46 Packing a Punch P2
Eren had thought that since Stand and the rest were told to not report to the guild for a week, they would do exactly that. They would go out to party like usual. There were various leisure activities created in the Elysian cities to cater to its ranker population.
Activities that would keep these guys busy for an entire week. At least that’s what Eren thought after learning the behaviors of Stan and the others from his memories that belonged to the previous Eren.
It turned out that Eren had underestimated the mental damage and shock caused to Stan and the rest by fighting for himself. By standing up for himself and his well-being.
‘It’s my mistake. I should have kept Reece closer until I was ready to face these bastards.’
Despite how he felt physically, Eren had clear thoughts and a clear understanding of his situation. As if he could isolate the feelings of pain while processing them so that they wouldn’t interfere with his thinking.
But exceptional mental fortitude or admitting his mistake wasn’t going to be enough to get him out of his predicament.
Knowing is not enough. We must apply. Willing is not enough. We must do.
A random thought popped into Eren’s mind as he started processing the time differently than usual. His vision was getting red because the wound he had received on his forehead was pouring blood into his open eyes. But he felt like he had better clarity and better vision than before. It was as if what he was supposed to do was clear to him.
The experiences he had received from the creator’s inheritance and his own experiences as Vik and Eren had come together to formulate a plan. These experiences had laid dormant in his psyche. But his survival instincts had allowed him to unearth them. So that he could do what he had put his heart and mind into.
While Eren was being forced to come here by the trio or getting beaten up in the last few minutes, he did not speak a word. What could he say or do that would make Stan drop the idea of torturing him? Nothing. So he preferred to keep his mouth shut. That would at least not give Stan the satisfaction he wanted.
But Eren spoke at this point as he started to get up from his position, his body warning him against acting because of his fractured ribs and his injuries.
“Even when I have lost my life once, I don’t truly understand what death means. I am not afraid to die, Stan. But I am afraid to die like the pathetic cockroach I always have been.
This is not my end. I refuse to accept this as my end. I thank you for teaching me so many valuable lessons today. For helping me digest my gains. For making me aware of what “he” meant when he said, “Don’t be afraid to spill the blood.”
Stan was lost in his own thoughts about being with Reece when Eren said that. The guy took a while to process that Eren had gotten up and said whatever the hell he had uttered.
But before Stan, Jayce, or Ralph could react to his barely audible statement verbally, Eren almost disappeared from his position. In his place were a few streaks of lightning dancing on the ground before disappearing into thin air.
The next thing Stan knew, who was already closing in on Eren, a punch was being thrown at his solar plexus. By somebody who was not even a ranker. But he had applied whatever mana he had in a way that allowed him to use it like a movement spell. A pseudo movement spell that allowed Eren to move the way he did.
Stan was an official ranker. He was surprised by Eren’s short burst of speed. But he wasn’t overwhelmed by it. Plus, he gained combat experience due to time in the numbered Oasis.
Verbal communication was not necessary when things escalated to this point. Stan quickly raised both of his arms in a defensive formation and almost blocked Eren’s attack.
Almost.
The sound of lightning crackled when Eren poured all of his remaining mana into his punch. His punch was coated with lightning as a result. It was his element, his elemental nature, and his digested experiences that allowed him to throw that punch beyond the limits of mortals.
Stan wasn’t expecting such a level of explosiveness or ferocity from Eren. He had thought that the guy was a geek who liked to keep to himself. He would have never imagined that there was a monster hidden in him. A monster who could breach the limits set for non-rankers and become a threat to an official rank like him.
Stan was first taken aback by Eren’s lightning mana that had manifested itself and caused him to close his eyes. Then he felt Eren’s lighting-coated fist connect with his Solar Plexus from an odd angle, from below the defensive X formation his arms had created for him. Eren had out-maneuvered his defense by suddenly changing his point of contact and attacking from a lower altitude than initially intended.
Eren’s foreign mana invaded Stan’s body. The lightning mana was known for its stun effect. So Stan’s reaction time was compromised even further.
All these things happened in a fraction of a second even when it felt like they were done over some time. Even Jayce and Bryce were not aware of what was happening between Stan and Eren.
Due to his cocktail of emotions that were part surprise and part confusion, Stan could not use his fire-element mana on time. Plus, his natural mana defense layer had also been compromised because of his confused state.
Swoosh. Connect. Boom.
Jayce and Ralph saw Stan walking towards Eren. Then they saw the non-ranker get up and said something inaudible to them. Inaudible because of how far they were from Eren. In the next moment, they saw Stan flying in the air. He was flying towards them. With even greater momentum than Eren had.
Jayce and Ralph both looked at each other in confusion as their de-facto leader flew over their heads and landed about 15 meters away from them. Stan’s body was coated in lightning mana. Foreign mana was causing havoc inside his body.
Even as a no-ranker, Eren had access to the same grade of mana as the official rankers in Rank 1. And the fact that foreign mana invasion had taken place from a point of contact that was Stan’s solar plexus made things more difficult for the lowkey psychopath.
With the experience gained from Bruce, the lightning-coated punch was thrown by Eren. This punch was a symbol of his retaliation against his circumstances.
A low-key psychopath had been beaten in one punch by a high-functioning psychopath.