A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 34

I stared directly at Kara, who had begun preparing for battle.

The azure lightning that had flickered in her hand now enveloped her up to her elbows.

The Tatars worship Gulak, the God of Destruction, whose signature ability is thunder.

Just as Porori gained strength by offering tributes daily, Kara must also be consistently offering tributes.

‘Looks like she’s finally ready to take this seriously.’

Originally, Kara prefers to fight using weapons. However, her true strength does not lie in weaponry.

It’s the power of lightning and her combat skills themselves. Even though she has a dedicated weapon, she doesn’t rely on it.

Strong and skilled in combat—that is Kara’s true power.

‘It’ll be tough to win, though.’

Unfortunately for her, I’ve learned how to resist lightning while fighting Porori.

In the Soul World, there’s almost no way to counteract being struck by lightning. You either endure it or deflect it.

While I can’t use the mystical techniques of the Eastern eccentrics, I do have a sturdy body.

Still, it’s better to avoid getting hit by lightning if possible. Even static electricity stings, and lightning hurts far more.

‘I already know how tough my body is.’

Just moments ago, Kara had slashed my hand with a mana-infused curved blade, but my palm remained completely unscathed.

Considering she’s still growing but is already a seasoned warrior hardened by practical combat, it’s quite impressive.

In other words, the early parts of the story can be breezed through without much effort. No need to overthink it.

‘Except for the Academy Collapse, of course.’

That episode was designed to be unbeatable from the start. It’s also the story’s biggest turning point.

Crackle!

In the meantime, Kara slowly approached me. The lightning coiled around her arms like gauntlets.

As she drew closer, I quietly assumed a stance. I was curious to see how she would attack.

Kara, who had fought brilliantly even in the Soul World, was a warrior so formidable that even veteran players struggled to defeat her with a first-run character.

Swish—

When she got close enough, Kara pulled her right arm back.

Though she had closed the distance, she was still too far to reach me with a punch. I immediately glanced at her legs.

Sizzle!

‘As expected.’

Not only her arms but also her legs were now wrapped in lightning. Just moments ago, there had been nothing on her legs.

Lightning boasts both destructive power and incredible speed. Doesn’t lightning strike first, with thunder following after?

Crackle!

And when used effectively, it can unleash terrifying speed.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Kara, who had been standing at a distance, appeared right in front of me. Her fist came flying toward me immediately.

I barely managed to dodge by stepping back slightly. Thanks to the lightning, her speed was much faster than before.

Crackle! Sizzle!

She unleashed a flurry of punches as if determined not to let me escape. She even threw in some kicks, driving me into a corner.

For now, I could still see and dodge her attacks, but the real issue was that they were imbued with lightning.

‘Even static electricity stings.’

In the Soul World, lightning is considered one of the so-called “menace” abilities.

If you try to block it, you’ll immediately get shocked, and even if you somehow manage to defend against it, you’ll still take damage.

So, the only option is to dodge every attack, and to counter lightning, you either need a specific technique or an exceptionally durable body.

‘This is why I hate lightning.’

Thunk—

As I kept retreating, my back eventually hit a tree. The forest terrain limited my ability to evade.

While I was glancing back to check my surroundings, Kara’s lightning-imbued fist came flying toward me.

Crash!

I barely twisted my body to avoid it, but the tree was shredded by Kara’s punch.

This isn’t an exaggeration—the tree was literally torn apart. Splinters and sawdust scattered everywhere.

To wield lightning, one must first master the Hardening Technique. Without it, the body can’t withstand the power of lightning.

‘But how did that bastard Porori endure it?’

Well, I can’t say much since my own body is absurdly tough for a human.

I stopped my idle thoughts and focused on the battle. It was about time for me to make a move.

“How long are you just going to keep running away······!”

Thud!

Just as Kara was about to shout in frustration, I grabbed her by the collar.

Since she had decided to get serious, I planned to respond in kind. If she fights rough, I’ll fight rougher.

Thump!

Without hesitation, I slammed her into the tree. It was the same tree that had been partially destroyed by her punch.

“Guh!”

Kara let out a pained gasp, likely from the impact on her back. Not missing the opportunity, I threw a punch.

Crunch!

Kara narrowly dodged by ducking, causing my fist to smash into the unfortunate tree instead.

She then crouched low and struck my shin with her fist.

It didn’t hurt, but the lightning made it sting slightly.

Swish—

Taking advantage of the moment I flinched, Kara swiftly moved behind me. Her speed was remarkable, likely due to the lightning.

Suddenly, she grabbed my waist. Just as I was wondering what kind of technique this was, my vision flipped upside down.

This isn’t a metaphor—my vision literally turned upside down.

Bam!

A suplex, notorious for its brutal difficulty and power. It combines gravity, a solid surface, and the user’s skill to devastating effect.

Kara executed it perfectly.

Of course, it didn’t mean much to me. If it had been an ordinary person, their neck would’ve snapped.

Bang!

After the suplex, Kara followed up with another attack. She aimed to stomp on my head with her foot.

Anticipating this, I barely managed to dodge. If I had taken that hit directly, it would’ve hurt quite a bit.

“Go ahead, try provoking me again.”

As I got back on my feet, Kara smirked and taunted me. Her confidence seemed to grow with her relentless attacks.

However, while she had been attacking nonstop, I was still perfectly fine. In fact, none of her hits had landed effectively so far.

Tap— Tap—

So, I simply dusted off the dirt on my body. I’d wash it off later, but it still felt unpleasant.

Even when I lived in the forest, I made a point to keep myself clean.

“··· ···”

To Kara, however, it seemed like a provocation. Her reaction made that clear.

I slowly walked toward the scowling Kara. Since she had finished her attacks, it was now my turn.

More importantly, it was time to push her into a corner. I needed to expose all her tricks.

Crackle!

As I approached, Kara struck first. She threw a lightning-infused punch at me.

In the past, I would’ve dodged by turning my head or twisting my body. But now, there was no need for that.

Thud!

I read the trajectory of her punch perfectly and blocked it with my palm.

Kara didn’t seem fazed when I stopped her punch. Instead, she merely smirked.

Sizzle!

At the same time, the lightning coiled around her fist seeped into me.

Normally, this would’ve left me paralyzed. That’s how it worked in the Soul World as well.

Clench!

“Ack?!”

But not for me.

Ignoring the lightning, I grabbed Kara by the neck and lifted her off the ground. Her eyes widened in shock.

While it was difficult to move, it wasn’t impossible. After being shocked by Porori so many times, I had developed a resistance.

Bang!

Immediately, I hurled Kara toward a tree. I threw her with such force that she collided with it, unable to regain her balance.

Before she could recover, I charged forward like an unstoppable war chariot.

Crash!

“Aagh!”

A body slam using my shoulder. The Iron Mountain Strike, often used by Porori, exploded into action.

Kara’s agonized scream pierced my ears. Truthfully, if I wanted to, I could have smashed through the tree and kept charging forward.

But doing so would have been too much for her to handle, so I held back. If it were Porori, he would have destroyed the tree and kept going like a war chariot.

Thud!

Kara, enduring the pain, struck the back of my neck with her elbow. However, I paid no mind and moved on to my next action.

She was now wedged between me and the tree, unable to move. This meant the advantage was mine.

Grip!

First, I grabbed her neck tightly to prevent her from moving easily.

Kara, her expression growing desperate, flailed in an attempt to break free, but my fist came first.

Bam! Thud!

Two punches landed squarely on her face before I threw her toward another tree.

After just two hits, she seemed dazed, leaning against the tree and unable to get up easily.

Without hesitation, I approached her and stomped down hard. Or rather, I tried to.

Clang!

“Ughhh…”

She mustered all her strength to grab my foot. Lightning sparked violently from her hands.

To remain conscious even after taking a direct hit to the face—what incredible mental fortitude. No wonder she grows to that level in the future.

Of course, that’s that, and this is this. I swung my extended leg forcefully as if shaking it off.

Thud!

Kara collapsed weakly to the ground but soon managed to lift herself up.

Deciding it was time to end this, I took a step forward.

Thud!

“Huh?”

But as soon as I moved, I staggered and had to bend my knee.

With no warning, I looked at my leg in confusion.

Zap!

Blue sparks danced on the leg I had intended to stomp down with. That must have been the cause.

It seemed the effect triggered the moment I lifted my foot. Sometimes, your legs give out, and you stumble—it was one of those moments.

The reason I bent my knee was similar. A coincidence, or rather, a situation born of overlapping chance.

‘What a real menace.’

It was a menace in the game, and it’s a menace in reality too. I expelled the lightning completely and straightened my leg.

In the meantime, Kara, who had seemingly recovered, was now standing. Did she plan this and imbue my leg with lightning?

Honestly, it was unlikely. She had been struggling desperately to block me, so she probably didn’t have the luxury to think that far ahead.

“Hah… Hah… You’re not a bear… No, even a bear wouldn’t be this bad…”

Kara muttered in a defeated voice as she wiped the blood from her lips.

It was probably a remark meant for herself, but I heard it all. She must have known as well.

The tide of this fight had already turned in my favor. There was only one thing left for her to do.

‘Desperation.’

Having pushed her lightning to its maximum, her stamina was rapidly depleting.

On top of that, the direct hits she had taken earlier must have added to the accumulated damage.

Cornered, she was likely praying for one last strike.

“Hoo…”

Kara took a deep breath, steadying her breathing. Soon, she assumed a stance similar to before.

Crackle!

The lightning coiled around her like gauntlets grew stronger than before. She must have drawn out all her remaining mana and faith.

This must be her final attack. That thought crossed my mind briefly as I kicked off the ground and charged forward.

Even as I rapidly closed the distance, Kara showed no sign of panic.

Whoosh!

As always, I followed up with a punch. But unlike before, she dodged by lowering her head.

She then slipped inside my guard and struck my chin with her lightning-clad fist.

Bam! Thud!

After landing an uppercut to my chin, Kara hooked her leg around mine, attempting to throw me off balance as she had done with Luna.

Though I didn’t fall, my balance wavered slightly, likely due to her drawing out her mana to the maximum. Kara didn’t miss the opportunity.

Grab!

In her other hand, not the one that had delivered the uppercut, she gripped something.

To my surprise, it was the curved blade I had broken in half. A weapon so pitiful it could hardly be called one.

It seemed like magic, but it wasn’t—it was an ability. One passed down among the Tatar Tribe.

‘Ah, right. Weapon reco…’

Before I could even finish the thought.

Crackle!

The broken curved blade was now enveloped in vivid blue lightning. It looked even more dangerous than when it was intact.

Regaining my balance, I stepped back. But Kara was quicker to close the distance.

“Haaaah!”

Kara, gripping the curved blade with both hands, let out a fierce battle cry.

Swish!

She swung it at me with all her might.

I hurriedly reached out to grab it, but…

Slash!

The broken curved blade cut across my hand faster than I could react.

******

I admit it. No, I have no choice but to admit it.

As she clashed with Sivar, Kara acknowledged it deep down. Sivar was far stronger than her.

Even with the power of lightning and all the mana in her body, she couldn’t match Sivar’s physical ability.

No matter how skillfully she used her techniques, it was meaningless. The moment Sivar grabbed her, a critical blow followed.

It was absurdly unfair. Yet Kara continued to fight resolutely.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve lost this overwhelmingly.’

In the Tatar Tribe, there were plenty of people far stronger than her. Hector was a prime example.

But having lived among the Tatars for so long, she was used to losing. The Academy, however, was different.

Among the freshmen, there was no one stronger than her. Even among the professors, she could seize the upper hand if she fought with all her might.

But Sivar was different. With sheer, overwhelming strength, he relentlessly pushed her to the brink, rendering her techniques useless.

‘If someone taught a guy like him techniques…’

How much stronger could he become? How much more incredible could he be?

How much more…

‘No. No, that’s not it.’

There was no time for such pointless thoughts. Kara concluded firmly.

He was still a wildling who couldn’t even speak properly. Before anything else, he needed to be made into a person.

More importantly, this fight needed to end first, regardless of whether it ended in her defeat.

Slash!

The lightning-clad curved blade—the broken curved blade—cut across Sivar’s hand.

Unlike before, she could clearly feel the sensation of “cutting” through. That feeling traveled up her hand unmistakably.

Kara panted as she stared at Sivar. He was looking at his hand with slightly surprised eyes.

Soon, he looked at Kara and slowly extended his hand.

“…Ah.”

Blood. Blood was flowing from Sivar’s large palm.

It was barely a wound worth calling an injury, but the fact that she had landed a valid hit was what mattered.

“Blood.”

As Kara was caught up in an inexplicable sense of exhilaration, Sivar spoke in his characteristically blunt voice.

Then, clenching his bloodied hand into a fist, he smirked and spoke two syllables.

“I. Win.”

Thud!

At the same time, his fist struck Kara squarely in her firm abdomen. She couldn’t even react properly.

If she had seen it coming, she might have been able to respond. But this attack was completely invisible.

“…!!”

Kara’s eyes widened as she gasped for air. Even though her Hardening Technique was active, she couldn’t breathe.

This alone was enough to end it, but Sivar didn’t stop.

Boom!

Grabbing her by the neck as she was slowly collapsing, he slammed her straight into the ground. It was a pattern he used often, but it was undeniably effective.

The successive waves of pain made Kara feel her consciousness slipping, but before she could even process that, Sivar’s fist struck again.

Crack!

“Guh!”

She managed to raise her guard to block it somehow, but it felt like her bones were about to break. The Lightning had already dissipated.

She was barely managing to activate her Hardening Technique with the remaining scraps of her mana.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

But Sivar mercilessly continued to pummel her with his fists. Kara tried her best to block, but it was futile.

And so, as the relentless barrage of punches continued, Kara’s remaining mana was completely drained.

Crack!

“Aagh…!”

With her Hardening Technique no longer active, she had no choice but to block the punches with her bare body.

In the end, Kara’s arm bone broke, and Sivar immediately forced her to her feet.

He then grabbed her neck with one hand and supported her waist with the other, throwing her like a shot put.

Crash! Thud! Thump!

Kara’s body rolled uncontrollably, unable to regain balance, before finally coming to a stop. However, she didn’t lose consciousness.

Instead, she gasped for breath a few times and tried to push herself up from the ground. Even with her broken arm, she burned with fighting spirit.

“Ugh… Aaaah!!”

With a fierce battle cry, Kara rose to her feet. She glared at Sivar with blazing eyes.

Before she knew it, he had already closed the distance and was right in front of her.

“Come… Cough! On.”

“…”

“It’s… not over yet, is it?”

Kara even assumed a fighting stance with her broken arm. Sivar stared at her silently for a moment before extending his hand.

Kara flinched as he reached out, but she soon saw his palm clearly.

“…Huh?”

The palm of Sivar’s outstretched hand was completely unscathed. Instead, there was only a faint trace of blood.

Despite her full-force attack, he had regenerated in less than a minute. Kara, still dazed, lifted her head.

“Ta-da.”

As she raised her head and met his gaze, Sivar smiled playfully and spoke with a hint of mischief.

“All. Done?”

“…”

He looked like a child waiting for praise, as if asking, “Did I do well?”

Kara let out a hollow laugh at Sivar’s pure and innocent question, so unlike his brutal combat style.

“Wow… Seriously…”

His actions were utterly infuriating.

“You’re so damn unfair…”

Yet, strangely, she couldn’t bring herself to hate him. His sheer innocence made every action of his seem endearing.

“Are you… even human…?”

Kara finally voiced the thoughts she had been holding back.

Thud-

And then, she collapsed backward, lying flat on the ground.