"You say I have latent potential?"
"Exactly."
"Umm…"
I looked at Clyde with unwavering confidence. My assured demeanor seemed to spark a flicker of belief in him.
"Arin, Clyde."
"Yes."
"Let's have a spar."
Arin's expression remained unchanged, but Clyde and Hans stared at me in disbelief.
"Now? We're about to fight monsters!" Clyde protested.
"Right. Hans, grab two training swords."
"What? Oh, yes…"
As Hans went to fetch the swords, I approached Arin.
"Arin."
"Yes."
"Analyze Clyde's sword patterns thoroughly. When you're ready, end it in one strike."
"Understood."
Arin, trusting me implicitly, showed no reaction to my orders, exuding a quiet resolve to carry them out.
Once Hans returned with the swords, the spar began.
"I've always wanted to test myself against you. Here I go," Clyde said.
"Please," Arin replied.
Clyde charged, his reluctance fading as he seemed to enjoy the spar.
Whoosh!
Clang!
Arin deftly deflected Clyde's powerful horizontal slash with a slight twist of her sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The spar consisted of Clyde attacking and Arin evading or blocking. As it progressed, the sound of clashing swords diminished.
Five minutes in, Clyde's sword couldn't even graze Arin.
"Clear Mind…"
Arin's upgraded Clear Mind ability sent chills down my spine. In just five minutes, she'd completely deciphered Clyde's patterns.
Arin relied on speed, Clyde on strength. Even without Clear Mind, Arin had the advantage, but with it, the spar was like an adult toying with a child.
Swish!
"Ugh!"
Ten minutes in, Arin subdued Clyde in an instant, as if she'd been waiting.
"I yield."
"Good work."
While Clyde was exhausted, Arin's breathing remained steady.
"Ugh, she's incredible," Clyde panted.
"No, it's nothing," Arin replied modestly.
Clyde's shoulders slumped.
"Look at this. I couldn't even touch her. What potential do I have?"
"I told you, it's latent. It won't come out easily."
I gave him a light pat of encouragement.
For the next three days, with no monsters appearing, I had Arin and Clyde spar daily. While Arin tested various techniques, Clyde's repeated defeats eroded his confidence.
Huff…
Feeling someone rushing toward my room, I stopped circulating my inner energy and opened my eyes.
"Young Master!"
It was Hans.
"What?"
"Monsters have appeared."
I grabbed my gear and headed out.
"Are we really getting no reinforcements?" Hans asked.
"Nope. Don't expect any. Let's make do with who we have."
I sprinted to the seawall and looked down. Sharp fins protruded from the water—Vollarks' dorsal fins.
"Hm, not as many as I thought."
"No, Young Master, this is just the start. They'll keep coming for days. Don't let your guard down," Hans warned.
"Good to know."
I scanned the area and spotted today's star, leaning listlessly against the wall, staring below.
"Clyde."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Get ready."
"Can I do this? I kept losing to Arin."
Clyde was in despair, unable to even touch Arin's clothes during their spars.
"Trust me. You have a special ability."
"Alright."
"Go down there. When smoke appears, don't resist—just let it take over."
"Smoke?"
"Yes. Trust me and surrender to it."
"Okay."
Clyde didn't hesitate, stepping outside the gate to face the monsters.
"Should we shoot arrows?" Hans asked.
"No."
"But—"
"Wait."
Hans and the soldiers watched Clyde with concern, but he didn't need it.
"Kieeeek!"
"Kaaak!"
"Krrrk!"
Vollarks were climbing ashore. I unleashed the prepared poison.
Whoosh!
A thin mist enveloped the shore from the sea to the wall.
"What's this?!"
"Young Master?"
"Clyde! Surrender to the smoke!" I shouted, ignoring the alarmed soldiers.
"Urgh! Aaagh!"
Thirty seconds into the mist, red flames erupted from Clyde's shoulders to his back.
"It's finally triggered."
Once awakened, Clyde could freely activate his Berserker state. Stopping it was another matter.
"Raaaargh!"
A beastly roar echoed from Clyde's throat, freezing the approaching monsters.
Flare!
His Flame Spirit Greatsword, previously sparking weakly, now blazed with towering flames.
Boom!
Clyde charged, obliterating four Vollarks in a single strike.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A single horizontal slash swept away the surrounding Vollarks like a tidal wave. His destructive power was unbelievable.
"Young Master, what's this smoke?" Hans asked.
The mist was my Soul-Killing Smoke. It affects friend and foe alike, making it hard to use with allies nearby. But this campaign was the perfect chance to increase its proficiency.
"Raaaargh!"
"And why's that knight like that?"
Clyde, despairing from losing to Arin and gripped by the smoke's fear, had unlocked his hidden Berserker state. The two negative emotions broke its seal.
I felt bad for him, but my method was the least draining way to awaken it. In the novel, Clyde awakens through a tragic event.
Kaboom!
"Hahaha!"
Clyde wasn't just slaughtering monsters—he was devastating the landscape. His power seemed dozens of times greater.
"Arin."
"Yes."
"Can you beat him?"
"I don't know what you did, but his patterns are the same. I can win."
Arin observed him calmly and spoke with confidence.
"In that state, he'll try to destroy everything. See the flames on his shoulders?"
"Yes."
"While they burn, he's near invincible, tireless, and destructive. But there's a weakness."
Clyde's Berserker state was powerful but had one critical vulnerability.
["Hit 10cm above where his shoulder and neck cross, like the back of his neck, and he'll pass out."]
I sent Arin the weakness via telepathy to keep it private.
"While he's wiping out monsters, think about how to subdue him."
"Understood."
I brought only Arin and Clyde for three reasons: awaken Clyde's Berserker, raise Arin's Clear Mind level by having her subdue him, and increase my Soul-Killing Smoke proficiency.
I was aiming for a three-birds-one-stone effect.
"Raaaargh!"
Thanks to Clyde's power and the smoke, the monsters were annihilated in 20 minutes.
"Hahaha!"
Having crushed the monsters, Clyde approached the gate, radiating madness.
"Arin."
I cleared the remaining smoke and called her.
"Yes."
Shing!
Arin drew her sword and leaped off the wall, floating down like a leaf.
"What? Already?"
She'd clearly mastered the Wind Spirit Rapier.
Kaboom!
As soon as Arin landed, Clyde unleashed a sword strike, cratering the ground like a bomb.
Clang!
Arin dodged minimally and struck the gap between Clyde's helmet and armor.
"Grrrk!"
Thud!
Her strike knocked off his helmet with pinpoint precision.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Clyde swung relentlessly like a beast, but Arin evaded by a hair's breadth, waiting for an opening.
"Raaagh!"
As Clyde raised his sword for a skill, Arin was already behind him.
Thwack!
"Ugh!"
She struck the back of his neck with her sword's hilt, and he collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
"What?"
I'd prepared poison for Clyde in case Arin was in danger, but it ended too easily.
"She's way stronger than I thought."
"And Hans."
"Hic! Yes!"
Hans, drooling as he watched, snapped to attention.
"You said they'd come endlessly, but that's it?"
Hans had warned thousands would swarm, but only about 100 appeared, with no signs of more.
He shook his head, puzzled.
"Once it starts, there's no time to eat, but this is weird. It's never been like this."
Clyde slept for two days from the Berserker backlash, and no monsters appeared.
It was frustrating, as I needed results for the trial.
"Butler."
"Yes."
I spoke to Philo, the Marquis's butler silently trailing me.
"How are results evaluated?"
"Likely by the number and strength of monsters defeated, how well the wall is defended, and minimizing allied losses."
"Then I'm perfect except for monsters."
"Aren't you worried about their absence?"
"It's frustrating, but the campaign's not over. This trial isn't the only factor."
"You're remarkably calm. You've changed a lot."
Philo gave a faint smile.
"Young Master! They're here!"
As I finished talking and headed to the wall, a soldier shouted.
"Finally."
On the wall, I saw numerous fins in the sea—Vollarks, as before.
"But… those."
Beyond their jagged fins were smooth, triangular ones—shark fins.
"Gasp!"
"No way!"
"Impossible!"
Philo paled at the sight. Hans collapsed, sitting hard.
"Young Master, issue a retreat order now!"
"He's right. We can't stop them with this group. Forget results!"
"Please! We'll die!"
Hans, panicked, grabbed my clothes, shaking me.
[Creator's Eye activated.]
[Sharkrai]
Over 2m tall, a marine monster with a shark's head and powerful limbs. Wields various heavy weapons like greatswords, axes, or hammers. Its sharp teeth can bite through anything, so close combat is dangerous. Abilities are 1.5x stronger in water.
Skills: Rage (Physical), Steel Teeth (Physical), Skin Hardening (Support), Acceleration (Support).
"Oh, those guys."
"'Those guys'? We'll die! There's over 40 Sharkrai! I've never seen this! Order a retreat—"
"It's fine. I'll handle it."
I smiled at the terrified group and looked down.
"Kiiieeek!"
"Kaaak!"
Vollarks climbed ashore, not to attack but fleeing from the Sharkrai.
Huff!
I designated the area before the gate for Soul-Killing Smoke and transformed Agnes into a sharp, black disc-like weapon—Mukbong (Ink Bee).
"What's that?"
Buzz!
Spinning Mukbong with my finger, it roared like thousands of bees.
Enjoying the sound, I called to the stunned Philo.
"Butler, count carefully. It'll be quick."