques and survival maneuvers.
Professor Vance leaned over the desk to get a better look at the massive screen. He rubbed his beard and stared at the extensive catalog of martial skills.
"Acquiring a few basic skills through standard training happens all the time," the Grandmaster whispered. He dragged his finger across the glowing entries. "Mastering basic styles that completely contradict each other's footwork and muscle memory is incredibly difficult to achieve. Forcing a human body to retain thirty-four different combat foundations at the exact same time borders on the impossible. Pushing the mind that far usually causes a severe physical backlash. It can easily destroy a person's entire comprehension ability."
The Grandmaster dropped his hand and slumped back into his large leather chair. He stared blankly at the stone ceiling of his office.
"Just how hopeless did this boy feel to push his mind and body to such a destructive limit?"
❖❖❖
A/N- Coming up with viewer names is hard. I am thinking of using the names of the top supporters of the novel. Is that cool with you guys?ṣ