Yuri blinked in response to Johann's answer.
"The Dragon's Cradle? Why there?"
"Well, you passed the test and got in, so it's only natural."
"Weren't the tests for the Cradle just a formality or something?"
"Haha, just a formality? Really?"
"Yeah, just that."
"Are you out of your mind? Wasting the precious Dragon Crest on trivial nonsense?"
Yuri's expression conveyed her incomprehension at Johann's twisted tone.
Raising her head quizzically, she asked, "If I want to play the role of the... experiment."
"Test subject?"
"Yeah, that. If I want to be the test subject of inspiration, shouldn't I avoid entering the Cradle? If I go in, we won't be able to meet, right?"
"Oh? Quite clever of you to think about that. But don't worry, I'll handle that problem."
Johann wiped away his playful smile and continued, "And, even for the sake of the experiment, you must enter the Cradle."
"Why?"
"There's no better place to build up your strength than there."
"…?"
As if not fully grasping the situation, Yuri looked at Johann with a puzzled expression.
"Why do you think those so-called geniuses, who claim to dominate the world, can't enter the Cradle and remain restless?"
"Why?"
"Because there's no other place where the strong dominate everything as much as in the Cradle."
"…!"
"In the Cradle, not only are rare elixirs released by the dozens every year, even various powerful martial arts of the era's renowned experts are abundant."
"Wow."
"All these are things only someone like me, victorious in legitimate competition, can obtain. But what if one individual stands out in that competition?"
"That person would take advantage of all the benefits the Cradle offers."
"Exactly, a perfect dominance of strength."
Yuri's face stiffened slightly as she listened to Johann's story.
At the same time, a voice imprinted in her memory echoed back to her.
"Weaklings get trampled, but the strong... overcome and evolve. That's... the era of the sword dance."
The words uttered by a dying knight with a smile.
The world Yuri had experienced over the past few years was not much different from the tale of that fallen knight.
"And the Dragon's Cradle is nothing less than a symbol of the current era."
In other words, the Cradle was a place where the concentration of the current era's dominance was most intense.
Therefore, Yuri began to understand Johann's words to a certain extent.
"Undoubtedly, it's a good place to build up strength, as Inspiration mentioned."
However, that also required one fundamental condition: unparalleled strength.
As Johann had pointed out, for the Cradle to be a "good place to build up strength," Yuri needed the power to overcome all competition.
In that sense, Yuri was confident.
"So, entering the Cradle, absorbing all the spoils without leaving a single drop for those guys? It's a great plan."
In response to Yuri's confident muttering, a trace of disbelief flickered in Johann's eyes.
Contrary to that, a clear disdain lingered on Johann's lips.
"Hahaha, you're talking big, really."
"…?"
"Give it a day."
"Huh?"
"If you enter the Cradle right now, getting kicked out with your luggage after just a day will be enough. If you can walk out unharmed, that's fortunate; chances are, you'll be carried out in a coffin."
"…What?"
"Don't be surprised. Do you think the Cradle is a gathering place for kids from the neighborhood? It's where selected talents from around the world gather, starting from their early childhood."
"…."
"People who received thorough genius education since childhood."
"That genius' body that hasn't even accumulated mana in the cracks of those geniuses’ brilliance, how long do you think it can endure?"
"Cursed... no, even with the divine power?"
"That's considered in the one-day estimate. If that's not the case, you might not last an hour, let alone a minute."
It was quite a harsh evaluation.
As Yuri's brow slightly furrowed in response, Johann chuckled.
"Why? Hurt your pride?"
"…."
"A divine power is undoubtedly an incredible talent. However, even the best sword becomes a mere knife in the hands of a country bumpkin. You never properly wielded the sword of the divine power; you simply defeated your opponents with the strength of that divine power."
"…What are you trying to say?"
"So far, that approach may have worked for you. Whether it's swordsmanship or martial arts, you may not have felt any shortcomings even if you didn't practice diligently. Therefore, you didn't pay much attention to those things."
It was a valid point.
Regular swordsmanship required consistent training, and even the lowest-level martial arts demanded a fortune that ordinary people couldn't afford.
"But even if you've painstakingly learned those things, it wouldn't be on par with using the divine sword."
Day by day, it wasn't an option for Yuri, struggling to make ends meet.
"So far, it seems you've been quite out of touch."
"Understandable, my soul has grown larger…"
"No, that's not it."
"Now, you possess the power to kill multiple enemies at once. If you wipe out everyone in one place, it won't matter. But what if you can't?"
"…."
"Collapsed like today... If one of the enemies survives?"
Yuri clenched her fist tightly.
Seeing this, Johann spoke coldly.
"Those who set foot in the Cradle are like vicious predators. Using Inspiration once against them, and you, who collapsed after using Pick, will be nothing more than an easy prey."
Thoughts that Yuri had never considered until now, or unconsciously distanced herself from, flowed out of Johann's mouth.
This made Yuri's expression stiffen slightly.
"Am I... considered prey?"
The word 'prey' scratched at Yuri's pride, and in response, a defiant voice emerged.
"Even the recent recruit who passed the Cradle doesn't seem particularly extraordinary."
"Even that seemingly ordinary recruit, like you who can't use Inspiration, could easily kill you with just one finger."
"Why have you been excluding Inspiration from the conversation since earlier? Inspiration is also my ability. If used properly—"
"The more you use it, the more the power that tears apart your lifelines will continue even in the Cradle."
"...."
"If you're thinking of doing that, bring a coffin in advance and enter the Cradle. If you keep using Inspiration every time something happens, your lifelines will likely be cut before filling even five years in the Cradle."
Yuri bit her lip firmly.
But she couldn't come up with a counterargument.
What Johann said made sense.
This made Yuri's inner thoughts known, and Johann's voice, tinged with mockery, continued.
"Just like you said earlier, the guy named 'Recruit' doesn't seem exceptional. Maybe just a fledgling?"
"...."
"And that fledgling... precisely grows by devouring prey like you. Puhuhu."
Repeating the story he just told, Johann emphasized it once again.
He chuckled inwardly, intending to tame this wild beast for the sake of the future.
Yuri, like a wary wild animal, showed her teeth when provoked and, if threatened, wouldn't hesitate to bite and tear out the throat of any potential threat.
Moreover, her pride was so strong that even if trying to treat a wound, she tended to ignore it.
How to tame such a wild beast?
Should he slowly approach her, building familiarity and bonding through warmth?
Of course, that was one method, but engaging casually with Yuri and cultivating warm feelings wasn't Johann's style.
"To tame a wild beast, you have to break its pride, making it reveal its belly."
Creating an overwhelming power difference, imprinting it in her mind to make her follow willingly.
That was Johann's preferred method.
Johann chuckled.
"But don't worry! There's still plenty of time until the Cradle initiation for this recruit!"
"...."
"If you consistently roll under my command in the future, you might become an Ogre King in the Cradle. You have to reach that level to serve any purpose as a person!"
Chuckling and scratching Yuri, Johann waited.
He waited for Yuri to take the bait.
'With this much scratching, it should be time for her to burst into rage.'
And sure enough, sparks ignited in Yuri's eyes, which had been silently listening.
"Inspiration."
Golden eyes, tinged with a reddish hue, locked onto Johann.
"...How strong is Inspiration?"
"Huh?"
"I'm not interested in an Ogre King or anything. If you want to get stronger—"
Yuri paused for a moment.
Her lips slightly curled as she looked at Johann.
"At least stronger than Inspiration."
"Oh?"
"Because then, I can deliver a blow to that unlucky face of yours."
Looking at Yuri, who was twisting with resentment, a glint appeared in Johann's eyes.
'Asked, didn't she?'
If that's the case, might as well seize the opportunity.
Johann winked.
"Curious about how strong I am?"
Whoosh.
Without waiting for Yuri's response, Johann's figure disappeared.
He reappeared behind Yuri, of all places.
"....?!"
"And now I have to show you."
Yuri, surprised, and Johann, with a deep smile, casually grabbed Yuri's back and leaped out of the cave.
Amidst Yuri's protests, Johann's movements were faster than her outcry.
"Hey, Inspiration?! What, what are you doing?"
But Johann's movements were quicker than Yuri's cries.
When Yuri's voice echoed, both of them were already thrown outside the cave.
"....?!"
Yuri's hiding place was a 20m-high cliff.
Having been thrown from such a cave, it was natural to witness a dizzying scene beneath.
Yuri's face relaxed in amazement.
"...Huh?"
Yuri's eyes widened.
It was inevitable.
"Walking through the air...?"
Johann, who had grabbed her back, was now walking through the air.
As if descending a staircase, Johann leisurely stepped on the air.
And finally, as Johann's foot touched the ground, he threw Yuri, who was stunned, into the air.
Even in the midst of this, Yuri quickly corrected her posture and stared at Johann.
Johann also faced Yuri and spoke.
"You said you'd give me a blow? Well, then watch carefully. At least you should be able to do this much if you're going to bring your hand near my face."
Having said that, Johann turned towards the cliff.
At the same time, a hazy, fluffy something emerged beneath his feet.
'...What's this?'
White smoke? Mist?
It was neither of those.
What appeared beneath Johann's feet was nothing other than 'clouds.'
Yuri, looking at the cloud-shaped Inspiration that had taken a tangible form, realized it was not a simple cloud.
Because she had something similar, even though the appearance was different.
'Is this Johann's Inspiration Avatar?'
If Yuri's Avatar looked like a terrifying monster that instilled fear, Johann's Inspiration was a single white cloud that had taken shape.
While Yuri stared blankly at the cloud-shaped Avatar, something silently emerged from beneath Johann.
Swoosh.
Johann drew his sword, a line of white mist emanating from the cloud beneath his feet, flowing up his calf, thigh, body, and arms, converging into his sword.
Like a snake wrapping around the blade, the white cloud, embracing the sword, wriggled.
Oomph!
The cloud line, tightly wrapped around the blade, trembled violently.
It seemed as if it was crying out intensely, urging to be released.
Wooong!
Johann, with a light swing of the sword, effortlessly brushed away the squirming cloud line.
Sshh.
From bottom to top, like cutting through a cliff diagonally, the sword created a line.
It was genuinely an insignificant, light swing, but what unfolded was far from trivial.
The fiercely extending white stream expanded into a monstrous creature with a head resembling a dragon, antlers like a deer, a serpent's body, and four pairs of legs.
Kwooaaah!
The Cloud Dragon let out a resounding roar.
Kwagagagagak-.
It struck the cliff as if on cue.
And then.
Kwaaaah!
With a tremendous sound, the Cloud Dragon vanished, and simultaneously, the cliff disappeared.
No, not only the cliff but also the mountain behind it had completely flown away.
As the mountain that was blocking the sunset disappeared, the vivid red sun revealed itself beyond.
Yuri, with her eyes shaking greatly, chased after the pierced void.
'Is this really...'
It was just a single blow.
With an insignificant swing, the cliff and the mountain evaporated.
'...a sight created by a single human?'
As that thought occurred, Yuri realized.
Until now, she had been using her Avatar incorrectly.
Not even 1,000th of the ability, no, not even 10,000th, had been properly unleashed.
'I wasn't dealing with the Avatar. I was merely being drawn by its power.'
Yuri gazed at Johann's back.
His back, which had seemed small, now felt strangely immense.
'Is this... the power of a master?'
The reputation of masters had always reached her ears.
But she couldn't feel it.
How truly formidable their accumulated power and reputation were.
'Oh my goodness...'
Considering her age, she was still fifteen.
Moreover, she had never been defeated in her life.
Such achievements had led to a juvenile arrogance.
Crack-.
Yuri regretted.
'I was a frog in the well.'
Simultaneously acknowledging reality, the scorn and arrogance that clung to Yuri disappeared into fragments.
In their place, a spark of desire ignited.
'This is... true strength.'
The world created by Swordmaster Luke Ryder.
The absolute power wielded by those who reigned within it.
"Ah..."
Yuri's eyes blurred.
Her mind was filled with one thing.
'I want it. That strength...'
The strength shown by Johann Redner.
The longing for it.
It shattered the arrogant pride that had settled within Yuri along with her newfound awareness of reality.
And in its place, the burning ember of desire remained.
'This is the real strength.'
The world crafted by Swordmaster Luke Ryder.
The absolute power wielded by those who ruled within it.
"Ah..."
Yuri's eyes blurred.
Her mind was filled with one thing.
'I want it. That strength...'
The strength shown by Johann Redner.
The longing for it.
It shattered the arrogant pride that had settled within Yuri along with her newfound awareness of reality.
And in its place, the burning ember of desire remained.
'Not just that... I want a power beyond this... to have it in my hands!'
Yearning for the strength of the Swordmaster Johann Redner showed her.
That desire, not suitable for a seven-year-old, harbored a burning hatred.
At the age of eight, realizing the precariousness of life, she established a will to live rather than hatred towards the world.
Now, at fifteen, gradually worn out by an aimless life, she...
'My throat... is dry.'
Yuri felt, for the first time, a thirst akin to burning desire for the pure longing she held.
Fantasy,
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