Chapter 92 Friend



Thud... Thud...

I heard somebody knocking on my apartment's door aggressively and was forced to leave my slumber.

"..."

Growling, I got up from the bed and quickly walked toward the door, clenching my fist and rubbing my eyes.

Whoever disturbed me, if it wasn't important, I'll punch them.

Click...

As soon as the door opened, I flinched seeing a fist coming straight at my face. It was supposed to be the other way around!

Thud...

I staggered backward, lost for words as I looked at the man standing in front of me.

"What the fuck man?!"

I growled realizing that it was Oscar, who punched me. Lifting my fists I wanted to lunge at him, however, I didn't intend to send him flying.

Thud...

I struck him back, and we both stared at each other fiercely for a moment, studying each other's expressions.

"Where the fuck have you been?"

Oscar asked me with a slightly angry expression, quickly adding.

"You've been gone for the entire 4 days! There was even a funeral for you."

Looking straight into his eyes, I tried to decipher if he was joking or telling the truth. However, seeing that he was dead serious, I...

"Hahaha... Funeral?! Well, it seems I am dead."

...couldn't help, but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. I felt touched that Oscar cared about me, but I knew I couldn't tell him where I had been for the past four days.

"Wait... Wait... Wait!"

Seeing him approaching with his fists raised high, I backed away, avoiding his blows.

Whoosh...

We kept exchanging punches for a few more minutes until we both exhausted ourselves and panted heavily.

"Nice to see you are alive..."

Oscar said sarcastically, still catching his breath. His brown eyes scanned my appearance before heaving a sigh.

"Did you get stronger again?"

I noticed his eyes lingering on my build which suggested that he might've noticed the slight changes in my physique.

"Yes..."

Nodding my head, I slowly rose from the floor, dusting off my clothes and picking up my Katana that I'd left on the old wooden desk.

"Do you want to spar?"

***

While Oscar went to change his clothing, I went directly to the practice area, unsheathing my Katana and practicing a few swings.

Since I've just woken up my body was a bit sore, but it was nothing that couldn't be worked through with some warm-up exercises.

"..."

Whilst I practiced my Sword Style, I noticed that some students were glancing at me. It was also mostly women...

"Status..."

≈≈≈ ? ≈≈≈

?: [ ? ]

?: [ ?+ ]

?: ?

?: ?-

?: ?+

?: ?+

?: ?+

<-- ? -->

[ ? ? --> ? ? ]

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?.

[ ? ? --> ? ? ]

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?, ?'? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?%.

[ ? ? --> ? ? ]

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?.

<-- ? ? -->

[ ? ? ?  [ ★★ ] --> ? ? ]

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?, ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?.

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

Looking at my Charm, I felt a small smile forming on my lips. Although I was still aiming to be one of the background characters that doesn't gain any attention, it was a good feeling to know that my body had the potential to be handsome.

I still look sickly and malnourished but with enough time and effort, I'd eventually become someone of formidable appearance.

"I could also wear a mask..."

Swinging my Katana in a wide arc, I thought. There were times when whilst playing the game you had to equip the protagonists with masks, so they wouldn't be recognized by their outstanding features.

Rose preferred to do so, that's the main reason why she wore a Disguise Cloak in Helixia.

"Okay, I'm here..."

I was pulled out of my thoughts as Oscar entered the arena, holding the same spear with a silver spearhead that he always used.

"You ready?"

Gripping my Katana's hilt tightly, I asked and seeing Oscar nod in response, I lunged forward with a quick strike, deciding to first test the waters with a feint to gauge his current strength.

Clank...

However, Oscar deftly parried my feint, his spear meeting my katana with a resounding clash. He countered with a swift jab towards my chest, but I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack. The intensity of our spar began to escalate as we traded blows with increasing speed and precision.

Boom...

I blocked a powerful strike from Oscar, feeling the impact reverberate through my arm. I retaliated with a series of quick slashes, aiming for his legs. Oscar leaped backward, avoiding my strikes, but I followed up with a spinning kick, aiming to knock him off balance.

Thud...

My boot connected with Oscar's thigh, causing him to stagger for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, I lunged forward with a flurry of attacks, my katana slicing through the air with a sharp swish. Oscar skillfully parried each strike, his spear deflecting the blade with expert precision.

Swinging my katana overhead, I delivered a powerful downward strike, aiming for Oscar's shoulder. He blocked it with his spear, but I used the momentum to execute a quick spin, momentarily letting go of my weapon and delivering a punch towards his midsection.

My fist connected, and Oscar grunted in response, but he swiftly retaliated with a swift strike of his own, catching me off guard. The tip of his spear grazed my arm, leaving a shallow cut as a reminder to stay focused.

We continued our fierce exchange, our movements becoming a blur of strikes, blocks, and evasions. The sound of metal clashing filled the air as our weapons collided time and again, creating sparks that illuminated the practice area.

Clank... Boom... Thud...

The rhythm of our fight echoed through the room as we pushed each other to the limits of our abilities. Sweat poured down my brow, my muscles aching with the exertion, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins kept me going.

The clash of our weapons intensified as we unleashed a flurry of attacks, our bodies moving in a synchronized dance of combat. I spun on my heel, performing a spinning back kick, aiming to catch Oscar off guard.

Thwack!

My heel collided with his abdomen, causing him to grunt in pain and stumble backward. I quickly followed up with a swift slash of my katana, aiming for his exposed flank.

Clank...

However, Oscar managed to raise his spear just in time, deflecting my strike with precision. His counterattack came swiftly, as he thrust his spear forward, aiming for my chest.

I twisted my body, narrowly avoiding the deadly tip of his weapon. As I evaded his attack, I seized the opportunity to strike back, launching a powerful roundhouse kick toward his ribs.

Smack!

My foot connected solidly with his side, causing him to wince in pain. But Oscar wasn't one to be deterred easily. He swiftly recovered and retaliated with a rapid series of thrusts and slashes, forcing me into a defensive stance.

"You are using your legs way too much!"

He growled in between his breaths, while creating a barrage of spear strikes that forced me backward.

As the spar continued, our movements became more fluid and calculated. Each clash of our weapons reverberated through the air, creating a symphony of steel. Oscar's spear danced with deadly precision, while I countered with agile swordplay.

Clank...

I blocked a powerful thrust from Oscar, feeling the impact resonate through my arms. I swiftly retaliated with a spinning maneuver, my katana sweeping in an arc towards his side. Oscar sidestepped just in time, narrowly evading the blade.

Our eyes locked, determination burning in both of us. We circled each other, searching for openings, our breaths heavy with exertion. The practice area seemed to fade away as we focused solely on each other, the world reduced to the clash of weapons and the desire to outmaneuver our opponent.

Thud... Whoosh...

Oscar launched a series of lightning-fast strikes, his spear a blur of movement. I deflected each attack with precise parries, countering with swift slashes and thrusts of my own. Our blades clashed repeatedly, sparks flying as the sheer force of our blows met in a clash of strength.

Suddenly, Oscar spun on his heel, sweeping his spear low in an attempt to trip me off balance. I leaped over the weapon, my body twisting in mid-air, and landed with a controlled grace. Taking advantage of the opening, I thrust forward, aiming to strike his exposed back.

Clank!

But Oscar had anticipated my move, swiftly spinning around and deflecting my attack with his spear. He retaliated with a powerful strike, his weapon arcing towards my head. I instinctively brought up my katana to block, the impact vibrating through my arms.

With a burst of energy, I pushed back, engaging Oscar in a fierce exchange once again. Our movements became more intricate, our strikes faster and more precise. The intensity of our spar was palpable, as if the very air around us crackled with electricity.

"You've really improved..."

Oscar muttered, making the spear disappear as if he was done with the spar. Although I could still see flames burning in his eyes, we both knew that any more than this would make this into a real fight.

"I can't say the same about you..."

I smirked but got a fist as a reward.

"So... anyways, what's good?"

Scratching my hurting forehead, I spoke whilst looking at the other students sparring with each other.

"Oh nothing... Just a few unrelated news, like princess finding a Compatible Person's identity and stuff similar..."

It was Oscar's time to smile as he saw my face pale.