CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45 THE DEMEANOUR OF A KNIGHT_1

After Lu Yuan had chosen his mask, Lin Zhiquin left immediately.

Lu Yuan waited alone until 8:15 PM. Then, a club staff member in uniform knocked, entered, and informed him that it was time for his match.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and stood up from his seat.

He tried to calm himself.

But from the moment he took his first step, an irrepressible agitation began to bubble up from his heart, bit by bit.

During the short, one-minute walk from the lounge to the fighting arena, Lu Yuan felt as if he had returned to the time when he had first transmigrated.

He had used the professional panel to study arduously for a month and was about to participate in the school’s monthly test for the first time.

That feeling...

Expectations.

Nervousness.

Apprehension.

Excitement.

Fear...

And an intense desire... an intense desire to prove himself with a resounding victory! To prove that all his efforts over this long period had not been in vain.

"When I win this battle..."

Lu Yuan stepped onto the first stair leading to the enormous dueling stage.

His mind began to fill with lines and scenes from various movies and comics.

"...I will meticulously wipe my blood-stained blade. And throw a rose onto the earth beneath me."

"...I will smile and extend a hand of forgiveness and friendship to the opponent I have felled, rescuing him from the mire of defeat."

"I will praise all that is beautiful in this world..."

"This... is the knightly grace I possess."

By the time he ascended the final step, Lu Yuan’s heart was already brimming with a joyous battle intent.

But when he stepped onto the platform and saw the opponent standing before him, his gaze froze.

He saw a towering figure, nearly two meters tall.

Dark skin, with muscles so developed they seemed almost exaggerated.

Thick, dark body hair, like that of a chimpanzee.

And that familiar vest, and on the man’s face, the dragon mask that had caught Lu Yuan’s eye from the start!

"What a coincidence?!"

Lu Yuan was stunned for a moment.

Then, an involuntary, genuinely delighted smile spread across his face beneath the mask.

The beautiful, chivalrous images he had fantasized about shattered in less than a second.

Beneath his mask, Lu Yuan sighed softly.

"To hell with knightly grace!"

"This round... this round is—what goes around, comes around! And who has your daddy here ever spared?!"

In an instant, the battle intent in his chest flared and grew wildly, like summer weeds.

"...We hope both contestants will provide everyone with a fair, just, and friendly duel."

"Begin the match!"

The lifeless referee finished reciting the boilerplate rules and formally announced the start of the duel.

The burly man in the vest, standing less than five meters from Lu Yuan, had clearly recognized him too.

Although he hadn’t seen which mask Lu Yuan had chosen, Lu Yuan’s build and attire had left an impression.

"Well, well, what a coincidence, kid," the man said, the eyes behind the dragon mask narrowing as if in a smile.

The burly man lightly tapped his two hairy fists together in front of his chest, striking a pose as if he were about to tear Lu Yuan apart at any moment.

"Remember what I told you before?"

"On this stage... be careful you don’t get beaten to death!"

The burly man’s tone suddenly turned savage. His arms flung wide, and his entire body lunged towards Lu Yuan like a dark cloud.

Lu Yuan’s gaze was serene, but his body trembled slightly with excitement.

"It starts!"

He abruptly executed a spinning side kick, his right leg lashing out like a whip towards the burly man.

This was the opening probing attack he most habitually used, was most skilled at, and found most natural, honed during more than ten days of practical combat training with Lin Zhiquin.

BANG!

The kick landed solidly on the burly man’s left arm.

The man’s body shuddered slightly, and he shifted half a step to the side.

"Are you trying to tickle me?" the burly man sneered. Having seemingly gauged Lu Yuan’s strength from that kick, he completely relaxed.

His right arm shot forward, aiming straight for Lu Yuan’s face.

Lu Yuan crossed his arms to block, steadily meeting the man’s palm.

His body dipped slightly.

"Let’s see how many of those you can take!" the burly man roared, his left fist striking out like a cannonball.

Unfortunately for him, Lu Yuan nimbly evaded it with a backward sliding step.

The burly man threw punch after punch, but Lu Yuan’s figure was as nimble as a swallow; none of them could touch him.

"Is dodging all you can do?! Useless!" the burly man cursed, ceasing his flailing punches. Instead, he turned slightly, adopting a charging posture, and sprinted towards Lu Yuan.

Unexpectedly, this time, Lu Yuan didn’t retreat.

He stood perfectly still, his gaze fixed on the burly man, as gentle as if he were observing a crudely made ornament.

"Constitution 11, Strength 11, Agility 9... Intelligence, negligible."

"The fight... is already over."

Lu Yuan took a deep breath. In the next second, the "gentle" look in his eyes turned razor-sharp, like a pair of swords suddenly unsheathed.

"Battle Axe Style!"

Beneath the mask, his handsome face suddenly radiated a fierce aura.

Lu Yuan leaped up, launching a vicious kick towards the burly man’s face.

The kick tore through the air, its speed so great it almost created an afterimage, generating a sharp gust of wind with his leg.

The power it held was on a completely different level from his first kick.

It was like a sharp battle axe hacking violently upwards!

As the axe blade rose, a bloodthirsty aura was revealed.

The burly man, still in his forward charge, had no time to react before his chin was brutally struck.

CRACK—

BANG!

The dragon mask shattered, and its fragments, accompanied by the sound of breaking bones, scattered in all directions like raindrops.

Lu Yuan’s kick sent the nearly two-meter-tall burly figure flying tens of centimeters into the air!

Twelve points of Strength.

Even if he channeled that power into his Fist Strength, it could easily exceed two hundred kilograms of force!

Let alone with a leg.

Moreover, it was enhanced by his Level 3 Advanced Leg Skill!

Even if a real orangutan stood before him now...

Lu Yuan was confident he could send it flying with a single kick!

Before the burly man could land, Lu Yuan’s next kick was already tearing through the air.

Another battle axe of a kick was swung!

The sharp Leg Skill, learned from the middle-aged man in the rainy alley, was now flawlessly showcased by Lu Yuan.

A tempestuous, storm-like offensive.

This was the Battle Axe Style’s festival of carnage!

The scene that followed at least somewhat matched what Lu Yuan had imagined before stepping onto the stage.

Bloody roses, scattered across the earth...

「Basement Level 2.」

Inside the restroom.

Under the dim incandescent light, Lu Yuan repeatedly splashed cold water on his face.

Lin Zhiquin lit a cigarette. Looking at Lu Yuan, who was bent over the sink washing his face, he calmly asked, "How does it feel, being on the martial arts stage for the first time?"

Lu Yuan wiped the water from his face, turned off the faucet, and straightened up.

"It feels good," he replied slowly, taking a deep breath.

At the same time, he looked at his reflection in the mirror.

It seemed the fire in his black eyes had not yet completely died out.

"You’re a natural for martial arts," Lin Zhiquin said, flicking his cigarette ash, his tone laced with a mix of admiration and heartfelt emotion. "My first time on the dueling stage, my legs were shaking so much I could barely stand. You’re much better than I was."

"Looks like your strength has increased again?"

"Maybe. I’ve been training hard lately, and I’ve even shot up in height quite a bit."

"Your performance today wasn’t bad. Although your opponent wasn’t very strong, he had a size advantage. It was good that you defeated him so easily. Your presence was also very strong. In martial combat, momentum is paramount..."

Lin Zhiquin faithfully fulfilled his duty as a coach, giving Lu Yuan a post-battle summary.

Lu Yuan listened attentively.

Once Lin Zhiquin finished speaking, Lu Yuan nodded and said earnestly, "I’ll remember."

A satisfied expression appeared on Lin Zhiquin’s face. He took a deep drag from his cigarette, then stubbed it out.

He then pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Lu Yuan.

"Today’s prize money. Five thousand. Count it."

"No need."

Lu Yuan reached out and took the envelope. The undried water on his hands dampened the envelope, faintly revealing the layers of green bills inside.

A thrill coursed through Lu Yuan, and his expression became momentarily dazed.

He never imagined he would one day be able to earn money with his fists.

And five thousand in one go.

That was equivalent to nearly half a month’s earnings for his family’s small shop.

If Mom and Dad knew about this... they’d definitely break my legs.