NOVEL NEXT Chapter 78
Kakakakakang!
I unleashed my sword without a moment’s pause. With the thought that I must not give him a chance to attack, I struck between the openings of Jo Hyun-Soo’s blocking sword.
However, it wasn’t easy to land a hit. Jo Hyun-Soo’s sword danced around, easily parrying my attacks.
The swordsman’s blocking.
A technique that can block all front attacks within a 180-degree range.
No matter how fast my slashes were, I couldn’t penetrate that skill.
System.
What had been my weapon against the Named enemies so far was now revealing itself to me as an enemy.
But I also had experience in one-on-one arenas.
Even if quick movements couldn’t break through his blocking skill, I could also borrow the power of the system.
Chak.
I lowered my posture and twisted my sword up from the lower right diagonal to the upper left.
Kaaang!
Jo Hyun-Soo’s sword raised, exposing his upper body. The calm expression on his face shifted to one of surprise.
Guard Break Technique.
In fact, battles between swordsmen or fighters are a matter of strategy on when to deploy this skill amidst the usual attacks.
Dazzle the opponent with sword strikes, insert the guard break technique, and follow up with a knockdown or a groggy status ailment skill, linking it to Moonlight Slash, Starlight Slash, and One Flash combos.
I had never lost in this strategic battle in the arena. Jo Hyun-Soo hadn’t predicted the timing of my guard break technique either.
And through the following upward slash, I initiated an airborne combo.
Pak!
When I struck Jo Hyun-Soo vertically with considerable force, I felt a jolt as his body slightly jerked.
It was the effect of the Echo Stone, a resistance against debuffs.
Jo Hyun-Soo revealed this and smiled. At the same moment, a flash of moonlight shot from his waist.
Moonlight Slash. From left to right.
Spot!
I ducked to dodge his sword. At the same time, his withdrawn sword gleamed again.
Starlight Slash, diagonally from the right hip.
I twisted my body to the left to evade. Taking advantage of Jo Hyun-Soo’s shift to offense, I conducted multiple slashes filled with starlight.
Papapapak!
A sensation as if I had struck leather with a club traveled through the hilt of my sword. It hadn’t landed a solid hit. Jo Hyun-Soo’s HP only decreased slightly.
His weapon and accessories were enhanced for PVP purposes, reinforced with stones that could only be obtained through faction contributions. Of course, since they were compounded with magic stone enhancements, these enhanced gears were hard to deal effective hits against Named enemies and were only useful in pure PVP.
Added enhancements of offense and penetration, defense boosts, additional damage against players, and reduced damage taken.
With my PVE gear and my slashes, it was tough to deal effective damage to him.
It was even more complicated than facing a dragon. While I usually wore sub weapons with PVP attack and penetration enhancements for daily faction battlefield quests, the gear I was currently equipped with was purely for PVE.
Spot! Papapah!
Seeing that my sword couldn’t inflict any damage, Jo Hyun-Soo intensified his offense.
If I blocked his attack with my guard, I would end up frozen, just like in Deathly Death, slowing down and allowing him to attack me. If I got hit by his boosted PVP attack, it would be an instant retirement.
He could use Block against my attacks, but I must not block his.
It was exceedingly unfavorable.
I couldn’t take him down.
Not a single attack must be allowed to hit.
The ‘system’ disparity between PVP and PVE gear was harsh.
However, dodging and holding on was within my capabilities.
The skill-based sword moved fast but was linear. It was easy to predict its path. No need for a block.
What came with the passing time? Support from the Alparion Empire? Or was it additional forces from the Betarion Empire breaching the line?
Anxiety began to show on Jo Hyun-Soo’s face. He was getting desperate to take me down quickly.
Swish.
Jo Hyun-Soo made a decisive move. His body shimmered, leaving an afterimage.
Counterattack.
Before his afterimage vanished, I countered. Jo Hyun-Soo, who aimed for my back, was caught off-guard from behind.
Spot!
My sword, performing Starlight Slash, struck at empty air.
As expected, being ranked second in the arena, he likely anticipated I would counterattack against his counter. It was not about reflexes but a strategy based on experience.
Jo Hyun-Soo would have used Backward Evasion to take my back again. I felt a chill from behind.
However, in a sword duel, the one who is forced to counterattack first is at a disadvantage. Therefore, when I want to seize the initiative via skills, I need to find openings the opponent wouldn’t expect.
By the time I responded to his counterattack and noted his use of Backward Evasion, Jo Hyun-Soo was already losing in this battle of wits.
I immediately used Backward Evasion. The scenery changed before my eyes, revealing Jo Hyun-Soo’s back.
Opportunity!
Paah!
I sliced upward along the dragon’s back, and Jo Hyun-Soo’s body jerked.
The upward slash induced a Status Ailment of Airborne, which was nullified by Jo Hyun-Soo’s resistance from the Echo Stone effect.
The gear advantage was annoying. But it’s resistance, not immunity. If I combo it right, I can break through.
Matching the upward strike, I satisfied the first condition. If I could hit him with a secondary airborne inducing skill while he was off-balance, I could lift his body.
Swordsmen didn’t have a second lift technique.
But Rain does.
Peh!
I grabbed onto the dragon’s scales and barely twisted my body, delivering a strong upward kick to Jo Hyun-Soo’s chin.
“Gah!?”
Jo Hyun-Soo’s body flew into the air.
Tap.
I also launched myself into the air and hurled continuous slashes at his airborne body.
Spapapapak!
Jo Hyun-Soo’s body in the air was struck by my full combo. Due to the Airborne status ailment, his HP visibly decreased.
Chak.
Lastly, I readied myself for One Flash and swung down hard.
Flash!
“Gahhh!”
Peh!
Jo Hyun-Soo’s body crashed among the dragon’s scales after being hit by my One Flash.
Though I had successfully landed the airborne full combo, I could only bite my lip in frustration.
Jo Hyun-Soo was still not dead.
If this were a standardized arena, the match outcome might have been decided, but this was a faction battlefield.
The disparity in player stats was indeed a problem.
“Heheh. That was a bit dangerous.”
Jo Hyun-Soo, rising with a chilling smile, popped a potion. His HP began to recover rapidly.
He was gulping down instant recovery potions worth over five gold each as if they were water.
Must be nice to be rich. I need to save my money for Echo Stone upgrades.
Spapat!
Before I could express my complaints, Jo Hyun-Soo’s sword soared in a crescent arc toward me. I quickly dodged back, escaping out of the range of his slash.
If I couldn’t take him down, then the only option was to endure. All I could do was hope that support from the GG Guild would arrive faster than any of the Plan B guild members. I was anxious, but so was Jo Hyun-Soo.
That’s when I saw it.
Jo Hyun-Soo’s eyes flickered as he glanced underneath the dragon’s body.
Where his gaze fell was where Chris was struggling to keep the dragon’s movements sealed.
Thump.
My heart raced with anxiety.
He intended to take me out first and then kill Sister Chris.
My mind spun at an unprecedented speed.
I have a way to stop him.
Perhaps, a way to take him down.
If he intended to target an easy prey first, I could become that prey.
Clang!
Instead of dodging his sword, I blocked it.
Jjeojak.
The chilling sensation from his sword flowed through where our swords clashed and slowed my movements.
Jo Hyun-Soo’s smile deepened.
He shifted his focus from Chris back to me, launching a more ferocious onslaught.
Spapak! Kakang!
Jo Hyun-Soo gleefully wielded his sword.
He must feel ecstatic, like when he took down Deathly Death, planning to continuously strike above my guard, freezing my body before going in for the kill.
The coldness radiating from Jo Hyun-Soo’s sword gradually slowed my movements.
I staggered, backing away with a flustered expression.
Chaechaechaeng!
Before I knew it, our battlefield had reached the dragon’s neck, nearing the top of its head.
Jo Hyun-Soo showed no intention of saving his skills for cooldowns. He slashed with One Flash, whether it landed or not.
Flash!
“Gyaah!”
I barely deflected Jo Hyun-Soo’s One Flash but stumbled due to my half-frozen feet and fell from the dragon’s head to the ground.
Thud.
Ah, that kind of hurt.
Tap.
Jo Hyun-Soo followed me down from the dragon’s head, aiming to deliver the final blow as I lay helpless on the ground.
“Heheh!”
He looked down at me, raising his sword with that peculiar laugh.
That guy’s laugh is really something else.
But he came to just the right place.
I knew he was excited about finishing off a pesky little rat, but if only he had turned around first, he might have been able to evade.
We had descended right below the dragon’s head.
In front of the dragon’s mouth, breathing heavily, sucking in air filled with unspent breath.
Wuuuuuung.
The dragon’s massive mouth opened, a green glow completely filling my view.
Jo Hyun-Soo turned his head, startled by the strange resonating sound.
But it was too late.
Suddenly.
I had already risen, activating the bracelet’s cooldown reset function.
Prepared to escape beyond the breath’s range, I smiled brightly at Kyuam Jo Hyun-Soo, leaving him with my last words.
“Hey, Jo Hyun-Soo, this time we won. Next time, try catching a dragon in the Betarion Empire.”
“No, you little—!”
Leaving behind the flustered expression on his face, I swiftly executed Backward Evasion and linked One Flash to quickly leave that spot.
Moments later, the dragon’s breath erupted, sweeping Jo Hyun-Soo and the area in front of him.
KwaKwaKwaKwaKwa!