How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

4.

“Toilet boy! Finally decided to show up!”

“How cheap can you get!”

Upon returning to the training ground, he was met with petty insults, but Rohan paid them no mind.

At least for now, those jabs didn’t faze him at all.

After all, he was the owner of the ‘proficient’ Easel Basic Window Art!

Some didn’t even know how to properly channel their full body strength yet, making his achievement all the more remarkable.

Although he was elated, Rohan kept his composure, not letting his emotions show outwardly.

“Feeling a bit off today.”

He simply brushed it off as if it were nothing.

In reality, he was more eager to wield his window and strike back rather than retaliate against such teasing.

With a proficiency of 100% and the ability to inflict additional damage, he was eager to thrust his window.

Assuming a posture that now felt almost instinctual, he aimed for the midsection, thrusting with all his might.

Pushing off the ground with his legs, twisting his waist, and applying his weight, he delivered a perfect strike as if drawn in a painting, piercing through the air.

The momentum was somewhat sharp, causing the other soldiers who had been mocking him just moments before to fall silent.

Compared to Rohan’s level of skill, they were merely at a beginner stage, but the strike just now felt distinctly different.

On the other hand, Charles, who had wielded a spear for nearly twenty years as a mercenary, clearly understood what had just happened.

“A perfect thrust.”

Of course, in a world as vast and full of geniuses, there would be countless individuals who could showcase flawless spear techniques.

However, those individuals wouldn’t have acquired such skills within just a month of picking up a spear for the first time.

“Perhaps…”

Maybe Rohan’s talent was far greater than I initially thought.

Could it be that he possesses the talent to step beyond the walls and into a larger world?

Such thoughts briefly crossed Charles’ mind.

As Charles marveled deeply after a long time, Rohan, who had retrieved his spear, reflected quietly on the thrust he had just delivered.

“Something was different.”

It felt distinctly different from when his proficiency was at 99%.

He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but if forced to express it, it felt like his spear technique and body had become one.

A feeling of moving along the path his body had learned without conscious effort.

He felt assured that his stance would never falter in the future.

As the brief silence dissipated, other recruits began practicing with their spears one by one.

Approaching Rohan, who had picked up his spear again, Charles quietly said, “Impressive, Rohan.”

It was a short remark, but after observing him for a month, Rohan understood that this was the highest form of praise.

“Thank you. I’m truly grateful.”

With a faint smile that seemed to detect the sincerity in Rohan’s brief greeting, Charles returned to his place.

“I made the right choice coming here.”

If he had stayed in the village out of fear of venturing to new places, he would have lived his life as an ignorant person.

Considering his father’s temperament, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he died before becoming an adult.

However, here he could not only sustain himself but also learn the plausible skill of spear techniques.

Some might consider it a trivial skill, but in this place, learning was truly a precious thing.

The fact that most people couldn’t even read a single letter and knowledge was transmitted through records was something only the upper class could think of.

Moreover, in a land where monsters roamed, the value of being able to defend oneself, even with basic skills, was immense.

“Moreover, if I hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t have encountered the status window.”

Even though he only had one spear skill for now, there was no rule against acquiring additional skills.

The potential for growth was boundless.

“Well, we can’t know yet if there are any limits…”

Whatever he became, it seemed better than spending a lifetime digging one small plot of land.

Despite reaping a great harvest, Rohan knew he couldn’t skip afternoon training as he pleased.

If he had to train, it was better to do it diligently.

In the end, it was just another day with no significant difference compared to before achieving a skill level of 100%.

And from the very next day, Rohan was plagued by a thirst.

Growth, especially growth that could be immediately confirmed by numbers, possessed a tremendous allure.

To the point where he felt regretful that he couldn’t wield his spear even more after a hard day’s work had ended.

But the emptiness that came with it was so overwhelming that words fell short to describe it.

It had only been an hour since he had picked up the spear, but Rohan suddenly felt a sense of doubt.

“What’s the point of training like this now?”

With his skill level already at 100%, training in other aspects like stamina or strength would be far more beneficial.

As this thought crossed his mind, the training he had always pursued diligently didn’t seem as tangible as before.

Of course, even though his skill level remained unmatched among the new recruits, making comparisons felt somewhat unfair, the fact remained that his previous passionate attitude had vanished.

Yet, as a new recruit, with a set schedule to follow, nothing had changed.

Just mechanically wielding the spear alongside the other recruits.

Rohan believed he was keeping up well with the training, but he couldn’t completely fool Charles.

It didn’t take long for Charles to notice that something had changed within Rohan, who had rapidly improved.

“Rohan’s spear technique is already close to perfection. If anything, he’s even better than me. So, could it be that he’s feeling bored?”

Well, even Charles himself would probably find it meaningless to repeat the same movement all day long.

Once a posture is ingrained in the body, it is not easily shaken.

Honestly, Rohan was at a level where he could easily learn something new without any issues.

“But what about the other recruits?”

Soldiers inherently move in an organized manner, and it wasn’t feasible to single out one recruit for special treatment during training.

After all, Charles only had one body, making it physically impossible.

“Since it’s come to this, it’s better to accelerate the schedule a bit.”

Since they couldn’t keep swinging the spear aimlessly forever, it was about time to consider moving on to the next stage.

The next day.

As usual, the recruits who had eaten heartily at lunch were standing in formation with their spears at the ready.

Knowing that the tiresome spear training would continue throughout the afternoon, everyone’s faces were grim.

Not only Rohan, but almost all of them had grown tired of spending the whole day practicing with the spear.

Rohan stood out for consistently displaying a passionate attitude, but even he began to show signs of weariness, prompting a drastic decision.

“Starting today, we will practice postures and engage in sparring alternately every day!”

At Charles’s words, the recruits looked at each other in confusion.

“Sparring… did you say?”

“Yes, look over there.”

Following Charles’s gesture, they saw about a dozen wooden sticks of similar length lying on the ground.

“From now on, these sticks are what you’ll use for sparring. You will compete with other recruits using these sticks.”

“While the risk of serious injury with these sticks is low, if you intentionally attack someone’s face or groin, you will face disciplinary action. Disregarding my call to stop and continuing to attack is equally unacceptable.”

“Now, go and pick up a stick each.”

At Charles’s command, the recruits eagerly rushed forward to choose a stick that suited them.

Rohan also picked a suitable staff among them.

In fact, the length and material of the staffs were so similar that there wasn’t much of a difference no matter which one he chose.

The soldiers holding the staffs gathered in front of Charles again, splitting into pairs and occupying a corner of the training ground each.

Rohan’s opponent was Chris.

He, who still seemed afraid to face Rohan without shedding his boyish aura, trembled slightly.

“Uh, why did it have to be Rohan…”

In truth, Chris wasn’t really afraid.

Even without considering their skills in spear fighting, Chris and Rohan had a significant height difference, with Rohan being much larger in stature.

Adding the spear skills to the equation would widen the gap even more, making Chris feel like he was preparing to be pummeled in the sparring.

On the other hand, Rohan’s situation was entirely different from Chris’.

Honestly, even Rohan himself thought that this sparring was excessively one-sided.

With a significant height difference, and a physique that was far superior, the disparity was such that even seeing the top of the opponent’s head was a challenge, let alone maintaining tension with the large difference in physique.

However, it wasn’t as if Rohan had no interest in this sparring.

The moment he saw the staff, curiosity arose.

Would the proficiency and additional effects of the basic skill ‘spear techniques’ apply even if he held a staff?

Since the staff and spear looked so similar in appearance, their techniques were quite alike.

Well, even if they were just seen as the same type of weapon, there wasn’t a huge difference.

Although it lacked a spearhead, the staff could still inflict enough pain with its pointed end.

But clearly, it was also a different weapon from a ‘spear’.

If they were the same weapon, why would they need different names?

The sparring where Rohan’s curiosity and Chris’ fear intersected progressed as expected by everyone.

Or to put it more bluntly, it was even worse than expected.

Clearly, Rohan, who was also fighting with a stick for the first time, found that the necessary movements came out at the right moment, almost oddly.

By deflecting Chris’ full-force thrust with the staff, Rohan effortlessly diverted all attacks, and even blocked the downward strikes with a solid stance.

What was surprising was that it felt like his body was moving on its own without needing to think.

Rohan naturally realized that this was the power of proficiency.

‘It’s an incredible ability beyond what I imagined!’

Although he couldn’t be sure if the additional effects were being applied, he could definitely feel that the proficiency was being applied properly.

Apart from admiration, it was time to gradually bring the sparring to an end.

Chris, who was already panting heavily and looking at Rohan with a defeated expression.

Whether he thought he could contend with Rohan or not, there was a subtle hint of anger on his flushed face.

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Rohan decided to offer him comfort willingly.

It was so natural the way he moved the staff toward a person, especially when it was the first time he was using it for domination purposes.

Many movements were not necessary.

Already exhausted and struggling to catch his breath, Chris couldn’t even muster a small response to Rohan’s thrust, akin to a last-ditch effort.

With the sound of the wind splitting, Rohan’s staff lightly touched Chris’ throat and fell away.

“…I lost…”

Chris admitted defeat as if resigning, and the other boys who had been watching Rohan and Chris after the sparring ended just clicked their tongues.

“This is unbelievable…”

“I mean, I could never win against him…”

“Fool, that’s obvious.”

“What’s so different about you? It’s unbelievable.”

Charles, who was watching the match with them, also had a satisfied smile on his face.

‘Indeed… quite a remarkable talent.’

Charles’s evaluation of Rohan was already quite high, but it had risen even further after this match.

Of course, a match was different from a real fight.

The difference was more than just saying it was ‘different.’

But even in such a match, there was an absolute difference compared to training alone in thin air.

Factors such as distance from the opponent, psychological warfare, reflexes to respond to the opponent’s attacks, and many other elements influenced the match to an indescribable extent.

However, Rohan handled it skillfully.

Of course, it could be seen as possible because the opponent was far less skilled than himself.

But the world is vast, and there are many things one cannot understand, so it was quite common for a soldier who displayed a perfect form during training to act foolishly in a real fight.

In that sense, this match was enough to give Rohan a passing grade.

After a brief rest, the match continued with changing opponents.

While the results for the other kids fluctuated depending on the match-ups, Rohan never showed a single sign of defeat.

The pattern was always the same.

Consistently letting the opponent attack leisurely, then winning with just one strike.

Charles knew well that such a thing was only possible with an absolute gap in skills.

And at the same time, he realized that the card called ‘match’ had failed.