Urban Vagabond: Reload

Whoosh!

A big fist skimmed past the top of my head by a hair.

I bent backward at the waist to dodge, then immediately whipped my leg up, aiming a kick at my opponent’s face.

Papapapap!

Fist and foot collided over and over, carving out wild trajectories.

The sudden fight made a few martial artists glance over—

Then they couldn’t look away.

It was close-quarters hand-to-hand of a level that forced a little admiration out of you.

“Damn...!”

“Neither of them even specializes in fists or kicks, right...?”

“Don’t they ever get tired?”

Even the martial artists worn out in mind and body from the license exam, and the Black-Whites who were supposed to be stopping any fights outside the exam, watched the two of us for a moment.

[Doesn’t look like a grudge match.]

[Don’t they look more like friends?]

[If they are, they could seriously hurt each other at this rate....]

[That’s just how twenty-year-olds are.]

[They’re both this year’s big prospects. If it looks like it’s getting dangerous, we’ll step in.]

Fortunately, it didn’t reach the point where the Black-Whites had to jump in and break us apart.

In the span of a few breaths for a normal person, we’d traded dozens of exchanges, and then—as if we’d agreed on it beforehand—we both stepped back at the same time.

“Judging from your reaction speed, I’m guessing all three of your earlier fights were against scrubs?”

Shin Kangheon clicked his tongue like it was a bit of a letdown, and I answered with a snort.

“Right back at you. Looks like you cheesed your way through the exam. Not a single scratch on you.”

“I just overwhelmed everyone with my pure skill, no matter who they were.”

Shin Kangheon thumped his own chest with his fist.

Then, belatedly noticing that unlike him, my exam uniform was ripped and scuffed all over, he narrowed his brow.

Those marks were courtesy of my back-to-back matches with Oh Jungmin and Song Junho.

“Did you get hurt or something? Don’t you dare use injuries as an excuse when you lose to me later!”

“Want me to make it fair and give you an injury too?”

We tossed insults at each other as easily as breathing, glared for a second—

Then both cracked up and lightly bumped our fists together.

Our own way of saying we were glad to see each other.

That was when I noticed the black gauntlet on Shin Kangheon’s hand and asked,

“What’s with the gauntlet? I’ve never seen that one before.”

“This? I took it. Carrying it around was a pain, so I’m just using it myself.”

“...That’s just called looting, you lunatic.”

“I beat him and took it, so it’s spoils of war, isn’t it? And it’s not like he asked for it back.”

The martial artist from Golden Glory Gate who’d lost his gauntlet to Shin Kangheon had also passed the exam and was visible in the distance,

But the moment he saw Shin, he slowly started backing away.

I shook my head.

“Do what you want. I’ve got someone I need to go talk to for a bit....”

“Kim Muhyuk!”

Just then, a familiar voice reached my ears and I turned my head.

Time was passing, and faces I knew—beyond just Shin Kangheon—were gathering one by one.

“My sword. You took good care of it, right?”

Oh Jungmin of Songwol Gate looked pale, probably from internal injuries.

But there was a pleased smile on his lips.

We’d only been apart a few hours, but I could tell his gaze had grown deeper.

Looks like he realized something.

Didn’t mean his martial skill had suddenly soared overnight.

Oh Jungmin had always had excellent technique, and this exam had made his mindset that much more solid.

It was a small difference, but in a real fight, that could be the line between life and death.

“Jungmin, you feel different compared to just now.”

“Really?”

“You seem... more grown up, I guess?”

“What? Haha! I am a few years older than you, you know!”

Oh Jungmin walked up and affectionately mussed my hair.

I laughed and handed his sword back.

Seeing him again after he’d accepted two losses and walked away of his own will made my heart feel a bit lighter.

“Hey—!”

Song Junho of Supreme Pole Sword Gate spotted me from afar and started over—

Then froze mid-step.

Because besides me, Shin Kangheon and Oh Jungmin were both standing there—

And both of them were pretty tall.

Rooted to the spot like someone had nailed his feet down, Song Junho just waved his hand really hard.

Whish, whish, whish!

I was pretty sure it meant something like, Let’s do our best on the next exam too.

“Huh? Isn’t that the shorty from Supreme Pole Sword Gate? Hey, psycho, you know that guy?”

“His arms and legs are short, so it’s a bit of a shame, but his skill’s excellent.”

“Tch. I want a shot at him too....”

The moment Shin Kangheon started to step forward, Song Junho spun on his heel and went off to a spot very far away with his fellow disciples.

While I traded greetings with the familiar faces one by one like that, all the people who’d passed the third-rate license exam finished gathering at the Grand Training Ground.

Thoom!

A heavy stomp drew everyone’s attention in an instant.

[[Attention.]]

The martial artists who’d been happily catching up with one another tensed and looked up at the platform.

Killing intent?

To my surprise, Black-White 1 was actually releasing killing intent toward the gathered martial artists.

[[Before we start the second-rate license exam, I’ll explain the rules and precautions.]]

The feeling wasn’t exactly hostile.

It was more like a predator quietly licking its chops with its prey laid out in front of it.

When the applicants unconsciously put their hands on their weapons, Black-White 1 finally withdrew the killing intent and spoke in a gentle voice.

[[The first thing I should tell you is that your chances of being injured are significantly higher than during the third-rate exam. Please stay just as tense and alert throughout the entire exam as you are right now.]]

Gulp...

The sound of people swallowing dryly came from all over.

The third-rate license exam hadn’t exactly been easy, either.

The statement that this would be far more difficult and dangerous planted a flicker of anxiety.

But the ones gathered here were martial artists.

They’d gained confidence by clearing the exam, and they’d chosen this next stage themselves with a single thought in mind—

To climb higher.

“Let’s start already! I’m itching over here!”

“I’m confident no matter who I’m matched with.”

“There’s no one left here who’s scared, so just explain the rules!”

[[Very well. Then I’ll explain the second-rate license exam.]]

Black-White 1 nodded in satisfaction, and dozens of other Black-Whites lined up behind them.

They were all dressed in identical clothes and masks, so there was no way to know who they really were.

Their voices were modulated, too, to the point it was hard even to guess their gender.

[[The second-rate martial-artist license exam is a team exam.]]

At the word team, the applicants started murmuring.

[[Unlike the third-rate exam, which mainly judged individual capability, the second-rate exam uses a broader and stricter set of evaluation criteria.]]

Snap!

Black-White 1 flicked their fingers.

The fog covering the entire exam field scattered, and the scenery began to change.

Fwoooosh—

Where the fog had receded, undergrowth sprouted up and grew into a dense forest.

Grass rose from the once-flat ground, and sounds of animals and birds came from sky and earth.

“Whoa....”

“D-did the whole environment just change like that?”

“Even the smells and the way the air feels are vivid.”

The martial artists started looking around in confusion.

A large-scale spell formation that couldn’t be implemented by any organization smaller than the Martial Alliance.

With all kinds of mechanism formations and help from spell-casters, the environment they’d built didn’t just fool the eye,

It tricked the very senses martial artists relied on.

I felt some of the fog that had been pushed aside seep into my body and thought,

So exposing us to the fog this whole time was groundwork for this, huh.

Among the martial artists—including me and Shin Kangheon—the ones with extremely sharp senses felt a brief wave of vertigo.

But that faded quickly, and before we knew it, we were standing in the middle of a lush forest.

[[From here on, you will form teams of at least two people and carry out missions. You’ll be evaluated on your ability through various missions such as escort, transport, rescue, survival, and interdiction.]]

GRAAAAAAR!

A mountain-shaking roar from a mountain lord beast echoed through the air.

Behind it, a woman’s cackling laughter, a grating noise like fingernails scraping a chalkboard, and rough male singing rang out like echoes.

[[Anomalies created by the mechanism formations and spellcraft installed here will interfere with your missions.]]

Srrr...

Black-White 1 and the other Black-Whites slowly turned transparent—

And then vanished completely.

Only their voice came from the empty air.

[[You have ten minutes to prepare. The headcount for the first mission is two. Please find a partner you intend to stay with from beginning to end and form a pair. Those who are ready, follow the forest path you see in front of you....]]

After that, Black-White 1’s voice didn’t come again.

The participants started eyeing one another and murmuring.

“Two people, huh?”

“It’ll change later. They said at least two just now. I bet teammates can get added or swapped out in the middle.”

“Either way, the person you match up with at the start is the most important.”

By coincidence, Oh Jungmin and Shin Kangheon both looked at me at the same time.

Someone who could be a more reliable partner than anyone.

Not just excellent martial skill, but a temperament that didn’t panic at most things—

Someone you could trust to watch your back.

“I...”

Oh Jungmin opened his mouth to say something—

But Shin Kangheon beat him to the punch.

“I’m not teaming up with you.”

Taking a step back, Shin Kangheon made his position very clear.

The eyes he turned on me burned with competitive fire.

“I came here to fight strong bastards and beat them, not to buddy up with you and freeload my way up.”

With a crooked grin, Shin Kangheon turned away without a hint of regret, already looking for someone else to partner with.

“Who said I wanted to team up with you?”

I stared at the back of his head, speechless, when Oh Jungmin chuckled awkwardly beside me.

“I was going to say it first, but he beat me to it.”

“Jungmin?”

Smiling gently, Oh Jungmin also took a step back from me.

“If I lean on you, the exam’s going to be too easy. In this exam... I want to hone myself more.”

And with that, Oh Jungmin also left to find another partner.

“For crying out loud....”

I just stood there and got turned down twice in a row, and watched the two of them walk away with a ridiculous look on my face.

But I understood how they felt, so all I could do was laugh it off once.

“Well, it’s not like I was planning to team up with them anyway.”

I turned my body and started walking toward someone else.

Luckily, the person I was looking for hadn’t paired up with anyone yet.

The late-bloom prospect who was badly injured during this exam and never recovered. I don’t remember their name or their sect, but...

Our eyes met, and the dazed figure slowly tilted their head.

I walked straight toward the girl with hair as white as snow.

I remember one thing. She had a Yin-Extreme body.

Yang Hayun of Sun and Moon Gate.

A Level 1 constitution, and within that, a special constitution classified as a Yin-Extreme body.

“You. Partner with me.”

Yang Hayun slowly lifted her head and looked up at me, who was a lot taller than she was, and opened her mouth.

“...What constitution level?”

“Me? Level 4.”

At that, Yang Hayun scrunched her brow and slowly shook her head.

“...No one below Level 3.”

The unexpected dismissal made my expression twist a little.

“So you mean I’m not on your level?”

“...That’s not it....”

Everything about Yang Hayun—her answers, her movements—was slow.

If I’d seen her anywhere but an exam field, I might not even have guessed she was a martial artist.

“...You can’t handle me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Instead of explaining with words, Yang Hayun chose to show me directly.

She released the Yin-Extreme qi she’d been holding down.

Shhhhhhhhh—

A biting cold flowed out from Yang Hayun’s body, coiling and spreading outward.

“If you’re with me, you’ll have to endure this kind of cold the whole time.”

With her Yin-Extreme qi revealed, Yang Hayun’s voice sounded a lot more natural.

Crackle—

Frost formed on the grass at our feet as the wind stirred it, and even the Sun and Moon Gate martial artists standing nearby shuffled backward from the aura.

“Uuugh....”

“Miss Hayun! You can’t just expose your Yin-Extreme qi like that in a place like this...!”

Only now did I understand what she’d meant by you can’t handle me.

“You’re the worst type for group projects, huh?”

“If you get it, go.”

Looking sulky, Yang Hayun started to draw her Yin-Extreme qi back in.

She didn’t want to cause any more trouble for the people around her.

At that moment, I took a big step closer to her and grinned.

“Want to try it? See whether I can handle you or not.”

My eyebrows were already rimed with snow-white frost.