SWNOVELXO Chapter 62 - The Hundred-Step Ceremony (4)
Chapter 62: The Hundred-Step Ceremony (4)
The Hundred Steps Ceremony.
This event had been held without fail for the past 41 years, starting with the 10th generation.
It was a large-scale ceremony, uniquely presided over by the Sword Master, among the various events at the Cradle.
For the existing cadets, the Hundred Steps Ceremony served as both an initiation to assess the newcomers’ capabilities and a process to identify potential future competitors.
Additionally, the small wagers placed on the outcomes of the Hundred Steps Ceremony provided the older cadets with a bit of entertainment they couldn’t resist.
“How far do you think they’ll go?”
“I’ll bet 1,000 points that they won’t make it past three steps.”
“Then I’ll bet 2,000 points on four steps.”
“Judging by how well the remaining ones look, I think they’ll make it to five steps.”
“Four and a half steps!”
The cadets started making predictions about the 50th generation’s performance based on previous Hundred Steps Ceremony records.
The highest record ever was set 35 years ago at nine steps.
And the best record in the last 10 years was eight steps, set two years ago.
So while everyone was predicting the 50th generation’s record to be under eight steps,
“Eight steps.”
A clear voice suddenly rang out, causing those placing their bets to fall silent.
Naturally, everyone’s heads turned in surprise.
The voice that startled everyone came from the area where the 49th generation was gathered.
And it belonged to none other than a girl sitting at the very front.
She was a famous figure, well-known among the 49th generation and even among the other cadets.
“Theresia Winchester?”
“What’s gotten into her?”
Her unexpected involvement, given that she usually didn’t partake in such matters, amplified the crowd’s surprise.
However, she wasn’t finished speaking.
“I’m betting 100,000 points that he’ll take more than eight steps.”
“…?!”
The looks directed at her were full of disbelief, as if asking, ‘Do you even know what you’re saying right now?’
Despite this, she remained unfazed, simply staring at the arena.
At that moment,
“Eight steps… That’s quite a bold statement, Theresia.”
A slightly displeased voice cut through Theresia’s declaration.
It came from the area where the 48th generation was gathered, from a man who sat on the boundary between a youth and a young man in the very first row.
His hair was a short, deep blonde.
He had thick eyebrows and black eyes.
He was a strikingly handsome man with sharp and defined features.
The sudden interjection from him heightened the crowd’s interest.
And for good reason.
If Theresia was the representative of the 49th generation, then this man was the representative and the central figure of the 48th generation.
Thus, the attention that had been focused on Theresia now shifted entirely to him.
As the crowd eagerly anticipated his reaction,
“You speak of eight steps quite easily.”
His displeasure was evident.
Yet, the atmosphere around him seemed to show some agreement.
This was only natural.
Two years ago.
It was this very man who had taken eight steps in that arena.
He had every right to speak about those eight steps.
Theresia, however, gave a brief denial.
“I didn’t speak lightly. I considered it carefully and said it because I believe it’s possible.”
“….”
“And I didn’t say eight steps. I said more than eight steps.”
Theresia’s clear and precise rebuttal made the man’s eyebrows twitch.
His voice, now hardened, flowed out.
“Yes, you did. More than eight steps and 100,000 points.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll take that bet. I’m betting he won’t make it past eight steps. But!”
“….”
“The stakes will be raised to 500,000 points. Will you accept?”
Theresia briefly shifted her gaze to the arena at his provocative tone.
Her eyes remained fixed on the black-haired boy who stood tall, staring at the Sword Master.
Still looking at Yuri, Theresia nodded.
“I accept.”
Yuri’s eyes, fixed on the Sword Master, sharpened.
‘The Hundred Steps Ceremony.’
A simple ritual where one walks toward the Sword Master through an overwhelming aura.
No one knew exactly why the Sword Master, the world’s absolute force, engaged in such a seemingly childish game.
But Duran had said,
The Hundred Steps Ceremony was a test given by the Sword Master.
‘A test? Nonsense!’
Yuri thought otherwise.
His fists clenched tightly.
Creak—.
‘This is… an opportunity.’
Usually, challenging the Sword Master meant risking one’s life.
This life-threatening challenge was known as the Sword Throne Seizure.
To this day, the only person who had survived that challenge was Johan Redner, the Indomitable Sword.
And Yuri had thought there would be no other opportunity to challenge the Sword Master besides the Sword Throne Seizure.
But there was.
‘Although it’s not a direct fight against the Sword Master, it’s still a chance to catch a glimpse of the power of the world’s strongest being.’
The Hundred Steps Ceremony was a rare opportunity to challenge the Sword Master without risking one’s life.
Realizing this, Yuri looked up at the Sword Master.
‘There… that’s the Hundred Steps.’
The distance between each line was roughly 70 centimeters.
In other words, the distance to the Sword Master was about 70 meters.
However, the distance felt much farther to Yuri.
‘And this is only a hundred steps?’
The Sword Master did nothing but sit there with his chin resting on his hand.
Yet, the overwhelming aura crushed Yuri.
It felt as though his entire body was weighed down by heavy iron bars.
‘If it’s this overwhelming from beyond the hundred steps, what will it be like closer in….’
He imagined that an even more terrifying aura awaited him.
Yuri bit his lip hard.
‘Can I really reach that far?’
He pondered.
But his contemplation didn’t last long.
‘Haha!’
Yuri couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
‘Yuri Holland… you foolish and weak bastard.’
At the moment he insulted himself, a scene unfolded before his eyes.
The space between Yuri and the Sword Master, that desolate hundred steps, was now filled with the phantoms of people.
One person, two people, three people…
The phantoms gradually multiplied until they became an immense crowd.
Their backs were all that Yuri could see since he was solely focused on the Sword Master.
But Yuri knew who they were.
‘Those who sought the Sword Throne Seizure.’
They were the countless people who had challenged the Sword Master before him.
They were all walking toward the Sword Master.
Some made it as far as 90 steps.
Some only reached 60 steps.
And others made it within 50 steps.
Countless people had aimed for the Sword Master, but some faltered and stopped.
While others continued their advance.
And among the phantoms of the crowd.
Leading them all at the very forefront was a small, one-legged old man.
‘Johan Redner.’
In the decades-long history of the Sword Throne Seizure, the one who had gotten closest to the Sword Master was undoubtedly him.
‘Even that old man is still struggling to reach the Sword Master… yet here I am, already worrying about whether I’ll make it.’
Worrying before even making the attempt.
How utterly pathetic.
Yuri smiled faintly.
He stared intently at the distant figure of the small old man nearing the Sword Master.
‘Old man…….’
The Sword Master, surrounded by a red aura that made him look as if he were engulfed in the flames of hell.
As he watched that challenger stubbornly walk forward, even as his entire body seemed to be burning up, Yuri began to loosen his own muscles.
‘Just wait a little longer… I’ll catch up to you soon.’
It probably wouldn’t take long.
With that resolve in mind, Yuri took his first step toward the Sword Master.
Crack—
Even before his foot touched the ground, the pressure around him intensified.
It was as if the force was refusing to allow him to take that step.
But Yuri firmly planted his foot on the ground.
Boom—
‘One.’
One step.
He had only moved a mere 70 centimeters, but the pressure doubled in intensity.
Yuri let out a dry laugh.
‘This is insane.’
Was it really this intense after just one step?
Then how much pressure would he have to endure to reach the distance where his sword could touch the Sword Master?
As the force pressed down on his entire body, the corners of Yuri’s mouth twisted into a grin.
‘This is fun.’
Yuri made a decision.
Today, in this place, he would test his own limits.
‘I wonder… how far I can go right now?’
With that thought in mind, he lifted his leg once more.
The moment he did, the pressing force increased again.
Crack—
Yuri straightened his back and resisted the crushing force.
Then he moved forward.
Gasp, gasp—
Gasping for breath under the mounting pressure, Gunther struggled to regain his composure.
But the pressure showed no signs of easing.
‘Mana…!’
It was only after he awakened the mana within his core and infused it into his body that he finally managed to regain his senses.
Thud—
Hearing a sound close by, Gunther turned his head.
There lay a cadet who had been barely holding on, crawling on the ground just moments before.
The cadet appeared to have fainted, as there was no movement.
This was happening all around Gunther.
Thud— Thud—
After the Hundred Steps Ceremony began, those who had barely managed to hold on at first were now losing consciousness and collapsing one by one.
“Ugh—!”
“Help… someone…”
As more time passed, even those who had been bending over halfway were now on the verge of collapse, just like the others who had already fainted. They used both arms to brace themselves against the ground.
Judging by the looks of it, they too would soon join the ranks of the unconscious.
And so, one by one, they fell.
In the end, only those who were still standing on their feet remained.
Their number appeared to be just over 30.
Of course, even among them, not everyone was unscathed.
More than half of the 30 had faces so pale they looked like they might collapse at any moment.
Only a very small number managed to stand, though they appeared to be struggling.
Although they had clearly heard the instruction to walk toward the Sword Master, none of them dared to take a step.
Just standing was a challenge in itself.
‘This is the power of the Sword Master….’
Facing the Sword Master’s strength firsthand, Gunther now fully understood where his fearsome reputation came from.
‘To be able to knock down so many people with just his aura from such a distance…’
Gunther couldn’t help but wonder.
Could he really move forward toward the Sword Master?
No, he already knew the answer in his head.
‘This is a test. I must move forward.’
But his body wouldn’t move.
His mind recognized it as a test, but the fear of the Sword Master anchored his feet in place.
‘Move!’
As he desperately repeated this to himself,
Step—
A small footstep echoed in his ears like thunder.
Gunther’s head instinctively turned toward the direction of the sound.
And he saw it.
Amid the fallen, a lone figure took a step forward.
‘That’s…?’
Although he could only see the side of their face, the long, flowing black hair was unmistakably familiar.
‘It’s him!’
The boy who had opposed him on the Black Ship.
Gunther found himself staring at the boy’s profile as if entranced.
And it wasn’t just Gunther.
All of the 50th generation cadets who had managed to remain standing were now fixated on the sight of Yuri’s profile as he took that first step.
Then, in that moment,
Crack—
Boom—
Yuri succeeded in taking yet another step.
The second step.
While everyone else stood frozen in place, he alone had taken two steps forward.
Because of this, the 50th generation cadets were no longer looking at Yuri’s profile but at his back.
And that back stirred something in the hearts of those watching.
Gunther was no exception.
‘Why….’
It was just two steps.
He had only taken two steps ahead.
“Why?”
Why did that boy’s back feel so distant?
It was just a difference of two steps!
And this realization spurred Gunther into action.
‘I… won’t be left behind.’
Crack—
Gunther lifted his foot and stepped forward.
And that was the beginning.
Gunther Irons.
Poppy.
Arin Helga.
The three of them began to walk, following Yuri.
And, spurred on by the three, the others started to move as well.