The main courtyard of the Jin Clan had been transformed.
Stone platforms rose from the ground, each carved with ancient runes. Elders sat high above on golden thrones. Disciples, both young and seasoned, gathered like a swarm of crows—eager to see blood, defeat, and glory.
This was the Outer Sect Trial.
A chance for low-ranking disciples to rise. A battlefield where weakness was punished—and strength, rewarded.
---
Tae-hyun stood among over a hundred candidates.
Most ignored him.
Some whispered.
"That's the cripple who showed up again…"
"I heard he beat Jin Hyeon."
"No way. Must've been luck."
But Tae-hyun's expression didn't change.
He was scanning the field—not for fame or reputation—but for targets.
---
Elder Yun raised his voice.
"The rules are simple! You will fight in elimination duels. No killing—but crippling is… tolerated."
Polite laughter echoed from the elders.
Yun continued. "Victory advances you. Three wins, and you enter the Outer Sect. The rest? Back to scrubbing floors."
Tae-hyun's eyes gleamed.
> [System Objective: Clear the Outer Sect Trial]
[Bonus Rewards: ???]
The first match was called.
Sparks flew.
Tae-hyun waited through three rounds before his name echoed through the courtyard.
"Jin Tae-hyun vs. Jin Seok-min!"
---
Seok-min was Stage 2. Fast, lean, and known for his dual blade style.
He sneered. "Tch. You? What a waste of a round."
Tae-hyun remained silent, stepping onto the dueling platform.
> [Combat Scan: Active]
[Opponent Style: Twin Fang Blades – Weakness: Unstable footwork when attacking left]
The signal flare shot up.
Fight.
Seok-min dashed forward in a blur of steel.
Twin blades slashed in an arc.
Tae-hyun dodged, barely.
Metal grazed his sleeve.
> [Damage: 2 HP lost]
[Speed comparison: Opponent slightly faster. Recommend counter after first combo.]
He ducked, pivoted, and let Seok-min overextend.
Then—
Phantom Step.
He appeared behind him.
Stone Fist Style – Twisting Pulse Impact.
His fist connected with Seok-min's ribs. A crack echoed across the field.
Seok-min collapsed, gasping.
Before he could recover, Tae-hyun's dagger was at his throat.
"Yield."
"…I… yield."
---
Silence.
Then murmurs.
"Was that… Stone Fist?"
"He learned a style already?!"
Elder Yun's lips twitched in amusement.
> [Victory: +Qi Absorbed – 3]
[Skill Copy Progress – Twin Fang Blades: 17%]
[Stamina: 11/12]
Tae-hyun stepped down calmly.
---
The second match came within an hour.
His opponent: Jin Haru, Stage 3, heavy staff user.
She was taller than him. Stronger. Experienced.
She nodded respectfully.
"No shame in walking away, cripple."
Tae-hyun smiled faintly. "Let's dance."
---
Her staff swept toward him like a storm.
Each blow heavy enough to shatter bone.
Tae-hyun didn't block—he moved.
Phantom Step – Split Motion.
He blurred to her left, struck with a dagger—then vanished right and swept her leg.
But Haru recovered fast. She slammed her staff down.
He caught the impact with crossed arms—pain flaring through his bones.
> [Damage: 6 HP]
[Weak Point Detected: Staff user relies on full motion – bait her into close range.]
He dashed in close—too close for her long weapon.
Then he struck her knee, twisted, and drove his palm into her abdomen.
She gasped, dropped her staff, and fell.
He pressed the dagger to her neck.
"Yield."
"…I yield."
---
Gasps rang out.
Two wins.
Tae-hyun stood calm, but his breath was uneven.
> [Stamina: 6/12]
[Qi: 19/20]
[Progress to Stage 3: 94%]
[Skill Fragment Copied: Ironwood Staff Technique – 22%]
He was close.
One more fight—and he would not only enter the Outer Sect, but also break through.
---
Final match.
Jin Mu stepped onto the platform across from him.
The crowd roared.
Of course.
Of course it had to be him.
Mu grinned like a predator. "I asked the elders to arrange this. You embarrassed my disciple. Now I'll return the favor."
Stage 3. Fast. Brutal. Sadistic.
Tae-hyun's body still ached.
But he didn't flinch.
He drew his dagger.
"Let's see if your bark matches your bite."
---
The air was electric.
Tae-hyun and Jin Mu stood across from each other on the dueling platform, the stone beneath their feet etched with the scars of past battles.
Elder Yun raised a brow. "Final match. Begin."
The flare fired.
Mu moved first.
A blur of motion—a flying kick aimed at Tae-hyun's chest.
Tae-hyun barely sidestepped, but Mu flowed into a spinning elbow, forcing him back.
> [Damage: -3 HP]
[Warning: Opponent Strength exceeds yours by 14%]
Tae-hyun's body reeled from the impact.
Mu grinned. "You're quick. I'll give you that."
He pressed forward with ruthless aggression. His fists came like a storm—tight, practiced, unrelenting.
Tae-hyun dodged left. Right. Then—
Phantom Step.
He appeared at Mu's flank and slashed with his dagger.
Sparks flew as steel met Qi-hardened skin.
Mu twisted, grabbing his arm, and slammed him into the platform.
The audience winced.
> [Damage: -6 HP]
[Stamina: 5/12]
[Health: 6/15]
Tae-hyun coughed blood.
I can't win by force. Time to break him down.
---
He baited Mu forward—letting him swing wide.
Then countered.
A stab to the shoulder. A strike to the ribs. A sweep at the ankle.
Slowly, the tempo shifted.
> [Weakness Identified: Right knee, old injury—target when stance widens.]
[Progress: Jin Mu's Qi flow destabilizing.]
Mu roared. "Stop running!"
Tae-hyun smirked. "Why? It's working."
---
Mu lunged.
This time Tae-hyun met him head-on.
He ducked under the punch and slammed his elbow into Mu's injured knee.
A loud crack.
Mu dropped slightly.
Tae-hyun twisted, jumped—and landed a heel kick on Mu's jaw.
Blood sprayed.
The courtyard gasped.
> [Critical Hit – Weak Point Exploited]
[Opponent Health: Low]
Mu stumbled, dazed.
Tae-hyun pounced.
He drove his dagger forward—but at the last second, spun and elbowed Mu in the throat.
Mu collapsed to one knee, clutching his throat, wheezing.
Tae-hyun pressed the dagger to his temple.
"Yield."
"…Khh… I… YIELD!"
---
Silence.
Then an explosion of murmurs.
"Impossible…"
"He beat Jin Mu…"
"That… that was genius…"
Even the elders leaned forward.
Elder Yun finally stood. "Victory: Jin Tae-hyun. Welcome to the Outer Sect."
---
> [Quest Complete: Survive the Outer Sect Trial]
[Rewards: +12 Stat Points | +3 Skill Fragments | New System Function Unlocked: Stat Compression]
[Qi: 20/20 → Limit Reached]
[Stage Breakthrough Achieved: Body Refinement – Stage 3 → Stage 4]
[Bonus Perk: Choose One – Qi Pulse, Iron Skin, Reflex Boost]
Tae-hyun's body trembled.
Qi surged through his veins like wildfire.
His bones cracked and reshaped. His skin strengthened. His core deepened.
He chose Reflex Boost—and time itself seemed to slow around him slightly.
> [Passive Gained: Reflex Boost – +20% evasion in combat, reduced reaction delay.]
---
Later, as he stood alone beneath the moonlight, Tae-hyun opened his status.
> Name: Jin Tae-hyun
Realm: Body Refinement – Stage 4
Qi: 24/24
Stamina: 14/14
Skills:
• Phantom Step (Lv. 2)
• Stone Fist Style (Lv. 2)
• Fangsteel Dagger Mastery (Lv. 1)
• Ironwood Staff (21%)
• Twin Fang Blades (17%)
Stat Points Available: 12
System Functions: Skill Scan | Stat Allocation | Stat Compression (NEW)
He grinned.
From the lowest outcast to the strongest among the trial… and this was only the beginning.
---
But in the shadows of the elder's terrace, one man watched him closely.
A tall, robed figure with a jade badge: Elder Ji of the Inner Sect.
"…A cripple that learns martial arts in weeks? And defeats Jin Mu? Interesting…"
He turned away, his voice low.
"Keep an eye on him. Kill him… if he steps out of line."
---