In the end, Leon won the five-kilometer weighted run, a result that sent a ripple of excitement through the onlookers.
Yuri's skills weren't actually poor—in fact, he was a top-tier prospect among the rookie hunters of his year—but his arrogance was so overwhelming that everyone was just waiting to see him fail.
And Leon had given them exactly what they wanted.
Yuri slammed a fist against his knee, gritting his teeth as he returned to the starting line, his eyes burning with resentment.
Vos walked over and patted Yuri's shoulder, saying softly, "Losing is no big deal. You're still young."
Yuri brushed Vos's hand away and snapped, "I won't lose to him again!"
Flora stepped in front of the group and announced, "Second test—Reflexes. Get ready to begin!"
She pointed to two circular targets in the center of the field and explained, "When the target lights up red, fire a stone from your slinger. Points will be deducted for going over the time limit or hitting the wrong target. There will be thirty signals in total, and we'll run the test three times. The one with the highest score wins."
Leon and Yuri stood before their targets. Leon raised his arm to test his slinger, his focus already sharpened to a razor's edge.
Yuri huffed, "I'm winning this back!"
Leon replied calmly, "Then you'd better bring your best."
"—Begin."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the signal lights flared to life.
Thud!
The two of them fired almost simultaneously!
The first signal light was hit with pinpoint precision.
The second, the third, the fourth...
The rhythm began to accelerate.
Both men hit their marks consecutively, neither making a single mistake.
Flora narrowed her eyes, her gaze darting between the two targets. "Instantaneous reaction is the key to whether a hunter lives or dies..." she whispered coldly.
The twentieth set—
Five signal lights lit up at once!
Yuri fired instantly, but only managed to hit three of them.
Leon's eyes narrowed as his arm adjusted instinctively. Two targets went down together, followed immediately by another two.
He had only missed a single one.
"Holy crap, he actually hit four!"
"I can barely manage... t-two..."
Seeing this, Yuri's expression shifted, his lips thinning into a hard line.
From the twentieth set onward, the interval between lights shortened to 0.3 seconds, and the colors began to fluctuate.
It was no longer just a test of speed; it was a test of judgment. Hitting a blue light would result in a point deduction.
Yuri suddenly slipped up, hitting a blue light.
Leon, however, struck four red lights in a row. It was as if he had returned to his old military firing drills; his hand muscles, visual signals, and neural pathways were all perfectly synchronized, making every shot unfailingly accurate.
By the twenty-fifth set, beads of sweat covered Yuri's forehead, and his movements were becoming increasingly frantic.
...
The second test concluded.
Yuri had lost to Leon once again.
His competitive drive kept him in a brooding silence. He sat alone at the edge of the field, but his eyes never left Leon's back.
The murmurs of the crowd no longer reached Yuri's ears; all he could think about was defeating Leon.
During the break, much of the crowd dispersed. Flora walked over to Vos and asked, "Are you sure Yuri can handle the blow? He doesn't look right."
Vos laughed, seemingly unconcerned. "Hahaha, young people need a little stimulus. Otherwise, he'd run into real trouble eventually. Confidence isn't a flaw, but overconfidence is a disease that needs a cure."
"..."
Seeing her reaction, Vos continued, "It's fine, really. It's hard enough to find someone who can actually take little Yuri down a peg. Don't worry, I'll know when to call it."
Flora glanced at the resentful Yuri before turning back to Vos. "Leon needs to pick a weapon next. Yuri uses a Long Sword, right? You can take him and head out then."
Vos shrugged, acting as if he'd expected this. He turned to Yuri, who was still sitting in silence with his head down, and beckoned him. "Hey! Little Yuri, time to go. Today's testing is over!"
Yuri didn't stand up immediately.
His fists were clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. He stared fixedly at Leon in the middle of the field, his jaw set tight.
He had never been pushed out of the spotlight and into the shadows in front of so many people before.
Leon...
That calm, emotionless outsider had not only outrun him but had also been as precise as a machine during the reflex test...
That level of composure and silence brought Yuri a sense of defeat he had never felt before.
"I'll win it back," Yuri muttered under his breath, as if to encourage himself, or perhaps as an oath.
"Then you'll have to train a hell of a lot harder. Don't just talk the talk," Vos chuckled, patting Yuri on the shoulder. "Let's go. Don't interrupt the man while he's picking a weapon."
Yuri stood up without another word.
Before leaving, he took one last look at Leon. His gaze was still full of resentment, but a different kind of sharpness was beginning to emerge.
After Yuri left, the training ground grew much quieter as the remaining onlookers scattered to begin their own sessions.
Flora walked over to Leon and pointed toward the weapon racks on the other side. "Fitness testing is over. You've basically passed everything, so now it's time to choose a weapon."
"Just passed?" Leon looked at Yuri's retreating, dejected figure. Though he didn't fully understand the hunter certification standards, he knew he had performed well.
Flora caught his meaning and huffed. "Yuri has been trained as a hunter since he was a child. Him losing only means he's in poor form. Don't let it go to your head."
Leon gave a wry smile. "It seems like people around here aren't used to giving compliments."
With that, he walked over, his gaze scanning the various weapons displayed on the racks.
Leon immediately ruled out ranged weapons. The mere thought of having to carry all sorts of ammunition while hunting seemed like a hassle.
Using a process of elimination, he eventually narrowed his focus down to the Long Sword, Great Sword, Hammer, Dual Blades, and Sword and Shield.
Leon first picked up a Long Sword.
The moment the hilt was in his hand, Leon frowned slightly. He tried a few basic slashes and felt that while the movements were fast, they relied heavily on a specific rhythm involving charging and counters.
'Long Swords are suited for technical types who are skilled at switching between offense and defense,' Leon evaluated internally. 'It's cool, but it feels a bit... clunky.'
He set down the Long Sword and tried the Hammer.
The hammer felt heavy in his hand, possessing immense explosive power. A series of swings could use his entire body weight to deliver a devastating blow.
'The wind-up is too long and the rhythm is too slow. It's a bit too cumbersome...' Leon tried it a few times and realized he lacked a natural affinity for the weapon.
He tried the Great Sword again.
Although it had a majestic presence and the potential for massive charge damage, the recovery time after an attack was too long. If he made a mistake, it would be difficult to recover.
Then he picked up the Dual Blades, a pair of daggers that felt light and exceptionally fast.
After a few experimental slashes while darting around, he fell into thought. 'The speed is much better, but it feels easy to lose control during close-quarters combat.'
"...Not stable enough." Leon shook his head and returned the Dual Blades to their place.
Finally, he reached out and gripped the Sword and Shield.
Unlike the other weapons, the Sword and Shield didn't feel oppressive in his hand; instead, it felt perfectly natural.
He gave it two light swings. The movements were as fluid as running water. Combined with the small shield, it offered a degree of defense and versatility.
Most importantly—he could still freely use his slinger and consumable items in the middle of an offensive.
'Flexible, steady, and versatile,' Leon decided with satisfaction. 'This is the path I should take!'
Swish!
Leon attempted to perform a combo—
Chop, side slash, sword-and-shield combo!
Horizontal slash, counter slash, spinning slash!
Every move was as fluid as instinct, as if he were born to wield the Sword and Shield.
Not for showmanship, not for burst damage, but for survival.
Standing by the field, Flora narrowed her eyes, the corner of her mouth twitching into a barely perceptible smile. She had thought Leon would choose between extreme power or extreme speed; she hadn't expected him to choose the Sword and Shield, just like her.