Pancrase

In ancient Greece, the word Pankrasin means "all power" in Greek, and it is the precursor to no-holds-barred fighting.

Aside from biting and eye-gouging, all other combat techniques categorized as Pankrasin are reasonable and legitimate in Pankrasin duels.

In a sense, the knightly combat techniques taught by the gunsmith to his students and the Pankrasin are both barbaric martial arts of the same origin—except for the different techniques and the different types of enemies they deal with. The fighting philosophy and core concepts are the same.

Knight combat skills guides people on how to deal with the humanoid monsters born from Blood Ceremony.

-- Gradually understand your own elemental composition, comprehend detailed data on your offensive and defensive capabilities, and then design a comprehensive combat strategy tailored to humanoid units. This includes ranged attacks, weapon attacks, and hand-to-hand combat.

In the coursework instructions Xue Ming prepared for his students, he did not emphasize the importance of weapons, because knightly combat skills should be taught to men, women, young and old, so that every ordinary person would have the opportunity to come into contact with this technology. When facing blood-bearing monsters, they could use whatever weapon they could grab to fight. This power could temporarily give Homo sapiens a chance to fight back, instead of immediately trembling and surrendering to the slaughter when facing demons.

Some longtime viewers who enjoy watching the banquet might ask – what if the blood-granting units also secretly learn knightly combat techniques? Wouldn't criminals and villains also use this combat philosophy to enhance themselves?

Because of the high attack and low health of Homo sapiens, if both the Blood-giving Monster and Homo sapiens choose to fight according to the strategy of knightly combat, then the Homo sapiens' chances of winning will be greatly increased, or at least not be a matter of life and death.

In a more primitive and savage ecosystem, an untrained Homo sapiens would be vastly outmatched in combat by Blood-giving Monster that is also untrained. Relying solely on brute force, the Homo sapiens would quickly be defeated and become the cannibal's meal.

Knight combat skills have smoothed out some of the elemental quality differences, putting both sides on the same starting line. In this combat environment, units that have received bloodline rewards should think twice before trying to devour others, as they might accidentally stumble and capsize.

The gunsmith always emphasized the importance of "fighting spirit" to his students. Knight combat skills are not about teaching people how to be brave and fierce, but rather about giving them the confidence to remain rational and fight back when they encounter unexpected and powerful enemies.

After learning the basic principles of this combat technique, many sub-projects will emerge, such as the enhancement of shooting, weaponry, and hand-to-hand combat techniques. People often need to discover their unique combat skills in daily life. For example, if a butcher wields his cleaver cleanly and efficiently, then using the knight's combat techniques, a whole set of knife techniques can be derived to target blood-sucking units. For the butcher, this is his protective weapon in the monster-infested market of a remote village—years of practice. Perhaps even without the knife that he uses to butcher animals day and night, he can still pick up other objects to beat up blood-sucking units.

At this point, we can say that this online student has acquired some fighting power and will no longer bow down to evil forces.

During the Moon God Cup tournament, Mali Pero and Fiego Sebasti were in a similar situation, except that they had access to firearms and wanted to use them to defeat their enemies from the very beginning. Over the past seven years, countless students have also tried to use this set of combat techniques to strengthen themselves through the internet in the underground world, transforming ordinary people who were powerless to fight back into brave and resourceful warriors.

Office workers in office buildings have the ability to pierce iron plates with pens, while sanitation workers sweeping the streets downstairs can tie leaves together to make mannequins and accurately pierce the eyes of Blood-giving Monster with just bamboo strips. Even a cook making pancakes can use a spatula to beat up a foolish gangster so badly that he's covered in stars and has to flee in panic.

These exceptionally talented warriors never imagined they could become heroes. However, their years of professional work had given them extraordinary skills. With a little help, they rediscovered their own power and the elemental composition of their enemies through knightly combat techniques. In just a few months, this hobby could transform them completely.

When the gunsmith saw this real, muscular man wielding a sword and shield, and then heard Ghost, like an announcer, recite the name of Beowulf, the wise king from ancient United Kingdom mythology, he was momentarily stunned, because the whole thing seemed a bit surreal.

"I should fight him?"

Xue Ming pointed to the two-meter-tall, white-haired, muscular man whose arms were slightly thinner than Xue Ming's thighs.

He then pointed to his own nose--

"--Me, bare-handed, fighting this old man?"

Ghost nodded. "Mm."

Xue Ming hadn't specifically studied unarmed sword and shield techniques, so he was somewhat lacking in knowledge. Normally speaking, wielding weapons and fighting unarmed are two different fields, and the difference in combat power is almost on different levels.

If a student comes to ask how to deal with an armed assailant with their bare hands...

Xue Ming usually says, "Run away first, then find a weapon. Only fight back as a last resort. If you find a gun, you must chase after the enemy and subdue them until they lose their will to fight."

The sight of Beowulf raising his sword high made Xue Ming feel at a loss for where to begin.

Although it was broken, the blade was about 70 centimeters long and 4 centimeters wide. Judging from the frequency of Beowulf's breathing, the rise and fall of his shoulders, chest and abdomen, and the gentle sway of this metal object, it must have weighed at least four kilograms based on the density of Wootz steel. Even if you consider it as a stick, with your arm as the lever and the blade as the striking point, Xue Ming would still break several bones if he could take it head-on.

Together with that thick, large round shield, it formed an insurmountable, solid wall. Without his gun, the gunsmith had no way to deal with this enemy.

When the two are of similar quality and speed, the unarmed one can only passively take hits. The difference in killing efficiency is too great. Xue Ming can only try to dodge, let alone get past the shield to kill the enemy.

So Xue Ming simply gave up on thinking about it and asked Ghost for advice.

"Why don't you demonstrate it for me first?"

"Watch closely!" Ghost Shadow Brother twisted his neck and kicked his legs, doing warm-up exercises in a very professional manner.

Then he continued forward, coming within ten meters of Beowulf.

--The moment I stepped into the territory of the Death Rune, and arrived at the Wolf King's domain!

Swords and shields, whipped by the cold wind, swung forth! Only when the weapons flashed did the heavy, advancing note of Beowulf's charge finally come into play!

Xue Ming's pupils contracted slightly as he tried to focus and lock onto Ghost's body posture, trying to see the VIP's countermeasures. However, he found it somewhat unbelievable; it was an ultra-fast transition between offense and defense, almost reaching the limit of a psychic's reflexes.

Not many sounds came through, but there were intense and uplifting exhalations, shouts, and cries, accompanied by rapid and sharp rhythmic sounds such as arm swings, stomping, kicks, punches, and interceptions, all aided by the diaphragm.

To elaborate—all these attacks occurred on the dividing line of the Death Rune, and Ghost played very cleverly.

Unable to cross this dividing line, the wolf king transformed into a dog. This giant was pulled by unseen chains, and the mysterious gravity of the dead runes slowed him down. His sword strikes and thrusts became distorted, and the large round shield protecting his heart became his primary means of attack. Each time he stepped forward to strike, smash, or slap, raising his arm to catch the ghostly figure of Ghost, the dust he kicked up could reach Xue Ming's face, stinging his cheeks.

Ghost was a very patient warrior. He slithered back and forth along the dividing line, dodging and never fighting back, until the old wolf king's sword and shield stance showed a major flaw. Affected by the Death Rune, he was about to stagger and his ankles were cracked. Ghost immediately grabbed a stone brick that could be found anywhere on the road and smashed it hard on the old wolf's head.

All of this was happening at an ultra-fast pace. Beowulf might look like a muscle lump, but he was anything but slow!

His stride was extremely long, and his stance with sword and shield was exactly as Ghost described. This Pankrasin martial art could also be applied to the techniques of holding a gun or spear horizontally, including the technique of holding a warhammer upright and unarmed combat. In modern times, it could also be used to lift a bulletproof shield and hold a rifle.

The forearm and upper arm stance is a versatile fighting stance, while the application of the fingers and palm depends on the weapon's structure.

Beowulf's speed came from his solid lower body and his monstrous ability to locate his target.

In the dozens of rounds between Ghost and the Wolf King, the pace of their positional shifts and offensive and defensive transitions was unbelievably fast. Xue Ming had only ever seen this kind of almost mechanical, tireless, and continuous high-speed countermeasure ability in units that had received blood donations.

Human concentration is limited, especially in high-speed environments. Unless one can perform a martial arts routine and practice it hundreds or thousands of times to fully understand the opponent's reach, movement ability, and weapon range, perhaps there are Homo sapiens who can demonstrate adaptability to ultra-high-speed environments.

But Beowulf's sword was too fast and too fierce.

--His pale beard and hair flew wildly in the howling wind, and his bronze skin would sometimes swell and expand due to sudden exertion, bursting with terrifying power. He would raise his sword and thrust from five or six meters away, charging forward with his body following the sword. The terrifying sonic pressure blasted Ghost's spirit body out of shape, and in the end, the sword missed its mark. Before Ghost could fully return to his original form, a follow-up shield bash came immediately.

The exquisite skill in this sword and shield stance perfectly matches Ghost's description of him as "the wolf king who craves honey."

Even if the first strike misses, the heavy iron shield always seems to be close to Beowulf's heart. As long as the old wolf adjusts its breathing and howls slightly, the wolf pack supporting him immediately becomes a shield, and small movements of the shoulders and elbows at various angles can protect his vitals. This is a tactic that tests the balance of the body and the overall coordination.

When facing Ghost, Beowulf played very greedily, almost never stopping his attacks.

Whether it was because the runes had damaged the king's mind or not, in Xue Ming's eyes, Ghost was like a jar of tempting honey, a sweet elixir for improving blood circulation. The Wolf King hadn't noticed the rune markings several times; as for his stride—

--When an ordinary person suddenly stands still and tightens their legs in a defensive stance, it is called stationary defense; when they suddenly start to exert force, it is called advancing attack.

The wolf king's stride resembles the pawing motion of a canine sprinting at full speed, but it differs slightly from the exaggerated running posture of a cheetah.

With his height of over 200 centimeters, his advancing attacks already exceeded the stride of ordinary Homo sapiens, and could be called a charge. It was common for him to cover three or four meters in an instant, and occasionally he would take a powerful figure-eight leap with both feet completely off the ground, which was the wolf king's pounce.

Meteor really liked this way of charging. In close combat, his execution ability was terrifyingly strong. This was also because his two thighs were strong and powerful. With his whole body covered in weapons, he could release an impact force of nearly two tons in an instant. If he concentrated all this power on the Dragon Slayer Sword, it would be like several lions tearing at their prey at the same time.

The Wolf King's sword and shield stance wasn't as exaggerated as he seemed; he preferred to gradually expand his advantage through multiple attacks. Ghost would occasionally drift away, needing to deal with the Wolf King's low sweeping kick—a type of combat damage that Ghost couldn't avoid.

Like an iron whip, accompanied by vicious sweeping kicks in sword techniques and shield attacks, it's like a wolf's tail suddenly lashing out.

Beowulf's fighting techniques have indeed been passed down. Xue Ming has seen this sword and shield offensive. Even today, some European sword practitioners still use kicking and sword and shield attack techniques that involve rapid changes in defensive stance. However, compared to Beowulf's swift movements, many of these techniques have been completely altered.

This is Beowulf's Pankrasin. The Stardust Warriors secretly learned some of his techniques from their teacher, including his fighting philosophy: a cautious upper body stance and a wild, aggressive stride, all of which can be applied to shooting, hand-to-hand combat, and melee fighting.

The high-speed battle was finally coming to an end. After several tendons in Beowulf's left kneecap were severed by the rune, the exposed yellow veins slowed the old wolf down a little.

Just a tiny bit! Only a tiny bit!

Ghost picked up two broken bricks and slammed them hard on the wolf king's head, one on each side, causing the wolf king to tilt to the side, but it did not immediately lose its will to fight.

The old wolf still lunged forward, its sword slashing through the wind. Without the support of its lower limbs, the blade's tendons were no longer as fierce and straight as in the first round.

It fell into an empty space.

Ghost picked up the pebbles and threw them again, this time advancing forward and increasing the impact of his throw.

The wolf king's shield-raising motion was away from his vital heart, instead protecting his head. This was the first time Jiang Xueming had seen Beowulf's judgment fail; the distance was too close, and he could only guess!

A flying rock struck the old wolf's right knee. He winced in pain and tried to get up from his crouching defensive position, like an enraged dog.

Ghost, holding onto that tiny, advantageous distance along the dividing line, finally pulled out the steel bar, forcefully slashing open the old wolf's weakened blade and breaching the heavily guarded central gate.

--Then it was just like the scene where Tom and Spike (the bulldog from Tom and Jerry) were pulling each other back and forth.

The thick steel bar lashed against Old Wolf's shield, forcing him to remain crouched. For Ghost, trying to stand up and retaliate immediately became a matter of power, with Ghost at a higher position.

This VIP even took the time to spar with Beowulf for a while. It looked like a chaotic, clanging brawl, all ineffective blows. When the steel bars were red-hot and the old wolf lost his balance, Ghost slapped the mark of humiliation hard onto Beowulf's face.

Finally, all fell silent. Beowulf roared hoarsely, his legs buckled, and he half-knelt on the ground, his head falling down, exposing his bare bones halfway down. His flesh was torn away by the dead runes, and his whole body shrank back into the shadows of the porch.

The broken sword and round shield were the same; they were almost fused with Beowulf's arm, pulled back into the darkness by strings of black, sticky, gelatinous substance.

Ghost finished his work and returned to Xue Ming's side.

"The demonstration is over, it's your turn."

Jiang Xueming was still taking notes, writing and drawing rapidly in his notebook, half of it text and half of it sketches.

The images of Beowulf and Ghost have been transformed into many separate scenes, Xue Ming will study slowly.

"Give me some time, give me some time, please give me some time."

Ghost initially scoffed, "Hey! What are you dawdling for? Just die a few more times and you'll figure it all out!"

Then the guy finally came to his senses.

"Oh! Oh! You only have one life?"