Chapter 9 A Monster
-Fein's POV-
We are now in a training area, and Captain Gregory has decided to put my skill on every weapon to the test. I didn't choose the sword because I'm already an expert at it. I even defeated Captain Gregory in a sword-on-sword duel. The captain possesses considerable skill, but not sufficient to be referred to as a master. I'll never forget The Captain's surprised expression when I went from being an amateur to being able to compete with him in a few battles. Because of my talent, I was also able to adapt to his rhythm and fighting techniques.
...
Captain was now in front of me, holding the ax in his left hand with a smooth motion. The ax had a cold glint to it, and the handle was scratched.
"Are you ready?" he asked, taking a fighting stance.
I looked at him, my left hand clutching an ax with the size of a 9-year-old child. Because of my strength in reaching the D Rank, or the highest point the human body can reach. In terms of raw strength, I can now compete with Batman. because C Rank has already surpassed the limit and can be classified as Inhuman. As a result of my Degu reaching C Rank... My ability has gained a new function called "Probe." And here's how it goes...
'Probe'
Name: Degory Smith
Degu Amount: (C)
Str: (C)
Agi: (C)
End: (C)
Yes, I can now view people's basic information by launching the skill to them. Unfortunately, it is unable to determine their ability at this time... Captain has a strength and endurance advantage over me.
In reality, my thoughts occurred in a fraction of a second...
I gathered some momentum in my feet and ran towards the captain like an afterimage, looking at him. When he saw me move, he charged at me and swung his ax at me.
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'Captain is really strong; I should dodge or else his monstrous force will disrupt my rhythm,' I reasoned.
I moved one meter to the right, one meter away from the ax that was now in my original position.
*Phew*
"That was close* I said to Captain humorously trying to annoy him.
I looked at him, trying to read his expression... He just teasingly turned his head at me. "Don't be complacent or you will pay for it"
I looked at him, puzzled, when I realized his Ax had changed trajectory without making a sound, and my eyes widened in surprise at the micromanipulation he displayed with such a large weapon as Ax.
I tried to regain my footing, but it was difficult because I had dodged his first attack and had been caught off guard. I decided to face it head on because I didn't have any other option. As a result, I used the large ax as a shield to withstand the incoming attack.
Captain, seeing my move, decided to reduce the force of his attack just enough to throw me off balance... I was blasted into the floor.
"Lesson One: Don't let your guard down." He looked at me now, solemn. "If this was a real battle, you'd be dead by now."
'Sh*t, I paid the price for being complacent,' I thought.
I cursed my conceited smugness... If it was a real battle, I'd be dead by now, according to the captain.
"Well, don't be stuck on it... It's normal to make mistakes, but what we have to do is learn from them and never try to repeat them," he said bitterly, as if reminiscing about something.
"Thank you, Captain!" I said gratefully.
He was without a doubt the best teacher... I am grateful that I had the chance to learn these things early. After all, this experience will help me avoid future problems that could cost me my life. I didn't realize it at the time, but my powerful talent had led to a subtle complacency in me. I kept telling myself not to let something like talent pass me by. But here I was in the end... Reality smacked me in the face. As Captain pointed out, there was no need to dwell on something like this. What matters most is that we learn from our mistakes.
Life is a never-ending series of blunders. Furthermore, in my previous life, I was just a regular civilian. A tranquil epoch in which technology made life easier than ever before. As a result, it caused society to stagnate or people to become lazy. After all, one of the reasons humans strive to develop technology is laziness... We live in a society that is heavily reliant on technology. So it appears that I haven't fully adapted to this world, which has made killing and murder a daily occurrence, as I thought I had.
'How naive of me,' I remarked, laughing at my own utter stupidity.
I stood up after looking at Gregory Smith. "Let's do it again, Captain."
"That's the spirit," he said as he nodded.
We immediately took our respective positions and charged at each other.
...
-General POV-
Fain quickly swung his Ax at Gregory while also trying to find a good position.
*Clang* *Clang* Clang*
A sound of metal clashing was being produce every now and then...
'Fain was being pushed back every time their axes collided due to strength differences, Gregory's fighting style with the Ax was entirely different than when he used a sword. Enough so that even Fain, who thought he understood his technique, was caught off guard. It was as if he had transformed into a completely different person. The way he moves, maneuvers, and changes his trajectory at a tricky angle in a row is terrifying. Now I understand why he was chosen as Ranger's Eye's captain. He was a fearsome foe with years of combat experience... He will not allow an opponent to think in the midst of battle.
'How terrifying would he be if he could use his ability?' 'The thought made me shudder.
Despite my best efforts, I was almost defeated again. But as time passed, my smile grew wider and wider. My talent was gradually revealing its terrifying prowess. As time passes, I've become completely accustomed to the pace of the battle... I didn't have a choice but to bear the brunt of all his attacks at first, but now... I can almost always avoid most of his attacks while countering them from an unexpected angle. Captain was utterly terrified... He had lost his usual expression on his face as he realized what was going on.
'Seeing his face like that is actually satisfying' I thought with amusement..."