Chapter 12: Rayen vs. Prominent Brow
Chapter 12: Rayen vs. Prominent Brow
Five days later...
As Rayen gradually unleashed his Level 2 swordsmanship skills, the swordsmanship instructor, Humbert, observed from the sidelines and concluded that Rayen possessed an incredibly high level of comprehension in swordsmanship.
To put it bluntly, Rayen was a swordsmanship genius, albeit an ordinary one, one in a hundred.
This revelation caused Humbert to reassess Rayen.
With proper nurturing, he could become a formidable guard, even a captain of the guards! "Today, we will begin sparring practice!"
"To improve quickly in swordsmanship, you need a sparring partner."
"And the partner should not be chosen lightly. It's best to find someone of equal skill, so your improvement will be significant." Humbert's powerful voice resonated across the training ground.
"Rayen, Richard, you two, come up and demonstrate the sparring. Everyone, watch closely!" Humbert called out.
Prominent Brow, or Richard, felt a sense of unease and restlessness as he witnessed Rayen's recent transformation.
George, his close friend, watched Rayen with concern, unsure if his buddy could counter this move.
If the opportunity arose, he could pretend to accidentally injure Rayen, and the act would be complete!
As he decisively spent some skill points, his Basic Swordsmanship level instantly rose from Level 2 to Level 3, and fragments of training memories related to Basic Swordsmanship flooded into his mind.
The clash of the ironwood swords produced a dull sound.
This was more than Rayen could bear!
But Rayen's expression remained calm, as he had anticipated this situation.
"Rayen wins!" Instructor Humbert announced loudly, his voice filled with approval.
Prominent Brow's full name was Richard.
But Rayen's progress was astonishingly rapid! It made Richard feel a sense of awe and fear. Richard's family had run a tavern for many years, and he was well-acquainted with people from all walks of life.
Then, with a burst of strength from his abs, Rayen quickly countered the attack.
Initially, he had been disdainful of such a move.
If it landed, he would be bedridden for at least ten days, if not a month or two, and he wouldn't be able to practice swordsmanship during that time.
If Rayen truly had talent, she wouldn't withhold an opportunity from him.
After experiencing a minor setback, Rayen would surely bounce back!
You may be a genius, but to beat me, you'll need at least half a year.
Suddenly, the surrounding area fell silent.
"Rayen, you're proud of yourself, aren't you? Just you wait!"
"Yes, Instructor!" they both replied in unison.
If this continued, Rayen would eventually become a formidable rival to Richard.
But what Richard didn't expect was that during the swordsmanship training, Rayen once again caught the attention of Instructor Humbert.
But this time, Rayen firmly blocked the attack without retreating!
After speaking, the two quickly stepped out of the line, moving to the front of the group. They assumed the starting position of Basic Swordsmanship, each pointing their ironwood swords at the other.
This was due to Rayen's height and reach advantage, coupled with his more refined Basic Swordsmanship skills.
Richard had made several deliberate attempts to strike at Rayen's vital points.
"Instructor Humbert, what's the purpose of having me spar with Prominent Brow? Is it to let me experience failure and then bounce back, or to further unleash my potential?"
As Humbert finished speaking, Rayen and Richard simultaneously thrust their swords, but Rayen immediately noticed that Richard's sword speed was slightly faster.
Rayen managed to block Richard's attacks multiple times, narrowly avoiding disaster!
Facing Richard's onslaught, Rayen felt as if the ironwood sword in his hand was an extension of his own arm!
While there was no danger to his life, the heavy blow from the ironwood sword could still cause excruciating pain!
"Begin!"
As Rayen stepped off the training ground, he suddenly froze, and then he was filled with delight.
"Huh! This innate sense of swordsmanship intuition... it seems I may have underestimated him before!" Humbert was both surprised and slightly excited at this moment.
The correct version is available at 69 Book Bar! 6 = 9 + Book _ Bar First Release.
In the distance, Claire, the youngest daughter of Count Habsburg, had a gleam in her beautiful eyes.
Prominent Brow stared expressionlessly at Rayen's retreating back, and a hint of malice flashed in his heart.
It was as if the longsword in his hand was an extension of his own arm! In the blink of an eye, Rayen once again blocked the attack with the strong body of his sword.
The prominent browed man's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a hint of satisfaction.
In his mind, there was no way Rain could withstand his attack.
His face lit up with anticipation.
"No wonder this brat has been so quiet these days. He's been waiting here for me!"
Rain had even fought him before, and he had come out on top.
Rain quickly changed his stance, blocking a direct thrust from his opponent with the strength of his sword.
"Bang!"
Seizing the opportunity, he revealed a hint of ruthlessness and executed a step chop towards Rain's right shoulder.
Previously, when Rain had been working on donkey hoof care and shoeing horses, he had shown off, but the prominent browed man hadn't paid it any mind.
Rain struck the prominent browed man's wrist, causing the ironwood sword in his hand to fall to the ground.
"If I don't improve my swordsmanship level, I'll surely lose this fight!"
"Damn it! What are you up to?"
He had just thought of another way to deal with Rain.
Furthermore, the prominent browed man had been studying basic swordsmanship for nearly two years, far surpassing Rain's current Level 2 basic swordsmanship.
"I remember Shadia mentioning that this black-haired boy is named Rain, and his father is a farmhand. Good, a clean background. Perhaps I can try to train him."
System Notification:
Rain, drenched in sweat, also sensed the prominent browed man's hostility.
The crowd of boys watching couldn't help but exclaim at the powerful downward chop.
Although he had already predicted the outcome, the prominent browed man was clearly dominating the fight, and if nothing unexpected happened, he would be the victor.
The prominent browed man felt elated. This move was beyond his current swordsmanship level.
His goal was to become a manor guard, evident from the fact that he had been learning basic swordsmanship from his relative for the past two years.
Firstly, the prominent browed man was nearly a head taller than Rain, giving him a significant reach advantage.
"Slap!"
Rain retreated three steps, while the prominent browed man only took one step back, clearly holding the upper hand.
[Your Basic Swordsmanship skill has improved. Experience gained: +17]
The two ironwood swords clashed again, emitting a dull sound.
For instance, Jack the Drunk, a former mercenary with exceptional skills, would be an excellent choice.
However, whether he could seize the opportunity depended on his opponent's performance.
Rain estimated that the prominent browed man's swordsmanship, if converted to the system's levels, would be around Level 3.
To forge good iron, the hammer's might is needed. At that moment, the tall Claire rode in on a fine horse, leading a group of noble and merchant heirs. They had apparently just finished equestrian training.
Swordsmanship Instructor Humbert was ready to intervene, preparing to block the incoming attack. Rain's heart raced, and he instinctively leaned back, using his sword to block the fierce strike.
The sudden turn of events left the servants watching with their mouths agape.
Across from him, the prominent browed man noticed Rain's brief moment of hesitation.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The dull clanging of ironwood swords filled the air. Humbert stood by, arms crossed, observing the duel with an expressionless face.
Rain's face hardened with determination.
The prominent browed man, taking advantage of the recoil from the clash, spun around and executed a spinning step chop, aiming for Rain's face with lightning-fast speed.
So, the prominent browed man had been thinking of 'accidentally' injuring Rain during the practice, preferably to the point where he couldn't even hold a sword.
The two figures, positioned higher up, also noticed the sparring servants.
"Injure me severely? Put me out of commission for a month or two?"
"Damn it, enough is enough!"
"Hmm, 'One-Eyed Rain' is a fitting nickname!"
This was a significant advantage in a swordsmanship spar.
[You have engaged in a battle. Militia Profession Experience gained: +9]
"A short sparring session has earned me 9 points of profession experience, almost equivalent to two days of training!"
"It seems Instructor Humbert was right!"
"Sparring with opponents of similar skill is the shortcut to improving swordsmanship quickly!"
Rain felt that the prominent browed man didn't seem as detestable as before.
Chapter end
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