192 – I Wonder (5)
─I really wanted to meet you, Mr. Theo.
At first glance, it sounds like the words of a female student who confessed to the man she always admired.
For example, the male host’s eyes became mischievous after hearing that.
But Theo’s expression didn’t change at all. He was indifferent as usual.
Alice calmly offered Theo a handshake.
“I hope it will be a good match. I have a favor to ask, Mr. Theo.”
“·······.”
Theo scanned her body carefully, then grabbed her hand.
‘The secret to strength is an artifact…?’
I guessed from watching the match against Jacob, but seeing it up close, it’s almost certain.
She did it when she asked for a handshake, and because her muscle movements were somehow unnatural.
‘Is it a way to improve only a part of the body, rather than boosting the ability of the entire body like [Natural Power]?’
She used to show strength that was never possible with the stats currently shown on her status window.
It felt like a muscular orc’s arm had been transplanted into a normal human body.
Even so, her unnatural movements are hard to recognize for a criminal.
A fact that I was able to guess because I had a deep understanding of the system that allows you to see the other person’s status window and the disposition and personality of the characters in this work.
‘It seems to be related to Maitree.’
It’s an item that doesn’t get caught in the Artifact Inspector.
Unless you are proficient in the Artifact Inspection Process of Ellinia Academy, it is difficult to create.
If so, it is highly likely that it is the work of Maitri, the general manager of the Anti-Ellinia Academy in [Turning White] And the owner of the northern magic city [Pod Company].
Theo looked at Alice with calm eyes.
‘A case of knowledge and guts, but lack of force.’
He smiled lightly.
Because he felt her identification with her.
······At the same time, I felt a deep disgust.
Before being possessed, Theo hated Maitree from the time he played the original work.
In her original work, My Tree was an ‘evil’ that slaughtered thousands of her toddlers, now only for her own glory.
Said Alice.
“Oh, you know how to laugh—”
“Where did you wear it?”
Interrupting her, Theo said.
Alice’s eyes widened.
“·······Yes? What do you mean?”
“·······.”
But there was no answer.
He quickly returned to his usual, nonchalant expression.
Alice was dumbfounded.
‘Who are you teasing… And then. No, it won’t be How do you know this?’
She quickly regained her composure.
─Where did you wear it?
However, his words could not be easily passed over. Clearly he knows something. I need to hear a definitive answer.
“Theo, do you like betting?”
“·······.”
Theo didn’t answer her, just stared at her.
Arrogance and dignity at the same time.
Seeing that, Alice managed her expression and continued.
“Do you want to bet with me?”
“·······.”
“I will answer any question of the winner of this match.”
“······If it is carried out in the presence of a priest belonging to the [Church of Light].”
Alice’s eyes jumped up and down.
Because Theo’s words couldn’t be easily passed over.
In the presence of a priest belonging to the [Church of Light]. In other words, you cannot tell lies in front of the Lord Renimid.
Those who tell lies will receive the wrath of the gods. It’s not an urban legend, it’s actually a working divinity.
‘Are you saying you’re that confident…?’
Gulp─
Alice swallowed.
“Okay, Theo. Let’s do that.”
He then nodded.
Her artifact is a product of Over Technology, which cannot be produced with average continental technology.
I was confident of winning.
Then.
I was very curious about how far the arrogant man in front of me knew.
* * *
─Ellinia Academy Festival [Martial Arts Tournament] Last match of round of 32! Let’s get started right now!
The host announced the start of the game.
But, Theo and Alice. The two looked at each other motionless.
Alice grinned.
‘You want to observe without moving first? He’s smart after all.’
But everyone has a plausible plan. Until you get hit.
She immediately came within range of Theo.
Then,
Whoosh, whoosh—!
She stretched out her left arm and jabbed.
A fast-moving fist that bends like a whip.
This is a technique Alice has never shown before.
Also, there is no one who will not be taken aback by an archer who suddenly uses his fist.
“·······!”
However, Alice’s thoughts went nowhere.
Theo lazily dodged her swift jab. As if she had already anticipated the attack.
Theo swung his sword at Alice, who opened her eyes.
Woouugh——!
The sword voice resounds.
A sword swung wide, as if restricting her movements.
“Wow!”
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Alice hurriedly raised the practice bow she was carrying on her back to block her sword strike.
Her arm was tingling as her curtains shook.
But it wasn’t that fast.
‘At this level, I could just avoid it. I don’t think it’s fast.’
Alice, quick to judge her, burrowed into Theo’s arms again and punched her.
It was a combination of jab and straight, one-two punch.
As expected, Theo dodged her fist.
But she was already expecting him to dodge.
Tookak—!
Alice kicked Theo in the calf with her right foot. Her true intention is to insert this ‘calf kick’.
‘Huh?’
However, the sensation transmitted to her toes was strange. It felt like the instep of her foot had been stamped on a solid stone mass.
Theo defended it using his kneecap.
Alice wanted to scream at the intense pain spreading from her feet, but she held back.
That’s an act that doesn’t help you win at all.
Feed-
Theo saw her like that and smiled at her. It was a smile full of arrogance, twisted somewhere.
Biting her lip hard, instead of yielding to Theo’s provocation, Alice backstepped her and distanced her.
One of the effects of her artifact she is wearing is to greatly increase her self-recovery power. The bones in her foot are not broken, so she can recover quickly.
‘It won’t work in close combat. Let’s go far away.’
His speed has already been confirmed. He will have an edge over himself as the speed he has.
He’s still hiding his true speed.
However,
Faraaah
That thought didn’t last long.
He clung to me with explosive speed. It was a speed that was incomparable to anything I had checked before.
Before he knew it, Theo approached the depths of Alice’s arms.
Wow!
Theo’s right hand plunged deep into Alice’s abdomen.
“Turn it off, turn it off…”
Neat clean hit.
A moan of pain flowed from Alice’s mouth as her back was bent like a bow.
She grabbed her stomach and curled up on her floor.
But Theo didn’t care. She immediately grabbed her hair with her left hand and pulled her up.
And the merciless blow that followed.
Puck!
Bubbuck—!
Ferberf*ck——!
Furbubbubuck, puck───!
Theo’s strong right hand struck Alice one after another.
It was ruthless. His fists pounded her whole body, including her face, mercilessly. He was like a boxer intent on bursting a punching bag with all his heart.
The audience in the audience also looked at the current scene with astonished eyes.
“Mi, crazy. It’s too cruel. Shouldn’t that dry?”
“According to the martial arts competition rules, the match is not over until you admit defeat. But it’s really cruel… If the weapon had been used, the match would have been over long ago.”
“The two of you were whispering something before the game. Is that because of that? Was Alice provoking…? I deliberately kill her with my fist.”
“It might be… Oh, but it’s really scary. Look at Theo’s face. It gives me goosebumps.”
As one audience member said, Theo’s expression was consistently expressionless.
He has no emotion whatsoever, as if his emotions have been castrated.
One sweat, one sweat. It was like a killing robot that moved with only one goal: to kill the opponent in front of it.
The person who felt that most desperately was Alice.
She felt like she was going to urinate in overwhelming fear, but she couldn’t bear to admit defeat.
She looked up at Theo, swollen and blurry.
However, he seemed to have no interest at all, just swinging his fists mechanically invariably.
Puck, poop—!
The merciless assault continued right before the end of the game.
“Turn it off, turn it off……..”
Thick saliva mixed with blood flowed nonstop from Alice’s mouth.
“Loss, loses… Loses, loses, yo…. Sa······ salyo, ju······· se, yo.”
She stuttered.
“Koo, cool.”
Blood spurted from inside her cracked mouth.
Could it be because of the flowing blood?
The front of his eyes was blood-red, like the color of his eyes.
The clear world he saw with his blue eyes was no longer there.
The audience thought “he just tilted”