Chapter 75: Natural Instincts
’This boy...’ Professor Hartman’s eyes narrowed. The instincts he had honed on the battlefield over many years of military service tingled.
’From the very start of the duel, Leonard was in complete control! Until now, he hasn’t bothered to strike even once! He merely dodged Russell’s every blow, deliberately holding back.’
The professor wasn’t the only one to arrive at that revelation. Those in the Elite grade who had been cussing at Leonard just a few seconds ago went deathly quiet as they watched the match unfold before their eyes.
Even the elves, who had initially averted their gazes, not wanting to witness the unpleasant display of a Common Bloodline bearer being toyed with by someone with a Heavenly Bloodline, were similarly shocked by the events!
"I am sure that my uppercut connected cleanly! What is going on?!" Russell began to sweat, hastily backing away, unnerved by Leonard’s nonchalant smirk.
For the first time since the start of the match, Leonard took the initiative. His knees bent, and he exploded forward with staggering speed.
In a panic, Russell threw a punch. Yet by that time, Leonard had disappeared from his field of vision like a phantom.
"Where?!" Russell’s eyes darted around, searching for his adversary.
His face paled slightly when he realized that Leonard had ducked under his blow and was in the middle of throwing a punch straight toward his liver.
The Hand Combat Mastery Leonard possessed influenced the force of his blows significantly.
"Crap—"
Boom!
When the liver shot connected, Russell found himself out of breath, his knees shaking under the strain.
"Ugh!" His nerves screamed, and he scrambled to get out of the way by moving to the side.
One hand clutched his torso, pulsing pain coursing through his body. The suffocation prevented him from retaliating further, and he needed a second of respite before he could respond.
Leonard didn’t give him the chance. He advanced until his adversary was within striking range, then threw two straight jabs toward Russell’s face.
Rather than using every bit of his strength, Leonard limited himself to about two-thirds, making sure to conserve his stamina.
The taste of iron in his mouth made Russell ignore the tormenting pain. Due to the physiological response to the stress, from his point of view, this wasn’t just a duel anymore, but a battle for survival.
His posture changed, ready to strike.
Leonard noticed the change instantly.
’Using Draconic Eyes is harder than I thought. My mind isn’t able to properly adapt to the two realities my eyes see... However, chances like this are rare. I’ll try to see how far I can push it before the future stops making sense.’ He decided.
Slowly, he increased the intensity of the skill. From peering 0.1 seconds into the future to 0.2 seconds and beyond. He wanted to see whether his mind or his Mana would give out first.
Russell’s whole body lit up as outlines of possible futures appeared all around him.
The future was uncertain, after all, and there were many possibilities that could come to pass depending on Leonard’s actions.
As he charged forward, the strain on Leonard’s mind increased.
To the experienced observers, it looked as though Leonard had suddenly improved once more. It seemed as if he could peer into his adversary’s possible movements and respond accordingly before they even knew what they were going to do!
Bam!
The impact of his next strike took Russell by surprise and swept him off his feet.
He was about to fall just outside the ring and conclude the duel.
Just as the match seemed set in stone, Leonard did the unthinkable. He rushed forward, grabbed Russell by the collar, and threw him right back into the middle of the ring.
"..."
A momentary silence spread, followed by loud gossiping that resonated throughout the chamber.
"Huh? Wasn’t Russell about to lose? W—Why did Leonard... prevent him from exiting the ring?"
"Maybe... he plans to humiliate him by forcing him to admit defeat?"
Not paying attention to the chatter around him, Leonard focused on Russell.
’Russell has proven tougher than expected. Considering that he planned to humiliate me in front of everyone, I don’t feel guilty about using him as a training dummy to test the full extent of my Draconic Eyes.’ He thought pragmatically.
Meanwhile, Russell, on all fours, stared at the ground in stunned silence.
"The Commoner threw me back into the ring... No doubt he aims to beat me up until I have to admit defeat to conclude the duel..."
His palms clenched into fists.
"Such a display of humiliation will not stand! I would sooner perish than admit him to be above me!" He roared in a frenzy, starting to attack without any resemblance of strategy.
’The number of his outlines increased by a lot. It seems that when enraged, targets become more unpredictable...’ Leonard frowned.
He came to understand firsthand how a cornered animal could become more deadly in its desperation to survive.
Nevertheless, Leonard remained unwavering. While his strikes were indeed effective, he lacked the necessary knowledge of where the most efficient spots to target were.
Thinking back on the duel between Elizabeth and Arabella, he tried to recall how they targeted each other’s weak points, yet it proved tougher than expected. He would need many hours of practice to achieve similar results.
Slowly, he wore down Russell in what could only be described as an unbelievable turn of events.
Despite supposedly possessing a higher-ranked Bloodline and level, Russell found himself on the losing end.
Additionally, it became clear that he lacked the integrity of a true sportsman to admit when he was outmatched. His ego was too inflated to accept such a result.
When Leonard’s Mana was on the verge of running out, he unleashed the final blow.
This time, he used his Hand Combat Mastery Trait to its full extent. Using every bit of power he possessed, he struck forward, his fist blurring on its way.
Russell, unable to believe that Leonard was capable of striking even harder and faster, could only watch the incoming blow.
The force of the punch broke his nose upon impact and swept him off his feet, sending him toppling outside the ring.
[Mana: 0/1,000]
Panting lightly, Leonard glanced at his hands in contentment.
Who knew that a simple duel could prove so exhilarating? He was certain that the things he learned in this match would come in handy during his regular dungeon expeditions.
"Winner, Scholar Leonard!" Hartman signaled the end of the match a few seconds after it concluded, having trouble believing his eyes.
Leonard calmly stepped off the ring and went toward his friends. The scholars who were along his way silently took a step to the side, clearing the way.
"He really won..."
"Maybe Russell isn’t feeling well today?"
"You may be right. There is no other way to explain it!"
"Impressed?" Headmistress Jennifer glanced at Professor Hartman. "Even I didn’t expect to find such talent on the first day."
"Miss... this goes far beyond simple talent. He knew how to move as if it were second nature." Hartman shook his head.
"I have never heard of a skill or a trait allowing such a thing. It must be his natural instincts! No matter what, I can’t let his gift fade away! I must get Scholar Leonard to become my apprentice!"