A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 38

Hector shares the same flaw and identity as Kara: he resorts to violence easily.

It’s not that he enjoys violence like a deranged murderer, but rather that he prefers physical strength over intelligence.

This doesn’t change much even after founding the Tatars. He’s merely cultivated greater “patience.”

He hasn’t completely shed his barbarian tendencies. As the saying goes, “Old habits die hard,” and Hector is doing his best to restrain himself.

‘But does that mean you just swing an axe out of nowhere?’

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

The problem was that when I came to my senses, I was in the sky—in midair. His single strike had sent my body flying far away.

How much strength must he have used to hit me hard enough to break through the ceiling? I knew Hector was strong.

But experiencing it firsthand is entirely different from seeing it in the game. Aside from Porori, I’ve rarely taken this kind of hit.

Whoosh—

Like a star in the sky, my body, which had been soaring, began to fall under the influence of gravity.

As soon as I felt myself plummeting, I looked down. How far did he hit me that I could see a forest below?

‘I don’t even know how to breakfall!’

At least I’ve gained one valuable realization. After steadying myself as much as possible in the air, I landed softly.

Since I had plenty of time suspended in the air, maintaining balance wasn’t difficult. Once this sparring session is over, I need to learn how to breakfall.

Thud!

No sooner had I landed than Hector made a loud entrance right in front of me.

When he landed, I felt the ground tremble slightly. It seems his weight matches his imposing appearance.

He then stretched his body this way and that before extending his right hand behind him and speaking to me.

“Consider that just payback for beating up my daughter. I’m a father too, after all.”

Clang!

As soon as he finished speaking, a weapon that was half axe and half hammer, Ragnarok, appeared in Hector’s hand.

Weapon retrieval isn’t exclusive to Ragnarok. It just requires an enchantment.

However, the cost is quite steep, and only a handful of skilled individuals can perform it. The Tatars can do it because they have craftsmen.

“As you just heard, those with red eyes possess the Berserk Trait. When Berserk activates, they temporarily gain immense power but destroy everything around them indiscriminately, friend or foe.”

“··· ···”

Hector is right. Even in the Soul World, monsters or beasts with the Berserk Trait mostly roam alone.

There’s only one reason they travel alone: when Berserk activates, they kill everyone, ally or enemy.

Because of this, there’s even a theory that Berserk is a type of “disease,” though nothing has been conclusively proven.

“Let’s see if you’re the same. First, I need to assess your skills while you’re still in your right mind.”

With those words, Hector began walking toward me slowly. I assumed a defensive stance and waited silently.

Hector is a fighter one tier below Rod. Considering Rod is among the strongest, Hector is incredibly powerful.

In the Soul World, specific conditions must be met to fight him, and those conditions were fulfilled early on. It’s a bit overwhelming.

‘Still, I know his fighting style, at least······’

Hector’s combat style is similar yet distinct from Kara’s. While Kara is agile and technique-focused, Hector is heavy and powerful.

Even his physical stats are likely higher than mine. The only thing I might compete with is stamina.

For instance, his strength is known to exceed 150. Engaging in a contest of strength isn’t a good idea.

Thud-thud-thud!

As I was contemplating Hector’s abilities, he charged at me with surprising speed, arms outstretched.

His movements seemed sluggish, yet his speed was unnaturally fast. I quickly moved my legs in a panic.

Whoosh!

As soon as I dodged to the side, Hector, with arms outstretched, tried to envelop me as if to devour me. Ragnarok remained strapped to his back.

Without hesitation, I drove my fist into Hector’s exposed side—a body blow I had learned from Kara.

Bang!

The sound and sensation were like hitting a rock. Unlike during sparring with Kara, I didn’t hold back my strength.

Holding back is pointless; Hector is several times stronger than I am. That’s an objective fact.

“Impressive!”

Hector bellowed heartily, as if my attack hadn’t even fazed him. Then, he slammed a fist the size of my head toward my face.

It was like lightning, proving his stats were far superior to mine. I barely managed to dodge by turning my head.

It was so fast that evasion was my only option; counterattacking wasn’t even on the table.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The problem was that his punches came in rapid succession. In less than a second, he threw more than five punches.

These weren’t light jabs; they were heavy, powerful strikes utilizing his waist and shoulders. Each blow carried immense force.

Thud!

I managed to dodge them all with my eyes, but I had no choice but to block the final strike with my arm.

“Ugh······”

Even though I blocked it with my arm, it left a tingling sensation. He hadn’t even used lightning.

But there was no time to think. As soon as I blocked, I drove my fist toward his chin.

Smack!

Whether he let me hit him on purpose or not, my fist connected with his chin, causing his head to tilt upward. I didn’t see this as an opportunity.

For some reason, I sensed that pressing further would be dangerous. My instincts were warning me.

Even in the wilderness, trusting this instinct had kept me out of danger, so I decided to rely on it.

I leaped back, and Hector’s hand narrowly missed my nose.

“Hmm. You’re not falling for it.”

Hector, his face unscathed, spoke as if it had been a trap. His sly grin was identical to Kara’s.

If my wild instinct had warned me, just how dangerous was it? I would’ve been severely beaten, no doubt.

There’s one thing you must never let Hector do, even in the Soul World: grab you.

Not in the technical sense of a grab, but a simple, straightforward hold. The kind I had used on Kara.

Think about it. If someone of his bulk caught you in a bear hug, your bones wouldn’t just break—they’d turn to powder.

“Surely this isn’t the extent of your skills?”

As expected of the Tatar Tribe, his provocation was on point. I didn’t respond and instead charged at him.

At this moment, all I could do was rely on punching through combat. Without a weapon, there wasn’t much else I could do.

If that’s the case, he should’ve given me time to prepare. Of course, I still had something left.

I would save it for when the fight truly escalated, not for mere distractions.

“Stop wasting time with useless thoughts!”

Thud!

Hector shouted as he effortlessly caught my punching hand. I thought I had thrown it quickly, but he grabbed it with ease.

I tried to pull free, but it was futile. Without using mana, there was no way my strength could surpass his.

Whoosh!

Then he spun around once, using centrifugal force to hurl me away.

It took me a moment to even register that I was flying through the air, let alone try to regain balance.

Crash!

Before long, my body collided with a tree, snapping it in half.

It was a particularly thick tree, but it shattered from a single throw.

Hector’s overwhelming strength and my body’s durability were both on full display.

“Enough with these boring distractions. I want to see your true self.”

Hector urged as he approached me. I spat out the sawdust in my mouth and glared at him.

He was right; distractions were meaningless. Any technique I tried would just be countered.

In the end, I had no choice but to engage in the kind of fight I was most confident in.

Clench!

So I grabbed the tree that had been snapped in half and lay on the ground.

Crunch!!

And I swung it straight at Hector. The sound of the tree breaking accompanied the satisfying sensation in my hands.

Sawdust scattered everywhere, but I ignored it and kept my eyes on him.

It must’ve been somewhat effective, as Hector staggered.

I immediately charged forward and swung my fist.

Whoosh!

But my punch missed. Hector, who had been staggering, ducked his head.

Looking down in a hurry, I saw him grinning slyly.

‘Danger······!’

“Thud!”

It was the moment when my wild instinct sounded the alarm of danger.

Hector, wielding an axe I hadn’t even noticed, struck my side.

A pain I hadn’t felt since my fight with Porori surged through me. My hardened body was meaningless.

Hector’s strength was overwhelming enough to pierce through it, aided by Ragnarok.

“Slash!”

Soon, Hector pulled Ragnarok out of my abdomen. I grimaced and stepped back.

Looking down, I saw red blood soaking my clothes. These were clothes I had been quite fond of.

“Now your outfit finally matches your eyes, doesn’t it?”

Hector sneered, resting the axe on his shoulder. I glared at him with a furrowed brow.

Though my wound healed quickly with ‘Regeneration,’ my anger remained the same.

If that attack had been aimed at my neck, it would have been truly dangerous. My abdomen was no exception.

It’s fortunate that it was me. If it had been an ordinary person, they would have been split in two without question.

“······You.”

“Hmm?”

“Round. Two.”

Setting aside trivial boxing techniques for now, I said that to Hector and began channeling mana within my body.

Utilizing mana is simple. It’s like tensing your muscles—just apply force internally.

It might sound absurd, but there’s no other way to explain it.

“Now, finally······”

Before he could finish his sentence, I moved. With the sensation of all my muscles activating, the distance between us closed in an instant.

In a situation where time seemed to flow slowly, Hector’s eyes, facing me head-on, widened in shock.

“Thwack!!”

My fist landed squarely on his face. The massive figure that hadn’t budged before was sent flying far away.

Using mana significantly boosts overall stats. You could roughly add two stats together to get the result.

However, I possess absurdly powerful red mana.

That means, when I use red mana, I can stand on equal footing with him.

“Crunch!”

His massive body, sent flying, collided with dense trees. Given his bulk, the trees toppled like matchsticks.

Of course, this wouldn’t be the end. For Hector, even that wouldn’t cause significant injuries.

I waited, gathering mana in both hands. Gradually, it began to take on a red form.

“Yeah. This is how it should’ve been from the start.”

As if it were the most natural thing, Hector rose, brushing aside the fallen trees. Let me emphasize again—he brushed aside trees.

He casually dusted off the sawdust and dirt from his body, then looked at me. His green eyes gleamed with a strange light.

“I thought you were just a beast······”

“··· ···”

“Is that your true weapon?”

Hector asked me with curiosity. It was likely due to the form of the mana gathered in my hands.

My hands were enveloped in vivid red mana, shaped like the ‘claws’ of a beast.

Living in the wilderness, I had experienced various hunts and crafted my own weapons.

However, those weapons broke whenever they had the chance. As a result, I often fought barehanded.

To prepare for such situations, I created claws for myself. Anything to kill my prey.

“By the way, red mana······ It feels like I’ve seen it somewhere before······”

Ignoring Hector’s muttering, I swung my arm upward.

“Slash!”

As I swung, five streaks of mana flew toward Hector.

Not only were they fast, but each one carried the sharpness to slice through a rock.

“Hup!”

“Crackle!”

As the mana imbued with killing intent flew toward him, Hector swung Ragnarok with force.

With the sound of air bursting, blue lightning from the weapon spread out like a barrier.

“Boom!”

My attack was cleanly blocked by the lightning barrier. However, since it was merely for restraint, I wasn’t too disappointed.

Instead, I noted that Hector had started using mana as well. After all, mana was essential to wield lightning.

As soon as the lightning barrier dissipated, I charged forward without hesitation. Hector greeted me with a grin.

“Whoosh!”

As soon as we were in close range, Hector swung his axe toward my shoulder.

Normally, dodging would be the obvious choice······

“Crunch!”

I didn’t dodge. The axe blade embedded itself deeply into my left shoulder, with lightning seeping in.

Hector’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting this. This was exactly what I had aimed for.

“Grip!”

Before he could retrieve the axe, I grabbed the handle tightly, making it difficult for him to pull it back.

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

“Thwack!”

In the brief pause, I landed a powerful punch on his face. Hector was sent flying backward.

Naturally, the axe embedded in my shoulder fell out as well. Though the blade grazed me as it fell, I didn’t care.

“Rumble!”

As Hector flew, several trees collapsed helplessly. At this rate, I wondered if the entire forest would be cleared.

I hastily regenerated my wounded shoulder and leaped high into the air.

Then, I aimed my hand downward at Hector, who was lying on the ground.

“Boom!”

Unfortunately, my hand struck only the empty ground. In the meantime, he had rolled away to evade.

But that didn’t mean my attack was over. Using my steel-like stamina, I charged at him again.

“Slash!”

I followed up with a swing of my magic claws. Five streaks of wounds were etched across Hector’s chest.

Just as I disregarded defense, his defense was rendered meaningless as well.

Avoiding fatal attacks while enduring minor ones to counterattack—

This was how I survived in the wilderness and maximized my regeneration.

“Crunch!”

Once again, the axe blade embedded itself in my left side. But it didn’t stop there.

Using the strength of his arms and waist, Hector spun, causing my body, impaled by the axe, to rotate with him.

“Thud!”

Hector slammed me into the ground. Before he could follow up, I quickly rolled away.

“Boom!”

As expected, Hector stomped the ground with immense force. If that had hit me, my head would have been crushed.

I got to my feet and took a few steps back. Lightning flickered along Hector’s axe.

“Drip, drip, drip—”

Blood poured from my side, further soaking my shirt in red. Now, the red parts outweighed the white.

Though my side had been struck twice already, I paid it no mind.

My mana was abundant, my stamina intact, and pain was something I was used to.

Regenerating my wound immediately, I charged forward again.

“Hmm!”

Hector gripped his axe with both hands and swung it downward. Naturally, it was imbued with azure lightning.

I didn’t dodge the attack but faced it head-on. That didn’t mean I intended to take the hit.

“Grip!”

Before Hector could bring it down, I grabbed the axe handle. This damned axe was the real problem.

While I fought barehanded, he used a weapon like this. Truly unfair.

“Crackle! Crackle!”

The moment I grabbed the axe, powerful lightning coursed through my body. It was incomparable to Kara’s.

It’s almost on par with Porori’s lightning. As expected, he seems to be someone blessed by the God of Destruction, Gulak.

“Ughhh······!”

“Hrrrgh!”

I forcibly suppressed my muscles from contracting and held on with sheer determination. Hector, too, was gritting his teeth and pushing back.

When both of us use mana, our strength is about equal. However, given the situation, Hector has the upper hand.

In other words, the axe is slowly descending toward my head. At this rate, my skull will be split in half.

Just as the axe blade came dangerously close to my eyes, I twisted my strength to redirect it, causing it to strike my shoulder instead.

Thud!

I immediately followed up with a punch. But it was blocked perfectly.

Hector caught my fist with his hand, as if to say it wouldn’t work a second time.

His other hand was gripping the axe handle, making it difficult for him to retrieve it. Thus, he had no free hand to counter.

Crack!

Hector’s solid forehead slammed into mine. Seeing him prepare to use a headbutt, I retaliated in kind.

Perhaps because our hard heads collided, I felt a dizzying sensation.

“Ugh······”

Hector seemed worse off than me, as he staggered backward.

Fortunately, it seems my forehead is tougher than his.

Of course, that aside······

Slash!

I had to act. Before he could regain his senses, I swung my magic claws.

Just like before, a deep wound was etched across his chest by the claws.

While his body accumulated more injuries, I was healing mine effortlessly through regeneration.

Crunch!

Once again, the axe blade dug into my abdomen. At the same time, I felt my body lift and soar far into the distance.

No, I wasn’t just imagining it. I was actually flying through the air.

Rumble!

Just as Hector had experienced earlier, trees toppled like dominoes and shattered helplessly.

Without even a moment to process the excruciating pain, I got back on my feet. Then, I suddenly noticed a persistent ache in my side.

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

“Now I finally understand. That absurd regenerative power of yours. It’s because of that you can pull off such insane feats.”

Hector spoke in a serious tone from ahead. I didn’t even think of pulling out the axe as I stared forward.

Something felt off. My wild instinct kept sending me signals of danger.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

As the dust settled, Hector’s figure came into view.

Unlike Kara, who had only wrapped lightning around her arms, he was cloaked in lightning across his entire body.

Even his eyes glowed with blue lightning, shining like a divine aura. He truly looked as if the God of Thunder had descended.

“If that’s the case······”

This must be the true power of the King of Destruction, Hector.

A being who destroys everything in his path with a lightning-clad body, second only to Rod in being closest to the sky.

“I’ll make your regeneration meaningless.”

Hector slowly raised both arms upward. The moment I saw that, I hastily tore the axe out of my abdomen and charged forward.

The instant he revealed his full power, one thing became clear above all else. My wild instinct told me.

I absolutely cannot win.

Boom!

Just as my magic claws were about to pierce his body, Hector slammed his raised arms into the ground.

Crash!!

Waves of lightning rippled outward, destroying the entire forest area.

*****

-Crash!!

“······Huh?”

Meanwhile, Ratatoskr, the squirrel spirit beast wandering the forest after leaving Ellie’s side,

turned his head with a puzzled expression as he heard the sound of thunder from a clear sky.

His cheeks were puffed full, and his mouth was constantly munching. In his hands was yet another acorn.

While Ellie attended her class, he had been leisurely snacking on acorns in the forest. After all, there was no one to bother him.

“Is someone praying to the heavens or something?”

At first, Ratatoskr dismissed it and moved on.

“······!!”

But the energy that followed the lightning made his ears perk up.

Soon, Ratatoskr whipped his head around in the direction of the lightning.

His expression was one of utter confusion, as if asking what on earth was going on.

“······Oh, for crying out loud.”

Ratatoskr tossed aside the acorn he was holding and began running somewhere.

“Which lunatic is so desperate to die?”

He muttered incomprehensible words as he dashed off.