Lucian found swordsmanship to be too fancy for him.
It was yet another disadvantage of not attending the Royal Academy. There was also no mentor to guide him like how most southerners would have their seniors guiding them from a young age.
Ferals hated using weapons like swords or spears. Usually it was their human parts that took care of it, but their beasts were wild and had no interest in weapons.
They preferred to fight with their bare hands and claws, which they could grow to the length of a small blade.
Lucian placed a mask over his face to hide his eyes, and began to move the sword in a pattern, challenging the ferals, "Anyone who can knock me off is free to leave the ship without receiving punishment."
This was a challenge they couldn't refuse. The ferals growled in anticipation.
Lord A's dragged a barrel full of sword, axes, and other melee weapons to the center of the deck.
Even though the ferals hated weapons, they all grabbed one. They had learned it before becoming ferals after all, and some of them even excelled in the art of killing with it when they wanted. Wanted was an important word, because they still acted on their preferences.
Lord A's grabbed a sword as well and joined the fight, "Don't forget, Boss, is just a beginner with the sword. If you all lose to him, I will not let you hear the end of it!"
The ferals in standby rooted for the ferals in the game. Finally some action to vent their frustration, "Don't let Master win! Beat him!"
The first line of ten ferals charged towards Lucian like a herd of bulls, swinging their swords wildly, "Yaaaaah!"
Lucian's eyes flashed golden behind his mask, slashing the air in a diagonal sweep, the wooden sword cut through the wind with a sharp hiss, and the ferals jumped back in surprise.
Lucian used his existing footwork, balance, and spatial awareness as a foundation.
It made the learning process of swordsmanship faster than someone with no combat background. Because many core instincts overlapped, he didn't have to start from zero like a complete novice.
He had the strength and speed to make up for his lack of technique. As long as he kept his movements simple, he could compensate for the lack of skill. More complex moves required more training and muscle memory.
His fighting style was brutal and his swordsmanship reflected that.
Lucian didn't waste a moment, lunging forward, his wooden blade slicing through the air like a whip, surprising them again.
"What was that?!" One of the ferals screeched. Lucian flashed in front of him before he could react, his blade cutting through the air, inches from his neck.
The feral turned his body to avoid the blow, his beastly instincts keeping him safe for a moment, but Lucian's next strike came from the opposite direction.
The feral's eyes widened in shock as the blade grazed his shoulder, leaving a red line behind. He hissed, jumping back, trying to put some distance between them, but Lucian was relentless.
His third eye provided him with a perfect 360-degree vision of the battlefield, allowing him to see sneak attacks and react instantly.
A slash to the right, a thrust to the left, and a kick to the stomach sent one of the ferals flying out of the deck, "Aaargh!" his body hit the ground.
"Learn how to fall, you idiots!" Lord A's yelled from the side, his frustration evident as he was forced to jump around the deck to avoid being hit by his own crew members. "Don't break the ship!"
Lucian kept moving, "Aren't you supposed to teach me a lesson? Or do you want to stay on this ship for another month?!"
"MASTER!" The ferals snarled, more of them joining the fray.
They were like a pack of wolves, attacking from all sides, trying to overwhelm Lucian with their sheer numbers.
"He only knows the basics you've taught him! Focus on his openings! Hit his blind spots!" Lord A's shouted, trying to direct them.
Lucian's shackled power activated fully, his speed and strength increasing to a whole new level, and he began to cut through the ferals like a hot knife through butter.
"How is he so fast?!" One of them cried out, trying to block a strike, but the force of it sent him flying over the railing.
Lucian spun around, slashing horizontally, and sent another feral flying.
"GRRAAHHH!"
They flew from the blunt impact of the wooden sword, their bodies crashing into each other, and the deck became a chaos of yells and growls.
The wooden sword broke in Lucian's hand, and he discarded it, grabbing another one from the ground, not slowing down for a second. His attacks were brutal, not giving the ferals a chance to breathe.
"You want to play in the sand? Fine," his mocking voice matched the mask's evil grin, "Play to your heart's content, but not with your bodies intact."
He slashed through the ferals' defenses, smashing their chest with his body, making them fall off the deck one after another.
In the end, the ferals were all lying on the ground, panting, moaning, and holding their bruised bodies. The ship was a mess of splintered wood and broken weapons.
Lord A's was the only one left standing, panting heavily, his body trembled at the sight of the carnage.
Lucian stood in the middle of the deck, the broken sword in his hand, his breathing slightly labored.
Lord A quickly recovered and whistled loudly, hopping toward Lucian, "Boss, you are a monster! How did you manage to get so strong in such a short time? You are scaring me."
"I'm not strong, they are just weak," Lucian replied, throwing the broken sword away, "How am I expected to win a war with you lot? Everyone will make mincemeat out of you if you can't defend a weakling like me."
"..." Lord A's winced, as did the ferals around him.
"Are you holding back because I'm your Boss? Or because you don't want to hurt my frail hay head body?" Lucian teased.
"MASTER! You can't call yourself a weakling after this!" the ferals cried.
"Don't I feed you enough?" Lucian demanded to know.
Lord A's replied, "They eat like horses, Boss."
"Then why can't a hundred of you beat a single hay head?" Lucian jumped of the ship and circled the fallen ferals. "You can't even stay on a ship patiently without throwing a tantrum. The enemies are stronger and more experienced than me. They will not go easy on you. They will not wait for you to catch up. They will kill you if you give them a chance."
The ferals growled in agreement, "But how do we defeat a stronger enemy, Master? We can't beat you, how can we beat them?!"
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Double update because your gifts ranked me up in best-selling (181-365 days section) and kept my powerstone ranking consistent too. Thanks a lot. 🙏
PS: Did you lot just throw Lucian off his first place on the character list ranking? 😭🙏
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