Future Knight [EN]: Chapter 9

Future Knight 9

As Kang Chan, who had been watching them from a distance, approached to observe their swordsmanship more closely, the young trainees, sensing his presence, turned their gazes toward him in unison.

Having suddenly become the center of attention, Kang Chan had no choice but to stop.

It was because dozens of elves were expressing a decidedly unfriendly atmosphere toward Kang Chan.

“Human, what brings you here?”

The elf who seemed to be leading the assembled youths spoke to Kang Chan.

He was Elradion, known as the Sword of the Elves, the best swordsman in the village and one of the five Great Elders, and also the benefactor who had rescued Kang Chan from the crashed warship a year ago.

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

“Oh? So you have also learned martial arts?”

“Yes, a little.”

At his words, the eyes of the assembled young elves lit up with competitive spirit.

Originally, elves were not a race that readily showed their emotions.

However, that didn’t mean they were emotionless, wooden figures.

Therefore, they were all eager to see the swordsmanship of another race, their eyes gleaming.

“Our elven swordsmanship, unlike human swordsmanship, emphasizes flamboyant changes and speed. Hmm, would you perhaps like to cross swords with our children?”

“Are you suggesting a duel?”

“Indeed. Are you willing to try?”

At the word ‘duel,’ he felt the boredom he had been feeling melt away.

He didn’t dislike spending time with the young Jaina, but playing only with a child was somewhat tedious.

He had been idle for the past few years, which made him a little uneasy, but the killing techniques he had learned throughout his life were not something he could forget just because he wanted to.

Kang Chan readily accepted his offer.

“Very well.”

“Good, then let’s see… If there are any elves here who wish to compete with this human, step forward.”

At Elradion’s words, the arena fell silent for a moment, and everyone’s attention focused on one place.

Then, someone slowly emerged from the dark shade of a tree.

“Elradion, I would like to challenge him.”

The young man who slowly walked out had a sturdy build, with a glint of determination in his eyes, and was exuding a strong hostility toward Kang Chan, uncharacteristic of an elf.

Instinctively sensing a strong opponent, Kang Chan swallowed hard.

However, Kang Chan’s concern was not about the match itself.

‘If I had to kill him, I could, but a duel is just a duel. It’s harder for me to subdue someone without killing them than to kill them.’

Among the combat techniques he had learned so far, there was not a single one that involved subduing an opponent appropriately. For him, it was only about one-hit kills.

“Very well, Keremion. You may try.”

Elradion’s expression was tinged with concern as he looked at Keremion.

Elradion knew Keremion’s skills better than anyone.

Elradion used Sylphir [a type of wind magic or communication] to whisper in Keremion’s ear.

-You are the most accomplished elf among those who have not yet undergone the coming-of-age ceremony in our village, so please control your strength and be mindful of your opponent.

Keremion nodded carefully at Elradion’s request, conveyed through Sylphir like a gust of wind.

“Our elves have traditionally used thin sabers. What kind of weapon do you use?”

“I mainly use daggers.”

At his words, the assembled elves burst into laughter.

The daggers they knew were mainly tools for everyday life, such as skinning prey or trimming vegetables, or low-level weapons used by assassins or thieves for intimidation.

This was the case not only for elves but also for other humans.

Humans called knights wore thick plate armor over chainmail, so daggers were only useful for ambushes, but absolutely disadvantageous in a head-on fight, and one of the most useless weapons in war.

But now, the human in front of them said he used such daggers as his main weapon, so they couldn’t help but laugh.

They were clearly mocking Kang Chan.

But Elradion was different.

Elradion looked at Kang Chan with a gaze that contrasted with the other elves.

It was nostalgia for the past.

‘Daggers, they remind me of that friend from the past.’

After gazing at the distant mountains with a look of longing, Elradion turned his gaze back to Kang Chan and asked again seriously.

“Are you serious? Are daggers really your main weapon?”

Elradion asked again, and Kang Chan, who was not in a good mood due to the elves’ ridicule, replied in a curt tone.

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

“Hmm, good. You’ll find out when you fight, but you should still be careful. Keremion’s saber will be longer than you think.”

It was Elradion’s advice to consider the weapon’s reach, but Kang Chan’s ears, already upset by the elves’ ridicule, couldn’t hear such words.

The swordsmanship he had learned was only close-quarters combat.

Daggers, which were easier to carry than cumbersome longswords, were standard equipment for infantrymen throughout the universe, and daggers equipped with high-frequency blades had sufficient power.

Unfortunately, the problem was that the daggers to be used in the duel were wooden swords, not high-frequency blades.

“How long should the wooden swords be?”

“About this long should be fine. And there should be two of them.”

“Two? Understood. Wait a moment.”

‘Using two daggers is the same too.’

When Kang Chan asked for two daggers, Elradion paused for a moment, then approached a tree, placed both hands on it, and whispered to the tree in the ancient elven language, causing dagger-shaped branches to grow from the tree into his hands.

It was a power only granted to elves who lived as part of the forest.

Elradion, having received the two daggers grown from the tree, handed the two wooden daggers to Kang Chan.

“Will this suffice?”

Kang Chan, who had been watching the scene of the daggers being made with a look of wonder, gripped the daggers Elradion handed him and smiled contentedly.

They were a bit long, but not too much.

“Yes, I’m satisfied.”

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

“I may be lacking, but I will try.”

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

The training ground was a wide lawn where no trees grew, even in the dense forest, so when Kang Chan stepped out of the shade and into the training ground, he squinted slightly because of the bright sunlight.

“Please, come in first.”

Kang Chan simply nodded as if to acknowledge Keremion, who was provoking him with the elegant etiquette unique to elves, and immediately charged at his opponent.

It was an action that lacked even a speck of courtesy, but all he had learned was one-hit kills.

Therefore, even Keremion’s elegant provocation seemed like a weakness to him.

‘Shall I go to stage 2 to test the opponent’s skills?’

-Combat mode stage 2 activated.

His physical abilities, enhanced through body modification, transcended the limits of ordinary people, so when the biochip in his head sent combat signals to his nervous system, his body began to move several times stronger and faster than usual.

“Gasp!”

Keremion, widening his eyes at the human charging towards him almost instantly, had to quickly raise his sword before he could even recover from the etiquette posture he had taken to provoke the human.

Kang Chan’s charge speed was beyond imagination.

“No! To be able to generate that much acceleration without using mana!”

Elradion exclaimed.

‘A human with a great body. A natural warrior!’

In his eyes, Kang Chan was more than twice as fast as an ordinary human.

Recognizing his talent, Elradion swallowed hard.

“You vile human! Trying to ambush in a fair duel, you humans are a dirty race to the core!”

Keremion hastily took a defensive stance in preparation for his attack, but the human was already right in front of him, delivering a sharp blow.

“Ugh!”

As a dagger, it was short, but the speed was instantaneous.

Keremion, who was busy dodging the daggers that flew in quick succession, felt a chill down his spine.

The daggers wielded by the human showed no mercy, and all were aimed at fatal spots.

And very persistently.

‘What is this guy? Not only is he familiar with combat, but he also attacks the opponent’s fatal spots without the slightest hesitation. He’s no ordinary guy!’

Keremion, out of Kang Chan’s attack range, put his anger aside and began to focus on his opponent’s movements.

The human’s skills in front of him were more surprising than he had expected.

‘To make me panic, I acknowledge your skills. But! From now on, things won’t go your way!’

Keremion’s fierce counterattack began.

He continuously unleashed sharp thrusts, maintaining distance and leaving no room for the human to penetrate.

However, the opponent in front of him easily blocked the sharp thrusts by skillfully crossing the two daggers, and Keremion, who was pushing the offensive, became increasingly impatient.

‘How can he block my thrusts so easily!’

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

‘Amazing? I can’t read his openings. I can’t penetrate at all. But well, if I can’t penetrate, I can just break through!’

-Combat mode stage 3 activated.

The sound of astonishment erupted from the surroundings as the power and agility were doubled again in an instant.

It was because Kang Chan’s movements, who could not manipulate mana, were as fast as a Sword Expert [a master swordsman capable of manipulating mana].

Kang Chan thrust his dagger at the timing of the incoming thrust, and with the dagger close to the saber, he bent the dagger backward, pushing Keremion’s saber back, and then lunged forward, slashing his dagger at his completely exposed chest.

“Gasp! Unbelievable!”

“To use daggers like that!”

The elves watching were astonished by his inhuman agility.

To deflect Keremion’s saber with a dagger and create an opening in an instant was a reflex that was impossible for ordinary humans.

Even for an elf who was said to be the most agile on the continent.

“Kuap!”

Keremion, who forcibly gathered mana to block Kang Chan’s dagger rushing towards his chest, pulled his saber back and used the recoil to strike Kang Chan’s face with his elbow.

Thwack!

“Ptooey!”

Keremion, leaving Kang Chan rolling awkwardly behind him, spat out red blood.

“Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!”

He seemed to have suffered internal injuries from forcibly gathering mana.

“Master, if it’s gone this far, shouldn’t you stop the duel now…?”

The elf trainees, watching the increasingly murderous duel, suggested to their master that it would be better to end the duel, but Elradion, ignoring his disciples’ words, was in great conflict.

“Master?”

“……”

Swordsmen gain great enlightenment in life-or-death battles.

Finally, Elradion decided to believe that his beloved disciple Keremion would grow one step further through this battle, even if it meant taking risks.

“No, let’s watch a little longer.”

“Yes? Ah, I understand.”

Ignoring the worried gazes of the elves, Kang Chan, who had been lying on the ground, slowly gathered himself and stood up.

“Ptooey!”

He spat out the blood clot in his mouth and gripped his daggers again.

At the sight, Keremion, with blood flowing from his mouth, wiped the blood off his sleeve and slowly raised his saber again.

Having taken their attack stances, the two stared at each other in silence for a long time.

A long silence flowed through the training ground, and the elves watching them were sweating in their hands.