Future Knight

Chapter 9

As Kang Chan, who had been watching them from afar, moved a bit closer to observe their swordsmanship, the young trainees who sensed his approach simultaneously turned their gazes toward him.

Receiving everyone’s attention for a moment, Kang Chan had no choice but to stop in his tracks.

This was because the dozens of Elves expressed a decidedly unfriendly atmosphere toward Kang Chan.

“Human, what brings you here?”

An Elf who seemed to be leading the gathered youths spoke to Kang Chan.

He was Elradian, known as the Sword of the Elves, one of the five Great Elders and the one with the finest swordsmanship in the village. He had also saved Kang Chan’s life a year ago when he had crash-landed in a warship.

“I was passing by and was drawn by the sound of clashing weapons.”

“Oh? Have you also trained in martial arts?”

“Yes, a bit.”

At his words, the eyes of the young Elves gathered there sparkled with competitive spirit.

Elves generally did not easily reveal their emotions.

However, they were not emotionless or stone-hearted either.

Thus, their eyes gleamed as they were eager to experience the swordsmanship of a different race.

“Our Elves’ swordsmanship, unlike human swordsmanship, emphasizes rapid changes and speed. Hmm, would you perhaps like to exchange swords with our youths?”

“Do you mean a duel?”

“That’s right. Do you feel like giving it a try?”

At the word ‘duel,’ the boredom he had felt so far seemed to melt away.

Although he didn’t dislike spending time with the young Jaina, playing with a child alone was somewhat monotonous.

He had been physically inactive for the past few years, which made him uneasy, but the killing techniques he had honed all his life were not something he could forget just because he wanted to.

Kang Chan readily accepted his offer.

“Sure.”

“Alright then, let’s see… if any Elf wants to compete with this human, step forward.”

At Elradian’s words, the place fell silent, and everyone’s eyes focused on one spot.

Then someone slowly walked out from the shade of a dark tree.

“Elradian, I would like to challenge him.”

The young man who slowly walked out had a sturdy build, and his eyes shone with a fierce light. He exuded strong hostility toward Kang Chan, unusual for an Elf.

Instinctively sensing a formidable opponent, Kang Chan swallowed dryly.

However, Kang Chan’s concern was entirely different from the duel itself.

‘If I aim to kill, there’s no one I can’t kill, but a duel is just a duel. It’s harder for me to subdue someone without killing them than it is to kill them.’

Of the combat skills he had learned so far, there wasn’t a single technique for adequately subduing an opponent. He only knew one-hit kills.

“Alright, Keremion. You give it a try.”

Elradian’s expression as he looked at Keremion was tinged with worry.

This was because Elradian knew Keremion’s skills better than anyone.

Elradian whispered to Keremion using Silphir.

-You are the Elf who has achieved the highest accomplishments among the uninitiated in our village, so please be sure to adjust your strength appropriately.

Keremion cautiously nodded in response to Elradian’s request, which was conveyed through Silphir like the wind.

“Our Elves traditionally use thin sabers. What weapon do you use?”

“I mostly use a dagger.”

At his words, the gathered Elves burst into laughter.

The daggers they knew were either tools for skinning prey or preparing vegetables, everyday implements, or low-level weapons primarily used by vile assassins or thieves to threaten others.

This was the same for other humans as well, not just the Elves.

Among humans, those called knights wore thick plate armor over chainmail, making a dagger virtually useless in frontal combat, although it might be effective in an ambush. Thus, it was merely an auxiliary weapon and one of the most useless in war.

So, when the human before them said he used such a dagger as his main weapon, they couldn’t help but laugh.

They were clearly mocking Kang Chan.

But Elradian was different.

Elradian looked at Kang Chan with a contrasting gaze.

It was nostalgia for the past.

“A dagger, huh. It reminds me of that old friend.”

After briefly gazing at the distant mountains with a longing look, Elradian turned his attention back to Kang Chan and asked seriously again.

“Are you serious? Is a dagger really your main weapon?”

When Elradian asked again, Kang Chan, who was already irritated by the Elves’ ridicule, replied curtly.

“Yes, that’s right. I only know how to use a dagger.”

“Hmm, alright. You’ll see when you face him, but you should be careful. Keremion’s saber is longer than you might think.”

Although Elradian’s advice was to consider the reach of the weapon, Kang Chan, who was already upset by the Elves’ laughter, didn’t pay any attention to his words.

This was because the only swordsmanship he had learned was close-quarters combat with a dagger.

Compared to a cumbersome longsword, the easily portable dagger was the standard equipment for infantry across the universe, and a dagger equipped with a high-frequency blade had sufficient power.

However, the problem now was that the dagger he would use in the duel wasn’t a high-frequency blade but a simple wooden practice sword.

“What length should the wooden sword be?”

“This length should be fine. And it should be two swords.”

“Two swords? Got it. Wait a moment.”

‘Using two daggers is just like him.’

When Kang Chan requested two daggers, Elradian once again fell into a brief contemplation. Then he approached a tree, placed his hands on it, and whispered in the ancient Elvish language. Two branch-shaped daggers grew into his hands from the tree.

This was a power granted only to Elves who lived as part of the forest.

Receiving the two wooden daggers that grew from the tree, Elradian handed them to Kang Chan.

“Will these suffice?”

Watching the fascinating process of creating the daggers, Kang Chan grabbed the ones Elradian handed to him and smiled contentedly.

Though the length was a bit longer, it was manageable.

“Yes, I am satisfied.”

“Then come to the center of the training ground. Show everyone your skills.”

“I’ll do my best.”

The young man named Keremion, holding a wooden saber, was already standing in the center of the training ground, waiting for Kang Chan.

It was a large grassy area with no trees, the only such spot in the dense forest, so when Kang Chan stepped into the training ground, the bright sunlight made him squint.

“Please, go ahead.”

Provoked by Keremion’s elegant Elven courtesy, Kang Chan merely nodded and then rushed straight at his opponent.

It was an action entirely devoid of courtesy, but all he had learned was one-hit kills.

Thus, even the elegant provocation of Keremion was seen as an opening to him.

‘Let’s start lightly with stage two to gauge his skills.’

– Combat Mode Stage 2 activated.

Due to the physical modifications he had undergone, his motor skills far exceeded human limits. When the biochip in his brain sent combat signals to his nervous system, his body began to move several times stronger and faster than usual.

“Huh!”

Keremion, who had been glaring at the human rushing toward him almost instantaneously, had to hurriedly raise his sword before he could even recover from the stance he had assumed to provoke the human.

Kang Chan’s charge was unimaginably fast.

“What! To reach that speed without using mana!”

An exclamation burst from Elradian’s mouth.

‘A remarkable human with a strong physique! He’s a natural-born warrior!’

To Elradian, Kang Chan was more than twice as fast as an ordinary human.

Recognizing his talent, Elradian swallowed hard.

“Vile human! Even in a fair duel, you attempt a surprise attack. Humans are filthy to their bones!”

Keremion hastily took a defensive stance to counter the attack, but the human was already within striking distance, delivering a sharp blow.

“Ugh!”

Though the dagger was short, its speed was instant.

The continuous barrage of strikes from the dagger, coming at him relentlessly, made Keremion’s spine tingle with fear.

The daggers the human wielded showed no mercy, targeting only vital points with ruthless precision.

Moreover, the attacks were relentless.

‘What is this guy? Not only are his movements well-trained for combat, but he also shows no hesitation in striking fatal points. He’s not an ordinary foe!’

Stepping out of Kang Chan’s attack range, Keremion set aside his anger and focused on his opponent’s movements.

The skill of the human before him was more astonishing than he had anticipated.

‘To catch me off guard, I acknowledge your skill. But! From now on, things won’t go your way!’

Keremion launched a fierce counterattack.

He continuously thrust his saber sharply, leaving no room for the human to close in.

However, the opponent deftly blocked each thrust with his two daggers, making Keremion increasingly anxious as he tried to press the attack.

‘How can he deflect my thrusts so easily!’

Kang Chan, who was gradually being pushed back, was also inwardly alarmed.

‘Amazing. I can’t find any openings. I can’t penetrate at all. But if I can’t get through, I’ll just have to break through!’

– Combat Mode Stage 3 activated.

With his strength and agility suddenly doubling again, Kang Chan caught up with the speed of Keremion’s thrusts, eliciting gasps of astonishment from those around them.

Kang Chan’s movements, despite not using mana, were as fast as those of a sword expert.

Timing his dagger strikes with Keremion’s thrusts, Kang Chan angled his daggers to deflect the saber backward, then lunged forward to thrust his dagger into the now exposed chest of Keremion.

“No way!”

“Using a dagger like that!”

The Elves watching gasped in shock at his superhuman agility.

To deflect Keremion’s thrust in an instant and create an opening with a dagger was a feat impossible for an ordinary human.

And he did this against an Elf reputed to be the most agile on the continent.

“Haaah!”

To block the dagger rushing toward his chest, Keremion desperately raised his mana, pulling back his deflected saber to strike Kang Chan’s dagger away and then using the momentum to strike Kang Chan’s face with his elbow.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

As Kang Chan rolled pathetically on the ground, blood spurted from Keremion’s mouth.

“Huff! Huff! Huff!”

It seemed he had sustained internal injuries from raising his mana too forcefully.

“Master, shouldn’t you stop the duel now?”

Watching the increasingly deadly duel, the Elf trainees suggested ending it out of concern, but Elradian, deep in thought, ignored their words.

“Master?”

“…”

A swordsman gains great insights from life-and-death battles.

Elradian decided to take the risk, hoping that his cherished student, Keremion, would grow from this duel.

“No, let’s watch a bit longer.”

“Yes? Ah, understood.”

As the worried Elves looked on, Kang Chan, who had been lying on the ground, slowly got to his feet.

“Ptui!”

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he gripped his daggers firmly once more.

Seeing this, Keremion, with blood trickling from his mouth, wiped it away with his sleeve and slowly raised his saber again.

The two took up their stances and stared at each other in silence for a long while.

A long silence fell over the training ground, and the Elves watching them were sweating in anticipation.