PNB Chapter 123 Morse's Determination
Chapter 123 Morse's Determination
Are you ready?
Standing before me was the protagonist who would one day save the world. His wavy blue hair, muscular build, and bright brown eyes all conveyed an expectant look, as if he had been waiting for this moment to arrive.
"Ready."
Although I don't know why Ethan specifically wanted to spar with me, such opportunities don't come often.
I gripped the two daggers in my hands, the very weapons I always used for close combat.
'My attributes should be enough to hold my own against him for a while.'
As I thought this, I raised my dagger, while Ethan gripped his spear tightly. We stood in the academy's private training grounds.
I say "dedicated" because not all students have access here. Ethan's surname, "Hartley," plays a role in this, both in the game and in general. Although he initially refused to use this special training area, he changed his mind.
'It probably happened at the banquet.'
I thought to myself. Although I wasn't there, I could guess what had happened in the banquet hall.
"So, shall we begin?"
Ethan got into position, his eyes gleaming with a challenge.
"it is good."
Whoosh!
Upon hearing my confirmation, he immediately charged towards me with clean and swift movements, his muscles tense and his actions rapid.
I braced myself for his attack. I swiftly sidestepped, dodging his spear aimed at my shoulder.
Whoosh!
The spear grazed my arm.
"hiss……"
The pain made me wince; the gun blade had cut my skin, leaving a shallow wound on my arm, and a stinging sensation followed.
It seemed Ethan wasn't holding back. His strength and agility were astonishing, and his spear skills were superb.
But I can't let the pain distract me.
'He's much stronger than before.'
That was my first impression of him. Watching him sheathe his spear, I knew that I, too, had to give it my all.
Whoosh!Whoosh!
As he withdrew his spear, he launched a series of thrusts, each one nearly injuring me.
Clang! Clang!
I kept a close eye on his movements, paying attention to his muscles and the trajectory of his spear, and parried his attack with my dagger.
Clang!
Each clash was fierce, sparks flying, but I knew this wouldn't last long. Despite my improved attributes, I could only temporarily parry his attacks and hold my own; my stamina was insufficient, meaning that in the long run, I would ultimately lose.
'I need to close the distance.'
Because the spear is longer than the dagger, Ethan was able to launch an attack while maintaining a safe distance.
Tension!
Seeing his muscles bulging as if he were about to attack, I also prepared myself.
Whoosh!
The spear swiftly sliced through the air, thrusting towards me from a distance; I could clearly see it aimed at my side.
boom!
This is exactly the action I anticipated.
Whoosh!
I reacted swiftly, my dagger aimed straight at Ethan's abdomen, using speed to compensate for my distance disadvantage. I hadn't had a chance to utilize my speed since the sparring began; now was the time.
Swish!
In an instant, I appeared in front of him and slashed at him with my dagger.
"You've improved."
I heard Ethan mutter to himself, seemingly surprised by my increased speed. After all, this was our first encounter since the Forest of Time, and I was much faster than he remembered.
Whoosh!
But Ethan remained completely calm, his eyes fixed on my movements, and with astonishing speed, he dodged my attack by a hair's breadth. It was as if he had anticipated my attack; his reaction was almost superhuman.
'what? '
I was initially surprised that he easily dodged my attack, but I knew that I now had the upper hand.
I continued my attack, my movements fluid and direct, aimed directly at my target.
I launched a series of attacks, each one trying to find an opening in Ethan's defense. But he remained incredibly agile, accurately dodging and blocking every attack.
Something has changed, not just his reaction speed.
His fighting style and dodging methods were completely different from what we had sparred with in our previous practical classes.
This is strange.
Clang! Clang!
As I pondered, I launched a series of attacks with my dagger, using the frequency advantage of dual-wielding weapons to try and overwhelm him.
"I can see it."
I heard him murmur to himself again between breaths, and our eyes met.
prick!
At that very moment, Ethan's spear trajectory changed; he no longer used it to block my attacks, but instead swept it horizontally.
'quick.'
That's all I can say. I could see the rapid swing heading straight for my feet. Because I was in an attacking stance, I didn't have enough time to dodge and couldn't maintain my advantageous position.
Whoosh!
To avoid this attack, the only thing I could do was retreat, giving up the advantage I had gained by closing the distance.
"call……"
My breathing became rapid. I stood at a distance, facing Ethan.
"Morse."
Just then, I heard him call my name.
"what?"
As I adjusted my breathing, I raised my head and looked directly into his eyes.
"I want to ask you a question." He looked at me seriously.
"..."
Will you answer?
"It depends on what the problem is."
"Don't worry, it won't be too private."
"is it?"
"Yes."
"..."
"So, what are your thoughts on demon contractors?"
When he said that, I was stunned for a moment; I didn't expect him to ask such a question.
......
This was Ethan's first duel with Morse since the dungeon exploration. From the very start, Ethan went all out. He was eager to witness Morse's improvement.
As expected, Morse did not disappoint him. His progress far exceeded Ethan's expectations.
However, as the sparring continued, Ethan's urge to speak with Morse grew stronger. For some reason, he wanted to hear Morse's thoughts on recent events more than he wanted to talk to Lucas, Julia, or his other friends.
"So, what's your opinion on demon contractors?" Ethan looked at Morse and saw him pause for a moment, clearly not expecting him to ask such a question.
After a brief moment of surprise, Morse frowned, his eyes turning somber in an instant.
Seeing this, Ethan felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had made a mistake.
“Calm down.” Ethan gripped his spear, stopped sparring, and began to ask, “I just want to know your opinion on demon contractors. Are they really all evil?”
This problem had been troubling him for a long time.
Morse remained serious, without a trace of a smile, and answered in a low voice, "Demon contractors and evil..." He muttered to himself as he raised the dagger, looking at his reflection in the blade. "Why do you ask that?"
Morse's question surprised Ethan. "Recently, I've encountered some demon contractors..."
"and then?"
“Then, during one of my fights, I spoke with him,” Ethan continued to explain.
What did he say?
Ethan carefully chose his words: "He said that human nature is a weakness, and that they are overcoming it."
Morse's expression remained cold, but his tone was steady: "I understand."
Ethan was not intimidated by Morse's serious tone and continued, "I can't help but feel that some of these demon contractors may have been manipulated, or that they were forced into a corner to make this choice. Perhaps they signed the contract simply to survive in this cruel world that is so harsh on them."
This is a question Ethan has been pondering. What if these people were forced into signing the demonic pact? What if they were originally good people?
Is it really fair to simply categorize them as "evil"?
"Does it matter?" Morse gripped the dagger and replied.
"what?"
"Do their past, their beliefs, matter? Were they driven to the brink? Why did they make such a choice? Do these things matter?"
He continued speaking, his purple eyes flashing with hatred. Ethan was shocked by this emotion; he hadn't expected Morse to display such intense feelings.
"What does it mean?"
“What we call evil. You ask if they are all evil, right?” Morse’s voice was deep, and the veins on his hand gripping the dagger stood out.
“From the perspective of someone like you who hasn’t been directly harmed by demons, you might try to sympathize with them and find it difficult to directly label them as ‘evil.’ After all, you’re the kind of person who wants to be a hero, aren’t you?”
Ethan felt as if he were being seen through. He knew that Morse was fully capable of understanding all of this.
"However, from the perspective of those who have lost loved ones at the hands of demons, asking this kind of question will only enrage them."
These words gave Ethan a jolt. He couldn't help but recall the people who were slaughtered by the demon contractors, and his own reaction and anger as a bystander. How must those who lost their loved ones at that time have felt?
Anger? Despair? Hatred?
“Ultimately,” Morse continued, his voice low and firm, “it’s not about whether they are evil or not.”
“Then…” Ethan began.
Morse interrupted him, his face filled with determination: "You asked me about my opinion on demon contractors in the first place, didn't you?"
Ethan nodded, silently waiting for him to continue.
At that moment, he saw Morse clench his teeth, his expression changing like never before.
Ethan instantly sensed the immense hatred emanating from the person in front of him.
“The answer is simple,” Morse said slowly, gripping his weapon tightly. “They are my enemies.”
Ethan was stunned by this straightforward declaration.
“I will keep going,” Morse said firmly, his purple eyes flashing with hatred, “until I have destroyed all my enemies.”
"Until I get back everything that happened to me, everything that happened to her."
“She…” Ethan asked instinctively, but before he could finish, he saw the expression on Morse’s face and swallowed his words back.
"So, shut up, Ethan."
Morse's words echoed heavily in the air, making Ethan deeply feel the profound darkness and determination behind his friend.
"Pick up your weapon, this conversation is over."