Chapter 249: Not Only Skilled in Swordsmanship But Also a Master of Martial Arts!

"In that case, Lord Sauros, am I allowed to use magic in this spar?" Wood asked.

Given his current physical condition, even with his hidden swordsmanship skills, defeating Ghislaine in her full 'Sword King' form seemed next to impossible. However, if he were permitted to use magic in the fight, Wood figured it would at least be possible to force Ghislaine to get serious, even if winning might still be out of reach.

"I didn't expect you to have such talent in magic as well, in addition to your extraordinary swordsmanship," Sauros said with a grin. "Go ahead and give it your all, no matter what techniques you use. As long as you can make Ghislaine fight seriously, everything I promised will stand."

Treating Wood as part of the main family meant that in the Boreas household, he would receive the same level of treatment as Eris. It was an unusual and spontaneous offer, but very much in Sauros' style.

Philip and Hilda, though finding the old man's decision a bit rash, didn't intervene. They knew very well that once Sauros made up his mind, nothing short of a miracle could change it. Eris herself had inherited many of her bad habits from her grandfather.

Of course, there was another reason Philip and Hilda didn't speak up. Neither of them believed a child-like Wood could truly push Ghislaine to fight seriously. They were well aware of Ghislaine's strength—since she had stayed with the family out of gratitude after Sauros had saved her life, Ghislaine had become their greatest asset.

There had been several conflicts between Sauros and neighboring lords, but Ghislaine had single-handedly crushed the opposition every time. Philip himself had once proposed marriage to Ghislaine, hoping to make her his second wife and further secure his power, but she had bluntly refused.

After getting Sauros' permission, Wood turned to Ghislaine, his gaze becoming even more intense. His body lowered into an attacking stance, and in an instant, his legs pushed off the ground with enough force to shatter the earth beneath his feet. His figure shot forward like a flash of light, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Ghislaine.

Ghislaine's beast-like pupils contracted as she swiftly tracked Wood's movements, spotting a small opening in his stance. She immediately swung her sword to exploit the weakness.

"Clang—!"

The sound of iron colliding filled the air, sending sparks flying. The reverberating echo of the impact brought the spectators, who had been in a daze, back to their senses.

"His speed… it's gotten even faster than before…" Eris, standing beside Sauros, clenched her fists tightly. She was both amazed and envious of the speed Wood displayed. Before, she could at least follow his movements, but now she couldn't see a thing.

Eris had prepared herself for the fight after seeing Wood spar with Ghislaine earlier. But Sauros, Philip, and the others, who hadn't seen Wood in action before, were left completely astonished.

"A seven-year-old child with that kind of strength?"

Philip may not have been a skilled fighter himself—Ghislaine had rejected his marriage proposal because of his lack of ability—but that didn't mean he lacked an eye for talent. Wood's charge had been as fast as any advanced swordsman's!

After the initial clash of swords and the two were pushed back, both Wood and Ghislaine moved simultaneously. What followed was an incredibly fast and dizzying flurry of blade strikes, almost impossible for ordinary onlookers to follow.

Both were using the "Sword God" style, but Ghislaine, in this match, limited her strength to that of an advanced swordsman, to match Wood's level. Even though their techniques and styles were evenly matched, other factors also played a significant role in determining the outcome.

Beastmen like Ghislaine were naturally stronger than humans, and Wood, being only seven years old, had short limbs and lacked the raw power and stamina to match Ghislaine. It was no surprise that, after an initial balance, Ghislaine soon began to overpower Wood.

With no advantage in strength, speed, or endurance, Wood had to rely on technique. Eventually, under the relentless pressure, Wood left an opening in his defense. Ghislaine, experienced as she was, didn't miss the chance and swung her sword toward his wrist.

Sensing Ghislaine's intent, Wood quickly raised his sword to block. But it was a hurried defense, and against Ghislaine's attack, it wasn't enough. With a crisp sound, Wood's sword was sent flying.

For a swordsman without a weapon, defeat was usually inevitable. Ghislaine only needed to press her blade against Wood's neck to declare victory.

However, just as everyone thought the battle was over, Ghislaine, standing closest to Wood, noticed something unexpected—a confident smile spread across Wood's face as he raised his fists into a fighting stance.

"You've left yourself wide open, Miss Ghislaine," Wood said. "It seems the one with a fatal weakness now is you."

Ghislaine, having disarmed Wood, was indeed momentarily open in her defense. But for an unarmed swordsman, such an opportunity shouldn't have been significant. However, Ghislaine had no idea that Wood wasn't just a swordsman—he excelled in many other forms of combat as well.

Wood's fist shot forward, the force of his strike creating a gust of wind as it aimed directly for Ghislaine's exposed abdomen.

At first, Ghislaine hadn't taken the attack seriously. But the moment his fist connected, she realized how wrong she had been. A surge of pain shot through her, and to her astonishment, Wood's punch sent her flying several meters back.

Even someone as physically strong as Ghislaine, a beastman, slid across the ground for several meters and spat out a mouthful of bile.

"You're a martial artist skilled in internal energy techniques!" Ghislaine exclaimed, now fully aware of Wood's prowess.

Given the difference in their physical abilities, it should have been impossible for Wood to harm Ghislaine with his bare hands. But using internal energy, he had delivered a blow that caused serious internal damage.

And Wood's assault wasn't over yet!

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a