A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Chapter 127:

Chapter 127:

Crash (3)

***

In the Soul World, there are sometimes monsters or demons that possess ‘berserk mode.’

Like me, their eyes turn blood-red, and it activates when their stamina drops below a certain point.

Those with berserk mode have exceptionally high difficulty levels in hunting because of their ‘stun immunity.’

No matter how seasoned a warrior is, they feel pain. That slight moment of hesitation creates a gap if they get hit.

But monsters or demons in berserk mode don’t have such gaps. They charge forward without any hesitation, as if they don’t feel pain at all.

Because of move could be fatal.

Depending on er ones are slower but have high stamina.

Though their strategies differ, they share a common trait: it’s best not to trade blows but to focus on dodging.

In games, this is true, and it’s even more so in reality. It’s no wonder Hector nearly died when I went berserk.

[Berserk mode deactivated!]

I realized my theory was correct when I momentarily paused.

Whether it was because I suppressed it with my mind or because time passed, berserk mode deactivated on its own.

As berserk mode deactivated, my senses gradually returned, and my face, which had taken Rize’s punch, started to ache.

It seems my senses dull only when berserk mode is active. I felt my heated chest slowly cooling down.

“Hmph.”

When I blew my nose hard, clots of blood came out.

Thanks to my excellent regenerative abilities, the nosebleed quickly stopped. My nose bone must have been broken from Rize’s punch.

But thanks to berserk mode, I didn’t feel the pain, and everything regenerated quickly. I could endure the lingering ache.

‘Is the control time short?’

It might be because I stopped attacking.

In the Soul World, if you get away from a monster in berserk mode, it deactivates.

Though it takes some time, there’s a trick to it. Even if berserk mode deactivates, their stamina only recovers a little, not fully.

In other words, to maintain berserk mode, you must continue attacking until your stamina is completely depleted.

“I was a bit surprised. You kept pushing forward even after taking my punch.”

Rize spoke to me as I was lost in thought. Judging by her tone, she seemed genuinely surprised.

Well, it would be strange not to be surprised when someone charges at you as if on drugs without flinching.

Though she’s faced many berserk demons or monsters, this must be her first time dealing with a person in berserk mode.

‘This isn’t enough.’

I roughly wiped my nose and gripped the axe tightly. There were still things I needed to confirm.

I needed to see if, like in the Soul World, berserk mode continues only if I keep attacking, and if I could fully control berserk mode.

If I can control berserk mode freely, it would be a tremendous advantage. Even the strongest beings in the world flinch from pain.

If I can exploit those moments skillfully, I could turn the tables. Moreover, I possess excellent regenerative abilities.

“Let’s go again.”

“Understood. But I have a condition.”

“A condition?”

I tilted my head at Rize’s mention of a condition. Can’t we just do it casually?

As I was pondering, Rize explained her condition.

“I will counterattack during the spar. It seems your combat style isn’t fully established yet.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Furthermore, getting used to the threat of death is beneficial. When faced with the threat of death, the body tends to freeze.”

Indeed, when humans confront death directly, their bodies freeze. I’ve experienced it.

Imagine a massive truck coming straight at you. Most people would freeze and get hit.

The reason seasoned warriors remain unfazed by death is that it happens so frequently they get used to it.

‘This could cause significant mental issues, but never mind that.’

I’ve survived in the wild and grown accustomed to death. My wild instincts helped me overcome it consistently.

But I couldn’t dodge Rize’s serious punches. This puzzled me a bit.

Even when my instincts screamed danger, her punches quickly reached my face.

“Bu hit is fatal.”

“Ah.”

I nodded at Rize’s feedback. That’s why I couldn’t dodge.

Thanks to my wild instincts, I’ve overcome many challenges, but they aren’t perfect.

Every time danger approaches, anxiety floods my entire body, making it mentally exhausting.

“Therefore, we need to significantly raise the threshold for berserk mode to activate. Otherwise, you must fully control it.”

“Got it. I’ll try.”

“Good attitude. Now then...”

Swoosh!

Rize cut her sentence short and rapidly closed the distance between us. It was as if she teleported.

“Let’s go again.”

Finished speaking, Rize threw a punch at my face.

I widened my eyes and quickly ducked. Her punch narrowly missed me.

She merely threw a punch, yet my hair scattered as it brushed past. If that hit me directly, it would be bad.

Whack!

As soon as I dodged the punch, I swung Ragnarok at her side.

Despite swinging hard, it barely made a dent. The durability is terrifying as always.

How should I penetrate it? Maybe I should only use the Usk axe since Ragnarok is ineffective.

As I pondered, Rize’s low kick aimed at my leg. Her legs were as thick as logs.

‘How do I penetrate this?’

I barely dodged the low kick and glared at Rize. My goal was to land at least a minor hit.Upstodatee from

Whoosh!

In an instant, Rize’s punch filled my vision. Simultaneously, ‘death’ was vividly imprinted in my mind.

Normally, I would’ve frozen, but my body reacted instinctively. It might have been my wild instincts.

But before I could think, I instinctively raised both hands. The axes in my hands blocked my face.

‘Wait... Hold on...’

Smash!!

I knew I was screwed the moment I felt it. Rize’s punch struck the crossed axes.

Her punch was so powerful that the impact went through the axes. My ears rang, and I felt deafened.

But the bigger issue was the state of the axes.

Crash!

Both axes shattered completely. The newly made Usk axe and even Ragnarok.

You might wonder how a punch could break weapons, but I couldn’t use magic in my rush to block.

Fortunately, the axes didn’t shatter like glass but broke into pieces. No shards flew at my face.

“Hmm.”

Rize seemed equally surprised by this unexpected outcome. Before the imprint of death in my mind faded, I looked down.

Below me lay the shattered pieces of the Usk axe and Ragnarok.

All that remained in my hands were the axe handles.

“Huh...?”

I stared blankly before slowly falling to my knees. More than the Usk axe, I was worried about Ragnarok.

It’s a weapon that should be treated as a ‘divine relic.’ In the original story, Hector was supposed to give it to Kara.

But now, it’s shattered before me. I wasn’t being reckless; my instincts took over.

I was too stunned to speak.

“Sivar, are you okay?”

Seeing the shattered axes, Kara approached me. She asked about my condition first, not the axes.

Seeing her face, my mind became even more muddled. I didn’t know how to repair it.

In the Soul World, weapons often break, but not Ragnarok. I never experienced it being destroyed.

“Kara, this... I’m... sorry...”

Still overwhelmed by the imprint of death and confusion, I stammered, looking between Kara and the axe pieces.

I didn’t blame Rize. This was entirely my fault.

My pounding heart couldn’t calm down. I couldn’t speak or move properly.

Suddenly!

“It’s okay. Don’t cry. Just calm down. We can ask Mr. Gulak to fix it later.”

Sensing my turmoil, Kara hugged me tightly. She patted my back to reassure me.

Thanks to her, my racing heart gradually calmed. But the guilt remained.

If anything, the feeling intensified due to the death crisis. The injustice was just an added burden.

“Brother Sivar, it’s okay to get angry or cry at times like this. Or do both.”

“How can you say that? He was so shocked.”

“I mean to say, expressing emotions is vital. It’s crucial for controlling berserk mode.”

Even as Rize spoke from behind, it didn’t matter. I clenched my lips and held on.

I cried a lot while living in the wild. Back then, I was driven mad by the injustice.

But at some point, I stopped expressing emotions. Everything felt dull.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

“Damn it...”

My heart raced, telling me to release the pent-up emotions.

I barely held it back but was reaching my limit. Kara’s hug only made it harder.

It was similar yet different from seeking comfort from Ellie. Being hugged like this felt comfortable yet loosening.

‘If I cry now, I’ll be treated like a child again...’

That must never happen. That...

[Faith has increased!]

Absolutely...

[Faith has increased!]

[Faith has increased!]

[Faith has increased!]

Damn it, don’t urge me to cry. I’ll really cry.

As I bit my lips tightly, my eyes began to feel moist.

Even without berserk mode, my emotions felt explosive. Chaos was mocking me, too.

“Oh? Sivar, don’t cry. I’m fine. We can repair it.”

Seeing my face, Kara panicked and patted my back. She was trying to calm me down.

But she didn’t know. Such kindness was poison to me.

Drop-

Eventually, the moisture in my eyes overflowed. Once it starts, it’s always easier the next time.

“Ugh...”

I bit my lips and started to sob quietly. Kara patted my back even more firmly.

She kept comforting me, saying it was okay, that it was nothing.

[Attribute: Berserk removed!]

[Attribute: Acquired Rampage...]

I didn’t even notice the system.

“Don’t cry. I’ll give you candy if you stop. Okay?”

I just... stayed there, held by Kara.

End of Chapte