NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 123:
As Elise upped the intensity, Otto became nothing more than a punching bag.
*Whack!*
“Ouch!”
He was whacked.
*Bam!*
“Kuck!”
And then, an elbow blow.
*Bam!*
“Kweeeeek!”
And then hit on his head.
Before Otto could exchange a few blows, he gave away his head, shoulders, knees, arms, back, and sides.
If it were a real fight, he would have had his head split open, his shoulder chopped off, a third of his upper body blown off, and his legs severed.
After that, there was nothing for him to do except to lay down and die.
“Ugh.”
Otto gritted his teeth as he stumbled to his feet after being knocked down about the 47th time.
‘… I can’t believe I’m so helpless.’
He felt like a child, even though he was using his full concentration and strength.
Right now, Otto’s skill would be considered quite good anywhere.
Even so, the gap was enormous.
As wide as heaven and earth.
“Do you want to take a short break?”
“No.”
Otto shook his head at Elise’s question.
“I want to continue.”
“Good attitude.”
Elise smiled, pleased with Otto’s determination and grit.
Even though Otto hadn’t been able to land any of his attacks, he didn’t seem too dissatisfied.
*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
“Ouch!”
*Snap!*
“Kweeeeeeek!”
After a dozen or so more of these hits.
‘This is my chance.’
Otto spotted a gap in Elise’s defense, even as he was being pummeled, and thrust his sword straight through.
*Tap!*
The tip of the sword grazed Elise’s midriff, just below her navel.
“Huh?”
Otto was surprised at himself.
They had fought for nearly four hours and he hadn’t managed to make a single counterattack.
And now he’d managed to stab her in the lower abdomen, one of the most vital organs!
Despite Elise raising the bar on the difficulty of their duel….
[Alert: Your progress rate in <Invincible Swordsmanship> has increased!]
[Alert: Congratulations!]
[Alert: You have reached the 3-star mark in <Invincible Swordsmanship>!]
A faint notification appeared in front of his eyes.
Progression.
After only a few hours of training, he had reached a new level.
“You’re a fast learner, I must admit.”
Elise recognized that Otto had made another improvement.
“Really?”
“No matter how good the sword techniques imprinted on your subconscious mind, it’s up to you to digest it.”
“Is that so?”
“I guided you into the move I wanted, but I didn’t expect you to do it in such a short time. I’m honestly surprised.”
“…My goodness.”
Otto was more amazed at her eerie eyes and control of her power than the praise he’d received from Elise.
Her qualities as a teacher were immense.
To be able to accurately gauge someone’s level, and then push them to the next level.
It’s not something that can be done by anyone.
If all masters were so good at teaching, there wouldn’t be a bad student in the world.
Moreover, Elise’s teaching this time was different from the last.
Whereas the last time she’d played with Otto to get him to consciously execute his sword skills, this time she went a step further.
Elise continued to stimulate Otto in a similar pattern, trying to get him to make the desired movements.
Needless to say, the movements Elise wanted were the most ideal and perfect form of swordsmanship.
Elise’s pursuit of the truth of swordsmanship and Invincible Swordsmanship were almost perfectly aligned.
“Fiancé.”
“Yes?”
“You have a talent. You deserve to be called a genius.”
Elise encouraged Otto, her tone sincere.
“Oh, no.”
“I’m serious. I don’t speak empty words. You have more than enough talent. So go out there and never let it stop you. And don’t die. You are my fiancée.”
“Haha. Hahahaha.”
Otto realized that Elise was just trying to cheer him up.
‘If I’m a genius, then you’re a super-genius, because there’s no way a dog or a cow can be a genius, and if they are, they’re just fireflies in front of the sun. Cough.’
The difference in ability was so overwhelming that Otto could not help but feel humble in front of Elise.
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Otto was taken to the infirmary immediately after his fight with Elise.
Even with just a wooden sword, he’d taken dozens of blows that left him crippled again.
It wasn’t all lost, though.
The three days of cramming.
And then four hours of sparring.
After just four days, he had already managed to reach the second to third level of attainment in the <Invincible Swordsmanship>, so it was a rather profitable endeavor.
“UUuuuugh.”
Of course, from Otto’s point of view, it was a truly intense training that was deadly, to the point where he wouldn’t be surprised if he became sick.
If Otto hadn’t been a possessor of the Divine Body, there was a good chance he would have been permanently disabled, with broken bones, torn muscles, and torn ligaments.
In other words, it was a hell of a training that he could only endure because it was him.
“Haahahah.”
Kairos, who had been watching the entire exchange in silence, approached Elise and spoke.
“Your instruction was excellent, huh?”
“You are too kind.”
“You are a great teacher. I’m afraid I won’t be able to teach as well as you. I’ve tried to teach before, and got a bunch of men killed.”
“We all have things we’re good at, and things we are bad at.”
Elise never questioned who Kairos was, where he came from, how old he was, or why he called himself a burden.
He just saw a man named Kairos and a sword.
“And it’s not that my teaching was good, my fiancé has a great deal of talent. He just hasn’t realized it yet.”
Elise was still praising Otto after he was taken away.
She wasn’t just lifting him up to cheer him, she was sincere from the start.
“Why do you think so?”
“My fiancé’s swordsmanship is a bit old-fashioned, but it’s close to perfect. It’s as close to the truth of swordsmanship as I’ve ever seen.”
“So?”
“But even if invincible swordsmanship is imprinted in his subconscious, unleashing it will ultimately come down to….”
“The person, it’s the human being, isn’t that right!”
“Yes.”
Elise smiled at Kairos, who understood her words instantly.
“A famous sword, or swordsmanship. In the end, it all comes down to the man who holds the sword.”
“Hahaha. That’s right. Well, it is what it is.”
Kairos nodded in agreement.
“In that sense, my fiancé is gifted. Even if it’s embedded in his subconscious, it wouldn’t be possible without the quality of the recipient to draw it out.”
“You’re right.”
“Awakening subconscious swordsmanship through training is also something that ordinary talent cannot do.”
“Hahahaha!”
Kairos laughed out loud.
“As expected, you’re definitely not ordinary, you’ve got him figured out!”
“It’s just a little trick.”
“My fiancé is underestimating himself. I don’t understand why he’s so insecure when he’s so talented.”
“Hahahah. It’s because he’s a fool. He’s got a great eye for the world. But he can’t look at himself.”
“Is that possible?”
“I wonder that myself.”
Elise and Kairos wondered why Otto couldn’t recognize his talent.
But it wasn’t because he was stupid.
Otto was a modern man.
He was fundamentally different from the people of this world, who were exposed to swordsmanship from a young age.
As a result, he hadn’t developed the discernment to recognize his own excellence through comparison with others.
Furthermore, since he had only encountered this world as a game, he had only thought of <Invincible Swordsmanship> as something that was simply something that he could do.
In reality, he hadn’t realized that without talent, it would be impossible to even subconsciously absorb the <Invincible Sword Techniques>.
“You have great eyes to see the world, but you can’t look at yourself….”
Elise smiled bitterly and echoed Kairos’ words.
“Hehehe.”
Kairos laughed as he watched Elise ponder.
“By any chance, what you just said.”
“You’re a match made in heaven.”
“I’m a match made in heaven… with my fiancé?”
“Yes! If you understand, why do you pretend you don’t? Hahaha!”
Kairos smirked.
“He’s still a child, but he’ll be a man if you discipline him well. Beat him well, even with a lovely rod of iron if need be, and he may one day become a man.”
“I will teach him well.”
If a disciple is talented enough, then the teacher will find teaching enjoyable.
And when the student is so good that they soak up the lessons like a sponge, it’s more than rewarding, it’s fulfilling!
Even though Elise was not Otto’s formal teacher.
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At night, while everyone was asleep.
“Ughhh. Grunt.”
Otto grunted and woke up in pain.
*Throbbed!*
From head to toe, there wasn’t a spot that didn’t hurt.
“… I’m not going to be able to stand this.”
Otto shoved a pain-relieving potion into his mouth and headed for the training grounds.
“Your Majesty, have you been coughing?”
The knights guarding the sleeping quarters dropped to one knee in front of Otto.
Camille was off duty, apparently, and had been replaced by other knights.
“It’s late at night, why don’t you sleep further?”
“I thought I’d move around a bit until I feel more refreshed.”
“How’s….”
“It’s okay, stay here. I’m fine.”
Otto shooed the knights away and headed out to the training grounds alone.
The night air was cold.
A heavy chill hung over the land.
In the bright moonlight, Otto swung his sword.
*Swish! Swish!*
Flashback.
Otto replayed his bout with Elise, step by step, trying to recreate the movements.
And then.
*Swoosh.*
Elise appeared before Otto’s eyes.
It wasn’t the real Elise, nor was it magically created.
It was purely an illusion created by Otto’s mental focus, imagination, and memory….
‘I can see it.’
The path of the sword.
The path of Elise’s blade came into view.
It made perfect sense now, how he’d been able to deliver his counterattack.
*Swish! Swish!*
Otto continued to practice in his mind’s eye, swinging the sword over and over until the movements became second nature.
The more he practiced, the smoother the movements became.
Then, as if a blockage had been opened, Otto’s swordplay began to flow as naturally as water.
But only briefly.
‘It’s blocked.’
As his imagination expanded, Elise’s movements became more aggressive.
She became more menacing, pressuring Otto relentlessly.
*Bam!*
Elise blocked Otto’s counterattack and countered back.
‘If I’m blocked… like this?’
One more step.
This was beyond just reviewing, this was practicing.
‘Dodge, block. Again, counterattack.’
*Bam!*
From the bottom of her left to the top of her right.
The sword swung diagonally, slicing through Elise’s throat.
‘Got it.’
A smile tugged at the corners of Otto’s mouth.
The moonlight glinted off the tip of the halting blade.
And….
[Alert: Your <Invincible Swordsmanship> progress has increased!]
[Alert: Congratulations!]
[Alert: Your rank in <Invincible Swordsmanship> has reached 4 stars!]