Chương 113: What a Strange Request

Zelier took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the sword hilt. He felt the power created by the fusion of his Mana Bond and Source Seed. Attack! This time, Zelier still began with a fierce vertical slash, intending to overwhelm Grey's defense with sheer strength.

"Clang!" After knocking Grey's wooden sword away from the centerline, Zelier immediately followed up with a series of wide horizontal slashes, attempting to suppress him through relentless pressure. But Grey's defense was flawless. His wooden sword remained angled downward, while his footsteps shifted slightly according to the rhythm of Zelier's attacks. Every single strike was blocked with perfect precision, most of the force being redirected away.

Then, the instant Zelier's sweeping slash was deflected, Grey seized the fleeting opening. His sword snapped upward.

"Bang!" The wooden blade slammed heavily against the sword Zelier had raised in front of him. The overwhelming force shattered his defensive posture. Before Zelier could recover, Grey followed with another thrust. Direct hit to the right chest. Second round. Grey's victory.

"I already told you. When it comes to swordsmanship, you're still far too inexperienced." Grey withdrew his wooden sword, his face filled with smug satisfaction.

"Tch..." Zelier clicked his tongue. Should I just activate Mist Veil and fight him instead?

"Alright, alright. I won't bully you anymore." Grey waved his hand. His expression became more serious.

"If you actually want to learn swordsmanship, you first need to figure out what path suits you."

"A path?"

"Yeah. You need a general direction. What kind of swordsmanship do you actually want to practice?" Grey rested the wooden sword casually on his shoulder and began explaining.

"From what I know, one of the most common styles is the Bulwark Style. Its specialty is balanced offense and defense, with powerful and straightforward movements."

"Warriors who use this style usually wear thick armguards and shoulder armor."

"The Bulwark Style places great emphasis on a stable stance and defensive positioning. Every movement is disciplined, simple, and efficient."

"Marcus is the perfect example. Just watch him fight and you'll understand. He's as steady as a mountain." This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

"Besides the Bulwark Style, there are other schools, like the more agile Wind Style."

"Its characteristics are speed, flexibility, and especially footwork."

"Like me." Grey's expression became noticeably proud.

"Wind Style swordsmen never clash head-on. Instead, they constantly weave between exchanges and evasions, searching for the smallest weakness in an enemy's defense before delivering a fatal strike."

"Compared to slashing attacks, thrusting techniques are clearly the more dangerous approach."

"After that, there are styles based around different weapons. Techniques using greatswords, executioner blades, axes, and spears are all decent choices."

"But I don't know much about those."

"That sounds complicated..." Zelier rubbed his forehead. Why did it sound just like studying magic theory?

"It's not that complicated." Grey shrugged.

"There are many names, but everything eventually comes back to the basics. There are only a few major paths worth choosing."

"Besides, most people only need to master basic sword techniques."

"At the end of the day, swordsmanship depends on adaptability and physical ability. The instincts built through countless battles and years of repetition are the true foundation of a swordsman."

"Take me for example. Even if my swordsmanship became flawless, even if I could strike through every tiny opening, I'd still be screwed against a Mid-Tier Warrior."

"They swing once, and they can split both you and your weapon in half. What exactly are you going to block with?"

"Fair point..." Zelier nodded. Overwhelming force could break through countless techniques. Physical ability was the most important foundation behind all combat skills.

"Personally, I think the Bulwark Style suits you better." Grey looked Zelier up and down.

"You don't necessarily need a shield. Maybe get some armguards instead. That way, if enemies get close, you'll at least have some protection."

"No need." Zelier shook his head decisively.

"I only need to learn offense."

"Isn't that a little too aggressive?" Grey raised an eyebrow.

"Because I don't need defense." Zelier replied.

"What?" Grey burst into laughter at the sheer arrogance of the statement.

"You little..."

"Come." Zelier simply lowered his wooden sword and raised his chin toward Grey.

"Try cutting me."

"That's a pretty strange request..." Although Grey said that, curiosity immediately sparked in his eyes. He wanted to see what kind of trick Zelier was planning. Grey raised his wooden sword and casually swung forward. However, just as the blade was about to strike Zelier's chest, an invisible force suddenly interfered. Grey felt as if his sword had plunged into thick mud. The force behind the strike was redirected away, causing the blade to slide harmlessly to the side.

"This... what is this?" The relaxed expression vanished from Grey's face. His eyes slowly widened. At some point, a layer of hazy light had appeared around Zelier's body. It flowed like drifting morning mist.

"Some kind of magic barrier?" Grey became serious. This time, he put more strength into his attack and thrust forward again. The result was exactly the same. The moment the wooden sword touched the hazy glow, an unusual force completely deflected the blade. It couldn't even scratch Zelier.

"Alright..." After trying several times without success, Grey finally gave up.

"I finally understand why you wanted to learn swordsmanship."

"With just this magic barrier, combined with your ridiculous strength, any monster or enemy who thinks you're weak in close combat is going to suffer badly."

"Something like that." Zelier dismissed Mist Veil. Learning another technique meant gaining another method of attack. Who knew? One day, if his mana was exhausted, swordsmanship might become his only option.

"I really envy you mages..." Grey muttered.

"You can create all kinds of strange and unbelievable spells." However, he couldn't shake a strange feeling. Why did the hazy glow surrounding Zelier... Why did it feel strangely familiar?

"Since that's the case, you really don't need much defense." Unable to figure it out, Grey stopped thinking about it. He raised his wooden sword again.

"I'll teach you the basics first. Let's start with thrusting." Grey waved Zelier over.

"Come. Attack me with a thrust." Zelier gripped the sword with both hands. He stepped forward. A sharp thrust shot straight toward Grey's chest. But Grey merely slid one step to the side. At the same time, his wooden sword flicked outward.

"Smack!" A crisp impact rang out. Zelier immediately felt a clever force travel through his blade. The thrust he had committed everything into was effortlessly redirected. His sword stabbed into empty air. And because he had put too much force behind the attack, his body was left completely exposed. Grey didn't even bother counterattacking. He simply tapped Zelier's shoulder lightly with the flat of his sword and shook his head.

"That's not a thrust."

"That's a push." Grey smiled.

"It's soft and powerless. It doesn't have even the slightest threat behind it."

"My speed and strength aren't bad though." Zelier looked confused. He withdrew his sword, stepped back, and returned to his stance.