Passing Exam.

Seeing Ragnar's new form, Aldric was once again taken aback. He didn't know how to react to his opponent's sudden transformation. Even before, he had been struggling against Ragnar, but now the power he displayed was on a whole different level.

"Brace yourself for the impact, kid," Ragnar warned as he dashed towards Aldric. Uncertain of what to do, Aldric instinctively took a defensive stance. A relentless barrage of powerful attacks was launched upon him, and Aldric found himself on the losing end.

Suddenly, Ragnar unleashed a particularly powerful strike towards Aldric. Aldric attempted to defend himself, but he couldn't stop it.

Thud! Thud! Bang!

Aldric was thrown to the end of the arena, colliding with the wall. Dust filled the air, and everyone in the arena anxiously awaited to see if Aldric had survived.

Cough! Cough!

Silence fell over the arena, accompanied by shock. It wasn't because Aldric had lost, as that was expected given the intensity of the attack. What shocked everyone was that Aldric had not only survived, but there wasn't even a scratch on him to indicate the impact with the wall.

As Aldric got up, a system notification rang out: [Congratulations, you have unlocked a new skill: Absolute Defense - it allows the user to bypass the opponent's defense by 36 levels.]

It was a godsend opportunity for Aldric. With this ability, he could easily defeat someone who was 36 levels above him.

"Yes, if you had lost to such an attack, I would have been very disappointed," Ragnar remarked. "You're really trying to kill me, Sir Ragnar," Aldric replied with a smile. Aldric then released his aura to its fullest extent and thought, "I think I need to drag this fight. I need to completely master my sword."

He asked the system to show him his current progress in sword mastery, and the system displayed: [Sword mastery: 58%]. "Yes, that's it," thought Aldric.

Aldric and Ragnar engaged in another sword fight, but this time, due to Absolute Defense, Aldric was able to hold his ground against Ragnar. Ragnar, unaware of Aldric's newfound skill, was shocked. "Is he a demon or something? He was struggling against me a moment ago, and now he's bypassing my defenses. But his techniques are still sloppy. I think I can take advantage of that," thought Ragnar.

Not only Aldric, but also the instructors and students who were present in the arena were shocked to witness an examinee putting up a fight against an instructor. "Sir, what is happening?" asked a mage to his instructor. "You won't understand, and even I, as a mage, am having trouble comprehending this. But I can assure you one thing: the person fighting against Instructor Ragnar is a monster," replied the instructor mage. "Why do you say that?" asked the student mage. "In my 27 years here, I have never seen someone last this long against Instructor Ragnar," the instructor replied, and all the instructors present agreed.

Time passed, and the fight continued. Aldric's movements and sword techniques improved, surprising even Ragnar, who had initially planned to exploit Aldric's weaknesses. However, those weaknesses were gradually fading away.

Ragnar smiled and thought, "He's a genius. Not only is he lasting this long, but he's also putting up a fight against me while I'm using my aura around my sword."

Ding!

Another notification from the system rang out: [Sword mastery: 100%, Combat mastery: 100%].

Seeing his sword and combat mastery both at 100%, Aldric gave a satisfied smile and thought, "It's time to end this battle." He dashed towards Ragnar, activating his sprint ability. Aldric also activated his sword ability for the first time: "Ruin Slash." His blade glowed, and a golden-colored slash was unleashed. Ragnar tried to deflect it, but it penetrated through his sword, leaving him no choice but to sidestep. Not giving Ragnar a chance to react, Aldric activated another ability, "Ruin Burst," aiming for Ragnar's arm.

Boom!

The arena fell into complete silence as everyone held their breath, waiting to see the outcome. As the dust settled, it became clear to everyone that Aldric was standing, while Ragnar's nails were poised behind Aldric's neck, ready to rip his throat out if he made any sudden moves. Aldric sheathed his sword and declared, "I lost."

"No," interrupted Ragnar. He continued, "I think you forgot that it's up to me to decide whether you pass or fail. At the beginning, you fought like a novice. I don't know how you defeated Afeef back then, but you wouldn't have been able to do it. However, as the fight went on, you perfectly overcame your own weaknesses and became a master of your rank." Ragnar paused, then declared, "I, Ragnar, as your examiner, declare that you have passed the test."

Joy filled the arena as everyone who had witnessed their fight felt a part of it. Soon, everyone left the arena, and mages came to repair the damage. Aldric was instructed to return the next day to receive his license, and he left the building.

"Sir Ragnar, here, take this towel," a boy who seemed like a servent approached. The servent was dressed in a black and white outfit "Rudri, take me to my room," Ragnar said, and as he spoke, he collapsed into the servant's arms.