Farming in a Parallel World and Becoming a God
Chapter 358 - 298: Sparring_1

Chapter 358: Chapter 298: Sparring_1

"Sir, don’t hold too much hope for this matter. The hand cannons of the gnomes are just so-so. Below the Transcendent level, they can indeed be surprisingly lethal, but above that level, they’re often just decorative.

My own is a bit special—it has been modified into a powerful piece of magic equipment and many of its parts cannot be replicated."

Gaven didn’t want August to waste too much energy on this matter because of him.

The gunpowder technology of the gnomes had clearly taken a wrong turn.

Mixed into the alchemical gunpowder was chaos theory, which made the power unstable, to say the least.

It also failed to tap into Felen’s greatest strength—magic.

Only by integrating magic with Felen’s professional system could this new type of ranged weaponry possibly develop.

The Death Roar in Gaven’s hand was a clear proof of that.

Although the Death Roar was not replicable, it had many aspects that could be learned from.

On this matter, Gaven already had his own plans. He was just waiting for the Wilderness Kobolds to grow a bit more and for their innate abilities to become more stable before he began developing his own Kobold technology.

It would be like the Tremor Bomb—difficult for other races to replicate.

August adjusted his warhammer and warshield in front of him and took up a battle stance, saying, "All right, let’s begin."

Although there was a vast difference in their Professional Levels, August, having witnessed Gaven’s prowess, did not dare to be negligent at all.

Setting aside the terrifying power of the Death Roar, this young man’s combat consciousness was equally formidable, with a multitude of skills, and now he even possessed a new ability of unknown strength. A single misstep could lead to an unexpected defeat.

Though he was older, with thicker skin, he could not allow others to trample him underfoot.

"Here I come!" Gaven envisioned ways to manipulate shadows while charging at August.

A shadow, after all, is just a shadow, and even if it has some strength, it surely couldn’t be too great.

To make it effective, one must catch the enemy by surprise.

Trying to control a shadow to bind an opponent from the start would be a very foolish thing to do.

Gaven began with a standard warrior’s move. After five steps, his speed was fully unleashed. His body, as if fitted with springs, jumped up suddenly.

Not very high, but with enough force and quicker than one could imagine, he covered an unimaginable distance.

Because that leap was not driven by his strength alone but also imbued with the power of magic.

A combination technique of a Dexterity-oriented warrior—Jump Slash.

"Good!" August couldn’t help but cheer aloud.

Gaven had refined his control over the power of the move and the timing of its execution to a degree that was hammered and honed.

The smooth process was so pleasing to the eye.

Even for him to perform it would be difficult to reach the level of Gaven.

Did this young man start training from the womb?

How could someone not much older than a grandson perform with the proficiency of a warrior immersed in battle for decades?

Was it really just pure talent?

Bang!

The next second.

A loud sound of a warhammer striking a shield echoed.

The Thorn Spirits who had just rushed over were baffled, not quite comprehending what had happened.

It was Mr. Gaven who had launched the sharp attack, but in the end, it turned out that he was the one sent flying by a hammer.

"Good!"

Gaven, who had been knocked back and had taken three steps to dissipate the force, also couldn’t help but shout in approval.

August’s combat consciousness was also terrifyingly strong, with not only a fearsome strength but also exceptional Perception and prognostic abilities.

After Gaven initiated Jump Slash, he also incorporated Yaling’s Fairy Step.

What was supposed to be a frontal attack instantly turned into a lateral one.

But far from being unexpected, his move was directly countered by August’s warhammer swinging up to knock him flying.

It was as if August had predicted that Gaven would appear there, waiting for him with the warhammer.

The Fairy Step had been previously demonstrated in front of August, so defending against this move was not surprising.

But with so many directions to attack from, it was remarkable how August precisely predicted Gaven’s position.

This was not simply prognostication, but also included elements of induction.

August’s stance with warhammer and warshield was slightly off-balance, suggesting his shield-bearing left hand offered much stronger defense than his right side.

When launching the sudden attack, one subconsciously targeted the slightly right and further blind spot.

It was the furthest from the shield and the warhammer wielded least effectively there.

But when Gaven actually leaped from that position, the result was what just happened.

Of course, August knew where his defensive blind spot was and was prepared accordingly.

In the combat of warriors, especially high-level warriors, it is never as simple as exchanging blows. It is a complex interplay of inducement, mutual prediction, and counter-prediction.

The first round.

August won.

Seizing the advantage, August did not give Gaven any chance to land completely. He had already taken large strides, charged forward with his warshield, thundering as he approached. As they were just a few steps apart, his body also sprang up.

He used the same maneuver that Gaven had just used—Jump Slash.

Same technique, different people, the feeling it brought out was completely different.

Gaven’s Jump Slash was like a leopard pouncing on its prey: swift, elegant, and deadly.

August’s Jump Slash was like a roaring bear charging headlong: straightforward, impressive in its momentum.

His Jump Slash was not a Jump Slash anymore, but a Shield Charge.

Leading with his thick Holy Warrior Shield.

Given his build and charging force, even a sturdy shield would cause fractures and tears on impact."

Moreover, his timing was perfect.

It was just the moment when Gaven was struck and was trying to find his balance before landing, with nowhere to leverage for a dodge.

But at the instant of his Jump Slash, August felt a twinge of regret.

The man he faced was not a pure warrior but one who had just acquired a Special Ability.

Although August had sent him flying, the shadow on the ground did not fly away with him; instead, it clung to August’s own shadow like a thread, moving as he moved.

As he leapt into the air, his shadow was entwined around his boots, following him.

He felt no force until his body reached its apex, when both his physical and magic power peaked.

Suddenly, the shadow rope exerted force.

It didn’t pull him in the opposite direction but diagonally downwards, along the momentum of his forward charge.

Such a precise strike, once intervened by an external force, could cause an error as vast as missing by a thousand miles, thus, disrupting the intended point of his attack.

Gaven didn’t take the chance to dodge but instead launched an attack from the front.

Pulled by the shadow, Gaven landed early, his body half-crouched, the Crown Shield angled upwards.

Squeak!

The clash of the shields did not produce the harsh sound of steel on steel, but rather a screeching friction.

At the moment when the shields’ forces interlocked, Gaven suddenly exerted his strength and leapt.

Capitalizing on August’s imbalance, he sent him flying.

Given their disparate physiques, it looked like a forest panther hurling a bear, creating a stark visual contrast.

The second round.

Gaven had a slight advantage.

Seeing Gaven about to rush in again, August retracted his warhammer and shield and raised his hand, "That’s enough, that’s enough. I wouldn’t believe it unless I saw it with my own eyes. Gaven, my boy, you’ve just obtained this ability and are using it for the first time. Let’s call it a draw. If we keep fighting, I’d have to use my Professional Abilities, and it would become hard to control."

The shock that August felt was his alone to know.

The move Gaven just made sounded simple.

But it required precise calculation of the force applied, nimble tactical timing, strategic planning, extensive close-combat experience, and a mixture of boldness and carefulness.

All were indispensable.

Such an unconventional move was not something ordinary people could pull off.

Even if he himself entered the fray, unless the opponent willingly cooperated, he did not have the confidence to do it better than Gaven.

This guy was a combat genius.

Without using his Professional Abilities, August truly lacked the confidence to beat his opponent.

"Good!" Gaven also decided to quit while he was ahead.

The gulf between their Professional Levels was immense, and the other was a combat profession specialized in close combat.

The disparity in physical attributes might not be as obvious, but in terms of synchronizing with Magic Power, they were worlds apart.

Every move the other made directly involved Magic Power, especially when launching attacks, which were laden with terrifying Magic Power Enhancement.

For instance, when a regular soldier swings a hammer, the damage it deals when it hits the enemy might be from 1D8 (1-8).

But when a level-ten warrior swings a hammer, the damage rises to 1D8+10 (11-18).

That ten-point damage represents enhancement through Magic Power synchronization provided by ten Professional Levels—at one point per level.

In this respect, spellcasting professions are at a disadvantage. The power synchronized mainly enhances Soul Consciousness, with relatively limited bonuses—increasing by one point for every two Professional Levels. Gaven’s current bonus to melee combat was just two points.

This type of gap is not apparent in the early stages but becomes more pronounced as Professional Levels increase.

Even among the Legendary ones, there will be a ten-point difference in damage due only to this factor.

This is a cost that spellcasting professions must bear; it’s impossible to really have the best of all worlds.

This is without considering Strength bonuses, passive professional perks, and other such factors.

If Gaven wasn’t mistaken, August’s Strength had reached the Transcendent, and he specialized in the warhammer and shield.

This meant that each of his warhammer blows dealt damage of at least thirty points.

Moreover, his warhammer was no ordinary weapon; it was at least a +2 Magic Weapon or higher. The Damage Reduction of Gaven’s combat armor was ineffective against it; he could only rely on the Crown Shield.

Just as August had said, if they continued to fight, he would have had to use his Special Ability and Psychic Skills.

August glanced down at the shadow rope still wound around his feet, as his Holy Light Power flickered.

The shadow rope disintegrated on the spot.

He had consciously given Gaven the chance to try out his new ability; otherwise, his entire body would have been enveloped in Holy Light from the start.

The shadow rope would have had no chance of reaching him, thanks to the Paladin’s innate suppression over shadows and Negative Energy.

Gaven smiled and nodded at August, signaling that he was aware of the shadow rope’s weakness.

Although they had exchanged blows in only two rounds,

Gaven had already gathered most of the data he needed.

This ability to manipulate shadows was indeed a divine skill for close-combat support.

Its strength was not particularly great, roughly equivalent to that of a person with a Strength of 10 points.

But the shadow gained an extensibility and variability not present under normal circumstances.

When subjected to forces beyond what the shadow rope could handle, it would not break but instead stretch along, with the cumulative power of one’s own side continuing to apply.

Unless the opponent was a Holy Warrior like August, able to disperse and shatter the shadow rope, or the tension exceeded the shadow rope’s maximum elasticity, it was almost impossible to completely free themselves.

A careless adversary could be taken by surprise by a sudden strike.

The timing of its activation was entirely at Gaven’s discretion.

Gaven had also specifically tested the maximum reach of the shadow, finding it to be ten meters.

This distance was more than enough to handle most close-combat scenarios.

Moreover, Gaven believed that there was substantial, untapped potential in this skill.

Currently, he had thought of two directions for development.