Chapter 170: Chapter 158: Martial Combat Step and A Knight Does Not Die Unarmed

"A... footwork technique?"

Seeing the name on the Sheepskin Scroll, Roland’s brows furrowed slightly.

Ever since he’d arrived in this world, his methods for growing stronger had mainly focused on accumulating Combat Skills and knowledge. As for footwork...

Roland’s gaze flickered as he began to recall.

’I think only Peyton mentioned some offensive footwork when he was teaching me Basic Swordsmanship and Lion Swordsmanship, but besides that...’

He drummed his fingers on the table, deep in thought.

Even the vast knowledge of Weapon Skills contained within Traits like Short-Handled Mastery and Long-Handled Mastery, granted by his Professional Panel, only made scattered references to footwork.

In his past battles, his dodges, lunges, and repositioning had relied more on his formidable physique and combat instincts. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

’I never thought that footwork itself could be a standalone Combat Skill...’

Roland mused, his gaze returning to the dense text and diagrams on the scroll.

The content of Martial Combat Step wasn’t convoluted theory. It was concise and precise, like a battlefield command.

’It’s not a fixed set of patterns...’

Roland muttered to himself, his fingertip tracing over the diagram depicting a human figure.

’The core is... flow and adaptation?’

He studied the scroll, word by word.

The scroll laid out a unique philosophy.

Footwork wasn’t an isolated skill. It was the dynamic foundation for transferring the body’s power, shifting one’s center of gravity, and achieving perfect resonance with the weapon in hand.

It wasn’t restricted by whether a weapon was long or short, light or heavy. The key was to understand the weapon’s own "momentum"—the unique rhythm and nature born from its weight, center of gravity, balance point, inertia, and offensive properties.

The purpose of the footwork was to respond to, guide, and even amplify this "momentum."

’Respond to the weapon’s "momentum"...’

Something clicked in Roland’s mind.

Every line on the scroll stressed that a profound understanding of this "weapon’s nature" was the primary requirement for mastering Martial Combat Step—and the most difficult hurdle to overcome.

Countless battle-hardened veterans, or experienced Mercenaries and Adventurers, could go their entire lives without ever truly "hearing" the whisper of the weapon in their hands.

Through experience, they might discover some fixed ways to coordinate their movements, but they were still a far cry from the realm of true mastery—where one could move at will, the weapon an extension of their arm, their steps resonating with its nature.

This required an almost instinctual talent for perceiving a weapon’s inner physics and combat rhythm—a gift that could not be easily acquired through sheer hard work alone.

But Roland was different!

The description of a weapon’s "momentum" in Martial Combat Step resonated strongly with his core ability, A Knight Does Not Die Unarmed. It was almost as if it were tailor-made for him.

That Trait allowed him to instantly understand and master any weapon he touched, discerning its center of gravity, balance point, ideal force application, and even its most subtle "personality."

And Martial Combat Step seemed to be the key to perfectly integrating this "extended limb" with the art of bodily movement!

At this thought, a gleam of excitement flashed in Roland’s eyes.

’A Knight Does Not Die Unarmed lets me "understand" weapons, and Martial Combat Step tells me how to "move." It transforms that "understanding" into a seamless fusion of offense and defense! It’s not about rigid steps. It’s about letting the weapon guide my movement, and letting that movement serve the weapon’s edge!’

This theoretical breakthrough ignited in him an urgent desire to put it into practice.

Roland immediately stood up, pushed the table to a corner, and cleared a small open space in the center of the room.

He then took a deep breath and drew his Mithril Longsword.

VMM!

A familiar, clear hum resonated in his palm.

The Trait, A Knight Does Not Die Unarmed, activated instantly.

The Mithril Longsword’s cold touch, its perfect center of gravity, and its unique blend of toughness and sharpness flowed into his consciousness, as clear as if it were an extension of his own body.

This sword’s "momentum" was swift and precise, carrying a hint of cold, piercing force.

’Lower my center of gravity... tighten my core... power begins in the feet...’

He took a simple sidestep.

At first, the movement was a bit stiff, completely different from his past dodges that relied purely on brute force.

He could clearly feel the power rise from his planted feet, travel up through his taut core, and smoothly propel his body to the side.

When he stopped, his body remained in perfect balance.

’Even the fundamentals are completely different...’

Feeling this unprecedented stability and efficiency, Roland couldn’t help but nod slightly.

He then closed his eyes, letting the "understanding" of the longsword from A Knight Does Not Die Unarmed fill his mind. At the same time, he recalled the guidance from the Martial Combat Step scroll about "resonating with the weapon" and assumed the opening stance for a thrust.

WHOOSH!

The moment he stepped forward, Roland felt a curious pulling sensation.

It was no longer a matter of ’I step, then I thrust.’ Instead, the very intent to thrust seemed to travel down the hilt to his feet, guiding the length and placement of his stride.

That single step didn’t just provide forward momentum; it also subtly adjusted his center of gravity and angle. This made the thrusting motion far smoother, the power flowing from his heel all the way to the tip of the blade, incredibly focused.

He even felt the tip of the Mithril Longsword was more "eager" than ever to pierce forward.

’Guidance... The weapon is guiding my steps?’

Roland opened his eyes, which shone with excitement.

He tried a diagonal slide into a downward slash.

This time, as the slide ended, the longsword’s weight and the arc of his swing seemed to naturally carry his body into a spin, perfectly converting the slide’s kinetic energy into the power of the slash.

The blade whistled through the air with a short, sharp sound. It took less effort than usual, yet its power was in no way diminished.

’The combination of the two... it’s just... too perfect!’

Roland almost let out a cry of delight.

He repeatedly tried a few basic movements.

Forward lunges, backward retreats, sidesteps, diagonal cuts.

With every attempt, he focused on letting the Mithril Longsword’s "momentum" guide his feet, rather than using brute force to make his body follow the weapon.

Every combination of movement and attack was smoother and more efficient than before, as if the longsword had become an extension of his body, and the footwork was the natural rhythm of this extended limb.

’The room is too small... and trying just one type of weapon is nowhere near enough.’

A fervent desire for exploration burned in Roland’s eyes.

’A Knight Does Not Die Unarmed lets me wield any weapon, but what about Martial Combat Step? Can it perfectly adapt to all of them? The cunning of a shortsword? The sheer power of a longspear? The crushing weight of a warhammer? Even... non-standard weapons?’

Just by scratching the surface with his Mithril Longsword, he could already envision a vast, entirely new horizon for his combat style.

It was a realm where the weapon led, the footwork supported, and the warrior himself became a true artist of combat.

Hesitating no longer, Roland quickly rolled up the Sheepskin Scroll, stuffed it back into his pouch, snatched the Mithril Longsword from the table, and strode out of the room, heading straight for the training grounds.

He needed space. He needed a variety of weapons. He needed to thoroughly test and master this newfound path of "flow," of resonating with a weapon, through simulated combat.

After quickly making his way to the town’s training grounds and greeting the attendant, Roland began eagerly grabbing various weapons.

When he swung the heavy warhammer in his hand, his steps and the twist of his waist were perfectly matched. The smashing force was stronger, but the recoil was cleverly dissipated by the precise placement of his feet, greatly reducing the strain on his arms.

When he switched to a nimble shortsword, his light, rapid steps seemed pulled along by the blade. His attack angles became swift and unpredictable, and the same offensive flurry consumed significantly less stamina, greatly boosting his endurance.

As for the long lance...

An explosive forward step, powered by his core, drastically increased the speed and piercing power of his thrusts. Withdrawing the lance for a retreat was equally fluid and swift.

Every time he switched weapons, A Knight Does Not Die Unarmed allowed him to instantly understand the new weapon’s "nature," and Martial Combat Step would immediately translate that understanding into the most appropriate footwork and rhythm.

Power traveled from his feet to the tip of the weapon with minimal loss, resulting in greater force.

Movement and attacks became one. Transitions between offense and defense were fluid and natural.

His stamina consumption dropped dramatically, while his endurance rose significantly.

Sweat poured down his face, but the light in Roland’s eyes only grew brighter.

This wasn’t just new footwork, it was a transformation of his combat instincts!

The combination of Martial Combat Step and A Knight Does Not Die Unarmed pushed his Combat Skills to a whole new realm!

CLANG!

Placing the weapon back on the rack, Roland let out a long breath, feeling the blood thrumming with excitement in his veins.

’It’s a shame the nearby Bear Goblins have all been wiped out. Otherwise, I could have tested what kind of transformation Martial Combat Step and A Knight Does Not Die Unarmed bring me in a real fight.’

With that thought, he shook his head slightly, glanced up at the dimming sky, and turned to walk back toward the inn.