Chapter 266: The One-Breadth Evasion Technique [2.]

Chapter 266: The One-Breadth Evasion Technique [2.]

Kael’s expression turned thoughtful as he listened. The Sword Saint paused briefly, as if to let his words sink in, then continued.

"The combat technique you’re creating turns your own body into a weapon. That has its advantages, but it also comes with disadvantages."

His eyes rested on Kael’s thoughtful face, his tone shifting.

"One of the biggest is range."

Kael’s posture eased slightly as he listened.

"Normal weapons give their users additional reach. A sword, spear, or even a simple staff allows you to attack an opponent from a distance while keeping your own body outside their immediate range." The Sword Saint’s gaze drifted over him. "But you have chosen to fight primarily with your own body."

Kael’s eyes narrowed. "Which means I have to get close."

"Exactly."

The Sword Saint’s eyes sharpened.

"If your opponent knows how to maintain distance, every step toward them becomes a battle of its own. And if you cannot move efficiently, you will waste energy simply trying to reach them."

Kael nodded slowly.

The old man’s words struck a familiar chord.

His battle with the monk had already revealed this weakness to him.

Once the monk maintained a certain distance, landing an attack became increasingly difficult. Kael constantly had to close the gap before he could properly unleash his attacks.

Fortunately, the Tower had imposed a penalty on the monk, reducing his overall stats and making his speed far lower than it normally would have been.

Even with that advantage, however, the battle had still given Kael more trouble than he would have liked.

If the monk had possessed his full speed, Kael could only imagine how much more difficult it would have been.

The Sword Saint’s lesson suddenly made much more sense. Kael wasn’t lacking speed, he was lacking the ability to make the most of it, and that was a weakness he needed to fix.

Seeing that Kael was following along, the Sword Saint continued.

"The mobility technique I just used was developed specifically for that purpose."

Kael’s attention sharpened.

"It is a technique I created many years ago. I called it the One-Breadth Evasion Technique."

"One-Breadth Evasion?"

Kael repeated the name, his interest immediately piqued.

The Sword Saint nodded.

"Yes. It is a combat technique that relies on the slightest movements of the body, precise footwork, and controlled bursts of speed to evade attacks by mere inches while remaining within close range of your opponent."

He demonstrated with a small movement of his shoulder.

"Rather than retreating from an attack, you make the smallest possible adjustment to avoid it. You don’t create unnecessary distance. You remain close enough to immediately counterattack, allowing you to fully utilize your own combat technique."

Kael nodded slowly. The concept of the technique was simple enough to understand, but the more he thought about it, the more dangerous it sounded.

He frowned.

"Evading attacks by mere inches?"

His gaze moved over the Sword Saint.

"Isn’t that extremely dangerous? One mistake and it would be goodbye."

The Sword Saint glanced at him.

It was almost as though he had already anticipated Kael’s concern.

"The One-Breadth Evasion Technique isn’t a technique meant for mistakes."

His voice became serious.

"It requires zero error."

Kael’s expression tightened.

"If you misjudge an attack by even a fraction, you won’t be dodging it anymore. You’ll be taking it."

The Sword Saint folded his hands behind his back.

"That is why you should carefully consider whether you truly want to walk this path. There are safer ways to improve your mobility."

He paused.

"Ultimately, the choice is yours."

Kael fell silent.

There was no denying the danger.

The technique demanded an absurd level of precision. His timing had to be perfect, his reactions had to be fast enough, and his body had to move exactly when necessary.

A single mistake could turn a successful evasion into a fatal blow.

Yet Kael had just witnessed the Sword Saint use it.

The old man had barely moved, but every attack had missed by only a few inches. There had been no wasted movement, no unnecessary retreat, and no opening created in the process.

It was the perfect technique for his fighting style.

Of course, reaching that level of mastery must have required countless hours of practice.

But if something like this was enough to make him back away, could he really call himself a genius?

Kael’s eyes gradually hardened.

"I’ll learn it."

The Sword Saint raised an eyebrow as Kael straightened his posture.

"So, please teach me, my distinguished and honorable senior."

There was a hint of sincerity in his voice, and perhaps just a little too much flattery, which made the Sword Saint’s eyelid twitch.

"You and that sweet mouth of yours."

Kael smiled innocently.

The old man didn’t bother dwelling on it and simply returned to the lesson.

"The One-Breadth Evasion Technique isn’t based solely on speed and reaction time."

His expression became serious again.

"You also need to be able to study your opponent properly."

Kael listened carefully.

"You must understand their habits, their attack patterns, the way they shift their weight, and the subtle movements that occur before they strike."

The Sword Saint raised one hand.

"Most importantly, you need foresight."

"Foresight?"

"You need to be capable of determining what your opponent is about to do before they actually do it."

A faint, almost mischievous smile appeared on the Sword Saint’s face.𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Otherwise, how do you expect to dodge an attack by a single inch when you only react after it has already been launched?"

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

The Sword Saint’s smile widened slightly.

"Now..." He lowered his stance. "Try to follow my attacks."

The moment those words left his mouth, the Sword Saint vanished. Before Kael could even comprehend what was happening, the old man was already in front of him, his fist striking forward and slamming into his chest.

Kael flew backward and crashed into the wall, but the Sword Saint was already closing in with another attack.

Kael couldn’t help but sigh at the sight. It was clear this training was going to be a rough one.