Guild Wars

The second segment featured a free poleaxe for the candidates to use, matched with their size and the strength they displayed earlier to be able to display the Bizarre Axe Banter properly.

Draco picked up the silver poleaxe manifested for him and swung it casually, marveling at how it was so heavy that if he didn't keep his Eternal class passives on, he might have smashed himself to paste just trying to lift it.

Whatever the case, he closed his eyes and brought up the details of the Bizarre Axe Banter, and his innate technique generator wanted to begin working. However, Draco halted it and did not try to condense this technique into further techniques or a foundation.

He would get around to making a set of axe techniques for sure, but its base would be Control, just like all of his other mainstream techniques, with some using subjective magic too. This technique simply didn't qualify.

Draco easily swung the poleaxe around with his strength, perfectly mimicking the movements of the Bizarre Axe Banter's doctrine, making the air around him shift with the rapid and strange swings that would leave any opponent flustered because… what the heck were you doing man?

Is that how a normal being swung an axe? Did you take 400 shots of raw rubbing alcohol before you came here??

When Draco was done, the manifested poleaxe disappeared because he had nailed it perfectly and did not need to try again. As such, he was able to calmly watch and wait while the others also handled their own tests, most of them somewhat competent minus those who were left awkward either due to their unfamiliarity with axes or were unable to comprehend easily.

When the second segment came to an end, everyone glanced at each other speechlessly. While those who wielded axes could tell that this technique could likely bring many benefits in actual battle… why did it have to be so strange!!!

Finally, the third segment involved the most interesting part, which was the display of one's own personal technique. You could choose to show your worst or your best, and the time limit was one hour.

Immediately, all eyes turned to Draco to see what the undisputed number 1 of their exam so far could muster, and this made him raise an eyebrow. He then chuckled softly, thinking that if they wanted to see, he would give them a good show!

He pulled out his dual swords from his Dragorugio set since equipment was obviously allowed for this part. He then tapped the two pitch-black swords together and nodded to everyone watching, transmitting his voice to them through a mental broadcast.

"This is probably the strongest technique I've ever created, made back when I had my strongest bout of enlightenment. It is versatile and can adapt to any level of power I reach, which still qualifies it to be my best at this stage."

Draco raised his dual blades, energy surging from around into them, being mostly that of Worldly Energy for now since that was what was present as no candidate here was a True God.

The Worldly Energy surged endlessly, forming a powerful cyclone that would have sent an entire planet spinning off its rotation if he were to do it there, being so powerful that time and space for everyone else but him froze.

Draco then placed his left foot back and leaned in on his right foot slightly. He stretched out his left hand like he was using it to aim a throw while pulling his right hand back in a thrust motion, mentally requesting the testing system to generate a target for him.

Draco's eyes glinted as the target formed before him, being a mannequin-like being with only a humanoid body but no discernible features. Like an electric bullet fired from a high-powered railgun, Draco shot forth with transcendent speed, using his right leg to propel himself forward.

To the onlooker, it was as if he was gliding upon the earth while hurtling forward, leaving afterimages of himself due to the velocity versus the space-time anomaly due to raw power.

As he appeared before the target, he struck forward with his swords, a bluish-green glow surrounding the blades as they tore through the sound barrier, a wave of turbulent energy surrounding them as space itself was sliced by the blade.

His two blades entered the mannequin, one from the heart area and the other in the middle of the abdomen, around the navel spot. Once they penetrated the target, the glowing blades seemed to discharge their power into the mannequin, causing the lights to surge into it.

Draco casually pulled out the swords and then placed them on his shoulder, raising a leg and kicking the mannequin forward lightly, which sent it flying so far into the distance it became a tiny blue dot.

At this time, the group of onlookers in the form of the candidates finally were able to move as they heard a single sentence in their minds, which was broadcasted from Draco.

"Paragon Sword Skill 359: Overcharge!"

BOOOOOMM!!

The entire area shook terribly, which would have caused the various candidates to either fall over or be harmed in some way were they not isolated from each other - and the world - by the testing system.

Even so, everyone gazed at the towering dome of blue-green energy that emerged from the area where the mannequin had been flung, which reached almost the height of the sky. It illuminated the entire horizon and caused all beings to feel inferior.

They couldn't help but shift their eyes to Draco, the caster of the technique, who was still standing there casually and thoughtfully. Immediately, they all extinguished whatever final doubts, thoughts, or plans they had for him as this level of power was certainly not normal.

This guy… was not normal!

Meanwhile, Draco was pondering his output. He was surprised that Overcharge had released energy on par with a super megaton nuclear warhead. Even though he felt he had absorbed a lot of worldly energy, he didn't charge it for long, only a few seconds.

One must know that with Overcharge, he designed it to deal with Riveting Night back in the day before their final battle, his plan being to ambush her with it while the Five Generals held her off.

It was meant to be charged to the limit, and his Divine Dragorugio blades definitely did not reach their limit with this petty amount. Yet, the output was so strong, enough that it could likely take down an entire continent zone.

Draco's eyes narrowed as he began to realize something. However, his thoughts were interrupted by the testing system as it displayed the results of this test.

1st – Draco: Perfection (Unarmed Technique), Perfection (Armed Technique), Divine (Personal Technique).

2nd – Bafira: Great Mastery (Unarmed Technique), Lesser Mastery (Armed Technique), Legendary (Personal Technique).

3rd – Deork: Lesser Mastery (Unarmed Technique), Lesser Mastery (Armed Technique), Legendary (Personal Technique).

4th – Huskar: Lesser Mastery (Unarmed Technique), Lesser Mastery (Armed Technique), Semi-Legendary (Personal Technique).

5th – Ashwanda: Lesser Mastery (Unarmed Technique), Understanding (Armed Technique), Semi-Legendary (Personal Technique).

6th – Scurle: Lesser Mastery (Unarmed Technique), Understanding (Armed Technique), Pseudo-Legendary (Personal Technique).

7th – Recume: Lesser Mastery (Unarmed Technique), Understanding (Armed Technique), Pseudo-Legendary (Personal Technique).

8th – Pilkin: Understanding (Unarmed Technique), Understanding (Armed Technique), Pseudo-Legendary (Personal Technique).

9th – Laeser: Understanding (Unarmed Technique), Understanding (Armed Technique), Epic (Personal Technique).

10th – Abardurn: Understanding (Unarmed Technique), Understanding (Armed Technique), Epic (Personal Technique).

Huh? The test was done already?

It was then that Draco noticed that everyone seemed to have done their techniques while he was thinking, which made him scratch his head and wonder how long he had been pondering for.

In the end, it did not matter anyway since it was done. He noted that Overcharge was rated as Divine, when the Scrivener Tradeskill back then only rated it as Legendary. Was it due to his power increase or the Scrivener tradeskill's limited IQ?

The candidates were no longer reshuffled for it did not matter for this last and final segment of the Test of Body, which was the Prowess Test!

｢System to Player Announcement

The objective of the Prowess Test has been set. Player Draco must defeat an enemy of equal strength with no limitations, defeat an enemy of slightly stronger strength with limitations on both sides and defeat an enemy of significantly stronger strength with slight handicaps to clear this task.｣

Oh? So this is the key part of the test then, the actual combat test? It was one thing to measure Physical Strength, Physical Endurance, Combat and Killing Intent, as well as Fighting Skill and Comprehension compared to the key aspect of Combat Strength.

After all, all those things came as a subset of Combat Strength and contributed to it, so one can test the components, but they must also test the final build, no?

Draco was looking forward to it.

It seemed that so was everyone else as even those who were in last place and seemed like they were on the verge of failing perked up. They did not understand all this intent or comprehension nonsense, but they knew how to fight!

They would not lose to anyone! Bring it on!

The first sub-test began with a mannequin foe appearing before everyone. It shifted forms and rapidly until it became a random existence from reality, with Draco's being that of a giant arachnid-like creature with a sleek carapace and a single black eye filled with malice.

When it manifested, Draco saw that it was also at Rank 5, so he smiled. He did not engage in long and drawn-out fisticuffs, because at his current level it was more of a challenge to restrain his power to seem weak than to defeat a stronger foe.

The spider leapt forward with a screech, swinging forth its two front legs to slice Draco apart, but he simply parried with his two swords, which inevitably cut off both appendages with ease.

The monster only had time to shriek in pain as it tried to leap back, but how could it walk away freely after bringing itself into the jaws of death? A casual swing from Draco created a sword-shaped crescent wave of pure force that bisected the creature cleanly.

As each half fell, it turned into dematerializing pixels. Draco glanced at the others to see that no matter the power, everyone was still engaged in a serious fight with their foes, which while not necessarily tough, still required their full effort.

The timer for one hour elapsed and the enemies disappeared for those who still didn't finish their battles, causing their faces to pale. They were previously full of confidence, but now they felt deflated when they thought about how they couldn't even deal with an enemy at their level as easily as they thought.

Seeing them, Draco frowned deeply. He did not understand how such trash could even make it here; the War Maniac Pavilion only recruited the best of the best through pre-screening before one could even qualify to take this test.

This made him wonder what they did to get into this test or if there was some foul play involved, deliberately sabotaging them. Thinking back on it, everyone here should be able to suppress an equally powered foe with ease and even punch above their levels, so how could they struggle?

Draco then thought of his previous foe and wondered what was wrong. The spider was so weak, it died in one hit though.

What Draco was not realizing was that strength was relative. Everyone else only felt stifled when the spider monster appeared, alarm bells ringing in their souls as they felt that it could vanquish them and destroy their entire civilizations!

To Draco, the spider screeched and leaped in slow motion, but to the others, they only saw the spider spawn, twitch slightly, and it was cut in half.

Both parties were moving so fast that they were in their own time zone!

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