[Ice Spire Tower 10th Floor]
“Cough, cough.”
I clutched my chest while coughing.
Thump thump.
My breathing is rough. My heart is pounding wildly. All vital signs are running rampant.
My body, whose heart had stopped for a moment, was demanding large amounts of oxygen.
Lee Seulbi’s body in the outside world connected to me must have received a strong shock too. I could feel Seulbi’s heart beating violently as well.
Seulbi, are you okay?
Can you still endure?
“Phew.”
I barely calmed my body, took a deep breath, and wiped off the cold sweat on my forehead.
How long has it been since I was attacked from behind?
When I first encountered the Astria continent in game form as a newbie. Did I get hit once in the first elite dungeon back then?
Just now I was instantly killed by having my heart pierced too. It didn’t hurt that much, but separate from the pain, it felt really bad.
The sensation of death I felt after a long time was still chilling.
I sighed while sitting down.
“As expected, it’s not easy.”
Of course, I knew it wasn’t something I could clear in one go. I might have to die a few more times.
By the way, how on earth do I deal with that ‘Sword Dance’.
I couldn’t avoid everything with one cooldown reset function.
If I use both cooldown resets, sword and bracelet, I might be able to get past it.
But there will surely be a second Sword Dance too.
If I use the cooldown reset chance on the first Sword Dance, there’s no way to avoid the second Sword Dance.
Somehow, I need to figure out a routine to get past it with one cooldown reset.
Since Reflecting Sword Energy didn’t come out on the 10th hit, if I save the first Backward Evasion, I should be able to use one more Backward Evasion or counterattack.
Or is there another way?
Although the hero has power outside the norm, it’s clearly under the control of the system. It can be seen as a kind of ‘Named’.
A game Named. Then, there should be a strategy.
Even the 9th floor ‘Ice Ogre King’ didn’t force 8 resistances. It’s just that damage didn’t go in properly due to level difference, but if I had come at normal level, I could have gotten past with 2-3 resistances through the torch gimmick.
Does a pattern that absolutely can’t be conquered exist in games?
But it’s clear that if the hero’s Sword Dance activates, I can’t respond without relying on items like cooldown reset. Even I couldn’t resist all of it.
Is it a pattern that shouldn’t come out in the first place?
Then surely, before the Sword Dance activates.
“Can I cut it off?”
Crash! Scrape scrape!
I deflected the shockwave of the sword energy-containing slam with counterattack and immediately blocked the following counterattack pattern. After that, I fulfilled the remaining 10 hits taking advantage of the counterattack pattern’s delay.
With this, entering the special pattern. This time I didn’t use Backward Evasion.
Woong!
Soon light started gathering around the hero’s body.
Swish.
I immediately grasped the sword with both hands and lowered it.
Named bosses basically have ‘status effect immunity’ judgment. But during certain pattern activations, it changes to ‘status effect resistance’ judgment. If you aim for that moment and use skills that cause status effects in succession, you can inflict status effects even on Named bosses.
The ‘Warrior’ class in Astria Online inflicts status effects on Named bosses and seals the Named boss’s movements through the ‘Strength Contest’ skill.
The Warrior’s bread and butter, ‘status effect combo’, securing free damage time for party members.
Swordsmen can do it too. If you combo ‘Leg Sweep’ and ‘Leg Slash’, you can inflict a down status effect on Named bosses even alone. Swordsmen don’t have skills like Strength Contest so it doesn’t mean much though.
But the hero is a human-form Named boss.
Couldn’t I launch it into the air like in PVP?
Thud!
I slashed upwards at the hero’s body in the middle of raising mana.
With a jerk, I definitely felt something lifting over the protective aura. It’s working.
I lowered my posture in that state and raised my leg, strongly kicking the hero’s body upwards.
Thud!
The hero’s body soared into the air. The golden mana being raised scattered.
Tap!
I immediately jumped into the air. There’s no time to enjoy the joy of cutting off the pattern. During this gap, I should be able to fulfill more hit counts through an aerial combo.
But.
Swish, clang clang clang!
The hero twisted its body in midair to regain posture, and immediately deflected my sword strikes. I pushed away the hero’s sword strongly while breaking out in cold sweat and landed.
You don’t take hits easily even in midair.
Clang clang clang!
I licked my lips and immediately started responding to the hero’s sword rushing in.
Additional hits were impossible, but the results were definite.
It was proven that the terrifying ‘Sword Dance’ pattern could be cut off before activation.
I cut off the second Sword Dance pattern without difficulty too.
Scrape scrape! Thud thud thud!
And the third. 8, 9 hits.
The light emitted by the hero’s protective aura had weakened considerably.
Judging from the experience of the previous battle, a monstrous desperate pattern should come out right before fulfilling the final hit count to strip off the protective aura.
But there’s the cooldown reset function I saved. With this, I might be able to break through the desperate pattern at first sight. As long as I can cut off the Sword Dance, I don’t need to use cooldown reset up to here.
And the moment I fulfill the hit count with the final sword strike.
Whoosh.
“!?”
Tap tap!
I reflexively used Backward Evasion as soon as I felt the first wind.
Slash slash slash!
Sword energy like a blade of wind that burst out in an instant started raging around the hero.
“Reflecting Sword Energy!”
I definitely would have been hit if I hadn’t seen it before.
Is it frustrated because the Sword Dance didn’t work? In the fourth special pattern, the Reflecting Sword Energy used before burst out.
Alright, this makes it easier. It will return to the initial pattern after that pattern ends.
If I just wait for the sword energy storm raging around the hero now to calm down.
Woong.
At that moment, in the sword energy storm.
I saw the hero grasping the holy sword in reverse grip.
Without time to think deeply, I immediately used the bracelet’s cooldown reset.
Flash!
Right after, crescent-shaped sword energy burst out from the hero’s sword.
Just before it sliced through my waist, I barely used Backward Evasion.
Flash!
Breaking out in cold sweat at the sword energy positioned at my chest as the invincibility time was ending, I immediately continued into Flash Strike.
The sword energy storm? It’s still raging. I can’t approach.
Slash slash slash!
The hero was still hiding its body in the sword energy storm and launching barrages of ranged sword energy.
I gritted my teeth and activated even Astaroth’s cooldown reset. Again Backward Evasion, Flash Strike. With this I used up all cooldown resets and invincibility skills.
Slash slash slash!
The shower of sword energy didn’t end.
Crash!
I blankly stared at the barrage of golden sword energy flying in filling my vision.
And smiled awkwardly.
“This is cheating.”
Slash!
I was cut to pieces and died.
* * *
[Training Tower 10th Floor]
“Phew.”
Only after calming my body for a while in a kneeling position could I continue my thoughts.
It shoots barrages of ranged sword energy while in a sword energy storm? How on earth am I supposed to catch this?
It feels like my will might break.
Ding.
The flashing light in the skill window was notifying a new skill acquisition.
[Starlight Sword Energy]
[Cooldown 1 minute]
[Launches 5 sword energy imbued with starlight towards a 15m x 3m area in front (500% multiplier of Starlight Slash 4 times, 1000% multiplier 1 time)]
The new skill from the Ice Spire Tower following Flash Strike obtained from the Training Tower?
The first long-range extreme damage technique given to Swordsmen. It’s a damage multiplier incomparable to ranged skills like ‘Flying Sword Technique’ that are only used for aggro securing purposes.
This skill will become a technique that can deal effective damage from range to bosses with tricky patterns to attack during special phases.
Other users will get this too when they conquer the Ice Spire Tower.
Of course, this level of skill is enough for elite dungeon conquest. No, it’s more than enough for me.
But I have an obligation to get something proper from that one.
“This isn’t my technique.”
I’m going to use golden glowing sword energy too.
Slash slash slash!
Along with fulfilling the final hit count, a sword energy storm raged around the hero’s body. I immediately created distance with Backward Evasion.
Swish.
In that sword energy storm, the hero grasped the holy sword in reverse grip.
Swish.
As if imitating the hero’s posture, I also firmly planted my feet on the ground and grasped Astaroth in reverse grip.
And widened my eyes.
I won’t avoid. I’ll clash.
Surely, that sword energy isn’t ranged judgment but slash judgment.
Then, I should be able to deflect it with the Starlight Sword Energy I obtained too.
But there’s an absolute difference in power. How much of that fierce hero’s sword energy can I offset with my sword energy?
Crash!
The hero swung the sword grasped in reverse grip and shot out golden sword energy.
Flash!
I also sprayed Starlight Sword Energy against it.
Flash!
The two energies met in midair and emitted a strong light. At the same time, a burning pain was transmitted from my waist.
“Kugh!?”
A strong stabbing pain as if cut by a sword. Half success? It seemed I couldn’t completely offset the hero’s sword energy. In the blink of an eye, a second golden sword energy was flying in.
I sprayed starlight again. A faint golden light was mixed in it.
Flash!
From my left shoulder to my right side burned. But it hurts less than just now.
Flash, it hurts. Flash, it doesn’t hurt.
Woong!
Before I knew it, clear golden light was imbued in my sword where the starlight had disappeared.
I shot that out with all my might.
Boom boom boom boom!
My sword energy shining golden devoured the hero’s sword energy, broke through the hero’s sword energy storm.
And swept the hero’s body.
Ding.
[Can use sword energy ‘True’ at below 1% HP]
I sat down on the floor covered in blood and looked at the hero disappearing after turning into light.
And made a tearful face.
So I have to be in pain to use this too.