How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game Chapter 13 - The Best Condition (3)

“I guess he’s surprised.”

Marhan, who had looked surprised, now seemed deeply lost in thought, a sight I had never seen before.

He was always composed and collected.

Well, even I had to admit that I was definitely special today.

When I thought about following the instruction, my body successfully replicated it without a single error.

Compared to the immaturity I felt when I first arrived here and faced the duke, I was at an entirely different level.

Of course, apart from the basics, all I had learned was Haisen’s swordsmanship.

But even if Haisen’s swordsmanship was something ordinary soldiers learned, it was by no means simple.

I knew it was because of the penalty trait Worst Condition, but Marhan didn’t know about it, so he could think that way.

In reality, I was also surprised by what I could do.

Still, I couldn’t say anything, so I had no choice but to wait.

‘Perhaps he might really find a solution.’

Penalty traits and high-ranking traits didn’t always persist. They could disappear due to special circumstances.

For example, in the case of Mysophobia, after being confined in a filthy underground prison, the usual mental state deteriorates, leading to suicide.

However, there were cases where Mysophobia broke through the low probability and disappears.

Survival instincts overcome the penalty trait.

Of course, if we considered it in real life, it was hard to understand. But since it was a game, one could think like that.

There was a slight sense of regret. Mohen should have been here on a day like this.

If that were the case, wouldn’t he have kept quiet, just like he did with Denif?

“Denif.”

Marhan’s voice brought me out of my reverie. Denif and Boutreaux, who had been moving vigorously, walked straight towards us.

Boutreaux shrugged his shoulders.

“What’s the matter?”

“I think we should have a sparring session.”

“Pardon?”

Boutreaux couldn’t hide his surprise and asked again, quickly correcting his expression.

“Oh, yes.”

It was a statement that would startle even the undercover agent under the duke. I was equally taken aback.

Suddenly, a sparring session with Denif? I had just picked up a sword today.

Denif also widened his eyes. Not questioning separately was due to the absolute authority of Marhan’s orders in this place.

Marhan made a comment to Denif, who was walking steadily.

“Since it’s Carlyn’s first time, use the wooden sword.”

“Yes.”

Denif responded and switched to a wooden sword, taking his position. I also took notice and stood in front of Denif with a wooden sword in hand.

The situation was unfolding rapidly.

‘I’ve only learned the basic swordsmanship and Haisen’s swordsmanship.’

Denif, of course, must have known that. No matter how you looked at it, I was at a clear disadvantage.

But there must have been a reason for Marhan to initiate this sparring session. Even if I didn’t win, showing something would be favorable for evaluation.

Well, aside from all that, deep thinking was unnecessary. If Marhan ordered it, I’d do it. That had been my life until now, and it would likely be similar in the future.

I assumed the starting position for Haisen’s swordsmanship.

I extended my right leg and held the sword with my right hand in front of my left rib. The edge of the sword lightly touched my left shoulder.

It was the foundational stance for thrusting. Marhan spoke softly.

“Don’t use magic, but don’t hold back.”

Since it wasn’t directed at me specifically, I simply stayed still.

“Yes.”

Denif nodded his head and made eye contact with me before calmly nodding again.

Though not spoken aloud, the general meaning was conveyed. Since he was told not to hold back, it was unavoidable, and it meant there were no ill feelings.

I also nodded my head. There was no announcement signaling the start of the sparring session. It had always been that way from what I had observed. Sparring was a form of real combat.

That was why Denif didn’t wait for me. He immediately charged at me and stomped off the ground.

“Ha.”

I took a short breath, filling about two-thirds of my lung capacity, and exerted a strong force in the hand gripping the sword.

I also lunged forward immediately, but I was a beat too late, and the situation wasn’t favorable.

‘Oh no. I should have moved first.’

Losing the initiative to someone superior to me only made the situation more disadvantageous.

The difference started with acceleration.

That difference soon translated into a difference in strength. The biggest problem was that the overall flow was disrupted.

‘I haven’t even learned enough to maintain the flow.’

This could also be seen as a lack of experience. The initial distance between Denif and me was about 12 meters.

Now it was about 7 meters.

Since I was late, I changed direction and ran diagonally.

The slightly hopeful thing was that my best condition wasn’t limited to just the physical aspect.

The situation was rapidly unfolding, as if time in my mind was flowing slower.

I didn’t experience this during training. Was it due to extreme concentration?

No, I pushed aside distractions. I had to focus solely on the sparring.

Denif was charging in a straight line with his sword spread out to the bottom left. Should I attack diagonally from above? Or thrust?

I couldn’t be certain. I would prepare for his expected movements and rely on instinct to guide me.

‘Whatever happens, let’s strike first and dodge to the side.’

The difference in acceleration was already apparent. Even if I had become stronger than usual, a direct confrontation with Denif, who had trained for a long time, would be futile.

It was a judgment that it would be better to pass by once and face each other again.

Suddenly, we were 2 meters apart.

Now we were within each other’s attack range. I didn’t forcefully seize the initiative in a situation where the flow had already shifted.

Denif’s choice was a thrust. The sword that was positioned at the lower part swiftly came towards my chest. I exerted force on my right wrist and extended it.

The sword that had been resting on my shoulder swiftly descended.

The process itself was similar to Haisen’s swordsmanship. A meeting of thrusts. However, I exerted force on my wrist and pushed it to the side.

My sword flicked away the incoming thrust.

Denif’s sword traced a slight trajectory to the left. At that moment, I took a step to Denif’s right.

Was it due to my peak condition? My body moved as I intended.

‘…!’

In that fleeting moment, a gap appeared. Due to the deflection of the sword to the side, Denif’s front was exposed to me.

I once again aimed for Denif’s torso, exerting force in my wrist, and thrust. It was an immediate improvisation.

In an instant, Denif swiftly bent his upper body and spun around. He rotated without dampening the recoil of the deflected sword.

My sword pierced through the empty air. Denif, who had rotated his body, swung the sword upward again from below.

Instinctively, I forcefully stomped on the ground and rolled my body in mid-air. Denif’s sword narrowly passed by below my abdomen.

After hitting the ground, I quickly stood up and turned around.

“Hmm.”

Denif gazed at me, his head tilted. He seemed slightly surprised.

‘I didn’t block the thrust. It was Denif’s deception.’

I clenched my teeth. This time, I didn’t wait and immediately struck the ground. Perhaps because Denif was taken aback, this time I was faster.

It wasn’t a far distance like before. In an instant, I reached Denif’s front.

I extended my leg and swung the sword horizontally. Denif deftly blocked my sword’s path with concise movements.

The swords collided. The dull sound of the wooden swords resonated. With force in both hands, I suppressed the sword that was trying to bounce back from the initial impact.

Denif did the same. The struggle of strength continued. Contrary to my earlier concerns, I wasn’t easily pushed back by his strength.

Yeah. No matter how much I trained, I was still a 13-year-old body. If I exerted three times the effort, it should be similar.

“What are you, Carlyn?”

Denif smiled with an interested expression. I didn’t have time to answer. Denif’s sword flowed downward, sliding along the edge of my sword.

Denif gently pushed the sword from the lower part.

‘Ah.’

In the opening, an elbow flew towardDenif didn’t miss that opportunity. His sword came flying. Instinctively, I extended my sword to block it.

 my abdomen. I quickly pulled back and avoided it, but my stance crumbled.

The exchange continued. Denif approached aggressively, thrusting his sword from various angles, and I stepped back while parrying.

No, it was more like hurriedly parrying.

I didn’t know how to use my arms properly. There was much to learn from my first sparring session.

And what I learned should be put into practice immediately.

I pretended to retreat, but as I deflected his sword, I kicked off my right foot and spun my body.

With my fixed-left elbow, I aimed for Denif’s head. This time, Denif bent his upper body and rolled on the ground.

The distance widened again.

I quickly caught my breath. Denif, who had regained his stance, looked at me with eyes full of competitiveness.

Matching our breaths, we charged at each other once again.

* * *

“Heub!”

Carlyn breathed heavily. His movements were guided more by instinct than by conscious thought, without considering the flowing combinations.

There were times when he did not do so even when utilizing the Haisen’s swordsmanship.

Marhan observed their sparring with sharp eyes. Sally and Orhen were also watching the sparring now.

Boutreaux, who had initially been uneasy, realized the reason why Marhan initiated the sparring, thanks to Carlyn’s unexpected progress.

‘He’s still growing in real time.’

Marhan confirmed that his judgment was correct. It was not merely an improvement in physical abilities.

He had to make good use of today.

When Marhan thought that way, a question flickered in his mind.

What would happen if he taught everything to the Carlyn of usual times? He was curious about what would occur if he simply imparted information without proper mastery…

‘Can he fully demonstrate that on a day like today?’

If he could, then the slow pace of growth in his usual training wouldn’t matter.

Since he could experience significant growth starting from a specific day.

Of course, Marhan couldn’t be sure.

The child said it happened once a year, but he might end up wasting a year of time.

Marhan thought it was necessary to confirm it.

He couldn’t rush into it, but he could test it in a limited way for specific aspects.

As time passed, Carlyn was gradually falling behind.

Carlyn decided to take an aggressive approach for a reversal and instinctively changed the flow of his breathing.

Taking a step forward and gripping the sword with force in his hand, he extended it.

Collision. In an instant, Carlyn instinctively twisted his wrist.

Carlyn’s sword pushed Denif’s sword outward. And at the moment when he attempted to thrust his sword, he had no choice but to stop.

Denif’s sword was at his throat.

‘Ah…’

He thought he had pushed it outward, but Denif had taken a step to the side and adjusted his trajectory by extending his arm.

Carlyn doubted if perhaps even the pushing of the sword was not Denif’s intention.

He had no choice but to admit defeat. Although he had entered the sparring without the expectation of winning, a deep sense of regret remained.

Denif sheathed his sword.

“Wow, that was amazing! What’s gotten into you today? I couldn’t have imagined this.”

“I told you I was in good condition today.”

Carlyn replied with a smile that lacked substance. His heart was still pounding.

Due to the thrill of the tension in the sparring, his hands seemed to tremble.

Carlyn felt that this combat was more enjoyable than he had anticipated.

Denif, who was about to say something else, looked behind Carlyn and closed his mouth.

“Carlyn.”

At that moment, Marhan’s cold voice reached her ears.

“Yes?”

When Carlyn turned his head, he saw Marhan looking at him with an angry gaze. Carlyn was slightly taken aback.

He thought he had done well. He couldn’t understand what the problem was.

“Why didn’t you actively use mystic?”

Ah…

Carlyn finally understood why Marhan was angry. The instruction not to use magic was given to Denif.

The sparring was supposed to be like a real battle.

Although it was his first proper sparring, he had heard those words while training alongside Marhan. He had misunderstood.

After learning swordsmanship, he was fixated on using only the sword.

That was a mistake. He should have attacked Denif with winds or interfered using mystic.

“I’m sorry.”

Marhan nodded as he observed Carlyn’s expression and words.

He understood the reason on his own. That was enough.

There was no need for unnecessary reproach, stating that mystic should be used because he was lacking.

That was Marhan’s viewpoint.

“But still, the rest… was excellent.”

“Thank you.”

Carlyn, who was gauging the situation, faintly smiled at the warm words.

“Denif, you need to put in more effort.”

“Yes! I was also a bit surprised. I’ll try harder.”

Marhan nodded and looked up at the sky.

“It’s time for lunch now. Let’s eat as quickly as possible and gather at the training ground.”

Denif raised a question.

“When you say ‘as quickly as possible’…”

“I’ll give you 20 minutes.”

Carlyn started running towards the dining hall as soon as Marhan finished speaking. Marhan chuckled as he watched him.

Denif, who was momentarily taken aback, followed him.

“Orhen! Hurry up!”