Chapter 36: Sparring

Sunless stepped forward and the noise of the training ground washed over him again. Metal clashing. Shouts cutting through the air. Boots grinding against dirt. Heat rising from packed bodies and constant movement.

A sparring pair slowed when they noticed him approaching.

A tall man holding a broad blade frowned. “You lost, kid?”

Sunless shook his head. “I want to borrow you for a moment.”

The man stared at him, then let out a short laugh. “You sure you can handle this?”

Sunless didn’t answer. He simply raised his hand and slowly clenched it into a fist.

The air trembled faintly.

Dust lifted from the ground in a thin ripple.

The laughter cut off.

“…Fine,” the swordsman said after a short pause, stepping forward with a more serious expression. “One exchange.”

They faced each other.

Sunless rolled his neck once and took a small breath. The unfamiliar strength sitting in his body felt heavy, not uncomfortable, just dense, like something waiting to be used. He wanted to know how much it could actually do.

The signal was given.

The man lunged immediately, blade cutting through the air in a clean arc aimed straight at Sunless’ shoulder.

Sunless stepped forward instead of back.

His foot hit the ground hard and his fist shot out.

Boom!

The impact sent a shock through the air, strong enough for nearby fighters to feel it in their chests.

The swordsman was thrown backward several meters, boots scraping violently across the dirt as he barely managed to keep himself from falling flat.

The training ground quieted.

Not completely. But enough.

Sunless stared at his knuckles for a second, feeling the faint vibration still lingering in his bones.

“…That’s stronger than I expected.”

Jennifer stood frozen nearby, her mouth slightly open. When she finally spoke, her voice was lower than usual.

“That wasn’t beginner level.”

A few days ago, he could barely hold his ground.

Now he was sending trained fighters flying.

Sunless didn’t respond. His attention had already shifted inward.

The system interface flickered briefly in his mind. Numbers stabilized. New techniques settled into place like pieces clicking together. He exhaled slowly, feeling the changes ripple through his muscles.

’Strength isn’t the problem anymore,’ he thought.

Then his brows drew together slightly.

Experience still was.

His gaze lifted and drifted toward the remaining soldiers on the field. Dozens of fighters. Different weapons. Different styles. All standing right in front of him.

A simple idea formed.

He stepped forward again.

“Mind helping me train?”

The training ground grew noticeably quieter.

Heads turned.

Whispers started.

The swordsman who had been sent flying brushed dust off his armor and stared at Sunless with narrowed eyes. “You want more than one opponent now?”

Sunless rolled one shoulder, then the other, loosening the lingering stiffness in his joints. “I want experience,” he said calmly. “You can all come at once.”

For a moment, nobody reacted.

Then someone laughed.

“This kid’s head got knocked loose.”

“One lucky hit and he thinks he’s special.”

Jennifer felt a tight knot form in her chest. Even she wasn’t sure if this was confidence or recklessness anymore.

But Sunless had already started walking forward.

With every step, the pressure around him seemed to grow heavier. Dust beneath his boots shifted faintly, drawn inward as if responding to his presence.

“Five,” he added. “That’s enough.”

The laughter faded.

Slowly.

Five fighters stepped out from the crowd.

A swordsman.

A spearman.

A fighter wielding twin daggers.

A heavy shield user.

And a bare-handed brawler.

Without speaking, they spread out instinctively, forming a loose arc around Sunless.

He noticed immediately.

Good. They weren’t treating this like a joke anymore.

The signal was given.

The shield user charged first, heavy footsteps pounding against the dirt as he tried to lock Sunless down with brute force. At the same time, the spearman shifted to the side, lining up a clean thrust, while the dagger user dropped low, slipping toward Sunless’ blind spot.

Sunless didn’t retreat.

He stepped forward.

Straight into the pressure.

His perception sharpened abruptly. Movements slowed just enough for him to read them. The angle of the spear. The shield’s center of mass. The dagger user’s foot placement.

He shifted his body slightly.

The spear brushed past him by a narrow margin.

His palm slammed into the shield.

Boom!

The impact drove straight through the metal surface. The shield user was launched backward, crashing into two spectators and knocking them off their feet. Shouts broke out around the field.

Sunless turned immediately.

The brawler rushed in, teeth clenched, fists raised.

Sunless met him head-on.

His elbow came down on the man’s collarbone with a sharp crack. The brawler collapsed instantly, body hitting the ground with a dull thud.

Sunless didn’t look down.

Twin daggers flashed toward his side.

Sunless caught one blade between his fingers, stopping it cold. The dagger user froze, eyes wide, panic flashing across his face.

Sunless leaned in slightly. “Too slow.”

He flicked his wrist.

The man was sent spinning through the air, slamming into the dirt hard enough to bounce once before rolling to a stop.

The swordsman reached him next, blade swinging with full momentum.

Sunless stepped inside the arc and drove his fist into the man’s abdomen. The impact knocked the air from his lungs and folded him forward, dropping him where he stood.

Only the spearman remained.

The man hesitated.

His grip tightened around the shaft of his weapon, knuckles whitening. Instinct screamed at him to retreat, but his feet didn’t move fast enough.

Sunless closed the distance in a sudden burst of speed.

He raised his hand and pressed a finger lightly against the man’s chest.

There was no buildup.

Just a compressed impact that detonated beneath the armor.

The spearman was hurled backward, body lifting off the ground before crashing down several meters away. He skidded across the dirt, carving a shallow trail before finally stopping near the edge of the field.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

The usual noise of the training ground felt distant, muted, as attention locked onto the aftermath.

Five fighters were down.

Sunless stood where he was, chest rising and falling steadily. His heartbeat remained calm. Dust drifted lazily around his boots.

Jennifer swallowed hard, her fingers curling unconsciously at her side as she stared at his back.

This wasn’t sparring anymore.

This was the beginning of something dangerous.bb

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep