Chapter 66: Laysia (4)
Chapter 66: Laysia (4)
Pure white walls and pillars, forever bathed in a soft radiance.
Within Grace’s sanctuary, filled with luxurious decorations, a cluster of light gathered to form a single shimmering pillar.
When the light faded a moment later, Han Shin and Laysia appeared, both holding Grace’s hands.
Since the forms of Tiamat’s sanctuaries were largely similar, Laysia was not surprised, even though it was her first time entering Grace’s domain.
The three of them wasted no time and decided to change clothes immediately to prepare for sparring.
Laysia also used equipment bestowed by Tiamat. Like Han Shin and Grace, she could summon and equip her gear instantly, so the three were ready in no time.
More than anything else, Laysia wanted to check Han Shin’s current skill level and his combat style, so she requested a duel right away.
“Han Shin-nim, please spar with me.”
“Sure.”
Han Shin had always sparred with Grace until now, so he was quite excited by the freshness of facing someone else.
He was curious about how the newly joined Laysia would fight and how strong she was. His expectations grew, hoping he might learn something new from her.
Han Shin first picked up the sword and shield, the weapons he had learned from Grace and felt most confident with.
A Silver Sword boasting a sharp blade and a clean design, and a Round Shield that reflected the light.
Since I won’t stand a chance with anything else…
Having made his decision, Han Shin took a deep breath and prepared for the match.
With the sword in his right hand and the shield in his left, Han Shin took a stance, thrusting the shield slightly forward and holding the sword a bit high. He looked at Laysia, who stood about ten meters away.
While he was preparing, Laysia had tied her pale red hair back.
A few strands of her light red hair spilled over the edge of her Silver Light Armor, revealing her beautiful neckline.
The cloth draped over her armor was white, decorated with intricate gold embroidery.
Hmm… but won’t that cloth get torn during a spar?
Han Shin thought it was strange for her to wear cloth over her armor, but since he had enough on his own plate and was in the position of a student, he didn't speak up.
Laysia’s equipment was also a gift from Tiamat, just like Grace’s and Han Shin’s.
She wore Silver Full Body Armor, leaving almost no skin exposed.
However, the slight difference was that Laysia’s armor looked thinner and lighter.
For instance, from her arms to her hands, the guards and gloves were integrated into a single piece with a smooth, sleek texture, almost like she was wearing a bodysuit.
Laysia’s movements as she lightly warmed up her hands, clenching and unclenching her fists, were so fluid it was hard to believe she was wearing metal.
Laysia brought her hands together in a Fist Stance, then spread her feet to shoulder width, placing her left foot slightly forward.
Her hands curled into fists, and the gentle aura in her eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp, solemn intensity.
Han Shin realized that Laysia, who was pressing down on him with a momentum even more ferocious than Grace’s, became a completely different person once she entered combat.
A brief silence fell.
Step!
Laysia was the first to attack.
Her movements as she kicked off the floor and lunged forward were so fast that an ordinary person would have struggled to even track her with their eyes.
Arriving before Han Shin in the blink of an eye, Laysia lightly swung her left fist at him.
Han Shin’s eyes widened as she suddenly closed the distance and threw a punch; he instinctively blocked her with his shield.
Clang!
“Ugh!”
Though Han Shin managed to block Laysia’s left fist with his shield, the impact was considerable.
Laysia had attacked lightly, intending to control her strength, but for Han Shin, it was not an attack to be taken lightly.
Along with the ringing sound of metal clashing against metal, Han Shin let out a groan as his body was pushed back slightly.
He didn't have a single moment to catch his breath.
He was forced to focus entirely on defending against the smooth, rapid-fire strikes Laysia unleashed.
The continuous sound of clashing metal echoed through Grace’s sanctuary.
Until now, Han Shin had only faced Grace, an opponent who also used a one-handed sword and shield. This was his first time facing a Martial Artist who fought at a much closer range with rapid strikes.
Since the highest difficulty of any dungeon Han Shin had entered was E-Rank, he had never encountered a monster that attacked with such speed.
It was only natural for Han Shin to be flustered, as the tempo was much faster than what he was used to.
Eventually, he allowed Laysia an opening.
While struggling to defend, Han Shin tried to create distance by swinging his sword as a deterrent. Laysia parried his attack with her left hand and followed up with a kick to his side.
Thud!
“Ack!”
Han Shin collapsed onto the cold, smooth white stone floor of the sanctuary, the breath knocked out of him by Laysia’s strike.
“Han Shin-nim, are you alright?”
“Han Shin-nim! Are you okay?”
Both Laysia and Grace rushed to his side to check on his condition.
“Uh… I’m fine. Laysia, can we rest for a bit and then spar one more time?”
“Yes.”
“That is a relief, Han Shin-nim.”
Grace had sparred with Han Shin many times, but she couldn't help but worry, knowing that despite being called a Priest, Laysia was a Martial Artist of an incredibly high level and strength.
Fortunately, Han Shin said he was fine. Laysia had been ready to use a Healing Spell if he were injured, but it seemed unnecessary.
His breathing seems fine.
Seeing that his breathing had stabilized, Laysia knew Han Shin was okay.
Watching the spar just now had also ignited a competitive spirit in Grace.
It was her first time meeting another follower since becoming a follower of Tiamat, and she could clearly see that Laysia possessed immense power.
But Han Shin-nim comes first right now.
She wanted to ask Laysia for a spar immediately, but Han Shin was the priority.
Grace was very impressed that Han Shin didn't get overly excited or frustrated even after being suppressed without being able to do anything; instead, he calmly asked for another round.
One could only improve and grow stronger with a desire for self-improvement, and seeing him react so positively made her feel proud.
Even though Han Shin was currently her lord, she also felt an obligation to teach him and make him strong.
Hmm… he has talent, doesn’t he?
Laysia had only known the simple facts—that Han Shin was the Proxy of Tiamat and that he had been an ordinary person unable to move properly due to injuries—since she woke up from her long slumber in her sanctuary.
Even to her eyes, Grace was someone who was currently suppressing her power and was by no means weak compared to herself. She had been curious if it was true when Grace said Han Shin had talent.
That was why Laysia had taken the offensive, even while controlling her strength.
As a result, Han Shin had been suppressed without even getting to swing his sword properly, but…
Laysia evaluated Han Shin’s reactions highly as he desperately blocked her attacks.
He tried to track her movements as calmly as possible and sought a way out no matter what. She found it hard to believe he was someone who had only been learning for a little over a month.
Laysia was a Priest, but she was also the strongest Martial Artist in her world, Bürg.
The Priests who served Tiamat honed their martial arts to protect themselves, and Laysia was the best among them.
Naturally, she had received countless requests for duels and had experienced many battles. Even to someone like her, Han Shin seemed quite talented.
Above all, as a Martial Artist, she placed the highest importance on an unyielding will and sincerity.
Believing these traits were also innate, Laysia viewed Han Shin even more favorably.
As she stood with her arms crossed, watching Han Shin, she saw Grace bringing him some water.
But… their relationship doesn't seem like a typical one between a lord and a subordinate…
Laysia didn't yet know that Kang Yujin and Grace truly loved Han Shin and that the three of them acknowledged each other.
It was natural since she hadn't heard the story, and she had been told that Kang Yujin was Han Shin’s Noona…
Currently, Tiamat, the source of their power, was in a deep sleep to recover after consuming a lot of energy, and Han Shin, her Proxy, was growing his strength.
Because of this, the followers' power had weakened, and they needed to level up to regain it.
She knew that Grace had to sleep with Han Shin to level up and guessed that she had done so, but she didn't even suspect that their relationship went deeper than that.
Come to think of it… I have to sleep with this boy too…
Unlike the gentle smile on her face, a hint of bitterness seeped into her internal monologue.
After drinking the water Grace gave him and resting for a moment, Han Shin confirmed that the pain had vanished and his condition was fine.
He stood up immediately, gripping his sword and shield once more.
“I think I’ve rested enough. Laysia, can we go again?”
“Yes.”
Laysia smiled and accepted immediately, seeing Han Shin’s motivated expression.
Once again, Han Shin challenged the towering cliff that he could not yet hope to scale.