The afternoon sun blazed overhead with merciless intensity.
The intermediate class training hall was already packed with spectators. A new student's first practical duel was always entertainment.
"Viper Wen Jin versus newcomer Leng Wu!"
A senior acting as referee shouted the announcement.
Leng Wu stood nervously in the center of the training hall. The wounds from his morning entrance exam throbbed, but there'd been no time for proper treatment.
Viper Wen Jin...
From his rushed information gathering during lunch, Wen Jin was notorious even within intermediate class.
Underhanded, cunning, and above all—skilled with poisons.
"Heh heh heh..."
Wen Jin approached with a sinister laugh. Gaunt frame, snake-like slitted eyes. Even his appearance was repulsive.
"New boy, I heard you use some impressive technique called Flash Strike?"
"..."
"But they say you can't do anything for five minutes after using it?"
Everyone knew. Everyone knew Leng Wu's weakness.
Wen Jin pulled something from his sleeve—small vials of medicine.
"Don't worry. I won't kill you. However..."
He shattered one vial. Purple smoke began rising.
"It's going to hurt. A lot."
Poison Mist Third Form: Toxic Fog.
The smoke spread rapidly. Leng Wu quickly held his breath and retreated.
But Wen Jin's attack had already begun.
WHISTLE!
Something flew from within the smoke. Poison needles.
Leng Wu barely managed to twist his body and dodge. But this was only the beginning.
WHISTLE! WHISTLE! WHISTLE!
Poison needles flew from all directions. Wen Jin remained hidden in the smoke, invisible.
At this rate...
Leng Wu hesitated. Using Flash Strike would definitely take down Wen Jin. But what about the five minutes after?
Wen Jin would never wait patiently for five minutes.
"How's that? Feeling frustrated?"
Wen Jin's mockery echoed from within the smoke.
"Go ahead, use your precious Flash Strike. Then I'll show you how I'll carve you up for five whole minutes."
It was provocation. But effective provocation.
The spectators murmured among themselves.
"Can't use it, can't not use it..."
"That's the limit of Cooldown Constitution."
"A single technique really isn't enough..."
Just then:
"Hey! Newbie!"
Hong Lian's voice rang out.
"Poison fog can't last long! Three minutes is the limit!"
Valuable information. He just had to survive three minutes.
Leng Wu changed his strategy. Like he'd done in the morning, he'd apply Flash Strike's movements.
While dodging poison needles, he drew his wooden sword from his waist. Then...
Flash Strike's trajectory.
No power, but perfect sword path. He deflected the incoming poison needles one by one.
"What?"
Wen Jin's surprised voice echoed from the smoke.
"You blocked all the poison needles?"
And while unable to see, relying only on sound and presence.
This was what Flash Strike had taught him. Perfect swordsmanship wasn't just about power.
Timing, angles, breathing—harmony of all elements.
One minute passed.
Two minutes passed.
"Damn it!"
Finally, the poison fog lifted. Wen Jin's form was revealed.
He wore a flustered expression. His killing combo of poison fog and poison needles had been completely ineffective.
"Fine... I'll face you directly!"
Wen Jin drew a dagger from his waist. The blade glistened with purple poison.
Viper Sword Technique.
A bizarre swordsmanship that undulated like a snake. It attacked Leng Wu with unpredictable trajectories.
Leng Wu desperately defended. But his basic skills had limits.
SWISH!
The poison blade grazed his arm. The wound was shallow, but the poison was the problem.
"Heh heh, now it's over."
Wen Jin was confident of victory.
"That's paralysis poison. Soon your arm will go numb, then your legs, then..."
Indeed, sensation in his arm was fading. The wooden sword in his grip was losing strength.
But Leng Wu didn't give up.
Not yet.
Paralysis spreading through his whole body would take time. He could finish this before then.
Leng Wu made his decision.
He would use Flash Strike.
"Oh... finally?"
Wen Jin's expression filled with anticipation.
"Yes, use it! And then despair for five minutes!"
Leng Wu took his stance. The basic iaijutsu position.
The spectators held their breath.
The legendary Flash Strike. A chance to witness it firsthand.
But...
"Stop lying!"
Wen Jin sneered.
"You think you can use Flash Strike with an arm affected by paralysis poison?"
He was right. Without strength in his arm, he couldn't execute proper Flash Strike.
Wen Jin had planned for this.
"Now surrender..."
In that moment.
Leng Wu moved.
No, more precisely, Wen Jin moved.
"Huh?"
Wen Jin was confused. Without realizing it, he'd taken a step toward Leng Wu.
Right then:
"Flash Strike."
RING—!
Weak but unmistakable sword cry.
Leng Wu's wooden sword traced its path with minimal movement.
A paralyzed arm couldn't produce strong Flash Strike.
But if the opponent approached on his own?
Minimal force was sufficient.
WHOOSH—
The sound of cutting air.
CLICK.
The wooden sword returned to position.
And then...
"Gah... gahk!"
Wen Jin coughed blood and collapsed.
The power was less than half of normal. But by targeting vital points precisely, it was enough.
"Winner: Leng Wu!"
The referee announced.
But Leng Wu couldn't celebrate.
[Flash Strike Used][Cooldown: 5 minutes 00 seconds][WARNING: Cooldown initiated while under paralysis poison]
This was the worst case scenario. Paralysis poison combined with cooldown.
"Hahaha!"
Even collapsed and bleeding, Wen Jin laughed.
"You idiot! You used Flash Strike after all!"
He gestured with his hand. Two figures jumped down from the spectator area.
Wen Jin's friends.
"The duel's over, but... personal revenge is separate."
"That's against the rules!"
Hong Lian shouted.
But they didn't care.
"Oh well, we'll just say it was an accident."
The two surrounded Leng Wu.
Leng Wu couldn't move. Double affliction of paralysis poison and cooldown.
It was a desperate situation.
Just then:
BOOM!
Freezing energy exploded outward.
The two attackers were instantly encased in ice.
"Private lynching is forbidden in intermediate class."
Han Wujin had appeared.
He waved his hand, and the ice shattered, sending both attackers crashing down.
"Han Wujin..."
Wen Jin ground his teeth.
"Why are you interfering?"
"Rules are rules."
Han Wujin looked at Leng Wu.
"Besides... it would be a waste to let an interesting specimen get ruined."
He flicked his finger. Cold energy brushed Leng Wu's arm.
"Ugh!"
A moment of freezing pain. But strangely, the paralysis faded.
"Ice Poison Neutralization. I used my ice qi to neutralize your poison."
"Th-thank you."
"It's too early for thanks."
Han Wujin turned away as he spoke.
"Next week's ranking battle. I'll be watching, so don't disappoint me."
Then he vanished.
Awkward silence filled the training hall.
Leng Wu was still in cooldown. But this time, no one dared approach him.
Han Wujin's warning had been effective.
[Cooldown: 3 minutes 27 seconds remaining]
Time crawled by slowly.
During the wait, Leng Wu reflected.
This won't work.
Flash Strike alone had its limits. He needed other methods to cover the cooldown.
Then a new notification appeared in his system window.
[Combat Victory!][Rewards: +200 EXP, Flash Strike Proficiency +3][Special Reward: +1 Skill Point]
Skill Points?
[Use Skill Points to learn new techniques or enhance existing abilities][Available Options:]- Learn New Technique (Cost: 3 SP)- Reduce Flash Strike Cooldown (Cost: 1 SP = 10 seconds reduction)- Enhance Flash Strike Power (Cost: 2 SP = +10% damage)
Finally, a path forward had appeared.
Leng Wu smiled despite his exhaustion.
He was starting to understand how to grow stronger.
[Cooldown: 0 minutes 00 seconds]
[All abilities restored]
Power flooded back into his body. He stood up slowly, wooden sword in hand.
The watching students unconsciously stepped back.
Even in victory, the five-minute vulnerability remained a critical weakness.
But now he had hope.
A way to overcome it.
"One technique..."
Leng Wu murmured to himself.
"Until I master this constitution... one technique will have to be enough."
The legend of the Cooldown Cultivator was truly beginning.