This Insanely Overpowered Footwork Is Now Mine (1)

By the time I reached the 28th floor, my level sat at 670. Throw in my titles and my real combat strength was basically pushing 870. But even with all of that factored in, the thing standing in front of me was stronger.

-Gulp.

'Why the hell is a 999 showing up here!!!'

Level 999. That was fifth-floor-of-the-Tower of Pilgrims territory. Across the whole world, not just Korea, the number of people who had ever cleared that floor could be counted on one hand. And now I was supposed to fight something like that? Rely on my thirteen traits and just go for it?

'Am I insane?'

"Ha, haha… Sorry for disturbing your rest…."

I slowly backed away, sword still in hand. The sneaky way I stretched my arm out was just extra.

'Trait Enhancement Swap, Ruler of the Tower!'

The upgraded version let me use tower movement even in the middle of a floor run instead of only in safe zones. Now I had an escape route to the normal tower if things went bad.

Only then did I relax. Not a lot, but a little.

-Glance.

'That’s…'

My eyes traced the vengeful spirit before me. Black hair, crimson eyes, translucent skin. Anyone would call it a ghost. Lore said it had gone missing thousands of years ago, so the fact that it was still here was honestly more terrifying. Still.

'At least it’s not an aggressive mob.'

Luckily the spirit simply stared at me with wide, unblinking eyes. It showed no sign of attacking.

I decided to take a closer look.

"……Hmm."

It didn’t seem like it was here to be fought. Maybe an NPC tied to a hidden piece? If I resolved its grudge it might ascend peacefully and drop a sweet reward like Luca did. The odds looked decent.

-Tap tap.

"Yo, Salamander."

"Y-yes!"

"You two are acquainted. Go have a little reunion chat."

I decided to send the salamander. Someone it already knew would probably get a better reaction. Absolutely, positively, this was not because I was scared.

"B-but if the great one is going…."

"If you don’t go, you die by my sword."

"Hiiik……."

When the salamander looked reluctant, I gave it some liquid courage via a rare-grade blade. The lizard that had just suffered a classic “threatened at swordpoint” incident finally moved.

The moment it stood in front of the spirit…

"Excuse me, do you by any chance remember—"

The spirit’s red eyes flashed.

WHOOOOSH—!!!

Killing intent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flooded the entire 29th floor. The pressure was so heavy even I stiffened. The salamander who took it head-on?

"Kkyaaaaack!!!"

"Hey, hey! Get back here!!"

"Hiek, kkyaaaaack!!!!"

The salamander ignored my order and bolted. The trail of yellow flame it left on the ground looked suspiciously like it was pissing itself while running.

"…Tsk."

'Yeah, that’s about what I expected.'

Made sense. It was stronger than me. When the stronger side threatens you, it hits different. I should start preparing my own exit too.

'First, get the movement button ready…'

"Excuse me! I’m sorry! I must have done something rude!"

After activating Ruler of the Tower, I kept my tension high and spoke. No answer came.

-Stare.

She simply stared at my sword. Unlike with the salamander, there wasn’t even a hint of killing intent.

The first time she actually moved was after our eyes finally met.

"I’m sorry! I can’t understand you! I can’t understand!!"

"Uh, um… What one guo ren?"

After my desperate attempts at conversation ended, she drew her sword.

Shing—!!

It looked like the perfect moment to run, but—

"……Huh?"

The trait that triggered the moment I held a sword whispered to my instincts.

She holds no hostility or killing intent. If anything, it’s competitive spirit. She simply wants to cross blades once.

That intuition proved correct shortly after.

-Step.

The spirit raised three fingers, then pointed at me with her other index finger and tapped each of the three fingers once. Every tap made one finger fold down. Once all three were closed, she raised her index finger and touched it to mine.

'I think I get the meaning.'

She probably wanted a spar. Since her level was higher, she’d let me attack three times. After that it would be a real fight. Something like that.

But should I accept?

'…It’s dangerous.'

I only had one floor left until my little sister’s medicine would be complete. I couldn’t risk dying here. Logically, running was the correct choice.

Yet my hand refused to press the tower-change button.

'She doesn’t seem like a bad ghost.'

There was a sense of respect in the way she held her sword, in the way she looked at me. Should I really just run away simply because she was higher level… when I was carrying thirteen mythic-grade traits?

'Screw it, let’s do this.'

Even if I took a fatal wound, Protection of the Guardian Dragon would block it once, and pressing the escape button in that window ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would be easy. There shouldn’t be any real danger to my life.

Probably.

'Of course I’ll run if it gets too dangerous…'

Yeah. Let’s fight her once, the way this spirit wants. Sword against sword.

"Then I’ll attack first?"

I leveled my sword and gave a small respectful nod. The spirit’s dry lips curved up slightly, as if satisfied.

She returned the nod. Maybe it was because she was beautiful, but I felt an absurd amount of goodwill toward her.

"Here I come!! Space Slash!!!"

I swung my sword with a shout. A slash shot skyward. The spirit looked like she was wondering what I was doing, but—

'That one has great homing, you know.'

The slash she thought had missed made a perfect U-turn and flew straight at the back of her head. The spirit whirled around in shock.

She raised her sword, probably planning to block or deflect. I unconsciously shook my head.

'Ah, that’s not going to work.'

Ten Thousand Cut Sword was active on that slash. The power boost was more than enough to ignore a mere 100-level gap. If she tried to block it head-on, her sword would get sliced in half along with her.

The spar would end with my instant kill.

'Maybe I should have warned her…'

Just as I thought it would end pathetically—

"……!!!!?"

The spirit’s figure suddenly vanished. Or at least it looked that way. If not for Dragon Eyes, I would have assumed she used some invisibility trick.

'What the…'

Right before my slash connected, she tapped the ground with her toes. Then she shot forward like she had ignited boosters. The speed was so ridiculous it looked like short-range teleportation.

-Gulp.

"Crazy…"

This wasn’t a level difference anymore. I’d believe it if someone told me that was a stigmata. The pattern on her arm hadn’t glowed, so maybe not. Still.

-Step.

The spirit made a V sign. Not as a memorial for the horror movie of her life that could be played at a funeral, but probably to say two attacks remained.

'This time I’m going seriously!'

"Space Slash, Double Strike!!!"

Swish, swish—!!! I swung twice in quick succession. The stigmata on my arm blazed. The five-times-amplified cheat-grade stigmata sent out two slashes at once.

'This should be hard to block.'

Two homing long-range attacks coming from completely different directions. No matter how strong the spirit was, she shouldn’t be able to dodge both.

-Smirk.

…At least that’s what I thought until she adjusted her grip.

"……!!!?"

Her body blurred again. It looked like she was melting into the air. Then she moved like a single butterfly.

'What the hell is that?'

She stepped forward while staring straight at slashes that would cut her body in two if they touched her. Sometimes she avoided the path, sometimes she leaned into it instead. The simple act of dodging looked so elegant and beautiful I couldn’t help but stare with my mouth open.

"Super cool, super cool… Ahem."

'What am I even saying right now?'

An extreme compliment that didn’t suit her at all had slipped out, but anyway.

After watching for what felt like a long time—actually just an instant—

-Crack!!!

The slashes I fired only gouged the innocent ground. While the grass split open and the dirt beneath revealed its insides, the spirit raised her sword. All three fingers had long since been folded.

She swung her sword through the air a few times. It looked like a warm-up, but my eyes saw everything clearly. She was adjusting her power to match my stats.

"Whew…"

'So she really just wants to compete with pure technique.'

Of course. There was no way the hidden piece on this floor would be given for beating a level-999 opponent with raw power. If she was going to adjust her strength, I just had to put on a good show and take the reward.

A sigh of relief left me without thinking.

'Still, just in case, I’ll keep the tower movement button active…'

"Please come at me."

I gripped my sword tightly. The three free attacks were over. Time to fight for real.

My sincerity must have reached her too. A smile formed on the spirit’s lips.

"Please go easy on me. Though it would be nice if you gave me the hidden piece first."

After exchanging words that neither of us understood, the spirit began running toward me.

SSSSHHH—!!!

She was so fast the bushes along her path split apart like the miracle of the Yellow Sea.

'But I can still see it!'

"Hup!"

I raised my sword seriously. Sword God analyzed every situation. Dragon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Eyes tracked her movements, and—

-Clang!!!

"Up we go!!"

The spirit approached with mysterious footwork and swung a low slash while lowering her body. I blocked it perfectly. Or rather, calling it a block was inaccurate. Right before her sword touched mine she had already withdrawn it herself.

"Hmm."

She must have noticed. If her sword touched mine, it would be cut in two. I wondered if she would call it cheating, but—

Instead the spirit smiled. Maybe it was my imagination, but her previously pale face seemed to gain a touch of color.

Then she began circling me rapidly with her unique footwork.

'Attacking her… seems difficult.'

Thanks to Sword God I could tell. Trying to attack recklessly would create an opening that she would exploit instantly. Taking the initiative here would be the same as inviting death.

'Plus she can attack me freely.'

On the other hand, she clearly wouldn’t hesitate to strike me. That overwhelming mobility from her footwork would let her hit and run as she pleased.

Of course I also had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my own traits, and she seemed willing to adjust her power. Taking one hit on purpose to close the distance wasn’t impossible, but…

'That doesn’t feel right.'

My instincts that had carried me through so much free riding screamed at me. Using a cheap tactic just to win here would be a waste.

'Let’s watch the situation first.'

Following that instinct, instead of rushing I focused entirely on her movements, and—

"……Oh."

The mysterious footwork that had been incomprehensible until now… I was beginning to understand just a little of the profound principle hidden inside it.