Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: A Bit of Rest (6)
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73 matches, 0 wins, 0 draws, 73 losses.
This was my match record against Edelbert.
Of course, it was a perfectly predictable outcome.
Edelbert was a monster in the 70s level range, while I was a total noob who'd only been an explorer for not even three months.
'Inflicting even a single scratch would be a miracle.'
The gap in skill was utterly overwhelming. The ordeals she'd endured and the experience she'd piled up were on another level entirely.
But I had no intention of using that as an excuse to run away.
If I chickened out and hesitated, this sparring session would lose all meaning. So what if there was a skill gap? For now, I'd focus on gaining combat experience.
'No, I can't settle for that.'
I'd win.
I'd charge in with the intent to beat this master of hers, who hid twisted, psycho-pervert thoughts behind that impassive, nonchalant face.
That's how all our spars had been so far, and that's how they'd continue.
"Come at me whenever you're ready."
Edelbert didn't even assume a guard or preparatory stance—she just crooked a finger.
The leisure of an overwhelmingly superior fighter. The confidence that she could subdue me with one arm tied behind her back.
'Hah.'
Shring—
I let out a faint sigh and drew the axe from my belt.
'...?'
Then, strangely enough, an incredibly subtle sensation took over my fingertips. What was this? The axe felt like it molded to my hand even better than usual.
I took it as a positive sign. Guess my condition was good today.
Regardless of condition, sparring with Edelbert always put me on edge.
For some reason, it made me more nervous than fighting the boss Minotaur.
I swallowed my hesitation and kicked off the ground.
Boom!
The roughly 5-meter distance closed in just a few steps.
My physical abilities had always been exceptional, but now it really felt like I was surpassing human limits.
Clang!
Edelbert blocked the axe hurtling toward her nape with just her index finger.
An axe clashing against a woman's finger... and it sounded like metal striking metal.
"Still such straightforward attacks—"
Thwack!
Before she could finish, I tried to drive a side kick into her gut... but it didn't budge an inch.
It felt like kicking a towering castle wall. My leg was fucking killing me, but the wall was unscathed.
"You should listen when your master speaks, disciple."
"What, like you've got some profound wisdom to drop? You usually just beat the shit out of me and teach through action."
"Looks like your training's been getting boring lately. Guess I need to crank up the difficulty."
My first dirty trick—pissing her off—landed perfectly.
Maybe too perfectly.
Edelbert grabbed my ankle on her stomach and flung me into the air like a two-handed toss.
She made it look effortless, even though the weight difference had to be at least 40 kilos.
She appeared above me in an instant, clenching her fist.
"Solar plexus. Guard it well."
The moment I heard that, I raised my guard.
And right after...
Thud!
"Ngh!"
I felt a fist piercing through my side. Sneaky fake-out with words!
But I'd fallen for it a few times before, so I'd guarded my side.
Even with her holding back, the damage rivaled the boss Minotaur's, jolting up my guarded arm.
I prepared a proper landing roll to brace for the impact.
But there was a razor-thin moment before I hit the ground.
I swung my axe straight at Edelbert, right in front of me.
Whoosh!
The axe sliced through empty air. Edelbert, who'd been right there, had vanished.
"Where are you aiming? Keep your eyes on your opponent."
Her voice came from below. I couldn't even land properly—I ended up cradled princess-style in her arms.
I immediately thrust a fist at her face, but she casually blocked it with the hand that had been on my thigh.
"She's too fast to track with my eyes, and I can't even perceive her—how am I supposed to aim?"
"I managed just fine at your level."
"Oh. Must be nice."
"Nothing to envy. You'll get there soon enough."
Edelbert set me down on the ground as she said that.
The first spar was over.
"Rest for a bit. I'll grab a potion."
Edelbert wouldn't be satisfied without at least three spars a day, so she gave me a short recovery break.
If I didn't heal in time, she'd force-feed me a potion and drag me back into the fight... er, sparring. I quickly closed my eyes and rested.
Even as my body relaxed, my mind raced with thoughts.
First and foremost, the biggest question.
'Why does the axe feel so perfectly snug in my hand today?'
It wasn't just good condition.
Sparring with Edelbert had overall improved my ability to move my body in combat situations.
But this sensation felt fundamentally different.
'Something more basic...'
Suddenly, I recalled the time I'd smacked Eli's ass with a thumbs-up handprint.
Come to think of it, a strange sensation had lingered in my hand ever since then.
A feeling like my palm and every finger joint were under precise control.
More than just swinging my arm or fighting.
'...Like grasping the essence of that action—the technique of moving the body...'
"Brought your potion. Want me to feed it to you?"
"...Nah, I'm good. Pretty much recovered."
My train of thought broke. Under Edelbert's merciless urging, I gripped my axe again and was dragged back to the training room.
Even standing there with the axe in hand, my fingertips tingled oddly.
One more step forward, and this itch and frustration would turn into a profound realization... but taking that step was incredibly hard.
"Master. What do you think I'm lacking?"
"What's this out of nowhere, disciple?"
"I can't quite explain it, but I'm on the verge of grasping something... and I just can't."
Edelbert closed her eyes, arms crossed, and pondered my sudden question deeply.
"...You're lacking in everything."
"...Not from your perspective. From the viewpoint of someone at my explorer level—what am I missing?"
"Aside from physical abilities and instinctive combat sense, you're subtly lacking in everything else."
Yeah, figures. Physical prowess and raw grit were my biggest strengths.
Even by status window standards, everything except stamina, strength, and agility was at 0.
'...Huh?'
What I was lacking.
Wisdom 0. Technique 0.
It was rare for an explorer to have any specific stat at 0.
Base stats were random, and they got distributed randomly with level-ups from labyrinth runs.
Among all the level 10+ explorers I'd seen so far, none had two stats at 0.
Then I recalled the detailed description of the Sword Aura Blessing that Jubeol had shown me.
Wisdom +1, Technique +5, right?
It was a great blessing with massive stat boosts, but that wasn't the point.
'Why would using Sword Aura boost Wisdom and Technique?'
After a brief ponder, I reached a conclusion.
'Does using Sword Aura require Wisdom and Technique?'
My gaze naturally shifted to my free points.
"Looks like you've found your answer."
"...Yeah?"
If even Edelbert could see it, I must've been beaming pretty obviously.
Well, yeah—I'd been obsessed with magic and fantasy stuff ever since dropping into this world.
My jaw dropped every time mages or priests pulled off spells and miracles, and when Jubeol unleashed Sword Aura, I was dying of envy inside even if I didn't show it.
Still, I was scared to dump points recklessly. What if I fucked up and became a trash build?
But now, I could see the light.
So, screw it—let's just test it out.
Yes. Yes.
Edelbert thought she'd gotten a rough gauge of Balkan’s level from their previous spars.
'Pure physical ability is lower mid-tier junior explorer. Everything else is subtly below average junior explorer.'
Impressive growth. How many people showed this kind of progress less than half a year into being an explorer?
'Must have a damn good blessing.'
Blessings had a massive impact on an explorer's life.
That was why so many explorers obsessed over them, yearned for them, prayed for them.
But Edelbert was the type to look at the 'person' rather than their blessings.
Whoosh!
Edelbert's fist grazed Balkan's cheek.
Balkan had narrowly dodged the punch flying straight at his face.
He stared wide-eyed at the incoming fist right up to the moment it nearly hit, calmly judged whether to evade or deflect, and executed perfectly.
'Impossible with raw talent alone.'
This was innate talent, something even blessings couldn't overcome.
Clang!
Immediately after, a precise, calm thrust came flying.
If Edelbert didn't have her steel body, it would've been a fatal blow.
The corner of Edelbert's mouth twitched upward.
'Definitely fun to train.'
She could see him growing with every spar and training session.
He never stagnated from hardship. He immediately sought the next move, the breakthrough, and strived to grow stronger.
His combat experience accumulation was impressive too.
At first, Edelbert had toyed with him one-handed like a child, but now she was gradually loosening her restraints, using her full body against him.
He absolutely had the qualities to reach greater heights.
'...But.'
Something nagged at Edelbert.
'He's growing physically to an uncanny degree... and nothing else.'
She could excuse him not handling mana yet as a junior explorer.
But compared to his skyrocketing physical stats, his technique growth was practically nonexistent.
To put Balkan's current state in terms Edelbert liked...
'He's got a big dick and great control over erection and ejaculation, so it's peak on paper... but he doesn't know how to thrust properly.'
"Huh."
Edelbert unwittingly let out a dazed sound.
Framed that way, it was an even more shocking flaw.
Sure, he could muddle through with raw dick stats for now, but as the technique gap widened... it'd become a fatal weakness eventually.
'...Time to change training methods?'
But switching methods wouldn't help. This was entirely his issue.
No matter how gently she taught him, if he couldn't instinctively grasp the movements, it was meaningless—
Whoosh!
Edelbert instinctively halted her thoughts and focused on dodging the axe coming at her nape.
Similar power, trajectory, angle—indistinguishable from previous swings on every level.
Yet, bizarrely, that axe blade felt incomparably more threatening than before.
So Edelbert dodged it.
Releasing her power control. For real.
Boom!
A massive gust erupted from the concise motion, flipping the training room upside down.
"Heh."
Balkan, caught in the gust and slammed into the wall, let out a weird chuckle.
He looked every bit the loser.
But...
"That means I win this one, right? Master?"
At this moment, the real loser was someone else.
Edelbert stared at him intently, her face tinged with humiliation amid her surprise at his sudden growth and change.
"...My own disciple dares to claim victory over his master."
"But honestly, this round's gotta be my decision win, right?"
"......"
"Right?"
"......"
"Huh? Master? You hearing me? I won, right?"
Was he that thrilled at the prospect of his first decision win? Balkan giggled through his helmet.
Edelbert stayed silent for a long while before finally sighing and nodding.
"Yessss! Finally, my first win!!!"
Balkan shouted like he was truly ecstatic. A hard-earned victory after 74 losses.
Edelbert oddly didn't like his reaction.
"...Revel in it while you can. No more holding back from now on."
"Eh...?"
Balkan's body froze at the low mutter.
That day, he racked up 19 more consecutive losses.
If anyone had seen his bare face, they'd have ruled his cause of death as death by frustration.