A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Hector shares the same flaw and identity as Kara – he uses violence all too readily.

He's not a madman who loves violence, but he prefers physical power over strategy.

This doesn't change even after founding the Tatars; he simply grew much more patient.

He hasn't completely shed his barbaric nature. As the saying goes, old habits die hard, and Hector is trying his best to restrain himself.

‘But does that mean you swing an axe at me out of the blue?'

I was flustered by Hector's sudden attack, but I managed to regain my composure.

The problem was that I was up in the air. His single strike had sent my body flying far away.

How powerful must he have hit me to break through the ceiling? I knew Hector had incredible strength.

Yet experiencing it directly was entirely different from seeing it in the game. Aside from my encounter with Porori, I'd rarely felt such an impact.

Whoosh—

Floating in the sky like a star, I began to fall back down to Earth under gravity's pull.

I looked down as soon as I felt my body plummet. I must have been hit far for I could see the forest below.

‘I don't even know how to fall properly!'

So I've gained one valuable insight. I did my best to balance in the air and landed as softly as I could.

Having been in the air for so long, it wasn't hard to balance myself. After this duel, I'll need to learn how to fall.

Thud!

As soon as I landed, Hector made a grand entrance right before me.

The ground vibrated slightly with his landing. He must be heavy, just like his appearance suggests.

He then loosened his body and stretched out his right hand towards me, saying, "Let's just call that a price for beating up my daughter. I am a father after all."

Click!

As his words ended, the weapon was now in Hector's hand, Ragnarok, a mix of an axe and a hammer.

Retrieval ability isn't exclusive to Ragnarok. It's possible with any weapon, given the right enchantments.

However, the cost isn't negligible, and there are few capable of performing such enchantments. It's viable because of the artisans in the Tatars.

"You must have heard, red-eyed beings have frenzy traits. When frenzy is triggered, they temporarily gain great power but destroy everything around them indiscriminately."

"…"

Hector was right. In the Soul World, most monsters and beasts with frenzy traits are loners.

They travel alone for one reason: frenzy makes them kill everything, friend or foe.

There's a hypothesis that frenzy is a kind of disease, but nothing has been confirmed.

"Let's see if you're the same. First, I need to see what you can do with your clear mind."

Hector walked towards me slowly, while I stood ready, vigilant.

He was one step below the level of Rod, who belongs to the top tier, which means he's seriously strong.

In the Soul World, you need to meet certain conditions to fight him, but this happened right from the start, which is disconcerting.

‘But at least I know his fighting style…'

Hector's combat style is similar yet different from Kara's. If Kara is technical and agile, Hector is heavy and strong.

All his physical stats are likely higher than mine. Perhaps the only thing I could compete in is stamina.

To start with, I know his strength alone is over 150. It would be unwise to get into a test of strength with him.

Tadadat!

As I was considering Hector's abilities, he suddenly rushed towards me at great speed, arms wide open.

Though it looked sluggish, it was bizarrely quick. I moved my legs hastily.

Whoosh!

As I dodged to the side, he lunged forward, sweeping his arms like he was going to devour something. Ragnarok was strapped on his back.

I immediately punched into the unprotected side of Hector. A body blow I learned from Kara.

Bang!

It felt like hitting a rock. Unlike when sparring with Kara, I didn’t hold back at all.

Adjusting power or not, Hector is several times stronger than I currently am. That’s an objective fact.

"Well done!"

Hector roared heartily, as if my punch had no effect. Then he swung a fist as large as my head towards my face.

The speed was like lightning, proving his far superior stats. By turning my head, I just barely dodged it.

It was so fast that avoiding it was my only option.

Hook! Hook! Hook! Whoosh! Hook!

The problem was the flurry of punches that followed. In less than a second, his fist swung more than five times.

These weren't casual swings; each was powered by his waist and shoulders. Every blow felt heavy and potent.

Thump!

I managed to dodge every punch with my eyes, but I had to use my arm to block the last one.

"Ugh…"

It stung even through my arm. Surely he didn't use lightning.

But there was no time to think. I counter-attacked immediately, aiming for his jaw.

Thud!

He seemed to take the hit purposely. His head snapped back. I didn't see this as an opportunity.

For some unknown reason, I felt it was dangerous to press the attack. My instincts were telling me this.

In the wild, trusting these instincts meant at least not being endangered, so I decided to trust them.

I quickly stepped back, and Hector's hand narrowly missed my nose.

"Hmm. Not falling for it, huh?"

True to my instincts, it was a trap. Hector said, looking perfectly fine, with a grin just like Kara's.

How dangerous could it have been that even my beastly instincts were warning me? I would have surely taken a hard hit.

There's one thing you should never let Hector do in Soul World: his ‘grab'.

Not a technical grab, a plain one. Like the one I did on Kara.

Think about it. If you get bear-hugged by that size, your bones wouldn't just break, they'd be reduced to dust.

"You're not telling me this is the extent of your abilities?"

True to his Tatars lineage, he provokes well. I didn't reply, just charged at him.

All I could do now was throw punches based on martial arts. Without a weapon, there wasn't much choice.

If so, why not give some time to prepare? But I still had something left.

It wasn't for mere distraction; it was for when the real battle began.

"Stop with the pointless thoughts!"

Whoop!

Hector easily grabbed my swiftly thrust hand and shouted. It seemed like a quick strike to me, but he caught it too easily.

Trying to pull away was futile. Unless I tapped into magic, there was no increasing my strength beyond his.

Whoosh!

He then spun around and threw me with centrifugal force.

I couldn't even balance in the air, let alone react immediately that I was being thrown.

Crash!

Soon, my body collided with a tree, snapping the once sturdy tree in half.

Thrown with such force that it shattered upon impact, it testified to Hector's immense strength and my body's resilience.

"Stop with the boring probing. I want to see your true form."

Hector urged me on as he approached. I spat out the sawdust that had entered my mouth and glared at him.

He was right; any probing was meaningless. Any technique would just be easily countered.

I had no choice but to resort to the type of fighting I was most confident in.

Crack!

So I grabbed a half-broken tree lying on the ground with both hands.

Crunch!!

And I swung it towards Hector. The sound of the breaking tree resonated, and I felt a satisfying sensation in my hands.

Sawdust scattered in all directions from the tree, but I concentrated on what was before me.

It must have been an effective hit as Hector was staggering.

I rushed forward immediately, swinging my fist.

Whoosh!

But my punch missed. Hector managed to duck just as he seemed to stumble.

I looked down hastily and saw him smiling.

‘Danger…!'

Crack!

It was when my primal instincts were sounding the alarm.

Hector had struck my side with the axe that appeared out of nowhere.

I hadn't felt such pain since my battle with Porori. Not even my sturdy body mattered.

His strength was enough to pierce through me, with Ragnarok's aid.

Slash!

Then Hector yanked Ragnarok from my abdomen. I winced and stepped back.

Looking down, I saw my clothes drenched red with my blood. It was an outfit I quite liked.

"Now your clothes match your eyes."

Hector snorted, axe on his shoulder, mocking me. I frowned and glared back at him.

The wound healed quickly due to ‘regeneration', but that didn't ease my irritation.

If that blow had been to my neck, I would have been in real danger. The abdomen wasn't much different.

Had it been a normal person, they could've been split in two – such was the force of that blow.

"You."

"Hm?"

"Real. Fight."

I decided to put aside the petty boxing for a moment. I told Hector this and started channeling the magic within me.

The method of using magic is simple. Like tensing muscles, I just had to focus the power internally.

It may sound like nonsense, but there's no other way to explain it.

"Now it's getting a little…"

Before he finished speaking, I made my move. Energized in every muscle, I closed the distance in an instant.

Within a time-slowing situation, Hector's eyes widened as he faced me head-on.

Thump!!

My fist hit his face squarely. The sturdy giant flew back a great distance.

Using magic greatly boosts overall stats. Roughly, adding two stats together should do the trick.

But my output is overwhelmingly strong with crimson magic.

Crunch!!

Hector's bulky figure crashed into the lush trees. Given his size, the trees tumbled down like matchsticks.

Of course, it wouldn't end there. If it's Hector, even that wouldn't leave much of a scratch.

I gathered a bit of magic in my hands and waited. It began to take a red form.

"That's more like it. You should've done this sooner."

And, as expected, Hector stood up, brushing off the trees as if it were nothing. Let me say it again: he brushed off trees.

He dusted off the sawdust and debris from his body and looked at me. There was a glint in his green eyes.

"I thought you were a mere animal…"

"…"

"Is that your real weapon?"

Hector asked with an inquiry in his voice. Clearly because of the shape of the magic in my hands.

Wrapped in crimson magic, my hands were shaped like the ‘claws' of a beast.

Living in the forest and experiencing various hunts, I even made my own weapons.

However, those weapons would break at any opportunity. Therefore, I often fought with my bare hands.

To prepare for such situations, I made claws for myself. By any means necessary to kill the prey.

"By the way, this red-tinged mana… I feel like I've seen it somewhere before…"

I ignored whatever Hector was muttering and swung my arm from bottom to top.

Whoosh!

As I swung my arm, five strands of mana flew towards Hector.

Not only were they fast, but each one was sharp enough to cleave a rock.

"Gasp!"

Crackle!

When Hector sensed the mana-charged attack coming, he swung his Ragnarok with great force.

Along with a gust of wind, the blue lightning contained within his weapon spread out like a curtain.

Bang!

My attack was neatly blocked by the curtain of lightning. But it was intended only as a feint, so I wasn't particularly disappointed.

Instead, it was noteworthy that Hector had begun to use mana. After all, mana was essential for using lightning.

Once the curtain of lightning cleared, I rushed in like a maddened bull. Hector responded to my charge with a smirk.

Whoom!

As soon as we got close, Hector aimed his axe towards my shoulder and chopped down.

Normally, one would evade… but not this time.

Crash!

I didn't dodge. The axe blade plunged deep into my left shoulder, lightning seeping into it.

Hector’s eyes went wide, clearly not expecting this. It's exactly what I was aiming for.

Grip!

Before he could pull back his axe, I firmly grabbed the handle, making it difficult to retrieve.

Considering Hector's strength, this might seem meaningless. But all I needed was a moment.

Thwack!

In that brief instant of pause, I punched him squarely in the face, sending him flying backward.

Naturally, the axe lodged in my shoulder fell out too. It sliced me as it fell, but I didn’t mind.

Rumble!

As Hector flew backwards, several trees listlessly toppled over. At this rate, I couldn't help but wonder if the entire forest would be cleared.

I quickly regenerated the shoulder that had been gouged by the axe blade and leaped high into the air.

Then, I dove down towards Hector, who lay sprawled on the ground.

Crash!

Regrettably, my hand hit nothing but the empty ground as he had rolled aside in time.

But my attack was not over. With my iron-like stamina, I rushed back into the fray.

Whoosh!

Another swing of my mana claws. This time, five gashes were etched across Hector's chest.

Just as I ignored defense, I made his defenses seem pointless.

I evaded lethal strikes, but minor ones I took while counterattacking.

This was how I survived in the forest and why I could push my regeneration to its limits.

Snap!

Once again, an axe blade was buried in my left side. This time, however, Hector used his arm and waist to spin, causing my body, skewered by the axe, to rotate with it.

Woosh!

Just like that, Hector slammed me down to the ground. Before any follow-up attack could arrive, I hastily rolled to the side.

Crash!

Sure enough, Hector stomped strongly on the ground with his foot. Had I been caught under that, my head would surely have burst.

After picking myself up, I took several steps back. Lightning was still flickering around Hector's axe.

Zzz-zzz-zzz!

Blood poured from my side, soaking my shirt ever redder. Now, there were more red patches than white.

Despite being struck in the side twice, I paid it no mind.

Mana was abundant, my stamina unyielding, and pain all too familiar.

I quickly regenerated the wound and charged head-on again.

"Hmm!"

Hector brought his axe down from above with both hands, blue lightning coursing through it.

I faced the attack head-on, not dodging. But that didn't mean I would take it.

Crash!

Before Hector could bring it down, I seized the axe handle. Regardless of everything else, this damned axe was the problem.

While someone fights barehanded, another fights with such a weapon. It's truly despicable.

Crack! Pop!

As soon as I grabbed the axe, a powerful lightning surge permeated my body. It was incomparable to Kara's and on par with Porori's lightning. It seems he truly is blessed by Gulak, the god of destruction.

"Argh…"

"Gruh…"

I stubbornly resisted, forcibly counteracting the involuntary muscle contractions. Hector, too, clenched his teeth, pushing back.

Both of us had similar strength when using mana. But given the circumstance, Hector had the advantage.

In other words, the axe was slowly descending towards my head. If this continued, my head would be split in two.

Finally, as the axe blade came close to my eyes, I twisted with all my might, allowing it to strike my shoulder.

Thud!

Immediately following, a punch. However, it was beautifully blocked.

Hector seemed to have learned from last time, and he intercepted my fist with his hand.

With my other hand still holding the axe handle, making it hard for him to retrieve it, he had no hand free to counter.

Snap!

Hector's head hit mine with tremendous force. Anticipating that he would use a headbutt, I responded in kind.

Our solid heads collided, leaving a dizzy sensation.

"Hmm…"

Hector seemed more shaken than I was, staggering backward.

Fortunately, my forehead seemed tougher than his.

Regardless…

Whoosh!

Who wouldn't? Before he could gather his senses, I swung my mana claws again.

Just like before, deep cuts from the claws marked his chest.

His body accumulated wounds, while I healed mine through regeneration.

Snap!

Yet again, the axe blade dug into my abdomen. Simultaneously, my body buzzed – and I felt myself flying far away.

Indeed. I was actually soaring through the air.

Crash!

Much like Hector had done earlier, trees fell like dominoes and crumbled without resistance.

I got up immediately, not even feeling the intense pain. Then I noticed something odd – the pain in my side was persistent.

Turning to look, I saw Ragnarok still embedded in my abdomen. It seemed he had thrown it along with me.

"Now I roughly get it. That ridiculous regenerative power. It's because of that you can engage in this madness."

At that moment, Hector spoke seriously from ahead. I neither thought about removing the axe nor looked anywhere but forward.

An unsettling aura was palpable. My animal instincts were sending continuous signals of danger.

Crack! Fizz! Sizzle!

The dust settled, and I could see Hector.

Unlike Kara, who wrapped lightning around only her arms, Hector's entire body was shrouded with it.

Even his eyes blazed with blue lightning, like the glare of a ‘God of Thunder' descending.

"If so…"

This had to be the true power of Hector, the king of destruction.

With lightning wrapping his body, shattering everything in his wake, he was second only to Rod in his closeness to the heavens.

"I'll make your regeneration meaningless."

Hector slowly raised his arms. Upon seeing this, I hastily pulled out the axe from my abdomen and rushed forward.

It was clear when he revealed his full strength—I knew for certain. My animal instincts screamed it.

I couldn't win.

Boom!

Just as my mana claws were about to penetrate his body, Hector brought down the arms he had raised.

Kaboom!!

Waves of lightning spread in every direction, devastating the forest all around.

*****

-Kaboom!!

"Huh?"

Elsewhere, leaving Ellie's side and wandering through the forest was the squirrel spirit, Ratatoskr.

He looked puzzled when he heard the sound of thunder in a clear sky and turned his head.

His cheeks were plump and he was constantly chewing. Even the acorn in his hand wasn't spared.

While Ellie was in class, he was munching on acorns in the woods. After all, there was no one to bother him.

"Is someone praying to the sky?"

Initially, Ratatoskr tried to dismiss the sound and carry on.

"…"

But the aura he felt following the lightning made him perk up his ears decisively.

Eventually, Ratatoskr spun his head in the direction from which the lightning had come.

A bewildered expression filled his face as if questioning what was happening.

"… Damn it. Seriously."

Dropping the acorn he was holding, Ratatoskr began to run off somewhere.

"What kind of maniac is so hell-bent on dying?"

Muttering words of incomprehension.