Chapter 62 - Gap Brought by Falna!
"We've arrived; this is the first place I want to introduce to you—the backyard of 'Twilight Manor.'"
Luke followed Finn to the back of 'Twilight Manor.'
As Finn explained, what appeared before him was a relatively open lawn.
In the backyard at this moment, some people were scattered about, each doing their own thing. Most of them seemed to be engaged in their daily training routines.
"This backyard is usually used as a training ground."
"We, the Loki Familia, or rather, almost all Familias, don't have dedicated training grounds within our residences."
Seeing Luke's confusion, Finn explained.
"A Familia's residence is mainly meant to provide a resting and living space for its members."
"And for 'higher-level adventurers' like us, if we get serious in training, no one will be able to take a rest."
At this point, Finn also expressed some helplessness. Especially for 'first-class adventurers' like him, apart from the potential noise issues, there was also the considerable problem of repairing the site afterward.
"So, if you really need high-intensity training, you can go to the 'Tower of Babel' in the city center. There, you can rent specially constructed training grounds."
"Of course, if you don't have money, you can go to the outskirts near the city walls, find a place where no one is around, and train there."
"This backyard is only suitable for low-intensity training or daily exercises."
Finn reminded Luke to avoid causing damage in the residence, and according to the internal rules of Loki Familia, damaging Familia property would be subject to punishment depending on the circumstances.
"However, generally speaking, the majority of adventurers hone their skills through actual combat in the dungeon, and the training time isn't very long."
After explaining the backyard's purpose to Luke, Finn took a few steps forward and said to the people on the lawn, "Sorry, everyone, could you please give me a moment?"
"Eh? Captain?"
"Ah! Good morning, Captain!"
"Are you leading a newcomer? It's rare for the Captain to personally lead someone."
It is obvious that Finn's prestige among the Loki Familia is quite high.
The disturbed Familia members, being interrupted by Finn, showed no signs of annoyance. Instead, they greeted him warmly and voluntarily retreated to the corners, freeing up the space.
"When I saw this place, I almost guessed this would be the result."
Luke, who followed Finn and walked to the center of the lawn, had a 'sure enough' expression on his face.
"But is it really okay? You just mentioned not damaging the site..."
"Well, after all, it was Loki's instruction. It shouldn't be blamed on the two of us afterward...hopefully."
The words just spoken had to be swallowed back immediately, and even Finn, despite being the leader of Loki Familia, felt a slight awkwardness.
To ease the embarrassment, he handed a wooden sword he casually picked up to Luke.
"This is a special training weapon. It's made of sturdy material and has the attribute of 'toughness.'"
"We usually leave it at the entrance of the backyard, specifically for the training of newcomers."
Luke assessed the 'wooden sword' in his hand. Although it was called a wooden sword due to its material, in Luke's perception, aside from the lack of a sharpened edge, its weight and feel were no different from a regular sword.
Even the scabbard was present, making it a conventional katana with a 'wooden' material.
After trying the feel of drawing it from the scabbard, Luke hung it from his waist, signaling Finn to start.
Finn, in turn, put down his golden spear and picked up a special 'wooden spear.'
The standoff between the two surprised the surrounding Familia members.
They didn't expect the reason for the captain clearing the space was to spar with this 'newcomer'?
A 'newcomer' having the qualification to duel with the captain, who is a 'first-class adventurer,' was beyond their expectations; this couldn't be a joke, right?
Ignoring the thoughts of the surrounding members, Finn, facing Luke, understood why Loki hinted at him to test Luke.
"This kind of pressure is definitely not something a 'newcomer' could have."
Finn, with a serious expression on his face, was inwardly somewhat pleased.
After all, Luke had joined the 'Loki Familia,' and the stronger he became, the better it was for the Familia.
After facing each other for two or three seconds and realizing that Finn had no intention of attacking first, Luke took the initiative.
He disappeared from his original position, instantly appearing in front of Finn, drawing his sword!
Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu·Sōryūsen!
The sound of wooden weapons colliding lacked the crispness of steel; it was more of a dull thud. Finn effortlessly defended against Luke's 'godspeed' attack.
However, Luke's assault wasn't over. The scabbard in his left hand, from another direction, struck at Finn once again.
Thud!
The advantage of long-handled weapons was clearly demonstrated in Finn's hands. With just a spear, he blocked attacks from two directions.
Although it was expected that the battle wouldn't end so easily, Finn's calm response to the 'godspeed' attack surprised Luke.
Luke was amazed, but he didn't know Finn was even more astonished.
If it weren't for Finn's combat instincts reminding him, the second strike from Luke, when Finn hadn't fully entered a combat state, might have been missed.
"Interesting."
Finn exerted force with both hands, sending Luke flying uncontrollably through the air. Luke felt a tremendous force coming from his hands, and his entire body was thrown into the air.
Swish—!
The sound of the spear cutting through the air echoed.
Finn's attack swiftly followed, and at this moment, Luke was off-balance in mid-air, theoretically unable to avoid it.
In reality, if he used Prana, he could easily resolve the imminent danger in front of him.
However, in the moment he was sent flying just now, Luke seemed to understand why Finn engaged in this battle with him.
So, he had no intention of dodging and instead adjusted his posture in mid-air.
Utilizing the power of his waist and legs, Luke descended rapidly towards Finn's spear strike.
Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu·Ryūtsuishan!
Thud—!
Another muffled sound rang out as the wooden sword and wooden spear collided forcefully.
Leveraging the gravitational force from the descent, Luke successfully blocked Finn's strike.
As Luke landed steadily, there was no trace of excitement on his face; instead, a hint of seriousness and determination flickered.
After the collision just now, he already knew what Finn wanted to express through this battle.
It was not about techniques or beliefs; it was a matter of absolute physical prowess overpowering the opponent.
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