Ravel's Trial

BRUAKH!

The sound of the massive Orc's body hitting the ground echoed through the forest. Shun had single-handedly taken down three Orcs while hunting.

"Phew… Using traps turned out to be more effective than I thought."

I quickly left the area, leaving the Orcs to rot. I no longer had to worry about my food supply.

The sky in the late afternoon was unusually cloudy, and light rain began to fall, dampening my hair. I hurried to meet him.

When I arrived, I saw a man standing in the watchtower. He looked different from an ordinary person—his all-black attire gave off an ominous presence.

Was he… an assassin?

I called out to him.

"Uh… Are you Ravel? Noel told me to find you."

The man glanced at me with a faint smile and then moved away from the watchtower.

But the next moment, he vanished. I caught a glimpse of him leaping off the tower, but after that—he was gone.

Suddenly—

THUD!

A kick struck me from behind.

"Ugh…!" I crashed into the crumbling wall of the ruined city.

"Oh? You're more durable than the last time I saw you," he said.

I lifted my head, pain radiating through my back from the impact. My breath came in ragged gasps, but I forced myself to stand, staring at the man in black before me.

Ravel's gaze was sharper than before, and for a brief moment, I sensed something different. Something beyond mere boredom.

Was he… interested?

"So, you're the one Noel sent?" His tone was slightly different now. A faint smile curled on his lips, as if he had found something amusing.

"Hmm… I want to see what you can do."

I tightened my grip on my sword.

"What do you mean?" I asked, staying on guard.

Ravel's eyes narrowed. Then, in the blink of an eye—

He disappeared.

"Too slow."

I instinctively swung my sword to the side—only to hit nothing but air. And then—

DUAGH!

A powerful kick struck my stomach. My feet lifted off the ground, and my body was sent flying several meters before rolling to a stop.

I struggled to get up, my lungs feeling like they were being crushed.

"Oh?" Ravel approached, his eyes gleaming with intrigue.

"Most people would've passed out from that. You're tougher than I expected."

I gritted my teeth. I didn't care what he said—I only knew one thing: I wasn't going to back down.

I attacked.

CLANG! CLANG!

My sword clashed against his dagger. The sharp sound of metal echoed through the air as I pressed forward, trying to find an opening.

I stepped to the left, pretending to strike low, then suddenly leaped and reversed my attack toward his right side.

But—

SWOOSH!

Nothing.

In an instant, a force struck my knee from the side. My leg buckled, and—

"You're too predictable."

—his elbow slammed into the back of my neck. The world spun.

I collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. But what shocked me wasn't the pain.

It was Ravel's expression.

He was smiling.

"Interesting," he said. "Let's go again."

I bit my lip and pushed myself up. Surrendering without a fight wasn't an option.

I attacked again.

And again.

And again.

Even though I kept falling, Ravel's grin remained. His eyes lit up every time I tried something new.

I could tell—he was enjoying this.

To him, this wasn't just training.

It was entertainment.

But in the end, the result remained the same.

DUAKH!

One final strike from Ravel sent me staggering back. My legs finally gave out, and I dropped to my knees.

Breathing heavily, I clutched my sword with trembling fingers.

Ravel studied me for a long moment. Then, he chuckled.

"Hahh… You're really stubborn." He shook his head. "I'm starting to like this kid."

I could only stare at him, panting.

And suddenly—

"Alright, then."

Ravel grabbed my collar and started dragging me.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" I protested, struggling, but his strength was overwhelming.

He pulled me through the ruined city, heading north.

Then, I realized where he was taking me.

We stopped at the edge of a steep cliff.

I swallowed hard.

"Wait… You're not going to—"

Before I could finish, Ravel's grin widened.

And—

THUMP!

"AARGHH!!"

The wind roared in my ears. My vision spun as my body plummeted at full speed toward the bottom of the cliff.

BRUAKH!

Pain exploded through my entire body. My breath hitched in my throat.

I couldn't move.

I was on the verge of blacking out when Ravel's voice echoed from above.

"Get up on your own… if you still want to learn."

I lay at the bottom of the cliff, alone.

And at that moment, I realized—

The real training had just begun.