Entrance Examination (12): Draven vs Skeleton General

Draven stepped on the sacrificial altar, and it suddenly brightened up with vigorous blue flame. He now understood the structure of the platform and inspected it, causing his eyes to be left on the person for a second.

However, he wasn't worried about receiving a surprised attack, for he was completely confident he did not expose any openings on his body.

This place had four pillars standing at every corner, making the shape of the platform an equilateral square.

On the ground were some kind of carving runes or languages that Draven certainly doesn't know, despite mastering the three Major languages on the continent and investigating other historical languages.

In addition, there were torches on every side of the platform, and the flame dancing atop them was colored blue, the same color as the eye of the person's raging flame.

After entertaining himself, he noticed in his peripheral vision that the person's moved. Draven then scrutinized his appearance and was surprised it was a skeleton.

A Skeleton with a huge double-handed sword beside him, leaning against its chair.

In addition, the Skeleton wore armor, as was evident from the shoulder pad and the broken beast plate on its body.

The Skeleton stood up from his chair, grabbed the enormous double-handed sword, resting against its shoulder like its weight didn't matter, and slowly walked towards Draven.

Draven saw that the closer their distance, the more he realized that the Skeleton General was almost twice taller than him.

He slowly faced his head above to meet the Skeleton General, who stood a meter away from him, looking down at him as though he was some kind of ant.

Draven sneered.

"Nice to meet you."

The Skeleton General did not answer and suddenly raised the enormous double-handed sword with both of his hands.

When it halted above, the Skeleton General suddenly swung it down, causing Draven to feel as though a Mountain was falling down at him.

"Too slow."

Draven leaped backward, even though the attacks seemed faster and fiercer from his group's perspective. It was too slow for him… Or rather, he was only too fast.

"He dodged that?!" Charles exclaimed.

If he was in Draven's position, even if he tried to dodge the attack and leaped backward. Due to the enormous sword, which was almost 1 meter taller, the brandished sword could still smash him to death.

Even if he could leap five meters backward, it would still be arguable if he could reach five meters by the time the enormous sword struck down.

"He's too fast. Much faster than my arrow!" Kiara covered her big O mouth.

"M-Maybe." Kyla stuttered. "He can win this."

"Do you guys not wonder how come he has such a monstrous physical ability?" June asked.

"He clearly doesn't emanate a usage of Soul power, yet he can achieve such a higher level of reflexes that might only Freedom or even unbound stages can achieve!"

"Then…" Charles's throat trembled and stared at Draven with wide eyes. "The Breathing technique?"

"What?!" The twins exclaimed.

"Then, is he perhaps come from one of the Four Ancient Family?" Kyla asked, always stuttering. Probably because of the initial shock from earlier.

"Indeed." Kiara nodded her head as she was lost in thought. "I heard that only the Four Ancient Family have the breathing technique, and only their bloodline, which means their descendant can use it."

"It's true. However…" June intensively looked at Draven's mouth and nose. "There were some rumors that some powerful figures have breathing techniques. He's probably a descendant from them."

"Really?" Kyla and Kiara then looked at Draven while pondering.

"But..." Charles couldn't help but speak. "It doesn't make any sense though. The catastrophe happened a decade ago, and Draven's age was more than that. Which means he might witness it like us. Isn't the breathing technique inheritable despite the inheritor and the inherited having no similar bloodlines?"

"That's a good question." June praised Charles with an emotionless expression. "But I don't know the answer."

Kyla, Kiara, and Charles were disappointed. Kyla and Kiara were both interested in the matter, for what they knew in the textbook doesn't match up, and there were still some questions regarding the breathing technique.

"However, what I do know is that breathing techniques have existed even before the catastrophe." June smiled before shaking his head. "Probably the breathing technique thing only became well-known after the catastrophe."

"Let's forget that matter, and focus on the battle for now." June who had never left her eye on the battle suddenly grinned widely. "It seemed he is about to use his soul power."

"Really?" The three of them turned their head simultaneously. "I wonder, what path had he awakened?"

***

"Damn! If I confidently fight head-on and block that attack. I wouldn't be surprised if that thing crushed me to death."

Draven shivered to look at the impact that the Skeleton attack caused. The enormous double-handed sword left a scar on the ground, and there were even rubbles spreading and landing in every direction.

The Skeleton General notices its prey came out unscratched by its attacks, and the blue flame on its eye sockets suddenly intensified. It suddenly opened its mouth and bellowed while chanting in an inaudible voice as he raised its enormous double-handed sword with one hand.

Suddenly, skeletons surrounding the Skeleton General materialized and stood like a bodyguard.

The Skeleton General pointed its enormous double-handed sword in one hand, and the small skeletons immediately dashed forward much faster than the unsteadily walking skeleton they faced earlier.

"He is…" Draven's focus was still on the General. He exclaimed. "A Skeleton General!"

Swoosh!

Draven tilted his head sideways, and an arrow brushed past the previous position on his right eye. If he did not move his head sideways, the sharp object might have penetrated his eye right through his brain.

"A skeleton who uses an arrow?" Draven frowned.

A small skeleton with a quiver on its back would take an arrow from it and knock it on its wooden archer, firing it at Draven from time to time. Draven danced exquisitely, dodging the rain of arrows while picking rubble, and flicked it at the small skeleton with an archer.

Its previous red eyes dimmed and disappeared, and the small skeleton crumbled into the ground, lifeless.

Draven was then welcomed by the skeletons, who surprisingly had their own weapons. Swords, spears, and other weapons, which despite the quality, weren't high, were still enough for Draven to receive brushes and possibly kill him.

Imagine a kid beating you up then you can resist and beat him up. However, if hundreds of kids beat you up with just their fists, it was enough for you to die in a matter of minutes.

Therefore, Draven decided to test his limits and limit the space he could have expanded to dodge as possible, making him receive strikes on his body.

However, the fight happened very fast, causing the three other members not to notice what was happening, for they were indulging themselves in a discussion regarding breathing techniques.

It continued for dozens of seconds, but Draven thought minutes had already passed. He could now dodge by increasing his sensitivity, and once he felt it was enough playing.

He leaped backward to gain more space and executed his breathing technique, causing the bruises and light wounds to disappear and not even leaving any scars on them.

The first time Draven executed his breathing technique, he needed to be in a lotus position to enter a state of complete focus. Now, he had been cultivating his breathing technique to the point he only needed to stop for a moment and focus on executing it only for a second.

"I guess it's time to test my skeleton now."

Draven stood, and the small skeletons were still charging at him. Draven also did not realize that one of the skeletons at the back dropped its weapons and picked up the bow from the small skeleton earlier and knocked it with an arrow.

Draven, at this moment, opened his mouth and mumbled.

"Warrior Skeleton Summoning."