Vishen, located in the southern part of the Empire, has been known as the land of knights since ancient times.
Descendants of a warriors, they all enjoyed combat regardless of age or gender.
The martial arts they developed greatly influenced the martial arts of the current Empire.
It’s even rumored that one of the five pillars of the empire, Duke Bernogia, known as the “King of Fists”, based his martial arts on those learned in Vishen.
The land of knights, descendants of warriors.
Because of this, they always held the pride that they were the best in combat.
Among them, Igor, nicknamed “Iron Wall”, especially stood out among his peers.
Igor was a genius.
From the moment he took his first step into combat, he showed rapid growth. By the time he turned 15, there was no one who could match him.
From then on, Igor’s opponents were no longer human.
Monsters.
Beings born to kill people, skilled knights were fully prepared to hunt them down, and he took them down alone as training, and eventually reached the point where he was playing with them.
It became a legend that he deliberately let himself be beaten by orcs to toughen himself up.
Thanks to that, Igor earned the nickname “Iron Wall”.
And it was because of that.
‘Ian, was it? Seems like nothing special.’
The reason Igor wasn’t afraid of Ian as his opponent was evident.
As Igor smiled while checking his equipment, his comrade from Vishen seemed relieved and asked.
“Hey Igor! Do you really have to win? Show the Empire’s lord what you’re made of!”
“No problem. I’ll win anyway.”
“Don’t get too cocky, though. You know your opponent used to be the leader of the Hero Party.”
“The Hero Party….”
At that, Igor chuckled.
Indeed, becoming the leader of the Hero Party at his age was a remarkable feat.
Failure or success, the position symbolized that he was the most accomplished warrior in the Empire.
He acknowledged that.
‘However.’
Even so, the outcome wouldn’t change.
‘The guy now is not the same as the one who was active in the Hero Party.’
Rumors of the Hero Party’s failure spread quickly, even reaching Vishen, far from the Empire’s center.
Ian’s swordsmanship teacher, Countess Miler, had cursed him, rendering him incapable of using a sword.
‘A guy who had held a sword all his life…. Put it down.’
From that moment on, the outcome of this match was obvious.
Ian’s strongest moment is when he wields his sword. If he can’t wield his sword, he can’t be Igor’s opponent.
If he had prepared a new weapon? It didn’t matter. He would still win.
‘No matter how talented a person is, is it possible to show rapid growth in a short period of time?’
It’s impossible. It might be harsh, but that’s the reality of the world.
Similarly, even he, who was called a genius, couldn’t achieve the impossible.
‘Well…. Anyway, it’s certain that I will win.’
Having finished his thoughts, Igor cleared his mind of distractions. At the same time, he looked at Ian on the opposite side.
‘Let’s finish this as quickly as possible.’
The plan was simple.
To rush in as soon as it started and knock Ian down.
Even if it was a simple and brute plan, it was the best respect Igor could give to Ian.
By dealing with it quickly, he could send his opponent away without suffering and elevate the status of his comrades from Vishen.
While Igor was checking his plan, the overseeing instructor cleared his throat.
“Alright…. Ian Volkanov. Igor Pendia. If you’re ready, step forward.”
At the instructor’s words, Igor and Ian stepped onto the ring.
As Ian casually stretched his shoulders, the instructor approached with a smirk.
“Student Ian Volkanov?”
“Yes, Instructor.”
“Where’s your weapon? If by any chance you couldn’t bring it, we’ll provide a training weapon.”
A weapon…. Although he appreciated the concern, it wasn’t necessary.
Ian raised his arm lightly and spoke.
“I don’t need a weapon.”
“You’re going to fight barehanded now? Do you think that’s even possible? Don’t be arrogant, and if you need it, just say so.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“Fine….”
The imposing instructor scowled at Ian, but Ian had nothing more to say.
‘What do I do without a weapon?’
It’s true, but what should he have done?
Was it necessary to learn a new weapon in just two days?
‘No matter how talented you are, two days are barely enough to master a stance.’
Ian wasn’t foolish enough to cling to the impossible.
Rather than clumsily wielding a weapon, it was much better to fight bare-fisted.
And there was more to it.
‘This is what I’m most familiar with.’
In his past life, Ian had learned Jiu-Jitsu and boxing. Just about four years, but if he could incorporate what he had learned, it would be enough to shine.
‘And using Neltalion works best with bare fists.’
Neltalion could be absorbed into the body to enhance it.
The reinforced body had an incredibly strong durability, turning even a light punch into a forceful blow akin to a sledgehammer.
From then on, Ian’s fists became both a hammer and a shield.
As if to say there was no problem, Ian looked at the instructor. With a deep sigh, the instructor beckoned them both to the center of the ring.
Fixing his gaze on Igor, the instructor explained the rules.
“Firstly, remember that this sparring isn’t a matter of life or death but rather a judgment of skill level. Try to refrain from attacks that could threaten someone’s life. Especially you, Igor, be even more careful.”
“Understood.”
The instructor, who cautioned Igor wearing gauntlets, stepped back.
Ian exchanged a brief greeting with Igor, then took his stance.
As the instructor lowered his arm, signaling the start, in that moment—
“Let’s finish this quickly.”
Thud!
Igor quickly approached Ian.
***
Heroic Academy was a game praised for its captivating story.
However, as with all games, it was impossible to satisfy all users.
Some users expressed dissatisfaction.
‘While it’s understandable for characters who use weapons like swords, the combat for characters based on martial arts feels a bit dull. There’s almost no authenticity to martial arts like boxing or wrestling that have existed since ancient times.’
The combat style of martial artists in the game was simple: concentrating mana in fists or feet to deliver powerful blows.
That was all there was to it.
The process of footwork or stances for buildup, or diving into opponents, was all omitted.
‘So, some people who value combat scenes criticized it. How can it be called martial arts if it’s just amassing mana and hitting hard?’
Ian, who prioritized story, couldn’t understand their sorrow, but now… he seemed to understand their sentiments.
Watching Igor quickly approach, Ian smirked.
‘What’s up with that guy?’
Leaning forward, his center of gravity shifted excessively forward. His leading foot, instead of being at an angle, was positioned vertically.
‘If your leading foot is like that, your center collapses…’
Even when he first learned boxing, he was scolded for not correcting the habit of placing his leading foot vertically.
Look at him. Igor seemed like he could collapse at any moment due to the excessive forward shift in his center of gravity.
But that was a good thing.
It was the realization of the importance of ‘No-knee’, with the leading foot angled at 45 degrees and the rear foot positioned vertically.
And.
The confidence that he could easily knock him down.
‘Neltalion, enhance my foot.’
– Okay!
Ian’s right foot, reinforced by Neltalion, immediately surged with explosive energy.
Then, Ian swiftly extended his leg towards Igor’s shin.
He didn’t need to strike hard.
Just this much would be enough to destabilize him.
It was almost impossible for Igor, unfamiliar with martial arts, to counter Ian’s calf kick that came up without any warning.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Ian’s calf kick landed directly on Igor’s shin.
Thunk!
An unpleasant thud resonated throughout the ring. Igor’s leading foot, grotesquely twisted.
Igor’s body, which had been impervious even to orcs, was now shattered by a single light kick.
Thunk!
“Gah! What the—!”
Experiencing pain like never before, Igor groaned as he rolled on the ground for a moment, but then struggled to regain his posture.
Even in that moment, Ian prepared for the next move.
Sasak!
‘He can no longer keep up with my movements.’
He constantly changed the elevation through level changes, alternating between orthodox and southpaw stances, confusing Igor’s judgment.
Due to the cruel level gap, Igor continued to leave openings.
Thunk!
“Argh!”
Without hesitation, Ian threw a punch.
After delivering a jab from an orthodox stance, he extended his right straight punch.
Thwack!
At this point, he would usually take a step back and take a turn to rest, but…
‘There’s no need for that. He can’t even read my movements in the first place.’
The expectation that characters in Heroic Academy wouldn’t be able to follow modern martial arts movements was accurate.
As evidenced by Igor’s eyes not being able to keep up with Ian’s movements at all.
Ian didn’t miss this opportunity.
‘Neltalion, enhance both hands.’
– Already did! Did I do well?
‘Yeah, you did. I’ll pet you after this is over.’
– Pet! Yay!
Smiling as he watched Neltalion bouncing on his shoulder, Ian readjusted his stance.
Slish!
Bending his upper body, Ian lunged to the left and delivered a body jab. As Igor raised his torso in response, Ian delivered a hook to his face.
Thud!
A sound that was hard to believe came from a fist echoed through the auditorium.
In no time, blood was trickling down Igor’s face.
His injury slowed his steps, and the flowing blood obstructed his vision.
Struggling to keep his distance, Igor wiped away the blood and looked at Ian.
‘What’s going on? Who am I even fighting?’
He was on the verge of going mad.
Although he didn’t boast, Igor considered himself to be at a considerable level.
Wasn’t he hailed as a genius? Even though there were many strong individuals in the Empire, he believed he had reached a certain level.
He had a solid physique, and his combat skills were excellent as well.
Hadn’t he swept away all enemies with his fists even in Vishen?
He thought no one in the Empire could match him when it came to fists…
‘What are these movements? What kind of power is this? And that bizarre footwork! Is he some kind of ghost?’
He was completely defeated. He hadn’t been able to read Ian’s movements even once. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was toyed with.
If only his front leg was intact. He didn’t entertain the same thoughts.
His accumulated experience had been speaking to him. Even if his condition was at its best, he was no match for Ian.
‘My martial arts skills feel so inadequate.’
In that moment, Igor ignited his will.
‘Ian Volkanov… contrary to rumors, you truly are a genuine warrior… I’m glad I came to the Empire.’
How long had he wished for this?
To engage in combat with a superior opponent! Born as into a fighting-obsessed land, Igor had longed for it, knowing how rare such opportunities were.
So, he readjusted his stance. It was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss.
Despite his trembling feet making his mind distant, Igor gritted his teeth and persevered.
Kwooo!
The potent energy gathered in Igor’s fist. Its target was Ian’s jaw.
With a fierce momentum, the fist reached out toward Ian’s head, but…
Whoosh!
It never reached Ian.
In an instant, Ian ducked and dodged Igor’s straight punch, then put force into his own fist.
‘If it comes to this.’
He would return with equal sincerity.
‘Neltalion, usually in the form of a slime, strengthens upon absorption into the body.’
But it’s not limited to that form alone.
‘Neltalion, manifest an intangible hand in my right hand.’
– A hand? What kind of hand?
‘Your original form… Manifest one of the King of a Thousand Arms’ hands.’
– Got it! But it won’t have the same power as before!
‘It doesn’t matter since we’re not trying to kill. Manifest it at an appropriate level.’
Whoosh!
The body that had been enhanced by Neltalion until now gradually returned to its original state.
Instead, a gigantic hand was overlaid on Ian’s right hand.
The King of a Thousand Arms. The hand of the ancient god Neltalion, which had nearly brought the Empire to ruin, manifested in reality.
The congregation in the auditorium all opened their eyes wide at the concentration of immense magic power.
Ian swung his right hand without hesitation towards Igor’s body.
Body Blow.
The technique Ian had best utilized in his previous life now shone again.
Kwaaang!
Igor’s body was thrown through the wall and out of the ring by Ian’s Body Blow.
“Cough!”
An unconscious Igor.
“The ring is breaking? There’s no way it should break, especially with the protective spells the professors cast….”
Ignoring the instructor who seemed to not believe the reality, Ian muttered.
“You can’t win like that.”
