READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 194 - The Great Battle of the Dragons (3)
Chapter 194. The Great Battle of the Dragons (3)
Hooo—.
A quiet breath bounced back against the face guard.
Kagagagang—!
Even as the sound of a dagger scraping against his full armor echoed, Gunther’s expression was neither urgent nor flustered.
In fact, he was very calm.
Gunther gazed at his opponent with composed eyes.
‘…Strong.’
It seemed that Hais being ranked 4th in the 48th batch wasn’t a lie; he was indeed strong.
‘But still…’
Gunther recalled Johan’s teachings.
[The difference in skill level is certainly a crucial factor in determining victory or defeat, but the winner isn’t always the one with the higher level. Sometimes, even someone weaker can crush you in this field, especially in fights among weaker individuals.]
Those with lower ranks and insufficient experience tended to rely on their mana, magical power, and showy skills.
Johan had this to say about it:
[Generally, when someone with an underdeveloped brain thinks their opponent is inferior, they’ll try to crush them with brute force. Why? Because it’s the easiest way. Why bother using your head to deal with someone beneath you?]
He further explained:
[Conversely, it means that even those who are weaker can still defeat someone stronger if they use their head well. Of course, working hard to win is usually the tactic of the weak…]
Johan also mentioned that especially in fights among those with lower ranks, it’s common for gaps of one or two levels to be overturned instantly.
However…
[Well, not just anyone can do that. To make it possible, you either need to be born with talent like Yuri, or… you just have to study hard.]
[Study? What’s there to study? Just watch a lot, listen a lot, and think a lot—that’s studying.]
Johan’s concept of studying was simple, something anyone could understand.
Lots of experience would eventually become part of one’s blood and flesh.
A truth passed down from ancient times.
When Gunther heard this, he had a slightly clueless expression, to which Johan gave him a disdainful look.
[Everyone knows it, and anyone can do it… How much have you been doing it?]
And Gunther realized why Johan had looked at him with such scorn…
He came to understand this while traveling with Yuri’s group.
Yuri, Theresia, Poppy, Arin.
Beyond quests, personal training, and building fortresses, they repeated sparring sessions as if they were real battles every day.
These training sessions were led by Yuri and Theresia.
Arin and Poppy, though they struggled, still participated, giving their best until they were utterly exhausted.
This was a fresh shock for Gunther.
‘To spar like that every day…’
Though he thought he was enduring a grueling training schedule himself, it was merely personal practice.
Gunther reflected on his past actions.
‘Come to think of it, have I ever sparred with anyone since entering the Cradle?’
Had he ever practiced purely for the sake of training, sharing swords with other cadets outside of quests?
‘No…’
In fact, it seemed like he sparred more often with other knights when he was still in his family.
Of course, he had excuses.
Adjusting to the Cradle.
Completing quests.
Finding ways to make a living.
All sorts of reasons why he didn’t have time.
While it was true that he was short on time to some extent.
But that was likely the same for Yuri Holland.
No, being the one who consistently topped the rankings, he would be even more pressed for time.
Yet, he still made time to spar without fail.
‘Even Yuri, who has talents acknowledged by Johan, trains daily to gain experience, but here I am…’
Struck by the realization, Gunther clenched his fists tightly.
He immediately declared his intent to join the sparring sessions as well.
The four veteran members welcomed him with open arms.
Several months passed since then.
The daily sparring sessions and reviews began to gradually change and grow Gunther.
The results were now manifesting themselves in the arena of proof and validation.
Kang—!
‘His movements may look flashy at first glance, but compared to Arin, they’re not unconventional.’
Skkk—!
‘He’s not stronger than Poppy.’
Kikik—.
‘Nor does he have the persistence of Senior Theresia.’
And most importantly…
‘He’s slower than Yuri!’
Gunther’s eyes perfectly read all of Hais’ movements.
Using his observations and accumulated experience, he predicted how Hais would act next.
This led Gunther to create his own openings.
Kakakang!
Two daggers came sliding down his long sword.
At that moment, Gunther released his grip on the sword hilt.
‘What…?!’
Hais, who hadn’t expected Gunther to let go of his sword mid-fight, was momentarily startled, creating a small gap.
Gunther, who had induced this gap, didn’t miss the opportunity.
Whoosh—.
Gunther’s shoulder slammed into Hais’ solar plexus, having swiftly closed in on him.
Bang—!
“Ugh!”
As the pauldrons soaked in mana struck with the force of a heavy sword, Hais felt a jarring impact, as if his stomach were about to burst.
Simultaneously, his body slid back.
‘Tsk… Regain your stance!’
As befitting a skilled fighter, Hais didn’t go down in a single hit and quickly tried to correct his disrupted stance.
However, the problem was that his opponent had anticipated this as well.
Tak—.
Gunther snatched his hovering sword from the air and hurled it.
Swish—!
“…?!”
Caught off guard by the flying sword, Hais barely twisted his body, but it was too late.
Skk.
Gunther’s longsword sliced through his thigh.
It cut deep enough to reveal the bone.
But more than the wound, what truly flustered Hais was Gunther, who followed closely behind his sword.
Thud—!
Gunther’s feet struck the ground hard enough to make the arena quake.
Gunther shot forward like a silver battering ram.
Then…
Crunch—.
As if piercing a castle gate, Gunther’s elbow drove into Hais’ solar plexus.
“Ugh!? This… this bastard…!”
The overwhelming pain caused Hais to gasp and drool as his eyes widened.
‘…He hit the same spot as before?!’
In that moment, Hais’s body flew through the air and slammed into the arena wall.
Bang—!
The scene brought to mind Gunther of the past, who had once charged at Yuri only to be easily repelled.
Thud—.
As debris and dust swirled from the spot where Hais had crashed, Gunther picked up his sword that had fallen onto the dirt floor.
There was a hint of reflection on his face.
‘I’ve changed a lot.’
Not only did he let go of his sword, but he even threw it.
A few months ago, when he held onto the pride of a knight, it was a tactic he would never have even considered attempting.
However, the countless sparring sessions he went through changed him.
Realizing that clinging stubbornly to hollow pride would hinder his growth, he boldly sought change.
‘My choice… wasn’t wrong.’
Step by step—
Gunther approached Hais.
His leg was bleeding profusely.
His left arm and ribs seemed broken.
As the dust settled, Hais’ appearance was beyond miserable. He was even spitting blood, possibly from internal injuries, as Gunther looked down and pointed his sword at him.
“I’m sorry, but you seem a little lacking to teach me any manners. Still, it was a good experience.”
Gunther’s sarcastic twist on Hais’ own words made Hais’ face contort in anger.
“You… if it wasn’t… for that armor…”
Hais grumbled that he would have won if not for Gunther’s armor.
Gunther nodded at his strained words.
“Yes, you’re right. Without this full armor, my body might have been slashed to pieces and rolling on the ground long ago. But… if it were ‘that guy’ I know, he’d definitely say this.”
With that, Gunther lifted his face guard.
Clank—.
His face fully exposed, he wore a sly smile.
“If you’re so pissed off, why don’t you buy one yourself? Why are you whining?”
Hais’ face turned red under Gunther’s cold gaze, but that was all he could manage.
“You… you… ugh!”
Grinding his teeth, Hais fainted on the spot.
With Hais completely still, Gunther sheathed his sword and walked toward the exit he had come from.
Step by step—
The spectators watched in silence.
Step by step—
There was no official declaration of the winner.
But everyone knew.
Who had won and who had lost.
The once quiet arena gradually began to buzz.
“My God… Did Hais really lose?”
“To just a first-year?”
A first-year, considered the weakest, had defeated a third-year.
The sudden twist in the first match stirred up the once quiet arena.
Waaaah—!
Thunderous cheers erupted, shaking the circular arena.
Most of those cheering were the 50th batch.
As Gunther walked amidst the roaring applause, he unconsciously glanced at the stands where the 50th batch was gathered.
He stopped abruptly.
“…Not here.”
Muttering with a hint of disappointment, he continued walking with a slightly sulky expression.
Even up to that moment, Gunther didn’t realize.
The irritation he felt before the match wasn’t irritation at all… but a sense of longing.
Following the upset in the first match of Group 1 in the round of 24, where a first-year defeated a third-year, two more upsets occurred consecutively.
The protagonists were Susan Ripley, a fourth-year who defeated a fifth-year to advance to the round of 12, and Goetz Röthen, a third-year who did the same.
However, the upsets ended there.
In Group 4 of the round of 24, a fifth-year easily defeated a fourth-year, and Theresia in Group 5 naturally trampled her peer from the 49th batch to advance to the round of 12.
The final match of Group 6 also ended like Group 5, with Andres Chayce, a fourth-year, securing his place in the round of 12 after a match against his peer.
Thus, the first day of the round of 24 ended smoothly.
The next day.
With the matches of the remaining groups of the round of 24 set to take place on the second day, many spectators filled the circular arena with anticipation right from the first match.
And with good reason: Yuri Holland, ‘that Yuri Holland,’ was set to appear in the opening match of Group 7.
“Hm… Can we finally see him in action?”
“The skill that beat Gunther… We’ll confirm it this time.”
“Is it really true, though? Did he really defeat Gunther Ryder?”
“They say he used the Holy Sword.”
“Honestly, I find it harder to believe that he used the Holy Sword than that he beat Gunther. Isn’t that just a rumor?”
As the first match approached, whispers filled the arena.
All of this stemmed from the rumors and tales of Yuri that had rapidly spread throughout the Cradle after the joint quest several months ago.
There were stories of Yuri Holland defeating dozens with just one arm.
That Yuri Holland had struck down Gunther in a single blow.
That Yuri Holland had used the Holy Sword to take down Gunther, or that he had used a 2-meter long cursed sword.
Though there was truth in them, the slightly exaggerated rumors made many people question them.
So, to verify these rumors, many arrived at the arena full of anticipation, but their expectations were not met.
Why?
“The match for Group 7 in the round of 24 ends with a forfeit by the opponent. Victory goes to Yuri Holland!”
The unprecedented situation occurred when a second-year forfeited against a first-year without even stepping into the arena.
Waiting in the waiting area, Yuri chuckled after hearing the news from the Black Sword Corps.
“Wow, that guy… He dodged well, huh? Forfeit?”
“…That guy is still your senior.”
“I was just going to gently caress a leg or an arm. Tsk.”
“…Guess it’s true that he dodged well.”
Theresia, who had been scolding Yuri, applauded her peer’s wise decision to escape the crisis.
In the meantime, Yuri turned his attention to Gunther.
“What’s with your expression?”
“…What do you mean?”
“You look really displeased.”
At Yuri’s words, Gunther glanced around.
Theresia, Arin, and Poppy were all crowded into the narrow waiting room.
Unlike during his own match, the room felt bustling.
Gunther’s lips twitched slightly.
“…No way.”
“But you do.”
“You’re mistaken.”
Yuri, who had been squinting at the adamantly denying Gunther, soon lost interest and got up from his seat.
“Well, since the event’s over, let’s go have some fun.”
As the group led by Yuri was about to leave the waiting room, they were stopped by another member of the Black Sword Corps who came rushing in.
“The match for Group 8 in the round of 24 ends with a forfeit. Victory goes to Fritz Singh.”
Just like Yuri’s match, Group 8 also ended with a forfeit, bringing the match to a swift conclusion.
The Black Sword Corps then relayed the next instruction.
“Participants of Group 9 in the round of 24, please prepare for the next match.”
As the announcement was made, everyone’s gaze turned to one side.
“Group 9 participant, Arin Helga! Ready for action!”
There stood Arin, already geared up with her bow and quiver, beaming brightly.