It was doubtful whether even Brain could follow the old man’s movements. Such technique was only possible if one could read the flow of the push and pull forces generated by both the individual and the whole crowd.

—What he saw was a mastery of the body.

His feet moved towards the old man without hesitation.

Having pushed aside the other people and arriving at the center of the crowd, what Brain saw was the moment when the old man struck the man’s chin at high speed.

Just how? That attack just now… if it was me, could I have dodged it? That might be hard. Did he trick that man’s senses? Am I just thinking too much? Anyways, that was a clean textbook strike, not a single wasted movement…

He could feel his groans of admiration spill from his mouth as he ruminated over the attack that he had just witnessed.

Not only was he unable to see it clearly, it was very difficult to compare a swordsman and a martial artist using the same unit of measurement. However, even that short amount of time was more than enough to understand that the old man was considerably powerful.

The old man may even be stronger than him.

While biting down on his lips, Brain compared the side of the old man’s face with the data of skilled opponents that he had in memory. However, he was different from all of them.

Just who is he?

In the blink of an eye, the old man moved out of the crowd. A boy walked away, as if to follow him. Acting on impulse, like he was being drawn in, Brain began to follow the boy.

It felt as if the old man had eyes on his back, making it hard for Brain to follow him closely. But with the boy, that was not a concern. And even if the boy was found out, Brain himself would still be safe.

Shortly after he started to tail them, Brain detected the presence of several other followers. However, whether they were following the old man or the boy was none of his concern.

Eventually, the two turned a corner and their path continued to grow darker. Brain felt nervous, it was like he was being lured out.

Does the boy not think it’s suspicious? Just as Brain began to wonder, the boy spoke to the old man.

Because they had just turned a corner, Brain was able to hide in the alley and listen in.

To sum up their conversation, the boy wanted to study under him.

What nonsense. That old man won’t accept a greenhorn like him as a disciple.

When comparing the abilities of the two, if the boy was a pebble, then the old man was like an enormous gem. They lived in completely different worlds.

…How pitiful. I didn’t think that not knowing the difference in skill between you and others could be this pitiful. That’s enough, kid.

Brain thought to himself without saying it out loud.

While he meant it for the boy, it was also directed at his past self who was foolish enough to believe that he was the strongest.

As he continued to eavesdrop— he didn’t pay much attention to the bit about brothels— it seemed to have been decided that the old man would train him maybe once or twice. An old man of that caliber, to a boy like him, Brain could think of nothing that would be worth teaching.

What’s going on? Did my eyes get hazy again? No, that’s not it. That kid’s skills aren’t anything special and he doesn’t even have any talent!

Just what sort of training was he going to give him? But from this position, he could only hear, not see. Unable to resist his curiosity, Brain killed his presence and slowly moved to try and peer over the corner. At that moment—

A terrifying energy pierced his entire body.

His scream could not be described in words.

His whole body froze solid.

It felt as if a giant carnivore was breathing inches from his nose. The world was dyed in overwhelming bloodlust, rendering him unable to even blink, let alone move. It made him wonder whether even his heart had stopped beating.

This presence may even rival that of Shalltear Bloodfallen, Brain thought, the one he believed to be the strongest being in this world.

If the person was weak of mind, their heart would have stopped for real. His legs shaking, he dropped to the ground with a thud.

If I’m like this, could that kid be dead?

If he was lucky, then he would have fainted.

Bent over, trembling as he supported himself with his arms, Brain searched for the presence of the two people— and witnessed an impossible scene. Although it was only for an instant, the shock made him completely forget his fear.

The boy was standing.

Like Brain, his two legs were shaking in terror. Despite this, he was still standing.

W-What’s going on? How can a kid like that stay standing?

He could not understand how the boy could be standing while he himself was on his hands and knees in disgrace.

Did the boy have a magic item that blocks fear or knew a martial art to that effect? Or did he possess some special talent?

He could not say for certain that the possibility did not exist. However, while staring at the boy’s unreliable back, Brain knew intuitively that that was not the case. Although impossible, it was the only thing he could think of.

The boy was stronger than Brain.

Ridiculous! How’s that possible!

Although it looked like he trained his body, he still lacked volume. From watching how he moved his feet and body while following him, the boy didn’t look to have much talent. Even though it was like that, the result was different.

W-What’s going on? Am I that weak?

His sight grew dim.

Brain knew that tears were falling from his eyes. However, he could not summon the energy to wipe them away.

”Uuu, ugh… kuh…”

He tried his best to not cry out loud. Even so, his tears flowed endlessly.

“Wh…y… why.”

Brain grasped the dirt on the ground and focused his strength in order to stand. But the bloodlust that was crashing into this body made him unable to move an inch. As if he was being controlled by someone else, his legs did not budge. The best he could manage was to raise his face and look at the boy and the old man.