Chapter 6
In his previous life, Ivan had been a model law-abiding citizen.
Not only had he never hit anyone, he had of course never been hit himself, either.
Even after falling into the game world, he had struggled only at first. Once he had grown strong enough, he had never faced any particular danger.
That was because Ivan was simply too strong, while the beasts and monsters living in the forest were weak enough to bore him.
In other words, this was the first time in his life he had ever taken a proper punch.
“···Ugh!!”
The air rushed out of his lungs. His body bent over on its own from pain unlike anything he had ever felt.
“Get up. I didn't even hit you that hard, so stop whining.”
Rather than take advantage of the opening to attack, the old man stopped leisurely and looked down at Ivan.
Ivan gasped desperately, trying to fill his lungs with air, and stared in shock.
‘What kind of monster is this old man?’
He had realized long ago that the old man was no ordinary person.
But no matter how strong his opponent was, Ivan had never doubted his own victory.
It was his faith in the sturdy body of the game character he had acquired by chance, and in the strength he had built through constant training.
And now, that faith was wavering. Ivan's eyes trembled.
“What an ill-mannered brat. An adult is talking to you, so how dare you keep your head bowed?”
As the old man raised his fist, Ivan instinctively brought up his guard.
Boom-. Even though he blocked it, the heavy impact reverberated through his bones.
As Ivan staggered backward, the old man slowly followed and pounded relentlessly on his guard.
“All you do is keep running away. Have I misjudged you?”
Running away. The moment he heard those words, a great ball of fire surged up inside Ivan.
He was unbearably ashamed of himself for shrinking back like a turtle after taking just one hit, instead of even throwing a punch.
‘That damn old man···.’
This time, Ivan snatched hold of the old man's fist.
Then, casting aside any concern that he might kill his opponent, he drove his full strength into a punch to the old man's side.
Clang-. The sound was like striking a lump of iron, not a human body.
Instead, his punching hand tingled and trembled. Still, he had definitely felt contact.
Ivan was certain that his attack had landed quite well.
“You've got a pretty nasty punch. But you're still just a brat.”
The old man spat blood-tinged saliva.
Nonsense. Ivan lashed out with his leg like a whip, but the old man leaned back lightly and dodged.
The sound of it tearing through the air rang out eerily.
Ivan kept attacking, but his blows repeatedly missed by the width of a sheet of paper. The distance felt close enough to touch, yet impossibly far away.
Suddenly, the old man stumbled after stepping wrong. Ivan did not miss the opening and threw a heavy punch.
“You gullible fool. You really fell for that?”
At that moment, the old man slipped inside Ivan's guard as smoothly as flowing water, seized his outstretched arm, and threw him straight to the ground.
Boom-. The ground was gouged deeply.
“Kugh!!”
Unable to withstand the sudden impact, his body went rigid. Blood flowed from the corner of Ivan's mouth.
Ivan barely lifted his head to look up at the old man. It didn't seem remotely possible for him to win.
‘I'm really going to die at this rate.’
Even as he thought that, Ivan realized that the corners of his mouth were rising despite himself.
The worthy rival he had yearned for so desperately—no, a wall that seemed impossible to surpass—stood before him. The boundary between life and death slowly grew blurred.
“···Hng.”
“You're smiling? What an interesting guy.”
As if responding, the old man smiled brightly and stomped his foot down.
Ivan hurriedly rolled away to avoid the attack. He had no room to feel emotions like shame.
Ivan barely got back up and, despite being beaten one-sidedly just as before, somehow managed to trade blows with him.
He blocked attacks he could block and endured the ones he failed to evade by taking them with his body. Even when his fists did not connect, he swung them with all his might.
At the same time, he studied the way the old man fought: how he threw his punches, the stance in which he planted his feet, even the subtle rhythm of his breathing.
Ivan desperately begged for instruction. No, “stole” would be the more accurate way to put it.
His attacks still cut through empty air, but each one probed more precisely.
A hint of balance found its way into his clumsy, savage stance.
His breathing, which had been coming out haphazardly, gradually grew steadier.
Each difference was minor, but the change they created as they accumulated was anything but.
The old man's eyes twitched when he noticed the change. Even seeing it firsthand, he could hardly believe how rapidly Ivan was growing.
With every exchange, Ivan made visible progress. Compared with the beginning, he was an entirely different person.
His backward steps gradually slowed, then at some point stopped altogether.
The balance of power evened out. Ivan grinned.
“Old man, why are you staring at me with such surprised eyes? Have you already run out of steam?”
“You insolent brat···.”
Wham-. Ivan struck the old man across the jaw. It was the second attack to land that day.
Ivan took unbearable delight in that fact and continued throwing punches and kicks, trading blows with him.
His body creaked and screamed, but compared to the joy he felt now, even that was a minor issue.
Yes, a little more-. Just a little more-.
His foot slipped after he stepped wrong on the ground slick with blood and sweat. The old man did not miss the opening.
In the slowed flow of time, he watched the fist approach his chin and felt a deep sense of regret.
‘I felt like I was just about to grasp something if I went a little farther···.’
In that instant, a spark flared in his mind. An unrefined realization pierced his consciousness.
His body moved ahead of his thoughts. Ivan slipped into the old man's embrace, seized his outstretched arm, and slammed him straight into the ground.
Almost simultaneously with the thunderous boom, a deeper mark than before was gouged into the ground.
Ivan stood dazed, trying to seize the insight still circling in his mind.
“Wahahahaha!!!!”
The old man, who had been lying there with his face buried in the ground, laughed thunderously, loud enough to burst Ivan's eardrums.
After laughing for quite a while, the old man sprang to his feet as if nothing had happened.
“Considering I only got a single meal out of you, isn't this teaching a little excessive? What do you think, brat?”
Ivan was about to refute him without thinking, but paused to consider it. Honestly, he was right.
“···I suppose you're right. What do you want?”
“I have my reasons for needing to stay here for a while, so let me borrow your house. While I’m here, I’ll teach you how to throw a punch and swing a sword, just for fun.”
It was an offer Ivan had no reason to refuse. He readily nodded.
“Calling you Elder feels a little awkward. What should I call you from now on?”
“Hmm, judging by appearances, we don't look all that far apart in age. Just call me big brother.”
Ivan stared at the old man with all the contempt he could muster.
“I’ll just call you Master.”
“This is what's wrong with young people these days···.”
Ivan quickly covered his ears.
***
“Master, let's trade off carrying it.”
Ivan jerked his chin toward the bear he was carrying on his back.
“You damn brat. You’re trying to put an old man with few days left to work?”
“You looked full of energy earlier. You only pretend to be weak when it’s convenient.”
“That’s only because you’re so feeble. When I was young···.”
As the two continued being utterly rude to each other, Ivan realized something he had completely forgotten.
The old man's body, caked in blood, sweat, and dust, was giving off a smell difficult to describe.
“Master, I’m asking just in case, but when did you last wash?”
“How should I know? That’s the sort of thing only girls keep track of.”
Ivan put on a stern expression and tossed him the greenish soap.
He had discovered this by chance, but soap made by squeezing oil from goblins was exceptionally effective.
“Stop your damn nonsense and wash up properly with this. We’re not going back until you do.”
The old man protested vehemently, but Ivan pretended not to hear him. He could never allow that filthy body to set foot in the house.
“Tsk, rotten brat. I’ll wash, since I’m filthy.”
‘You’re the truly filthy one here.’
Was making someone like that his master a terrible mistake? Ivan sighed and looked for somewhere to wash himself.
As luck would have it, a suitable pond came into view. Ivan was about to jump into the water without a moment's hesitation.
He would have, had he not happened to lock eyes with the woman who was already washing herself there.
“···Huh?”
Ivan's eyes trembled violently as he found himself in a situation he had never anticipated.