Chapter 17: How Could Strength Ever Be Inconvenient
Crossing the threshold, leather boots made of magical beast hide stepped onto the wooden floor, the clear sound of footsteps echoing through the enclosed reception hall.
Joshua surveyed the decorations around him, his gaze shifting slightly.
The hall was several dozen meters in diameter, square-shaped, with beige carpets covering the floor. Portraits of past family heads lined the walls, slightly withered potted plants stood in the corners, and in the center of the hall was an ornate weapon rack filled with all kinds of arms. Everything was so familiar.
The Lord's Manor was where he was born and raised, carrying his past. For instance, the large hole in the carpet not far away was burned by him when he played with fire as a child. For that, the Count had given him a severe lesson, and it was only thanks to the old steward's pleading that he wasn't beaten to the point of being unable to care for himself.
Looking up and gazing around, for Joshua, every single spot here held memories. But now, aside from himself, everyone who once lived here had vanished without a trace... His father had passed away, the old steward's whereabouts were unknown, and the maids and butlers had all been dismissed. This vast mansion no longer held a single familiar face.
Not only that, but now a group of shameless scoundrels had entrenched themselves here, attempting to occupy it.
Ying looked up at her master. She could sense Joshua's mood, but as a newly born Divine Mechanism, her somewhat simple mental logic couldn't yet comprehend such complex feelings.
"I'm home."
Without suppressing his voice or deliberately raising it, Joshua simply greeted the empty hall as he always did, as if it were the most ordinary thing.
But the moment Joshua's words fell, a glint of cold light suddenly flashed from the stairwell corner over ten meters away!
"Whoosh——"
An arrow wrapped in faint light flew silently toward Joshua's neck at near-sound speed! By the time one's ears caught the faint hum of air being disturbed, the arrow would already strike.
*Chih.*
Two fingers lifted gently, steadily catching the incoming projectile. With a flick of his wrist, all the force contained within was completely neutralized. Joshua grasped the arrow, turned his head toward the end of the corner, and sneered disdainfully: "An Elemental Archer... If I were you, I wouldn't use a silent arrow."
"To someone who has survived countless battles and emerged from a rain of ten thousand arrows, this arrow has no power, no stealth. Aside from a bit of magical effect, it's laughable."
"...You can only talk."
The ambush failed and his position exposed, the ranger—armed with a hand crossbow, a short sword at his waist, and a large bow on his back—simply stepped out from the shadows. His face was hidden beneath a hood, only a pair of eyes visible. After a gloomy retort, he reached into his pouch and pulled out seven or eight iron crossbow bolts of various types, all inscribed with magical runes. He sneered: "From the rumors, I thought you were something special, but you're just an idiot like this. Facing an archer without armor, not even carrying a weapon. Looks like the boss was right—those mercenaries were all trash, getting beaten by someone like you."
Even as he spoke, the ranger quickly loaded his hand crossbow and began pressing the trigger in rapid succession. With almost no interval, in the blink of an eye, eight magical crossbow bolts glowing with different colors shot toward Joshua from various directions.
At the same time, Joshua simply shook his head. The hand gripping the arrow suddenly clenched, producing a crunching sound as the steel twisted in his grasp.
"Weak."
With a flick of his wrist, a piercing sonic boom rang out.
The crumpled iron ball turned into a streak of black light, shooting straight forward. Wind surged, blowing all the crossbow bolts off course. In an instant, it was already before the ranger's eyes, who had just finished his volley. He stared blankly, completely unable to react.
The force contained in that iron ball was so heavy that even a Silver-rank physique couldn't withstand it—it would surely shatter his skull and kill him dead. But just as the streak of light was about to strike the ranger, a figure suddenly flashed out from behind him.
*Bang!*
A warrior clad in chainmail, holding a diamond-shaped medium shield, blocked the iron ball at the critical moment. The forcibly compressed iron ball shattered into countless fragments upon the powerful impact, scattering in all directions.
"...Thanks."
"Nothing to it. It's my duty."
The ranger, still shaken, quickly regained his composure. He hurriedly took down the large bow from his back, no longer daring to underestimate his opponent—his physical capabilities were far higher than estimated. Such force was nearly comparable to a Gold-rank expert, definitely not something a ranger specializing in archery could withstand. He swallowed his saliva and said nervously: "Be careful, he's strong. I misjudged him—this is Radiant Peak!"
"Didn't the intel say only Mid-Silver Rank?!"
He didn't need the reminder. The warrior was already inwardly alarmed. The iron ball had blasted a considerable crater into his ironwood shield, and his hands were still numb.
Seconds later, three more warriors arrived in the hall. The faint sound of chaotic footsteps could be heard from behind—the main force was gathering.
"Hmph." Joshua expressionlessly twisted his neck, took off his leather coat, and threw it to the ground. His cold gaze swept over the five Silver-rank enemies. "Insects."
"Arrogant!"
One of the newly arrived warriors couldn't help but rebuke: "There are five of us, and you don't even have a weapon! What gives you the confidence to fight us?! If you surrender, you might still get a whole corpse."
But Joshua ignored him. He simply took a step forward, reached out his right hand, and clenched it into a fist, assuming a stance. His entire body rose and fell slightly, every muscle trembling.
Faint glimmers of light surged from deep within his flesh, converging on the surface of his skin, causing a faint reddish hue to slowly spread across Joshua's skin.
Sensing the immense threat building, the ranger decided not to prolong the standoff. He drew his bow fully, loaded an arrow inscribed with Ice Demon runes, and focused his gaze. With a vibrating twang of the bowstring, a streak of light too fast for the eye to track broke the sound barrier, flying toward Joshua. Wherever it passed, mana overflowed and frost spread.
He had once used this arrow to kill several two-headed wyverns in a single shot and freeze elite fire elementals. As one of the strongest mercenaries in the Northern Lands, the ranger had pushed the Elemental Archer profession to its limits. Even a goblin cannon, in a comprehensive comparison, couldn't match his Frost Condensation Arrow!
The other four warriors wasted no words either. The moment the ranger initiated the battle, they simultaneously raised their weapons and charged forward. Their heavy armored footsteps stomped the ground, shattering wooden planks and sending countless splinters flying.
These five seemed to be a squad, coordinating their movements seamlessly without any hesitation.
But Joshua showed no fear.
"Since when..."
Surrounded, facing the charge of four well-coordinated warriors, Joshua's lips curled upward. His eyes were as cold as steel—the gaze of one looking at prey. "Did scum like you dare to charge at me?"
*Boom!*
A shockwave erupted from his feet like a thunderclap. The immense explosive force instantly shattered the carpet, the wooden planks, and even the hard soil and rock beneath. Joshua's figure vanished from the five's sight. The next instant, the Frost Condensation Magic Arrow struck his original position. The Ice Demon rune flashed, and the boiling splinters, dust, and debris were instantly frozen in place, completely encased in ice. An area dozens of meters in radius turned into frost-covered solid ice.
At that moment, Joshua had already appeared beside a warrior clad in leather armor, holding a straight sword. His right hand shot out, and in the warrior's incredulous eyes, grabbed a corner of the leather armor, revealing a contemptuous smile.
"No weapon means I can't kill?"
Muscles bulged, fingers exerted force. In an instant, he pierced five deep holes through the magical beast hide leather armor. A powerful force yanked the warrior's body, using him as a shield to block the attacks of the other warriors for Joshua.
"Hahaha—how could strength ever be so inconvenient!"
Scenting the blood, Joshua burst into laughter. This was the first time he had laughed so freely since his transmigration. A faint red glimmer flickered in his eyes. He spoke slowly, emphasizing each word: "Watch closely, you weaklings!"
With a sudden burst of force, he tore the leather armor off the straight-sword warrior with one hand. The tough hide was as fragile as paper in his grip.
"Clothes!"
With a flick of his wrist, the limp leather straightened. Under Joshua's swing, this bundle of armor became as powerful as a club. A single strike hit the fallen straight-sword warrior's head. With a dull *thump*, his skull caved in, blood oozed from his mouth and nose, and he died on the spot.
"Sand and gravel!"
Without any pause, he stomped the ground, twisted his waist, and channeled his strength. Joshua slammed the leather bundle—now a makeshift club—against the floor. The wooden planks split apart, and countless flying gravel and stone chips shot out like bullets, forcing the other warriors to halt their assault and protect their vitals. The ranger intended to retreat temporarily to dodge this wave, but he never expected a shadow to lock onto him, hurtling straight toward his right jaw. His head spun under the immense force, and his cervical spine was snapped cleanly.
It was half a piece of the already tattered leather armor. Under Joshua's throw, it was comparable to a real heavy punch.
"And—your own attacks!"
Seizing the opportunity, he flashed forward and closed in on a warrior holding a flail in his right hand and a large shield in his left. Faced with Joshua's lightning-fast movement, the warrior reacted without delay, immediately swinging his deadly weapon downward with all his might. But Joshua had already seen through this. As the opponent attacked and his shield retracted, Joshua's left hand shot out, pressing against the inside of the warrior's right elbow, then suddenly exerted force.
This was a pushing strike that relied on twisting the entire body to gather power, then releasing it through the palm. Though not extremely powerful, it was heavier. The flail warrior instantly felt his body lose control, his center of gravity completely shifting, about to fall to the right.
How could Joshua let this opportunity slip? As the opponent's center of gravity destabilized and his defenses opened wide, Joshua's left hand formed a spear-hand strike, driving straight into the throat unprotected by armor. A crisp crack sounded—the sound of a shattered larynx.
Six seconds. Three of the five were dead. Joshua was still unsatisfied. Facing a spearman and the shield-bearing warrior, he judged the timing, charged again, and closed in, crashing into the spearman's chest. As the opponent struggled to catch his breath, Joshua pushed his waist with one hand and his shoulder with the other, exerting force. The spearman was hurled bodily toward the shield-bearing warrior.
The shield warrior knew Joshua was trying to use his comrade's body to block his vision and as a springboard for attack, so he quickly jumped back, attempting to create distance. But he never expected that after dodging his comrade's body, a 'iron ball'—all too familiar and infinitely despair-inducing—appeared before his eyes.
*Splat.*
The sound of flesh and blood scattering rang out, accompanied by a crisp bone-cracking noise. The warrior's nasal cavity was completely crushed by the flying iron ball, and his consciousness faded.
At the same time, Joshua stomped down, crushing the fallen spearman's chest. The man spat blood, his ribs snapping one by one as he died in agony.
"If I so wished, even the earth beneath my feet is my weapon."
Standing in the now-devastated hall, Joshua swept his gaze over the five corpses on the ground and sneered contemptuously: "Did you think this body of muscle and martial skill was just for show?"
Behind him, at the entrance of the hall, silver hair fluttered. Ying, who had been ready to show off her skills, stared blankly at the already-finished battlefield. Her green eyes flickered with light, her expression extremely complex. She muttered disappointedly in a low voice: "But you promised..."
Joshua seemed to notice this. He turned back and smiled apologetically: "Ah, Ying, it seems I didn't need you this time. Next time for sure!"