“Still no progress, I see.”
Out of frustration, I gulped down the cold water that was floating nearby in one breath.
The awful taste snapped my mind awake instantly.
This water tastes absolutely terrible.
Anyway, in order to become a master, I either need a strong enlightenment or an equivalent experience. Unfortunately, such an opportunity hasn’t come my way yet.
Although I have understood the basic concepts of the Shadow-Killing Spear techniques, they need to be refined further, so I still can’t use them properly. Nonetheless, the various tips in the manual have been quite helpful.
Things like how to maintain your center of gravity, how to run to conserve stamina, or how to move silently…
Still, it’s quite difficult to apply them in practice.
Therefore, I need another opportunity.
I don’t know if this martial competition will provide that opportunity, but at least if it helps me find any clues, that would be ideal.
Although I haven’t reached the final level yet, I am almost there, and with a little more chance, I might become a master.
“…Let’s have some food.”
There’s no point sitting in a corner of the training room and brooding. I should eat while thinking about the main tournament.
…Even someone who is considered lower in skill than me shouldn’t be underestimated.
Even a speck of arrogance on the battlefield could cost you your life. Therefore, I must approach this martial competition with the same mindset.
After calming my mind with a deep breath, I left the training room.
————————
“Uncle, don’t give up!”
“Eun-gong, I hope you have a good match.”
Getting encouragement from the protagonist feels a bit strange.
Ordinarily, I should be in the cheering section, but it’s odd to be the one being cheered for. It makes me feel like the protagonist.
“Can I say something like, ‘I’ll come back after cutting your neck with this tea still warm?'”
“Or should I go out there with a crescent moon blade and a beard?”
“No, I was just joking.”
“Eun-gong seems to have broad knowledge. Knowing about local customs even though you’re from the Western Regions is impressive…”
Actually, it’s something I learned before reincarnation, so it feels a little disingenuous to call it ‘broad knowledge.’
But since I can’t exactly say that, I guess I’ll let people think I’m knowledgeable.
“You learn certain things because they might come in handy in life.”
“Really? How did you learn all this, uncle?”
“There are Oriental books available in the Western Regions that I’ve read.”
I answered smoothly with a lie as I sheathed the sword I was sharpening. It was time to start the martial competition.
“It’s been a while since I’ve fought someone wielding a spear.”
For a swordsman, a spear expert is always a difficult opponent due to the range difference, which is hard to overcome unless there’s a significant skill gap.
“Does anyone know about the Yang household?”
“I don’t know anything about it!”
“The Yang family’s spear technique is known as ‘Pear blossom spear’ and is famous for its diverse variations and long-range thrusting skills.”
“Thank you.”
“Not at all, Eun-gong. Compared to the gratitude you’ve bestowed upon me, this is nothing…”
“Don’t overburden yourself with formalities.”
…Why is this person still here? While participants who made it to the final round need to wait, it feels strange since this person was usually alone in the early part of the story.
Well, never mind.
With all this on my mind, I should focus on heading to the competition ground.
“Yang Seoyu! William! Please come to the arena!”
“It’s about to begin.”
“Good luck and come back safely!”
“Looking forward to an excellent match.”
So it’s really starting now. I walked towards the arena.
—————–
“Now! From the Western Regions! William, versus the successor of the Yang family! Yang Seoyu! Let the martial competition begin!”
‘That’s a long spear.’
Close to 7 Chi length.
As spears are already among the longest of weapons, Yang Seoyu’s spear seemed even longer, leading William to believe this might be a challenging fight.
Spear, king of all weapons.
It has the longest range next to bows and crossbows, combined with formidable power, making most swordsmen find it difficult to handle.
Parrying attacks from such a distance without being able to reach the opponent would exhaust one’s stamina greatly. William, having used the spear himself, understood this issue better than anyone.
‘I’d better spend some time probing for weaknesses.’
While pressing forward might work if there’s a skill gap, William planned to take his time analyzing the opponent.
Not only was he interested in seeing the spear techniques of the Central Plains, but also revealing his full strength in this match when he had two more matches left, wasn’t the wisest choice.
Therefore, after drawing his sword and assuming the Ox Guard stance, William looked at Yang Seoyu who, upon seeing his sword, stepped forward with his left foot, directed the spear at him, and spoke with a glint in his eyes.
“Shameless bastard…”
‘What the heck is this?’
Confused by this unexpected insult, William frowned and looked at Yang Seoyu, trying to understand why he would call him such a name.
Suddenly accusing William of being shameless, why?
Unable to contain the unresolved question, William decided to ask.
“Why am I a shameless bastard?”
“While you should be focusing on self-discipline, you’re flirting with a beautiful young lady!”
‘…Is it really that big of a deal? You seem like a decent young lord, so why not just date her?’
William found it amusing to see Yang Seoyu overflowing with jealousy, and chuckled slightly before replying.
“Stop making excuses on the arena; stop this nonsense and focus on the competition.”
“Damn… you’ll regret this!”
‘Regret what?’
Before William could even question this, he focused on the spear thrusting towards him.
All martial techniques start from the tip of the weapon.
Whether it’s a flashy attack akin to the Plum Blossom Twenty-four Hands Sword Play, leaving streaks of light in its trail, or a direct, forceful stab that moves slowly but is straight and unwavering.
William skillfully avoided each incoming spear strike with several illusory images created by his swift movements. The rapid succession of spear attacks continuously failed to hit him and instead pierced empty air.
His surprisingly agile movements for a large frame impressed the audience.
“Amazing.”
“I thought he was simply a brute who fought using his strength since he started throwing things around.”
“This Colored-Eyed Person seems likely to win this fight.”
“No, for a sword vs spear battle, it’s not easy for the sword to gain an advantage. Right now, he can’t even make a move to approach. Hence, he’s just at the second level.”
“He shouldn’t be boasting that he’s at the first level…”
‘The consecutive attacks are fast, but they aren’t perfect. The trajectory isn’t modified well enough.’
Adaptability in combat is key. Sometimes, you need to improvise. To William, Yang Seoyu’s spear techniques might be well-practiced, but they relied heavily on conventional patterns.
‘He hasn’t experienced a lot of real combat.’
Compared to the Mamluks, whose spear techniques were unpredictable and could strike in the blink of an eye or surprise the opponent with an unexpected move, Yang Seoyu’s spear was amateurish to William’s eyes.
‘If this continues, I will get tired first! I have to…’
Yang Seoyu increased the speed of his attacks, which was quite exhausting, but capturing him was the goal. For the first time, William blocked the spear with his sword.
The spear slid off the flat of the sword and curved outward. Unable to handle the sudden deflection due to the momentum of his rapid strikes, Yang Seoyu’s body tilted sideways.
‘Now’s my chance.’
William then charged within Yang Seoyu’s guard.
Taking advantage of his broken stance, Yang Seoyu quickly retracted the spear he had thrust out and spun his body once.
‘So, he isn’t completely incompetent.’
As Yang Seoyu swung the spear pole around after his spin, William accelerated further and pushed him.
“Ah!”
“Even if you attempt to counter, swinging the long spear after giving up distance means it serves no purpose. You should have tried to buy time or gripped the spear short to strike or…”
“Or used internal energy to push me aside with the spear shaft.”
But Yang Seoyu was rolling on the ground, missing William’s incisive remarks.
‘Seems he got mad…’
Yang Seoyu wiped the blood streaming from his nose with his sleeve, and though his face and sleeve were smeared with blood, he had not lost the will to fight. With a serious expression, he adjusted his spear anew.
‘I can’t lose here!’
Especially, given that this was the place where he had received support from his family. Even if he lost, he couldn’t show an embarrassing face.
“…I’m going.”
“Then come.”
Yang Seoyu’s spear charged towards William once more.
