Chapter 40
Chapter 40
My close-quarters combat skills were among the top even among the cadets. I had a certain pride in that.
However, the assailant mercilessly shattered my pride. He was clearly superior to me. Every time he lightly extended the back of his hand or his palm, my sword was deflected to the side as if it were a lie. He was parrying my sword strikes with his bare hands.
Ka- ang!
I barely managed to pull back my sword and aimed for the assailant’s neck once more. The assailant tilted his upper body at an angle and targeted my chest with his palm.
Kwa-duk!
I blocked the assailant’s attack with the bottom of my sword hilt. I felt a shock so intense that it seemed as if my fingers would break as I was sent flying backward.
‘He’s going easy on me. If he weren’t, I would’ve been dead already.’
Not even five seconds had passed since the fight began. In extreme situations, one’s sense of time becomes distorted. A single second, which would normally pass in an instant, now felt as long as a full minute.
The assailant was exceptional. His martial prowess was so impressive that it made me want to admire him. If he weren’t my enemy, I would have wanted to learn from him.
“Step back, kid. I don’t want to kill you. If you understand who you’re up against, your superior won’t blame you. The Imperial Guard wouldn’t have taught you to waste your life meaninglessly.”
The assailant spoke leisurely, revealing information about himself.