A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Crash (3)

***

In the Soul World, there are sometimes monsters or demons that possess ‘berserk mode.’

Like me, their eyes turn blood-red, and it activates when their stamina drops below a certain point.

Those with berserk mode have exceptionally high difficulty levels in hunting because of their ‘stun immunity.’

No matter how seasoned a warrior is, they feel pain. That slight moment of hesitation creates a gap if they get hit.

But monsters or demons in berserk mode don’t have such gaps. They charge forward without any hesitation, as if they don’t feel pain at all.

Because of move could be fatal.

Depending on er ones are slower but have high stamina.

Though their strategies differ, they share a common trait: it’s best not to trade blows but to focus on dodging.

In games, this is true, and it’s even more so in reality. It’s no wonder Hector nearly died when I went berserk.

[Berserk mode deactivated!]

I realized my theory was correct when I momentarily paused.

Whether it was because I suppressed it with my mind or because time passed, berserk mode deactivated on its own.

As berserk mode deactivated, my senses gradually returned, and my face, which had taken Rize’s punch, started to ache.

It seems my senses dull only when berserk mode is active. I felt my heated chest slowly cooling down.

“Hmph.”

When I blew my nose hard, clots of blood came out.

Thanks to my excellent regenerative abilities, the nosebleed quickly stopped. My nose bone must have been broken from Rize’s punch.

But thanks to berserk mode, I didn’t feel the pain, and everything regenerated quickly. I could endure the lingering ache.

‘Is the control time short?’

It might be because I stopped attacking.

In the Soul World, if you get away from a monster in berserk mode, it deactivates.

Though it takes some time, there’s a trick to it. Even if berserk mode deactivates, their stamina only recovers a little, not fully.

In other words, to maintain berserk mode, you must continue attacking until your stamina is completely depleted.

“I was a bit surprised. You kept pushing forward even after taking my punch.”

Rize spoke to me as I was lost in thought. Judging by her tone, she seemed genuinely surprised.

Well, it would be strange not to be surprised when someone charges at you as if on drugs without flinching.

Though she’s faced many berserk demons or monsters, this must be her first time dealing with a person in berserk mode.

‘This isn’t enough.’

I roughly wiped my nose and gripped the axe tightly. There were still things I needed to confirm.

I needed to see if, like in the Soul World, berserk mode continues only if I keep attacking, and if I could fully control berserk mode.

If I can control berserk mode freely, it would be a tremendous advantage. Even the strongest beings in the world flinch from pain.

If I can exploit those moments skillfully, I could turn the tables. Moreover, I possess excellent regenerative abilities.

“Let’s go again.”

“Understood. But I have a condition.”

“A condition?”

I tilted my head at Rize’s mention of a condition. Can’t we just do it casually?

As I was pondering, Rize explained her condition.

“I will counterattack during the spar. It seems your combat style isn’t fully established yet.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Furthermore, getting used to the threat of death is beneficial. When faced with the threat of death, the body tends to freeze.”

Indeed, when humans confront death directly, their bodies freeze. I’ve experienced it.

Imagine a massive truck coming straight at you. Most people would freeze and get hit.

The reason seasoned warriors remain unfazed by death is that it happens so frequently they get used to it.

‘This could cause significant mental issues, but never mind that.’

I’ve survived in the wild and grown accustomed to death. My wild instincts helped me overcome it consistently.

But I couldn’t dodge Rize’s serious punches. This puzzled me a bit.

Even when my instincts screamed danger, her punches quickly reached my face.

“Bu hit is fatal.”

“Ah.”

I nodded at Rize’s feedback. That’s why I couldn’t dodge.

Thanks to my wild instincts, I’ve overcome many challenges, but they aren’t perfect.

Every time danger approaches, anxiety floods my entire body, making it mentally exhausting.

“Therefore, we need to significantly raise the threshold for berserk mode to activate. Otherwise, you must fully control it.”

“Got it. I’ll try.”

“Good attitude. Now then…”

Swoosh!

Rize cut her sentence short and rapidly closed the distance between us. It was as if she teleported.

“Let’s go again.”

Finished speaking, Rize threw a punch at my face.

I widened my eyes and quickly ducked. Her punch narrowly missed me.

She merely threw a punch, yet my hair scattered as it brushed past. If that hit me directly, it would be bad.

Whack!

As soon as I dodged the punch, I swung Ragnarok at her side.

Despite swinging hard, it barely made a dent. The durability is terrifying as always.

How should I penetrate it? Maybe I should only use the Usk axe since Ragnarok is ineffective.

As I pondered, Rize’s low kick aimed at my leg. Her legs were as thick as logs.

‘How do I penetrate this?’

I barely dodged the low kick and glared at Rize. My goal was to land at least a minor hit.

But even that wasn’t easy. Narrowing my eyes, I suddenly realized something odd.

‘Wait. Didn’t the axe get embedded earlier?’

Last time, even with all my strength, the axe barely stuck. But this time, it felt strangely soft.

Of course, compared to Rize, it’s still hard for other beings. It’s about as tough as Usk’s hide.

But this alone was odd enough.

‘Does it need to focus to become as hard as last time?’

It might be. Last time, she took the hit head-on.

This time, it was a counterattack, so she might not have reacted in time.

“You look deep in thought.”

“…”

Right as she spoke, I threw Ragnarok. Though it was a distraction, it flew quickly.

Rize didn’t dodge but swatted it away with her hand. I immediately grabbed the Usk axe and charged.

‘I need to exploit any openings.’

The spot where the axe got embedded was now healed. Unlike me, Rize probably used divine power for regeneration.

There’s only one way to land a significant hit on Rize.

‘I have to dodge everything and inflict damage.’

I now understood how those who fought me felt. Relentless attacks that never tire with tremendous power.

Being on the receiving end, I realized how terrifying it is. But I planned to try my best.

Whack!

Dodging Rize’s attack, I swung the Usk axe at her side. The blade dug deeper than Ragnarok.

As expected of an axe made from Usk’s blade tusks, its cutting power was remarkable. Even Rize didn’t anticipate this.

“A dangerous weapon.”

Look at her. She spoke calmly but was clearly surprised. She would be more cautious next time.

Before Rize could counter, I retrieved the axe. Then, I called for Ragnarok inwardly.

Rize must have sensed it because she swung her arm without looking back.

Thud!

Ragnarok, flying in from behind Rize, got deflected. She seemed to notice my gesture to call it back.

I retrieved Ragnarok and charged like a berserker again.

“Hup!”

Thud!

I timed my counter well, but it didn’t work this time. Her muscles tightened, and the axe rebounded as soon as it struck.

It felt like hitting metal. Seems like her muscles need to tense to be as hard as before.

Having learned this, the plan now was to take it slowly. Even if it takes time, it’s unavoidable.

‘One hit could be fatal.’

I had no choice but to dodge all her attacks. Rize and I are similar.

We rely on our regenerative power and durability, focusing on offense. Essentially, Rize is a superior version of me.

Unlike me, who lacks technique, Rize is a Holy Warrior. The skill gap is clear.

“It’s usually inefficient to dual-wield weapons. Each hand has different proficiency levels. But Brother Sivar, you handle both hands skillfully.”

“Ambidextrous.”

I was originally left-handed but had to switch. I got bitten by a wolf as soon as I landed in the forest and couldn’t use my left hand.

Living with only my right hand, I naturally became ambidextrous. A blessing in disguise.

“That makes sense. But…”

Rize nodded and ht in front of me.

I was also charging, so I was slightly startled. But not entirely unprepared, I hastily stopped.

Whack!

“Ugh!?”

As I tried to stop, Rize’s punch struck my face. I turned my head, but it was too late.

Fortunately, it was a light jab, so I didn’t get knocked back. But it was still shocking.

As I staggered back, Rize grinned and offered a bone-chilling piece of advice.

“You have a critical weakness. Being ambidextrous is good, but you always use your left foot as your pivot.”

“Ah…”

It was valuable advice. Something I wasn’t aware of, but Rize pointed out.

The pivot foot is like a ‘tell.’ Martial arts basics start with footwork.

Rize, having honed her martial arts to the extreme, could predict my next move by watching my feet.

“Come again.”

After receiving the advice, I tried to use both my hands and feet equally.

Rize seemed to notice my effort and allowed some mistakes. She was a great sparring partner choice.

But everyone knows the main goal of sparring with her. To train myself to control berserk mode.

“I’ll start using stronger attacks now. Do your best.”

With that, Rize increased the difficulty. Her overall speed and power rose.

Until now, I could somewhat keep up, but it became increasingly challenging. I had to use magic to barely keep up visually.

Luckily, I wasn’t entirely unable to counter, so I managed somehow. Despite taking several punches, I also landed hits with my axe.

“Ptooey.”

I spat out the blood pooling in my mouth and glared at Rize. Unlike my aching face, Rize looked completely at ease.

Could anyone beat her? Even at full strength, I’d never win.

“Here I come.”

She’s coming. A punch that could bring me to the brink of death.

As soon as Rize got into position, I relaxed. It’s time to be the character who delivers cutting remarks.

‘Should I stop dual-wielding and use just one?’

Was it because of my brief distraction? Or was it because I was gradually adapting to the crisis?

Whoosh!

In an instant, Rize’s punch filled my vision. Simultaneously, ‘death’ was vividly imprinted in my mind.

Normally, I would’ve frozen, but my body reacted instinctively. It might have been my wild instincts.

But before I could think, I instinctively raised both hands. The axes in my hands blocked my face.

‘Wait… Hold on…’

Smash!!

I knew I was screwed the moment I felt it. Rize’s punch struck the crossed axes.

Her punch was so powerful that the impact went through the axes. My ears rang, and I felt deafened.

But the bigger issue was the state of the axes.

Crash!

Both axes shattered completely. The newly made Usk axe and even Ragnarok.

You might wonder how a punch could break weapons, but I couldn’t use magic in my rush to block.

Fortunately, the axes didn’t shatter like glass but broke into pieces. No shards flew at my face.

“Hmm.”

Rize seemed equally surprised by this unexpected outcome. Before the imprint of death in my mind faded, I looked down.

Below me lay the shattered pieces of the Usk axe and Ragnarok.

All that remained in my hands were the axe handles.

“Huh…?”

I stared blankly before slowly falling to my knees. More than the Usk axe, I was worried about Ragnarok.

It’s a weapon that should be treated as a ‘divine relic.’ In the original story, Hector was supposed to give it to Kara.

But now, it’s shattered before me. I wasn’t being reckless; my instincts took over.

I was too stunned to speak.

“Sivar, are you okay?”

Seeing the shattered axes, Kara approached me. She asked about my condition first, not the axes.

Seeing her face, my mind became even more muddled. I didn’t know how to repair it.

In the Soul World, weapons often break, but not Ragnarok. I never experienced it being destroyed.

“Kara, this… I’m… sorry…”

Still overwhelmed by the imprint of death and confusion, I stammered, looking between Kara and the axe pieces.

I didn’t blame Rize. This was entirely my fault.

My pounding heart couldn’t calm down. I couldn’t speak or move properly.

Suddenly!

“It’s okay. Don’t cry. Just calm down. We can ask Mr. Gulak to fix it later.”

Sensing my turmoil, Kara hugged me tightly. She patted my back to reassure me.

Thanks to her, my racing heart gradually calmed. But the guilt remained.

If anything, the feeling intensified due to the death crisis. The injustice was just an added burden.

“Brother Sivar, it’s okay to get angry or cry at times like this. Or do both.”

“How can you say that? He was so shocked.”

“I mean to say, expressing emotions is vital. It’s crucial for controlling berserk mode.”

Even as Rize spoke from behind, it didn’t matter. I clenched my lips and held on.

I cried a lot while living in the wild. Back then, I was driven mad by the injustice.

But at some point, I stopped expressing emotions. Everything felt dull.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

“Damn it…”

My heart raced, telling me to release the pent-up emotions.

I barely held it back but was reaching my limit. Kara’s hug only made it harder.

It was similar yet different from seeking comfort from Ellie. Being hugged like this felt comfortable yet loosening.

‘If I cry now, I’ll be treated like a child again…’

That must never happen. That…

[Faith has increased!]

Absolutely…

[Faith has increased!]

[Faith has increased!]

[Faith has increased!]

Damn it, don’t urge me to cry. I’ll really cry.

As I bit my lips tightly, my eyes began to feel moist.

Even without berserk mode, my emotions felt explosive. Chaos was mocking me, too.

“Oh? Sivar, don’t cry. I’m fine. We can repair it.”

Seeing my face, Kara panicked and patted my back. She was trying to calm me down.

But she didn’t know. Such kindness was poison to me.

Drop-

Eventually, the moisture in my eyes overflowed. Once it starts, it’s always easier the next time.

“Ugh…”

I bit my lips and started to sob quietly. Kara patted my back even more firmly.

She kept comforting me, saying it was okay, that it was nothing.

[Attribute: Berserk removed!]

[Attribute: Acquired Rampage…]

I didn’t even notice the system.

“Don’t cry. I’ll give you candy if you stop. Okay?”

I just… stayed there, held by Kara.

End of Chapter

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