Free Web NovelChapter 122: Shame & Frustration
As Gorn and Victor stared at each other with gasping breaths, Victor stepped forward and landed a diagonal blow aimed at Gorn’s right shoulder.
Gorn managed to block, but the force of the blow was enough to knock him back.
Victor didn’t let up, following up with a series of attacks that changed the course of the duel, this time forcing Gorn onto the defensive.
Gorn knew he had to change his tactics, as he hadn’t been able to break through Victor’s guard, even though he seemed to have complete freedom to try.
So when Gorn managed to block Victor’s blow perfectly, he lunged forward with a roar, unleashing a powerful attack that Victor barely managed to block. The force of the blow forced Victor to take a step back, but he held his ground and withstood the force Gorn applied to his blade. The bounty hunter was convinced that he couldn’t beat Victor with quick attacks, because Victor was too agile for his age and tried to use the advantage he believed he had in strength.
However, for Victor, except for the moment when he failed to end the battle with a direct attack on Gorn’s abdomen, this battle was becoming more and more tedious. It was natural for him to always let the enemy show what he was capable of so that he could work out a convincing strategy to defeat him, but Gorn, though clearly an experienced knight, wasn’t worth taking up much time.
Taking advantage of Gorn’s eagerness to use his strength, Victor feinted, swung around Gorn, and slashed with the side of his sword, striking his opponent in the ribs.
Gorn grunted in pain, used his sword guard to push Victor back, and stepped back a few paces to catch his breath.
The crowd was ecstatic, watching every move.
Aelius, Gorn’s nephew, sighed as he watched Gorn fight and turned his back to leave the dock as quickly as possible. He was not embarrassed, but disappointed.
When Victor came to Gorn, the bounty hunter used a feint, feigning a high attack and quickly switching to a low blow aimed at Victor’s legs.
A broad smile appeared on Gorn’s face. This was a clear line of attack and one that would take out at least one of Victor’s feet.
But Victor, with his experience and sharp reflexes, anticipated the move and jumped, spinning in the air and delivering a downward blow that forced Gorn to retreat once more.
Gorn was breathing very hard, it was clear now. Gorn tried again to use his brute strength, advancing with another series of heavy blows.
Victor blocked each one as if the blows didn’t even reverberate in his arms. Still, Victor was not old enough for long fights, so he waited for the right moment. As soon as Gorn landed another powerful blow, he dodged and turned his body to the side, giving him a clear opportunity for a clean strike at Gorn’s flank.
The blade of Victor’s sword found a weak spot in Gorn’s armor and sliced through the flesh of the Achilles tendon in his left leg.
Gorn fell to his knees almost instantly, losing his ability to stand for a few moments. ƒreewebɳovel.com
This is nothing, I can heal myself with magic! Gorn thought with a stubborn spirit as he moved his empty hand to his wounded heel.
But Victor raised his sword and pointed it at Gorn’s neck without hesitation.
"Surrender," the white-haired hunter ordered with a tyrannical tone and an even crueler look in his eyes. That look was a clear warning that Victor would kill Gorn if he tried to resist.
At that moment, Gorn finally realized the vast chasm of skill and experience that stood between him and Victor.
Gorn looked at Victor with wounded pride, but respect was clear in his eyes. He raised his hands in surrender, and the crowd erupted in applause and cheers.
"Victor Shieldman, the winner!" announced Demetrius, pointing to Victor with both hands.
The shouts of victory and applause echoed around the docks and throughout the harbor.
The celebration was not only for Victor’s victory, but also for the confirmation that the Devourer of Ships, the terrible sea creature that daily terrorized the lives of the men and women who sailed between Klento and Naeross Island, had indeed been defeated.
Victor lowered his sword and stepped back, allowing Gorn to rise.
The bounty hunter used his own sword as a prop to stand. He kept his head down in respect for the opponent who had clearly surpassed his skills in every way.
"You fought well," Victor said.
"Not well enough..." Gorn said, accepting defeat with dignity. He began to limp away from the makeshift arena as the crowd continued to celebrate.
While Victor was surrounded by the applause and euphoria of the crowd, Gorn struggled to make his way along the docks, feeling the weight of defeat with every step. He turned away from the celebration, preferring the solitude of the narrow, dark alleys. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Right now, all he wanted to do was find a tavern to vent his frustration. Gorn was still thinking about the fight and the public humiliation when a voice in the alley surprised him.
"Why haven’t you healed your heel yet?" The voice asked.
Gorn smiled out of the corner of his mouth. "This time I think I’ll wait until it heals on its own, so I can remember the feeling of defeat every time it hurts."
Then Gorn looked to his left, where there was an even narrower part of the alley, and his eyes found Aelius, his nephew, leaning against the wall of an alley.
The young man had snow-white hair and piercing blue eyes, a striking contrast to the dirt and darkness around him.
"Don’t look at me like that. I know I was overbearing..." Gorn said as he walked back down the alley.
"Uncle," Aelius called, forcing Gorn to stop again. "Was he really that strong?"
"Yes, Aelius," Gorn replied, not turning around to face Aelius’ disappointed expression. "This man is... unlike any opponent I’ve ever faced. His skill and experience are at a level that even I cannot match. From his appearance, he seemed to be only ten years older than me, but I felt just as weak as when I fought alongside the Sovereign of the Sword. In fact, the feeling is even worse."
Aelius frowned, trying to comprehend the depth of his uncle’s words. They hadn’t traveled together when Gorn met the one who would become the next Sovereign of the Sword, so Aelius didn’t know exactly what his uncle meant.
