Precedence System: I Take My Rewards In Advance

He stepped forward and launched an attack of his own, bringing his sword toward Larper’s exposed side before changing direction when the Corporal attempted to intercept it. The movement was faster than any of his previous attacks, forcing Larper to retreat half a step rather than counterattack quickly.

Larper recovered almost instantly. His blade slipped past Zishan’s weapon and came dangerously close to his ribs, forcing the young Soldier to abandon his offensive and retreat again.

’FUCK! CAN’T YOU AT LEAST PRETEND TO BE IMPRESSED?!’

Nevertheless, the difference was substantial enough to give him something he hadn’t possessed during their earlier exchanges.

He finally had enough room to fight back.

Zishan launched another series of attacks, forcing Larper to defend himself.

His enhanced Agility allowed him to recover much faster whenever an attack failed, while the additional Strength meant he could finally withstand the force behind Larper’s sword.

However, the young Corporal was already adjusting to the sudden improvement, and Zishan discovered that moving faster didn’t necessarily make his attacks any harder to anticipate.

Their swords clashed again as Zishan attempted to strike Larper’s shoulder before stepping sideways and redirecting his blade toward the Corporal’s waist. Larper appeared to retreat, but the moment Zishan followed him, the young Corporal abruptly changed his stance and caught the upper portion of Zishan’s sword with the curved edge of his own weapon.

Zishan immediately recognized the technique.

Larper twisted his wrist and dragged Zishan’s weapon downward, pulling him off balance.

Before Zishan could adjust his footing, the Corporal drove his knee into his abdomen.

”FUCK!”

The impact nearly folded him in half. Despite his enhanced Vitality, Zishan felt the air being violently expelled from his lungs, and the pain spreading through his stomach made it difficult to concentrate on anything else.

He attempted to retreat, but Larper still had his sword trapped. The Degenerate bastard pulled him forward again before releasing the pressure on his weapon and bringing his curved blade toward Zishan’s exposed neck.

Zishan’s eyes widened.

’OH, FUCK! I’M ACTUALLY GOING TO DIE!’

[DING!]

[INSATIABLE WARBODY]

[Battle Adaptation Activated!]

[Repeated Combat Pattern Detected: Blade-Trapping Techniques]

[Adaptation in Progress...]

Something changed in the way Zishan perceived the approaching attack. He had encountered the same technique several times throughout their confrontation, but until now, his attention had been almost entirely occupied with preventing Larper from overpowering him.

His Physique was beginning to respond to those repeated encounters, allowing him to recognize the movements that preceded the Corporal’s attacks.

Zishan relaxed his grip just enough to change the angle of his weapon, freeing it from Larper’s curved blade before throwing himself sideways.

The approaching sword narrowly missed his throat. Its edge still caught his cheek and left a painful cut across his face. He stumbled when his boots struck the uneven ground, barely managing to recover before Larper stepped forward and attempted to finish him with another strike.

This time, Zishan managed to raise his sword before the bastard could reach him. Their weapons collided, and the force of the impact sent another painful shock through his already aching arms. He pushed against Larper’s blade and retreated several steps, putting enough distance between them to recover his breathing.

Zishan cursed in his head as the cold air stung the cut on his cheek and blood trickled down his face.

Larper was already preparing another attack, and although Battle Adaptation had helped him escape the previous exchange, Zishan was beginning to understand just how dangerous the bastard would become if he continued fighting without finding another advantage.

His newly acquired Stats had allowed him to survive longer, but they wouldn’t help bridge the gap in their combat experience. Even with Battle Pulse and Battle Adaptation supporting him, he was still struggling.

Zishan tightened his grip on his sword as Larper advanced again.

If he couldn’t overpower the bastard or outfight him with his current swordsmanship, then he would have to find something else he could exploit.

He used Perfected Appraisal on Larper.

[Name: Larper Forteza]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 99]

[Military Rank: Corporal]

[Mana Affinity: Taming]

[Magic Specialization: Taming Magic]

[Combat Condition: Moderate Mana Consumption]

[Physical Condition: Minor Injuries]

[Status: ENSLAVED]

[Binding: Magical Slave Collar]

[Binding Condition: Active]

[Compulsory Directive: Maintain the assault on Forward Medical Section Three.]

Zishan nearly missed Larper’s next attack.

’WHAT?!’

He retreated several steps before examining the additional information again. Although Appraisal had previously allowed him to identify Larper’s Level and specialization, its Perfected Mastery had apparently expanded the amount of information he could obtain.

More importantly, it was now displaying something that completely changed his understanding of the bastard standing before him.

’ENSLAVED?’

Zishan’s gaze moved toward Larper’s neck.

The Corporal’s military coat had shifted during their confrontation, exposing a portion of the dark band concealed beneath his collar. At first glance, it resembled an ordinary piece of military equipment, but now that Zishan knew what he was looking at, he could see several unfamiliar markings embedded along its surface.

Thin lines of Mana periodically passed through those markings before disappearing beneath Larper’s clothing.

Zishan activated Appraisal again, this time concentrating specifically on the band.

[Target: Military Slave Collar]

[Type: Magical Binding Equipment]

[Function: Enforces obedience to an assigned authority.]

[Current State: Active]

[Warning: Unauthorized interference may trigger the collar’s punishment mechanism.]

His expression gradually changed.

’Holy shit... this guy’s actually a slave? And he’s this strong?!’

He had already learned that slavery existed in this world, although he had never personally encountered someone bound by a magical collar.

Slaves were used for all sorts of purposes, ranging from ordinary labor to military service, and there were plenty of bastards wealthy enough to purchase other people or other beings from other races simply because they wanted someone they could abuse without consequences.

However, discovering that an extraordinarily talented Level 99 Beast Tamer was being treated as a disposable military asset was something else entirely.

Larper noticed his distraction and attacked without any hesitation.

His curved blade swept toward Zishan’s neck, forcing the young Soldier to abandon his thoughts and raise his weapon. Their swords collided, and Zishan retreated several steps before launching a counterattack that Larper avoided with ease.

’CAN’T YOU GIVE ME A MOMENT TO PROCESS THIS?!’

The Corporal offered no such consideration. He advanced again, using another rapid combination of attacks to force Zishan away from the damaged barricade and toward the remains of several burned Magic Beasts.

Zishan continued defending himself, but his attention repeatedly returned to the collar.

He couldn’t understand why someone with Larper’s talent and capabilities would be sent into such a dangerous battlefield while wearing something that could punish him for disobedience. The bastard was already one Level away from his First Ascent, and considering the considerable number of Magic Beasts he had been controlling, he should have possessed an extraordinarily promising future.

Instead, he was here, fighting an increasingly troublesome white-haired Soldier while being forced to maintain an assault that had already cost him an enormous number of beasts.

’What kind of fucked-up Kingdom enslaves its own geniuses?!’

[The Dumb Host is advised to concentrate on surviving his current opponent before concerning himself with other affairs.]

’I KNOW! I KNOW!’

Zishan raised his sword again, but before Larper could attack, a distant horn sounded from somewhere behind the western barricade.

Both young men heard it.

Zishan initially paid little attention to the sound. The fighting around Forward Medical Section Three had continued for so long that another military signal hardly seemed important enough to distract him from the bastard standing directly in front of him.

The Corporal glanced toward the eastern approach, and for the first time since their confrontation had begun, something resembling relief appeared on his face.

A second horn sounded.

Farther behind Zishan, several Olmost soldiers began shouting as a column of reinforcements approached the medical station. Additional infantrymen were moving toward the damaged defensive lines, accompanied by several officers who had apparently been dispatched in response to the Sergeant’s earlier request.

The remaining defenders began cheering.

”REINFORCEMENTS!”

”THE REINFORCEMENTS ARE HERE!”

The Sergeant immediately ordered the arriving soldiers to reinforce the western barricade, where several larger Magic Beasts were still attempting to break through the remaining defenses. With additional men joining the battle, the defenders finally possessed enough manpower to cover the sections that had been repeatedly threatened throughout the assault.

Zishan grinned when he heard the announcement.

’HAHAHAHA! FINALLY! NOW WE CAN—’