Chapter 195
True Dragon Swordsmanship Secret Technique
First Form
Sun Moon Calamity Strike
Unlike the Second Form or Third Form, which were designed for large monsters, the First Form was a technique used against humanoids.
Crash!
Aiming for Rex Turunn's blind spot, the single sword strike containing the secret technique of the True Dragon Swordsmanship was unleashed.
"Hmm."
In an instant, Rex Turunn pulled his sword towards his chest.
Then, he thrust his sword towards Zeke's Sun Moon Calamity Strike.
Bang!
It was a simple, straight slash with no technique imbued in it.
However, the power contained in that sword strike transcended ordinary swordsmanship.
Whoosh!
Zeke's Sun Moon Calamity Strike was completely neutralized by Rex Turunn's single strike.
"Ugh!"
He was even pushed back by the recoil.
Surprisingly, Rex Turunn remained motionless, standing upright with his sword.
"Whew..."
He hadn't shown his full strength because he had to face him with only swordsmanship, not skills or the Elemental Sword, but Zeke still realized the gap between himself and Rex Turunn.
'Is this the difference between me and a Black Knight?'
A raw, overwhelming pressure different from Arthur Draker or the Sword King Bernas.
Truly, the name Fighting King was fitting.
Zeke gripped his sword again and decided to try his last resort.
'The Arch Paladin's Infinite Chain Binding.'
Zeke intended to exploit Rex Turunn's opening with that technique.
As Zeke gripped his sword again, Rex smiled.
"Unlike Arthur's son, you have a fighting spirit! You must have inherited that from Laura!"
Rex Turunn took his heavy sword and assumed a stance.
"Zeke Draker! I will also show you my true strength in response to your valor!"
Rumble!
An intangible aura emanated from Rex Turunn's body.
Intangible Aura, which only Black Knights could use. It was a power of a completely different dimension from ordinary aura.
Rex's Intangible Aura concentrated on his sword.
Woooong!
Although it was invisible, Zeke could feel that Rex's sword was imbued with a powerful force capable of shattering everything.
'It's exhausting just to stand here and withstand it.'
The black wall he had to break through was right in front of him.
Zeke gripped Bahamut and leaped forward.
Whoosh!
The Gale Sword was unleashed, and his body fluttered like the wind.
At the same time, Zeke soared into the air.
"Haaa!"
Dragon Slayer True Dragon Swordsmanship
Chapter 3 Verse 2
Crescent Moon Slash
A crescent moon flew from Zeke's sword as he swung it towards Rex Turunn.
That's when it happened.
Rumble!
Rex Turunn struck down with a single sword strike towards Zeke, just as he had done before.
Clang!
The single strike that Rex unleashed tore through the space itself, including the crescent moon that Zeke had launched.
The shockwave generated from the tearing space spread to the surroundings.
Reina, standing next to them, found it difficult to even stand because of the aftereffects of this shockwave.
"Ugh."
Reina staggered and barely managed to stand by holding onto the wall.
She looked up to check on Zeke, who had received the attack head-on.
But Zeke was nowhere to be seen.
'Where is he?'
Whoosh!
Zeke had disappeared, and only Bahamut, which he was holding, was flying in the air towards Rex Turunn.
Clang!
Rex Turunn swung his sword and knocked Bahamut away.
At the same time, Zeke, who was concealing his presence as much as possible with the Secret Technique 'Will of Silver', appeared from the blind spot.
He activated the Demon's barrier technique he had learned from Arataso and attempted the Infinite Chain Binding.
Woooong
Resonance occurred from Zeke's body, and the shockwave permeated Rex Turunn.
In an instant, Rex Turunn swung his sword and neutralized the shockwave Zeke had unleashed.
Zeke seized the opportunity while Rex Turunn was momentarily surprised by the Demon's barrier technique shockwave.
Slash!
Zeke struck down with a palm strike, imbued with the power of Demon's barrier technique.
Crack!
His palm strike landed squarely on the flat of the sword.
However, it didn't end there.
Infinite Chain Binding was a continuous flow of techniques.
Zeke moved his body freely like the Mystics of the Ishtar clan, gracefully spinning in the air, showcasing his unorthodox and hand-to-hand combat techniques.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Zeke's attacks, imbued with Demon's barrier technique, were swift and deadly.
However, Rex Turunn blocked each of Zeke's attacks with his sword.
Even in the midst of the exchange, Rex Turunn grinned.
"Excellent! But! This is not enough!"
Whoosh!
Suddenly, it felt as if all the energy that had permeated the arena was being sucked into Rex's sword.
Zeke felt as if time had stopped.
The 0.1 seconds he was in the air, about to unleash his unorthodox technique, felt like an eternity.
Zeke moved his body in that eternal moment.
Rumble!
His unorthodox technique was aimed not at Rex, but at the floor. At the same time, Bahamut, which had fallen to the floor, flew towards Rex with the rebound.
Simultaneously, Rex Turunn unleashed the compressed energy all at once and swung his sword.
Crash!
Like a dam bursting and a torrent gushing out, powerful energy poured from Rex's sword like a waterfall, engulfing Zeke.
Crash!
Zeke couldn't withstand the energy and was pushed back, crashing into the arena wall.
Bang!
The energy Rex Turunn unleashed was so powerful that even Zeke, with his Healing Factor, couldn't move for a moment.
"Ugh!"
Zeke barely managed to get up, his body trembling.
But Rex Turunn's expression contorted as he looked at the fallen Zeke.
"You... you really are Arthur's son."
Surprisingly, there was a tiny scratch on Rex Turunn's sleeve.
It was a cut from Bahamut, which Zeke had kicked with his foot before being swept away by the energy.
He had subtly changed the length of the blade at the moment Rex Turunn tried to dodge Bahamut, deceiving his senses.
A move that induced the Black Knight's carelessness and exploited the opening.
All of Zeke's previous flashy attacks were preparations for this one move.
Zeke finally regained his breath and stood up, staggering.
"Master, I... I won."
Rex Turunn looked at Zeke with a disgruntled expression. Then, he snorted and said,
"Tsk. I feel like I've been tricked... but a promise is a promise."
Rex Turunn took out a potion from his pocket and threw it to Zeke.
"Drink it. It's a Rex special potion."
Although he would have recovered on his own over time, Zeke immediately poured the potion Rex Turunn gave him into his mouth.
'Oh?'
As he said, it was a special potion, and the effect was excellent.
Not only was the recovery speed fast, but he felt an unusual surge of energy.
Zeke asked Rex Turunn,
"It's really effective. What's it made of?"
"You're as shameless as Arthur. Well, I made it myself, so it doesn't matter if I tell you. It's a top-grade potion with basilisk blood, Devil Bear's gall bladder, mandrake root, and all sorts of other good things for the body, all simmered together."
"..."
Knowing the ingredients of the potion, Zeke felt like he shouldn't have drunk it.
Rex Turunn approached Zeke.
"Well, anyway. You passed the test. Zeke Draker, I grant you the right to enter the Trial of Struggle."
"Thank you, Master."
"The story about your mother. Do you want to hear it now?"
Rex Turunn had a refreshingly straightforward personality. But Zeke shook his head.
"I'll hear it when I return from the Trial of Struggle."
Rex Turunn nodded at Zeke's words.
"Good. When will you enter the Trial of Struggle?"
"I'll enter tomorrow."
"You're as impatient as Laura. Alright. I'll let the administrator know."
"Thank you."
Rex Turunn glanced at Reina, who was standing behind them, exhausted and staring blankly at Zeke.
His heart ached to see his beloved daughter so dejected.
'This will also be a bitter pill for Reina.'
Reina was a warrior who had inherited the valiant blood of Turunn. Rex did not specifically comfort or console her.
Sometimes, watching their growth from a distance...
That was also a father's duty and right.
'Reina, be strong. This father always believes in you.'
Rex swallowed his tears inwardly.
Then Zeke spoke.
"Master, may I ask how you saw my swordsmanship?"
Opportunities to directly cross swords with a Black Knight were rare.
Zeke's teacher, Duke Draker, was also a Black Knight in the past, but for some reason, he had lost the Black Knight realm.
Although Duke was a talkative person, he never opened his mouth about that reason.
Zeke's biological father, Arthur Draker, was someone he couldn't cross swords with, and even if such an opportunity arose, he was definitely not someone who would give him any feedback.
Rex Turunn looked at Zeke with renewed interest and said,
"I don't know if you're shameless or honest."
"I want to hear your honest assessment, Master."
Although he had acquired more skills, Zeke's level remained stagnant at Red Knight.
He needed a chance to step up to the Black Knight realm.
Even though he had concealed his power in the duel, Rex Turunn, a Black Knight, might have noticed the areas where Zeke was lacking.
Rex pondered for a moment and then said to Zeke,
"Why don't you take a vacation or something?"
"Huh?"
Zeke asked back at Rex's unexpected words.
Rex crossed his arms and snorted.
"Why are you in such a hurry? You're the same age as Reina, so you're only eighteen, soon to be nineteen. Relax a bit."
Zeke suddenly remembered Kaisir's voice.
That was what he heard most from Kaisir while learning the Elemental Sword from him at the sanctuary.
'You idiot! Relax!'
He thought he had been taking it easy since learning Relaxation through the Water Barrier, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
'Relax. No, I can't be trapped in this kind of thinking. Getting caught up in it will only create another wall.'
Rex stared at Zeke, who was intensely contemplating every word he said, and then said,
"...You really do resemble Laura more than Arthur."
Rex called the servants and ordered them to show Zeke to his room.
Then Reina approached Zeke.
"I lost this time... but next time will be different."
Leaving those words behind, Reina left the arena first.
It seemed she was quite frustrated at not passing the test of the head of the clan.
Zeke went to the room prepared by the Turunn clan and rested for a night, then immediately prepared to enter the Trial of Struggle the next day.
When he went outside, a carriage to the Trial of Struggle was already waiting.
When Zeke opened the carriage door and entered, surprisingly, Rex Turunn was sitting inside with his arms crossed and a solemn expression.
"Master?"
"Sit down, Zeke Draker."
The carriage departed with Zeke and Rex Turunn on board.
Zeke couldn't understand why Rex Turunn was in this carriage.
'Why is he here? Is he trying to warn me? If so, he could have just crushed me yesterday. Or is he angry because Reina is frustrated?'
All sorts of thoughts came to mind.
Then Rex Turunn opened his mouth.
"The Trial of Struggle will be more difficult than you think. Once you get to the first floor..."
Surprisingly, Rex Turunn had gotten into the carriage beforehand to give Zeke advice on the Trial of Struggle.
'This can't be.'
It was a kindness unimaginable in the calculating, cold-hearted Draker clan, where there was no trace of humanity.
'I thought the Turunn family was just rough, but I was wrong.'
Rex Turunn's advice continued throughout the carriage ride.
After listening to the story for a long time, Zeke suddenly realized something.
'But I don't think I need to hear any more.'
Rex Turunn was more talkative than he expected.
He repeated what he had just said, over and over again. He even gave unnecessary information and suddenly changed the subject according to the flow of his thoughts.
Zeke even suspected for a moment that Rex Turunn was using high-level rhetoric to confuse him.
But seeing him give important information again, it didn't seem like that was the case.
'Rex Turunn... unlike Arthur Draker, he's an unpredictable person.'
The carriage soon arrived in front of the Trial of Struggle.
Thud!
The Turunn knights guarding the dungeon knelt before the carriage.
"We greet the head of the clan!"
Rex Turunn and Zeke got off the carriage together.
Just now, he seemed like a big, talkative uncle, but now he looked like a different person.
Rex Turunn said to Zeke,
"That is the Trial of Struggle."
Zeke looked where he was pointing.
At the bottom of a sunken cliff, a sturdy iron door stood firm.
Zeke bowed to Rex Turunn and walked towards the door without hesitation.
'50th floor, the level Reina reached in my past life. That should be enough to gain recognition from the Turunn family.'
He planned to naturally infiltrate the Turunn clan and find clues about Tyr's Shield.
Zeke steeled himself, opened the door to the Trial of Struggle, and went inside.
Then a message appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[The Trial Ground of the Fighting God Tyr. 'The Inverted Tower' detected.]
'Huh?'