Free Web NovelChapter 121: He is Strong!
When Aelius seemed uninterested in fighting Victor Shiedman, his brutish uncle shrugged and raised his hand to volunteer.
"I accept the challenge!" Gorn declared, his voice echoing over the pier.
The people around Gorn immediately began to make room for him to pass, like a huge school of fish making room for a shark to pass.
Gorn’s posture was imposing, his bulging muscles and unshakable confidence showing that he was no ordinary opponent. He had a beard and black hair. He also had yellow eyes that complemented the gold details on his black armor, and a knight’s cloak was strapped to his shoulder blades. But these details were only superficial, there was something more, something Victor couldn’t see yet. Gorn was probably a warrior who made his living as a bounty hunter.
"Victor Shieldman, the fearless man who single-handedly killed the Devourer of Ships, isn’t it?" Gorn teased, a contemptuous smile forming on his lips. "Let’s see if you’re as formidable against a real man as you claim to be against sea beasts."
Victor wasn’t the least bit interested in this fight, so he didn’t respond to Gorn’s taunts. Victor was aware that any words would only inflame the situation. Instead, his eyes were fixed on something hanging from Gorn’s waist - a blood-stained leather pouch. The murmur of the crowd increased as some recognized the sinister object.
"Look at his waist! That’s Captain Bloody’s head!" One person shouted from among the others, causing a ripple of excitement and fear that motivated everyone to make even more room on the dock.
Word spread quickly, and soon everyone was whispering about Gorn’s exploits. Captain Demetrius heard things that made his hair stand on end.
The whispers told Demetrius that the night before, a younger knight and Gorn had together decimated the crew of a notorious pirate known for his cruelty. Therefore, the head in the sack at Gorn’s waist was not a simple macabre trophy, but the part required by the Kingdom of Athina for him to collect the reward for killing Captain Bloodthirsty.
"I see many here haven’t met me yet! Nice to meet you, I’m Gorn, currently a bounty hunter! And I want to make it clear that anyone who dares to interfere in this fight will meet the same end as this man here..." Gorn reached into the leather bag and pulled out the head inside, revealing the disfigured face of the dead pirate.
Once again, the people around them were startled and backed away.
Victor, however, remained calm. Slowly, he took off the thick cloak that protected him from the cold and threw it to Franky, who watched with concern.
"You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Victor." Franky said, knowing that his friend didn’t like attention and wasn’t in favor of this spectacular at all.
"Don’t worry about me," Victor said coldly.
As he climbed down from the deck, Victor saw Gorn approaching.
"Gorn, huh?" Victor asked.
"Yes, and I’m going to show everyone here that you’re nothing but a fraud," Gorn replied with an excited smile on his face.
Victor took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the situation. "Fine by me, you can try."
The taunts exchanged between the two challengers rose once and for all to the violence of the crowd on the dock. These sailors, so lacking in other forms of entertainment, became very agitated.
Demetrius, realizing the importance of maintaining order, raised his hand to silence the crowd. "This will be a fair duel!" he announced. "As the fellow here said, no interference will be tolerated! I want honor and strength to determine the victor!"
The circle quickly formed on the dock, and, for a moment, all was quiet. The icy wind from Klento Harbor brought the smell of the sea once again. It was such a unique smell that only those close to the sea could smell it.
The sound of the waves crashing against the anchored ships seemed like a natural symphony, contrasting with the growing tension.
Then, as if rehearsed, they both stepped forward at the same time. The sound of their boots echoed off the wood of the docks. Almost simultaneously, they both drew their swords, but Gorn struck first with a powerful blow that took advantage of the drawing motion.
Victor dodged the blow, tilting his body to the side and letting the blade pass dangerously close. In the process, he lost the ends of a lock of his hair. Victor responded with a swift blow to Gorn’s left flank, but the bounty hunter was prepared and blocked the attack with his sword.
The clash of swords echoed across the dock, the sound of metal against metal echoing in the heads of the spectators. freewebnσvel.cѳm
Gorn stepped back, spun his blade in a fluid motion, and struck again with a series of quick blows. Each attack was relentless, but Victor was very skillful, deflecting and blocking. freewebnσvel.cøm
"You’re fast, Shieldman, but can you keep up this pace for a long time at your age?" Gorn sneered and attacked with an even harder blow, forcing Victor to retreat.
Victor concentrated on studying his opponent’s every move, every breath. Gorn’s style of fencing was nothing new, but every warrior had his own peculiarities, which is why Victor didn’t take the lead from the start.
Gorn tried a diagonal cut, aiming for Victor’s shoulder. But Victor turned his body, dodging more easily this time, and countered with a quick thrust to Gorn’s stomach. The blade found the armor but didn’t pierce it.
Victor felt an extreme surprise. ’Did I use too little force?’ he asked himself.
Gorn took advantage of the proximity to strike with the guard of his sword, striking Victor in the face and forcing him to retreat.
The crowd held its breath as Victor stumbled. He quickly regained his balance, wiping the blood from a cut on his lip.
’He is strong.’ Victor concluded.
’Oh, he is strong!’ Gorn also thought with a wild, predatory grin. ’If I hadn’t magically reinforced my armor at the last moment when he hit me, my intestines would probably be on the ground right now. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to have any magical abilities and didn’t notice what I did, but this is a duel and, for the sake of honor, I shouldn’t use magic!
