A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 39

Crash!

A tidal wave of lightning sweeps through the entire forest.

The towering trees topple like reeds, and the dense thicket is pulverized into dust, scattering in all directions.

Just one attack. When Hector enveloped himself in lightning and struck the ground, the surrounding terrain features were utterly devastated.

The sheer power explains why he is called the “King of Destruction” and why his infamy persists even after founding the Tatars.

And Sivar had no choice but to endure that power directly with his body. Worse, he was hit at point-blank range.

Crackle!

“······!!”

Sivar’s mouth gapes open as he is flung backward. The pain scorches not only his exterior but also deep into his core.

In terms of raw power, it was far stronger than the lightning Porori had unleashed. He nearly lost consciousness.

It was only natural since Hector was closer to the Blessing of Gulak than Porori ever was.

Zap!

As he hurriedly began regenerating his body, the sound of lightning brushing past his ears reached him.

Even as he was being hurled through the air, Sivar strained to lift his head and look toward the presence he felt.

Hector, who had approached unnoticed, was now standing right beside him. To reiterate, Sivar was still airborne.

Then, gripping the Ragnarok he seemed to have just retrieved, Hector swung it downward with all his might.

Thud!

With a sound more akin to striking firewood than flesh, Sivar’s body was slammed into the ground.

Hector’s target was not the neck but the chest. However, the chest is the area closest to the heart.

In other words, it meant the heart was perfectly positioned to be roasted by the lightning. No matter how strong someone is, if their heart is struck······

Crackle!

They die.

“Gah······!”

In the fleeting moments of the relentless assault, Sivar’s eyes snapped wide open. The sensation of his heart being cooked by lightning was vividly real.

He wanted to struggle somehow, but his body, thoroughly electrified, refused to move properly.

The electric shock was far stronger than Porori’s lightning. Even as he felt his consciousness slipping away, he reached out his hand.

Clench!

His hand reached for Hector’s arm. He tried with all his might to push him away.

The axe embedded in his chest continued to send electric currents through him, causing excruciating pain, but staying still would have been foolish.

Hector, as if determined not to miss this opportunity, pressed the blunt end of the axe firmly with his palm.

‘Was this a miscalculation?’

As Hector applied more force to the Ragnarok, he thought to himself. Perhaps he had misjudged.

Surely, Sivar’s life must have been hanging by a thread, yet there were no signs of berserk rage.

It was merely the desperate struggle of a man trying to survive.

This was not the behavior of a beast but of a human.

‘Then perhaps just knocking him out······’

Chill!

Just as he decided to aim for unconsciousness, Hector felt an inexplicable sense of danger.

It wasn’t just danger—it was a chilling foreboding. At the same time, the axe he was pressing down on began to rise slowly.

Despite exerting all his strength, the Ragnarok was lifting far too easily. Hector, momentarily startled, glanced at Sivar’s expression.

“Grrrr······!”

Sivar’s already red eyes glowed even more menacingly. Hector couldn’t help but be alarmed at the sight.

This was undoubtedly berserk rage. It was one of the signs that only monsters or beasts with red eyes could exhibit.

Though it had taken a bit longer than expected, the moment confirmed Hector’s uneasy premonition.

Crackle!

“Ugh······!”

The instant Hector witnessed the berserk state, he maximized both his strength and the output of his lightning.

However, Sivar didn’t budge and forcefully pushed the axe away. It was as if he felt no pain at all.

At this rate, Hector would inevitably lose. He quickly decided to release the axe and retreat. Even without the axe, the lightning remained.

-Roarrr!

As soon as Hector stepped back, Sivar rose to his feet and let out a ferocious roar. The sound sent chills down Hector’s spine.

It felt like facing a massive beast from his childhood. A sensation of utter helplessness before a true predator.

Hector was momentarily shaken by the feeling, but as Sivar charged at him, he prepared to respond.

To block his approach, Hector unleashed a powerful burst of lightning from his hands.

Since the lightning had tangible physical force, it should at least slow him down.

“Aaargh!”

“What······”

But that assumption was entirely wrong. Sivar charged straight through the lightning without hesitation.

He wasn’t even pushed back by the force. Like a beast incapable of feeling pain, he charged forward madly.

Then, with hands faintly imbued with red mana, he swiped at Hector.

Slash!

Compared to before his berserk state, his speed had multiplied several times over. Unable to dodge properly, Hector sustained another wound.

However, unlike earlier, Sivar hadn’t created an opening. He had simply attacked recklessly, yet it landed.

This meant Hector couldn’t evade Sivar’s attacks by sight alone. If he tried to dodge visually, he’d end up taking hits like this.

Crash!

Without giving Hector a moment to react, Sivar raised both arms high and slammed them down.

Hector narrowly dodged, leaving the unfortunate ground to bear the brunt of the attack. But even that single strike caused the terrain to quake as if an earthquake had struck.

‘I can’t even knock him out······!’

Each attack was devastatingly powerful and incredibly fast. Even when Hector wanted to counter, opportunities were scarce.

The only advantage was that Sivar’s “reason” had vanished, making his movements larger and more predictable. Hector decided to exploit this.

Crunch!

Fortunately, that decision proved correct. After narrowly dodging Sivar’s attack, Hector drove his axe into Sivar’s abdomen.

Thud!

“Guh!”

He immediately realized it was a mistake. The attack didn’t even cause stiffness, and Sivar’s hand plunged deep into Hector’s arm.

Due to Sivar’s massive bulk, it was just below the shoulder, but that wasn’t the end.

Crackle!

Sivar yanked his embedded hand backward as if tearing it out. Hector’s flesh and muscle were ripped apart in chunks, falling away pitifully.

The wound was so severe that bone was barely exposed. The torn-off pieces dangled from Sivar’s magic claws.

Crackle!

Hector quickly pushed past the searing pain and unleashed his power to its maximum.

Both externally and internally, he burned everything with lightning, as if to completely incinerate Sivar.

Slice!

Even that was futile. Sivar, entirely unfazed by the electric shock, slashed with his claws.

This time, the claws aimed not at Hector’s arm but his face. Sensing the danger, Hector pulled his head back, but he was a moment too late.

Sivar’s magic claws narrowly grazed near his mouth, tearing away a chunk of his cheek.

Even one corner of his lip was left tattered, completely split apart.

-Aagh!

Thud!

With a feral roar, Sivar lunged at Hector, knocking him down. Hector, his face injured, helplessly fell backward.

The difference in their sizes was meaningless. Sivar’s body slam easily toppled Hector’s massive frame.

Still impaled by the axe, Sivar mounted Hector.

Grab!

Just as Sivar was about to strike, Hector barely managed to grab his arm. The other arm that came flying toward him was also intercepted.

Thus, Sivar’s two arms were restrained, but Hector had to exert every ounce of strength.

‘What kind of strength······!’

Even holding on was a struggle. Despite pushing his mana and lightning to their limits, it was nearly impossible to shake Sivar off.

Trying to use a technique to escape the mount position? That would be a death sentence.

As the two continued their desperate power struggle, it was Sivar who acted first.

Bang!

Sivar, unable to do anything else, resorted to a headbutt. How hard did he hit for such a sound to come out?

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

It didn’t end with just one. Like a madman, Sivar repeatedly slammed his head into Hector’s face.

A headbutt can be highly effective, but it’s a technique that places great strain on the user. For that reason, it’s rarely used.

However, Sivar didn’t seem to care about his own body. His sole objective was to kill Hector, and he used headbutts to achieve it.

Crash! Crack! Crunch!

And the results were remarkable. Hector’s face, which had been holding up at first, began to gradually cave in.

First, his nasal bone was pressed in, then it shattered, and eventually, the bones in his face started breaking apart.

Hector tried to amplify his lightning to the maximum to block the attack, but Sivar was unfazed.

Crack!

Rather than feeling pain, Sivar simply used another headbutt. As a result, Hector began to feel his consciousness slipping away.

If he lost consciousness here, he would undoubtedly die. If that happened, there would be no one left to stop Sivar.

‘Damn it······ If I had known······’

Every single thing was his own mistake. He hadn’t realized how strong Sivar would be in his Berserk State.

It might have been better to trust him and observe the situation. His rash nature had brought about this disaster.

He had faced death countless times in his life. But at least back then, he had no regrets.

In contrast, now he felt regret. The face of none other than his daughter, Kara, came to mind.

‘Am I going······’

As his consciousness faded, the strength in his arms disappeared, and naturally, Sivar’s two arms were freed.

-Roarrr!!!

Sivar let out a roar and, with his now-free hands, grabbed Hector’s face.

He then began to apply force, intending to completely crush it.

At this rate, the King of the Tatars would meet his death at the hands of a Wildling, but······

Bang!

Suddenly, something came charging in and collided with Sivar’s body. The impact bent Sivar’s body like a bow and sent him flying far away.

Thanks to this, Hector was able to escape death, but he was practically in a state of complete incapacitation.

After being hit with consecutive headbutts, his face was in shambles, making coherent thought difficult.

“Oh dear. See what happens when you mess with someone who’s minding their own business? Even a passing dog would bite if provoked.”

“Ugh······”

At that moment, Hector heard a sharp voice. Simultaneously, something was placed in his mouth.

Instinctively, Hector chewed on what seemed to be some kind of herb. A sharp fragrance spread in his mouth, and the pain gradually subsided.

Judging by its pain-relieving effect, it seemed to be a medicinal herb. Moreover, his body began to regain vitality.

“In your human terms, it’s a drug? Anyway, something like that. The young lady said it’s one of the ingredients, so make sure to take it.”

“··· ···”

So it was an herb with narcotic components. Hector understood.

For such rapid effects, it could only be that kind of herb. His mind slowly started to clear.

Eventually, Hector barely managed to open his tightly shut eyes and turned his head. It was toward the direction of the voice.

“······?”

What is this? Is what he’s seeing right now reality?

Hector was bewildered to see a squirrel standing confidently in front of him. Not just anything else, but a squirrel.

Could it be that he had been killed by Sivar, and now a squirrel had come to greet him? He had never heard of squirrels appearing at the moment of death.

Slap!

“If you’ve come to your senses, get up already, you musclehead. If you caused this mess, you should take responsibility.”

“······What the hell?”

Hector, who had just been slapped by a squirrel, muttered with a dumbfounded expression. He had no idea what was going on.

“Grrr······”

But soon, the sound of a beast reached his ears, and he realized this wasn’t the time to be confused.

Suppressing the pain that resonated deep in his bones, he raised his upper body. In front of him, Sivar, who had almost killed him, was on high alert.

Moving like a beast, with both hands on the ground, Sivar prowled as if ready to charge at any moment.

“You seem pretty strong by human standards, huh? Though not as much as that old human.”

“··· ···”

As Hector, on the verge of collapse, lifted himself, he glanced to his side. A squirrel the size of a large dog stood upright with its arms crossed.

A squirrel being the size of a large dog was strange enough, but the fact that it spoke fluently was even more baffling. He couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.

There was only one thing he could deduce.

“······A Spirit Beast?”

His torn lips made it hard to speak. Thankfully, his teeth hadn’t been knocked out during the headbutts.

The squirrel, Porori, shrugged at the question and replied in his distinct, nimble voice.

“Something like that. Humans call me Ratatoskr, so you can remember it that way. That guy calls me Porori, though.”

Porori pointed at Sivar, who was now in a defensive stance. Hector followed the direction of his gesture.

Sivar was still prowling on all fours, his hands and feet on the ground, as if ready to pounce at any moment.

‘······Is he being cautious?’

When fighting him earlier, Sivar had been too busy charging in recklessly to show any caution. Even after being electrocuted and struck with an axe, he hadn’t hesitated.

But ever since this squirrel appeared, Sivar had been cautious. Whether it was because of the squirrel itself or because the number of opponents had increased, Hector wasn’t sure.

Hector assumed it was the latter and extended his hand. The axe embedded in Sivar’s abdomen was pulled out and returned to him.

Even with the axe removed from his abdomen, Sivar didn’t so much as blink.

“In that state, he won’t stop until his regeneration is complete. Unless you knock him out in one go, you’ll have to beat him to the brink of death.”

“······You sound like you’ve fought him a few times.”

“I have, actually. He’s a truly disgusting bastard.”

Porori shook his head as if he didn’t even want to imagine it. The problem was that this imagination had become reality.

Fortunately, Hector had managed to land a few major attacks. Though it nearly cost him his life, it didn’t matter.

Crackle!

“Remember. Either knock him out in one blow or wait until his regeneration is complete. Otherwise, there’s no solution.”

“······Got it.”

As lightning flickered across Porori’s entire body, Hector, though confused, responded. What on earth was this Spirit Beast?

It was surprising enough that a Spirit Beast was at the Academy, but it also seemed to know Sivar well. He had no idea what was going on.

But there was no time to dwell on it. Sivar, who had been maintaining a defensive stance, began to move.

-Roarrr!

Bang!

Once again, Sivar slammed his arms into the ground. His arms were brimming with red mana.

Soon, web-like cracks spread in all directions, reaching the positions of Hector and Porori.

The two—no, the two beings—immediately reacted upon seeing the cracks. Both retreated backward.

Crash!

Not long after, a massive explosion of red energy erupted from the cracks. Hector felt a chill run down his spine.

Was Sivar really human? Judging by his actions, he was doing things only a monster would do.

Thud-thud-thud!

In the meantime, Sivar charged fiercely. At first, he leaped like a four-legged beast, but he soon switched to running on two legs.

That didn’t slow him down. On the contrary, he became even faster, closing the distance in an instant.

Sivar’s target was Porori. It seemed he found the lively Porori more threatening than the half-dead Hector.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Crunch!

Sivar swung his magic claws wildly at Porori. Due to the height difference, he slashed toward the ground, leaving deep gouges with each strike.

Porori easily dodged the attacks while signaling to Hector with his eyes. It was a gesture to seize the opportunity.

Hector, not being a fool, immediately launched an attack. With Sivar’s back exposed, it was an easy target.

Crunch!

He aimed for the lower body to disrupt Sivar’s balance, specifically the Achilles tendon area.

No matter how insensitive to pain he was, losing his sense of balance was inevitable.

-Screech!

Hector’s judgment was spot on. While Sivar ignored the pain, he dropped to one knee.

As Sivar turned his head to glare at Hector, Porori launched his attack.

Crack!

Leaping slightly, Porori struck Sivar’s jaw hard with his lightning-infused tail. The impact sent Sivar flying.

“Heavens Above!”

Kugugung!

As soon as Sivar fell, Porori raised both arms high and shouted. A massive thunderclap resounded from the sky.

Kwa-gwa-gwang!

Immediately after, a thick bolt of lightning struck where Sivar had landed. Hector wasn’t idle either.

“Hup!”

Kwaang!

When he slammed his axe into the ground, an even thicker bolt of lightning descended than Porori’s.

Porori, impressed by the sight, tapped Hector’s leg with his elbow and grinned.

“You seem to be favored by the sky too, huh? Since when?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Really? Me too…”

Bwoong!

Porori didn’t get to finish his sentence.

Sivar had picked up one of the fallen trees and hurled it with all his might.

Porori easily dodged with his agile movements, but Hector wasn’t so lucky.

Thud!

Already battered, Hector took the hit directly. Sivar had thrown it with such force that he was sent flying far away.

Left alone naturally, Porori clicked his tongue and muttered.

“That useless…”

“Hraaaah!”

But before he could finish, Sivar roared and charged. Porori deftly avoided the hand reaching to grab him.

It was hard to notice, but Sivar’s movements were much slower than before. His regeneration had slowed down.

Slower regeneration meant the end was in sight. The beating Hector had given him was finally taking effect.

Tup!

“Huh?”

While passing between Sivar’s legs, Porori was caught off guard. Sivar had grabbed his long tail with his hand.

His movements had definitely slowed, so how had he managed to grab the tail? He hadn’t been able to before.

But that thought was fleeting, as Sivar began to swing Porori around wildly.

To clarify, he wasn’t hitting him but flinging him around in all directions.

Kwaang! Bang! Bang!

Holding onto the tail, Sivar thrashed Porori like shaking out laundry. After slamming him three times, he briefly checked if he was still alive.

Bang! Bang!

Upon confirming he was alive, Sivar slammed him two more times. Porori was buried deep into the ground but didn’t die.

Instead, the dizzying impact seemed to sharpen his senses. Still, he was left dumbfounded all the same.

Right after, Sivar raised his foot, aiming to stomp on Porori.

Crunch!

Sivar was struck by a tree flying in from somewhere and sent sprawling. It was exactly what had happened to Hector earlier.

Of course, the one who had thrown the tree was Hector. He had returned the favor.

“Still alive?”

“You’re one to talk.”

At Hector’s question, Porori brushed off the dust as he stood up. This much was nothing to him.

Crack!

Meanwhile, Sivar kicked off the tree and charged again.

Though he showed no signs of tiring, his movements were now visibly sluggish. Slow enough for Hector to dodge by sight alone.

Crackle!

Porori, sensing the end was near, pushed his lightning to its limit. Hector did the same.

Then, the two—no, both of them—unleashed all the lightning they could muster at Sivar.

Zzzzt!

-Hraaaah!

Charging through the lightning was no different than before. But this time, he was walking slowly.

Despite being nearly drained of stamina, he continued to approach.

Even roaring as he advanced, Hector felt a chill run down his spine.

But this was the end. Hector exchanged a glance with Porori and momentarily ceased the lightning.

Immediately, Sivar lunged forward. With his now-faint magic claws, he swiped at Hector.

Shhhk!

Sivar’s slowed movements were easy enough for Hector to evade. In that instant, Porori slipped between Sivar’s legs.

Porori’s target was Sivar’s foot. He struck it hard with his lightning-charged tail.

Smack!

Sivar lost his balance and dropped to one knee. This naturally created the perfect angle to attack his face.

Hector didn’t miss the opportunity and swung his axe with all his might at Sivar’s face.

Instead of killing him, he aimed to knock him out, using the blunt side like a hammer.

Crunch!

As soon as the axe struck his jaw, Sivar collapsed to the ground. If he were uninjured, he would have immediately gotten up to attack again.

“Huff. Huff.”

Hector panted heavily as he looked down at Sivar. The word “beast” suited him perfectly.

If it weren’t for that spirit beast, Porori, it would have been truly dangerous. Now, it was all over…

“Grrr…”

“…Hah.”

Apparently, it wasn’t over. Hector let out a hollow breath as Sivar showed signs of getting up.

Soon, Sivar barely lifted his head and glared at Hector. Then, he mumbled something.

“Tuu!”

Crack-

Sivar spat out something white. It was a molar, cleanly knocked out.

Despite putting all his strength into the blow, all he had managed to do was break a single tooth.

“What are you doing, you musclehead?! Hit him again!”

“What?”

Porori shouted urgently as soon as he saw it, but it was already too late. Sivar leapt backward to retreat.

Hector’s delayed reaction was inevitable. His stamina and mana were completely depleted, and even the effects of his potion had worn off.

Squelch-

In the meantime, Sivar, who had retreated, opened his mouth wide toward the two. The missing molar had already regenerated perfectly.

Shwoooosh!

In front of his gaping mouth, red mana began to condense slowly. It looked as though he was scraping together every last bit of mana he had left.

Porori, upon seeing this, was startled and shouted at Hector. It was a rare expression of shock.

“Hey! Do something, quick!”

“…I’m already at my limit.”

“You useless bastard! If you can’t handle it, don’t start something you can’t finish!”

Kurrung!

Porori, fuming with anger, raised both hands to the sky. Weak thunder accompanied the gathering lightning.

At this rate, it was clear a massive clash of power would occur. Hector, lacking the stamina to dodge, could only watch.

Thud-

“Huh?”

“What?”

But then, an unexpected event occurred. Sivar, who had been gathering mana, suddenly collapsed forward.

With no warning signs, both Hector and Porori were utterly baffled. Could he have fainted?

“This should suffice.”

At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind Sivar. Both of them turned to look past the fallen Sivar.

“Hector, don’t even think about going to a hospital for treatment. Just patch yourself up with a potion.”

The Sword Saint, Rod, stood there, gripping his sword.

*****

[Faith increases!]