Chapter 399 397-I Quit Fighting
Faced with such a sudden turn of events, Ethan was taken aback, swiftly sidestepping the barbarian's attack.
It was a close call for Ethan.
Although the brute's strength was no match for his, the unexpected nature of the assault, coupled with Ethan's somewhat playful attitude towards the barbarian, had led to a moment of carelessness.
It was a hair's breadth escape from the swing of the axe, a truly perilous moment.
Nevertheless, Ethan, though startled, managed to dodge the attack.
He hadn't anticipated such a move from the barbarian.
While it was a close shave, for Ethan, it only added an element of intrigue to the situation.
At that moment, the barbarian had already tumbled to the ground.
Unquestionably, it was a heavy fall, akin to a dog biting the dust.
This time, the fall was even more severe than the last.
However, the axe remained firmly clutched in his hand.
Despite his rough, tough exterior, the barbarian seemed to be at his limit after being thrown around twice.
Lying on the ground, he was visibly in pain, his body trembling slightly from the agony.
Observing his condition, Ethan felt that the barbarian had received enough punishment.
He didn't wish to entangle himself any further, especially since he was on a tight schedule.
Lingering there seemed unnecessary.
Thus, Ethan decided to leave.
However, to his surprise, just as he was about to walk away, the barbarian managed to stand up once again.
Witnessing this, Ethan couldn't help but marvel at the resilience of the barbarian, who had managed to get back on his feet so quickly.
At that moment, the barbarian, axe in hand, charged at Ethan once again.
Ethan was taken aback by the barbarian's courage to attack even after such a significant beating.
He admired the barbarian's spirit of growing stronger through adversity, but Ethan was also growing weary of this encounter, especially since he was pressed for time and couldn't afford to dally.
So, Ethan abandoned his previous playful approach.
No longer toying with the barbarian, he confronted him head-on, delivering a powerful kick in his direction.
The barbarian, expecting Ethan to trip him as he had done before, was overly cautious of his footing.
He failed to anticipate an attack from above.
Ethan's foot struck the barbarian squarely in the chest.
Caught off guard and unprepared for Ethan's change in tactics, the barbarian took the full brunt of the kick, letting out a cry of pain as he was sent flying backward.
"You... cough, cough, cough..."
The barbarian, having received a hefty blow to his chest, fell to the ground, writhing in pain and unable to speak.
As he tried to utter words, he was overcome by fits of coughing.
Ethan watched, speechless at the man's determination to speak despite his agony.
After catching his breath, the barbarian finally managed to steady himself, glaring at Ethan with fury.
"What kind of honor is this in combat? Why didn't you trip me this time?" he accused.
Ethan almost laughed out loud at these words.
What sort of logic was this?
They were in the midst of a confrontation, and Ethan's choice of tactics was his own.
Yet here was the barbarian, accusing Ethan of lacking martial honor for not employing the same move.
It was a mix of amusement and bewilderment for Ethan, an ironic twist in their battle of wills and strengths.
Observing the barbarian, Ethan noted that while his injuries were not severe, the pain he endured must have been immense, likely diminishing his capacity to fight.
Under normal circumstances, any ordinary person would have been incapacitated by such agony, unable to continue the battle.
However, the barbarian consistently performed beyond Ethan's expectations, leaving him uncertain whether another attack was imminent.
Ethan, somewhat exasperated, asked, "Are you still up for fighting?"
"Fight? Why not!" the barbarian retorted, once again raising his axe and charging towards Ethan.
Ethan found himself at a loss with this indomitable, ever-resilient barbarian and realized he had no choice but to continue the skirmish.
This time, however, the barbarian seemed to have learned from his previous mistakes.
He no longer attacked recklessly or with excessive force.
As the barbarian's axe came swinging down again, Ethan nimbly dodged the attack.
In the past, Ethan's evasive maneuvers were often followed by leg movements, tripping the barbarian twice.
Aware of this, the barbarian was extra vigilant of Ethan's legwork.
Consequently, he failed to pay attention to Ethan's hands.
Ethan, noticing this lapse, seized the opportunity.
Extending his hand, he landed a punch on the barbarian.
It was a restrained blow; Ethan, despite the barbarian's roughness, did not find him detestable.
Uncertain of the root cause of their conflict, Ethan was not inclined to inflict fatal damage.
Therefore, Ethan's punch was aimed not at a vital spot but rather at the barbarian's arm.
Had Ethan targeted a critical area, the barbarian would likely have been fatally wounded by now.
Ethan's decision to pull his punches indicated a level of respect and restraint, a recognition of the barbarian's tenacity and spirit, even in the heat of their relentless and unexpected confrontation.
Even though Ethan's punch landed on the barbarian's arm, it inflicted considerable pain, eliciting a scream from the man as his axe clattered to the ground.
Beads of sweat formed on the barbarian's forehead, a testament to the intense agony he was experiencing.
Following this, the barbarian, now disarmed by Ethan, shockingly lunged at him with bare hands.
His intent was clear as he aimed for Ethan's neck in a desperate, life-or-death move.
Ethan was momentarily stunned, having never encountered such a fighting style before, and found himself in a mix of incredulity and amusement.
As the barbarian made his move, reaching for Ethan's neck, Ethan was quick to react.
He deftly fell backward to the ground and executed a swift, rabbit-kicking-eagle maneuver, landing another kick squarely in the barbarian's chest.
The impact was almost identical to the previous one, sending the barbarian flying back, spewing a mouthful of blood.
At this point, Ethan had realized the undeniable truth about his adversary: the barbarian was the kind of fighter who, if not defeated, would relentlessly continue the battle.
Convinced that the barbarian would launch another attack, Ethan braced himself, ready to counter whatever came next.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The barbarian, who had been relentlessly attacking, suddenly sat down on the ground, gasping for air with deep, heaving breaths.
This action was completely unforeseen by Ethan, as the barbarian's previous behavior had suggested he was the type to never give up until utterly defeated.
Yet now, there he was, sitting motionless. Ethan found this turn of events quite puzzling.
"Are you not fighting anymore?" Ethan asked.
Hearing Ethan's question, the barbarian grunted, "No more, I can't beat you. You keep hitting the same spot, and it hurts too much."
Ethan was rendered speechless by this response.
Despite the oddity of the situation, he couldn't help but find the barbarian somewhat endearing.
This was the first time he had encountered someone like this.
However, one thing still perplexed Ethan: why had the barbarian attacked him in the first place, even hurling an insult at him?
As far as Ethan could recall, he hadn't provoked the barbarian.
It seemed there was no apparent reason for the attack, which made the whole encounter all the more bewildering.
So, Ethan asked the barbarian, "You realize the pain now, but why did you attack me earlier? I was just walking there, minding my own business, and didn't provoke you. Why did you suddenly attack me?"
The barbarian huffed in response, "What do you mean, 'suddenly attack you'? It was you who let my food escape."
"Food?" Ethan was taken aback by the barbarian's words, puzzled by what he could possibly mean.
At this point, the barbarian added, "I haven't eaten for several days, and today, after finally catching some food, you let it escape. You really are despicable!"
Hearing this, Ethan finally understood the whole situation.
The 'food' the barbarian referred to was none other than the animal Ethan had earlier set free.
Ethan realized that the creature he had released from the net was actually the prey this barbarian had caught.
By inadvertently freeing the barbarian's catch, Ethan had unwittingly triggered the fierce attack.
With this revelation, Ethan could sympathize with the barbarian's sudden outburst of anger.
According to the barbarian, it had been a long while since he had caught any game and he hadn't eaten for days.
It was no wonder then that the barbarian was so infuriated by Ethan's actions, letting his hard-earned meal slip away.
Unfortunately, the animal Ethan had released was long gone, beyond recapture.
Addressing the situation, Ethan said to the barbarian, "Don't worry, you just want something to eat, right? Leave it to me; I'll sort this out."
Upon hearing Ethan's offer, the barbarian's eyes lit up, and he turned his attention eagerly towards Ethan.
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