I truly believed that I had trained hard.
The church where I spent my childhood was set ablaze by the demons, and as a young girl, thrown alone into an unfamiliar world, all I could rely on was a single holy sword.
Fortunately, not long after, Melissa took me in. Or rather, I should say she picked me up. Yes, that sounds more accurate. Anyway, my first companion was Melissa.
Starting with the knight Melissa, we met Saint Elena and the dwarf Ain, and together, we began to seriously fight against the demons. Later, the elf Igrain from the North joined us.
Even as I fought alongside them in battle against the demons, I continued my training, trying to control the power that had been thrust into me by the holy sword.
I would collapse from exhaustion, sinking to the ground, gasping for breath. Melissa would look at my small, blistered hands with a pained expression, but she never reduced the intensity of the training.
"Block, thrust, and slash. The same applies to sword energy; a slash is just a slightly longer cut. You could even call it a powerful slash."
"What if I meet a difficult opponent? Isn't there a more dazzling sword technique, something that confuses the enemy?"
"The elders of my family often spoke of creating such techniques. Haha, you’ve seen me fight, right? Sure, techniques that exploit the enemy’s openings are important, but even those are just an extension of thrusts and slashes. Block the attack properly, find the opening, thrust swiftly, and then slash powerfully. It’s all connected."
"So, block, thrust, and slash swiftly and powerfully?"
"Exactly. Those who have learned swordsmanship sloppily dismiss these basics and try to insert their own flair, but there’s no need. In the end, that’s the essence of the sword."
Block, thrust, and slash.
"Ah, Melissa! Seriously, look at what you’ve done to Rain’s hands again today! Rain, come here. Sister Elena will heal you!"
---
The training ground fell into a heavy silence.
Thud.
Eleanora's agitation did not last long.
She let her sword drop and took a deep breath.
"Well done, girl. As much as it pains me to admit, when it comes to swordsmanship, you are indeed one step above. I won’t even ask how you know the basic techniques that our family teaches."
Wooooong.
"Right now, I’ll empty my mind of all thoughts."
Tangible energy began to gather around her.
BOOM!
From the sword she raised, blue sword energy surged forth in waves.
"I will defeat you with everything I have."
Eleanora’s final phase.
She declared that she would fight with all her strength.
I raised my sword, cold sweat dripping down my face.
And then, I smiled.
Now, this is the real deal.
This is a battle like the ones I faced against sword energy in the 'Ancient Hero' fights.
Why is a Master called a Master? It is the stage a warrior reaches after endless internal training, a proof that appears as the tangible energy surrounding their sword.
Woooong.
My sword, Astaroth, began to gather starlight. Compared to the overwhelming aura before me, it was like a firefly in front of the sun.
But with my current self, I could clash with it.
Eleanora's blue sword energy wasn’t as strong as the golden energy of a warrior through the holy sword, but if I misjudged and clashed wrong, my sword would be cut right through.
In the past, I could use something like that too. But not all Masters are the same. I, too, was an incomplete Master. I could only emit strong energy thanks to the power forcibly given by the holy sword.
The only true Master, complete in both swordsmanship and inner training, was Melissa. If she had possessed the holy sword, she would have become a far better hero than a timid one like me.
Of course, I can still use it now. The system borrows the power of my past when I am on the brink of death.
But...
"I don’t need to use it."
I can win without it.
In this world, it’s still just a game.
Even without borrowing the power of the hero.
Flash!
In an instant, Eleanora’s form shot toward me like lightning, filling my field of vision.
BOOM!
Blue sword energy clashed with starlight.
---
Scada, the raid leader of the Scada team, could barely keep his mouth closed.
The fight unfolding before him had long surpassed common sense.
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"What... what is this?"
BOOM!
Flashes of blue and silver clashed from all directions. The two lights moved so fast it was impossible to track them with the naked eye. It was like watching a well-crafted cinematic fight scene.
Eleanora’s level of power made sense. A named boss of a level so high that even a team of twelve top-tier players would take days or weeks of attempts to clear it—that’s the kind of opponent the 'Master Eleanora' was.
But...
"Who is this Rain, fighting her one-on-one like it’s nothing?"
Could an ordinary player really fight like that?
Could someone exhibit that kind of movement and strength just with the stats and skills given to players?
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The faint starlight on Rain’s sword, which seemed like it could flicker out at any moment, fiercely clashed with Eleanora’s overwhelming blue energy, emitting silver sparks each time.
Slash! Boom! Boom!
Their forms became blurred as the distance between them widened for a moment. Eleanora’s sword unleashed a barrage of menacing blue sword energy. Rain lowered her stance, and in response, her sword emitted a starlight that aimed directly at the center of the incoming blue energy.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Despite the overwhelming difference in power, Rain’s starlight perfectly neutralized Eleanora’s attack.
"She’s targeting the flow of the sword energy."
"Targeting the flow?"
The tank of Scada’s team, Park Jeong-gwon, had quietly approached, his sharp eyes focused on the duel between the two swordsmen.
"If it’s a named monster, there’s always a strategy. The same applies to named NPCs. You can break through their unblockable moves with invincibility skills, but if it’s continuous, it becomes difficult to resist. In that case, targeting the weak point of their energy flow can neutralize it with less force. Well, at least in theory."
"I don’t even understand what skills Rain is using. Is she even a swordsman class? Or could this be some kind of broken hidden class?"
"No. They’re all swordsman skills. Rear evade, dash attack, left counter, leg slash, right counter, evade again—did she reset her cooldowns? She evaded again, then used starlight slash. Whew, that’s fast."
Park Jeong-gwon widened his eyes as he barely managed to follow Rain’s movements. Scada clicked his tongue.
"So, can you do that?"
"Heh, if this were a keyboard-and-mouse game, maybe I could script a macro to pull it off. But we’re in a virtual reality game. Obviously, I can’t."
"But Rain is naturally pulling off what should only be theoretically possible."
"The same applies to invincibility skills. I fought that woman, Eleanora. She can counter your moves by watching for them. But Rain waits until the sword is just one centimeter away from her neck, endures it, and only then uses her invincibility skill at the last moment."
Just hearing about that battle method was dizzying.
Of course, *Astria Online* is still a game. After dozens, or hundreds, of tries, someone could learn the patterns. But this is their first fight.
Scada groaned.
"I’ve been analyzing Rain’s fights in the raid groups with her alternate character. Until today—until I saw this—I wasn’t even sure if she really cleared raid dungeons solo."
"Now that I’m seeing this, it wouldn’t be strange at all. Time attack? If it’s Rain, she could probably break through even a berserk pattern."
Scada didn’t think Park Jeong-gwon’s words were a joke. Even if the system tried to block solo play, Rain would find a way through it.
Scada glanced over at Chris.
The leader of the Red-White Raid, Rain’s closest companion, the beautiful woman with red hair. What was she thinking while watching this fight?
"Hm?"
Even Chris’s reaction was unexpected.
She clasped her hands to her chest, staring at Rain with a worried expression.
"Rain, you can’t get hurt...!"
Scada tilted his head in confusion.
It’s just a game, so what is she so worried about?
---
As the battle continued, with awe-struck players and someone’s anxious gaze on her, it reached its climax.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The number of blue sword energies unleashed from Eleanora’s sword increased. So many that it would be impossible to block them all. Dozens of energy blasts aimed straight at Rain. The magically fortified training ground floor began to crack, forming deep grooves. Even the barriers created by the court wizards flickered like candles in the wind, struggling to hold against the onslaught.
Rain, now shimmering in silver light, darted into Eleanora’s close range. She could no longer avoid the attacks, so she was going to risk everything on this final move.
Eleanora’s sword, which had been spewing sword energy, gathered all its force for a final slash aimed at Rain’s waist. Crack! The massive blue sword energy collided with the thin starlight on Rain’s sword and—swish—it sagged
downward.
Park Jeong-gwon, as a fellow swordsman, tried his best to analyze Rain’s technique.
"Block."
Then Rain’s shimmering silver sword pierced through Eleanora’s shoulder armor.
Crack!
"Thrust."
Eleanora’s face twisted in pain. The pauldron on her shoulder shattered. Gritting her teeth, she raised her sword again, intending to cut Rain in half.
Flash!
Rain, now a streak of light, slashed at Eleanora’s waist as she passed by.
Clang.
The lower half of Eleanora’s armor fell to the floor with a loud crash.
The last sound in the now-silent training ground was not Park Jeong-gwon’s voice, but the quiet voice of a girl.
"Slash."