boyutpedia Chapter 68 Conflict
Chapter 68 Conflict
Rowling discovered that guiding Ellie in sword practice was also a way for him to sort out his own thoughts.
Although the knight's power exertion techniques and the wizard's energy manipulation differ, they share similar core principles such as "coordination," "control," and "precision."
Occasionally, when pondering the problem of poor energy flow in a certain spell model node, Ellie's smooth weight shifts while practicing footwork would give him a glimmer of inspiration.
Ellie's growth is comprehensive.
As her swordsmanship practice deepened, her understanding of the "Rock Breathing Method" also grew, her blood and qi circulated more smoothly, and that seed of life grew stronger.
Her eyes were sharper, and her demeanor carried a more composed air befitting a martial artist.
She still comes to clean the yard every few days, but now, after cleaning, she spends more time practicing with her sword. The gray-black longsword seems to have become a part of her body.
Snowflakes fell again, covering the courtyard.
Ellie practiced her swordplay in the snow, her breath billowing white smoke, the blade slicing through the snow with a unique sound.
Luo Lin stood under the eaves, watching quietly.
Giving Ellie a sword might have been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
But watching the girl, under his guidance, grip her weapon tighter and walk resolutely toward a stronger path, his researcher's desire to observe and a subtle sense of accomplishment were satisfied.
This sword is not only a gift, but also a starting point.
As for how high Ellie can go with this sword in the future, Rowling is not sure, but he is happy to see the process unfold.
As winter fades and spring arrives, the snow in Heiyan Town melts, and the roads become muddy.
Ellie's swordsmanship improved rapidly under Rowling's basic yet efficient guidance. She could now wield the black iron longsword in her hands with a semblance of skill, and her simple slashes, thrusts, parries, and blocks were beginning to show some discernible pattern.
The life seed within her grew stronger and stronger, and her blood and energy were abundant. In terms of physical fitness and basic martial arts skills alone, she was already no less than some senior knight apprentices.
That afternoon, after Ellie finished cleaning the courtyard and her routine practice, Rowling asked her to go to the blacksmith's shop in town to retrieve a few commonly used laboratory tools that had been sent for maintenance.
Ellie agreed, carefully wrapped the longsword with a strip of cloth, carried it on her back, and left the courtyard.
The incident happened on her way back from the blacksmith's shop.
As Ellie walked through the relatively bustling market area in the town center, she brushed past several out-of-town adventurers who had just come out of a tavern.
The group consisted of about five or six people, dressed in mixed clothes, carrying weapons, and exuding a strong smell of alcohol and a fierce aura. They were clearly not permanent residents of Blackrock Town.
One of the men, a tall and muscular man with a scar on his face, was probably drunk and staggered, accidentally bumping into Ellie.
Ellie reacted quickly, sidestepping to absorb the force and stabilizing herself, avoiding being knocked down.
The scarred man, feeling humiliated, turned around cursing and glared at Ellie with his bloodshot eyes:
"Little brat, are you blind?"
"You dare hit me, Patton?!"
Ellie, not wanting to cause trouble, lowered her head and tried to walk around it.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"Is an apology all you want?" The man named Barton persisted, reaching out to grab Ellie's arm. His gaze swept over her old but clean clothes and the long, cloth-wrapped object behind her back, a hint of ill intent in his eyes.
"Judging from your appearance, you don't seem like a girl from an ordinary family."
"What good stuff are you hiding behind your back? Show it to me!"
Several other companions gathered around, laughing and joking, clearly looking for some fun.
Ellie took a step back, dodging Barton's hand, her eyes becoming wary:
"Please move aside."
"Hey, you're pretty tough!" Barton was even more annoyed when he saw Ellie dare to dodge, and reached out again, this time grabbing the package on her back.
Ellie's eyes turned cold.
This sword was a gift from her husband, and it holds great significance for her; she will never allow anyone else to touch it.
She shifted her feet, dodging again, while her right hand instinctively reached for the hilt of the sword behind her back.
This action thoroughly enraged Patton.
"You still dare to resist?"
He roared and stopped holding back, his large, fan-like hand slapping directly at Ellie's face with a whooshing sound!
If that hit landed squarely, his strength would be enough to seriously injure Ellie.
In this critical moment, Ellie's hard work over the past few months proved invaluable.
Almost instinctively, she leaned back, while the longsword she had been holding behind her was suddenly blocked upwards!
"Snapped!"
Patton slammed his hand heavily on the scabbard, making a dull thud.
Ellie felt a tremendous force surge through her, her arm went numb, and she staggered several steps backward, sword and all, before barely managing to regain her balance, her blood churning. Her opponent's strength far surpassed her own.
Barton was also taken aback, not expecting the little girl to react so quickly and block his attack.
He felt a burning pain in his palm, and became even more furious and embarrassed:
"Damn it! You dare to fight back!"
"Brothers, teach this arrogant brat a lesson!"
Upon hearing this, the other adventurers grinned and surrounded them, each drawing their short swords or clubs.
Ellie knew things couldn't end well, so she gritted her teeth and ripped off the cloth binding the sword, revealing the dark gray iron longsword.
She gripped her sword with both hands, adopting the most basic defensive stance taught by Rolin, her eyes sharp as an eagle, fixed on the approaching enemies.
Despite her nervousness, her long-term practice naturally put her body into a fighting state.
"Hey, there really is a sword!"
"I'll see how long your fancy moves can last!"
Patton chuckled and drew a heavy machete from his waist.
The battle erupted instantly.
Although these adventurers didn't possess any particularly advanced martial arts skills, they had spent years living on the edge of death, possessing rich practical experience and ruthless methods.
They attacked Ellie from different directions, wielding knives and clubs.
Ellie brought the footwork and swordsmanship taught by Rowling to their fullest potential.
She moved nimbly, maneuvering through the narrow space to avoid most attacks, using her longsword to parry, block, or counterattack.
Her swordsmanship was solid; she aimed to use the thickest part of the blade's spine to absorb the impact with each parry, and aimed her thrusts at the opponent's vulnerable spot, making her movements concise and efficient.
For a time, he managed to hold his own against five or six experienced adventurers with his exquisite swordsmanship and reflexes far beyond that of ordinary people.
Patton became increasingly alarmed as the game progressed.
This girl's swordsmanship is clearly the work of a master, her technique is extremely orthodox, and her strength, speed, and stamina are all exceptionally good, unlike that of an ordinary girl.
Unable to break through after a long and humiliating attack, he seized an opening and, taking advantage of the moment when his companion was distracting Ellie, suddenly charged forward, his cleaver whistling through the air as he slashed horizontally across her waist!
This strike was powerful and heavy; if it had landed, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Ellie had just parried a blow coming from the side, but her old strength was exhausted and she hadn't yet generated new strength. It seemed she couldn't completely avoid this fatal attack.
In that critical moment, the idea of seeking change amidst danger, which Rowling had emphasized when instructing her on footwork, flashed through her mind. She forcibly twisted her body at an almost impossible angle, and at the same time, she swiftly slashed her longsword upwards to meet Barton's cleaver!
"sulfuric acid!"
A piercing clang of metal rang out!
Ellie felt an irresistible force coming from the sword, her hand split open, and blood instantly stained the hilt.
She could no longer hold the longsword; the black iron sword flew out of her hand and crashed to the ground with a clatter.
She was thrown backward by the force and crashed heavily into the wall on the side of the street. She felt a sweet taste in her throat, spat out a mouthful of blood, and her vision went black.
Barton wasn't having an easy time either.
Ellie's all-out, vigorous slash, delivered with a sharp angle and concentrated force, actually deflected his seemingly inevitable strike slightly. The blade grazed Ellie's side, tearing her clothes and leaving a bloody mark, but it did not cause serious injury.
What shocked and angered him even more was that his right hand, which was holding the knife, was also numb from the shock, and the cleaver almost slipped from his hand.
"You brat!"
Barton looked at the cracked tiger's mouth on his hand and the glaring blood on the ground, both shocked and furious. He picked up his knife and tried to step forward again.
Just then, the commotion attracted the town's patrolling guards.
"Stop! What are you doing!"
The captain of the guards arrived quickly with several men and shouted sternly.
He recognized Ellie as someone who frequented the wizarding courtyard in Rowling, and seeing this scene before him, he knew something was wrong.