Argon, seeing Zack finish off the last spider, smiled proudly.
Argon:
"Great job, Zack. That was impressive.
Alright, let's head back to camp. Starting tomorrow—we'll move on to the second form."
As they walked back, Argon thought to himself:
"He's incredibly talented… His learning speed is no joke.
If he keeps progressing like this, it won't take him long to master my full swordsmanship."
And so, the days passed.
Zack and Argon trained every single day.
Within a month, Zack had made significant progress.
That's when Argon decided—it was time to make the training more intense.
More strict drills.
Harder monster hunts.
Real danger.
Two months later...
Zack stood tall.
He had fully mastered all five forms of Argon's swordsmanship.
Argon (grinning):
"So… it's done. You've learned my swordsmanship. Completely."
Zack (bowing his head slightly):
"This is all thanks to you, Master.
I'm truly grateful that you gave me this chance.
Thank you—from the bottom of my heart."
Argon smiled and placed a hand on Zack's shoulder.
Argon:
"You're my student, Zack.
You don't need to thank me.
In fact, while teaching you, I've started to feel like I can push my own swordsmanship even further.
Maybe—very soon—I'll reach the level of an S-Rank Swordmaster."
He looked at Zack with pride in his eyes.
Argon:
"You know, right?
The C11 has around ten active S-Rank Awakeners.
And I believe…
One day, both of us will be counted among them."
Zack (smiling, respectfully):
"I'll be waiting for that day, Master."
Argon nodded.
Argon:
"Then from today, your training is officially complete.
You're ready, Zack.
Completely ready—for the tournament."
Zack (firmly):
"Yes, Master."
Argon:
"Good. Let's head back now."
Zack:
"You go ahead, Master. I… have a little something to do first."
Argon (raising an eyebrow):
"Something to do? In the Abyss?
Alright…
I won't ask."
He turned away with a faint grin, trusting Zack's instincts.
As Argon walked away into the shadows of the Abyss, his footsteps slowly faded behind him.
Zack stood still for a moment…
He took a deep breath, then said quietly:
"Status window."
With a soft chime, a translucent blue screen materialized in front of him, glowing faintly in the dim surroundings.
[Ding!]
Congratulations!
You have successfully learned Argon's Swordsmanship.
Zack stared at the screen, a faint smirk appearing on his face.
Zack (thinking):
"Finally… I've mastered it."
He clenched his fist.
Zack:
"Now the real fight begins."
Level Up.
Zack smirked as he looked at the glowing notification on the screen.
Zack:
"So I've reached Level 50 now. That means… I'm officially B-Rank."
He paused for a moment, stretching his arms.
Zack:
"Guess I'll need to take the rank certification test again once I return home."
He waved the thought off with a flick of his hand.
Zack:
"Forget that for now. Tell me… you said I'd be meeting Kalthok soon. Has that time come?"
The Status Window blinked once and responded:
[YES.]
Zack's eyes narrowed with determination.
Zack:
"Good. I've been waiting for this."
He knew exactly where to go. This wasn't his first time heading there—and now that he was stronger, he didn't hesitate. He geared up, tightened the grip on his sword, and without wasting another moment...
He set off straight toward the place where Kalthok the Destroyer awaited.
Zack was on his way, running at full speed through the forest path.
His stamina had improved so much that he no longer needed any vehicle to reach his destination.
Zack (thinking):
"In my previous life… I only knew the academy's basic swordsmanship.
But this time—I'm stronger. I've mastered Argon's Swordsmanship… and soon, I'll develop a style of my own."
A confident smile appeared on Zack's face.
The thought lit a fire in his chest.
Zack (thinking):
"What I couldn't achieve in forty years, I've already surpassed in less than one.
This time… I'll make everything right."
To be continue...