Chương 42: Interlude

Teraq Teraq knew he was nowhere near the strongest warriors of his generation. Ulfar, Astrid, Björn, and others were stronger than him. And while he did not like that, Teraq could accept it. However, as someone who followed the path of combat and bloodshed like every true Barbarian should, he couldn't understand Hakon. The Ancestors punished him with the Mind, an Ancient Power that should have made it impossible to keep up with the strongest of their generation, yet that was not the case.

If anything, Hakon was stronger than ever. He won the Battle of Generation when his first opponent should have crushed him. Did that mean the Ancestors were wrong? Or… that they did not punish him with his Ancient Power? That could not be. It made no sense. There was no way the Ancestors had acknowledged and accepted Hakon. Hakon was a failure who awakened the Mind. Thus, Teraq challenged the chieftain's son to see for himself.

"I will crush you," Teraq growled, lowering his body in impatience. He dug his feet deep into the ground and propelled himself forward without hesitation. Teraq watched Hakon narrow his eyes at him, but there was no way he could escape [Herculean Sprint]. The Skill channeled his Ancient Power, Herculean Strength, into his lower body, allowing him to close the distance between them swiftly. But while Teraq was fast and confident, his charge was filled with the intent of destruction, Hakon simply watched him.

The chieftain's son regarded him from head to toe, a flash of scheming intelligence glinting in his eyes, yet he didn't move. Not until Teraq reached him, his fist shooting forward and aiming for the head. Teraq had yet to acquire [Unarmed Weapon Mastery], but it was not like that mattered. He was confident in his strength and speed. A weakling with the Mind wouldn't pose a threat to him. Yet even as he was certain of his superiority, Hakon's fight against Ulfar and the others flashed before his eyes.

The chieftain's son was not weak and deserved to be treated with the respect of every Barbarian. Even if his Ancient Power was lackluster, he still followed the path of the Barbarians. Letting out a growl, Teraq channeled his Ancient Power, Herculean Strength, into his arms. He empowered most of his body in an instant and struck out, only to watch Hakon twist out of the attack. Teraq followed up with several more strikes, frustration building as he realized that none of his attacks hit the mark.

Agitated, his punches ripped through the air with ever-increasing ferocity. Stop escaping, weasel! He roared in his head, cursing Hakon but also himself for failing to hit his foe even once. One time. That was all he needed to win the battle. To crush Hakon and show everyone that he was stronger than most and that Hakon was not as powerful as everyone made him out to be. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

But no matter how strong Teraq was, Herculean Strength was useless if he couldn't even hit his target. And that was exactly what was happening. Hakon wasn't even that fast, yet hitting him seemed like an impossibility. Not even an ounce of power radiated from him. The corner of his lips curled up, his body was neither tense nor showing signs of exhaustion. Hakon was playing around. He wasn't even trying. Teraq couldn't do anything, yet he rejected his foe's superiority and hurled one insult after another at him.

"Coward!" he roared, only to be ignored. Hakon simply watched him, his eyes betraying no emotion as he stepped to the side, evading yet another barrage of strikes. He even glanced aside, as if their spar wasn't worth his attention. Teraq followed his gaze and saw that more young warriors had arrived at the training ground. As for Astrid and the others who had already been present, they watched in silence.

Some of them looked at Teraq with disdain, because he was too weak to fight Hakon head-on, because he, wielding Herculean Strength, couldn't even hit the wielder of the Mind. But they also frowned upon Hakon. Warriors were not supposed to flee from combat. They ought to face their foes head-on, yet he couldn't be bothered. And that only fanned the irritation burning in Teraq's heart. He couldn't understand what the Ancestors were doing or how they could accept Hakon's actions, yet they somehow did.

Not only did they acknowledge him, they even seemed to reward him. Hakon flowed around the battlefield with grace and surprising ease. He did not attack for quite a while, but the situation was clear enough: the Ancestors were rewarding him with Skills… Skills he was improving on the go. Teraq could feel it, yet understanding eluded him. And just as the first bead of sweat poured down his temples, Hakon's strategy changed drastically.

He evaded the incoming blows even more easily than before, twisting out of one punch only to retaliate with a rapid sequence of three strikes right beneath Teraq's rib cage. Teraq gasped as a single punch forced the air out of his lungs. Hakon barely hit him, yet he felt like collapsing.

"Take a breath. Then come at me again," Hakon said without an ounce of emotion in his voice. Teraq's eyes widened, yet he kept moving, until another punch landed. The force of the impact was almost identical to the first strike, perfectly controlled and aimed with a precision that rivaled the oldest warriors of Tribe Taskur. It struck the exact same spot, nearly bringing Teraq to his knees. That was when he realized that Hakon was not weak, and that he could have ended the spar at any point, yet chose not to.

Because he wanted to make an example. And Teraq had fallen victim to him. What a fool I am. He gritted his teeth but continued the fight. This time, he did not attack mindlessly. He adjusted his stance and studied his opponent more seriously, yet he still failed to block the next few attacks. However, the more he was hit, the more apparent his own weaknesses became. Realizing his mistakes, Teraq adjusted until, finally, he blocked an incoming punch with precise movements and a proper stance.

[Unarmed Combat Mastery has been recognized. Skill generated. Level adjusted to proficiency.] The corner of his lips curled upward, but it was too early to celebrate, as Hakon's fist found purchase in yet another weak spot Teraq had failed to block.