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Chapter 220 Chapter 48.4 - Unmovable Mountain

Standing in the middle of the sparring field, I was breathing heavily as Carl stood in front of me. The sparring continued without sparring, and as my competitive spirit was ignited, I didn\'t hold back my attacks at all, exerting myself to the limits.

"You did well."

As I caught my breath, beads of sweat rolling down my forehead, I couldn\'t help but marvel at Carl\'s stamina. The relentless sparring had taken a toll on me, but the man standing before me seemed almost unaffected.

\'What a monster.\'

I thought, acknowledging the vast difference in our physical capabilities. As I observed Carl\'s minor wounds, I realized the sparring had become a test not just of skills but also of endurance and recovery. It was a stark reminder of the diverse strengths present among the students in the academy.

\'It was the first time I have gone against such an enemy.\'

Carl was like an unmovable mountain. The more I attacked, the more I became aware of how desperate I would be against him.

Envisioning the fact that an enemy like Carl would stand before me immediately sent shivers down my spine.

\'No chance of winning.\'

It was the perfect display of the difference between one\'s stats. Looking at him and how he fought, Carl didn\'t seem to be engrossed in perfecting his hammer style or his magic.

\'He just relies on overwhelming strength.\'

It was like a stat-checker type of character from the game. I am a person who basically relies on exploiting the weakness of the enemies by creating favorable situations for myself. My main strength relies on my swiftness and high damage output in favorable times, but that is not the case for Carl.

He almost doesn\'t have a physical weakness aside from his \'low\' speed, which is not even that low. Of course, against an Awakened of the same caliber as himself, his lack of technique training will become something negative, but amongst his peers, finding such people will be incredibly hard.

"Thanks."

I nodded my head against his words. Even though he may look stern, it felt like his compliments were genuine.

Carl nodded in response, but the air between us remained thick with unspoken words. It wasn\'t the first time I felt like this, as it reminded me of the military.

\'Yeah, that guy is the direct representative of the military.\'

From the corner of my eye, I noticed him glancing at me intermittently as if contemplating whether to say something.

\'What does he want to talk about?\' I wondered, my curiosity piqued. The awkward silence seemed to be hinting at an underlying conversation waiting to unfold.

"If you have something to say, just say it."

I decided to open my mouth first as it didn\'t seem like he was going to talk.

Carl turned his gaze toward me, his stern expression unchanged. There was a momentary hesitation before he spoke, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

The question caught me off guard, and I studied Carl for a moment before responding. My response would be important.

\'I guess I already gained his attention.\'

"I\'ve had my fair share of experiences. Learned along the way, I suppose."

"….." He didn\'t seem to believe me as he continued to seize at me. "You are different…." Then he mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"You are different from the normal students," Carl began, his voice measured. "The way you wield those daggers, the precision in your movements, it\'s not like someone who just learned along the way. It\'s like you\'ve fought to the death before."

His observation was sharp, and I didn\'t bother denying it. Instead, I met his gaze directly. "You\'re perceptive."

Carl nodded, a solemn expression on his face. "I come from a military family. Trained from a young age. I can tell when someone is a fighter, not just a student practicing moves."

\'He is definitely good.\'

It was said that sometimes, to get to know a man, exchanging blows with him is the best choice. I guess that is quite true.

A person who trained to be on the battlefield and who had been in a situation that made him seem more like an adult than a teenager. That was the feeling I got when I clashed with him, and it seemed he got the same.

"I can\'t shake the feeling that you\'ve seen more than most students here," Carl remarked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"You should shake your feelings from time to time," I mumbled as I looked at the approaching guys. It seemed everyone had finished their spars now.

"…" Carl looked at me for a second before standing up like a tall mountain. "My father had always said…."

"In the chaos of battle, a soldier\'s only safety measure is their instinct. He used to tell me that if your instincts are sharp, you\'ll come home. His never failed him, and I\'ve held onto that advice." Top of Form

"Is that so?" He seemed quite sure about me, but that was it. From what I knew about him, he wouldn\'t say much about me in any case.

"…..Next time we meet….I will be expecting much more…."

"I won\'t disappoint you then."

"That would be better."

Carl\'s departure was as stoic as his arrival, and I watched as he made his way toward a group of the main cast.

\'Well, I guess that was a good reality check.\'

With the strength I had underneath me, I thought I could at least go against some high-ranking individuals, but I should also be prepared in case someone like Carl appeared.

\'After all, many of the bosses from the game are actually stat checkers.\'

My previous fights had been all swift, thanks to the preparations I did, but that won\'t be the case every time I fight.

\'Let\'s train more.\'

With that thought, I slowly made myself out of the sparring grounds.

*********

As Carl left Astron, he met with his fellow group. Ethan, Julia, Lilia, and Lucas were already talking with each other sitting.

"Oh, Carl is here. You finished?" Julia asked.

"I did," Carl replied, taking a seat among the group. However, after he sat, the others continued talking about the game.

"How was your last session? Any exciting battles or unexpected twists?"

"You won\'t believe what happened. I encountered this high-

level boss unexpectedly, and the battle turned into complete chaos. I barely managed to survive."

"Boss battles are the best part! Did you get any rare loot or weapons?"

"Funny you mention that. I got a legendary sword drop. It\'s a game-changer, I tell you."

Irina, who had been quietly observing the conversation, couldn\'t resist joining in. Even though she had just started, she wanted to explore the game more, "It sounds like you had quite the adventure. Maybe we should plan a group expedition sometime."

Julia, with her competitive spirit, added, "Yeah, and we can see who gets the most epic loot. I\'m always up for a \'friendly\' competition."

"Cough…."

At the mention of friendly competition, Ethan couldn\'t help but cough a little. He had bruises all around his body as well as his face. The sword marks and the cuts added salt to the wound.

"Ethan knows it well, right?"

"You should have gone more easy on me."

"I already did, you know. If I put a little more strength, your arm would go off…."

"It felt like it did."

Julia, noticing the change in topic, turned to Carl. "Hey, Carl, speaking of partners, what happened to your usual sparring partner, Chris? Haven\'t seen him around lately."

Chris was the guy that was matched with Carl. He was also one of the top prospects of the academy and from an upper circle. Though he was a bit lazy and had a weird tendencies, Carl didn\'t mind if he did his job as a student.

But, now, he was failing to do so. Carl\'s expression darkened slightly. "Chris is on a leave of absence. Personal matters, he said."

"Then, what happened to this practical session."

"I got matched with another student."

"Hmm? Who was he?"

"Astron Natusalune."

At the mention of Astron, Irina flinched a little, and Ethan couldn\'t help but smile. In the group, Astron was known as an edgy, rude, yet interesting individual, leaving an indelible mark on everyone who crossed paths with him.

"Tch."

Of course, a girl who was once subjected to his demeanor disliked him. She still, didn\'t forget that time.

"You are still fretting over it?" Julia asked, her eyes filled with a slight spark.

"Of course," Lilia replied. "Those coming from random backgrounds don\'t know the etiquette of nobles. I can\'t stand rude people like that."

Ethan couldn\'t help but reminiscence a little. He was also a primary subject to his demeanor, so he knew it firsthand.

"You know, Astron\'s not all bad. He just has his own way of doing things." However, he liked how straightforward and blunt he was with his words.

Lilia raised an eyebrow. "His own way? It\'s more like a complete lack of manners. Nobility is about refinement and grace, not being rude and edgy. Don\'t you think so, Irina? You don\'t like him too, right?"

Lilia knew what Irina said about him, so she naturally knew she would take her side.

Irina stammered a little, caught off guard by the sudden attention. She hesitated, unsure of how to respond for some reason.

\'Yes, he is annoying….But.\'

There was a but in her thoughts. She did feel indeed uncomfortable about Astron, but expressing that discomfort seemed challenging for some reason.

"Irina?"

But as she noticed everyone looking at him, she couldn\'t help but speak.

"Yeah. He is indeed rude."

"Hmm…..Maybe." Julia nodded her head as she turned to look at Carl. "So? How was he?" And she asked. "Is he that good, just as Ethan mentioned?"

Carl nodded his head, offering his perspective on Astron. "He wasn\'t as weak as Ethan talked about him."

Even though Ethan praised Astron, he always mentioned that he was weak physically. But that didn\'t seem to be the case with Carl.

"And he also gave off a different vibe. It\'s hard to describe, but he\'s not someone you can underestimate. His fighting style is unconventional, and he has this intensity that makes you think twice before crossing blades with him."

Ethan smirked, pleased that someone else acknowledged Astron\'s prowess. "Told you he\'s not as bad as he seems. He\'s got a unique way of handling things, and in a fight, that can make all the difference."

He also got the same vibe from him, and seeing Carl relating to him made him feel even better than before.

"Hmm?"

And those words piqued Lilia\'s interest. After all, gaining the recognition of Carl wasn\'t something everyone could do at all.

\'He might be useful.\'

She took on a note in the corner of her mind to observe him more.