Chapter 34

I stared at Kara, who seemed to be getting into a battle-ready stance.

The blue lightning that had flickered in her hand had now enveloped up to her elbow.

Tartar believed in Gulrak, the God of Destruction, who is known for one of his powers being thunder.

Just as Porori had sacrificed offerings every day to gain power, Kara would also be consistently offering her tributes.

‘Looks like she’s finally got the serious mood going.’

Originally, Kara preferred to fight with weapons. But her true power lies not in weapon skills.

It’s the power of lightning and her own fighting ability. Even though she has a dedicated weapon, she doesn’t rely on it.

She’s strong and knows how to fight well. That is Kara’s true power.

‘It might be hard to win, though.’

Sadly for her, she had just learned how to resist lightning while fighting against Porori.

In the Soul World, there are almost no countermeasures against being electrocuted by lightning. You either endure it or counter it.

I may not have the strange skills that the geniuses of the Eastern Empire possess, but I have a sturdy body.

Still, it’s best to avoid getting hit by lightning if possible. Static electricity is already painful; lightning is worse.

‘I’ve come to know how tough my body is too.’

Just earlier, Kara had cut my hand with a magic-infused dagger, but my palm was perfectly fine.

Even if she is still growing, it’s impressive considering she’s a seasoned warrior forged through real combat.

In other words, the early part of this story is essentially free of charge. There’s no need to bother overthinking things.

‘Except for the collapse of the Academy, of course.’

That was an episode designed not to break in the first place. It’s also the maximum turning point of the story.

*Crack!*

Meanwhile, Kara slowly approached me, lightning coiling around her arms like gauntlets.

As she came closer, I quietly prepared my stance. I was eager to see how this would unfold.

Kara had already been fighting with great skill in the Soul World. Even established players find her tough as a first-round character.

*Swish—*

When the distance had closed enough, Kara pulled her right arm back.

Even though she had moved closer, it was still too far for a punch. I immediately glanced down at her legs.

*Zzap!*

‘Just as I thought.’

Lightning coiled not only around her arms but also around her legs. Just a moment ago, there hadn’t been anything there.

Lightning comes with incredible destructive power and speed. The lightning strikes first, and then the thunder follows.

*Crack!*

And if one utilizes that well, they can unleash astonishing speed.

*Whoosh!*

Kara, who had been some distance away just moments ago, had arrived right in front of me in the blink of an eye. Her fist shot toward me immediately.

I barely dodged by stepping back. It was much faster than before, likely because of the lightning.

*Crack! Crack!*

She pressed on with rapid punches, seemingly determined not to miss. She even threw in some kicks here and there, forcing me into a corner.

For now, I could still dodge with my eyes, but the real issue was that this was lightning.

‘Even static electricity stings.’

In the Soul World, lightning is considered one of those ‘irregular’ abilities.

If you defend, it immediately leads to a state of electrocution, or even if you managed to block, you still take damage.

Thus, I had no choice but to dodge continuously, and to counter lightning, one must either acquire skills or toughen up.

‘This is why I hate lightning.’

*Thud—*

As I retreated, I found myself pressed against a tree. The terrain of the forest limits my options for evasion.

As I glanced back to assess my surroundings, Kara’s fist flew at me like lightning.

*Bam!*

I managed to twist away just in time, but the tree was obliterated by her punch.

I’m not exaggerating; it literally disintegrated. Wood splinters and sawdust flew everywhere.

To use lightning, one must first have a solid body technique. You can’t endure the power of lightning without it.

‘But how did Porori endure it?’

Well, I’m a tough person too, so maybe I shouldn’t question it.

I put my random thoughts aside and focused on the battle. It was about time for me to start fighting back too.

“When are you going to stop just running away······!”

*Bam!*

Just as Kara was about to shout in frustration, I grabbed her by the collar.

Now that she was fully committed to attacking, I would respond accordingly. Toughly, if need be.

*Thunk!*

As soon as I seized her by the neck, I pushed her toward that now-splintered tree.

*Gasp!*

Kara gasped sharply; perhaps the impact against her back had knocked the wind out of her. I seized that opportunity and threw a punch.

*Smack!*

Kara barely managed to duck away. Naturally, my punch smashed into another poor tree.

Then, as she ducked down, her fist struck my shins.

I didn’t feel any pain, but the lightning had stung a bit.

*Swish—*

As I flinched from the sting, Kara swiftly moved behind me. She had outstanding speed, likely due to the lightning.

Suddenly, she grabbed my waist. I thought, what kind of technique is this, and then my vision spun upside down.

It wasn’t an exaggeration; my vision literally flipped.

*Bam!*

With a brutal difficulty and power, she executed a suplex. The combination of gravity, a solid ground, and her skill had all come together perfectly.

Though it meant little to me, for an ordinary person, their neck would easily break from that.

*Crash!*

After the suplex, as I lay on the ground, another attack came flying at me. Kara tried to stomp my head with her foot.

I barely dodged just in time. If I had taken that hit, it would have hurt a bit.

“Try provoking me one more time.”

As I got back on my feet, Kara grinned and spoke. She seemed a bit overly confident after her series of attacks.

But she had only been attacking; I was still perfectly fine. After all, I hadn’t taken any real hits yet.

Tap— Tap—

So, I brushed off the dirt from my body. I would clean up later, but it felt unpleasant for now.

Even when I lived in the forest, I tended to keep myself clean.

“··· ···”

However, it seemed Kara took my actions as a provocation. Given her displeased reaction, I couldn’t blame her.

I slowly walked towards the fuming Kara. If she had been aggressive up to now, it was my turn.

More importantly, it was about time to corner her. I had to expose all of Kara’s tricks.

*Crack!*

As I approached, Kara initiated the attack first. She swung her lightning-infused fist toward me.

Before, I would have dodged by turning my head or rotating my body. But now, I didn’t need to.

*Thud!*

I read the trajectory of her punch and blocked it with my palm.

Kara didn’t seem shocked when I blocked her punch. Instead, she just smiled slyly.

*Zzap!*

Simultaneously, the lightning that had enveloped her fist surged into me.

If it were usual, I would have certainly fallen into a state of electrocution. This happened even in the Soul World.

*Gasp!*

“But?!”

Not me, though. I seized Kara’s neck, catching her off guard. She stared at me, wide-eyed in shock.

She couldn’t move, but that didn’t mean she was immobile. After being electrocuted so many times by Porori, I’d developed a resistance.

*Bam!*

I immediately hurled Kara toward a tree. I threw her hard enough to prevent her from regaining her balance.

Before she could collect herself, I rushed in like a tank.

*Crash!*

“Ahh!”

I body-checked her with my shoulder. It was a classic move that Porori often used with Cheolsan-go.

Kara’s pained scream pierced my ears. Truth be told, if I had wanted to, I could’ve easily smashed through the tree and propelled forward.

But I went easy on her; if it had been Porori instead, I would have crushed everything in my path.

*Uff!*

Despite her pain, Kara elbowed the back of my neck. I ignored it and continued with my next move.

She was currently wedged between me and the tree, unable to make a move. This meant I held the upper hand.

*Gasp!*

I firmly gripped her neck to ensure she couldn’t move easily.

Kara’s expression turned desperate as she frantically tried to pry my hands off, but my punch came first.

*Smack! Crack!*

I sent two punches crashing into her face before tossing her into another tree.

Perhaps two strikes were enough to leave her disoriented because she leaned against the tree and struggled to rise.

Without hesitation, I approached her and aimed a powerful stomp at her. I planned to stomp her down hard.

*Thud!*

“Ugggh······!”

She gripped my foot with all her might. Her hands were crackling with lightning.

For someone who had taken a direct hit to the face, her willpower was admirable. It’s no wonder she would grow strong in the future.

But that’s a different story. I swung my extended leg down vigorously.

*Thud!*

Kara fell like a rag doll. However, she managed to pull herself upright in whatever way she could.

With the intention of finishing this, I took a step forward.

*Thud!*

“Eh?”

But as soon as I took a step, I stumbled and had no choice but to bend my knee.

There hadn’t been any warning, leaving me puzzled as I looked at my legs.

*Crack!*

A blue spark burst from the leg I’d attempted to stomp down. That must have been what caused it.

It seemed the effect activated just when I tried lifting my foot. There are times when one’s legs give way unexpectedly, aren’t there?

The reason I bent my knee was similar. It was just a coincidence—a case of unfortunate timing.

‘What an irregularity.’

It was an irregularity in-game, and now it was an irregularity in reality. I brushed off the lightning as I straightened my legs.

In the meantime, Kara had also finished regrouping and was back on her feet. Perhaps she was waiting for me to make a move.

To put it bluntly, the chances weren’t high that she was doing all this on purpose. She’d likely thrown her lightning in a panic, without having a moment to think it through.

“Huff. Huff. Seriously, I’m not a bear… oh wait, bears aren’t even like this······”

Kara mumbled with a defeated tone, wiping the blood from her mouth.

It seemed like she was talking to herself, but I heard every word. She must realize as well.

The victory of this battle was clearly leaning towards me. There was just one thing she could do now.

‘Struggle.’

Kara’s stamina was rapidly dwindling from pushing the lightning to its limits.

Given that she just took a solid hit, she must have accumulated quite a lot of damage too.

Having been put on the defensive, she must be praying for one last shot.

*Huff······*

Kara took a deep breath and gathered her focus. She assumed the earlier stance once more.

*Zzap!*

The intensity of the lightning wrapping around her like gauntlets had increased from before. It seemed she had maximized her remaining magic and faith.

This would be her final attack. I thought that, but just as I considered it, she charged forward this time.

Kara wasn’t the least bit surprised when I closed the distance in an instant.

*Whoosh!*

As always, she followed up with punches. But this time she dodged by dropping her head.

Then she slipped inside and delivered an uppercut with a lightning-coated fist to my jaw.

*Wham! Pow!*

The uppercut struck my chin, and next, she tripped my legs. Just like she did to Luna, she was trying to throw me off balance.

I didn’t fall, but since I had pushed my magic to the max, my balance was slightly shaking. Kara didn’t miss that chance.

*Thud!*

In her uppercut hand, something was now grasped tightly.

It was, surprisingly, the dagger I had broken in half. An embarrassment to even call a weapon.

What a magical occurrence, one would think—except it wasn’t magic, it was an ability. A power passed down within the Tartar race.

‘Ah, right. Weapon regeneration…’

I hadn’t even thought about that yet.

*Crack!*

On the half-broken dagger, a brilliant blue lightning enveloped it. It looked far more dangerous than before.

I steadied my footing and tried to step back, but she was already on me.

“AHHH!”

Kara yelled as she swung the dagger, gripping it tightly with both hands.

*Whoosh!*

I hurriedly reached out to catch it, but…

*SWISH!*

The broken dagger sliced through my hand faster.

******

I’ll admit it. No, I can’t help but admit it.

As Kara faced Sivar head-on, she silently recognized that he was far stronger than her.

Even with the power of lightning and expending all her magic, she couldn’t match the physical prowess of Sivar.

No amount of techniques could change anything. The moment Sivar seized her, a fatal blow followed.

It was too irrational, a complete absurdity. Yet, Kara continued to press on with the fight.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve lost this overwhelmingly.’

In Tartar, there were plenty of people stronger than herself. Hector was a prime example.

But having lived in Tartar for so long, she was accustomed to the defeat. The Academy, however, was different.

There was hardly anyone among the new students stronger than her. Some professors could even take her down if they went all out.

But Sivar was unmatched. His overwhelming strength continually crammed her into a corner.

‘If someone like that were to be taught techniques…’

How much stronger could he become? Just how incredible could he grow?

How far more······

‘No. No way.’

There wasn’t time for useless thoughts. Kara firmly decided that.

After all, she was just a wildling who couldn’t even speak properly yet. She needed to become a person first.

But more than anything, she had to finish this fight before anything else. Regardless of whether it meant her loss.

*SWISH!*

The lightning-infused dagger, now a broken weapon, passed cleanly through Sivar’s hand.

Unlike before, she felt a definite ‘cut’ running through her fingers. This sensation was one she could never forget.

Gasping for air, Kara gazed at Sivar. He stared at his hand with a slightly surprised expression.

After a moment, he looked at Kara and slowly extended his hand.

“······Ah.”

Blood flowed from Sivar’s wide palm.

Though it was embarrassingly small for a wound, the fact that she had landed an effective hit was what mattered.

“Blood.”

When Kara found herself elated in an inexplicable way, Sivar spoke in his characteristic blunt tone.

Then with his bloodied hand, he clenched his fist and grinned, saying two syllables.

“I’m. Done.”

*BAM!*

At that exact moment, Sivar’s fist connected perfectly with Kara’s solid abdomen. She hadn’t had a chance to respond.

Had she caught a glimpse of it, she might’ve reacted. But this attack was impossible to see coming.

“······!!”

Kara’s eyes widened and she gasped for breath. Even with her body technique active, she couldn’t breathe.

That alone could have meant the end, but Sivar didn’t stop there.

*BAM!*

As she toppled slowly, he seized her neck and slammed her to the ground. A pattern he often overused but also tremendously effective.

With each wave of impact, Kara sensed her consciousness fading, but before she could dwell on it, Sivar’s fist struck again.

*Smack!*

“Kuh!”

Kara somehow managed to raise a guard, but it felt like her bones might shatter. The lightning had disappeared.

The magic she had remaining was all spent to maintain her body technique.

*Snaps! Smack! Smack!*

But Sivar relentlessly kept pummeling her. Kara tried her hardest to block, but it was futile.

As a merciless flurry of punches rained down upon her, her remaining magic finally ran dry.

*Crack!*

“Aah······!”

With her body technique no longer functioning, she was left to take the punches outright.

Eventually, Kara’s arm broke under the onslaught, and immediately, Sivar forced her to her feet.

With one hand gripping her neck and the other supporting her backside, he tossed her like a shot put.

*Bam! Thud! Crash!*

Kara tumbled and rolled over, not managing to steady herself, but miraculously, she didn’t faint.

Instead, she took a few ragged breaths and attempted to rise to her feet. Despite her broken arm, her fighting spirit burned bright.

“Ughhh······ Aaaaah!!”

With an explosive battle cry, Kara stood up. She glared fiercely at Sivar.

Before she knew it, she was upon him in no time.

“Come on··· Gah! Lightning.”

“··· ···”

“It’s not over······ yet.”

Striking a fighting pose with her broken arm, Kara struck a fierce stance. Sivar gazed at her blankly as he extended his hand.

At the sight of his outstretched palm, Kara flinched, but soon she could see it clearly.

“······Huh?”

Sivar’s palm was completely intact. But there was a little blood on it.

It was an all-out attack, and yet in less than a minute, he had healed completely. Kara stared at him with a dazed expression.

“Wow······ really······”

His behavior was the epitome of annoying.

“That’s just too much······”

Yet, strangely, she couldn’t bring herself to hate him. He was just so pure, every action exuding cuteness.

“Seriously······ are you even human······”

Kara, finally blurting out what she had kept inside.

And with that, she collapsed—

*Thud!*

Lying flat on the ground.

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