Chapter 37: Merger

Right swing.

Clank!

Above.

Screech.

That was a close one.

I eyed Arthur as he stood in the same place, countering each of my attacks.

I was currently using mana, so the speed of my attacks was far greater than what I could normally muster.

Arthur, on the contrary, had blocked the use of his mana and was relying solely on his physical abilities.

I didn’t expect the fight to be easy, but—

I fucking didn’t know it would be this one-sided.

Sigh.

I should have expected such an outcome.

Even without his mana, Arthur was someone at the peak of the Immortal rank. It should have been a given for his body to be much stronger and… durable than mine.

I adjusted my stance, keeping my right foot at the back.

I preferred it because I could generate a greater explosive force with my dominant foot behind.

I didn’t move, nor did Arthur.

Well, he wasn’t going to move anyway. That was one of the restrictions he had put on himself.

Though he said it was to make the fight fair for me… I just felt insulted in ways I couldn’t describe.

I loosened the grip on my sword.

And—

Right side.

Reaching Arthur, I swung my sword at his right shoulder.

He tried to evade without moving from the place he stood, but—

I changed the trajectory of the blade midway, aiming for his stomach.

My lips turned into a small smirk.

As the blade was inches away from cutting Arthur’s stomach, I gripped the hilt harder, aiming for a powerful strike.

Rattle!

Huh.

Arthur’s left wrist had blocked my strike. My sword rattled from the impact.

It felt like I had struck a stone, my sword bouncing away.

Damn.

My balance swayed from the impact, and before I could steady myself, a kick connected with my core.

Boom!

I was thrown away like a ragdoll.

My body came to a stop after hitting the tree behind me.

Cough… cough… It tasted like iron as I coughed out a mouthful of blood.

“You are calculative. I must admit that is your strong forte, but you rely on it too much.”

I could hear Arthur’s advice, but my mind struggled to process any of it.

It might have been due to the impact from the attack, or due to crashing into the tree.

I didn’t know, but my head felt like it was being split apart.

“Battle isn’t about calculations. I have told you before—the essence of combat, it’s all about killing or surviving.

There’s no in between. Your calculations stop you from seeing the full picture.”

I could see Arthur walking towards me.

My vision was getting covered by the blood that had spilled from my head.

I knew I was alive, still it felt like being dead.

It was a strange sensation.

“When you calculate, your enemy can predict you. Your attacks are swift, but they can be countered if your movements are predictable. Your calculations make your eyes follow the trajectory of your attacks.

You might overpower your opponents with your brain… only if they are monsters incapable of deep thought and intelligence.

For intelligent creatures like humans, seeing it in your eyes lets them know your next attacks.”

Arthur’s voice went soft.

“Try to use your instincts more. Instincts act before your brain can process your actions.

They are unpredictable even for the host, so it’s a matter of fact that they throw your opponents into disarray.”

The wind felt like it had slowed down, so did time.

The pain in my head hadn’t subsided; it had become even more intense.

“It’s not good to always rely on instincts, but you should at least train your body to be able to create miracles in a fight.

One day, it may very well save you from death’s embrace.”

I felt like my soul was getting ripped apart from my body. My thoughts were becoming messy.

Cough… cough…

More blood spilled from my mouth.

“You okay?”

Huh.

What was he saying?

He was the one who injured me.

Cough… cough…

I felt pathetic.

Being on the ground, helpless to raise my body.

I tried moving my arms, but they felt heavy.

My back had taken the majority of the impact, but—

It felt like my head had been hammered.

My master sure is a twisted fellow. He could have clearly gone easy on me.

Wait…

Master?

What are these pathetic thoughts?

Since when had I fallen so low as to call people with respect?

If I remember correctly, this guy was supposed to be my subordinate.

My dog.

Why did I agree to call him Master?

Since when did I become so lenient?

My laid-back attitude towards everything around me…

Disgusting.

Was this the result of the merger?

This body… Kael Frost—

It had taken away my true self.

I knew something like this would eventually happen, but not to this extent.

I had calculated my thoughts being influenced by Kael’s soul, but not his soul controlling mine.

The merger may have happened, but it was clear that Kael’s soul was the dominant one.

His memories, his childishness, had made me behave in ways…

I never would!

Remembering the choices I had made till now…

None of them were strategic.

I—

X, had always prided myself on my intelligence.

The world had feared me not due to my strength, but my mind.

Despite being in a mortal body, I was compared to the Devil.

A direct rival of the Gods.

And what was the guy called?

Alfred Symer, the mad alchemist or whatever he was.

A clearly unpredictable factor.

I negotiated with him, made him accept my offer after making him understand the benefits he could derive from me.

Pathetic.

Only poison can cut poison.

To tame the madman, being a madman myself would have been the right choice.

If his body was broken bit by bit, his skin shredded under burning razors, salt rubbed into every cell of his body—

What Mad Alchemist? Even a God would have bent his knees.

Since when did I grow this merciful?

It would have been interesting to see the Mad Alchemist bathed in his own acids.

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