Chapter 405

It’s not like I get hit a lot, but objectively speaking, I’m pretty strong.

And not just a little strong—most tough guys have a hard time even scratching me.

The only real threat comes from Lightning, which ignores defense, but even that I’ve built up resistance against.

Unless someone can manipulate space like Rod and Rize, there’s no need for me to go all out.

‘Is Hector the only one who’s somewhat similar to me?’

My instructors always say that my physical specs scream thug, but my skills are just terrible.

But even that ‘terrible’ is relative; it’s not like I’m awful when you look at it absolutely.

Just remembering that the ones who called me terrible are Sword Saint and Gwonseong. To them, everything probably feels inadequate.

“··· ···”

“··· ···”

I looked down at the dancer who had aimed a powerful strike at my gut. I could guess what she was thinking.

The face that realized her attack didn’t even faze me. She looked like she just had a major failure.

But would she give up just like that? Absolutely not.

The dancer regained her composure and stepped back. I could feel a stronger attack coming next.

“Your body is quite solid. Comparable to His Majesty the King.”

“Ever fought him?”

“Yes. And I lost pretty cleanly.”

I defeated Hector, though I wasn’t in my right mind at the time.

There was no point in mentioning that, and even if I did, she wouldn’t believe it.

For a Tartar, Hector’s existence was almost a ‘myth’ beyond mere achievements.

A myth of receiving divine weapons from Gulrak and founding a nation. She wouldn’t think defeat was even an option.

‘So how do I deal with her?’

I pondered while watching the dancer get into position. Honestly, I hoped Luna could take her down.

That way, I could finally unleash the golden sun brat without a care. It was a bit disappointing.

Well, to be fair, just getting to a third match is impressive enough. Besides, Tartars are making full use of their home ground advantage.

‘One thing’s for sure, they won’t notice the sunlight.’

I subtly lifted my head to glance at the sky. The harsh sunlight pierced my eyes.

Even in the Soul World, there’s this weird system that obstructs visibility. The light is so strong it makes it hard to see ahead.

At first, I wondered if it was a bug, but the more I fought, the more I realized that it was due to the sunlight limiting visibility.

The unnatural movements of the Tartars gave it away. Luna probably only noticed when it was her turn last.

‘I don’t care.’

Sunlight or whatever, I wasn’t really bothered. I could roughly gauge what my opponent was planning even with my eyes closed.

Even if I couldn’t, it was fine. Why? Because it didn’t matter if I got hit.

My body is so tough that I can take just about any attack and still be fine.

“Ugh!”

In the brief moment I lost focus, the dancer sprinted toward me, as fast as before.

She reached right in front of me and began to spin, balancing on one leg.

A swift spinning kick. If it connected, it could deliver powerful damage, but it was also a risky move for her.

It seemed she realized her earlier strike didn’t do anything to my durability. That’s probably why she was pulling out such a big move.

-Wham!

But so what? The dancer’s kick landed squarely in my abdomen.

It felt like metal clashing, not flesh against flesh. I could feel the years of training behind it.

-Guh!

The problem was that there was a dangerous sound from her foot.

“Ugh······!”

The dancer grimaced in pain. It seemed like her foot was fractured.

This is the problem with kick moves. Unlike punches, the backlash comes straight back to the user.

Rize once told me that kicks can be incredibly strong, but the risks are way more than you’d expect.

She only uses kicks when finishing off an opponent or delivering low kicks.

‘What did Luna say back then?’

Did she mention that since punches can already break an opponent’s bones and flesh, kicks are unnecessary?

Even Rize nodded along to that, not denying it at all. Anyway, it’s true that kicks are risky.

So usually, they kick with the heel or the sole of the foot. Otherwise, it’ll break.

Unless someone has a body as tough as Rize or mine, it’s best to avoid kicks.

“······You’re quite relaxed.”

“Did it hurt?”

“I know it’s a lie. What did you eat to get a body like that?”

I scratched my head. The only thing I ate in the forest was meat and bugs.

My body’s toughness is a trait I gained from surviving multiple near-death experiences. It’s hard to describe in words.

But I could sum it up with one word.

“Survival.”

“Survival?”

“Yeah. I survived.”

“That’s a convincing answer. So that’s why you’re strong.”

Maybe it was because she was a Tartar. The dancer seemed to find it reasonable.

At the same time, her fists clenched tightly. The faint crackling of Lightning rippled through the air.

From the look in her eyes, she was determined to go all out. Ignoring her wouldn’t be polite.

I put my hammer down and struck a fighting pose, which made her narrow her eyes even further.

“Are you insulting me? Arm yourself.”

“If you land a hit on me.”

“Hah!”

-Crackle!

The crackling Lightning in her clenched fists grew even stronger. It looked like my taunt had rattled her.

Then she fiercely locked her gaze on me and spoke.

“You will regret this.”

I just nodded silently. With that, the dancer charged at me.

-Thud!

This time, it didn’t have that metallic clanking sound. It was more like flesh against flesh and bone against bone.

But it was still lacking. Perhaps sensing that, the dancer refused to stop at just one attack.

-Thud! Thunk! Thud!

Once, twice, three times.

-Bam bam bam bam bam!

She started to unleash a flurry of punches at an incredible speed, leaving a faint afterimage.

Her fists glimmered with azure Lightning. They hammered mercilessly into my body.

But I stood there, unfazed. It was as if her strikes didn’t reach me at all, my posture solid and upright.

“Hah······ hah······ hah······”

Eventually, the dancer fell back, exhausted. She was breathing heavily, indicating that she’d gone all out.

Even though she took advantage of my distraction to unleash everything, the unfortunate reality was that I remained unscathed.

-Tap tap

I proof of that as I dusted off my shirt. A provocation that her attacks were nothing but dust.

Naturally, from the dancer’s perspective, that was pretty infuriating. There’s no way her lid isn’t blown off.

“Gahhh!”

-Bam bam bam bam bam!

With a series of rapid-fire blows, the dancer began to unleash on me even more fiercely.

Her attacks felt stronger this time, enough that my body shook slightly.

But so what? I was still standing tall and whole, without a single crack.

Even if I did get hurt, my regeneration would quickly patch me up, like trying to fill a bottomless pit with water.

-Guh! Crack!

In fact, my body was so tough that even her attacks sounded ominous. And the hands take the brunt of the pain.

No matter how much of a dancer she was, it would be hard to endure the agony of fracturing a bone in her hand. In the end, she stepped back, grimacing.

“Hah······! Hah······! Hah······!”

The dancer’s complexion faded from her relentless onslaught. She forced her hands together as she exhaled harshly.

She still wore a confused expression. It was as if she were looking at a monster.

From ancient times, there’s always been a fear of the unknown. And with that comes the urge to question.

Why is that being like that? What could cause something like this?

The dancer seemed to meet that curiosity as well, asking me in a voice laced with fear.

“What exactly are you…?”

“··· ···”

“What on earth… gives you such a body?! Are all Academy Students like this?!”

The dancer shouted with a voice bordering on desperation. That cry spread widely through the now quiet audience.

Surely, all the Tartars watching me shared a similar question. What kind of being is that?

Since Tartars take pride in their physical abilities, they might be even more perplexed.

‘I was just punching, and look at this.’

I decided to answer their curiosity. Just in time, my shirt had also become tattered.

If I fought like this, it would only get in the way. So I grabbed my shirt and yanked it hard.

-Rrrrrip!

As the fabric tore, my bronze skin was fully revealed. My originally flushed skin always felt surreal to see.

Of course, even if my skin looked fine, it wouldn’t mean much. That’s because it was crisscrossed with scars.

“Ah······”

The dancer gasped as she caught sight of the scars etched onto my body. This should be quite an answer.

Before earning that remarkable regeneration, life in the Chaos Forest was practically ‘war’ for me.

Food was always scarce, and sleep was never easy to come by. That alone was horrific, but the predators were even worse.

The clawing tore flesh and muscle, and sometimes there were those who could shoot fire, too.

Yet paradoxically, my face was unblemished. The moment I got hit there, I was certain I’d bite the dust, so I dodged without fail.

In any case, it was hard to find a spot without scars. Both my chest and back were littered with all kinds of marks.

“Does that answer suffice?”

I asked while tracing the claw scar on my chest. That should have answered her enough.

Yet her reaction was a bit strange. There was a dazed look in her eyes, like she was lost in thought…

“······Beautiful.”

“Uh?”

“Truly······ it’s beautiful······”

What the heck? What’s wrong with her?

I couldn’t help but flinch at her compliment about being beautiful.

But that was just the beginning. She politely expressed her gratitude and then asked, her tone now excessively respectful.

“I, Io Buar Sigurdoti, who serves Gulrak, earnestly request.”

“··· ···”

“May I have the honor of etching my mark onto your beautiful body?”

What the hell, what’s wrong with this girl? I was completely dumbfounded, glancing around.

[Wow······ is that the body of a true warrior······]

[So beautiful······ how can such a strong body exist······]

[Even with those scars, he’s still alive. Truly impressive.]

The crowd murmured among themselves, captivated by my body. Most were expressions of admiration.

‘What is this? This insane country?’

It was completely beyond my understanding.

[Faith is increasing!]

[Faith is increasing!]

[Faith is increasing!]

Why are you doing this again?

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