Chapter 119
Chapter 119
Appraisal Report
A letter of recommendation didn’t actually mean anything. Cecilia knew that. And so did Kairus.
Why it meant nothing...
Kairus had spent quite a bit of time explaining his theory to Irena and Nora.
“So basically… you’re saying strong members from the Rose Garden are going to keep challenging us nonstop.”
After hearing Kairus’s entire explanation, Irena gave her own summary of what he’d said.
“You got it. It’ll keep going until we lose.”
Cecilia wanted to use the regular evaluation to gauge the capabilities of the three, including Kairus.
“No one usually challenges someone weaker than themselves.”
“But it’s a different story if they belong to an organization, right?”
At Nora’s remark, Kairus nodded.
“When you belong to an organization, it’s not your judgment that matters—it’s the leader’s.”
The challengers from the Rose Garden, whom Kairus’s group would be facing, would grow stronger with each match.
“It’s like the rising bids at an auction.”
One person calls out 100 pyint, then someone else bids 101, and then another goes for 102.
Just like how an item’s price keeps going up until no one’s willing to bid higher, the challengers would keep coming, getting stronger each time—until Kairus’s team lost.
“What does the Representative of the Rose Garden get out of all this?”
“Our current market value.”
It would allow for a concrete and accurate assessment. Kairus looked at Irena as he spoke.
“There’s already a ton of rumors about you and me.”
We’re known for having great skills. Escaped from the knight captain at the Rezantin Museum, won the battle for Pontus.
But rumors didn’t reflect the exact level of Kairus and Irena’s skills.
Cecilia wanted to use this opportunity to find out just how strong they really were.
“We could still hold back. Killing is forbidden during the regular evaluations anyway.”
“If the opponent is way stronger than us, we won’t be able to hold anything back.”
A true powerhouse could draw out an opponent’s full strength without killing them.
“Would the Rose Garden really have someone like that?”
Irena asked, clearly skeptical. Nora answered.
“Unni, I’m telling you, absolutely. The Rose Garden is way scarier than you think. Actually, all five of the major criminal organizations controlling this city are monsters.”
Irena looked slightly shocked at how highly Nora spoke of them. She hadn’t expected a Lunaseeker agent to give that kind of assessment.
But Nora had already been caught by Cecilia once. She didn’t even get a proper fight in—she’d been taken down too easily. So of course her evaluation would be high.
‘An organization led by a monster like that.’
It wasn’t that Kairus, Irena, or Nora lacked ability but there would definitely be someone out there capable of forcing them to go all-out.
“Get ready. It’s coming soon.”
Kairus said that and checked his pocket watch.
The regular qualification exam would begin at midnight. Most likely, the first challengers sent by the Rose Garden were already waiting nearby.
It made sense… There wasn’t much time left until midnight.
“It’s starting.”
The bell tolling from the clock tower in the center of the city rang out to mark midnight.
At the same time, there was a knock at the office door.
“Didn’t even wait for the bell to finish. Damn, that’s cold.”
He didn’t even need to open the door to know. They had to be people from the Rose Garden.
A week might seem long, but it was actually short, and for a precise assessment, the Rose Garden couldn’t afford to waste any time.
“Good evening. Lovely night, isn’t it?”
They were from the Rose Garden.
Kairus opened the door and, upon seeing the three people waiting beyond it, greeted them briefly.
“No need to come inside, I presume.”
Though the door was open, the three didn’t step into the office. Kairus nodded.
“You have a prepared venue?”
“Follow us.”
Kairus jerked his chin toward Irena and Nora, who were watching the situation from inside the office.
Everyone grabbed their weapons and add-ons, then followed the Rose Garden members.
“It’s built with the same materials and structure as the Representative’s mansion basement.”
The place Cecilia’s subordinates led them to was originally used by top members of the Rose Garden for training.
Spacious and sturdy went without saying.
There were physical therapists and nutritionists on standby and even an emergency doctor and nurse in case something happened.
“Wait a second, is that a rapid charger!?”
“For real?!”
While scanning the area, Nora gasped at the sight of a silver-glossed box. Hearing her, Irena also looked stunned.
“What is it?”
Seeing the reactions of the two, Kairus asked the question, and Irena answered.
“It’s state-of-the-art equipment that rapidly recharges the output of depleted battle gear. I’ve never seen one in person.”
It cost as much as a full-sized mansion with an elevator. Of course, maintenance wasn’t cheap either.
“I’ve used one before in the Lunaseeker Agency’s training facility.”
If you clamped your battle gear between the two prongs inside the box, high-speed charging would begin.
It was literally a space designed so that you could focus solely on sparring without any concerns.
“At the end of each match, we’ll check your condition. If no rest or treatment is needed, the matches will continue.”
To accurately measure combat ability, Kairus and his team would have to be kept in top condition at all times. While they were checked for rest or treatment, their battle gear would recover its output through the charger.
“Meals, sleep, and rest will also be regulated, so you’d better be mentally prepared.”
Kairus gave a short scoff. He’d lived six years in a world where those things were controlled—not in a good way, but in a bad one.
Being controlled wasn’t going to be a hindrance.
“The Representative is curious about my worth—so I might as well fetch a good price.”
The facility the Rose Garden had poured a fortune into was divided into multiple isolation chambers, each spacious enough for a proper sparring match.
Kairus and the other two each picked a chamber and stepped inside.
“Get ready. We’re starting right away.”
As he entered, a Rose Garden member pointed a weapon at Kairus and spoke.
Instead of replying, Kairus raised his weapon.
He wasn’t up against a powerhouse right from the start. Kairus faced off against five members of the Rose Garden.
“Heard a lot of rumors. Hope you’re at least half as good as they say.”
The opponent who entered pointed a hand axe at Kairus. He wore a silk hat and had a distinctive goatee.
“You’ll see I’m better than the rumors.”
Kairus’s gaze landed on the hand axe in the man’s hand.
“Nice color on that axe.”
The crimson-handled hand axe was a battle gear. And unlike what Kairus had encountered before, this one was different.
“Looks are nothing—the performance is even prettier. Wanna find out?”
Before he even finished speaking, the man lunged and swung his hand axe. The axe blade struck Evergreen, which covered Kairus’s arm.
“Not really curious.”
Evergreen didn’t even get scratched. It was a unique piece of battle gear, but clearly not strong enough to damage Evergreen.
‘Feels like Cecilia really wants to evaluate me from rock bottom.’
It was about the same level as the guys he’d faced back at Longwave Bistro. To be blunt, they weren’t opponents Kairus needed to take seriously.
“Don’t even need Swift Blade for this.”
Kairus continued facing off against the challengers the Rose Garden sent. He ate, then slept.
Upon waking, the next fight awaited. With no rest, the battles continued, and his condition was constantly checked.
Then he ate and slept again. The meals were perfectly planned, and he was given just enough sleep to maintain peak condition for each new match. Both his body and mind were being conditioned for combat.
‘If there’s a paradise for warriors, this might be what it looks like.’
A place where you could devote yourself entirely to battle, without worrying about anything else.
On the third day—
When he faced his fifteenth opponent, Kairus used Swift Blade.
In the seventeenth match, held on the same day, he ended up using the abilities of Flicker.
“Seems like I’m reaching my limit…”
Up to the edge of his limits, lifting himself was easy but as he approached that line, his performance began to drop sharply.
In that way, combat was a lot like muscle strength.
‘What I still have left—’
The vibration blade powered by Nimbus, and the mist created using the hip flask.
If he used even those, then Kairus would essentially be going all out, throwing in everything he had.
“If I push it, maybe I can take down one more.”
Who the hell ranked this guy within the Rose Garden?
With that question in mind, Kairus prepared for his next battle.
“Good evening.”
The opponent who entered was wearing a feathered hat pulled low. Judging by the deep voice and beard, he appeared to be a middle-aged man.
“Nice voic—”
Kairus had been about to greet him, but stopped mid-sentence as he was struck by a force that sent him sliding sideways.
“They usually give you enough time to say hello, at least.”
Instead of answering, the man moved the baton he had drawn.
‘I saw it this time.’
Something like a shimmering mirage flew toward Kairus. He dodged, and the shimmer smashed into the floor with a thunderous boom before dispersing into nothing.
“My name is Jubilee. You must be Kairus. That’s the greeting done—let’s continue.”
“Wow, say hi your damn way and start your damn way. You got your two damn turns—let me end this one my damn way, you bastard.”
With a voice full of irritation, Kairus lowered his stance and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.
“If you’ve got the skills, go ahead.”
“Oh, I’ve got them, alright.”
That ended the talking. Kairus kicked off, his body shooting forward like an arrow.
This wasn’t a weapon—it was battle gear.
“You just supplying raw output?”
“Well, something like that.”
Unlike Flicker, which could also be used as a weapon, this gear only supplied pure energy to its user.
And the man in front of him was using that output to generate shockwaves and confront Kairus.
“Weapons are great and all, but then you lose the ability to handle your output delicately.”
“Man, you’re a rare breed these days.”
Dozens of tiny mirages poured down on Kairus like rain. Dodging sharply, he redirected himself and swung his blade at the man’s ankle.
The man lifted himself into the air, avoiding Kairus’s strike. Still airborne, he looked down at Kairus.
“Come down, jackass. Quit acting all superior.”
Before Kairus even finished speaking, a fierce gust of wind slammed down from above.
The force was like an invisible hammer.
“You handle Swift Blade better than I expected.”
The man spoke as if evaluating Kairus’s Swift Blade technique.
“When I get praised, I feel great. Makes me wanna show off even more.”
As Kairus swung his sword, the wind pressure bearing down on the opponent intensified.
At that moment, the man moved his baton. The mirages that formed didn’t attack Kairus.
Instead, they stopped at specific points in the air—then began to explode one by one. It was an attempt to disrupt the wind pressing down on him.
“Nice try.”
Kairus swung his sword, and the man used shockwaves to block the attack.
However, each of Kairus’s movements as he swung his sword wasn’t just an attack—it was also anchoring the unstable wind pressure.
“I see. So you’re going this far, huh? Cymbals.”
“?!”
A massive shockwave erupted from the man’s body, as if detonating from within. It was so powerful that even Kairus was thrown back.
The impact was strong enough to leave dark, deep bruises blooming across his body.
Naturally, the wind Kairus had been controlling scattered instantly, its force snuffed out.
Trying to settle his gut, which was churning from the shockwave, Kairus studied his opponent.