The Blind Swordman: Strongest in Another World

The receptionist stepped forward, acting as the referee for the duel. She glanced at both Ryker and Garrek with a firm expression. "Are you both ready?" she asked.

Ryker and Garrek nodded in unison, their focus intense. The receptionist raised her hand and shouted, "Go!"

Ryker didn't move. He stood perfectly still, his cane lightly tapping the ground as if he were testing the air. Garrek, meanwhile, sighed, crossing his arms as a mocking grin spread across his face.

"Really? You're blind, and you think you can stand up to me?" Garrek taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. The other adventurers burst into laughter, their mocking voices filling the air:

"What's he doing? Trying to scare Garrek by standing still?"

"Does he think being blind makes him some kind of mysterious warrior?"

"This is going to be over in seconds!"

Ryker smiled faintly, unfazed by their words. "Just make your move, Mr. Talkative," he said, his voice calm but laced with confidence.

Garrek rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "Very well. If you're that eager to lose, I'll oblige." He walked toward Ryker leisurely, his steps slow and deliberate, as though he considered Ryker no more threatening than a fly. Standing just a few feet away, he smirked. "Look at you. You're blind and helpless. Why are you even trying?"

Ryker tilted his head dramatically, his voice rising in mock panic. "Where are you? I can't hear anything!"

Garrek smirked, raising his voice. "You'll cower in fear with this! Skill: Battle Roar!" A wave of force emanated from Garrek, the ground vibrating slightly. Ryker staggered theatrically, clutching his head and letting out an exaggerated yell. "Oh no! I'm hurt! What a fearsome attack!" he cried out, his voice dripping with mock distress.

Garrek frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Are you mocking me? That wasn't meant to knock you out, it's supposed to intimidate you!"

Ryker stumbled a bit more, spinning on his heels dramatically. "Oh no, I'm so scared! What an intimidating roar! Somebody save me!" He pretended to fall, catching himself with his cane and leaning on it heavily.

The crowd burst into laughter, jeering at Ryker:

"This guy's a clown!"

"He's treating this like a joke!"

"Garrek's going to crush him for that!"

Garrek growled, stepping closer. "You're really testing my patience. Stop playing games and face me seriously!"

Ryker stood up straight, raising his hands in surrender. "Oh, alright. My mistake, sir. I thought this was a performance." He gave an exaggerated bow. "You are the great Garrek Steelhand, after all."

The crowd roared with laughter again, some cheering while others continued to mock Ryker:

"This guy's got guts!"

"Or he's just plain stupid!"

"Garrek, teach him a lesson already!"

Garrek clenched his fists, his voice booming. "Enough! Let me show you why they call me the Steelhand." He reached out, ready to grab Ryker by the collar.

But before Garrek could make contact, Ryker's expression shifted to a sly grin. He leaned in slightly and whispered, "Skill: Shadow Veil."

In an instant, Ryker vanished. The space he occupied was empty, as though he had dissolved into thin air. The laughter in the crowd abruptly stopped, replaced by gasps and murmurs:

"What? Where did he go?"

"Did he just disappear?"

"How is that even possible?"

Garrek's confident smirk faltered, his eyes scanning the training field. "What trickery is this?" he growled, his voice tinged with irritation.

From across the field, Ryker's voice rang out, cheerful and mocking. "Hey! So where is everybody? I can't see you!" he called out, his tone light and playful.

The crowd erupted into chaos, adventurers yelling and laughing:

"How did he get over there?"

"That blind guy's faster than he looks!"

"What kind of skill was that?"

Garrek clenched his fists, his frustration mounting. "You think this is funny? You won't be laughing for long!" he barked, his voice echoing across the field.

Ryker's voice came again, still cheerful. "Oh, but I am laughing! This is so much fun! I didn't know adventurers were this lively!"

The adventurers continued to shout their opinions, some in awe and others still mocking Ryker's tactics. Ryker, meanwhile, stood at the edge of the field, his smirk growing as he prepared for the next move.

Garrek's eyes narrowed as he suddenly dashed towards Ryker, his powerful frame cutting through the air like a battering ram. "Let's see you dodge this, blind man!" he roared, his fists swinging in rapid succession.

Garrek unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, each strike faster and stronger than the last. Blow after blow, he attacked relentlessly, his movements a blur. "Come on! Stand still, you coward!" Garrek yelled, frustration creeping into his voice.

But Ryker remained calm, his body moving with precision and ease. Each punch missed by a hair's breadth, every kick grazing the air where Ryker had been only a moment before. Tap-tap-tap went his cane, guiding him effortlessly through the storm of attacks.

The adventurers watching from the sidelines erupted in shock and awe:

"How is he dodging all of that?!"

"Garrek's hitting him with everything he's got, and he hasn't landed a single blow!"

"Is he really blind, or is this some kind of trick?"

Ryker's voice was steady, almost teasing. "Forty punches and kicks, Garrek. You getting tired yet?"

Garrek snarled, his breath heavy. "Tired? I'm just getting started!" He stepped back, sweat dripping from his brow, his fists clenched tightly. "You think dodging makes you strong? I'll show you what real power looks like!"

The adventurers murmured among themselves:

"Garrek's getting serious now."

"This is bad. He looks pissed."

"I've never seen him this angry before."

Garrek's chest heaved as he glared at Ryker, his voice low and menacing. "You don't understand who you're dealing with," he growled, more to himself than to anyone else. Then, louder, he yelled, "I am Garrek Steelhand! I've taken down ogres with my bare hands! I've crushed warriors stronger than you can even imagine!"

Ryker tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "All that, and you still can't hit a blind guy," he said with a faint smile.

"That's it!" Garrek bellowed, his voice echoing across the training field. "Skill: Heavy Strike!"

Garrek's fist glowed with a fiery energy as he brought it down with all his might. Ryker raised his cane, deflecting the blow with a loud clang. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, but neither of them budged an inch. Garrek's fist pressed against the cane, their strength locked in a stalemate.

The adventurers gasped:

"He deflected it?!"

"No way! Garrek's Heavy Strike didn't even move him!"

"Who is this guy?!"

As their struggle continued, Garrek's teeth clenched in frustration. "How are you doing this?!" he yelled, his voice trembling with rage.

Ryker's calm demeanor never wavered. "Maybe you're not as strong as you think," he said with a shrug. "Or maybe I'm just better."

Garrek's face turned red with anger. "Better?! Don't mock me!" he roared. "You're nothing! You hear me? Nothing!"

Ryker chuckled softly. "If I'm nothing, why are you struggling so hard to beat me?"

Garrek growled, his rage boiling over as he pushed harder against the cane. "You're dead, blind man! Do you hear me?! Dead!"

The adventurers whispered among themselves, their voices a mix of awe and disbelief:

"Garrek's losing his cool."

"I've never seen him this rattled before."

"Ryker's toying with him. It's almost... scary."

The two fighters remained locked in their standoff, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a blade. The crowd watched in stunned silence, waiting to see who would make the next move.

Still locked in their standoff, neither Ryker nor Garrek budged an inch. The tension between them was palpable, the air thick with the energy of their clash. Ryker's lips curled into a calm smile, a stark contrast to Garrek's enraged expression.

Garrek's eyes widened as he noticed Ryker's grin. "Why are you smiling?!" he bellowed, his voice echoing across the field. "What's so funny?!"

Ryker tilted his head slightly, his voice steady and confident. "Because," he said, "it's over."

Garrek snarled, leaning harder into his strike. "You're bluffing! I'm not done yet!"

Ryker didn't reply. Instead, with a swift motion, he pushed off Garrek's fist, breaking the stalemate, and followed it up with a sharp elbow strike to Garrek's midsection. Garrek staggered back, gasping in surprise.

Before Garrek could recover, Ryker tapped his cane firmly against the ground. "Skill: Echo Reverberation x10!" he called out, and the shockwave erupted, magnified tenfold. The rippling force struck Garrek, sending him staggering further, his footing unsteady. He clutched his head, his vision blurred and his ears ringing.

"What... what is this?!" Garrek muttered, his voice trembling. "I can't see... I can't hear... what's happening?!"

Garrek's hands shot to his head as he stumbled, his voice rising in panic. "No! This isn't right! I'm Garrek Steelhand! I'm unbeatable! This can't be happening!"

From the sidelines, the receptionist gasped, her hands gripping the edge of the railing. "What did he just do?" she muttered to herself. "That skill... it's like he completely disabled Garrek."

The adventurers erupted in awe and disbelief:

"What did Ryker just do?!"

"Garrek looks completely out of it!"

"Is this some kind of magic? How is this even possible?"

Garrek stumbled again, his voice cracking. "I'll crush you! You hear me, blind man? You're nothing! NOTHING!"

Ryker's calm voice cut through the chaos. "Nice try," he said softly. With a smooth motion, he drew his sword from the hidden sheath in his cane. The blade gleamed in the light as he raised it slightly. "Skill: Unseen Edge."

In an instant, Ryker disappeared, reappearing behind Garrek in a blur of motion. The crowd collectively gasped as the move unfolded before their eyes. Garrek froze, his body stiff as though sensing the outcome.

The receptionist's voice trembled as she spoke to herself. "He... he just moved faster than I could even follow."

The adventurers' voices overlapped in a cacophony:

"What just happened?!"

"Did you see that?! He was behind him in a flash!"

"Garrek didn't even have time to react!"

Garrek's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, unmoving. His breathing was shallow, and his body trembled. "No... no... this isn't possible," he whispered to himself, his voice faint and shaky. "I can't lose... not like this."

Ryker, calm as ever, sheathed his blade back into his cane with a quiet click. He turned to the receptionist, his expression relaxed. "It's over," he said simply.

The receptionist's eyes were wide with shock, her voice stuttering. "W-winner... Ryker," she finally managed, her words echoing through the stunned crowd.

For a moment, the field remained silent. Then, as if on cue, the adventurers erupted into chaos, their voices overlapping in disbelief and astonishment:

"No way! Did Garrek just lose?!"

"To a blind guy?!"

"That wasn't just skill; that was something else entirely!"

"Who is this Ryker guy?!"

Some yelled, some screamed, and others simply stood frozen, their eyes wide with deadpan shock. Amid the chaos, Ryker stood silently, his faint smile never leaving his face. He listened to the uproar around him, tapping his cane lightly on the ground, savoring the moment. "Quite the lively bunch," he muttered to himself, his grin widening.

The receptionist placed a hand on her chest, her breathing unsteady. "How did he... what kind of person is he?" she whispered, her thoughts racing.

One adventurer leaned toward another, his voice low but excited. "I've never seen Garrek like that. He didn't even know what hit him."

"Yeah," his companion replied, shaking his head. "This Ryker guy... he's on a whole different level."