Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Proof (3)
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Hwarenca's intense gaze was locked squarely on me.
I easily read the intent behind those eyes.
It was too straightforward.
He wanted a fight, plain and simple.
Sure enough, the guy shot to his feet and strode toward me.
"You're the one? The guy who took down the Crow Knights all by himself?"
I sipped my whiskey without even glancing at him. A thick vein bulged at his temple. He looked as short-tempered as he appeared.
"Pretending you don't know won't help. We all know it was you."
Allen and the other two watched us uneasily, their eyes darting back and forth.
"What's all the commotion about?"
I looked up at him with a sullen expression.
Anyone would think I'd done something wrong.
My annoyance twisted inside me, but taunting him seemed entertaining, so I held back.
He snorted.
"Hmph. Thank the heavens. If you didn't have a duel tomorrow, I'd give you a beating right now."
So that's why he was just talking?
Smarter than I thought.
I downed the rest of the whiskey in my glass and said,
"Long tongue on you. Disappointing."
"What? What did you just say?"
Hwarenca glared at me with bloodshot eyes, as if he wanted to kill me. His clenched fist trembled.
I stood up and headed outside, saying,
"Come on out. Let's have a quick spar."
"You're begging to die! Fine! No whining after you get beat!"
Hwarenca huffed and followed behind me.
From the back, I heard the waitress voicing her concern and Allen responding.
"Shouldn't you stop him? That's Blazing Hwarenca. You could get hurt bad."
"We can't stop him either. And honestly, I'm more worried about Mr. Hwarenca. Blaze or whatever, he's about to get turned to ash."
After spending time together, their reactions were definitely different from before.
They weren't worried about me anymore.
They were worried about my opponent.
The wide open space in front of the tavern.
I stood at its center.
Hwarenca kept a suitable distance, clenching his fists and cracking his knuckles with popping sounds.
"You asked for this. No backing out."
"That won't happen."
He seemed bothered by my duel scheduled for tomorrow.
Worried I'd complain later.
Maybe he was one of my duel opponents.
But it didn't matter.
To start a big fire, you need good kindling.
"Alright, let's see what you've got."
Hwarenca assumed a confident stance.
Basic bare-handed fighting pose: left foot forward, fists up in front of his face.
I crooked my index finger at him, beckoning him to come.
As expected, his eyes darted around.
"You cocky bastard!"
With a roar, Hwarenca charged.
His bulldozer-like momentum felt like a bull rushing in.
Whoosh!
His fist shot forward with a heavy whoosh of air.
The sound alone told me it packed a punch.
Enough power to smash a boulder.
His movements were stable, unlike his excitement.
Some crazies fight best in peak rage, and this guy seemed just like that.
I twisted my body to dodge his fist lightly and placed my hand on his forearm.
Then I wrapped around it and swung hard.
Swish.
His massive frame spun wildly at my fingertips before flying off pathetically.
Crash!
Knocked flat in one move, seeing stars, he jumped back up with a flushed face.
I could see why they called him Blaze.
His face burned red, refusing to cool.
Like an unquenchable flame.
"You bastard!"
Gritting his teeth, he charged again.
But the result was the same.
I wrapped his fist and slammed him to the ground.
He rolled across the dirt once more.
Then flushed red, he sprang up and charged without hesitation.
The same scene repeated exactly two more times.
"......"
Only then did Hwarenca stop charging recklessly and start measuring the distance carefully.
His previously rolled-back eyes were back in place, shaking.
After failing four times the same way, even a human would wise up.
"Is that all you've got after all that big talk?"
I smirked and provoked him.
"Shut up!"
Hwarenca charged again, heating up.
What a simple guy.
Still, this was his best attack so far.
The result remained the same.
Crash!
Hwarenca tumbled across the ground.
His clothes, covered in dirt multiple times, were no better than rags.
He was cleaning the yard with his whole body, after all.
"Damn it!"
He pounded the ground in frustration.
"Getting boring now. Time to end it."
I pretended to yawn and approached him.
"Uwaaaah!"
Fuming mad, Hwarenca let out a ki shout and rushed in.
Straight punch, just like before.
Let's see who wins, huh?
I dodged the fist, slipped inside, and circled behind him.
He flailed around, momentarily losing track of me.
I smacked the back of his head hard.
Smack!
"Keuk!"
Clutching his head, he whipped around. But I was already gone.
"Over here."
Hwarenca, searching for me, looked up following my voice.
I'd leaped high, thrusting my palm down at him from midair.
Celestial Spirit Divine Gong, Technique Volume.
Third Chapter: Heaven-Sealing Palm.
A storm of qi swirled from my palm.
Feeling the immense pressure bearing down, Hwarenca crossed his arms overhead in an 'X'.
His sky was blotted out by my palm.
Boom!
As my arm thrust straight, the ground compressed into a palm-shaped crater, spewing thick dust.
I used the rebound to land outside the dust cloud.
"......"
Silence fell over the area.
The onlookers gaped, inhaling dust unfiltered.
Whoosh.
The wind blew the dust away.
Through it, Hwarenca slowly emerged.
Frozen in his arms-raised pose.
His clothes were shredded by the pressure, covered in dirt like a beggar, but he stood intact, blinking.
I'd deliberately held back.
"......H-how."
No one had expected Hwarenca's defeat, so they rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
"Mr. Hwarenca!"
One of his companions rushed to him.
But he stopped short and turned to me.
He'd noticed the mark on the ground.
"......"
Deep crater centered on Hwarenca.
It looked just like a giant's palm print.
* * *
"Heard the news?"
"What news?"
"They say Mr. Hwarenca got floored in one hit last night?"
"No way."
"I heard he let his guard down. He'd been drinking too."
"What? So he did go down in one hit?"
"That's what I heard, but you gonna believe a bunch of drunks?"
"Either way, the new guy's the one who beat Mr. Hwarenca."
Even as the sun climbed to midday, pushing the moon aside, the Independence Army camp buzzed endlessly about last night's incident.
And for good reason—so many witnesses.
The loser being Hwarenca, and the winner a new face in his mid-twenties, was fuel enough for wild rumors.
Plus, the guy who beat him had a duel that afternoon, pouring oil on the fire.
And how that fire blazed.
The usually quiet training ground teemed with Independence Army members like a marketplace, all gathered to watch Genesis's duel.
Practically everyone not busy had shown up.
The exciting spectacle had the crowd already buzzing with heat.
"He's here!"
"That the guy?"
Someone's shout focused the rowdy crowd's attention.
At the end of their stares stood the star of this heated spectacle.
* * *
In a tent at the edge of the training ground.
Inside sat Lucian watching me with keen interest and the expressionless Lake.
Lucian, with a subtle smile, said to me,
"I heard about last night."
He'd know about something everyone else did.
I looked at him like, what's the problem?
"Everyone's curious about your skills, it seems."
"You too, huh."
"Exactly. I'm very curious myself."
Lucian admitted readily.
Curiosity shone on his face.
He was a swordsman too, once called a genius.
How could he not wonder about my strength?
I said,
"Then let's get started."
"Sure."
Stepping outside the tent, I saw the square training ground, packed with Independence Army members sprawled on the ground around it.
"He's here!"
"That the guy?"
The rowdy bunch erupted in cheers at my appearance, getting even louder.
They acted like it was a festival.
After yesterday, they expected great things from me.
Whatever they imagined or hoped for today, they'd get more.
I'd make sure of it.
"Woooah!"
As Lucian stepped onto the training ground, the crowd cheered him in unison.
Before the excited masses, he continued calmly.
"You all seem to know who I'm dueling today, so no need for introductions. Before we start, a quick word on the rules. First, no intentionally injuring your opponent. Second, no killing. That's it."
"This duel is to gauge Genesis's skills. If it gets too heated to decide a clear winner, it'll be stopped. We've prepared three opponents to test him, and Genesis can forfeit anytime."
I had to prove myself by facing their prepared opponents one by one.
Easier than lying down for rice cakes.
"Let's begin the duel!"
"Uwaaaah!"
Amid deafening cheers that rang in my ears, I followed Lucian's gesture onto the training ground.
All eyes on me, but I felt no tension or pressure.
A round-faced man climbed up instead of Lucian heading to the crowd.
Lake sat beside Lucian, along with a conflicted-looking Hwarenca.
"Alright, first opponent!"
Meanwhile, the announcer was introducing my first challenger.
"The man whose gaze alone freezes the battlefield! The one who makes even the blazing midday sun feel chill—the cold heart of the north! Inheritor of Artweinga's sword, icier than ice! He is... He! Ro! Pin!"
"Uwaaaah!"
At the announcer's grandiose call, one man from the group stood, scratched his head, and walked out.
He looked dopey, but his stable gait showed he was no pushover.
He stopped at a set distance, drew his sword with a light nod, and I dipped my head back, drawing Thundercloud Sword.
"Alright! Both seem ready."
The announcer glanced between us and slashed the air with his hand.
"Duel start!"