Chapter 81

I can’t stress this enough: I’m not an idiot. Sure, I screw up a lot when controlling my power, leading to all sorts of accidents, but I know my stuff.

So, I’ve known all along that I can’t beat Rod. He’s a guy who can do way more than just use a sword; he’s practically magic with it.

Besides, the title of Sword Saint isn’t something he just stumbled upon. It’s skills honed over decades of traveling the world, just like Rize.

In the Soul World, his strength becomes even more evident. Just think about the Academy collapse part.

Even when he couldn’t muster even 50% of his power due to that demon’s tricks, he still managed to absolutely wreck his opponent.

And considering that demon isn’t just any old demon but one associated with blue magic, that’s a pretty impressive feat.

“Don’t do it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Cutting space.”

So, I cowardly asked first. Everything else is fine, but please don’t use that space-cutting thing.

I could be clumsy and whine about it, but feel free to call it clumsy all you want.

Techniques related to space ignore all forms of defense. Defense is basically worthless.

“Got it. That much should be fine. It’s a duel, after all.”

Rod nodded, seeming to accept that part.

As he said, if it were a life-or-death battle, that’d be one thing, but this is clearly a duel. The exact spot where I clashed with Hector.

I’d love to rent the Dueling Arena, but apparently, someone else is using it. It might draw too much attention anyway.

“I’ll just use it defensively. I need to be able to keep up, right?”

“Yeah.”

“By the way, wanting a candy… I’ll end up with a toothache at this rate. Should I visit the dentist or something?”

Rod clicked his tongue, genuinely worrying about my dental health.

But it’s fine. If my teeth rot, I can just yank them out. They’ll grow back anyway.

If someone asks about my regeneration abilities, I’d be happy to answer. This is a fantasy world, after all.

Not to mention, my teeth are pretty sturdy and don’t break easily. Didn’t Kara and Hector both hit me and come out fine?

“Anyway, I’ll grant your request. But let’s tweak the conditions a bit.”

“Conditions?”

“Right. From what I’ve observed, you have a reckless style that charges in, relying on your incredible regeneration.”

That’s spot on. I’m all about “give up flesh to gain bone” strategy.

Others might think I’m some crazy idiot, but I’ve got regeneration on my side.

Even if I give up flesh, or even bone, as long as I have enough magic power, I can regenerate it all. The pain I go through is something I have to endure.

“I don’t want to hurt you. But to avoid getting hit even once, I’ve come to the conclusion that I have to hurt you. So, let’s adjust the conditions a bit.”

“Are you scared?”

“Ha! You’re quite the provocateur, aren’t you?”

Rod laughed like he couldn’t believe it. He then shifted his gaze elsewhere.

And where was he looking? Oh, just Kara, who had come to watch us duel.

Kara seemed to get a bit shy, unable to meet Rod’s gaze. She just offered a wry smile before turning away.

“Anyway, here’s the deal. This isn’t just a duel; it’s also training and etiquette practice. Do you know what honorifics are?”

Of course, I do. It’s what you use when talking to elders or respectful people. And yes, I can use them too.

But I’ve gotten so used to speaking casually that it doesn’t come naturally. I think honorifics in my mind but end up speaking casually.

I wondered if it might be connected to my faith, but it doesn’t seem to be. I can still use honorifics if I choose to talk longer.

“I’ll finish the training by getting you to use honorifics. Decide whether your pride will shatter when you faint, or if you’ll yield.”

“What about candy?”

“I’ll consider that based on how well you pick up the etiquette.”

Sounds like I won’t be getting any. But knowing Rod this far, that seems likely.

Does he really want to break my stubbornness that much? I guess I’ll have to fight him once whether I like it or not.

Clutching my Ragnarok, which I brought from home, I glared at Rod. He had his sword casually tucked behind his back.

If Rize felt solid like that wall, Rod felt like a sieve instead.

There are so many openings, I didn’t even know where to start attacking.

“Come at me whenever. I’ll take it all.”

Boom!

With that, I didn’t hold back.

As soon as Rod finished speaking, I charged in with all my might. My magic allowed me to close the distance in an instant.

Rod uses blue magic like Rize. No need to test the waters.

It’s a fact that, objectively and subjectively, I’m absolutely at a disadvantage.

And just as Rod’s face was right in front of me, I swung my axe with all my might.

Thud—

“Huh?”

But wait, what’s going on? Rod, who was standing right in front of me, suddenly vanished.

At the same time, my balance tilted forward drastically. My view was suddenly on the ground instead of straight ahead.

BAM! CLUNK!

Caught off guard by the sudden change in perspective, I rolled awkwardly on the ground.

I managed to catch myself with my hands just before falling, but I couldn’t avoid getting covered in dirt.

“You’re stubborn and upright. But your feet come off the ground way too often. It would be best to keep them planted as much as possible.”

As I dusted myself off, Rod lectured me. Just as he pointed out, I tend to lift my feet off the ground quite a bit when I attack.

It’s a habit from living in the forest. My attack style is heavily influenced by ambushing from trees.

Plus, since the prey are all quite big, it’s hard to hit vital points without jumping.

“So, come at me again. I can take whatever you throw at me.”

Rod remained calm, still standing with his arms crossed. He seemed at ease, much like Rize.

I want to land at least one hit. But first, I better heed his advice.

Keep both feet as close to the ground as possible while charging. Keeping that in mind, I threw my axe without hesitation.

Whoosh!

It was purely a feint, so Rod just nodded and easily dodged it. I took that opportunity to rush in.

As I closed the gap, I called upon my Ragnarok. The axe came flying back to me in an instant.

Unless I had eyes in the back of my head, I was bound to collide with the axe.

Thud!

“Huh?”

But what the heck is going on? Did Rod get eyes in the back of his head?

Without even turning around, he reached behind and casually caught my axe.

And not just any old catch; he grabbed it perfectly at the handle. As if he were accustomed to it.

But now is not the time to be amazed. I quickly gathered my thoughts and abandoned the idea of retrieving Ragnarok.

Instead, I lunged forward with my fist. My massive fist shot towards Rod’s face.

If things went as planned, it would land smack on his nose. There’s no way he could dodge that without turning his head.

Swish—

But Rod’s move was beyond my expectations. He barely stepped back, just one step away.

Could you believe he moved faster than I was in motion? And trust me, if he was holding his sword out, you’d be inclined to believe that too?

For a moment, I felt like time slowed down for me. Rod’s stats are high, but given his age and addiction, he’s having a hard time displaying his full power.

‘What’s going on?’

While I was still processing, Rod smoothly moved his sword forward.

He drew a precise circle with his sword right where my fist was headed, cutting through space itself.

Then, my punch went straight through the space Rod had slashed.

WHAM!

“Gah?!”

And just like that, a punch came out of nowhere, slamming into my face. He countered it using the very space I provided.

The force of my rushing acceleration smashed against my own punch. Talk about perfect timing for a counter.

BAM!

I fell again, landing in an utterly undignified manner. Getting punched by my own fist? That’s a quirky experience.

Thanks to that, I got a solid realization of just how painful my own punches can be. Kara and Hector must have been through a lot of pain too.

‘What about Rize?’

That guy took hits like these and walked away unharmed. He even got stabbed in the gut with an axe and was totally fine.

While I was momentarily lost in thought, Rod’s voice floated down to me from above.

“You’re using techniques like that without anyone teaching you. Did Hector show you?”

Not at all. This is all my own invention.

I shook off the dizzying thoughts and got back on my feet. My jaw was definitely twisted, and I think I even broke a tooth.

With a solid counter like that, the Steel King stats didn’t make a difference. When it comes to raw power, it felt like Rize had just slapped my jaw.

‘It was probably worse than that.’

Snap!

Thanks to regeneration, my jaw clicked back into place. I reached into my mouth and pulled out the broken tooth.

Then I yanked it right out and tossed it to the ground.

It was shattered beyond just wobbling, so better to just pull it.

“Let’s keep going. According to Luna, you can use lightning too.”

“…Did you hear that?”

“It should be ‘I heard’ instead. Looks like you’ve still got no intention of using honorifics.”

You can make me say it, but it hasn’t sunk in yet.

I stood up with my Ragnarok returned and faced Rod. How generous of him, really.

WHOOSH!

Then I swung my axe. I needed to create some distance somehow.

Rod backed away with an easy step and effortlessly dodged my swing. It was like he was using some space-warping technique to back off.

As I’ve mentioned, those who use blue magic can ignore spatial constraints. That technique is also a way to defy spatial limitations.

‘It really does feel like cheating.’

When I saw it in the Soul World, I thought, “Wow, that’s impressive.” But seeing it up close made it different.

The closer I got, the more distant it felt. If blue magic is like that, I wonder how crazy purple places would be.

I really wonder if I could grow to that level. But first, I should at least give it a try.

CRACKLE!

The moment I put distance between us, I unleashed “Thunder.” Red lightning began to gather in my Ragnarok.

For a devout follower of Gulrak, Ragnarok is the ultimate weapon, so the lightning’s power can only become stronger.

“Red Lightning, huh? If we’re going by atmosphere, this is way fiercer than Hector’s. But can lightning, a natural phenomenon, change color?”

Rod pinched his mustache, staring at my red lightning. Even he’s probably never seen red lightning before.

In the meantime, I concentrated the lightning, then swung my axe diagonally. The red lightning shot out with a thunderous roar.

BOOM!!!

Thunder and red lightning raced toward Rod. If it hits, he won’t stay okay.

It would be tough to divert with space cutting too. So he either dodges like before, or he takes the hit… one of the two…

BOOM!!!

“…Huh?”

…It should’ve been “Huh?” but what the heck is that? I stood, dumbfounded at the absurdity unfolding before my eyes.

No matter how many warnings I got about keeping my feet on the ground, Rod lightly jumped upward.

Then, he swung his sword at my red lightning. To the naked eye, it looked like he was trying to cut it.

CRACKLE!

But my expectations were dashed. The moment he swung, the red lightning absorbed neatly into his sword.

Just like when I transferred lightning into my axe, he had collected the red lightning into his sword.

“I’ll give you one more piece of advice. Abilities or techniques don’t harm the user much. It’s like how a flaming fist won’t hurt the user.”

Rod spoke while floating in mid-air. His two legs stayed off the ground for quite a while.

“But if you take a counter like this…”

With that, Rod sent my lightning right back to me.

---