Natsuyu held back his strength and didn't use his fist, instead striking a palm against the chest of the mercenary who was slowly diving aside.
The mercenary's pupils dilated instantly as intense pain washed over him. His expression contorted, and he felt as if his heart had stopped for a moment. His body was hit by a massive force, and his feet left the ground uncontrollably. He flew backward and slammed into the wall behind him, feeling as if his internal organs had been forced out of place. He writhed on the ground in painful spasms, a scream stuck in his throat, unable to make a sound.
Natsuyu was slightly startled.
Brother, don't die!
Appraisal!
[Bodyguard (Lower-level Monster)
Physique: 1.1
Soul: 1.3
Charm: 0.8
Evaluation: Has walked the edge of life and death for a long time; possesses an extremely strong psychological quality. Through long-term training and pushing his body to the limit, he possesses a physique incomparable to ordinary people.
Status: Injured, lost combat capability.
Drops: None.]
Natsuyu was stunned.
No, brother!
How are you classified as a monster?
And your background is so impressive, yet you tell me your physique attribute is only 1.1?
What a joke.
Fortunately, Natsuyu was still made of flesh and blood and hadn't used a weapon. He had also held back his strength and used his palm to cover a larger surface area, not even daring to strike a vital spot. According to the appraisal judgment, the mercenary bodyguard was only injured and unable to get back up; it shouldn't be a problem.
Natsuyu was truly afraid that a slip of his hand might kill the bodyguard and grant him 1 point of experience.
That would be pure hell.
He wasn't here to run a dungeon in his own home; that definitely wasn't correct.
To be safe, Natsuyu performed an appraisal on the martial artist bodyguard.
[Bodyguard (Lower-level Monster)
Physique: 1.2
Soul: 0.9
Charm: 0.8
Evaluation: Has practiced martial arts since childhood with sufficient nutrition and systematic training, developing a very strong physique.
Drops: None.]
This one seemed like he could be hit a bit more freely.
Natsuyu immediately felt more confident. Stepping off with force and using no technique at all—relying purely on his stats—he crossed three meters in two strides and reached the martial artist bodyguard.
The martial artist felt his hair stand on end.
His most respected colleague had actually been insta-killed by this young master?
Did he not know the master's level?
Although Natsuyu used to have a habit of going to the gym, it was just normal exercise, and he never stuck with it for long each day. In the past, curious about martial arts, Natsuyu had even come to ask the martial artist for guidance, only to give up the next day because the training was too bitter.
Therefore, the martial artist knew that Natsuyu's body was certainly among the healthiest for someone his age—surely capable of carrying on the family line and branching out the family tree in the future—but he definitely shouldn't be able to slap a 150-pound man away!
This wasn't a martial arts novel!
The martial artist was shocked, but with the mercenary's fate as a warning, even though Natsuyu's movement was as swift as a ghost when he arrived, the bodyguard was able to react.
However, the movement of Natsuyu's palm toward him was so fast that his eyes could barely see an afterimage, making it impossible to judge where it would land.
The martial artist felt as if he had returned to his youth, sparring with his master. Gritting his teeth and widening his eyes, he relied on his rich combat experience and intuition. Using all his strength, he threw a punch in one direction, not daring to hold back at all for fear of being killed if he did.
True Transmission: Mountain-Splitting Punch!
Smack!
Fist and palm collided.
On one side was a soft palm with no technique.
On the other was a striking technique passed down for hundreds of years and a fist like steel, hardened with thick calluses from training since childhood.
Natsuyu's restrained palm strike was blocked by the fist. Before the martial artist could celebrate, Natsuyu felt relieved enough to increase his power.
"Argh!"
The martial artist had a very stable stance; the soles of his shoes rubbed violently against the ground as he was pushed against the wall by Natsuyu's massive force. He hit the wall with a thud but surprisingly didn't collapse.
But in the next moment, the martial artist's eyes widened in shock.
His hundred-plus-pound body was actually grabbed by the fist with one hand by Natsuyu and swung high into the air!
Is this a human?
A monster!
The martial artist curled his body in mid-air and tumbled three meters across the ground. He was in intense pain with multiple abrasions on his skin. The look he gave Natsuyu was like a primitive man seeing a Gundam.
"Call an ambulance for yourselves."
Leaving those words behind, Natsuyu turned and walked quickly into Rurikawa Rinka's courtyard.
The martial artist lay on the ground, his mind in a mess.
"I must be dreaming and haven't woken up yet..."
"I've practiced martial arts for 30 years, training my body every single day without fail. How could I be defeated by a young man with one hand? Hahaha, it's definitely a dream. Absolutely a dream."
Tears filled the martial artist's eyes. He tried to force a smile, but it shattered the next second, and he began to sob uncontrollably.
"Master, I don't want to learn martial arts anymore. I can't even beat a kid. I don't want to live!"
...
Rurikawa Tsubaki sat on the bed.
Since being woken up and dressed by Mrs. Rinhana's female bodyguard this morning, she had been hugging her legs and staring at herself in the vanity mirror.
Her long, straight black hair, once typical of a Yamato Nadeshiko, had been cut into a shoulder-length bob after she was brought here.
Her skin was snow-white and her face was cute. Even with an expressionless ennui face, her beauty wasn't ruined; instead, it added a cold, broken aura, exuding a chilly elegance.
Dressed in a traditional pure white kimono, even though she was curled up on the bed in an impolite manner, her delicate figure still exuded an elegant temperament. This was the temperament Rurikawa Tsubaki had developed through the noble education she had received since childhood.
Rurikawa Tsubaki was only from a branch family of the Rurikawa family, but she was still wealthy, influential, and lived a comfortable life. Her parents placed great importance on education and had raised her as a noble Yamato Nadeshiko since she was young, valuing her immensely.
Yet, those very parents who valued her most had not hesitated to send her to the main house and sever ties after receiving an order from the head family, allowing her to become the nominal legitimate daughter of the Rurikawa family.
She had called her parents for help, but they intentionally played the role of strangers, respectfully calling her "Miss" in their speech.
In that moment, Rurikawa Tsubaki knew that her parents were no longer the family who loved her. There was a thick wall between them.
She had been abandoned by her family and forced to receive training in servant etiquette from a female bodyguard.
Until today, Rurikawa Tsubaki was about to be sold as a "commodity" to an even greater noble to spend her life as a maid without dignity.
This cute face she was once proud of and the noble elegance she had cultivated since childhood would become the reasons why those big figures would refuse to let her go when she suffered.
The more Rurikawa Tsubaki thought, the more terrified she became. She understood the filth within the nobility. Not every young master was as clean-living as the one from her own house—whom she had only met a few times—who had only one personal maid by his side since childhood to handle his daily needs.
Most noble young masters would indulge their desires. In fact, it wasn't just the young masters; those aging nobles could also become a source of pain for a beautiful maid.
Rurikawa Tsubaki would completely lose her dignity.
What pained her even more was that her parents had personally pushed her toward this fate.
Rurikawa Tsubaki now had no one to rely on. Despair grew in her heart; no one could stop her from falling into hell.