Chapter 10: Duel (3)

We had been wandering there for two days already.

The shouts of three people echoed through the forest.

“Karls! Faster! Run more diligently!”

“I’m ready, so please come here, Your Highness!”

“Then Master! Shoot now!”

“Gandraa!”

Tirvaen’s magic flashed, and the blessing of power permeated me.

I darted forward like an arrow and thrust the tip of my sword out.

“Kieek!”

A goblin was pierced by the sword and died.

It was thanks to precisely stabbing its neck while Karls held it.

“Next, quickly!”

“Your, Your Highness! Just a little break!”

“Disciple! I’ve already lured it!”

Is it Tirvaen’s turn this time?

I gripped my iron sword, stood up, and started running again.

“Die, you bastard!”

“Kyarruruk!”

A continuous hunt without rest.

And another word for hunting is experience gain.

In other words, I was leveling up.

‘Yes. This is what a gamer is, what else could it be?’

I hid the Vengeance Priesthood deep in the forest and started hunting in this forest.

[Hunting Ground] A deep, dark forest where skilled goblins and kobolds appear. Not recommended for novice travelers.

“Not recommended for novice travelers” means don’t try if you’re under Level 10.

But I started my first hunt here.

Because I had Karls and Tirvaen.

“Don’t kill the monsters, just gather them. Make them so they’ll die with one hit from me. Got it?”

The two carried out my instructions, albeit with a puzzled look.

I followed them, slicing up half-dead goblins and kobolds.

In gamers’ jargon, this work is called “power-leveling.”

“Kirik, cowardly human! Despicable act!”

“Hmmmm.”

Unlike a game, it felt quite uncomfortable to drag real living creatures like this and cut them down.

[Level Up!]

“Oh!”

As I reached Level 1, a warm sense of fulfillment bubbled up inside me.

Leveling up with Gilloshian’s body felt like that.

And the message I had been waiting for appeared.

[1 Skill Point is awarded.]

[Open the skill tree to acquire new skills.]

“Good, 1 point like this.”

Of course, stat points were also given, but in the current situation, skill points were more precious.

As I opened the skill tree, a familiar sight appeared before my eyes.

Hundreds of skills branched out like trees, stretching far into the distance.

‘It’s nice to see it like this.’

At the very bottom of the skill tree, a few newly unlocked Tier 1 skills were sparkling, and above them, unrevealed skills were marked with question marks.

I had to find that swordsmanship among these.

‘The swordsmanship to face the Marquis.’

Earlier, I told Karls that I knew what swordsmanship the Marquis would bring out instead of Vanguard Swordsmanship.

According to the game’s settings and story, it was, of course, “Trafalgar Swordsmanship.”

[Comprehensive Skill] [B-Rank] Swordsmanship passed down in the old Luxen Kingdom’s knight order. It pursues the principles of flexible swordsmanship, focusing on defense and linking/coordination.

Special: Can be used regardless of the user’s weapon type.

‘Swordsmanship that can be used regardless of the type of equipped sword.’

He had learned several other swordsmanships, but the Marquis was bound to choose this one.

That old man would never let go of his two-handed sword.

Just as Karls said that a sword is a knight’s lover, the Marquis’s ‘Roaring Sword’ was truly like his lover.

‘The Roaring Sword is an Ego Sword.’

A sword imbued with a sword spirit that shares life and death with its master.

The Marquis wouldn’t let go of it easily.

Especially if he’s facing me?’

If his opponent is the Third Prince, known to be utterly ignorant of swordsmanship…

‘He’d probably think he could hold the Roaring Sword upside down and still win.’

But I was Kim Kyung-sam, not Gilloshian.

I had this skill tree, and I knew very well that there was a breakthrough in it.

Have to break Trafalgar Swordsmanship?

Then, of course, I have to go for ‘Nomad Quick Swordsmanship’ first.

[Comprehensive Skill] [C-Rank] Swordsmanship imbued with the resentment of a nomadic tribe that roamed the western continent. It pursues the principles of extreme quick swordsmanship.

Special: Appears to have a hidden secret.

Trafalgar is a B-rank skill, and Nomad is a C-rank, falling short of it.

So it seems like the two can’t be a match, but…

‘Actually, all skills have hidden elemental affinities, you know?’

First, a cyclical affinity is established between Crushing Sword – Quick Sword – Flexible Sword.

It’s similar to rock-paper-scissors.

Accordingly, ‘fast swordsmanship’ can enjoy a relative advantage effect over ‘flexible swordsmanship’.

That’s why Nomad Quick Swordsmanship could suppress Trafalgar.

‘A one-rank difference can be overcome and even have a bit of an advantage.’

But this alone wasn’t enough.

Naturally, I had to aim for a higher ground.

What I was aiming for was the special condition of Nomad Quick Swordsmanship.

‘Appears to have a hidden secret.’

The hint to the secret was in the line above that description.

‘It’s swordsmanship imbued with the resentment of a nomadic tribe that roamed the western continent, you say.’

Far to the west lies the Luxen Kingdom, one of the Empire’s vassal states.

According to the original story’s setting, that kingdom was once nearly destroyed by nomads.

The Luxen royal family, who pursued hegemony, treated them harshly.

In response, the nomads grew stronger and, in turn, attacked the kingdom.

‘Unfortunately, in the end, it was the nomads who were defeated.’

History left behind ‘Nomad Quick Swordsmanship.’

This swordsmanship was born from such a ruthless history.

‘Swordsmanship created to break the enemy’s sword, imbued with the sorrow of a people.’

Nomad Quick Swordsmanship was created to counter the Luxen Kingdom’s swordsmanship.

And that Luxen swordsmanship was ‘Trafalgar Swordsmanship.’

In other words, the two swordsmanships are perfect natural enemies and sworn rivals.

Skills with such special relationships create new effects just by meeting.

‘Right now, it’s just C-rank, but its hidden true value will come out soon.’

It was fortunate that it wasn’t categorized as a rare rank, allowing it to be learned through the early skill tree.

‘It was definitely in Tier 3.’

Since only Tier 1 had just been unlocked, all Tier 3 skills were marked with question marks and completely unrevealed.

But I was the proud Kim Kyung-sam, who had poured his life into this game.

I remembered the position of Nomad Quick Swordsmanship all too accurately.

I could probably point it out with my eyes closed.

[Open the skill tree to acquire new skills.]

The system message was blinking, urging me to learn something.

Adding the 2 points I received when the game started, plus the 1 point I gained from reaching Level 1.

I now had a total of 3 skill points.

I first chose ‘Wanderer’s Fighting Style’ from the Tier 1 skills.

[3 Skill Points have been consumed.]

[You have learned Wanderer’s Fighting Style.]

[The techniques of rough fighting permeate your body.]

[A 1% bonus is granted to Strength and Stamina.]

The moment I learned the first skill.

“Hmm?”

Karls, who was next to me, tilted his head.

“I suddenly feel that Your Highness’s momentum has changed a little.”

I chuckled.

‘So skill effects aren’t entirely absent.’

Indeed, there was a slight feeling of physical change.

But the cost-effectiveness was quite disappointing.

Wanderer’s Fighting Style, despite being a Tier 1 skill, required a whopping 3 points.

It’s just a rough punch, basically!

‘But I can’t help it.’

What can I do when the skill tree is built like this?

Anyway, I’ve fastened the first button.

‘Once I’ve acquired Wanderer’s Fighting Style, I can get Extreme Training in Tier 2. Then, in the next Tier 3, I can get Nomad Quick Swordsmanship, and I’m done.’

The total skill points needed up to that point were 8.

Until then, I couldn’t spend skill points elsewhere.

“Ha, this is going to be a long and hard road.”

This sounds easy, but not being able to use skill points elsewhere in the current situation was a very burdensome matter.

Because it meant I couldn’t properly enjoy the level-up effects and had to keep postponing their use.

It also meant I had to continue being power-leveled until Level 9 like this.

“I’m sorry to both of you…”

I looked back at Karls and Tirvaen.

“It probably won’t be easy.”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“It’s going to be tough. That’s just how bus drivers are.”

“What’s a bus driver? I am Your Highness’s escort knight.”

What am I even going to talk about with you?

The experience points needed for my level-up are constantly increasing, but the experience I gain by only delivering the last blow is just a handful.

So, the hardship for the two people who have to make up for that will be immense.

In the original game, it was simply a matter of clicking with a keyboard and mouse, but now, I had to throw my whole body into the fight.

But I can’t help it.

This is my reality now.

And one fortunate thing.

Perhaps thanks to the Slave Gladiator card being applied, wielding a sword didn’t feel so unfamiliar.

I adapted to actual combat surprisingly quickly.

“We need to run faster!”

Until Level 9!

As a result of the three of us tirelessly traversing the forest, covered in sweat and grime:

[4 Skill Points have been consumed.]

[You have learned Extreme Training.]

[You will be better able to cope with crisis situations.]

[A 1% bonus is granted to Intelligence.]

“Your Highness, I feel like I’m going to throw up. Can’t I just slap you once right now?”

“Let me hit him too! You damned scoundrel!”

Karls and Tirvaen, who were sleep-deprived and disheveled, grew to love my ‘masochistic tendencies’ too much.

“Come here! Just offer your cheek!”

“Sir Silion, it’s my turn!”

“…Hey, my stamina is still perfectly fine, you know?”

It’s not something I should assert, given that I’ve been suddenly dropped into a strange world, but it seems I’m going to live a very long life.

[4 Skill Points have been consumed.]

[You have learned Nomad Quick Swordsmanship.]

[You can now perform ordinary swordsmanship.]

“Done!”

The true value of all this suffering was revealed the moment I clashed swords with the Marquis.

The Marquis’s Roaring Sword roared with light, cleaving the air.

Shhwoooosh!

But I held my iron sword diagonally, calmly awaiting the Marquis’s blow.

Perhaps all the knights watching this duel were expecting one outcome.

-“The Third Prince challenging a Swordmaster?”

-“It seems he’s got a hole in his head. So reckless.”

-“As expected of a good-for-nothing! Truly a good-for-nothing!”

Their thoughts seemed to echo in my mind.

Because this was a battle that made no sense from the start.

How could a scoundrel prince and a great swordmaster cross swords?

Everyone must have thought I would be mercilessly toyed with by the Marquis before being helplessly dragged back to the imperial palace.

‘Some might even be wishing that rogue prince would lose an arm.’

But at this moment, I focused all my mental energy solely on my hands and sword.

To succeed in the plan, precisely executing this first step was the most crucial thing.

Nomad Quick Swordsmanship activated.

[Attack Skill: Crushing Sword, First Form]

Along with that, three translucent plates appeared before my eyes.

‘Hit points.’

It was a guideline system that indicated the timing of the attack.

In the original game, it was just a matter of clicking appropriately with the mouse and keyboard.

But now, dropped into the game world, it was completely different.

‘I have to move my body directly and precisely match the actions.’

Only then would it activate properly.

The movements were difficult, and the Marquis’s sword, pouring down before my eyes, was fierce.

But I had to overcome it.

‘First Form! I must perfectly execute the First Form!’

Absolutely!

Precisely executing the First Form of Nomad Quick Swordsmanship to parry Trafalgar Swordsmanship once.

This was the activation condition for the ‘special effect’ I was aiming for!

Even if the Marquis’s swordsmanship and mine had a dominant affinity over their rank, I couldn’t defeat the Marquis.

As everyone knew, the fundamental difference in character performance was immense.

But I had knowledge and experience of this world.

That’s how I could create this miracle.

Thud! Bang! Taaang!

The moment the two swords fiercely clashed.

[‘Nomad Quick Swordsmanship’ has been perfectly activated!]

[Hidden condition ‘Resentment of a People’ has been met.]

[The seal of ‘Nomad Quick Swordsmanship’ is released.]

[‘Nomad Quick Swordsmanship’ evolves into ‘Hae-woo Geombeop’!]

The evolution of a C-rank skill.

Along with it, the flow of time slowly decelerated.

Just like when I first drew a destiny card, this world was revolving around me.

And with a burst of light, a new skill appeared.

[Comprehensive Skill] [S-Rank] Swordsmanship imbued with the resentment of the Baekseon clan from the Eastern Continent. It contains the subtlety of harmony and extreme quickness that they pursued.

Special: Great synergy effect against specific techniques.

YES!

I was so excited I almost threw my sword away.

The planned ‘skill evolution’ had occurred.

‘To achieve this against that sword-crazed old man!’

If there had been champagne nearby, I would have popped it immediately.

But the duel was not over yet.

In the stopped time, I took a deep breath and calmed my mind.

‘Alright, I’ve only just managed to get my hands on a proper sword.’

Still, with this, my plan could be said to be more than 90% complete.

[You can choose one of the following additional effects to combine with the skill.]

[1. Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies ]

[2. Grafting Flowers onto a Tree ]

[3. Adamantine Wall ]

The sudden appearance of Chinese characters seemed a bit out of place, but this was all part of the original setting.

The nomads who created Hae-woo Swordsmanship were from the Eastern Continent, and in the world of

So, the Chinese characters didn’t just pop out randomly.

I carefully scanned the options.

‘Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies and Adamantine Wall are certainly useful skills, but…’

The skill I absolutely had to choose now was Grafting Flowers onto a Tree.

Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies was literally a wide horizontal slash, an attack skill that could clear multiple enemies at once.

‘Of course, such immense power wouldn’t come out right now because of my small and cute stats.’

However, it was a very useful additional effect in hunting grounds where you had to deal with multiple enemies.

And the third one, Adamantine Wall.

‘This is a defensive skill.’

Of course, this too was a skill with endless applications, but…

“Select Grafting Flowers onto a Tree.”

I chose Grafting Flowers onto a Tree without a moment’s hesitation.

[You have selected the additional effect ‘Grafting Flowers onto a Tree’.]

Grafting Flowers onto a Tree.

‘To transfer the flowers of a blooming tree to another tree.’

If this effect were applied to a sword duel?

‘It means I can take the opponent’s strength entirely and use it in reverse.’

The weight of that ignorant two-handed greatsword, ‘Roaring Sword’.

The immense, monstrous strength of a 9-star knight contained within it.

If I take that as it is, and return it with the added attribute of quick swordsmanship?

‘Even a Swordmaster wouldn’t be able to endure it, right? Because it’s the Marquis’s own power amplified and returned.’

Of course, the final challenge of activating the counter-attack skill at the precise moment remained.

‘That’s nothing.’

Because I was a great gamer.

I was a seasoned veteran, a ‘rotten water’ who had even matched the timing of Crushing Sword, First Form!