Chapter 3: Swordsman?
Doriki is a comprehensive measurement of one's overall combat capabilities, primarily divided into two categories:
Physical attributes—strength, speed, and resistance to damage.
There's also weapon proficiency, including mastery of cold weapons like swords, spears, and staves, or firearms and other ranged weapons.
These qualities, when combined and evaluated, form a person's Doriki score.
"Ed, Doriki score 197. Failed."
A cloaked Revolutionary Army member spoke expressionlessly.
The young man named Ed clenched his fists, frustration clear on his face. Just three points short of the passing grade!
Upon hearing this result, the crowd erupted in murmurs.
"197? So close to the cutoff."
"What a shame."
"Don't worry about it. Ed will definitely pass next time."
Koala spoke gently, offering encouragement as Ed walked dejectedly from the testing area.
It was unclear what she said, but the disheartened young man immediately perked up, his fighting spirit restored.
"So the passing score is 200?"
Observing this exchange, Rhodes frowned slightly.
The intensive sword training had significantly improved Rhodes's physical condition, particularly his arm strength. However, the gap between him and his peers remained noticeable.
Time continued to pass.
Most of the young men and women who had come for testing scored below 200, failing to meet the passing threshold and leaving the stage dejectedly.
Only a handful exceeded 200 points, and those surpassing 300 numbered fewer than five.
These successful candidates were naturally excited, though each tried to feign indifference, squinting coolly while basking in the admiring gazes of their peers, as proud as roosters.
Suddenly, a slightly surprised voice rang out from the testing officials.
"Raz, your Doriki is 387. Excellent!"
387?!
That was approaching superhuman levels!
Everyone turned to stare.
They saw a stern, muscular young man standing with obvious pride.
He towered at 2.2 meters tall, his body rippling with muscle. He radiated an aura of ferocity and wildness, like a dangerous beast from the jungle.
Facing the crowd's bewildered stares, Raz remained composed, as if this result was entirely expected.
"Sure, he's impressive, but that guy... really needs to be taken down a peg," someone muttered nearby.
Originally, everyone's scores had been relatively similar, clustering near the average.
Then Raz appeared with a Doriki nearly double the passing requirement!
Such a crushing demonstration naturally stole all attention and drew the girls' gazes. How could the other boys possibly accept this?
Rhodes's expression wavered momentarily, but he quickly regained composure. After all, these were just background characters—the type who wouldn't survive more than a few episodes in any anime.
One by one, people completed their tests, some with disappointment, others with satisfaction. But thanks to Raz's exceptional performance, those who passed afterward seemed mostly indifferent, causing no significant stir.
Soon, Rhodes's turn arrived, which immediately piqued the onlookers' interest.
"Hey, is Dr. Rhodes really taking the test too?"
"He's so physically weak—how could he possibly pass?"
"Not necessarily. I've seen him practicing swordsmanship lately, and his form looks quite refined."
People buzzed with discussion. Rhodes had earned considerable fame in Baltigo for his exceptional medical skills, so many eyes were drawn to his performance.
Rhodes slowly approached the testing area. A nearby examiner said calmly, "Just punch with maximum force, striking the target."
"Hai."
Rhodes nodded slightly and took a deep breath.
Only by joining the Revolutionary Army and gaining the backing of such a powerful organization could he access the most crucial advanced training and become truly strong!
Rhodes positioned himself before the target, planting his feet firmly. With a subtle twist of his torso, explosive power erupted from his core, instantly flowing through each joint and channeling into his arms.
Rhodes's fist shot forward like a sword thrust, leaving a blur of motion. With a tremendous bang, his fist connected with the target.
After delivering the strike, Rhodes's eyes brightened slightly.
"That felt good—I managed to channel all my power properly."
Rhodes didn't know proper boxing techniques, so his punches likely lacked explosive power. Therefore, he had adapted sword techniques instead—using the most explosive, direct thrust motion, stabbing forward with his fist like a blade.
Sure enough, it worked perfectly.
"Excellent power delivery," the examiner exclaimed in amazement.
As a full Revolutionary Army member with considerable experience and keen perception, he could tell that Rhodes had channeled nearly all his available power into that single punch—a truly impressive and efficient strike.
"Outstanding technique, but remember not to compromise your balance while trying to unleash maximum power."
"That trade-off isn't worth it," the examiner advised, nodding approvingly at Rhodes.
"Hai," Rhodes acknowledged with a slight nod.
Unfortunately, while he could compensate for explosive power through technique, Rhodes's physical fitness tests—including speed and damage resistance—revealed his true limitations, and he failed those portions completely.
Fortunately, he had anticipated this outcome and didn't let it bother him.
The repeated failures quickly made the crowd lose interest and stop paying attention.
The examiner was kind-hearted, constantly trying to console Rhodes.
"It's alright. Physical conditioning is simply a matter of time and dedicated effort. You're still young. Eat more, train consistently, and in three to five years, you'll easily meet these standards."
His encouraging tone left Rhodes feeling somewhat amused and embarrassed. He genuinely hadn't expected to meet the physical requirements in the first place.
After all, he'd only been in this world for three months. How could he possibly match peers who had been training since childhood?
While he was exercising, so were all the others.
"I can still pass this test," Rhodes said quickly, seeing the examiner about to launch into a lengthy motivational speech.
Of course, he had confidence—confidence rooted in his mastery of weaponry.
But the examiner didn't understand this. Seeing Rhodes's confident expression, he couldn't help shaking his head slightly. He opened his mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.
He really didn't want to discourage Rhodes too harshly.
Given Rhodes's poor physical statistics, reaching the 200 Doriki standard would be impossible unless his weapon mastery was absolutely extraordinary.
Meanwhile, Rhodes had finally completed the physical assessments and moved on to weapon proficiency testing.
The Doriki evaluation didn't require mastery of every weapon type—that wouldn't be realistic.
Generally speaking, everyone had their particular strengths and specializations.
Rhodes chose the sword, naturally.
A real katana.
The blade gleamed brilliantly, its cold steel surface reflecting the sunlight with deadly beauty.
The moment Rhodes grasped the handle, his entire demeanor transformed completely.
Normally, he appeared gentle and courteous—a doctor dedicated to saving lives.
But now, his eyes became razor-sharp, his expression turning cold and focused, radiating an aura of lethal precision.
The examiner suddenly felt that even veteran swordsmen he'd encountered couldn't match this intensity.
"How is that possible? He's only sixteen—how could he compare to a true kenshi?" He shook his head, convincing himself it must be an illusion.
Whoosh!
Rhodes planted his foot and explosively charged forward.
In that instant, his mind achieved perfect focus, completely concentrated on the blade in his hands.
As if blessed by divine inspiration, his lips curved into a slight smile, and with a seemingly casual motion, he struck with his sword.
SHRIIIINK!
A tearing sound split the air.
The examiner watched in complete disbelief as the gleaming blade sliced through the black testing stone like a hot knife through butter, then continued without pause to cleave the wooden support frame beneath it cleanly in two!
CRACK!
The next moment, the wooden frame—unable to bear structural stress it was never designed to handle—collapsed violently.
Immediately afterward, the severed black stone crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar.
"This is..."
The examiner's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets at this astounding display, his face filled with utter disbelief.
This testing stone was incredibly durable. While not as resilient as steel—much less seastone—it was still key material used in constructing fortress walls!
And with Rhodes's limited physical strength, being able to cut through it in a single strike meant...
"That's the technique of a true swordsman!"
The examiner's perception of Rhodes completely transformed.
Even Koala, who had been observing from a distance, showed a slightly altered expression. Although she'd known Rhodes was a skilled swordsman, she hadn't expected him to reach this level of mastery.
"This guy is only sixteen years old..."
Koala's mouth twitched. A sixteen-year-old swordsman—a genuine kenshi.
(End of Chapter 3)
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