A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 71

Since falling into the forest, the only thing that felt solid when struck was usually just rocks.

Occasionally, I had faced beasts or monsters with tough bodies, but in those cases, it was because their hides were thick.

They weren’t hard like iron but rather annoyingly tough and thick, which made them a hassle. Still, I managed to deal with them somehow.

It was the same even after entering civilization. I had once bitten through a steel sword with my teeth and even destroyed a building.

But Rize’s body, which I struck with my fist, was different. Her physique looked as if it had been carved from stone, and its hardness surpassed even that of rock.

If her body was tougher than mine, which possessed the Iron King trait, that said everything. If anyone else had punched her, their fist would have shattered instantly.

“Brother Sivar, your body is just as sturdy as expected. Normally, a punch like that would have broken someone’s hand already.”

Rize, perhaps noticing this, spoke with a satisfied smile. Her neatly aligned teeth left quite an impression.

If she had been in Saint Mode, it would have been an endlessly beautiful smile, but now she was in Martial Saint Mode. Just her smile exuded intimidation.

To me, it truly reminded me of a ‘wall.’ A wall that wouldn’t get a single scratch no matter how much I hit it.

At this point, there was only one method left. I had to imbue my attack with mana. Using the condensation technique I had learned before should work.

I clenched my fist tightly and began condensing my mana. Although it was said to have been consumed by the Red Mana, the sensation was still vivid.

As soon as I felt the mana condense in my fist, I aimed it at Rize’s abdomen and struck.

Bang!!

My bare fists had no effect, so I added mana to the attack. This should increase the chances of it working.

Even Hector had struggled against my fist; there was no way she would remain unscathed.

“This strike is spicier than before. The technique is decent, and the amount of mana is sufficient. Very impressive.”

“?!”

She was unscathed. I couldn’t help but be shocked.

As I mentioned earlier, her physical strength in the Soul World was mostly revealed when she fought demons.

She rarely wielded her strength against humans, and with Byzantium maintaining neutrality, she had no reason to get involved in wars.

Combined with her designation as a hard counter to demons, she had been given a peculiar evaluation. People assumed she would struggle against humans.

‘Struggle? What nonsense······!’

I realized it when I struck her directly. Everything had been underestimated.

Being a nemesis to demons didn’t matter. Rize’s body was simply absurdly tough.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

I started unleashing rapid strikes, determined to break through somehow. My fists repeatedly struck Rize’s abdomen.

Rapid strikes rarely occur unless the situation supports them. According to Kara, they’re inefficient and drain stamina heavily.

It’s better to reserve rapid strikes for finishing blows or decisive moments. Otherwise, putting all your strength into a single strike is more effective.

However, to penetrate Rize’s body, which was harder than steel, there was no other way.

Like sharpening a blade on a whetstone, I had to slowly wear down her defense.

Boom!

At the end of the rapid strikes, I delivered a final blow. My fist landed squarely in the center of her abdomen.

But as if mocking my efforts, Rize didn’t budge. Her face still bore a relaxed smile.

“Is that all? As I said earlier, you’re welcome to use a weapon.”

Rize, with her characteristic bright smile, encouraged me. I couldn’t just stand idly anymore.

Shaking off my throbbing hands, I reached back with my left hand and silently called for my weapon.

I had played with it so often that, unless it was Hector or Kara, it would come flying to me even from this distance.

Whoosh—thunk!

Soon, a familiar sensation settled in my hand. Ragnarok had flown to me and landed firmly in my grip.

“I just hope the house isn’t a mess again.”

Rod, watching from afar, clicked his tongue and grumbled. I could understand what he was worried about.

Ragnarok had been stored at home as a precaution, and he seemed concerned the house would be in disarray again.

Initially, I didn’t think I’d need to use Ragnarok, so I had left it behind. But to deal damage to Rize, there was no other choice.

‘What was Rize’s trait again? I can’t quite remember.’

It was clear her trait surpassed that of the Iron King. Perhaps she was using mana or holy power as well.

I began slowly infusing mana into Ragnarok. As a Faith Character, this was end-spec equipment, comparable to Gulak’s.

Lightning is difficult to endure unless one’s body is exceptionally sturdy. Therefore, Ragnarok should also be able to withstand my Red Mana.

Vrrrr!

“Hmm.”

As I imbued mana into it, Ragnarok trembled. Sensing the unusual reaction, Rize’s expression turned serious.

Until now, she had maintained a relaxed smile, but it seemed this would finally work.

‘If she feels like she’s about to die, she’ll dodge on her own.’

Rize was stronger than me. By far.

Therefore, she should be able to objectively assess the difference in our strength and make her own judgment.

If she deemed this attack too dangerous, she would evade it. If not, she would stay still.

After infusing enough mana for the axe to endure, I swung it directly at Rize’s abdomen.

Even as the axe neared her abdomen, Rize didn’t dodge and stood her ground.

Boom!!

A sound much louder than when I had punched her reverberated everywhere. At the same time, a shockwave spread out from the center where Rize and I stood.

Thankfully, we were in an empty clearing. Judging by how violently my hair whipped about, it was quite a powerful storm.

The shockwave that occurs only when immense forces collide. I instinctively closed my eyes but slowly reopened them.

“Truly······”

My axe had embedded itself in Rize’s abdomen. The situation was entirely different from when I had struck her with my fist earlier.

“Truly······ an excellent strike!”

The problem was that it had only pierced slightly. It barely broke through her skin and lodged into her muscles.

Blood trickled down, staining Rize’s clothes red, but that was all. It was questionable whether this could even be called an injury.

“To leave a wound on this body! Even this much is truly remarkable!”

Rize seemed genuinely amazed by the minor wound. Judging by her proud praise, it was half-confirmed.

But seriously, what kind of body is this to result in just this? At this point, it’s absurd.

“Why. Just why?”

I couldn’t help but mutter those words. I looked at the axe embedded in her abdomen and then raised my head.

Rize, looking immensely satisfied, pulled the axe out of her abdomen. As soon as the axe was removed, her wound began to heal.

Not only was her body incredibly tough, but her regenerative power had also surpassed human limits. Like me, Rize was far removed from ordinary humans.

“I have spent decades on a pilgrimage, enduring countless trials and hardships. That process was akin to a blacksmith tempering steel. The lacking ‘body’ I had was forged through such means.”

Rize began explaining as she touched her now fully healed abdomen. Just what kind of pilgrimage had she undergone to obtain such a body?

Given her conviction, which bordered on eccentricity, I could somewhat understand. But this was far beyond the realm of comprehension.

“Eventually, like a bird breaking out of its shell, my body underwent a transformation. In the East, this is called ‘Rebirth.'”

“··· ···”

“The heart of a supporter. The body gained through Rebirth. And finally, the energy created by combining mana and holy power. The result of tempering all of these is this!”

Crack—

As Rize struck a pose to show off her muscles, her entire body rippled with dynamic motion.

Her pectoral muscles, as vast as the Pacific Ocean, twitched, and veins bulged across her muscles, evoking a primal sense of awe.

“Brother Sivar, your body and energy are perfect. That’s why you were able to wound me. However, your heart is still lacking. If you can control even that, you’ll be able to break my body and gain a powerful shield.”

Stagger—

I unconsciously took a step back. Her appearance, bordering on madness, made me retreat without thinking.

Forget wild instincts or anything else; the atmosphere itself was bizarre. Along with it, the phrase used to describe Rize in the Soul World came to mind.

‘A monster crafted by the gods······’

As extremes meet, Rize was a ‘weapon’ created to oppose demons.

“Now then, it’s my turn. As I’ve repeatedly emphasized, there will be no direct strikes.”

Just as I was retreating, Rize spoke up. Realizing my fighting spirit had been completely crushed, she decided to take action herself.

All I wanted now was to turn and run. Running away wasn’t something to be ashamed of.

Sometimes, recognizing your limits and fleeing is the right choice. It’s one of the survival instincts I learned in the wilderness.

“Berserk only activates when faced with the crisis of death. So, keep your eyes wide open and watch.”

Crunch!

But even that thought came too late. Rize clenched her right fist tightly and approached me.

Just as I hurriedly tried to turn away, her voice reached my ears first.

“This is what ‘death’ feels like.”

What filled my vision next were two things.

Boom!!

Rize’s thick fist surged toward my face.

[Berserk is activated!]

It was an unmistakable ‘death.’

I felt as if time was flowing slowly. Despite Berserk being activated, my consciousness remained sharp.

Even when Rize’s fist reached right in front of my nose, I couldn’t even close my eyes.

My body was stiff and frozen, and I couldn’t think of anything at all.

Except for one thing—the ‘death’ that drained every drop of blood from my body.

Thud-

“··· ···”

“··· ···”

Rize’s fist lightly touched the tip of my nose. Despite the way it had surged toward me as if to kill me in one strike, it was an incredibly light contact.

That slight touch alone almost made my legs give out. Though I barely managed to hold on, I felt like I would collapse if someone so much as nudged me.

[Berserk is deactivated!]

The System filled my vision, but I didn’t care. Or rather, I couldn’t care.

Because what filled my vision right now was Rize’s fist. I couldn’t fathom how her fist could be as big as my face.

“How does it feel, Sivar Brother?”

Rize’s voice came from behind her fist. Hearing it, I realized something.

“How does it feel to return from the brink of death?”

Rize was so strong that words couldn’t even describe it.

While I couldn’t say a single word, she slowly withdrew her fist.

As her fist retreated, the shadow over my face gradually gave way to light.

“You can do it too. Humans inherently have a beast-like nature, so overcoming Berserk is nothing extraordinary.”

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Perhaps because I had just narrowly escaped death, my chest began pounding fiercely.

Meanwhile, Rize extended her hand toward me instead of her fist, offering a refreshing smile as she made a suggestion.

“You are human, Sivar Brother. So don’t worry too much.”

She was undoubtedly in Martial Saint Mode.

“I will help you.”

Yet, why did she feel like a Saintess? I couldn’t figure it out at all.