Yano had landed a blow and was about to press the attack, but Karn had already used his superb horsemanship to swiftly adjust his posture. He guided his Lizard Mount into a nimble backward leap, steadily opening a safe distance between them.
He stared deeply at Yano. The surprise and astonishment in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by a deeper calm born from having learned his lesson.
The watching Cave Dweller Knights were even more shocked than Karn himself and began whispering among themselves.
"Captain Karn was actually driven back. Has this lord truly not changed classes yet?"
"Perhaps he has already passed a trial related to strength."
"How is it?" Chen Yu asked Nili.
Nili curled her lips, stretched lazily, and said, "It's still far too early. Getting my little secret formula won't be so easy."
Just as she had said, Karn, who had taken one of Yano's heavy chops head-on, was still neither flushed nor breathless. His breathing was frighteningly steady.
If one could press close enough to listen to his chest, one would even find that his heartbeat remained slow and powerfully rhythmic, calm and strong. It was as though his entire body were still sleeping peacefully, and the fierce clash just now had failed to wake his dormant body.
Holding his spear, he returned to his standoff with Yano and said in a low voice, "Mr. Yano, your strength has indeed far exceeded my expectations. But that only makes it harder for you to pass this trial."
"Those who truly pass the Knight Trial are without exception those who can preserve surging battle intent and an unyielding will even in high-pressure duels. The more perilous the situation, the more one must give everything one has. Under the crushing pressure of one's limits, one completes the trial