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Ryo's eyes lifted slightly as he looked at the blonde girl in front of him—young in appearance, but carrying the composure of soone far more mature. A faint smile curled at his lips.
"Long ti no see, Lady Leticia."
"It's been about... half a year, hasn't it?" Leticia's voice carried a hint of lancholy, contrasting Ryo's calm tone.
Who would've thought? In just six months, [Arcadia]—once a dominant force in the higher levels—had lost its na and was now barely surviving at the very bottom.
And who could've imagined that Ryo, soone Canaria had brought back purely out of curiosity and goodwill, would beco [No Na]'s greatest source of hope?
On the flip side, Leticia herself—once a high-ranking officer leading battles—was now a prisoner.
With complicated feelings swirling inside, Leticia looked at Ryo's smiling face and murmured, "You already figured it out, didn't you..."
She was referring to the fact that she'd be taking on the role of Ryo's martial arts instructor.
Ryo chuckled lightly. "Wasn't Lady Shiroyasha's hint a bit too obvious?"
"And besides, down here in the lower levels of Little Garden, the only ones willing to help [No Na] during tis like this... are forr mbers."
The Demon Lord who attacked Arcadia was still unidentified.
With the enemy in the shadows while they were exposed, even Arcadia's old allies were hesitant to act. They were likely waiting for the right mont.
Leticia sighed softly. "If you've already figured that much out, I suppose I don't need to explain anything else."
She glanced at the nearby lake, then back at Ryo with a faint frown. "I don't know how you managed to grow this much in just one day... but that's not the point."
Looking at him with a trace of exasperation, she added, "I was planning to use that snake as a benchmark to test your limits and get a baseline for your training."
"But things... clearly didn't go according to plan. Honestly, not even Shiroyasha expected this."
Leticia added that last part silently in her mind.
Just yesterday, Shiroyasha had been singing Ryo's praises, saying she believed in his potential and that he'd grow quickly.
But this?
This was way beyond what even Shiroyasha anticipated.
If she had known, there's no way she would've chosen a trial opponent who got one-shot by Ryo.
Ryo's growth rate was definitely out of the ordinary.
Was it that hidden talent of his…?
Leticia narrowed her eyes, recalling sothing Canaria once told her: "That kid's potential… might just be the highest among all humans."
The highest, huh...
Leticia's gaze sharpened as she looked at Ryo.
Across from her, Ryo remained calm and unfazed after hearing Shiroyasha's words.
"So basically, this trial doesn't count anymore, huh?"
Yeah, it was pretty clear that the so-called water god had failed to live up to Leticia's expectations.
Which ant… he was probably getting a rematch.
"No," Leticia said, shaking her head. "The trial's been passed. Even if it was a verbal agreent, I'll honor it—I'll be your martial arts teacher."
As she spoke, she reached behind her head and untied the black butterfly ribbon from her hair.
The mont it ca loose, her body began to shift—rapidly growing until she took on the form of a woman in her early twenties.
This was Leticia Draculea's true form.
Her previous loli appearance was a temporary state—ant for recovery and conserving energy. Not ideal for combat.
With her full power restored, the shadows of the trees around them stretched and twisted unnaturally, gathering around her hand to form a sleek black knight's lance.
Ryo quirked an eyebrow. "You don't really look like soone who just passed through a trial..."
Leticia gave a faint smile, twirling the lance.
"A teacher who doesn't even understand their student level isn't even worth being called a failure."
"I don't plan on being that kind of teacher," she continued. "So, I decided to throw in one more little test before we get started."
She raised the knight's lance above her head, her expression growing serious.
"If you pass, I'll give you a reward: one promise. Whatever you want, within reason."
"Oh? Now that's more like it."
Ryo perked up, cracking his knuckles and stretching lazily.
"Anything I want, huh?"
"You've gotten cocky ever since gaining so power," Leticia muttered, eyeing him with a mix of amusent and exasperation.
"Nothing that goes against the knight's code of honor, understood?"
"Tch. That's no fun," Ryo protested. "Isn't this the part where you say, 'If you win, you can ask for anything'? Y'know, to encourage ?"
Leticia shot him a sidelong glance. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"
If he was confident enough to make a demand, then he clearly thought he could win.
And if that was the case, why should she walk into his trap?
"...Tch. Buzzkill."
Ryo shrugged, seeing that Leticia wasn't going to play along.
"Alright then, what are the rules?"
Leticia's grip on the lance tightened, the veins on her hands beginning to show.
"Simple. Take—or dodge—my lance with your full strength. Then touch . That's it. That's your trial."
As she spoke, shadows from the forest swirled behind her, forming dozens of lances—each with a different structure, shape, and design.
This was one of Leticia's gifts: [Deceased Dragon's Portrait], also known as [Dragon's Shadow]
Vampires typically don't have shadows—but Leticia is a special case. After reaching the system tree and earning the title of [Dragon Knight], she gained a shadow born from the belief of the dragon.
This Gift taps into that shadow, allowing Leticia to manifest countless weapons—primarily in the form of spears and lances. These shadow-forged blades can even rge into a massive dragon's jaw, striking down enemies with overwhelming force.
Even among the four-digit-level gifts, the Dragon's Shadow was incredibly powerful—its origins traced back to the shadows of true-blooded three-digit dragons.
"A strike from soone in the four-digit tier, huh..." Ryo's face finally turned serious.
More accurately, this was an attack whose true power couldn't be predicted.
Based on the trial's rules, Leticia's assault would likely be "intentionally" random.
The force of her strikes might range from the four-digit level down to the five-digit range—but probably hovering mostly around the latter.
Ryo's task? Evade or block all those thrown lances—and touch Leticia.
That ant he'd need a perfect blend of speed, strength, reflexes, and experience.
"Now this is getting interesting."
A grin spread across Ryo's face as red Reiatsu flared up from his body, swelling and crackling like fire.
If they were in the Soul Society, this force alone would've made the atmosphere tremble.
But this was Little Garden. At five-digit level, even such overwhelming Reiatsu would only cause minor terrain damage—just a few hundred square ters, maybe.
That was the nature of this world—fortified by the strength of its central authority and layered rules.
Which ant Ryo could go all out, no need to hold back.
"Well then... here I co!"
His eyes narrowed—and in a blink, he vanished.
At the sa ti, Leticia hurled the lance with everything she had.
The air exploded with a deafening sonic boom.
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