Black Rock was a little puzzled. Why would Big Brother Black Hammer order him to change into a new set of armor?
As a new warrior in the Barbarian Shield Axe Camp, his skills were well-known even in the Blazing Ridge Hills. He had just won two matches against the half-orcs, but that was merely warm-up. His opponent had been preparing to send out a new challenger, yet Big Brother Black Hammer and Stone Fist had been muttering for a while, and suddenly, the challenge target was changed to the woman by the Lord's side.
He was dressed in heavy iron armor, which was said to have been specially crafted by the local forge for the barbarian warriors. There was a red hunting spear symbol on the left chest, and inside, there was a soft padding made from animal hide. His entire body was covered in iron armor, resembling an armored giant bear.
Black Rock felt something was off. As a Barbarian warrior, how could he face a human woman in a gladiatorial match? And not just any woman, but the one by the Lord's side! He was about to ask Big Brother Black Hammer, but then something was shoved into his hands—a heavy triangular shield made of oak, with iron edges and iron spikes on the surface. The shield was securely fastened to his left arm.
It was almost laughable. This was clearly heavy equipment meant for assaulting fortresses. Why would it be used against a woman?
He watched the woman smile as she waved goodbye to the Lord before entering the training ground.
Suddenly, Black Rock understood what Big Brother Black Hammer meant.
It was a performance match.
To make the Lord's woman happy, Big Brother Black Hammer had arranged for him to wear this armor. All he had to do now was pretend to get beaten up, and the more brutal, the better. That way, the Lord's woman would be happy, and so would the Lord.
Something was shoved into his right hand. He looked down, only to find it was an axe.
The crescent-shaped blade gleamed coldly. Black Rock stood dazed for a moment. Shield in his left hand, axe in his right, wasn't this the standard setup for a Barbarian shield-and-axe warrior? Was it really necessary to make it this realistic for a performance?
Someone pushed him from behind.
Black Rock understood without a word and stepped forward. The woman ahead of him looked frail and weak, holding a wooden stick. It seemed like she could barely lift any weapon, only holding the stick as a prop. Black Rock banged his shield against his chest and let out a loud roar.
The crowd's excitement was instantly ignited. A voice rang out from the sidelines.
"Watch carefully, this brave warrior has just won two matches! He's a Barbarian warrior from the Blazing Ridge Hills," Big Brother Black Hammer's voice rose above the cheers, "He killed two giant bears with his bare hands, and his name is Black Rock! You'll hear his name a lot in the future, just like you'll hear the names of Black Axe and Stone Fist!"
"Whoooa!"
"And this one! Many of you new guys may not recognize her…" Big Brother Black Hammer pointed at the woman walking toward him and shouted, "I'll tell you, in the entire valley, besides the Lord… no one is her match!"
The crowd went wild, especially the newly arrived barbarian newcomers, who laughed and cheered knowingly. The Lord's woman could handle more than just the Lord himself...
Big Brother Black Hammer felt a little confused. The crowd's reaction wasn't exactly what he expected. He awkwardly glanced at Black Axe, then at the guards, but the expressions on their faces were full of anticipation for the spectacle, not caring about what he said.
"Stop talking, just start already!" someone urged from the side.
"Begin!" Black Hammer yelled. Since everyone thought it was a joke, let the result speak for itself.
As soon as the command to fight was given, Black Rock immediately raised his heavy shield. Since it was a performance, he would treat it seriously. Although, from a physical standpoint, this was more like a battle between a tiger and a goat, the biggest challenge for him was how to lose to such a small opponent.
He had to lose.
Not only lose, but lose convincingly.
Black Rock's muscles began to swell, and he swung the axe in his right hand, stepping forward with force, letting out a roar as he charged toward Water Stream.
"Huh?"
Boom—
A loud crash echoed, and the training ground was filled with dust. The once-boisterous crowd instantly fell silent. No one had seen what happened. It seemed that Black Rock charged too fast, and somehow, he tumbled and fell to the ground?
Laughter broke out all around him. Black Rock lay on the ground, confused. He had been charging forward, but at some point, the woman seemed to disappear from his sight, and then, for some reason, his body spun uncontrollably, sending him crashing to the ground.
His head ached terribly from the fall. He rubbed his helmet, which seemed to have dented. He roared again, stood up, and looked around. The woman's wooden stick now had a cracked tip.
Big Brother Black Hammer covered his eyes, unable to bear watching his comrade being humiliated. After all, to make these newcomers, who had just come from the slave camps, respect them, he needed to strike hard, to hit them so that they were completely stunned and no longer dared to resist.
Wasn't that how it was for him?
Once more, Black Rock charged at Water Stream.
One step, two steps, three steps…
Everyone's eyes widened as they clearly saw what happened next. The heavily armored Black Rock charged like a mountain, while the woman nimbly dodged his attacks, stepping back, to the left, then back again, easily avoiding his every move.
Black Rock felt a sense of satisfaction. The woman was perfectly in sync with him. Every time he attacked, she managed to dodge by a hair's breadth. But gradually, he began to notice something was wrong. The woman's wooden stick began to retaliate, always striking the weak points in his attacks, such as his ribs or his wrists.
"This isn't a performance match?" he thought, gritting his teeth, and swung a fierce strike with the axe, only for it to be easily dodged.
The woman's figure suddenly vanished.
Boom—
Black Rock's body was sent flying again, crashing hard to the ground.
His face turned red with embarrassment.
As a warrior from Blazing Ridge Hills, he was skilled at assessing his opponents. But this time, he misjudged the situation. A tiger hunting a mountain goat? There was no such thing as a goat this powerful...
His opponent certainly didn't possess overwhelming strength—that much was certain. The only explanation was that this woman was an exceptional combat expert with a deep understanding of strength and balance. Humans were especially good at such techniques, which made them formidable opponents.
If you excel at fighting techniques, then let's see how you deal with a mountain...
Let's see if we can test your strength!
With a loud roar, Black Rock's muscles tensed, veins bulging. He raised his shield and swung his axe back, his legs firmly planted as he assumed a battle stance, as if facing an oncoming beast.
The woman seemed to smile, and her figure vanished again.
The next moment, Black Rock clearly felt everything that happened in his mind.
Her hand grabbed his neck, and the mountain met the endless waves, his strong body being struck by a massive wave, flipping him over. His whole body flew through the air, his rear hitting the ground with a resounding thud.
"Hey, big guy…" The woman's eyes locked on him, like a leopard staring at its prey, "Why…"
Her gaze was filled with a hint of confusion.
"Did you want to challenge me?"