Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Overpowered Warrior

The place Garan led me to was the building right next to the tavern.

It wasn’t a tavern but an ordinary-looking house—though perhaps because it stood tucked away in a shadowy corner, it gave off an eerie air.

As I stepped inside, a woman greeted me. She had rippling curves and hair as black as the midnight sky.

“I’m Retina, the mage of the Black Dragon Mercenary Corps. You must be Leon, the guy with the stiff voice, right?”

“How did you know that?”

“You were being so noisy earlier that I eavesdropped with magic.”

I nodded. The building was right beside the tavern, after all.

The sound of my fight must’ve carried over vividly—there was no way she wouldn’t have noticed.

“Retina, where are the others?”

To Garan’s question, Retina replied,

“As you know, the others are out on long-term missions, and one went out because he wanted something from the market.”

“I see. These are the new recruits you’ll be looking after. They’re quite dependable—train them well.”

“Hm… I get the gist, but…”

Retina muttered, glancing at me and Ryan. Sensing her intent, I took Ryan and stepped outside.

“She’s quick on the uptake. I like her. You two have a chat outside for a bit,” Retina said as she closed the door.

Ryan and I were left standing there alone.

For a moment, we just stared blankly at each other.

Then Ryan spoke first.

“What do you think they’re talking about?”

“That’s not the kind of answer I was hoping for. Don’t you have any social skills?”

Ryan shook his head, exasperated.

“Anyway, you really are something else. How did you end up meeting people from the Black Dragon Corps? Thanks to you, I’m getting to join too.”

Ryan’s tone was a bit dazed. I understood how he felt. The Black Dragon Mercenary Corps was a renowned group across the continent.

Their reputation was such that even the Emperor occasionally hired them. It was almost unbelievable.

“Leon, if I follow you, do you think I’ll become stronger?”

He asked. I looked at him. His eyes avoided mine, and within them flickered a faint unease.

I didn’t quite understand that unease—why he was asking such a thing, or what kind of answer he wanted from me.

But Ryan somehow reminded me of Rahan.

Not exactly the same, but I could sense the same depth of thought in him—a man who had reflected deeply on life.

So I simply spoke my honest heart.

“My dream is to become the greatest warrior of Elphrel. I just strive ceaselessly to become stronger.”

“…The greatest warrior? Do you mean the King of Elphrel?”

Ryan’s face relaxed a little. The worry shadowing his expression eased, replaced by a faint smile.

“Good. Looks like my master was right in telling me to follow you.” Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel[f]ire.net

“I never agreed to that.”

Ryan chuckled at my response. Since there was no malice in my tone, he seemed to take it as a joke.

Not long after, Garan called me back inside.

“Hm… sorry about this, Ryan. But you’ll have to take an entrance test.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Leon has already proven himself to us. You haven’t. Go have a talk with Retina.”

Though Garan was the one speaking, it was clear that this was actually Retina’s decision.

Even if he was once the captain, Garan had retired from the corps.

The opinion of Retina, who now effectively led the group, naturally carried more weight.

Ryan agreed immediately. His eyes had grown steadier—he had resolved himself.

He followed Retina somewhere. Judging by the situation, it seemed she would test him through conversation rather than combat.

Just a guess—but I was certain of it.

Then Garan spoke again.

“Sorry, but Retina’s judgment matters more than mine, since I’m a former captain. She thinks Ryan’s qualifications are questionable. She said she’d give him a light evaluation… but he’s more likely to fail.”

“That’s fine. That’s Ryan’s business.”

“True. Not really my place to say. By the way, why so formal all of a sudden? Feeling a surge of respect for the former captain of the Black Dragon Corps?”

“The Black Dragon is the group I now belong to. Showing respect to a former captain is only proper.”

“…You really are quick-witted. Retina liked you too. If you settle in here, you’ll soon have wealth and fame.”

“I have little interest in money or fame. I’d rather test myself against the veterans.”

“…Against the members of the Black Dragon Corps?”

Surprise flickered across Garan’s face—and understandably so. Most people became mercenaries for money.

There were a few who chased adventure and romance, but they were rare.

Garan soon regained composure, realizing I was from Elphrel.

All warriors of Elphrel were obsessed with strength.

Unless one had defected to the Empire, it was only natural to be driven by battle rather than wealth.

“I see… indeed, the Black Dragon Corps is the perfect place for a warrior like you. Then, how about sparring with me first?”

“…Weren’t you retired due to injury?”

“Injury doesn’t matter when it’s just a fledgling like you.”

I nodded. It hurt my pride, but he was right. I knew just how strong someone of quasi-knight level was.

Not long ago, I had witnessed Mikelan’s martial prowess. I didn’t know if Garan was also quasi-knight level, but if his skill was comparable, I would certainly lose, retired or not.

So I decided to learn.

A warrior of Elphrel who had become a citizen of the Empire—just how much training had he endured to make his name as a mercenary?

I would find out in this sparring match.

“There’s a training ground in the basement. Follow me.”

Garan lifted the carpet on the floor, revealing a hidden entrance.

Unlocking it with a key, he bent down and said,

“The big guys don’t usually train here. We’re using it now because we need to guard the hideout. Since you’re on the large side, fight somewhere else next time.”

The basement was perfectly suited for a training ground. The walls gleamed faintly, perhaps from some special reinforcement.

It was surprisingly bright for a basement—and larger than expected. It might be a bit cramped for a full-power battle, but for a moderate spar, it was just right.

I drew my sword. The internal energy circulating through my body flowed along the blade, and a clear hum resonated from it.

A strange resonance filled the air, and Garan’s eyes widened. Even in this world, sword resonance was rare—a skill only wielded by swordsmen of considerable mastery. No wonder he was surprised.

It was a sword cry—a call to arms before the duel. Seeing his satisfied reaction, I knew it was time to focus.

I lowered my stance. The training ground was spacious, yet constraining. If I moved carelessly, I would soon be cornered into a blind spot, limiting my mobility.

I fixed my gaze on Garan. He took no stance at all—naturally so.

Even with injuries, Garan was of quasi-knight level strength. It made no sense for him to bother assuming a stance against someone like me.

So I simply focused. His posture didn’t matter. The outcome was already decided.

All I could do was pour everything I had into this fight.

When my tension eased and my muscles reached their peak flexibility—

I stepped into Dawn-Drifting Falcon Step, instantly closing the distance between us.

My speed was fast enough to escape even the eyes of most well-trained warriors—it meant my mastery of Dawn-Drifting Falcon Step was genuine.

But Garan didn’t panic. He calmly reached for my wrist.

‘So he means to stop me from using my sword.’

It didn’t matter. At this speed, my sword would reach him first.

In that instant, Garan’s arm extended unnaturally—then snapped forward like a whip, seizing my wrist in a blink.

In Murim, it was called Golden Snare Hand—in this world, it was simply a grappling technique.

I immediately released my sword and countered with the same technique. The strength in his grip was abnormal—no matter what I tried, I couldn’t shake him off.

And indeed, my assessment was correct. If our levels had been closer, it might have been different—but the gap between Garan and me was vast.

Had I recklessly swung my sword, he would’ve easily taken me down.

But seeing me counter with Golden Snare Hand, Garan smiled.

He had been intrigued by my strength ever since we first met.

Even my instantaneous decision-making in actual combat was far beyond my age—his body, without realizing it, began to heat with excitement.

I seized Garan’s free hand with Golden Snare Hand. My unpredictable, serpentine movements were clumsy yet enough to unsettle him.

But Garan was a seasoned warrior. Having fought countless battles before, he instead tried to grasp my incoming wrist.

Our hands tangled in a chaotic flurry. Each of us gripped, twisted, and sought to dominate the other’s hand.

In that moment, I felt a jolt of realization. Despite never having properly learned the Golden Snare Hand, my technique had reached this level.

If Garan had ever learned it formally, I would’ve already lost.

Before long, our duel devolved completely into a Golden Snare Hand battle. Fingers moved with delicate precision to seal each other’s movement.

Sweat poured down both our bodies like waterfalls.

In the span of mere seconds, we had exchanged dozens of movements. Even standing in one spot, the strain was immense.

The intensity caused both our fingers to swell.

After all, we were warriors by nature—our naturally powerful physiques placed immense pressure on our finger bones.

Finally, I kicked Garan away. Any longer and it would’ve turned into a battle of attrition—one that would end only when someone’s stamina gave out.

But that wasn’t the kind of duel I wanted.

I took my stance again—this time, Infinite Void Heart Fist.

Even if he was of quasi-knight level, unless he had trained in martial arts, he wouldn’t match me in this form.

But my assumption was wrong.

Once we switched to fist techniques, Garan completely overwhelmed me. At the same time, I understood—

Each of his strikes carried countless experiences that I could not even begin to comprehend.

He had lived his entire life as a mercenary. Against his battle-hardened style, I couldn’t even stand on equal footing.

When I finally blocked his last strike, the spar ended.

“Whew— It’s been a while since I’ve worked up a sweat. You’re quite impressive, Leon. If Ryan’s even half as capable as you, we’ve picked up some real talent.”

I couldn’t answer. Even catching my breath was hard. But once I regained it, I began replaying the fight in my mind.

Quasi-knight level—this match had been no different from crossing blades with Mikelan.

It had been an even more valuable experience than my duel with him before.

I couldn’t afford to let such a lesson go to waste.

“Of course it’d be the warriors—you two were practically tearing the place apart.”

Retina descended the basement stairs with a smirk.

“Congratulations, Leon. You won’t be separated from your friend. Turns out he’s a lot tougher than I expected.”

“Is that so? Where is Ryan now?”

“He’s lying in bed. Won’t be moving for at least a day. Just leave him be.”

“…What did you do to him?”

“Is that any way to talk to a senior? If you’re that curious, ask him yourself.”

I only nodded in response. What a terrifying woman. What on earth had she done in such a short time?

But for now, what mattered most was myself.

I closed my eyes and replayed my fight with Garan once more.