A giant of a man emerged from the depths of the forest, a massive hammer resting on his shoulder. If the rumors at the Frontline Base weren't exaggerations, then this was Glen, an S-Rank adventurer. Known as the Rampage Dragon, he was a powerhouse who had ascended to a rank usually reserved for those with decades of service and a mountain of accolades through nothing but sheer, overwhelming physical strength.
Everything I knew about him came from what I had heard from the adults back in the Town of Ghosts. At the time, Sieber had told me, "I may have been called the strongest knight in history, but that man is likely the strongest warrior of the modern era."
Apparently, Sieber had served as Glen’s opponent in an exhibition match held when Glen was promoted to S-Rank, and he had been defeated. He’d told me quite candidly that the loss was one of the factors that made him truly feel his age and start seriously considering his retirement from the knights.
Since different weapons meant different fighting styles, a direct comparison wasn't really possible. However, there was no doubt that this man was even more formidable than Sieber had been during our last meeting.
Faced with a second encounter with such a legendary adventurer, I hesitated, unsure of my next move.
"Did you kill that snake, kid?" he asked.
His eyes were fixed on the carcass lying at my feet.
"It attacked me," I replied. "Were you hunting it first?"
"Nah, those things are a pain to put down, aren't they? I've fought 'em a few times, but they're nothing but trouble. Besides, by the time I'm finished with 'em, they're usually mincemeat—the meat and the hide end up too mangled to fetch a price. I was just surprised you killed it while keeping it in such good condition."
He seemed genuine. He walked around the corpse with curiosity, observing it from several angles. Then, as if a sudden thought had struck him, he spoke again.
"Alright. Anyway, is it okay if I punch you?"
"What makes you think it is?"
He had asked it so casually, as if it were the most natural suggestion in the world. I couldn't help but fire back. I was genuinely curious as to how he’d reached the conclusion that "punching me" was the logical next step. I wondered if I had done something to offend him or if he was being influenced by that curse I’d heard about.
I hurriedly spoke up to stop him and explained the situation regarding the curse.
"The curse doesn't have anything to do with it," he said. "It’s not like I don't like you. In fact, I’d say I like you quite a bit."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. That’s why I wanna punch you."
"...You want to punch me because you like me?"
"Fighting strong guys is fun, isn't it?"
"Even if you say that as if it's common sense..."
I understood the literal meaning of his words, but I couldn't grasp his logic. The giant flashed a carefree smile—a genuine, pleasant smile that carried no malice or hostility. He simply thought the prospect was exciting.
I see. He was a pure battle maniac. I’d met many people in this world, but never someone like this. So battle maniacs really did exist.
"Why did I have to run into such a troublesome person in a place as remote as this?" I muttered.
"Hey, I can hear you."
"Ah, my apologies. But when we met the other day, you didn't seem to have any interest in me at all."
"It’s no fun fighting someone who just hangs around the outskirts of a base, right?"
That made sense. By his standards, the people at that base were weaklings not worth his time. The "me" from a few days ago had been included in that category. However, the current me had traveled this deep into the forest alone and successfully defeated an Immortal Snake.
"So I've been re-evaluated from a weakling to someone who might be interesting?"
"You catch on quick! Alright, let’s do this!"
"I never said I'd agree to it."
"Aww, don't be a spoilsport. Just one hit. One hit's fine, isn't it?"
Setting aside the "spoilsport" comment, I really wished he would engage in a more rational conversation.
"I'm allowed to counter-attack, right?" I asked.
I wondered if there was any point in humoring such a one-sided request. However, trying to talk him out of it seemed like an even bigger headache. If I could give him a quick test of strength and he left satisfied, then so be it. If he attacked me for real, then whether he was a monster, a human, or an S-Rank adventurer, my response would be the same. I didn't feel entirely right about it, but I decided to settle this nuisance quickly.
My reply seemed to strike a chord with him, and a bold smirk spread across his face.
"Yeah, of course. I wouldn't tell you to just stand there and take it. That’d be boring."
"Everything is about 'boring' with you, isn't it?"
Exasperated, I tossed the spear I was holding a short distance away.
"What, you're not going to use that spear?"
"You don't use a spear in a fistfight."
"I wouldn't have minded if you did, but... interesting!"
He gleefully threw his hammer aside and rolled his thick shoulders. Then, he casually picked up a small twig from the ground.
"We’ll use this for the signal. I'll toss it up, and when it hits the dirt, we go. Sound good?"
"That's fine."
"Then here we go!"
From a few meters away, Glen lightly tossed the twig straight up. Despite the casual movement, the twig was launched into the air with incredible force. It flew up toward the canopy of a giant tree—at least forty meters high—and began to fall.
The moment I registered the sound of it hitting the dirt, a fist was already plummeting toward my face.
"——!?"
My body moved reflexively.
The man had simply swung a straight right punch from the front. He was likely using Qi for Strengthening, but there was no other trick or technique behind it. Yet, that single blow was abnormally heavy.
The moment my right hand made contact to deflect the fist, I felt a total lack of power. Even adding the strength of my left hand wasn't enough to fully divert the punch. By pivoting my entire body around the point of contact, I managed to parry it by a hair's breadth.
Feeling a bead of cold sweat roll down my cheek, I slammed a full-power kick into his wide-open abdomen while his arm was still extended.
"!"
I didn't hold back, nor did I have the luxury to do so. It was a blow delivered with everything I had. However, the sensation transmitted through my leg told me it had been useless.
My foot felt like it was being pushed back by his very skin. Without resisting, I used his belly as a springboard to jump sideways and put some distance between us. I was shocked to find a slight but certain numbness remaining in my limbs—the price of that single dodge and counter.
But there was something else that astonished me even more.
"He did that with nothing but physical ability?"
The punch had been a wide, telegraphed swing. I could tell he was used to fighting, but the opening after the attack was massive. Rather than someone who had mastered a martial art, he felt like a common thug who was simply used to brawling.
He had produced that much speed and power through Qi-based Physical Strengthening alone. I was beginning to feel a rising surge of awe at the sheer gap in our power, when—
"Daaaah! Dammit! I messed up!" Glen suddenly shouted.
I tensed up, wary that he might go on a rampage, but he just stood there.
"If I'd made it two or three hits, I could've had way more fun. But I'm the one who said one hit... Dammit. It can't be helped. We're done."
It seemed he had no intention of continuing. Furthermore, judging by his tone, he didn't seem to harbor any negative emotions. He might be the type who didn't listen to others, but he clearly held himself to the rules or promises he made.
I couldn't deny that he was a troublesome person, but he didn't seem like a bad man—certainly not compared to the thugs at the Frontline Base. However, seeing him still looking frustrated, I had to ask.
"Do you really want to fight that badly?"
"Huh? Obviously. Most guys are done after one punch. They can't even dodge; they just go flying. Every now and then there's a guy who can take a hit, but it's rare to find one who can keep fighting afterward. And guys who can punch back? There are even fewer of 'em. If I find someone like that, I'd be losing out if I didn't fight 'em then and there."
"Ah..."
Hearing the boredom in his voice, I finally understood. This man was simply too strong.
His strength was an extreme outlier, far beyond the average warrior. That was why most of his fights ended in a single blow. The reason he asked me if he could punch me was likely because a "fistfight" where both sides actually exchanged blows was a rare luxury for him.
"And then there's the eyes. Even the guys who can survive a hit from me usually turn docile afterward. Once they realize they can't win, they give up and lose their fighting spirit immediately. Those guys are no different from the weaklings. You saw 'em too when we first met, right? Those noisy bastards."
"The ones at the Frontline Base?"
"Yeah. Those guys haven't messed with me since I beat the crap out of 'em. They act all tough, saying S-Rank doesn't matter and all that, but they're just tucked-tail runaways who won't do anything because they're scared. They have no intention of actually fighting me."
Indeed, those men had a strangely small-time feel to them. They weren't weak—compared to thugs or bandits in the outside cities, they were probably quite capable. Yet they cowered in front of him. Even knowing he was stronger, they lacked the spirit to actually challenge him.
"In that regard, you braced yourself when I shouted just now. Unlike those guys whose knees buckle immediately, you have the will to blow me away if I attack... or rather, you aren't panicking. Kid, if we fought for real, you've still got something up your sleeve, don't you?"
I was a bit surprised. He seemed boisterous and even careless, but he really was an S-Rank adventurer. It was true; while he was strong, I believed I still had options.
The Slime Blood Sucking Spear I used on the Immortal Snake could be brought back to my hand at any time using Space Magic. I hadn't retrieved the Mad Slime I used for travel yet, so I could also manipulate mud with Slime Magic. Even if he wasn't an opponent I could defeat, I didn't think it was impossible to create an opening large enough to escape.
"Heh, you really are interesting, kid. It’s like you’re telling me that far from just being an opponent, you’d take me down if you saw a gap. Aaaah! Seriously, I should've made it so we could fight longer!"
Scratching his head where dirt had crusted, he shouted again and looked up at the sky. But immediately after, as if something had occurred to him, he snapped his gaze back toward me.
The moment I saw those sparkling, hungry eyes, I felt an ominous premonition.
"By the way, kid, what’s your name? I didn't ask."
"It's Ryoma Takebayashi."
"Then Ryoma! I've made up my mind! I’m going to follow you for a while!"
"What!?"
The premonition had come true in the blink of an eye, and I hadn't even had the chance to run. How on earth did it come to this?