Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented

[Ice Pillar Level 10]

Cough, cough.

I clutched my chest as I coughed.

Thump, thump.

My breathing was ragged. My heart was racing. Every biological signal in my body was going haywire.

For just a moment, my heart had stopped, and my body was demanding a massive influx of oxygen.

Lee Seulbi, connected to me, must have been in shock as well. I could feel her heart racing intensely.

“Seulbi, are you okay?”

Can you still endure?

Huff.

I managed to calm my body down, taking deep breaths while wiping the cold sweat off my forehead.

How long has it been since I was attacked from behind?

Back in my beginner days when I first encountered the Continent of Astria in game form. Did I have such an experience in my first Elite Dungeon?

I had just been pierced through the heart and died instantly. It didn’t hurt too much, but separate from the pain, it felt really bad.

The sensation of death that I hadn’t felt in a while was still chilling.

I sat down and sighed.

“Seriously, it’s not easy.”

Of course, I knew it wouldn’t be something to take lightly. I might have to die a few more times.

By the way, how exactly do I deal with that ‘sword dance’?

One cooldown reset alone wasn’t enough to dodge it all.

If I used the cooldown reset twice, on both the sword and bracelet, I might get through it.

But I’m sure the second sword dance would follow.

If I use the cooldown reset opportunity on the first sword dance, I wouldn’t have any way to dodge the second.

I need to somehow devise a routine where I can get through it with just one cooldown reset.

Since the counter attack didn’t come out on the 10th hit, if I save my first backward evasion, I could use another backward evade or counterattack.

Or is there another method?

Of course, while the hero has unusual power, they are still under the system’s control. They can be viewed as a sort of ‘Named’ enemy.

A Named enemy in the game. If that’s the case, there should be a strategy.

Even the ‘Ice Ogre King’ on the 9th floor didn’t force 8 resistances. Because of the level gap, I couldn’t deal proper damage, but if I had come at a normal level, I could have handled it with about 2-3 resistances through the torch gimmick.

Is there really a pattern in the game that you absolutely can’t deal with?

But if the hero’s sword dance is activated, it’s clear that I wouldn’t be able to respond without relying on items such as cooldown resets. Even I couldn’t resist it all.

Is it a pattern that shouldn’t come out in the first place?

In that case, there must be a way to cut it off before the sword dance activates.

Crash! Clang!

I deflected the shockwave from the downward slash, which carried energy with a counter. Immediately, I blocked the successive counterattack pattern. After that, I used the delay from the counterattack pattern to fill the remaining 10 hits.

This led to the entry into the special pattern. This time, I didn’t use my backward evasion.

Whooooom!

Soon, light began to gather around the hero’s body.

Slice.

I immediately grasped my sword in both hands and lowered it down.

Named enemies are fundamentally judged as ‘immune to status effects.’ However, during some pattern executions, they switch to ‘resistance to status effects.’ If I time it right, I can cause a status effect even against a Named enemy.

The ‘Caster’ class in Astria Online can inflict status effects on Named enemies and bind their movements using the ‘Power Struggle’ skill.

This allows party members to secure free damage time; it’s the caster’s lifeline, ‘Status Effect Link.’

Swordmasters can also do it. By combining ‘Leg Sweep’ and ‘Leg Slash,’ they can inflict downed status effects on Named enemies alone. But, since swordmasters don’t have a Power Struggle skill, it’s not that meaningful.

However, the hero is a human-shaped Named enemy.

Could I lift them into the air just like in PVP?

Thud!

I slashed at the hero’s body while drawing in mana.

As I did so, I definitely felt something hit my protective gear. It worked.

I lowered my stance and kicked up hard against the hero’s body.

Thud!

The hero’s body soared into the air. The golden mana I had pulled in scattered.

Thud!

I jumped into the air. There was no time to enjoy the thrill of breaking the pattern. In this moment, I could fulfill more hits with an aerial combo.

But.

Woosh, clang!

The hero twisted in midair, readjusting their stance and immediately deflected my strike. I broke into a cold sweat as I pushed back against the hero’s sword and landed.

Even in midair, they weren’t going to make it easy.

Clang!

I smacked my lips, immediately responding to the rush of the hero’s sword.

I couldn’t add any additional hits, but the result was certain.

It was proven that I could break the terrifying ‘sword dance’ pattern before it activated.

The second sword dance pattern was also smoothly cut off.

Clang! Crash!

And then the third one. The 8th and 9th hits.

The protective gear around the hero was significantly dimming.

Based on my previous battle experience, I expected a tremendous desperation pattern just before I filled that last hit to strip their protective gear.

However, I had saved my cooldown reset function. With that, I might just be able to counter a desperation pattern on the first try. As long as I could cut off the sword dance, I wouldn’t even need to use the cooldown reset up to this point.

And at the moment I filled the last hit.

Wind blows.

“What?!”

Thud!

The moment I felt the first wind, I reflexively used backward evasion.

Brrrrrrr!

In an instant, a sword wind, akin to a whirlwind of blades, began to rage around the hero.

“Counter Slash!”

If I hadn’t seen it before, I would have definitely been hit.

Was the frustration of not being able to perform the sword dance building up? With this fourth special pattern, the Counter Slash I had seen before burst forth.

Great, this makes it easier. Once that pattern ends, it will revert back to the first pattern.

I just need to wait for the sword wind raging around the hero to calm down.

Whooooom.

Then, within the sword wind, I saw the hero holding the Holy Sword backward.

Without a moment to think, I immediately activated the cooldown reset on my bracelet.

Flash!

Immediately, a crescent-shaped sword energy erupted from the hero’s sword.

Just before it split my waist, I barely used backward evasion.

Slash!

As my invincibility time ended, I broke into a cold sweat while my torso was close to the blade energy, immediately followed up with One Flash.

What about the sword wind? It is still raging. I couldn’t get closer.

Brrrrrrr!

The hero, still hidden in the sword wind, was sending out bursts of long-range sword energy.

Gritting my teeth, I activated the cooldown reset of Astaroth. Another backward evasion, One Flash. With this, I’d used both the cooldown reset and invincibility skills.

Brrrrrrr!

The onslaught of sword energy hadn’t ended.

CRAAASH!

I stared blankly at the surge of golden sword energy filling my vision.

And I forced a smile, feeling awkward.

“This is cheating.”

Slash!

I was shredded to pieces.

*

[Training Tower Level 10]

Huff.

I knelt for a moment, calming my body before proceeding with my thoughts.

To send long-range bursts of sword energy amidst a sword storm? How on earth am I supposed to deal with this?

It felt like my will was about to break.

Ding!

The flashing light in the skill window signaled a new skill acquisition.

[Starlight Swordsmanship]

[Cooldown: 1 minute]

[Unleashes 5 waves of sword energy shimmering with starlight in a forward 15m x 3m area (4 waves at 500% multiplier of Starlight Slash, 1 wave at 1000% multiplier)]

Is this a new skill from the Ice Pillar, following the One Flash I got from the Training Tower?

It’s the first long-range burst damage skill given to swordmasters. The damage multiplier is incomparable to the long-range skill ‘Unarmed Fighting Technique,’ which is usually only used for aggro management.

This skill will allow me to deal effective damage from range against bosses with tricky patterns during special phases.

Other users will probably obtain this when they tackle the Ice Pillar too.

Of course, this level of skill is sufficient for tackling the Elite Dungeon. No, it’s more than enough for me.

However, I have a duty to properly gain something from that guy.

“This isn’t my skill.”

I’ll utilize that golden shining sword energy too.

Brrrrrrr!

As I completed the last hit, a storm of sword energy swirled around the hero’s body. I quickly used backward evasion to create some distance.

Slice.

Amidst the sword wind, the hero gripped the Holy Sword backward.

Slice.

Mimicking the hero’s stance, I firmly planted my feet on the ground and gripped Astaroth backward.

And I opened my eyes wide.

I wouldn’t dodge. I would clash.

Clearly, that sword energy isn’t classified as long-range but rather as piercing strikes.

If that’s the case, I can deflect it too with the Starlight Swordsmanship I acquired.

But there’s an absolute power difference. How much of the hero’s fierce sword energy can I nullify with my own sword?

CRAAASH!

The hero swung the sword held backward, shooting out golden sword energy.

Slash!

I fired off my Starlight Swordsmanship in response.

Flash!

The two energies met in the air, bursting forth a brilliant light. At the same time, I felt a sharp pain in my waist.

Guh?!

A strong hit, as if sliced by a blade. Was it half a success? It seemed I hadn’t completely nullified the hero’s sword energy. In the blink of an eye, a second beam of golden sword energy was already flying towards me.

I once again unleashed the starlight. This time, with a hint of that golden hue mixed in.

Flash!

The pain shot from my left shoulder to my right side. Yet, it hurt less than before.

Flash, it hurt. Flash, it didn’t hurt.

Whooooom!

Before long, the starlight on my sword seemingly vanished, replaced with clear golden light.

I launched it with all my might.

Rum rum rum!

My golden-glowing sword energy devoured the hero’s blade energy and pierced through the storm of sword energy, sweeping over the hero’s body.

Ding!

【Use ‘True Blade’ possible when under 1% HP】

I slumped onto the ground, soaking in my own blood as I looked at the hero dissipating in a blaze of light.

And I frowned.

It seems that I need to take a beating to use this.

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