The blade of the 環刀 (circlet blade) cuts through the wind.
Following the traced path of the sword, a current of sword energy flows, leaving a long streak of sword traces on the battlefield.
The tiny assassin moved through the gaps.
It was a dainty and light movement.
An attitude that made it seem as though the power to cut through even the toughest stone was nothing special.
Even when the distance was less than an arm’s length, there was no sign of hesitation.
Rather, there was a cold gaze watching for an opportunity.
The red pupils were slightly unsettling.
“Really not getting even one hit, huh. I thought the strong teams in international matches at least showed some humanity.”
Nonetheless, he had gained time and distance.
No matter how skilled Gawol was, a swordsman pouring out this much magic power would make it hard for her to get close.
Even in the fairy oak forest, such an impossible consumption would be hard to manage.
How much longer could this situation last?
In return for forfeiting his future in this match… he had gained the necessary time and distance.
This kind of opportunity wouldn’t come again.
Dong-hae’s thoughts slowly settled.
Time around him slowed down, and irrelevant things faded into the darkness.
In the moment when even the sound itself fell silent,
his senses began to chase only Gawol’s movement.
“It’s disappointing not to show what I prepared, but… ”
There was no choice anymore.
If not today, then tomorrow.
It was a problem that could be solved by increasing one’s skill and challenging again.
The opponent was Gawol, a wielder of the sword at an incomprehensible level.
A viciously skilled swordsman who didn’t move once during the battle with Cerberus.
Should he have taken this fact more seriously?
Even attempting a crude slash against such an opponent was an outrageous arrogance.
At the very least, he shouldn’t have come as a swordsman.
To attempt anything here… he would need to rely on the power of the system.
[Receiving the effect of ‘纳刀’.]
[Obtains a protective shield that absorbs damage for 2.5 seconds and partially restores the guard gauge.]
[You may use the Draw Sword skill.]
Strictly speaking, the pure swordsmanship Gawol displayed was not the mainstream build of a swordsman.
Rather, the opposite.
That kind of thing belonged to the realm of a minuscule number of eccentrics like heroes who reject the system’s adjustments.
It’s the domain of geniuses who have the confidence to repel magic and arrows with just one sword.
Therefore, the mainstream build for swordsmen at the current moment always mixes in Draw Sword and 纳刀.
The basic structure involves gaining attack bonuses from parrying and securing a shield with 纳刀.
It’s a build that introduces variations with powerful ultimate techniques like Draw Sword.
The power of Draw Sword is ranked highly even among ‘invulnerability breakers’ across the entire system.
When evaluating swordsmen, mentions of high ‘power’ or ‘high standards’ often refer to Draw Sword.
[Active: Draw Sword]
[Concentrate your energy and draw your sword. Damage increases based on the charging time and the accuracy of the sword path.]
The time was approaching again for Father’s area-wide attack.
The cradle of despair doesn’t begin ruthlessly from the start.
Powerful attacks that reach the point of discussing death come later.
Initially, there are a few warning attacks to give sufficient warning.
In short, one might endure it a couple of times.
Father’s magical bombardment had passed once.
Though hit by a few magics, Dong-hae’s shield was broken and his health had decreased.
At the same time, thick smoke arose, obscuring his vision.
Now was the chance.
Through the rising dust, a vague figure could be seen.
Was it a shadow clone? No. A regular clone wouldn’t leave a shadow.
There was neither time nor reason to ponder.
Dong-hae’s sword fiercely thrust out.
After some time, his eyes widened greatly.
“Did I slash it?”
Clearly, the shadow had split horizontally by his sword.
It seemed as though his sword had truly struck it.
*
《Dong-hae’s gambit! The swordsman’s trump card targets Gawol!》
The withdrawn sword created a tremendous air pressure.
The atmosphere tore apart, and the wind emitted a silent wail.
As the emptied space gradually filled with air again, the dust began to settle.
Right now, the broadcast screen was following Dong-hae’s perspective.
Due to the heavy smoke, the exact situation was unclear.
However, neither the commentators nor the viewers had missed the silhouette being cut in half.
《Just now, wasn’t the shadow clearly within the attack range?》
《Yes, it looked like a direct hit. Given the assassin’s health, it was likely a fatal blow.》
《A significant twist in what was a one-sided match! Dong-hae’s gambit seems successful.》
The scene looked like Gawol, whose view was blocked, failed to respond appropriately.
The commentary cautiously opened the topic.
《This was necessary. The situation was very unfavorable.》
《While the melee combat was losing, there was a battlefield gimmick ahead. In that situation, only Gawol could take control.》
《Whether to withdraw to a safe place or continue to be hindered in the battlefield. Dong-hae couldn’t have had any pleasant options.》
《By risking one’s life like this, you could fight on equal terms, even if it is for a short while.》
But it wasn’t over yet.
If Gawol had died, the system message would have announced the next player.
The silence meant the opponent was still alive, and Gawol was not someone who would give up before death.
Just because you land a blow doesn’t mean the skill gap diminishes.
Still, it made his heart lighter.
If Gawol really took a fatal wound, it would definitely end with the next player.
By the criteria of the successive battle, the situation was still unfavorable.
But it wasn’t a situation where victory was completely out of reach.
As the dust settled, the battlefield’s appearance reemerged.
The first thing visible was the black cloth.
It was undoubtedly Gawol’s clothing.
The cleanly cut edges – it was undeniable proof of Dong-hae’s successful blow.
Dong-hae’s expression brightened momentarily before deteriorating.
The severed clothing wasn’t stained with blood.
《Ah… 》
《It seems, Gawol isn’t easy to deal with.》
The commentators’ sigh.
Simultaneously, a chain falling from the sky crushed both of Dong-hae’s shoulders.
His already fragile health suffered further.
Having maintained the previous charge, Dong-hae was already on the brink of death.
His demise was now closer.
His mana was already depleted; expecting any chances of victory now was in vain.
Even so, there was resentment.
‘Isn’t this a bit too much?’
Gawol reappeared, her cloak discarded.
Her outfit, fitting an assassin-type character, accentuated her figure and exposure.
It was said that even in reality, she had this kind of body… it felt a little risqué.
Anyway.
A defeated sigh escaped him involuntarily.
The clothes were torn, but no blood flowed.
It wasn’t difficult to guess what that shadow he cut was.
Had he been more patient, he might have noticed, but evidently, urgency was his poison.
Moreover, a chilling sound rang out.
The most terrifying sound in this world.
The source wasn’t the blade cutting through the wind or the daggers wielded by Gawol.
Rather, the sound of metal grinding, created by the chain scraping against the floor.
This was the moment Gawol’s hidden card was revealed.
She did not unleash her full power in this match.
Her eyes were already looking beyond him to the next challenger.
《Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in IKL history, an assassin with the chain scythe build has appeared.》
《They didn’t display the moon buff the entire time; seems they were aware of the next player.》
《This is going to weigh heavily on Igor. Too late to modify the build now.》
《Considering how few skills Gawol used so far, could she be aiming for a complete wipeout?》
“Kuh…”
Ultimately, the complete wipeout failed.
With a 4-person successive battle being the smallest number of participants, it was a good opportunity. I tested it, but at the point of getting 3 kills, my body was already in shambles.
It was a somewhat regrettable result for me.
Starting against the swordsman was a good decision,
since the sword was the weapon I read the easiest.
In particular, traditional-style swordsmen using a single long sword were like delicious prey.
Moreover, that thing called ‘Draw Sword’—
their reliance on such oddities meant they weren’t really improving their skills.
Had I not been using the Chain Scythe build, I would have just slaughtered them in a head-on fight.
I had to take the longer route to reduce resources.
Given the sheer amount of damage,
it was clear even with the parrying from their build it wouldn’t be fully absorbed.
“Did you want to try that? The complete wipeout.”
“Yes. It’s a big record, after all. No one’s ever achieved it.”
“I think 3 kills are quite impressive.”
“It’s unlikely to happen next time. The situation went my way this time.”
This time, I was extremely lucky.
The specially incorporated battlefield,
the starting swordsman,
the hidden comeback of the long-forgotten chain scythe build.
The result of deceiving the second player well in the skills-focused successive battle was 3 kills.
It’s uncertain if the same result will occur next time.
Certainly, the atmosphere in the top-tier successive battles was very different.
Just because I wanted to take less damage didn’t mean I could.
While I’m lost in thought, Elderlyn gave a faint smile.
“But Da-eun, if you keep moving around, it’ll be uncomfortable for me.”
“Ah, it’s fine if you stop.”
The menstrual pain that arrives every month.
I am lying on Elderlyn’s leg and having my stomach gently rubbed.
How… how did it come to this?
