Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

The atmosphere immediately became charged with a tense expectancy. The instant Instructor Aegon gave the order, Aldren was like a beast finally released from its restraints.

With the spear secured in a rear-guard stance behind him, the towering youth exploded into a lightning-swift sprint.

His feet pounded against the reinforced obsidian floor with astonishing force, each step sending dull reverberations throughout the arena.

Despite his massive frame, his movements were frighteningly agile, almost contradicting common sense itself. Rather than appearing cumbersome, Aldren moved with the explosive acceleration of a predator closing in on its prey.

Within a heartbeat, the distance separating the two young men rapidly disappeared...

Maverick, on the other hand, remained perfectly still. There wasn’t even the slightest urgency in his movements as he watched Aldren approach.

The broadsword rested comfortably within his right hand, its broad tip lightly scraping against the arena floor while his left hand remained relaxed by his side.

His breathing neither hastened nor slowed and his eyes never left Aldren. To the spectators, it almost seemed as though Maverick had rooted himself to the very earth beneath his feet.

He was patient, calm and composed. But the instant Aldren entered striking distance, Maverick moved...

The heavy broadsword swept upward in a powerful arc, the blade cleaving through the air with such tremendous force that a piercing whistle accompanied its ascent, as though the wind itself had been violently split apart.

The strike was simple, yet devastatingly direct...

However, Aldren’s reaction was equally astonishing. Without the slightest hesitation, the spear spun fluidly within his grasp.

His wrists rotated with incredible dexterity.

The long shaft seemed almost alive, flowing effortlessly between his palms before the spearhead abruptly changed direction.

The movement was executed with the unmistakable precision of consummate spearmanship. Rather than attempting to evade the broadsword, Aldren chose to meet it head-on...

BOOM!

Steel collided against steel; followed by a thunderous explosion that echoed throughout the arena...

The violent impact produced an overwhelming shockwave that surged outward in every direction. Dust erupted from the stone floor and the surrounding air visibly distorted beneath the tremendous pressure.

Fortunately, the ancient runes engraved throughout the arena suddenly illuminated with brilliant azure light.

Layer upon layer of intricate inscriptions awakened simultaneously, effortlessly dispersing the escaping force before it could spread into the surrounding training grounds.

And within moments, the arena had once again become perfectly stable...

Despite the tremendous force behind that clash, the collision itself wasn’t what left the spectators astonished.

Instead, it was the complete absence of what everyone had expected. There was no disparity between the two... Or at least, there wasn’t any that was worth mentioning.

In truth, everyone already knew that both Aldren and Maverick possessed Initial Stage Rank One Etheryean cultivation, and that is quite evidence in the aura that accompanied their strikes.

However, equal cultivation did not necessarily equate to equal combat ability. Especially not in terms of physical strength.

And if there was one thing Aldren possessed in overwhelming abundance, it was precisely that as the towering youth was an absolute juggernaut.

Throughout countless spars, he had repeatedly demonstrated a combat style centered upon overwhelming opponents through terrifying physical force.

Even though the spear traditionally emphasized precision, reach and technique rather than brute strength, Aldren still unconsciously incorporated his overwhelming physique into every strike he unleashed.

His attacks carried weight, momentum a z pressure. Each swing possessed enough force to leave even seasoned opponents numb.

So naturally, everyone expected Maverick to be overwhelmed. This is because when compared to Aldren’s towering build, Maverick appeared considerably slimmer.

Although athletic, he simply did not possess the same monstrous physique. Thus, most believed the very first exchange would force him backward.

And if he was unlucky, it would perhaps send him flying. Yet, reality unfolded quite differently.

Not only had Maverick met Aldren’s strike head-on, he had done so with an equal force.

Neither combatant yielded an inch nor did their weapon budged.

The arena seemed frozen beneath the tremendous pressure exerted by the two young men. And the image alone was enough to leave countless trainees staring with mouths agape.

However, while the younger trainees stood dumbfounded, the veteran knights and instructors remained remarkably composed.

Years spent upon genuine battlefields had trained them to see beyond simple displays of strength. Therefore, where inexperienced eyes saw only the collision, the veterans analyzed every movement preceding it.

They understood the mechanics behind combat and they also understood the science hidden within violence...

There was no denying it. Aldren possessed overwhelming momentum.

His sprint alone had generated tremendous forward force. Combined with his naturally powerful physique, the resulting strike should have been more than sufficient to blast Maverick backward.

Yet, it failed. Why?

Well, this is because Maverick had never intended to receive the attack directly.

Although it appeared as though Maverick had attacked first, the veterans immediately realized that he had no choice.

Had Maverick simply stood still and allowed Aldren to complete his full offensive sequence, he would have been forced into a purely defensive exchange against an opponent already carrying tremendous momentum. And doing so would’ve been strategically disastrous.

Therefore, Maverick simply attacked first. And that single decision completely altered the rhythm of the battle.

Rather than allowing Aldren to dictate the engagement, Maverick forced him into reacting and the spear, which was originally intended for offense, suddenly became a defensive tool.

In that instant, Aldren unconsciously abandoned part of his momentum in order to intercept the broadsword...

But Maverick wasn’t finished.

The moment both weapons collided, he subtly adjusted the angle of his wrists. Instead of resisting the entirety of Aldren’s tremendous force, he redirected a significant portion of it along the length of his own blade before channeling it harmlessly into the stone beneath his feet through a minute shift in stance.

The movement was incredibly subtle. So subtle that most trainees completely overlooked it. Yet, to experienced warriors, it was breathtaking.

What Maverick had accomplished sounded deceptively simple. Yet executing it in actual combat bordered upon the impossible.

He required flawless timing, absolute precision, extraordinary technical proficiency, and impeccable control over every muscle within his body.

A single mistake, a fraction of a second too early or too late, would have caused the redirected force to collapse entirely, leaving him exposed to Aldren’s overwhelming strength.

Thankfully, he was able to execute everything perfectly...

Around the arena, several veteran knights exchanged meaningful glances. None spoke but the expressions of their face said it all. They were impressed.

Also, among those most impressed was Instructor Aegon.

Truthfully speaking, before the spar began, he had not held particularly high expectations for Maverick. This wasn’t because he underestimated him; far from it.

Rather, he simply knew Aldren far too well.

Instructor Aegon had personally overseen Aldren’s training for years so he understood exactly how terrifying the young man’s opening assaults could become once his battle instincts awakened.

Indeed... One of the reasons he had repeatedly reminded Aldren to remain calm before the spar was because he feared the battle maniac might completely lose himself within the maelstrom of combat.

Yet, within the very first exchange, Maverick had not merely survived; he had also completely neutralized Aldren’s greatest advantage.

That... Was something even Aegon hadn’t anticipated.

A faint glimmer appeared within the veteran instructor’s sharp golden eyes.

”So...” He murmured inwardly. ”The Frozen North truly has produced an exceptional warrior. One that was almost overlooked no less.”

The realization caused the corners of his lips to lift ever so slightly. Because what he had initially assumed would be nothing more than a harmless spar between two promising youths had already transformed into something far more captivating.

This was no longer merely a contest between children still wet behind the ears.

No. This had become a genuine exchange between two extraordinary prodigies. And somehow, Instructor Aegon found himself looking forward to what would happen next...