A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Ever since I landed in the forest, the only things that felt solid when I hit them were mostly rocks. I've occasionally encountered creatures or monsters with sturdy bodies, but in those cases, it was more about thick hide rather than hardness. It wasn't steel-like solidity; rather they were frustratingly tough and thick. But I managed to deal with that.

Even after entering civilization, the same held true. I have bitten steel swords in half with my mouth and even demolished buildings.

But Lize's body that I punched? It looked like it was carved out of rock, but its durability exceeded that of stone.

If it’s tougher than my body, which carries the Steel King trait, that's saying something. Anyone else would have fractured their fists by now.

"Brother Sivar's body is quite solid, too. Normally, one's fist should be wrecked by now."

Lize seemed to sense that as well, showing a satisfied smile as she spoke. Her neatly aligned teeth were notably impressive.

In Saintess mode, it would have been an endlessly beautiful smile, but this was Martial Saintess mode. Just her smile alone gave off an oppressive aura.

Especially to me, it conjured up the image of a ‘wall’. A wall that remains unscathed no matter how much you hit it.

At this point, there was only one method left. I had to infuse magic. I could use the condensation technique I had learned previously.

I clenched my fist tight and began to condense mana. Although it had merged with the red mana, the feeling was enough.

As soon as I felt the mana was condensed in my fist, I punched towards Lize’s abdomen.

Bang!!

It was a mana-enhanced attack since mere fists did nothing. This should have a good chance of working.

Even Hector was flummoxed by my punches, surely she couldn't be unfazed.

"The attack is spicier than before. Technically sound, and plenty of mana too. Very impressive."

?!

She was fine. I couldn’t help but be astounded.

As I mentioned before, in the Soul World, her strength mainly showed when facing demons.

Normally, there's no occasion for her to exert force against someone who's not a demon, and Byzantine, her homeland, upholds neutrality, which keeps her away from war.

Plus, with the setup of being the hard counter to demons, she had a strange reputation. It was assumed she would struggle against a person.

‘Struggle? What struggle!’

I realized this when I struck directly. It was all underestimated.

Her being a nemesis to demons has no meaning. Lize’s body is just insanely solid.

Ratatatata!

I began throwing a flurry of punches in hopes of breaking through. Numerous fists jabbed into Lize’s abdomen.

Such rapid attacks hardly occur unless the circumstances are just right. According to what Kara said, they are inefficient and consume a lot of energy.

It’s better to use rapid strikes for the final blow or during critical moments. Otherwise, it's better to hit with all your might.

However, to break through Lize's solid, no more than steel-like durability, this was the only method.

Like whetting a blade on a grinding stone, I aimed to slowly chip away at her defenses.

Boom!

After a flurry, the last punch landed. My fist lodged squarely into her abdomen.

But all my effort seemed in vain; Lize didn't flinch. A leisurely smile still occupied her face.

"Is that all? As I've told you before, it's fine to use weapons."

With her trademark refreshing smile, Lize invited me to continue. I couldn’t just stand by.

I shook off the numb feeling in my hands and reached out with my left hand. Then, in my mind, I called out the weapon’s name.

Playing with it in my spare time, it would emerge in my hand unless it was Hector or Kara.

Whoomph – Thud!

At last, that familiar sensation filled my palm. Ragnarok flew into my grasp.

"Jeez, jeez, jeez… I hope the house isn't a mess again."

From a distance, Rod clicked his tongue and grumbled. I could guess what he was worried about.

Ragnarok was supposed to be stored at home as a precaution. He was concerned whether the house was disheveled again because of this.

Originally, there was no need to use Ragnarok. But to inflict damage on Lize, I had no choice.

‘What was Lize's trait again? It's a bit hazy.'

It’s certain she possesses traits exceeding even the Steel King. Perhaps she used mana or even sacred power as well.

I began slowly infusing mana into Ragnarok. It's an end-spec equipment, especially for a faith character, and for Gulak as well.

Lightning is hard to withstand unless one's body is well-fortified. Therefore, Ragnarok should be able to hold my red mana as well.

Whoomph!

"Hmm."

Ragnarok trembled as I endowed it with mana. Lize seemed to sense something serious was underway, her expression turning grave.

Until now, she had maintained a calm smile, but it seemed this strike would indeed have an impact.

‘If she feels like she’s about to die, she'll dodge it naturally.’

Lize is stronger than me. Much stronger.

Therefore, she should be able to make an objective judgment if the power distance warranted it.

If the attack felt too dangerous, she would evade; if not, she'd stand still.

After infusing the axe with as much mana as it could bear, I swung it towards Lize’s abdomen.

Until the axe nearly reached her, Lize didn’t move but simply stood in place.

Boom!!

The sound of our collision echoed mightily around us, with shockwaves rippling out centered around me and Lize.

If we weren’t in an open field, the powerful storm caused by my wind-swept hair would suggest the devastating impact.

Such a shockwave only comes when great forces collide. I closed my eyes momentarily but soon opened them slowly.

"Truly…"

My axe had struck Lize’s abdomen. A totally different scenario compared to when I punched with my fist.

"Truly… that was a marvelous strike!"

The problem was it barely penetrated. It just grazed the skin and embedded slightly in the muscle.

Blood flowed, staining Lize's clothes red, but that’s about it. It's questionable to even call it a wound.

"To inflict a wound on this body of mine! Such deed is indeed incredible!"

Lize seemed surprised even by this tiny mark, half-surely commending me as if she were proud.

But seriously, how is her body made that this is all the damage it sustains? Now I'm flabbergasted.

"No. Why?"

It’s ludicrous enough that I blurted out such words. I looked up after regarding the axe stuck in Lize’s abdomen.

Lize, looking rather pleased, pulled the axe out. As soon as she removed the axe, her wound began to heal gradually.

She's not just resilient in strength but regenerative power as well, surpassing human limits. Like me, Lize is far from an ordinary human.

"For decades I traveled as a pilgrim, enduring countless hardships and tribulations. The process was like a blacksmith tempering metal. My ‘body,' which was lacking, was honed in such a manner."

Speaking while caressing her now healed abdomen, Lize began to explain. Just how did she journey that resulted in such a physique?

Her conviction was near eccentric to begin with, so some understanding was within reach. But this transcends all logical boundaries.

"That's how my body transformed, much like a chick breaking free from its shell. In the East, they call this ‘rebirth by shedding the mortal coil.'"

"…"

"The heart of a wanderer. The body obtained through rebirth. Lastly, the energy combining both mana and sacred power. All these tempered together to create this result!"

Creak-

As Lize struck a pose flexing her muscles, her whole body dynamically animated.

Her pacific-like pectorals writhed, and veins along the muscles invoked a primal ‘awe.'

"Brother Sivar, your body and energy are perfect. That’s why you could wound me. Yet, your heart is still lacking. If you could control that too, not only could you bring me down, but you could also gain a potent shield."

Stagger-

Unwittingly, I stepped back. It was a near madness-inducing sight that made me retreat without even realizing it.

Wild instincts aside, the overall ambiance was eerie. Along with that, I recalled how Lize was referred to in the Soul World.

‘A monster crafted by the gods…'

Extremes meet – the ‘weapon' created to battle demons was none other than Lize herself.

"Now, it's my turn. As stressed before, there will be no direct hits."

As I was backing away, Lize spoke up. Realizing my fighting spirit had been thoroughly broken, she took the initiative.

At this point, all I felt like doing was turning my back and fleeing. Running away is not a shameful thing.

Sometimes one must recognize their limits and run away. It's a mindset I picked up from living in the wild.

"Fury activates in the face of mortal peril. So watch closely, open your eyes wide."

Crunch!

But my thoughts were late. Lize clenched her right fist and moved towards me.

Just as I was about to turn my back in haste, her voice reached me first.

"This is the visceral ‘death.'"

What filled my vision next were two things.

Boom!!!

Lize's thick fist rushing towards my face and…

[Fury is activating!]

It was a vivid ‘death.'

Time seemed to move sluggishly, and despite Fury activating, my consciousness remained clear.

Even as Lize’s fist got inches from my face, I couldn’t even blink.

My body was stiff, and my mind was blank.

Except for one thing, the sensation of ‘death’ that seemed to desiccate all the blood in my body.

Tap-

"…"

"…"

Lize's fist touched lightly on the tip of my nose. A touch so feather-light, contrary to the crushing approach.

Just that contact nearly made my legs buckle. Somehow, I remained upright, but it felt like I would crumble at the slightest touch.

[Fury has been released!]

The system message filled my vision, but I didn’t care. I couldn't, actually.

All I could see was Lize's fist – why was it as big as my face?

"How do you feel, Brother Sivar?"

Behind her fist, Lize's voice came through. I realized then.

"What does it feel like to come back from the brink of death?"

Lize was unspeakably powerful.

As I stood speechless, she slowly retracted her fist.

As she did, the shadow cleared from my face, and light slowly returned.

"You can do it too. Humans inherently have beastly traits, so even with Fury, it should be no big deal."

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Was it the near-death experience that caused it? My heart started pounding wildly.

Amidst this, Lize extended her hand instead of her fist, proposing with a refreshing smile,

"You're human, Brother Sivar. So don't worry too much."

Surely this is Martial Saintess mode Lize.

"I will help you."

Why did she feel like a saintess? I couldn’t fathom the reason.