WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Ryuu

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

A KNIGHT WHO ETERNALLY REGRESSES

Chapter 70: Isolation Technique

The basics of the Isolation Technique involved weight training.

By repeatedly performing movements while holding heavy objects, one could develop their physical abilities. It wasn't just about increasing strength by lifting heavy weights.

"Shall we start?"

A month had passed, and the cold still lingered in the corner of the training ground. Enkrid suggested a sparring match. Audin nodded with a smile.

"Do you prefer your arms or legs, brother?"

It was a signal that he intended to twist one of them.

"Your tongue's too long, Audin."

Both of them were bare-handed. For a month, Enkrid had learned more than just the Isolation Technique.

They stared down at each other. Enkrid had to tilt his head to meet Audin's gaze. The difference in their stature was evident but Audin was the one who moved first.

He lowered his body in an instant and charged so fast that it left an afterimage, contrary to his nickname as the praying bear.

In the past, Enkrid's best response would have been to raise his knee but things were different now. He also lowered his body, clenched his fist, and aimed it forward with his thumb up. If Audin charged, he could crush his eye.

Audin suddenly veered to the side, his massive frame moving as swiftly as Esther's. As agile as a nimble panther. His speed and reflexes didn't match his size. Getting caught from behind would end the fight, so Enkrid spun several times.

At some point, Audin extended his fist. They were within each other's reach. When did Enkrid allow the gap to close?

He was in the state of Focus Point.

Enkrid split time and decided to block Audin's fist with his forehead before it could hit. It was a wrestling technique to take hits without getting hurt.

Audin extended his fist, then opened his hand and grabbed Enkrid's hair. He pulled Enkrid's hair down and drove his left elbow into Enkrid's back, applying his weight. Enkrid endured Audin's strength and weight for a moment. He didn't just endure but also tried to throw him off his back.

Audin didn't climb onto Enkrid's back gently. He pulled Enkrid's hair forward with precise timing, disturbing Enkrid's balance. Enkrid couldn't control his body. There was nothing he could do.

Thud.

Enkrid shielded his face with his hands as Audin pinned him down.

"You gave up your body instead of your arms and legs, brother," Audin laughed heartily.

"If this were the battlefield, I'd have a helmet."

He was referring to Audin grabbing his hair. Speaking from beneath him, Enkrid heard Audin laugh and respond.

"I would have used another method then."

It made sense. Enkrid wasn't complaining, just curious about the other methods.

"If you had a helmet, I'd grab the nape of your neck or press the back of your head with my palm to pin you down instantly."

"I see."

Enkrid remained pinned. The praying bear's weight felt like it would crush his insides, but the lesson he learned was more important.

As Enkrid focused, Audin got up. A month could drive some people mad with boredom, but for Enkrid, it was a routine he had come to embrace.

In the mornings, he practiced the Isolation Technique, in the afternoons, wrestling. Before dinner, he trained in swordsmanship. After dinner, he reviewed everything he had learned.

The Heart of the Beast, Blade Sense, and Focus Point all had room for improvement.

Why stop when you can progress?

Despite this, progress was slow. Even with the support of the Focus Point, Blade Sense, and Heart of the Beast, it was slow.

So Enkrid persisted. He was a slow snail and a tortoise on land.

"You're progressing very slowly," Audin said, adjusting his clothes.

The cold hadn't subsided, and white steam rose from his shoulders. Enkrid's shoulders were the same.

Both the Isolation Technique and wrestling made him sweat profusely. Enkrid repeatedly reviewed Audin's teachings. They were valuable.

'Reading someone's skills.'

All the information was in the body. For example, a right-handed swordsman would have more developed muscles in his right arm. Assessing the build and muscle development allowed one to gauge the opponent's experience and training level.

This realization came after starting the Isolation Technique training. What he learned afterward was equally valuable. After establishing his body's foundation with the Isolation Technique, he learned wrestling.

Audin divided wrestling into three main categories: striking techniques, joint techniques, and throwing techniques. He said if the opponent was smaller, throwing and slamming them made the fight easier.

"What if I'm the smaller one?"

Enkrid knew how to listen but also had many questions. He didn't take anything lightly in his learning. Audin often thought that this was the squad leader's strength.

"If you're smaller, there are ways to fight. Those skilled in joint and striking techniques and grappling can use the opponent's strength against them. A counterattack is one such method."

The technique the elf company commander used to throw him with a single gesture came to mind. Audin demonstrated these methods.

He was kind when teaching wrestling. Though he was like a devil when practicing the Isolation Technique, he was gentle when teaching wrestling.

"If you apply more force here, the arm will break, and the joint will be damaged. Without divine healing, it won't recover, leaving you crippled."

A single mistake could result in Enkrid's body being dismantled bare-handed. Naturally, wrestling became gentler.

"Strength and speed are essential. Beyond that, you must learn vital points, how to knock down, break bones, and destroy joints. None of this can be learned halfway.

That's why you need to repeat what you've already learned more than learning something new.

But do you still want to learn something new?"

Sometimes he reprimanded Enkrid. It was warranted. Enkrid sought to learn as much as possible rather than mastering a single technique.

'This is right.'

For Enkrid, today's repetition was essential. He couldn't expect mastery from what he was currently learning. To Audin, he seemed greedy, and his body couldn't keep up, but for Enkrid, this was the right path. His contemplation was interrupted by Audin's voice.

"Why do you think your hair was grabbed earlier?"

"Distance."

Enkrid answered plainly. He knew why it happened.

"That's right. Distance. Despite countless warnings, brother, you are slow and dull."

Enkrid remained unaffected. He had no time for hurt feelings.

He was too busy reviewing what he had learned that day. There were dozens of types of joint techniques. Just memorizing and roughly imprinting them on his body was challenging. He also had to learn throws and strikes and engrain the basic principles into his body.

"I've told you several times. Stamina is essential. Measuring distance is akin to swordsmanship. Lastly, without agility, everything is useless."

Audin was a good teacher. Not because of his excellent teaching methods.

'He doesn't give up.'

He taught persistently, even when progress was slow. For Enkrid, such a teacher was ideal. Persistent teaching left a lasting impact on his body and mind. Although mastery and skill came later, Enkrid learned and absorbed persistently.

"Stamina, distance and physical ability."

Enkrid repeated Audin's words. Whether it was a sword, spear, blunt weapon, or wrestling, strength and speed were essential. While he had become accustomed to measuring distance, Audin was more skilled than Enkrid. Hence, he was caught off guard.

"Did you roll on the ground today?"

After wrestling practice, Rem was waiting.

"Are you resting today?"

The same question every time.

"No."

Today, it was sword practice. Sometimes he used a wooden sword, but now he preferred a real sword. The longsword, familiar in his hand, targeted Rem's entire body.

He didn't always practice with Rem. Some days it was Ragna.

"Watching you makes me want to spar, squad leader."

Other days it was Jaxon.

"I have time. Bring out your sword."

None of them refused Enkrid's requests. Yet they all had similar thoughts.

Rem, for example.

'What kind of talent is this? Does he need real combat experience?'

On the battlefield, his skills seemed to improve daily, but back in the city, he was stagnant. He was better than before, but there was no dramatic growth.

To Rem, it seemed that way. What progress he made was thanks to the Heart of the Beast, Point of Focus, Sensation of the Blade, and Isolation Technique.

The Isolation Technique was changing his muscle quality.

But a month wasn't enough for dramatic changes. He progressed slowly, step by step. Like a slow snail, he moved forward. Ragna thought similarly.

'His basics are solid, but why is his application so slow?'

Did his talent blossom at thirty? Why was he a fool again?

He couldn't understand. Still, Ragna felt motivated. Enkrid naturally inspired motivation. Every day, regardless of duties or other circumstances, he relentlessly trained.

If he had morning duties, he would practice late into the night, lifting stones in strange positions. The same went for wrestling and swordsmanship. If he had duties, he would start training after finishing them. He cut down on sleep and meal times.

During group training, Rem, Ragna, Jaxon, Audin, and Kraiss would slack off, but Enkrid always gave his all. After returning to the barracks, he would head to the training ground and resume his training. He was relentlessly consistent to an almost grotesque degree. Hence, Ragna was inspired by the squad leader. Jaxon felt the same.

'His senses.'

His hearing was almost like having eyes on the back of his head. Yet, his sensitivity wasn't progressing.

'Why?'

Was it his fault as a teacher?

Or was it Enkrid's fault?

'It's the learner's fault.'

Having taught several times, he knew. It was fascinating. Such slow and steady progress.

'Yet he never gives up. Unique.'

Jaxon almost smiled before returning to his usual expressionless face.

'What does the squad leader matter?'

Despite this, he always gave his best. Taking turns teaching, they naturally fell into a routine, and Jaxon was the most diligent.

Esther watched the man she had chosen. The blue eyes of the black panther captured his image.

How could he be like that?

She too had once been immersed in the world of magic. There was a time when she needed nothing else, spending all day in the world of spells. She didn't need to eat, sleep, or want anything.

'And I ended up like this.'

Esther reminisced about the past, then refocused on Enkrid.

'He's different from me.'

His routine was simple and repetitive. Eating, sleeping, and resting were part of his routine. He was someone who worked hard at resting.

Watching him,

'If I can help, I want to.'

He was someone like that.

Meanwhile, Enkrid had no time to look around. He was too busy engraving various things into his body. He had always been obsessed with training, but recently it had intensified.

Thanks to the Isolation Technique.

'The quality of my muscles is changing.'

He even wanted to strip and look at his body in the mirror.

Who felt it the most?

Enkrid himself. When a previously difficult movement came out smoothly, it was not just gratifying but exhilarating. From thrusting to the basics of heavy sword techniques.

With his changed body, everything was different. Smoother and more fluid. He had become familiar enough with the flowing techniques of the Illusionary Sword.

Clang.

His sword deflected his opponent's weapon. He had just deflected Rem's axe to the side.

"You're getting better."

Rem acknowledged his improvement. It wasn't perfect but,

'It's better than before.'

Even Enkrid felt the increased completion of his technique. The foundation of all this was the body-building technique. In other words, the Isolation Technique.

"Do you regret not learning it sooner?"

Audin had once asked if he regretted not starting to build his body earlier.

"No."

Enkrid shook his head. He had no regrets about past days. If he had regrets, he would have been trapped in 'today.' What he learned then was essential at that time.

So being true to the present was right. He had one dream of the boatman in a month.

"You're living no differently than being trapped in today."

The boatman, exuding boredom, rested his chin on his hand and faded away. Gone was the one who had mocked so fiercely.

The boatman was right. Enkrid spent a month in a repetitive cycle. The only changes were duty times and weather.

"If you had learned earlier, your body wouldn't have accepted it."

Audin had said, but Enkrid didn't mind. What mattered was today, the present. As the end of the fourth season, winter, the harshest, approached,

"Let's talk."

On one of those days, the elf company commander sought out Enkrid. Stepping outside the barracks, the commander, facing the cold, looked at him with green eyes and spoke.

"There's a mission."

The Border Guard reserve forces were called upon as needed. Their duty wasn't just to fight on the battlefield.

"Yes."

"We need to escort the heir of the trading company. Select one person from the squad to join."

The commander delivered her orders. It was an order from higher-ups. Enkrid had to comply.

A mission and a duty.

Originally, he didn't particularly like it, but now, he was interested in earning merits.

Gaining skills and accumulating merits were the path to knighthood.

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried