am-books Chapter 167
Chapter 167
Raq de Duron hardened his expression.
‘...This bastard has definitely grown stronger since before.’
Even half a year ago, when they first clashed, the brute’s body had been absurdly sturdy.
Back then, Raq had to pour all his energy into the fight, yet still couldn’t gain the upper hand, forcing him to use his techniques.
After all, that was his specialty.
But now, even if he used those techniques again, he wasn’t confident he could fight this brute to a draw.
No, at the very least...
‘Fighting him barehanded would be disadvantageous now.’
Before, the brute had merely been tough—now he was solid.
Like high-quality steel, tempered hundreds of times in intense heat until perfection.
Raq never thought he’d feel this kind of awe toward another person.
In other words—
‘This bastard isn’t human.’
He’d already suspected this guy was strange, but now he’d evolved into something even more monstrous.
Raq reminded himself to avoid hand-to-hand combat if possible.@@@@
...Of course, if a situation arose where he had to fight barehanded, he had no intention of backing down.
“Damn, your eyes look downright murderous.”
“...You’re one to talk.”
Raq furrowed his brows and lowered his spear.
Normally, he wouldn’t withdraw so easily, but unfortunately, his opponent today wasn’t this brute.
No—the ones he had to aim his spear at were those arrogant, ignorant mages.
To wipe them out...
“Do you still see me as a burden?”
—He had no choice but to cooperate with this brute.
The brute shrugged.
“I never called you a burden. What the hell are you talking about?”
“You said, ‘I’ll handle it alone. Just wait here,’ and you’re telling me that wasn’t dismissive?”
“...It’s just more convenient to go alone.”
“That’s exactly what makes it dismissive, you bastard!”
Raq gritted his teeth.
He still hadn’t calmed down.
But what irritated him even more—
‘Without this bastard’s help, I can’t get into the Magic Tower.’
Just earlier, this brute had flicked away his spear with his forehead.
On top of that, he had strange abilities—
Techniques that bloomed flowers from his sword, moves that launched his body like an arrow.
And—
‘Walking through the air....’
Raq could roughly figure out how the technique worked, but it wasn’t the kind of delicate skill a knight trained in aura techniques should be able to use.
‘It’s probably about releasing energy with precision to create footholds.’
Still, for knights who relied on explosive bursts of power, using such a technique was incredibly difficult.
So—
“Take me with you, brute.”
“...That’s a pretty arrogant way to ask for a favor.”
“......”
“Whatever. Don’t just beg—show me. Prove you’re worth taking along.”
“......Don’t regret this.”
Whoosh!
Raq lunged forward with his spear once more.
*****
The spear thrust at him relentlessly.
It seemed to be coming in a straight line, yet it created countless variations in movement.
No matter which way he dodged, it felt like it would follow him anyway.
And sure enough—
Clang!
‘—Again?’
Ihan had been struck by the spear once more.
He hadn’t wanted to take the hit.
He dodged, yet still got hit.
Even with his exceptional reflexes and quick movements, avoiding this spear was difficult.
‘Its precision is more mechanical than human.’
Ihan began to understand why he couldn’t avoid the strikes.
It wasn’t because of some mysterious ability or aura technique.
It was purely because the spearman’s precision and skill had reached the peak of mastery—a level that couldn’t be imitated.
‘He’s not just thrusting. It’s calculated.’
Each strike wasn’t simply a lunge.
By coordinating his hands, elbows, shoulders, and even his back joints simultaneously, the spearman created attacks that were impossible to dodge.
Unlike Ihan, who prioritized raw physical capability over technique, this guy had invested everything into honing his craft.
Their styles were completely opposite, and Ihan couldn’t even imagine replicating such a refined technique.
Yet what impressed him even more than the spear’s perfection—
If this guy could copy techniques and shoot fire, he’d practically be a complete cheat character.
‘...Between that Northern bastard and this guy, what’s with all the hacks?’
One guy was built like Hercules, and the other had the ultimate eye weapon through sheer talent.
Seriously...
“Life’s just unfair. People without talent might as well give up.”
“......”
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“......”
Whoosh!
Crack!
“What now?”
“...You blocked it.”
“Of course I did.”
“...Tch.”
Raq thrust his spear again, and Ihan frowned, wondering why the hell he was acting up now.
Raq was sure of it.
‘This brute is a beast.’
Raq had observed every one of the brute’s movements.
His master, Lord Blake, had even named Raq’s ability “[Third Eye],” claiming it was unmatched.
Raq took pride in the fact that nothing could escape his eyes.
Yet—
‘He’s reacting faster than my eyes can track?’
It wasn’t human reflexes.
This brute had adapted to his speed in just a few exchanges.
If they continued fighting, the brute would eventually react even faster and might even start counterattacking effectively.
And yet, this brute had the gall to complain about lacking talent? Raq was livid.
‘Ridiculous!’
Raq was certain—
‘Forget instinct-type warriors. This guy’s an animal-type warrior....’
He had never seen anyone fight like this before.
Raq scowled, unable to believe he was feeling admiration for someone like this.
*****
After several clashes, time was running out.
Not because their leave was about to end.
‘Staying here any longer will only cause trouble.’
Even if the Empire was collapsing, even if rebels could appear at any moment, the Empire was still the Empire.
The largest population in the continent—about 500 million strong—and an empire that had lasted a thousand years.
If they wanted to, those lunatics would definitely figure out that someone from Pendragon was here.
And that was not something Ihan wanted.
So—
‘We’ll storm the Magic Tower and get out—fast.’
To do that—
“I’m guessing I’ll have to carry you up there, huh?”
“...That’s horrifying.”
“Tell me about it, you bastard.”
Ihan hated it, but there was no helping it.
He didn’t want to acknowledge it, but this guy’s skills were extraordinary.
Bringing him along would save time.
“We hit the Tower before dawn.”
Flinch!
“......”
“...Hey, kid. It’s fine to faint, but if you keep it up, your jaw might lock up.”
“......”
“Anyway, we’re leaving now. Sorry about the mess.”
Ihan hadn’t attacked the kid directly, but since he was indirectly responsible for the fainting, he offered a sincere apology before turning to leave.
They’d only slow him down if they stayed.
But just as he was about to step away—
“If... if you’re heading to the Magic Tower, going by air isn’t a good idea....”
“...?”
“There’s... there’s a powerful defensive spell in the front. Unless you’re a mage, you can’t break through. S-so, if you’re going inside....”
“......”
“...The next part will cost you... a small fee....”
“...Look at this little punk.”
This kid—
“You offering discounts? I’m a bit short on cash.”
He knew how to hustle.