Coincidence, Sometimes (3)

“Round 1, huh.”

I lifted my sword at the wolf that had appeared in front of me.

The steel sword had become pretty familiar by now. Honestly, it was called a steel sword, but I could barely feel any difference in weight from an iron sword.

Maybe my body’s just getting better too.

Or maybe there really wasn’t much difference between swords to begin with. I wasn’t sure.

Ding!

I casually ignored the alert chiming from my pocket. It was probably the Wiki’s strategy guide—no, it definitely was—but I didn’t have time to check it now.

“Grrr…!!”

There was a bastard in front of me drooling and glaring at me. When a thing like that was trying to rip your throat out, where was I supposed to find the leisure to read a guide?

Well… this isn’t even the 70th-floor boss room.

At most, it was just a Round 1 monster on the 61st floor.

A mob. That was all.

“……Heh heh.”

I should have been scared stiff even facing a stray dog from the neighborhood, and now I was treating a wolf the size of my whole body like trash.

I really had grown.

My mentality, my courage, my body, my skill—everything.

Flash!

“KRAAAAH—!!”

“How’s that TP power, you bastard—!!”

Swish—

Things really had changed a lot from the old days.

I stared at the wolf, dead after a single strike, and lifted my sword again.

Han Seol’s gotten insanely strong.

For some reason, I felt proud of myself. Weirdly satisfied.

Swish.

Okay, so I’m supposed to keep them alive instead of killing everything, huh?

I checked the Wiki right after looking at the wolf I’d split in half.

It was an absolutely perfect strategy guide.

It was basically a loophole, but so what? If I didn’t have to fight, then not fighting was the best option.

“Nice, easy cheese.”

[57:57]

Wiki was god, and I was invincible.

* * * * *

Ding!-!

“Got it, thanks.”

The moment I checked the Wiki’s guide, a pitch-black enemy like a shadow took a step forward with its left foot.

Ignoring the dagger that came flying for my head, I moved forward instead.

I’m trusting you, Wiki!!

Taat…!

Ding!-!

……Looks perfectly fine to me.

Maybe it was a blind man who could still open his eyes.

One eye wouldn’t be able to see, so it wasn’t exactly blind, but it looked way too normal from the outside.

“Still, well…”

“……Where the hell are you looking?”

“Sorry, I was just checking how to kick your ass.”

“……What did you say?”

Even if the guide told me to attack from the left, I didn’t exactly know how to do that yet, but…

Flash—!

“How insolent…!”

I’ll make it work somehow.

Even if I died a few times, I’d bring him down eventually, so I wasn’t too worried.

Mm, yeah, yeah.

This was the kind of guide I liked. It had been a while since I’d climbed something that needed actual grinding, but in front of the Wiki, it was nothing.

“Guess I’ll practice my swordsmanship.”

I slowly raised my sword toward the massive stone wall blocking the door.

Kaang-!!!

Since the boss fight was coming up soon, I might as well polish forms one through five.

“Hoo.”

Kugugugung…!!

『Tower of Trials』

-69-

Maybe it had been about four hours since I entered floor 61.

Seeing the tightly shut door open, I took a light breath.

My body was starting to get tired. I had already spent ten hours inside the tower today.

I kind of want to rest, but…

Honestly, if I came all this way and then stopped to rest, wouldn’t that be a waste?

Finish everything, rack up 50,000 TP, tell Jutak in advance, then meet Jutak tomorrow in a good mood… that was the cleanest way.

Why the hell am I excited about this?

I wasn’t going on a date or anything, and it’s not like Jutak and I were that special.

Still, I let out a dry laugh when I caught myself getting all excited and fluttery for no reason.

Step—

I exited the tower, returned to the Lobby, then passed through the corridor and headed back toward the tower again.

It would’ve been nice if they just let me re-enter immediately when climbing in succession, but there were always annoying little things like that.

I’ve got plenty of mana stones, and my sword and shield are in good shape.

I hadn’t had much trouble on Floor 60 of the Trial Tower, and none of the other floors had given me any real difficulty on the way to 70.

Thinking this time would probably be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no problem either, I reached for the tightly closed door without much concern.

Kugugugung…!

“Feels like I’ve finally come back outside.”

The scenery around me changed the instant the door closed.

It wasn’t a bright afternoon sun, but I’d come out into the open air, where the night breeze was cool.

A bridge… maybe?

I wasn’t sure if I should even call it a bridge.

I was standing on something like a high bridge in front of a castle, the kind you’d expect in a medieval or fantasy world.

On both sides stretched a sheer drop, and the stone bridge was only wide enough for about five people to walk side by side.

The span was fairly long, but it didn’t seem like I needed to go far.

Because—

Kuuung…!!!

Right in front of me stood something huge and massive.

That’s fucking big.

I stared blankly up at what looked like a gatekeeper standing with his back to the castle.

Honestly, I’d seen even bigger things before, but because this one was clearly human, its size felt somehow even more imposing.

He was a little over two meters tall, maybe.

He looked exactly like the kind of holy knight or stalwart guardian you’d imagine when thinking of a fantasy world.

A helm that covered his face completely. Pure white armor glinting in the moonlight.

A massive greatsword that looked like it weighed dozens of kilos, and a sturdy shield worthy of it.

“You shall go no farther.”

And, tying it all together, there was that deep, resonant voice.

……Am I the one doing the ambushing here?

He didn’t really feel like an enemy.

Just from the look of him, it felt more like he was the righteous one and I was the villain.

If I could’ve seen his face, maybe I’d have felt differently, but the helm hid even his eyes.

“……”

I glanced up at the words floating above the bastard—no, above the Guardian.

So this Guardian was protecting the castle, and I was supposed to knock him down on this narrow bridge and get past him.

“...Couldn’t you just let me through?”

“……”

I gave it a shot, but his silence only drew a bitter smile from me.

Yeah, no way it would be that easy. I’d hoped, but there wasn’t even the slightest response.

“Sorry, but you don’t plan on explaining the situation, do you?”

“……”

Even if I was the bad guy and even if I’d come here to tear this castle down, that didn’t change what I had to do.

I had to bring him down, no matter what. I didn’t know why this Guardian was standing here guarding this place, but…

Let’s not think too hard about it.

It was a virtual space, anyway. I’d probably forget who I even was if I stayed in here long enough.

I didn’t need any pointless thoughts. I just had to do what needed doing.

Just like that Guardian, who looked like he’d never move aside.

“Hurry it up, will you?”

I snorted at the usual WWE and lifted my sword.

A wooden sword or something like that wouldn’t even have left a scratch on that armor after a lifetime of beating on it, but this should be doable.

“All right… then let’s have a taste before the guide comes out.”

I’d have to see just how strong the gatekeeper defending this giant castle really was.

“Here I go…!!”

“……”

Ding!-!!

* * * * *

Kaang-!!!

Chwaaaak-!!

“Hoo….”

Maybe about ten minutes had passed since the exchange of attacks began.

Actually, I wasn’t even sure I could call it an exchange. The knight only stayed hunched behind his defense.

There’s some damage getting through…

Even when I brought the steel sword down on him, he just kept knocking it away with his shield in perfect silence.

Maybe it would’ve been different without the shield, but I had no way to do anything about that shield.

Ding!-!

……Well, I will now.

Sure enough, I snorted at the sight of the Wiki finishing its analysis in a hurry.

Was Wiki really growing too?

I didn’t know if it was because I’d passed a certain number of floors or because of the anomaly’s effects, but it had definitely changed.

Or maybe it was because the new feature had unlocked.

Swish.

Either way, it’s a gain, so I don’t really care.

“Huh.”

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

So when it was defending, its defense rose, and when it attacked, its attack rose.

And they’re even mutually compatible?

This was just… this was just…

No, seriously. That was a cheating bastard, plain and simple.

I didn’t know what exactly determined those “stances,” but if the thing I’d been hitting for ten whole minutes had been in defensive stance…

It gets stronger the more I hit it?

That meant the moment the bastard raised its sword and moved from its spot, it would become absurdly stronger.

Kuuung…!

“You’re strong.”

“……”

The Guardian, who’d stayed frozen in place the whole time, lifted his sword.

He took one step forward and threw a low remark at me.

“My turn.”

“...Haha.”

Flash—!!

I bit my lip as the red light filled my vision.

What a useless bitch, this Wiki…!!

Thunk, thunk, kuung—!!

Please, if something this important happens, tell me faster!!!

Kaang-!!!

“Ghk…!!”

I caught it with a parry, but my fingertips went numb.

Even though I’d parried at the perfect timing, the overwhelming shock spread through my entire body.

Whoooosh-!!

“……!”

I twisted my face hard and threw myself backward as the follow-up attack came immediately after.

The Guardian reclaimed the sword that had cleaved through the air and simply watched me, sprawled on the ground, in silence.

So you’re being generous now, huh…

If it had been me, I would’ve rushed in while the enemy was rolling around, but whether it was pride or arrogance, he was giving me room.

“Ha….”

“……”

I pulled the little stone fragments clinging to my body off and lifted my sword again.

In the end, if I wanted to bring him down, I had to meet his sword head-on.

When he entered defensive stance and only deflected with his shield, there just wasn’t enough firepower to beat him down while focusing on defense.

Even if I used magic with mana stones, I didn’t know whether it would do anything through all that armor wrapped around him.

In the end, the spells I had were more like status-effect magic. They didn’t have enough destructive power.

So, if I want to take him down, I have to attack at the same time he attacks.

At the very least, when he was in offensive stance, his defense didn’t rise.

Even if I just stood there and took hits, when he switched back to defensive stance, his defense would rise even more.

I didn’t know how freely he could change stances, but…

“Either way, he can’t do both at once…!”

Taat-!!

When he attacked me, if I could avoid getting hit even once and land blows only on my own terms, then damage was possible.

In the end, if I didn’t get hit while attacking and didn’t attack while defending, I was no different from a useless idiot.

Flash—!

Now…!

The instant the red light became a circle, I barely tilted my head back and dodged the bastard’s sword.

Parrying might even feed his buff. I had to carry this fight with the determination not to let him touch me at all.

Royal Palace Knight Sword Form 4…!

For the past few weeks, I’d been swinging my sword like a man possessed.

Magic was basically just click the mana stone and done, so I’d spent hours every day swinging the sword in the same stance.

Form 5 was the strongest attack, but it wasn’t the form to force out from this stance.

I swung the steel sword at his side with Form 4, the fastest and freest strike I could throw.

Kaang-!!!

Wobble!

It worked…!

The bastard had been moving in to attack, but his strike had gone wide.

With no time to dodge, he took the hit straight in the side and stumbled back a little, and my eyes flew wide.

Flash—!

Damn it…!

For a split second, just as I’d felt satisfied and he’d been surprised, he immediately reclaimed his sword and came in with another attack, forcing me back as I grit my teeth.

Too late…!

I’d tried to retreat, but the timing was off.

I’d pushed in too deep. There wasn’t enough time.

I had no choice but to raise the leather shield strapped to my arm and meet the parry timing, thinking only of stacking buffs.

Puuuuuuhk-!!

“Ugh—?!”

The parry timing was perfect.

But the impact came at me like a madman.

The shield exploded in a single hit.

It wasn’t even a blow swung with all his strength, but pain like my arm had been broken shot through me.

Taat-!

He’s still moving, so I guess it isn’t broken…

Either way, it still hurt like hell.

I stepped back and hurled away the useless remains of the shield.

Undoing the strap around my arm, I glared at the Guardian as he charged straight at me.

Flash—!

Just like before, I read the timing from the sword aimed at my head and the red glow that came with it—

Now…!

Whooosh!

At the perfect moment, I dodged by a hair’s breadth and swung my sword at once.

Form 4 again…!!

His side again.

An attack I knew would land. I planned to pile up damage by any means necessary.

“……”

“……?!”

I’d clearly swung with that exact intent, but…

Defensive stance…?

Kaang-!!

As if he’d known this would happen, he immediately blocked my attack with his shield and took a guard stance. I let out a hollow laugh.

He hunkered down and defended the places where attacks would come in with his shield.

The defensive stance he’d been holding while taking hits had come together in an instant. If it was this free-form, wasn’t it straight-up cheating?

Flash—!

“You son of a—!”

I’d barely had that thought—barely even for an instant.

The Guardian straightened up and swung his sword at me.

At an angle I couldn’t block, at a speed I couldn’t dodge.

I knew the timing, but I had no way to stop it.

I forced my sword up with both hands, aiming only to avoid a direct hit, and slammed it against the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blade path—

Ka-AAANG-!!

“Ghk!!”

With a violent shock, I was shoved backward for what felt like forever.

Chwaaaak-!!

“……!!”

As I rolled across the ground, I grit my teeth against pain like my arm was being torn apart, then realized the speed of my slide was no joke.

I’m falling…?!

This bridge was narrow enough already.

Below it yawned a cliff that had to be dozens of meters deep.

I tried to hold ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on by digging my fingers into the ground, but the force of the sword strike wouldn’t let me slow down.

Please…!!

I finally let go of the sword I’d been gripping by force and clutched the ground with both hands, and in the end I was able to stop only by hanging on at the cliff’s edge.

Swallow.

If I let go, I’d fall.

Tatak, tak…

The shattered stone fragments were dropping into the abyss below, making a skin-crawling sound as they vanished.

“……Ha.”

The Guardian was once again standing still and watching me.

At a certain distance, as if to say: climb back up if you want to.

It looked like either leisure or chivalry—I couldn’t tell which.

Grit…!

I clenched my teeth and hauled my body back up with everything I had.

If this had been my old, weak body, maybe not. But this was a body that had spent months grinding for hours every single day.

Even if my arm screamed and my body felt heavy, I could drag one damn body back up.

“Haa…! Haa…!!”

“You shall not pass.”

The Guardian’s voice reached my ears through my ragged breathing.

He was telling me I couldn’t get through. That my skill wasn’t enough.

I shook my head hard, forcing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down the absurd urge to take his flat voice as mockery.

Swish.

I grabbed my sword again and thought I should attack in a different way this time, just for a moment—

Ding!-!

“……Ha.”

As if it had been waiting for me to get hit once, the Wiki’s alert came flying in, and I checked the strategy like I was under a spell.

Possible to clear without directly defeating the Guardian…?