Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Player vs. Master Eleonora (2)
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*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*
From the distance created by a Backstep, Park Jeong-gwon's 'Starlight Sword Ki' shot toward Eleonora. *Tat-tat-tat!* Eleonora moved her feet quickly, weaving her body through the gaps in the sword ki.
*Clang, clang, clang!*
Eleonora's sword didn't miss Park Jeong-gwon's hurried attempt to get behind her using Counterattack. As Park Jeong-gwon's form blurred, leaving afterimages, she swung her sword behind her without even looking back.
*Shwick!* Just as he arrived behind Eleonora, it seemed Park Jeong-gwon's body was cut. But it blurred again.
"A Left Counterattack followed by a Right Counterattack."
I followed Park Jeong-gwon's rapidly moving form with my eyes.
The left and right variations of Counterattack were introduced in the last 'Normalization' patch. Honestly, using them in succession like that isn't the best way. But to disrupt Eleonora's sharp eyes, even a little, it was a last resort.
But Eleonora wasn't easily confused. 'Counterattack' might function like a teleport, but there's a distinct movement of turning around. Even for a skill that gets you behind an opponent, to someone who can track that movement with their eyes, it just looks like you're moving a bit faster.
*Tap.*
Eleonora lightly stomped and swung her sword forward and back twice. Park Jeong-gwon's body was caught too easily in the trajectory of that simple two-hit slash. He had no time to block the sword slicing toward his waist the moment the invincibility frames of his Right Counterattack ended. Park Jeong-gwon gritted his teeth and used Backstep again.
*Tat-tat! Shwaaaek!*
The moment the distance opened up, Park Jeong-gwon stomped and shot forward, his sword aimed at her waist. Then, his form instantly accelerated.
The Swordsman's 'Flash'.
A technique that cuts through the opponent in a single breath, as fast as a ray of light.
Eleonora's eyes didn't miss even that speed. The linear trajectory of Flash was simply fast. She moved her body to the left of its path and swung her sword sideways. Flash has invincibility frames, so Park Jeong-gwon's body wasn't cut. But Eleonora immediately closed in on him as he passed by her sword.
I watched with sweaty palms, urging Park Jeong-gwon to make his next move.
"The post-delay on Flash... he needs to move quickly."
After using Flash, there's a brief moment of stiffness.
I got a hole punched through my chest by the Ancient Hero because of that last time. Would Master Eleonora miss that opening?
*Chk.*
"Hah."
In an instant, Eleonora had closed the distance behind Park Jeong-gwon after he used Flash, and her sword was at his neck.
"Not bad. Is this the fighting style of the 'Adventurers from the Stars'? But it's not enough. Is there a next person?"
*Oooooh-!*
A mix of disappointment and admiration rippled through the players.
"Damn... she's crazy strong, isn't she?"
"Park Jeong-gwon couldn't even touch her."
"Shut up, you guys try fighting her!"
Park Jeong-gwon shouted at the Skada attack squad members, his face flushed.
"If she's a named-level opponent, shouldn't the strategy be to rush her all at once?"
"Hmm, I don't know. With this kind of event boss, she'll probably get stronger the more people there are. She's a Master, right? The Masters I've read about in novels shoot terrifying sword ki. That knight lady might start spraying sword ki everywhere too."
The Skada attack squad began discussing their strategy.
*Chk.*
"Well, is it our turn now?"
Death of Death, who was next to Chris and me, stood up. He then stepped onto the training platform.
"D.D.! Show them the power of the Red and White guild's main tank!"
"We believe in you, senior!"
Eleonora looked at Death of Death, who had stepped onto the platform, and spoke.
"A martial artist this time? Come at me with your best."
*Chk. Tap, tap.*
Death of Death raised his gauntlet-clad hands into a guard and began his footwork with light steps.
"Swordsmanship... it's certainly impressive."
Then, he grinned from behind his guard.
"But the art of boxing from Earth, combined with the skills of Astria Online, is nothing to scoff at either."
*Thud-thud-thud! Ka-ka-ka-kang!*
Death of Death fought harder than Park Jeong-gwon. He used the Fighter's 'Counter' at opportune moments and continued his attacks using the brief invincibility frames granted by successfully countering at the perfect Just Guard timing.
*Papapapat!*
From his slightly extended arm, his gauntlet shot out at a rapid pace, aiming for Eleonora's face. Eleonora lightly twisted her body and swung her sword. *Swish.* Death of Death used Left Body Flicker to circle to her left and get behind her, then kicked upwards from her rear. It was an upward kick that inflicted the 'Airborne' status effect. *Thud!* It was easily blocked, but it seemed to have succeeded in making Eleonora's eyes gleam with interest.
Chris looked at Death of Death with an expression that seemed to say she was proud.
"His punches are fast, right? Those are jabs. They're also used to disrupt the opponent's line of sight."
"Mm, so that's how it's done. As expected of the number one arena ranker."
I nodded.
It seemed Death of Death had watched the duel between Park Jeong-gwon and Eleonora and formulated his own strategy. To fight that knight, you couldn't treat it as 'PVE'. The key wasn't to land high-damage skills, but to 'hit' her with effective strikes. It was a named boss fight, but at the same time, it could be seen as 'PVP'.
In fact, the method I used to break through the Ancient Hero's self-defense ki was also to aim for the gaps between her attacks, landing hits with just the movement of my sword. More than the power of skills, one's personal ability was what mattered. In that respect, Death of Death was a talent with the qualities to brilliantly 'strategize' against Eleonora.
But could our Red and White guild's Fighter, Death of Death, handle Eleonora's real attacks?
*Tupapat, Kakang!*
In the midst of it all, several exchanges took place. Fast sword strikes and jabs were traded between them.
The look in Death of Death's eyes changed. He was planning to make a decisive move.
*Chk.*
Death of Death's stance lowered. Instead of countering Eleonora's thrusting sword, he ducked and turned his head to the left, narrowly dodging it. Maintaining that turned posture, he dug in toward Eleonora's waist. A weave followed by a body blow?
*Hwoooong!*
With a fierce whoosh, not his left fist that had been jabbing until now, but his right fist swung powerfully. But, as expected of a Master. Eleonora easily twisted her body to dodge. Death of Death was in a stance from a powerful swing. A large motion, creating an opening. Eleonora struck down with her sword toward his back.
*Swish.* Death of Death's form blurred. Eleonora's sword cut through empty air.
"Back Counterattack! No, for a Fist Master, it's Body Flicker, so is it Back Flicker?"
Park Jeong-gwon, the Swordsman from the Skada attack squad, let out a cry of admiration.
A technique where, when an opponent gets behind you, you use Counterattack just before the targeting disappears to return to your original position. It was the same one I frequently used when fighting Zakam, the second named boss of the 'Tree of the Abyss'.
*Kuuung!*
Having succeeded in getting behind Eleonora for the first time, Death of Death stomped his foot hard. Quake Stomp, a Fist Master's status-inflicting skill that applies a short stun in a 360-degree radius. Eleonora's balance faltered slightly. Then, planting the ball of his right foot, Death of Death's heel twisted sharply. Simultaneously, his right fist shot out with terrifying speed.
A straight punch, a Crushing Fist.
*Hwoooong! Kwaaaang!*
*Screee.*
A loud explosive sound rang out, and Eleonora's form was pushed back several steps.
In that fleeting moment, Eleonora had blocked Death of Death's Crushing Fist by holding her sword diagonally.
Eleonora stared intently at Death of Death with sharp eyes and said one word.
"Good."
It almost looked as if he had seized the upper hand.
Although it was blocked, he had succeeded in landing a powerful skill and forcing Eleonora to retreat.
However, after that, Eleonora's movements changed drastically.
"D-Damn it!"
Death of Death was flustered. This was different from before, when she had swung her sword in a way that invited a counter. Her sword, now much faster, began to shoot in from all directions, targeting him with bizarre trajectories.
*Ka-ka-ka-kang!*
Death of Death hurriedly raised his gauntlets, desperate to block. Counter blocked all attacks in a 180-degree arc in front of him. But Eleonora's sword now?
*Shwaaaek!*
Seeing the sword aiming for his left waist, Death of Death initiated Counter to trigger a 'Just Guard'. But the sword moved like a snake. It wasn't in the 180-degree frontal arc. It was only slight, but it was clearly behind him. Outside the range of his Counter. He struggled to cancel his counter stance and barely managed to block the sword with his gauntlet.
*Kaang!*
"Ugh, I'm not a Swordsman!"
Death of Death complained.
The Swordsman's Block and the Fighter's Counter each have their pros and cons. But Eleonora wasn't giving him anything to counter. Death of Death could only turtle up. Not even using skills, just with the movement of his gauntlets, he was like a boxer raising his guard to block punches coming from all sides.
Eleonora's sword moved like a snake. Feinting left, it would strike from the right. Its trajectory constantly changed. With her sword path repeatedly moving outside his counterable range, Death of Death couldn't find an opportunity to attack.
Chris, who was watching the duel's progress with sharp eyes, commented.
"Her attacks have gotten terrifyingly fast. The trajectory of her sword is strange, too. Like a snake? It's completely different from before."
"You could call it Phase 2."
I knew what was happening with Eleonora's body.
She was drawing on her mana now.
Eleonora was a Master. Of course she could draw on her mana to enhance her body. Her attacks would become stronger, her movements faster. From this stage, it was no longer PVP. It was a clear, named-boss-level fight where she'd overwhelm with stats.
But I didn't like that.
Eleonora's swordsmanship, which confused the opponent's gaze as if mixing real and feigned moves.
I pouted.
"That's not Melissa's swordsmanship."
Even with the title of Master, she's still using stuff like that?
Looks like I'll need to set her on the right path.