Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.43 – The Knight Starts Anew (4)
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It was truly out of nowhere, a scene that left everyone dumbfounded...
Just moments ago, they had been warmly listening to the evacuation manual, then met Sir Lark—one of the kingdom's top knights—and were swept up in waves of感動.
But what was this—
Kaboom!!
"!!?"
"H-He didn't block it!?"
"I-Is that the sound of a fist hitting a face...?"
The confusion was quickly sorted out.
Forcibly, that is.
No matter who it was, anyone seeing that sight would panic at first, then panic in a whole new way as horror etched itself onto their faces.
Kaboom!!
Indiscriminate pummeling.
Face strikes that ignored all defense.
One might think it was just sloppy hitting.
"...That sound absolutely couldn't come from sloppy hits..."
It sounded like a hammer pounding on armor.
A spine-chilling noise, and every time the thud! echoed, their bodies twitched reflexively.
...They could swear that if they took punches like that to the face, their nasal bones would shatter and their jaws would crumble.
The pummeling felt that intense, making their bodies twitch involuntarily, and it ended precisely...!
-Ding.
"Five minutes up."
...with the bell ringing.
Young Master Roan, who no one knew had been there, rang the bell, and the two knights froze in positions ready to strike each other.
Drip.
Ptooey...
Blood flowed from their faces.
From noses and mouths, staining their faces a vivid red that looked incredibly painful.
Yet, despite the fierce exchange, they looked relatively unscathed, which shocked the cadets.
They had expected cheekbones to cave in at least, but it ended with mere bruises.
However.
"Hoo, finally blood's circulating through my body."
"You arrogant thug, don't go easy on me!"
"If I hadn't held back, your head would've flown off."
"You bastard...!"
—What were they saying?
They doubted their ears.
What had they just heard?
Sloppy...?
'That?'
...It suddenly made them seriously question if the instructors teaching them were really human.
And if they were human.
'What is that? Scary...'
That was terrifying in its own way.
'This guy's punches are definitely spicier today.'
Drip...
Unlike the day before, he could clearly feel this guy's growth.
Their first clash had been a strike exchange.
Even then, he'd thought the guy threw pretty sharp punches—decent, at least.
But now it was different.
Not just sharp, but heavy too.
Thanks to that...
'A bit of impact lingers.'
Lee Han's unique recovery had quickly healed the bruises, but the lingering shock made him marvel.
Of course, since he'd consciously held back from using [Indestructible], it was harder to shake off the damage.
But this was a necessary process for Lee Han right now.
And that was,
"Are you insulting me, you cur? Not even using that freakish technique—!"
"It's a draw, isn't it? You're suppressing your killing intent too."
"......"
'He's probably doing the same.'
Lee Han snorted.
Acting all casual himself while nagging.
"Just like I'm suppressing [Indestructible] and my strength, you're holding back your aura and techniques too, aren't you?"
"...Ahem."
Lee Han knew.
How exceptional a technician this guy was.
He had at least hundreds of defensive and deflection techniques.
And he'd mastered every single one at grandmaster level.
If he wanted, he could deflect even Lee Han's hardest strikes.
In wuxia terms, a master of 'soft overcoming hard'?
That explained how a guy with relatively weak durability could stand back up after taking so many spells from spellcasters.
'Talented guy.'
Plus his innate murderous aura—he was a genius among geniuses, on another level.
So Lee Han knew he'd gone easy in the first round.
But not out of consideration for him or for a fair fight.
This guy was like him...
"You can't hold back your power either, can you?"
"......"
"Knew it. No wonder you showed up when I called, despite not being the type."
"...That blessing turned out to be far more troublesome than I thought."
Lark had no choice but to admit it.
He wasn't the type to brazenly hide it now that it was out, so he clicked his tongue with a grumpy expression.
"What a personality."
Swish.
With that short exchange, Lee Han and he assumed positions again.
Talk was fine, but.
Ding!
One minute passed—time to start again?
The two knights swung their fists once more.
If he had to describe his current state in words...
'A runaway train without brakes?'
Yeah, that's exactly how Lee Han saw himself right now.
'What is this, not even a full runaway...'
Most who met Lee Han first thought he just brute-forced fights mindlessly, but actually, he controlled his power's intensity and mixed in proper techniques to subdue opponents.
Being stronger than others meant he had to master control.
And the effort he'd invested in that control was immense.
From his assassin days, he'd constantly trained power control, and even in his relatively lax mercenary period, it was essential.
...All that effort wasted because the brakes were broken.
'That fairy gave me a tricky gift.'
He'd expected his body to change after shedding mortality, but not to this extent—that was Lee Han's honest feeling.
Whoosh!
'Damn, my senses are all over the place too.'
Power control was an issue, but the bigger problem was his senses fluctuating wildly.
Like a loyal dog that always obeyed suddenly hitting puberty and baring teeth.
Exactly.
'...Tears are welling up.'
Lee Han smiled bitterly.
But he couldn't see it purely negatively, because.
Paang!
"Did you break my technique?"
"Not me. My body did it on its own."
"...You're spouting nonsense. Finally lost your mind?"
"I think this every time we meet, but what a rude mouth you have."
"You bastard!"
A new [function] had been installed—how could he see it as anything but good?
This time, Lark had tried using soft-over-hard, but Lee Han's strike precisely disrupted the flow.
It wasn't something he could've done before.
A genius's feat.
Yet his post-shedding physical prowess and senses pulled it off, dismantling the opponent's technique.
His body had improved so much he didn't need to think anymore.
But Lee Han wasn't thrilled about this gift at all.
'What's the point of a gun I can't control.'
It was like a malfunctioning firearm.
Powerful, sure, but who knew when it'd backfire...
'Literally reset.'
He could crush weaker foes, but against equals or superiors, it was a fatal flaw.
Immature physical control, severe sensory dissonance.
Like someone who knew chopsticks or biking having to relearn from scratch.
Still, the positive was.
'If I forgot, I can just relearn.'
Like chopsticks or biking—once learned, the body never forgets.
He had to adapt to the new body and senses, make them obey his will—that was essential.
A month or two of focused effort, and he'd get the hang of it, he was sure.
...The problem was he didn't have two months to spare.
'Who knows when some fanatic or crazy spellcaster will pop up.'
So he needed to adjust his body and senses quickly, hence the need for sparring.
Not just any sparring.
He needed an opponent of similar skill, one he'd fight with full strength from infancy.
And indeed.
Kaboom!!
"Your strikes are getting lighter. If you're gonna control your power that poorly, better not at all—don't you know that?"
"What about you? Couldn't deflect this light one and ended up with a bloody nose on the ground?"
"...This time, I'll kill you."
"Try it."
Kwajik!
Kuung!
—The more they sparred like a real fight, the better his body's state felt.
Plus, the boiling fighting spirit of 'I won't lose to that guy!' forced him to adjust the dissonance forcibly.
One experience worth more than hundreds of tips?
This brutal fistfight mimicking combat rapidly bridged months' worth of gap.
Whoosh!
At some point, Lee Han and Lark stopped just punching.
They freely used dangerous parts like feet, knees, elbows, even joint locks.
Kwajik!
Kabang!
Positions flipped back and forth wildly, turning the surroundings into a mess each time they locked techniques.
Kugugung!
Each of Lee Han's strikes shook the earth, kicking up thick dust clouds.
Paaat!
Lark's strikes unleashed razor-sharp winds that shredded rocks and trees, leaving clear gashes.
A fierce battle where either could die—no surprise there—and as they went for the finish...!
Ding!
"...Five minutes up."
"—."
"Also, that's over 10 rounds. How long do you plan to keep this up?"
The bell rang again.
Crackle...
As the thick dust settled, it revealed Lee Han in mount position, and Lark aiming a hand blade at his neck.
If Lee Han's hammer-like fist had landed, the brain would've been mush; if Lark's blade-like hand had connected, the carotid would've been severed.
In the end.
"Stop fighting. One of you'll die at this rate."
"I won't die from this much."
"Probably not."
"Normal people would..."
"?"
"?"
"...Please don't go around claiming you're human."
The regressor occasionally doubted if they were really the same species as him.