CHAPTER 140

"The sense of evasion, we will learn it this time."

While Ragna insisted on always carrying two swords on his person, Jaxon started teaching something different. It must have been one of the things he mentioned on the day they killed the Giant.

Encrid learned both at the same time. There was no need to learn them separately.

What Jaxon taught didn't particularly interfere with other training. Essentially, it started with improving dynamic visual acuity, by throwing a marked stone and reading what was written on it.

Of course, it wasn't easy.

Still, little by little, he was improving.

Now, he could see what was written on the stone flying toward him.

This was possible thanks to the experiences Encrid had accumulated so far.

Experiences that awakened his talent.

Experiences achieved with a belief in success and confidence in himself.

Just then, a stone flew toward his forehead, and at that moment...

"Ambush!"

A shout rang out.

Encrid quickly grabbed the stone.

"Enemy forces!"

A loud whistle sounded.

"Arrows incoming! Duck your heads!"

Between the voices of the commander and the startled soldiers, Jaxon spoke up.

"What was written?"

He sure is relentless.

The two swords were at his waist, and he was wearing leather armor.

No matter how relaxed they were, they couldn't move without basic gear.

Although Esther disliked the smell of sweat on his armor, this place was still a battlefield where combat could break out at any moment.

As Encrid turned around, he said,

"'Mi'."

"Good."

Jaxon responded and stood up.

But there was someone faster and more agile than these two who dashed out.

"Where are they?!"

It was Rem. For eight days, thanks to sparring with Encrid and Andrew, he wasn't particularly frustrated, but he felt a sense of boredom.

The barbarian from the west was excited at the thought of swinging his axe and dashed out.

Who knows? Another Giant might pop up somewhere.

What then?

It would be too exciting.

Rem's steps were light, and his body was swift.

He moved faster than any commander or soldier.

Encrid also headed towards the commotion.

At the outskirts of the unit, near the border, in the direction of the enemy's camp.

When they arrived, they saw Rem looking left and right rapidly.

Encrid also looked around, but...

There were no noticeable traces, especially not of the enemy.

Only a dead soldier with an arrow in his head lay there.

"Where's the enemy?"

Encrid asked, and Jaxon, also looking left and right, replied.

"They're not here."

Even in Jaxon's eyes, the traces were minimal. What does this mean?

It means they didn't invade at all.

Did they just shoot arrows from afar and leave?

Though one of their own died because of it.

Is this really effective?

Rustle.

There was some movement in the dense foliage beyond their camp's perimeter.

It wasn't the enemy, it was their own men moving.

The ones with the eagle insignia, the Slaughterers of the Frontier unit, were on the move.

"Chase them."

At the words of someone who appeared to be the commander, they started moving. Watching them head into the bushes, Encrid thought their movements resembled those of Finn.

In other words, they all had a ranger-like quality.

At the very least, it seemed to be a unit with such skills.

"What's going on?"

In the midst of this, Rem was there.

A frustrated Rem, with his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Don't."

Encrid first extinguished the immediate fire. If left unchecked, he might cause a commotion again.

"Come here."

He called out to stop him. Rem seemed so irritated that it was almost as if his gray hair was standing on end, but he just snorted and turned around.

"Those enemy bastards are despicable."

Rem spoke as he glanced at the comrade with a pierced head.

It wasn't a look of pity. He was looking at the arrow.

"To bring back that crazy bastard and cause this damn mess."

From Rem's expression, it seemed he recognized the arrow.

"Who is it?"

"Don't you remember?"

Encrid tilted his head.

Though Rem remembered, Encrid had experienced different things today compared to Rem.

The difference in their perceived time made it inevitable.

"The one who was called Hawk's Eyes or something like that."

Finally, Encrid also turned his eyes to the arrow. The arrow was longer and the fletching extended backward more than others.

He could tell without even checking the blood-stained arrowhead. It wasn't an ordinary arrow.

Rem scratched his chin slowly. He still felt a sense of frustration.

A missed target.

Rem, who had once lived as a hunter, followed the traces of the target with his eyes.

Should he chase or not? If he did, how long would it take?

As Rem was gauging the time, Encrid tapped him on the shoulder.

"How about a sparring match?"

Let it go, there will come a day when they meet again.

When that time comes, they can have a conversation.

Of course, it would be a conversation using axes, not words.

"Let's do it."

Encrid turned back after calming Rem down.

Whoosh.

A stone flew from behind Encrid's head.

A small stone flew past Encrid's eyes in an instant.

It brushed past Rem's forehead.

Who knows when it was picked up or when something was written on it.

"Chin."

Encrid, having read the letters, responded calmly despite his inner surprise.

He had almost missed it if he hadn't been paying attention.

"Good."

Jaxon nodded and spoke up.

"Are you crazy? Where are you throwing stones?"

Rem reacted.

"Oh, you were there? I didn't see you."

Jaxon replied, clearly lying.

It was a routine argument.

"Stop it."

Although it was routine, something had changed from before.

Encrid didn't push himself in to stop them. Now, words were enough.

"Stop it, Rem."

He just spoke a bit more forcefully, with a bit more conviction.

This realization came while learning the Heart of the Beast.

Rem listened to his words better than expected.

The same went for Jaxon.

For him, just a stern look was enough.

"Yes, I'll be careful."

With that, they got the response.

Anyway, as they returned to the front of the barracks.

"What's going on?"

Ragna, who had woken up late, asked. Unless he was watching Encrid or sparring with him, he remained a lazy friend.

"Enemy ambush, they just shot arrows and fled."

"I see."

Did this guy even listen properly?

He seemed uninterested.

Was he just fearless, or simply thoughtless?

'The latter.'

If it involved Krona, it was the latter. Encrid thought to himself as he straightened his sword.

He stood upright, regulated his breathing, and focused once again on the sparring session.

In between, he continued his training by reading letters written on stones.

He relaxed his muscles using the Valaf-style acupressure techniques.

He also trained in boxing, martial arts, and joint techniques, while not neglecting the Isolation Technique.

Throughout, he never let the two swords leave his body.

"Stance, you must not break your stance. No matter what you do, the stance comes first. If your stance breaks, you'll get hurt. You wouldn't want to be a wounded Platoon leader, would you, brother?"

Was this a warning using a playful title?

It was quite a challenge to maintain the stance for the Isolation Technique while holding two swords, but it was manageable.

It wasn't impossible. Thus, there were no issues for Encrid.

As the sun began to set in the west, a shout came from one of their soldiers.

"Ambush! Damn it!"

The enemy had attempted contact again.

They had been caught off guard the first time, but this time, they were prepared. Yet again, an arrow struck a soldier's head.

The Border Guard Reserve Unit responded.

A platoon composed of individuals with exceptional abilities in such terrain moved, but they missed the enemy again.

"This isn't good."

Krais frowned upon hearing the situation.

Encrid ignored it. The enemy was firing arrows from a distance and fleeing. They were difficult to catch.

How could they catch someone who shot just one arrow from an unusually long-range weapon and then fled?

Encrid focused solely on his training.

He didn't consider it his concern.

He barely had enough mental energy to concentrate on his training.

"Chin."

Starting from 'Mi', he read all the letters on the fifth stone.

When put together, it read 'Mad Barbarian.'

"...These were written down before I told him to be careful earlier."

Jaxon made an excuse, looking down at the ground. Encrid didn't feel like saying anything in response.

"Calm down."

He only tried to stop Rem, who seemed ready to throw his axe without hesitation.

A day passed, and the next day was similar.

Training or sparring.

Occasional enemy ambushes.

Krais kept muttering that the situation wasn't good.

Encrid started proper training with Jaxon.

"The sense of evasion is essentially about developing the ability to avoid. It's about honing predictive abilities and body coordination through experience. The goal is to be able to move and avoid simultaneously."

As Encrid watched, wondering what exactly they were supposed to avoid, Jaxon drew his sword.

The blade glinted in the light, and Jaxon asked,

"Are you going to do this with two swords?"

Was this a concern, or a warning?

Perhaps both.

"Do it."

Encrid would endure whatever came his way. Knowing this, Jaxon nodded and decided to share something he had.

"If you can't dodge, you'll die."

After this warning, Jaxon struck.

A piercing sound, and Encrid saw a dot. A small point shot towards him. Even though he activated the Focus Point technique, he couldn't move.

Tick.

"Next time, you really will die."

The tip of the sword touched Encrid's forehead. He couldn't move at all. Speed? Swiftness? No, this seemed to be a different issue.

It was a thrust as precise as a dot. Not something achievable just by being fast.

What should he call this?

He had seen Rem's axe swing like a whip.

He had seen it cut through the air like a flash.

He had seen enemy thrusts and had dodged flying whistling daggers.

Jaxon's thrust felt different from everything he had experienced.

It seemed almost magical.

As if the space folded and the sword reached its target in an instant.

It was a thrust that showed no signs or indications beforehand.

"Again."

Encrid's eyes burned with determination. It was something new, and he was always ready to accept it.

"If you can't dodge, you'll really die."

Jaxon kept saying this, but in reality, no one died.

Should they say it was still the same?

Or should they say it remained unchanged?

Encrid continued to train, always ready for what came next.

Three or four times a day, the enemy would shoot arrows, causing minor disturbances.

Whether or not their own forces were affected, whether or not the Border Guard Reserve Unit continued to stumble, Encrid focused solely on training.

Is it that he can't see the thrust? No.

He could see it. He could see it, but he just couldn't dodge it.

What he needed now, as Jaxon said, was coordination.

Seeing and dodging, reducing reaction time to the extreme.

If he could see it, his body would react.

So why couldn't he dodge Jaxon's sword?

"It's called the 'Non-lethal Thrust', but there's no need for you to learn it."

Jaxon casually mentioned this, which only fueled Encrid's determination further.

"When can I learn that?"

"Let's talk after you master this."

"Alright."

The 'Non-lethal Thrust' is a high-speed thrust without killing intent. Up until now, the body's reaction to intent had been the reason for freezing up.

Without a sense of threat, the body doesn't react properly.

The current training was about learning to willfully activate and summon reactions.

"Just see and react."

It wasn't as easy as it sounded.

However, there was some progress. It was slow, almost at a crawling pace, but Encrid could feel the changes in himself.

How could this not be exciting?

Moreover...

"You're improving."

Jaxon was a kind and encouraging teacher compared to others.

The training Jaxon knew was consistent and could be mastered with half a life's effort, provided one kept at it.

Yet, in all these moments, Jaxon couldn't help but question.

'Why am I doing this?'

He couldn't just sit back and watch, so he got involved.

Jaxon couldn't understand why he was helping Encrid, which bothered him.

Since childhood, he'd been trained to attach a valid reason to every action.

Now, he was acting entirely against that training.

'Just keep going.'

Jaxon pushed his doubts aside, content to watch Encrid.

It was a satisfaction he had never felt before.

Having killed and killed again, verifying and seeking information afterward, he had never felt anything during those moments.

This feeling was new.

How could he not be excited?

A smile appeared on Jaxon's face as he thrust his sword, and Encrid had no time to notice it.

Only Rem, Ragna, and Audin, who were nearby, saw it.

"That guy, he's really going to kill someone."

Rem, with a strangely twisted expression, remarked, "This sparring is getting too intense. It's supposed to be my turn."

Ragna voiced his own desires, "Seems like it's my turn now."

"Haha, it seems our brother is enjoying himself. But everything needs balance, we mustn't overdo it. As the Lord says, what happens when the scales tip too much..." Audin's words trailed off, indicating his dissatisfaction.

All three were clearly unhappy.

Krais, watching them, thought, "This really isn't good."

While they swung their swords without much worry, the situation within the unit was deteriorating like a dog's genitals.

It would be great if the commander or the Border Guard Reserve Unit took care of it, but it seemed like no one was thinking or willing to think strategically.

"When will they stop just watching?"

Krais saw a way out. If things continue as they are, they'd only invite more danger.

Why were they just leaving it alone?

He couldn't let it go.

"Hey, Captain."

Krais didn't want to risk staying here any longer. It was a visible problem, and he couldn't just ignore it.

"Hmm?"

Encrid, drenched in sweat, turned his head. The intensity in his eyes meant nothing to Krais.

"Don't you have any suggestions to make to the higher-ups?"

Encrid tilted his head, confused by the question.

Krais began explaining, outlining the limited capabilities of their unit and what they could do.

"...So, we have the mobility, we just need to control it."

It was a straightforward suggestion.

Having seen Krais enough times, Encrid knew this big-eyed friend wasn't just obsessed with Krona, so he nodded.

"Sure, why not."

There were many things Encrid wanted to test out anyway. This seemed like a good opportunity.

It was natural for Encrid to nod easily.

"Good." Krais said, perhaps relieved, while Encrid calmly nodded back.

It wasn't a difficult decision.

Ultimately, the final judgment rested with the command.

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