Chapter 148: Demonstration [1]

Noah pushed back Zenur’s hand that had blocked his punch, or at least he tried to, but Zenur didn’t budge an inch.

The instructor still had the same smile on his face, his expression showing none of the panic that Noah had expected to see.

After all, Zenur wasn’t using mana, but Noah was. And being blocked by someone using pure physical strength—

That was another hit to Noah’s pride, or at least that was what I thought before Noah jumped back.

No matter what his inner emotions were, Noah was, after all, the protagonist.

He knew when to control himself, as could be seen from the calmness in his eyes.

"It was easy to block, but impressive nonetheless."

The instructor praised Noah, or at least that was what the statement was meant to be.

But looking at Noah, it was easy to tell that he was frustrated from the exchange.

"So here’s the first lesson. First strike doesn’t guarantee your win, so always remember to read your opponent and then wait—"

Zenur paused, taking the time to sweep his gaze around the hall.

"Wait for the opponent to make the next move, and then block it by predicting the flow of combat."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The entire hall went silent, as the students didn’t know what to say.

Though Zenur was explaining it as something simple, predicting the enemy’s moves just after starting the fight felt overwhelming to all of them.

And the students weren’t entirely wrong.

Analysing your opponent and predicting his moves even after a hundred exchanges between the two of you was a difficult task that required an insane level of study.

You have to know several patterns of attack to be able to even understand a single one that your opponent might use.

Though Zenur knew all of it, he still chose to make it sound simple.

Was he trying to motivate them for combat or completely crush their morale?

I found his methods strange but didn’t show any of my emotions on my face, as I knew that every person had his own way of teaching others.

"Come, boy!"

Zenur motioned to Noah with his right hand.

Noah, to his credit, didn’t rush immediately but walked towards the instructor, standing tall before him.

This time, Noah didn’t raise his fist nor did he take any particular stance, but simply stood there like he was on some sort of picnic.

Zenur just looked amused by Noah’s attitude but didn’t comment on it.

"You coming or—"

Swoosh!

A kick came flying at Zenur, straight at his face.

Noah had already bent his head a little, his entire body tilting to the other side, as his right leg was aimed at the instructor.

Zenur stepped back a bit, but—

Noah had immediately placed his right leg on the ground after the failed attempt, and using it as the base, twisted his body backwards to launch a roundhouse kick at the instructor’s neck for the second time.

Bang!

Zenur wasn’t fazed in the slightest, as he raised his right hand to easily block the incoming attack, while, for the first time, raising his left leg with a kick aimed straight at Noah’s side.

Noah, following the line of attack, pushed his left leg deeper into Zenur’s neck and, using the opposing force, twisted his body up in mid-air.

Now, it was his right leg that had turned into the attacker.

But—

Despite being in an awkward position, the instructor grabbed Noah’s body mid-air and—

Boom!

Slammed him into the floor below.

"Cough... Cough"

From the sound of the impact and Noah’s coughing, it was clear that the instructor hadn’t held back in the slightest.

"Lesson two— Never jump in the air if you don’t have a backup for your landing, or else—"

The instructor paused to shift his focus to the boy lying below him, coughing with every breath.

The impact had really knocked the air out of Noah’s lungs, as even after a few seconds, he was unable to stand up.

Looking at Zenur, I had to re-evaluate his image in my mind.

As someone who had played the game, I knew about Noah’s insanely sturdy body.

It would even be an understatement to compare it with some metals, as Noah’s physique was one of his strongest fortes.

And to have that body suffer such damage from a single move...

Zenur didn’t move his gaze from Noah, as the latter somehow managed to stand up.

This time, none of Noah’s earlier confidence was visible, as the guy had completely turned red from the lack of air in his lungs.

"Are you okay?"

Hearing the instructor’s concerned words, Noah, as well as all the other students, kept staring at him blankly.

I mean... no one could possibly be okay after something like that.

"Yes."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Another bout of silence ensued, as Noah answered in a calm and controlled voice.

I must say, he had recovered pretty quickly, as all the previous stiffness in his body seemed to have dissolved into thin air.

"That’s... good. Shall we begin?"

Zenur asked as he began walking towards Noah, his gaze never leaving the protagonist.

Both of them now stood a couple of inches away from each other, their eyes daring the other to attack.

Or at least Zenur’s eyes showed that challenge.

Noah, despite having determination in his eyes, had none of his previous arrogance.

"You don’t have to be so nervous. You are better than most that I have seen."

Noah raised his brows hearing the statement.

Zenur’s praise must have been unexpected for him, as being crushed within the first minute of combat had destroyed Noah’s confidence in himself—or at least the instructor had thought so.

I for sure knew that even after every humiliation, protagonists were characters with thick skin, and such defeats might reduce their confidence for a bit, but not forever.

After all, the world favoured them.

"Come."

Zenur spoke, though the instruction was unnecessary, as Noah had already moved.

This time, Zenur didn’t try to overpower him, but exchanged blows in a fair display.

Not that Noah could complain.