30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 122

The opening was akin to a light exploratory jab.

Just a casual swing of the fist.

Yet the result it produced...

Bang!

...was anything but light.

Could this truly be called a mere jab?

Boom! Bang! BOOM!

The force resembled cannon fire.

Each powerful strike clashed against the other’s guard, unleashing relentless, deafening shockwaves with every collision.

BAM!

However, even as these cannon-like blows landed, neither of the fighters seemed to sustain any damage.

Despite being completely unarmed...

Every time their fists connected, it sounded like they were striking something resilient, akin to tightly compressed tires.

Huff—!

Perhaps bored with the light exchange, Maximus took the initiative to press the attack.

Thud!

The mere shift in his movements exuded an overwhelming pressure, like the oppressive weight of a storm.

A single graze from that fist could spell death for anyone.

Logic dictated that one should dodge or flee in the face of such might.

Crack.

But unfortunately, his opponent had no intention of avoiding it.

Ihan stood firm, receiving the terrifying blow head-on, responding with his own punch and advancing further.

The ground caved beneath his feet as he braced his entire body, standing unyielding.

And so—

BOOOOM!

He took the punch without a guard.

“?!”

Maximus was astonished.

Not only because his opponent neither dodged nor blocked, but also because—

Thump!

“...It hurts.”

Ihan’s punch struck Maximus squarely in the side, hitting with precision and immense force.

Heavy.

It felt as though a massive hammer had smashed into his ribs.

Had an ordinary person taken the blow, their organs would have ruptured entirely.

“You don’t look hurt at all,” Ihan quipped.

“Haha, trust me, it hurts. This is embarrassing. You took my punch with ease, yet here I am whining like this.”

“...‘Took it,’ you say.”

Ihan allowed a faint, bitter smile.

Though he had endured it using his Diamond Body, the struck area still tingled painfully.

Was this what it felt like to take a bull's charge square in the chest?

‘It’s heavy.’

Even his Diamond Body, capable of deflecting swords, spears, and even arrows with ease, couldn’t entirely mitigate the impact.

Pain aside, it was absurd.

‘This man withstood it without any technique.’

While Ihan had to activate a defensive skill to endure the punch, Maximus had absorbed the blow with nothing but his raw physique.

It hadn’t been a light jab; it was a full-force strike meant to knock him down, yet Maximus simply brushed it off, feigning mild discomfort.

It was, quite literally, an insane body.

This must be what people mean when they speak of an “invincible form.”

‘In a past life, someone once said that even a world champion’s punch is nothing more than a massage to a bear-like beast.’

A sudden example came to mind.

And Ihan found the comparison fitting.

Just as a lion or bear would perceive human fists and kicks as mere flailing, ordinary attacks were meaningless against this man.

Only absolute strength would suffice.

A single, full-powered strike—

Not a light jab—

‘But one decisive blow.’

If that’s the case...

How would he react to this?

Ihan extended his fist once again.

‘This is fun! It’s insanely fun!’

Maximus felt a massive thrill coursing through him.

The weight of Ihan’s punch was one thing, but the fact that someone had withstood one of his own blows so nonchalantly?

‘It felt as though I struck solid steel armor.’

No, perhaps it was even harder than that.

Would you believe him if he said his own hand hurt more than the opponent’s body?

It was nothing short of extraordinary.

Whatever it was, his opponent had clearly mastered some mysterious technique.

A skill that momentarily made his body as unyielding as steel plate.

Wasn’t there a rumor about a martial artist who could make flowers bloom with their sword?

In other words, the mysterious techniques had only just begun.

‘Heh heh heh!’

Maximus couldn’t contain his excitement, nor could he suppress his laughter.

The strength of his opponent was undeniable, and their techniques were both foreign and fascinating.

A truly formidable foe!

But for that very reason...

‘It’s all the more valuable.’

This is what a duel should be.

A clash akin to a trial, an intense battle against an uncertain outcome.

Through it, one could feel truly alive.

‘Show me what else you’re hiding!’

Thud.

Maximus advanced once more, toward the opponent who could take his full strength—

No, perhaps the opponent who might even gift him defeat.

And yet again—

Whoosh!

It wouldn’t have been surprising if even a large monster had been flattened into a hamburger patty by now.

And yet—

Crack!

“Oh, so that’s how you block it?”

“....”

Maximus remained unfazed.

In fact, he was already responding.

Barely three minutes had passed since Ihan unleashed Mountain-Crushing Strike, and Maximus was already on the verge of countering it.

Of course—

Thud!

“Oh, my mistake.”

—he hadn’t yet managed to block everything.

Even so, Ihan found himself laughing in disbelief despite his superior position.

It wasn’t just Maximus’s superhuman reflexes...

‘This guy’s body is absurdly tough!’

Ihan ld someone be this durable?

‘My fists hurt more from hitting him!’

Though Ihan prided himself on his own robust body, this opponent was on an entirely different level.

Ihan had honed his endurance through relentless training and brutal fights with Aura users, eventually developing the indestructible Diamond Body to avoid further punishment.

But Maximus? He was born strong.

Every fiber of his skin, muscle, and bone seemed unnaturally resilient.

If Ihan’s body resembled a suit of armor forged from countless chains, Maximus’s was diamond—raw, uncut at birth but polished into an ideal form.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

A barrage of minor attacks wouldn’t even scratch him.

If so—

‘A bigger one should do!’

BOOM!

A small explosion reverberated within Ihan’s body as he gathered force in real time through layered energy manipulation.