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The number of ciphers he had obtained was eight in total.

It was the same number as what Wellington had acquired.

He had gained one more cipher at the last moment when he captured the Demon Sword Tiger.

So, even as things stood now, he could reclaim the top spot with the additional points.

However, his real concern wasn’t about securing the top position; his focus was on something entirely different.

‘Is there no way to ‘complete’ the thunder Breathing Technique, which is missing one cipher?’

If the second test concluded like this, the chance to complete the last cipher would vanish forever.

He would have to either seek out a master of the thunder Breathing Technique and receive personal instruction or achieve great feats to earn the missing cipher as a reward.

But how much time that would take was impossible to predict.

And once the Blossoming Ceremony ended, he would be thrust into the fierce competition for the grand throne, which meant this would become a critical weakness.

More than anything else—

Theo needed overwhelming results.

Even among this generation full of prodigies, he had to achieve extraordinary scores.

‘The upcoming power struggle is already solidly centered around five candidates. If I want to force my way into that, I need to excel in every aspect.’

Thus, achieving overwhelming results and completing the Breathing Technique would undoubtedly bring Theo tremendous fame.

But the problem lay in how difficult it was to achieve that completion.

Even though he was just one cipher short, the depth of the Breathing Technique was such that a novice like him couldn’t easily touch it.

Fortunately, Theo had a method to compensate for what he lacked.

[“Skill: Hatchling Synchronization” will replay the past memories you’ve seen.]

Theo concentrated his consciousness.

The fragmented memories of the Thunder Breathing Technique that he had glimpsed before began to surface one by one.

A swordsman who had engraved ciphers into fragments in order to create disposable artifacts.

A master who gazed at the stormy sky, waiting for lightning to strike.

A training beast who endlessly practiced the downward slash with a wooden sword in a forest.

A dragon knight who was ecstatic while watching a dragon unleash a fiery downpour.

.

.

The brief and fragmented memories, each containing different aspects, intersected.

The aspirations of the people in those memories were conveyed to Theo.

Though Theo, who still lacked full understanding, could only comprehend so much from them—

He still managed to glean a few clues to deduce the missing link between the ciphers.

– It was the memories he had seen in various artifacts, like the ‘Thunder Calling’.

‘The components of lightning are light and heat. These two elements inevitably expand and therefore cannot be controlled. The same applies to lightning. If you apply this concept to the nature of thunder…!’

At that moment, Theo, as if possessed by something, unfastened the blade of Drake from his back and held it in his hand.

“Hm?”

The Judge, noticing Theo’s strange behavior without answering the question, tilted his head in curiosity.

It was then that he realized Theo’s gaze wasn’t fixed on him, but somewhere else.

Somewhere much higher, steeper… far beyond.

‘Damn it!’

“Instructors, move all candidates back and set up a perimeter! Do not, under any circumstances, disrupt Theo Ragnar’s train of thought!”

No one knew what had triggered Theo.

But it was clear that, for a swordsman, this was a crucial moment.

Following the Judge’s orders, the instructors quickly moved the other candidates away and took their positions, keeping vigilant watch over the surroundings.

Standing by Theo’s side, the Judge thickened the sword barrier around them, enclosing the space in complete silence.

In the soundless void.

Theo swiftly worked to fill in the missing cipher.

‘If I can’t complete the perfect cipher, I’ll fill the gap with something similar. If I can use the absence as a stepping stone to elevate it into something even more complete…’

Crackle, crackle!

Yellow sparks began to rise, following the flow of magic wind surrounding Theo.

And then—

Thump, thump, thump, thump—

His heart pounded fiercely.

Neurotransmitters, which stimulated and excited his nerve cells, were delivered through electric signals.

Naturally, this led to the accumulation of Thunder Energy.

The more the thunder attribute was infused into the magic, the more enhanced his physical abilities became.

– Enhancing physical abilities.

At this point, Theo recalled the Dragon’s Heart.

After all, wasn’t the Dragon’s Heart also used to channel magic into the bloodstream, strengthening the body in a controlled manner?

If he could connect these two similar characteristics—

‘Not only will I enhance my body, but I’ll also be able to control the Thunder Energy that manifests externally.’

The missing part of the thunder attribute would be filled by the Dragon’s Heart from within.

And the external domain, which the Dragon’s Heart originally couldn’t reach, would be supplemented by the thunder attribute.

Inside and outside.

The Dragon’s Heart and the thunder attribute.

As the two fused together, an entirely new Thunder Breathing Technique could be born.

‘They say the dragon of the East summons storms and strikes lightning.’

Theo gave the new, improved breathing technique a different name.

– Thunder Dragon Breathing Technique.

This conceptual breakthrough soon manifested itself clearly in his body.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

His heartbeat grew so loud that even the Judge and the instructors could hear it.

The ground trembled slightly.

And at the same time—

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!

The pounding sound spread outward, like drumsticks fiercely striking a drum, causing ripples to form beneath Theo’s feet.

A ripple brimming with yellow Thunder Energy.

The ripple soon became a wave, rising like a tidal surge and spreading in all directions.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

The Thunder Energy that had been hovering in the air intensified, and large and small bolts of lightning began to leap up and down without pause.

“Hah…!”

The Judge couldn’t help but express his admiration.

Just the magical aura that Theo was radiating was already far beyond what any of the other candidates could produce.

A perfect score.

He could assign that grade right now, just by seeing Theo’s current performance.

It wasn’t about how many ciphers he had collected.

What mattered was how well he understood them.

However—

It seemed even that wasn’t enough for Theo.

At that moment, Theo opened his eyes.

Flash!

The intense lightning flashing from his eyes made even the Judge flinch.

And then—

Swish—

An electromagnetic field formed around him, and something floated into the air from within his robes.

Four Death Bits.

The combination of telekinesis and magnetism had allowed his control to evolve even further.

‘Mastering the thunder attribute alone is impressive enough, but when did he learn telekinesis? What is he planning to do now?’

The Judge realized he was eagerly anticipating whatever Theo would show next.

Smirk!

For a brief moment, a mischievous smile appeared on Theo’s lips.

Fwoosh—

The four Death Beats, which had been aiming in different directions, shot forward into the air.

Three of them headed straight for the three candidates who had previously demonstrated their breathing techniques.

Erika, Ray, and Wellington.

“You bastard?”

“Huh!”

“Hah…!”

Each of them responded in a different way.

Erika, thinking that Theo was testing her, furrowed one eyebrow and swung her sword violently downward.

A slash infused with the flame attribute.

Boom!

The sound of the dagger and the sword clashing wasn’t a metallic clang but a deafening explosion.

The Thunder Energy imbued in the Death Bit reacted violently with the flames, causing it to shoot upward.

Crackle, crackle!

At that moment, the yellow Thunder Energy seemed to swirl and suddenly took on a new shape.

A dragon.

The phantom beast, formed by the concentrated Thunder Energy, struck down with its claws toward the crown of Erika’s head.

It was the Dragon’s Claw.

“……!”

Erika, unable to predict this new attack utilizing Thunder Energy, had a flash of shock in her eyes—

Kwoooom!

Soon, a massive shockwave erupted, raising a huge cloud of dust that swallowed Erika whole.

“Thunder Dragon!”

The Judge let out an involuntary exclamation.

A new form of attack using attributes requires tremendous control.

It was an expansion.

This alone made it clear that Theo’s technique was far superior to what Wellington had demonstrated.

Ray and Wellington fared no better than Erika.

The Thunder Dragon’s claws tore through the blizzard Ray had conjured, and Wellington’s water stream only served to create a pathway for the dragon to surge forward.

The three candidates, who had previously received the highest scores in the second Blossoming Ceremony, were all overwhelmed simultaneously.

An absurd level of skill disparity.

With this single move, Theo was showing—

who the true ruler of this place was.

Both the candidates and the instructors were left speechless, stunned by the sheer power they had just witnessed.

‘Wait, what about the fourth one?’

At that moment, the Judge recalled that Theo had unleashed a total of four daggers into the air.

Boom!

He soon noticed the last dagger, rocketing towards him with immense destructive power.

“So, you’re testing me? Asking if this old man is truly qualified to judge you all? Very well!”

Though it could be seen as a challenge to the Judge’s authority, he burst into loud laughter instead.

Just as Wellington’s skills had piqued his interest earlier, now he was eager to cross swords with this young prodigy.

The challenge of an ambitious junior was always thrilling.

Swish—

Clang!

The Judge sharply flicked his hand upward.

Due to the overwhelming difference in magical power, the Death Beat lost its force and bounced into the air before the Thunder Dragon could even form.

Fwoosh—

Taking advantage of the brief moment when the steam cloud obscured the view, Theo appeared, swinging the Drake Blade.

But the Judge, who had already sensed Theo’s presence, countered with ease.

“Water Breathing Technique – Water Pressure Severing!”

Boom!

As the edge of the Judge’s hand clashed with Theo’s blade, Thunder Energy scattered in all directions.

Theo quickly gathered the dispersed energy back into an electromagnetic field, drawing it toward his sword as he traced an arc in the air.

“The thunder attribute is the most powerful of the six attributes, but it consumes an enormous amount of magical power in return.”

A brilliant pillar of yellow Thunder Energy surged into the sky, following the blade’s edge.

Rumble—

Then came a series of three consecutive strikes.

Three flashes of lightning were added to the sky, driving the Judge back.

It was the Three Fangs of the Dragon.

Or perhaps now it should be called the Three Fangs of the Thunder Dragon?

Boom! Boom! BOOM—

The Judge calmly faced Theo’s fierce onslaught.

The first attack, he deflected to the side with a knife-hand strike.

A sharp, tingling pain ran through his fingers, causing the Judge’s eyes to flicker with interest.

‘Impressive.’

Just before the second strike landed—

The Judge, wearing a satisfied smile, reached toward the sky.

The Death Bit, which had been swirling high above his head, was sucked into his hand.

“The Judge… he’s drawn his sword…?”

“T-The upsurging Dragon has grabbed his sword!”

The instructors were more shocked than the candidates as they watched the Judge raise the Death Beat and swing it downward.

BOOM!

For the first time, Theo’s assault was blocked.

Gulp!

Blood trickled down the side of Theo’s mouth, but he forced it down.

Using his [Monstrous Strength], he refused to be pushed back and instead pressed forward with renewed vigor.

He was ready to strike with the final, third claw.

Swish—

“As a senior swordsman, it’s only right to respond to a junior’s determination with my full effort,” the Judge said with a relaxed smile as he drew a shape in the air with the dagger in his hand.

At that moment, Theo instinctively realized what was happening.

Just like the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace had done before—

The Judge, one of the Nine Dragons, the Upsurging Dragon, was about to reveal a fragment of the mental image he had spent his entire life honing.

“Like the other Nine Dragons, I too have created a masterpiece by following the path of our House’s sword. I call it the .”

Time seemed to slow down.

Theo could see a world blurred like a watercolor painting.

A landscape painting filled with dense forests and towering mountains.

At its center, a colossal waterfall poured down, clearing Theo’s mind completely.

Shhhhhh!

“I hear both the Mistress of Plum Blossom Palace and the Commander of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry went to great lengths to show you something similar. I’m curious to see what you’ll take from me as well.”

With a soft chuckle, the waterfall poured down upon the Thunder Dragon’s head, which had been encircling Theo.

And then the world returned to normal.

As Theo struggled to gather his thoughts, still overwhelmed by the intense impression the Judge had left on him—

The Judge, now with his hands behind his back again, turned toward the crowd and shouted.

“Theo Ragnar, pass! Not only a perfect score of 1,000 points, but an additional 500 points for a complete understanding of the Breathing Technique!”

“……!”

“……!”

“……!”

Both the instructors and the candidates widened their eyes in disbelief as the scoreboard was finalized.

1st. Theo Ragnar (3,021 points)
2nd. Wellington Narcio (1,689 points)
3rd. Erika Ranke (1,326 points)
4th. Ray Ragnar (1,102 points)
.

Three thousand points!

It was a moment when an unbelievable score was recorded.

And then—

“Would you, by any chance, be interested in becoming my disciple?”

A short but significant proposal followed.