Chapter 41: The Difference Between Real Combat and Non-Real Combat

The confrontation between Luo and Hibell began with an unexpected ambush by Luo. Hibell, unwilling to accept his defeat, tried to find excuses to turn the tide, while the crowd, not satisfied with the excitement, urged for another round.

Luo pointed his gun at him and said, "I will definitely defeat you and make you regret those words!"

"Tch, we'll see about that. But that's impossible," Hibell gritted his teeth. "Damn it, you've really pissed me off!" He charged up his magic, his steel spear glowing with a blue light as he swung it fiercely at Luo.

The crowd booed again; he had asked for the match to start but now he was abandoning the rules. However, Luo was already prepared for Hibell's attack and met it with his own spear.

*Clang* The collision of strength and magical elements sent a wave of air outward. Immediately, the two engaged in a fierce battle.

Vain, clenching his fists, cheered for Luo, "Take him down! A nuisance like him should be beaten out of the arena like a punching bag."

After a dozen rounds, Luo had gauged his opponent's strength. The successful ambush earlier was purely due to Hibell's momentary lapse in attention. Earning the初级骑士 (初级 knight) badge was indeed not easy.

"Hmph." Hibell sneered, his body glowing blue as he swung his spear horizontally at Luo.

Luo quickly defended, but the clash of spear blades did not happen as he expected. Instead, the opponent's spear vanished, leaving a residual image. "It's an illusion created by magic..." He tried to retreat, but it was too late. The other side of his body was struck by the knight's heavy spear, the sharp tip tearing through his armor and leaving a large gash. He fell to the ground.

Hibell laughed, "So that's all you are. Looks like I'll have to lower my respect for you. No, I shouldn't respect a weakling like you at all. Hmph, you're just a despicable person who uses underhanded tactics. You don't deserve to be a true knight!"

Celt, standing nearby, said coldly, "This fool wouldn't last three minutes in a real battlefield."

"He's not only a fool but also a shameless person. But the guy on the other side is too useless, falling for such a trick," Ursula said. "You said the guy who challenged you was easily defeated, right?"

"No," Celt replied. "I didn't even bother with him."

Ursula laughed, "Hahaha... You're too arrogant. Defeating him might make him feel better, but being ignored and despised is the most hurtful to one's pride."

Celt snorted, "Respect is something you earn through effort."

Vain was startled. The wound he had was from the same move, and he didn't expect Luo to fall for it too. He ran to the closest point to Luo and shouted, "Luo, are you okay?"

Luo got up from the ground, ignoring Vain's concern, and said to Hibell, "Since you've insulted my honor and dignity, I will fight with all my strength. Only one of us will walk out of this duel today!"

The rowdy crowd cheered, "Yeah, yeah, someone has to fall! This duel is getting more exciting!"

Hibell sneered, "Even better. I welcome it. Taste my 'Phantom Spear Technique'!" He used the same move to attack Luo again.

Luo took two steps back, ignoring the attack, and charged at him with his spear.

"Idiot, is this guy trying to get himself killed?" The crowd was shocked by Luo's reckless move, even Vain was stunned.

Hibell frowned, "This guy... Damn it!" He had to stop his next attack; otherwise, he would hurt himself as well.

They say the timid fear the bold, and the bold fear the desperate. Luo's state was like he was fighting to the death, completely overwhelming his opponent in terms of momentum.

Luo's attacks grew more intense, and Hibell became more and more nervous, retreating repeatedly, looking increasingly embarrassed. Luo roared and jumped, slamming his spear down on Hibell's spear shaft. Hibell's hand shook, and he lost his grip, dropping his spear.

"Amazing, Luo, well done!" Vain was overjoyed.

For a knight, having his spear knocked away was a disgrace, especially for someone like Hibell who often boasted of being a knight. Hibell rolled to avoid the next attack, "Damn it, I'll make you kneel today!" He picked up his spear and charged at Luo with all his might.

With two evenly matched opponents, both being初级 knights, the battle quickly turned into a deadlock.

Vain, excited, forgot his own injuries and cheered for Luo from the sidelines.

"Vain."

"Vain."

Vain turned around to see Conelia and Ylana, "What are you two doing here?"

Conelia, seeing the intense battle, said anxiously, "A friend in my dorm told me you were fighting, so we came. What happened? Why is Luo fighting someone?"

Vain said, "Nothing serious, just a duel, a duel."

"Bullshit!" Ylana punched him, "Is this how duels are fought?"

Conelia noticed Vain's discomfort, "Ah, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, no, that guy did it!" Vain glared at Hibell in the arena.

In the arena, "I don't want to tangle with you anymore. Let's end this quickly." Hibell's figure suddenly changed, creating multiple illusions that attacked Luo simultaneously.

"Phantom Cavalry!" The crowd gasped, worried for Luo. The Phantom Cavalry was a commonly used intermediate skill in knight techniques, combining magical illusions with the attacker's offense. It was a practical skill used in both large-scale battles and one-on-one duels.

Although the illusions created by magic were clearly distinguishable from the real body, in the heat of battle, one might not have time to figure out who was real and who was fake before being struck by the spear.

Luo took a step back with his right leg, seemingly not planning to dodge or block the attacks. The knight's spear predictably struck him, and he used his body and chest armor to withstand the impact. Once attacked, it was clear who was real and who was fake. Luo quickly grabbed the spear with his left hand to prevent Hibell from pulling it away, and the powerful electric current in his arm conducted through the metal spear.

"Ah!" Hibell couldn't pull his hand away in time, and the electric shock paralyzed him.

Luo didn't miss this opportunity and delivered a series of strikes to Hibell's body.

The crowd was amazed by Luo's reckless behavior, secretly thinking he was lucky; if the spear had gone deeper, it might have pierced his body.

Conelia and Ylana were terrified, shouting at Luo, "Stop fighting, come back! Why are you going to such lengths for something so trivial!"

On the other side, Ursula said, "I see."

"Right," Celt said. "Because the armor and spear were chosen randomly from the arena, he didn't know the defensive strength of the armor, the damage potential of the knight's spear, or the intensity of the opponent's attack. So he deliberately used his body to withstand the attack to gauge how much damage the opponent could inflict. With this first-hand experience, he dared to make such a bold move. As for not charging his own spear with electricity, he was afraid the opponent would be prepared. This guy must have a lot of real combat experience!"

Ursula laughed, "That's true. Theoretical knowledge and training alone can't prepare you for the battlefield."

They were right. Luo had entered Kulandtin at 13 and was now 15, having participated in the quarterly outdoor survival and combat training organized by the academy for two years. Plus, Sophina often took him out for field training on weekends, giving him rich real combat experience.

Luo's fierce attacks gave Hibell no chance to counter. He knocked the weapon out of Hibell's hands and struck him from different angles, until the final blow sent him flying out of the arena.

Many people marveled at Luo's beautiful and relentless offensive. Once he gained the upper hand, he didn't give his opponent any chance, which was the essence of true combat!