Jörmungandr sat on a tree branch. She was shocked to see her master fight with such skill. Not only was he fast thanks to the Wind element, but Crowne's movements were precise. Almost no movement was wasted. That meant her master had trained extremely hard.
To be able to fight with such perfection required years of harsh training. Without both dedication and time, it was nearly impossible to reach this level—unless one was a genius. Yet even that could be broken. And Crowne was not a man gifted with sword talent.
He wasn't even given further sword training by his father after realizing he had no talent for the blade. In this world, talent was defined by class.
"He truly deserves to be my master," Jörmungandr muttered.
**
Crowne had already defeated several bandits. He won quite easily, but the bandit boss had not yet moved. The boss watched Crowne with sharp eyes. The muscles of the massive man bulged, veins protruding along his arms. He looked like someone eager to fight.
Crowne raised his sword casually, though his breathing was starting to feel slightly heavy. He was indeed stronger, but Crowne's stats were not high. He was a Beast Tamer, not a direct combat type. Normally, he would rely on his beasts, but Crowne chose not to.
Fighting for a long period was not an advantage for a Beast Tamer without beasts.
The bandit boss stepped forward toward Crowne. "Boy, I admit you're strong, but you're no match for me." He steadied his stance. "Enough playing around!"
With a giant leap, he came forward. His massive axe descended like a meteor, straight toward Crowne.
BRUUM!
The ground shook, dust exploded everywhere. Crowne managed to block with his sword, but his body was flung backward. His feet scraped along the earth, leaving a long trail. His hands trembled, slightly numb for a few seconds.
"Just as I thought. He's much stronger than the others." Crowne glanced at his shaking hands. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. "This is an interesting challenge."
The bandit boss grinned. "So this is all your strength? Earlier you looked impressive."
Crowne didn't respond. He lifted his sword again and closed his eyes. A thin wind began swirling around him.
"Alright… I need to think of something new. Just swinging my sword won't be enough."
While Crowne focused himself, the bandit boss gave him no time. He rushed in, swinging his axe sideways. The slash was so strong it cut through a massive tree beside them in a single strike.
KRAAASH!
Crowne leapt back, almost too late. The edge of the axe grazed his shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood. He only glanced at it, showing no sign of panic.
The bandit boss laughed loudly. "Hahaha! All you can do is dodge! Then how long can you survive? If you want to be a rat, let me crush your body into pieces!"
The boss readied another strike. He steadied his stance, gripping his axe tightly. Mana flowed into his weapon and legs. The pressure became overwhelming. The ground beneath him cracked.
"Come on, boy, let's go again!"
Crowne steadied his breath. In his mind, he recalled the skill he had just obtained: Learning by Experience. That skill allowed him to create new abilities from the movements he often used. He thought hard about the most useful technique.
The skill had limits. At level one, he could only create two abilities. He had to be careful.
"What should I do?"
At the same time, the boss was already in front of him, axe raised high. As it came down, the immense pressure pinned Crowne's body, making it hard to move.
"Die!" the bandit boss roared.
Crowne was still thinking—then at the last moment, he smiled. He had made his choice.
"Step Wind…" Crowne whispered.
Just as the axe was about to strike him, his body shot to the side like lightning. The massive weapon cleaved only air. The ground beneath split apart, the axe sinking halfway into the earth.
[New Skill Created – Wind Step Slash]
[Effect: Combines high-speed wind-based movement with a sword slash. Speed increases by 150%.]
Crowne's eyes lit up. "Perfect timing."
As the boss lifted his axe for a vertical strike, Crowne vanished from sight.
SWOOOSH!
In less than a second, he was already beside his enemy. His sword slashed with incredible speed, accompanied by a deafening gust of wind.
SLAAAASH! BRAAASSSH!
Blood sprayed. A deep wound split open on the boss's arm. His axe nearly slipped, but he quickly spun and counter-slash toward Crowne—faster and stronger.
Wush!
Crowne vanished again, reappearing twelve meters away.
"Arghhh!! Damn brat!!" the boss howled.
Crowne smirked faintly. That last attack had drained a lot of mana. He had to be cautious. His new skill was amazing, but he was running out of mana fast. If he used it carelessly, he would trap himself.
The bandit boss, still staggering but standing, roared, "I'll crush your bones, bastard!"
He charged again. At the same time, Crowne took another deep breath. He couldn't just attack wildly; his opponent was too strong. One wrong move meant death.
"Die, bastard!" the boss shouted again.
Crowne remained calm, silent. He waited. The boss grinned, thinking Crowne could no longer move. But he didn't know he was already inside Crowne's plan. The giant axe was almost at Crowne's neck—
[Wind Step Slash Activated]
Wush!
Crowne vanished just as the blade was a millimeter from his throat. He appeared behind his opponent. The boss was shocked. He tried to react, but his swing was already committed. The heavy horizontal slash couldn't be stopped.
It was too late.
"It's over!" Crowne said, gripping his sword tightly.
He poured ninety percent of his strength and mana into the strike. This had to end the fight. If it failed, he would die.
BRAAAGGHH!
Crowne's sword struck the bandit boss's neck. At the same time, the man channeled his mana to his throat, focusing his defense there. Indeed, the blade was held back—but only for a few seconds.
Crowne pushed harder. His slash finally broke through the defense.
BRASSSH!
Blood burst out as the boss's head fell to the ground, his body collapsing with it.
Crowne smiled, dropping to his knees for balance. "I told you, you were the one who would lose."