[Ice Tower, 10th Floor]
*Cough, cough.*
I clutched my chest as I coughed.
Thump, thump.
My breathing was rough, and my heart was pounding wildly. All my vital signs were out of control.
For a brief moment, my heart had stopped, and now my body was desperately craving oxygen.
Seulbi’s real-world body, connected to mine, must have experienced a strong shock as well. I could feel Seulbi’s heart racing just as fast.
Seulbi, are you okay?
You can still hold on, right?
*Phew.*
I barely managed to calm myself down, taking deep breaths as I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.
How long has it been since I was attacked from behind?
Probably during my early days as a beginner on the continent of Astria, back when I first encountered the game. Did it happen in my first elite dungeon?
I had just been killed instantly by having my heart pierced again. It didn’t hurt that much, but the discomfort was overwhelming, even without the pain.
The sensation of death, which I hadn’t felt in so long, was still as chilling as ever.
I let out a deep sigh as I slumped to the ground.
"As expected, this won’t be easy."
Of course, I knew she wasn’t someone I could defeat in one go. I might have to die a few more times.
But still, how was I going to deal with that *sword dance*?
One cooldown reset wasn’t enough to avoid all of it.
Maybe if I used both my sword and bracelet’s cooldown resets, I could get through it.
But surely, there’s going to be a second *sword dance*.
If I use the cooldown reset during the first, there will be no way to avoid the second one.
I might need to figure out a routine to handle it with just one reset.
Since the *Rebound Sword Wave* didn’t trigger after the 10th hit, if I save the first backward dodge, I might be able to squeeze in an extra dodge or counter.
Or is there another way?
Even though the hero has overwhelming power, she’s still bound by the system. She’s a *named* character in the game.
And if there’s a *named* character, there’s always a strategy.
Even the Ice Ogre King on the 9th floor didn’t force me to endure all eight ice bursts. It was just that my level wasn’t high enough to deal decent damage. If I’d come in at the proper level, I could’ve gotten through it with just two or three ice bursts using the torch gimmick.
Is there really any unbeatable pattern in the game?
Once the hero’s *sword dance* activates, though, it’s clear you can’t survive without items like cooldown resets. Even I couldn’t resist it completely.
Maybe it’s a pattern that isn’t meant to happen.
In that case, I need to stop the *sword dance* before it activates.
"Can I cut it off?"
---
**Boom! Clang, clang!**
I deflected the shockwave of her sword-infused downward strike with a counter, then immediately blocked the follow-up. Taking advantage of the delay in her counter, I landed the remaining 10 strikes.
With that, the special pattern began. This time, I didn’t use my backward dodge.
**Wooooong!**
Light quickly gathered around the hero’s body.
**Clank.**
I gripped my sword with both hands and lowered it.
*Named* characters are normally immune to status effects, but during certain pattern casts, their resistance decreases. If you time a status-inflicting move correctly, even a *named* character can be hit with a status effect.
In Astria Online, the *Warrior* class could inflict status effects and use the *Struggle* skill to immobilize *named* bosses, giving their party members a window for free damage.
As a *Swordsman*, I could do something similar. By combining *Leg Trip* and *Leg Slash*, I could knock down even a *named* character by myself. Though *Swordsmen* didn’t have the *Struggle* skill, it was still possible.
The hero, after all, was a *named* character in human form.
Could I launch her into the air like I would in PvP?
**Thwack!**
I slashed upward at the hero as she was gathering mana.
Her body flinched upward, and I felt the distinct sensation of something hitting her protective barrier. It worked.
I immediately crouched and kicked her hard.
**Thwack!**
The hero’s body flew into the air. The golden mana she had been gathering scattered.
**Tap!**
I jumped into the air after her. There was no time to enjoy the satisfaction of breaking her pattern. This was my chance to land extra hits in the air.
But—
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēwebnovel.com.
**Whoosh, clang!**
The hero twisted her body mid-air, parrying my strikes effortlessly. I broke into a cold sweat as I forcefully pushed her sword aside and landed on the ground.
Even in the air, she wasn’t going to make this easy.
**Clang, clang!**
Clicking my tongue in frustration, I quickly began responding to the hero’s incoming slashes.
I couldn’t land any extra hits, but at least I had proven that I could interrupt her terrifying *sword dance* pattern before it activated.
---
I managed to disrupt the second *sword dance* pattern as well.
**Clang! Thwack, thwack!**
And the third one. Eight, nine hits.
The glow around the hero’s protective barrier had significantly weakened.
Based on my experience from the last battle, just before I stripped off the final layer of her shield, she’d likely trigger a massive desperation pattern.
But I had saved my cooldown reset for this very moment. Now that I could interrupt her *sword dance*, I hadn’t needed to use it yet.
And just as I delivered the final strike to break through—
A soft gust.
"!?'
**Tat!**
The moment I felt the breeze, I instinctively used my backward dodge.
**Papapapap!**
A barrage of wind-like sword slashes erupted around the hero, swirling violently.
"The *Rebound Sword Wave*!"
If I hadn’t seen it before, I would’ve been hit.
Was she frustrated that her *sword dance* wasn’t working? In her fourth special pattern, the hero resorted to using the *Rebound Sword Wave* she’d deployed in our previous battle.
Good. If it’s come to this, things are getting easier. After this pattern ends, she’ll go back to the first sequence.
I just need to wait until the storm of sword slashes dies down.
**Wooooong.**
That’s when I saw it.
Within the storm of sword slashes, the hero gripped her sacred sword in a reverse stance.
Without hesitation, I activated the cooldown reset on my bracelet.
**Flash!**
Moments later, a crescent-shaped sword energy burst forth from the hero’s sword.
Just before it could cleave me in half, I barely managed to use another backward dodge.
**Whoosh!**
By the time the invincibility frames ended, the golden sword energy was grazing my chest, sending cold sweat down my back. I immediately followed up with a *Flash Slash*.
The storm of sword slashes? Still raging. I couldn’t get close.
**Papapapap!**
The hero, still hidden within the sword storm, launched another barrage of long-range sword energy at me.
Gritting my teeth, I activated *Astaroth’s* cooldown reset. I used another backward dodge, followed by *Flash Slash*. This exhausted both my cooldown resets and my invincibility frames.
**Papapapap!**
The rain of sword energy didn’t stop.
**Boom!**
I stood still, watching as the golden sword energy filled my vision.
Then I chuckled helplessly.
"This is just cheating."
**Splat!**
And just like that, I was sliced to pieces.
---
[Tower of Trials, 10th Floor]
*Phew.*
I knelt down, taking a moment to gather myself before I could think clearly again.
A storm of sword energy combined with long-range slashes? How in the world was I supposed to beat something like that?
It’s enough to make me want to quit.
*Ding!*
The blinking light on my skill window signaled that I had gained a new skill.
[Starlight Slash]
[Cooldown: 1 minute]
[Fires five starlight-infused slashes over a 15m x 3m area. (4x at 500% power, 1x at 1000% power)]
It was a follow-up to *Flash Slash*, earned from the Tower of Trials—a new skill granted by the Ice Tower.
A long-range, high-damage skill, far surpassing *Blade Technique*, which was usually only used to maintain aggro. This was the first time *Swordsmen* had been given a powerful ranged ability.
This skill would be invaluable against bosses with difficult-to-approach patterns, especially during special phases.
I’m sure other players will obtain it as they conquer the Ice Tower too.
For elite dungeon runs, this skill alone is more than enough. For me, it's overkill.
But I have to get something better from this boss.
"This isn’t my real skill."
I’m going to use golden sword energy too.
---
**Papapapap!**
As I completed the final hit, a storm of sword energy erupted around the hero’s body. I immediately used a backward dodge to create distance.
**Clank.**
From within the storm of sword energy, the hero gripped her sword in reverse.
**Clank.**
Mimicking the hero’s stance, I firmly planted my feet on the ground and gripped *Astaroth* in reverse.
Then, I narrowed my eyes.
I wouldn’t dodge. I would face it head-on.
That attack wasn’t a long-range strike but a melee slash.
In that case, I could block it with my newly acquired *Starlight Slash*.
But there was a significant power gap. Could I really neutralize the hero’s powerful attack with my sword?
**Boom!**
The hero swung her sword, releasing golden sword energy.
**Whoosh!**
I responded with my own *Starlight Slash*.
**Flash!**
The two energies collided in midair, emitting a bright flash. At the same time, a sharp pain shot through my waist.
"Guh!?"
It felt like being slashed by a blade. Was this only half a success? I hadn’t completely neutralized her attack. Before I could blink, another golden sword energy was headed straight for me.
I fired off another *Starlight Slash*, faint traces of gold mixed into it.
**Flash!**
A burning sensation spread from my left shoulder to my right side. But it hurt less than before.
**Flash! Pain. Flash! No pain.**
**Wooooong!**
By the time the starlight on my sword had disappeared, a vivid golden glow had enveloped it.
I gathered all my strength and released it.
**Boom, boom, boom, boom!**
My golden sword energy consumed the hero’s and tore through the storm of slashes.
It struck the hero’s body.
*Ding!*
[Golden Sword Technique *Jin (眞)* unlockable at HP below 1%]
---
Covered in blood, I collapsed to the floor and watched the hero’s body dissolve into a radiant light.
Then, I grimaced.
So it still hurts to use this.
______________________
TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!