Probing

At this moment, the training grounds behind the Mercenary Association were already packed with people. Many mercenaries had heard that someone was undergoing a mercenary assessment. Although a standard assessment wouldn't usually attract much attention, this time was different because the person being assessed was the "Shining Swordsman" Sereck.

As one of the legendary figures of Deepstone City, Sereck held a high status in the hearts of mercenaries. He rarely performed assessments himself, so the fact that he was doing so now immediately piqued the curiosity of many mercenaries. They gathered at the edge of the training grounds, whispering among themselves about this peculiar assessment.

Everyone present was a mercenary and had naturally undergone an assessment themselves. It was actually a simple process: the Association would designate a mercenary to test the applicant, and as long as they gained the other party's approval, they would earn the qualification. However, they had never encountered a powerhouse like Sereck personally conducting an assessment, which made many mercenaries quite curious to see who exactly possessed such qualifications.

The first to walk into the training grounds was Sereck, known as the "Shining Swordsman." This Deepstone City powerhouse looked more like a refined nobleman at the moment, with his long golden hair combed back meticulously. A golden lion emblem was imprinted on his white leather armor, and a slender blade hung at his waist. He wore a gentle smile, looking confident and composed. His appearance quickly drew enthusiastic cheers from the mercenaries; after all, worshipping the strong was human nature, not to mention that Sereck enjoyed a very high reputation in Deepstone City.

"I'll leave the rest to you, old friend."

The Association head walked to Sereck's side and patted his shoulder with a smile.

"Rest assured, Mobi."

Facing the old head's words, Sereck smiled with great poise, though he soon asked, "It's rare to see you this angry. Which little guy has such ability?"

"Just an ignorant brat who doesn't know his place."

The old head snorted coldly.

"Show him properly—our mercenaries aren't to be trifled with!"

Just as the old head and Sereck were speaking in low voices, Rhode and Lize arrived at the training grounds, led by an attendant. Unlike the enthusiastic applause during Sereck's entrance, the mercenaries gave this person, wrapped entirely in a cloak, looks of curiosity and suspicion.

"Big Sister! Isn't that Lize?"

Barney, who was also in the crowd watching the spectacle, shouted. Shana, standing beside him, also caught sight of Rhode and Lize. She couldn't help but frown, though she said nothing. However, the other mercenaries around Shana began to whisper.

"Isn't that the guy who came with the young girl earlier? Could it be that he's the one taking the assessment?"

"What's his background? To think he could make the head bring out Sereck?"

"Mysterious, weird, hiding his face—one look and you know he's no good."

"What does this guy do? Looking at him, is he a mage?"

"How could he be? He isn't carrying a staff. Look at what he's holding... wait? Isn't that our spare sword?"

Seeing Rhode arrive, even the old head and Sereck were somewhat surprised, as the weapon in Rhode's hand was the standard-issue longsword provided by the Mercenary Association. This was quite strange; after all, most mercenaries used weapons they were proficient with, and even if it were a common standard sword, they would try to modify it for comfort. But Rhode's sword was the Association's property, and naturally, it had no modifications.

Did he intend to challenge Sereck with just this sword?

While everyone was whispering, Rhode had already arrived before the old head and Sereck. He performed a swordsman's salute to the two of them before pulling back his hood.

"I am ready. You two may begin at any time."

"Do you really intend to challenge me with this sword?"

Sereck frowned slightly as he spoke. He didn't dislike Rhode as much as the old head did; at the very least, this was a rare assessment for him to conduct. If his opponent fought him with such an ordinary weapon, there would be nothing to boast about even if he won.

"Young man, I hope you don't feel any psychological pressure. This is just an assessment. We hope to see your true strength and level; victory or defeat is not important."

"That is also my view, Mr. Sereck."

Rhode gripped the longsword, answering neither servile nor overbearing.

"So please do not concern yourself with my weapon... and I also hope to witness the power of the Phantom Light Sword with my own eyes."

"Very well."

Hearing Rhode say this, Sereck's expression darkened. Originally, he had felt it might be excessive to use a magic weapon while his opponent used a common one, but since the other party had proactively asked to see his Phantom Light Sword, Sereck would no longer be polite. He nodded slightly and glanced at the Association head, seemingly understanding why his old friend was so angry.

But who exactly is this kid?

Sereck didn't dwell on it. He simply shook his head, drew his longsword, and shouted in a low voice.

"Come!"

Facing Sereck's stance, Rhode said nothing more. He slowly drew his longsword, watched the Phantom Light Sword in Sereck's hand intently, and then, holding the sword in one hand, he slashed diagonally toward the lower right, setting up an opening stance. In the next moment, Rhode transformed into a shadow and charged forward.

Sword skill?

Seeing Rhode's attack, a flash of surprise crossed Sereck's eyes, but he quickly composed himself and let out a loud shout. The longsword in his hand suddenly transformed into dots of light rain, sweeping forward in an overwhelming deluge.

Because this was merely an assessment, Sereck did not use his full strength. In his view, Rhode, charging head-on, could not possibly withstand this move. The essence of the Shining Swordsmanship was speed; facing this torrential downpour of attacks, it was extremely difficult to carve a path out of the encirclement.

However, Sereck did not expect that just as Rhode was about to enter his attack range, he would abruptly twist his body, brushing past as if he had completely seen through the sword light meant to confuse the enemy.

How is this possible!?

The scene before him left Sereck greatly astonished. He did not know that Rhode was already intimately familiar with this sword technique. Even if his current strength was limited and he couldn't see through the hidden killing intent, he still remembered the attack range of the Shining Swordsmanship. Sereck charging in like this might work to bully rookies who had just started fighting, but it was still lacking against Rhode.

While Sereck was stunned, Rhode, having dodged the attack range, immediately thrust forward. The Moon Shadow Swordsmanship was the exact opposite of the Shining Swordsmanship. The latter was like the radiance of the sun, forcing the opponent to be unable to look directly and compelling them to submit to defeat. The Moon Shadow Swordsmanship, however, was more like the shadow cast under that light—silent and soundless, like a venomous snake lurking in the grass, ready to bite when least expected. And now, the snake lurking in the darkness finally struck, extending its fangs toward its prey.

What speed!

Seeing the shadow suddenly appear at his side, Sereck was finally shocked. He hurriedly changed direction, and the Phantom Light Sword in his hand once again traced gorgeous sword beams, drowning the snake head that had just emerged like a surging flood.

Rhode, having missed his strike, naturally wouldn't choose to meet the current head-on. A thirty-level gap wasn't just talk; if he met it head-on, he would be sent flying with a single blow. Thus, facing Sereck's counterattack, he quickly retreated, once again brushing past the surging sword beams.

If Rhode dodging Sereck's attack earlier had only made the sword master somewhat surprised, he was now truly moved. Although the Shining Swordsmanship was somewhat flashy, ordinary mercenaries could never dodge such an attack. Once could be called luck, but twice in a row... he even began to wonder if this young man wrapped in a cloak was an old acquaintance. Otherwise, how could he be so familiar with his sword technique?

However, as an experienced sword master, Sereck quickly discovered that Rhode was trying his best to avoid direct contact. He immediately changed his tactics; the Phantom Light Sword, which had been erupting with points of light, was pulled back, and he pressed forward like a shadow. Since Rhode didn't want to collide head-on, Sereck would force him to cross swords. The sword master believed that with his experience, this wouldn't be difficult.

But Sereck miscalculated again. Although he thought his speed was fast enough, Rhode still retreated the moment their swords were about to cross, forcibly widening the distance.

The two had only exchanged blows three or four times, but the surrounding mercenaries were already dumbfounded.

"Big Sister, Sereck's sword is so fast, how is he still not hitting this guy?"

Peeking through a gap, Barney widened his eyes in surprise and spoke his thoughts aloud. He asked himself that if he were in Rhode's position, he would absolutely never be able to dodge Sereck's attacks; he would likely have raised his hands to surrender at the very first strike. But this strange guy had not only dodged Sereck's three attacks, he hadn't even lost a single hair. It was just too bizarre—could this guy also be a master of swordsmanship?

It wasn't just Barney; most of the other mercenaries shared the same thought. They couldn't fathom why Sereck's sword, which was clearly so fast, couldn't do a thing to this guy.

However, the old guild leader standing nearby watched the battle with a darkened expression, having caught onto the underlying truth.

Indeed, Sereck's Shining Swordsmanship was extremely fast, as the name "Shining" implied. But the problem was that its speed was limited to the sword technique itself, not the speed of the person wielding it. Anyone seeing such rapid swordsmanship would subconsciously assume the user was equally fast, but in reality, the two were entirely separate.

The old guild leader saw through it: the little guy opposite was relying on his own superior speed to barely evade the attacks, and it now appeared he was quite familiar with the characteristics of the Shining Swordsmanship. This caused the old guild leader to frown as he pondered the stranger's origins. Sereck hadn't left Deepstone City in over thirty years, and those capable of crossing blades with him were few and far between. Who exactly was this strange little fellow?

Just as the old guild leader was lost in deep thought, the two sides had already exchanged several more rounds. Rhode continued to avoid direct confrontation with Sereck, while Sereck, unhurried, responded with steady composure, though his expression now carried a hint of gravity.

"Your speed is truly impressive. If you were a thief, you would certainly have a very promising future."

As Rhode dodged another of Sereck's attacks, the master swordsman finally spoke with a smile, though his tone carried a touch of melancholy.

"Thank you for the compliment, but I'm afraid I am a swordsman."

Rhode's voice remained devoid of inflection. His face was still shrouded in his hood, so no one could discern his current expression.

"Then, show me the bearing of a swordsman, little one."

Sereck raised his longsword. He had decided to get serious—not just because of Rhode's evasiveness, but because of his own curiosity. He wanted to see what other tricks this young man wrapped in a cloak had up his sleeve.

"As you wish."

At that moment, Rhode moved.

A faint light emerged upon his dim longsword. As Rhode swung, a burst of radiance erupted, and a crescent-shaped sword aura shot out from the blade in the blink of an eye.

Condensed sword aura?

Seeing this Silver Moon Arc, Sereck's expression darkened slightly. He let out a low shout of "Good!", then gripped his longsword and stepped forward.

Points of light, like a violent storm, whistled out, surging like waves to meet the silvery moon arc. At this moment, the power of the master swordsman Sereck was revealed without reservation. Fierce air currents erupted from the points of sword light, forcing even the mercenaries watching from the sidelines to retreat several steps. Rhode's silver moon arc vanished without a trace the moment it touched Sereck's barrier of sword radiance.

Not bad.

Although in a head-on confrontation, Rhode's performance was like that of a young child against a strong, sturdy adult, Sereck nodded with great satisfaction. Being able to master condensed sword aura at such a young age showed that this youth possessed considerable talent, and judging by the previous combat, he also understood how to apply the wisdom of battle. Sereck even felt it would be a pity for such a promising youth to remain a mere mercenary. He glanced at his old friend standing on the sidelines, calculating whether he should take this young man as his disciple; after all, finding a swordsman with such outstanding talent was a rare occurrence indeed.

"---!!!"

Just then, a crisp, low hum suddenly rang out, followed by a chorus of gasps from the surrounding mercenaries.

What happened?!

He composed himself and refocused his attention on the front, only to be shocked to see a shadow of Azure Green passing through the web of sword light, rushing toward him with lightning speed!

ps: This is my first time venturing into the gaming genre. I've never written a data-heavy story before, so my explanations might be a bit long-winded—don't say I'm padding the word count! I'm not even monetized yet. I will strive to make the basic framework clear and understandable before I go premium.

ps2: The reason I'm writing a leveling-up story this time is that I've grown a bit tired of writing "invincible" protagonists, so I wanted to try a different path. It's normal for it to be different from before; if it were the same, I might as well have kept writing the invincible style...

ps3: Finally, regarding the specific data description of the cards—the numbers below the summoned spirit cards represent the attack/defense of the spirit itself. The values are set as follows: 1~3 (Beast rank), 4~6 (Behemoth rank), 7~9 (Magic Beast rank), 10~?? (Boss rank). As for these three ranks, I've mentioned them before, so I won't repeat myself.

ps4: The level data for equipment cards is independent and separate.