Ch.380EP.79 – The Man’s Growth is Remarkable (5)

It was the first time.

Thwack!

…Not being one-sidedly beaten, but being able to respond like this.

Whoosh!!

Ihan lowered his guard, tensed his entire body, and extended his fist.

His face was completely unprotected, and the experienced mercenary, not missing this opportunity, instantly dodged the opponent’s strike and launched a counter.

Normally, Ihan wouldn’t have been able to react to such speed.

But.

Whoosh…!

“…Phew.”

“Well now.”

Ihan succeeded in ‘reacting.’

He had simply tilted his head to avoid the blow, but considering he had never successfully evaded any of his opponent’s punches before—though he had blocked them—this was tremendous progress.

Soon…

Whoosh!

Bang!!

Without either taking the lead, Ihan and Caesar’s fists collided.

Kwang! Kwaang!

It was hard to believe these sounds were coming from mere fists.

If anything, it sounded like lightning striking.

It was strange.

Clearly, neither man was using any fighting techniques, let alone ki manipulation.

Yet they were displaying abilities that could overwhelm most high-ranking knights.

At some point, their fist movements became too fast to see, and their feet moved constantly, making the best possible moves.

Anyone with even a little insight watching this fight would be reminded of Go or chess.

Not only was it fast-paced and intense, but they were making optimal decisions instantaneously—

It was a high-level sparring match that could be called performance art, and it was tragic that it was taking place in the mountains where no one could see it.

This sparring could have been an inspiration for warriors who had hit their limits.

…But neither Ihan nor Caesar was throwing punches to show off to anyone.

Rather.

Crack!

Whoosh!

Because they respected each other…!

They clenched their fists tightly to defeat the strong opponent before them.

At some point, they stopped guarding.

Defense had become a luxury.

Thwack!

A strike to the face.

Thwack!

A blow to the ribs.

But they weren’t mindlessly exchanging punches.

Swish!

Whoosh…!

They repeatedly dodged punches they shouldn’t take by paper-thin margins.

What was amazing was that this was happening at extremely close range, and it was dizzying how they still insisted on maintaining an outboxer style.

Dodge by a paper-thin margin, and strike when an opportunity arises.

At times, they both dodged so well that all strikes hit nothing but air, and their fists frequently collided with each other.

Kwang!

A relentless barrage without even a single breath.

It was a choice made knowing that any moment of carelessness would lead to a breakthrough, showing how competitive they both were, and as they continued for about a minute without breathing, testing the limits of their lung capacity—

Thud-.

“Haa, haaa…”

“……”

Ihan and Caesar simultaneously stopped their fists.

“…Damn it.”

More precisely, they stopped just before Ihan’s strike was about to properly hit Caesar’s face for the first time.

…Three minutes were up.

They had recognized exactly when the 26th round ended and stopped, which was another stubborn sight to behold.

“I wouldn’t have minded continuing…”

“I didn’t want to be that petty.”

“Haha, you’re the type who finds life difficult.”

“…Sad that I can’t deny it.”

Thud…

With those murmurs, Ihan plopped down and gasped for breath.

As if he couldn’t stand anymore.

“…I can’t go on. I give up!”

It was Ihan’s declaration of surrender.

Even so.

“Haha, you don’t look like someone who lost?”

“…Because I gained something. And as long as I don’t die, it’s fine, right? As long as there’s a ‘next time.'”

“……”

“So live long, handsome mister. Next time, let’s fight with both fists.”

“…I can’t tell if that’s a blessing or a curse, ah, hahaha!!”

Caesar laughed cheerfully while rubbing his tingling arms and sides.

They were quite sore, and Caesar shook his head, wondering what would have happened if that final blow had hit his face.

‘He grows in the blink of an eye.’

It seemed like the fearsome power of youth, but Caesar felt a little embarrassed as he noticed his heart beating fiercely.

“Why is my heart so hot at this age…”

Though he thought it was foolish, Caesar muttered this excuse-like comment, not displeased by the warmth he felt.

*

*

*

He realized ‘it’ after the fifth round.

– This guy’s strength and speed are about the same as mine.

Although Caesar was overwhelmingly superior in experience, judgment, and tactics, his speed was only about equal to Ihan’s, and in terms of strength, Ihan was slightly better.

And yet.

– …Somehow he’s faster and stronger than me?

It was a strange sensation.

He understood that the other was stronger, but the extreme difference was incomprehensible.

If their strength and speed were similar, the sparring should have been somewhat even, but it wasn’t at all.

Could experience and judgment create such a difference?

– No, that’s not it.

Those factors certainly gave Caesar an edge, but not enough to toy with him.

So what difference allowed him to play with Ihan like this?

– …Let me take more hits.

Rather than overthinking, Ihan decided to continue facing his opponent.

Since when had he fought while racking his brains anyway?

By the end of the 15th round.

– Hmm…

After serving as a punching bag for 10 rounds while seeking answers, he finally got a hint.

– …Is this reaction speed even possible for a human?

That was it.

What Ihan learned while being a punching bag was that Caesar’s reaction speed was beyond what was permitted to primates.

To put it in perspective, it was more like intuition (直觀) that skipped the thinking process, and in terms of Go, it was as if all his intuitive judgments were “Blue Spots.”

How was this possible for someone who surely wasn’t an AI in human form?

Faced with this question…

“-So I decided to take more hits. I thought I might find an answer by being a punching bag.”

“……”

“Until about the 18th round, I tried fighting intuitively like you, but I kept getting beaten up. Then I tried changing tactics until the 20th round. Honestly, I was prepared to go up to 50 rounds.”

“…What an incredibly brute-force approach.”

“Well, if you lack brains, you have to make up for it with your body. But I guess I got lucky. When we entered the 23rd round—”

Whoosh.

“…I kind of figured it out.”

Thwack.

Ihan reacted to the incoming fist and blocked it.

As if to prove it wasn’t a lucky block.

Drip…

“…Whew, but this is really hard.”

Blood was flowing from his nose.

A nosebleed after who knows how long.

It wasn’t from being beaten by Caesar.

It was more like a side effect of using his ‘sense.’

Ihan wiped the blood away and shook his head.

As if his head was throbbing from performing an unfamiliar action.

Seeing this.

“To enter the ‘realm’ and only end up with a nosebleed. Usually, one would faint at the very least.”

Caesar exclaimed in admiration.

As if marveling at his overwhelming vitality.

“I guess I don’t lack stamina or tenacity. …So you call this the realm?”

It was simply putting his senses in a ‘real-time open state,’ but they called it something so grandiose?

“It means you’ve entered a realm not permitted to humans.”

“That’s an exaggeration…”

“Exaggeration? The world you see must be different now, isn’t it?”

“…I can’t deny that.”

Indeed.

After opening his senses, Ihan was receiving all the information flooding in from everywhere.

The wind blowing around him, the chirping of birds, even the smell of soil and grass.

His opened senses allowed him to see the world from countless new perspectives.

But what was even more amazing was.

“Isn’t it thrilling that this information is being summarized in real-time, enhancing your judgment and intuition?”

“…Stop reading my mind.”

He hit the nail on the head.

It felt like his mind had been read.

But this was merely…

“I’m not reading your thoughts, I’m speaking from my experience.”

“……”

“But you probably don’t understand how this is possible? You must be wondering how this can happen just by opening your senses.”

“…It’s maddening.”

Yes, these were the words of advice that only a senior who had walked this path before could give.

“It’s possible because you’re a warrior who has entered the realm of will. Will is like the birth of a new sensory organ, as if invisible noses and ears have grown on my body. However, even with these new organs, using them is extremely difficult, and whether one can control these organs creates an enormous gap between warriors.”

Even if one enters the realm of will, the process of opening it as a sense is extremely arduous.

Just like how using an atrophied body part again isn’t possible through training or effort alone.

“That’s why I thought you wouldn’t be able to match me in this fight. But suddenly, you opened the door and reached the realm. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such an astonishing experience.”

“…Is it that significant?”

“Of course! I’ll say it again, what you’ve awakened isn’t something you can reach just by trying.”

Only a strong ‘shock’ capable of stimulating these atrophied organs is needed.

And that shock…

“-Usually requires an experience like returning from the brink of death to provide such a shock. In that sense, let me ask… have you ever died and come back to life?”

“……”

“Seems like something comes to mind.”

“…Butler.”

“Butler? Hmm?! Could it be, have you fought John Ray Albert?”

“……”

“…You’re surprisingly intact. He usually takes at least a leg or an eye. Has that man softened with age?”

“……”

…Ihan merely wore a sour expression, not mentioning the embarrassing story of how he nearly had his limbs torn off.

‘Should I be grateful for the near-death experience or not?’

It was probably natural not to feel thankful toward someone who had given him trauma.