Thud.
The Orc Fighter stomped its foot.
“Chwiiik!”
Clang!
The iron knuckles and sword collided.
“Ugh!”
Although I blocked the Orc Fighter’s powerful uppercut attack, the force behind the iron knuckles was tremendous.
For a moment, my blocking stance was broken.
“Eek!”
I quickly rolled to the right, barely avoiding the side attack following the Orc Fighter’s uppercut.
“Wh-what?”
This is the first time a monster’s attack has disrupted the Swordsman’s ‘Block’ skill.
Though it seems the block was still considered successful as not much damage came through, the Orc Fighter’s uppercut didn’t work with my usual battle strategy.
Block the attack, then immediately use Slash and Thrust to chip away at the monster’s HP.
This solid winning formula for Swordsmen was broken for the first time.
I had no time to gather my thoughts before facing the Orc Fighter’s next incoming attack.
Clang clang!
This time the block wasn’t broken. I naturally activated the Thrust attack that chains from blocking.
Thwack!
Green blood splattered, and a small wound appeared on the Orc Fighter’s torso. An effective hit had landed.
“Chwiik.”
The Orc Fighter stepped back slightly, adjusted its stance, and threw a few more punches.
Clang, clang, thwack!
I calmly blocked the attacks while steadily depleting the Orc Fighter’s HP with the single-target Thrust skill.
The Orc Fighter, having stepped back, clenched its fist tightly.
I widened my eyes.
The powerful uppercut stance from the initial attack.
If I block it head-on, my block will be broken and I’ll be vulnerable to the follow-up attack.
[Backward Evasion]
[Quickly propel your body 8m backward to avoid frontal attacks (Invincible during casting)]
[Cooldown 8 seconds]
‘Backward Evasion’, the skill I gained upon reaching Swordsman level 15.
For named boss attacks that can’t be handled with just the ‘Block’ skill, this technique is meant to be used to dodge, I suppose.
Whoosh!
Thwack!
The Orc Fighter’s uppercut sliced through the air.
My body, using the ‘Backward Evasion’ skill, moved instantly to create distance from the Orc Fighter.
“Oh.”
So this was it.
If I level up more and my agility increases, I might be able to make similar movements without activating the skill, but the ‘Invincible during casting’ effect on this skill couldn’t be achieved with just quick movements.
A core skill for clearing elite dungeons where each attack deals near-fatal damage.
I could understand why it’s learned at level 15.
I smiled slightly.
It seemed that clearing the 1st named wouldn’t take as long as I thought.
Having roughly grasped the Orc Fighter’s patterns, I steadily blocked attacks while depleting the named boss’s HP.
[1st Named]
[Level 16 Orc Fighter]
[HP 8214/10500]
About 5 minutes had passed since the battle began.
I hadn’t dealt as much damage as I thought compared to the battle time, but since I was consistently building up damage without allowing attacks, I thought I could clear the 1st named without much trouble if this continued.
I moved my sword rhythmically, blocking the Orc Fighter’s attacks and responding to patterns by evading uppercuts.
Finally, the Orc Fighter’s HP dropped below 80%.
Nothing particular had changed.
As usual, I blocked the light attacks and launched a chaining Thrust at the Orc Fighter.
At that moment, the Orc Fighter’s eyes seemed to gleam.
Shiver.
A sudden chilling feeling.
My senses rang alarm bells.
This Thrust attack at this timing is dangerous.
But I couldn’t stop the skill that had already been activated.
Clang clang clang!
The Orc Fighter’s knuckles moved smoothly to deflect my Thrust.
The first pattern change from the Orc Fighter.
And then.
Thwack!
“Urgh!?”
The Orc Fighter’s knuckles, moving like flowing water, slammed hard into my abdomen.
Tumble tumble, thud!
My small body rolled backward several times before stopping as it hit the wall.
“Cough, cough!”
The world was spinning.
What?
What just happened?
Whoosh.
Without time to assess the situation, the Orc Fighter’s body quickly lunged at me.
“Eek!”
Roll roll.
Boom!
I rolled to the side, avoiding the Orc Fighter’s downward strike.
The ground caved in where the Orc Fighter’s knuckles struck the cave floor.
[Drizzle Rain]
[Swordsman]
[Level 15 (1.17%)]
[HP 114/617]
Checking my remaining HP while struggling to regain my senses, I couldn’t help but turn pale.
Just once.
With just one allowed attack, 80% of my HP disappeared.
“Hee, hee!”
Roll roll.
I fled from the Orc Fighter’s attacks, continuously rolling backward with a tearful expression.
After drinking potions in three separate doses and taking a short rest, my HP was fully restored.
Pat pat.
Sitting on the ground, I gently rubbed my soft belly where I had taken the Orc Fighter’s attack.
Though the pain was gone now that my HP was full, it had hurt so much at the moment of impact that I couldn’t breathe for a second.
This must be due to the high synchronization rate too.
But it was okay.
When I was a hero in the continent of Astria, I suffered much worse pain than this.
If there hadn’t been a Saintess to heal external wounds, it wouldn’t have been strange if I had died somewhere long ago.
This level of pain is nothing.
I stood up and boldly shouted.
“Hero Rain, resurrection!”
And then I glanced at where the Orc Fighter was.
[1st Named]
[Level 16 Orc Fighter]
[HP 10500/10500]
It seemed that if you retreat from battle, the named boss’s HP returns to pre-battle levels.
The conditions were the same.
Both the Orc Fighter and I had recovered, but I had learned many of its patterns.
It was time for the second attempt.
Alright, this time I’ll clear it.
* * *
Only after four more battles and retreats was I able to figure out the nature of the pattern that deflected my Thrust.
The Fighter’s ‘Counter’ skill.
The Orc Fighter could also use the counter skill that ‘Astria Online’ Fighter users use.
The Orc Fighter’s ‘Counter’ pattern, which is added when HP falls below 80%, basically had to be identified by timing and posture.
The solution was simple.
Just don’t attack when the Orc Fighter is in its counter activation stance.
So-called ‘damage cut’.
If you just don’t attack against the counter activation stance, the Orc Fighter quickly returns to its normal pattern.
Thwack thwack thwack!
I diligently blocked, dodged, and thrust.
Having figured out how to respond to the pattern, the Orc Fighter was no longer a match for me.
“Hehehe! Die!”
[1st Named]
[Level 16 Orc Fighter]
[HP 5301/10500]
I had already chipped away half its HP.
If I repeat this for the same amount of time once more, the 1st named Orc Fighter will fall.
The massive rewards that would unfold before my eyes were already shimmering.
Accessories, sword, pretty costume, and chicken!
“Heheh! Heheheh!”
It was a thousand blessings that no one else could see me grinning from ear to ear while repeatedly stabbing the named boss’s body.
Isn’t this the advantage of solo play?
But the named boss of the elite dungeon wasn’t so easy.
“Krchwup!”
When the Orc Fighter’s HP fell below half, new monsters appeared from the caves opened on the left and right of the battle area.
[Level 15 Orc Elite Soldier]
[HP 1000/1000]
And two of them, from both left and right!
Clang, clang clang!
My hands and feet became busy.
Between the Orc Fighter’s powerful attacks, the spears of the Orc Elite Soldiers kept piercing in.
In party play, there would have been someone in charge of adds.
But I had to handle everything alone.
-What do you do when monsters all rush at you at once when fighting alone?
-It’s simple. Just dodge, block, and slash them all.
-What if they’re monsters that don’t go down easily?
-Hmm. Well? I guess you have no choice but to learn by fighting a lot?
-Khahah! If you had a sturdy body like a dwarf, you could withstand most attacks even barehanded!
-Hahah, being tough-bodied is the dwarf’s advantage. Our Rain shouldn’t try to copy that, okay?
-What’s there to fight alone for when you have companions! Rain, I’ll always protect your back, so don’t worry about such things.
A conversation I once had with my hero party companions.
Suddenly remembering that, I could smile even amid this intense battle.
As always, you’re all no help.
I am Rain.
The hero of the continent of Astria.
The hero who brilliantly fought through countless battles with demon-kind.
I utilized that battlefield sense to the fullest.
Whoosh!
I dodged the uppercut with a backward evasion.
As the distance opened up, the Orc Fighter quickly jumped in.
Maintaining an appropriate distance where the Orc Fighter’s jumping attack wouldn’t activate, I blocked the Orc Elite Soldiers’ attacks and used immediate Slash for area attacks.
First, I need to take down the Orc Elite Soldiers. Once the adds are dealt with, I can focus on just the named boss again.
Slash!
“Kiieek!”
Not long after concentrating attacks on the adds while avoiding direct combat with the Orc Fighter as much as possible, I was able to take down both Orc Elite Soldiers.
The HP of the 1st named boss monster, Orc Fighter, hadn’t been depleted much.
But if it’s 1-on-1 again, there’s no problem.
I smiled while catching my breath.
“Okay. It should be easy from now on.”
Contrary to my thoughts, it wasn’t easy afterward either.
The Orc Elite Soldiers kept appearing every time the named boss’s HP reached 40%, 30%, and 20%.
I made a tearful face every time Orc Elite Soldiers appeared.
Only after taking down the Orc Elite Soldiers at every stage was I finally able to defeat the Orc Fighter.
Thud.
Plop.
As the Orc Fighter laid its body on the ground, I also sat down on the spot.
“Haaah….”
The mental exhaustion was too severe.
Still, I managed to smile and showed a victory V sign.
“1st named, cleared!”