“There are four archers and one spear-user.”
It looked a little better than the left passage, but four archers still weren’t an easy opponent. And before we could even get close to them, that spear-wielding War Wolf would be in the way.
“Considering my HP, if there are more than two archers, I don’t think I can handle it.”
Even with a shield to block, that was the limit. They were also at a distance, and the archers’ levels were fairly high. Their arrows would probably feel far heavier than the ones fired by the field mobs.
“If I keep taking arrows, I get pushed back. Then I can’t advance. I can’t just trust the shield and charge.”
“Do the arrows have some kind of knockback effect?”
“Yes. I let a few hit me earlier to test it, and I got pushed even with the shield up. The arrows are really heavy. If two or three times as many hit, I probably wouldn’t be able to hold—I’d just topple over.”
And once you fell, you were basically skewered. Not the kind of image I wanted in my head.
What to do.
Even if Shield Warrior blocked, he could only handle about two archers’ worth. The rest would have to be blocked by me or PrettyGirl.
“PrettyGirl, do you think you can dodge incoming arrows?”
She shook her head hard, almost before I finished asking.
She was fast, yes, but dodging arrows was another problem entirely. It was scary, even if it was just a game. And considering the speed of the arrows, dodging was honestly difficult.
“Five archers on the left, four archers and a spear on the right…”
Whichever way we went, breaking through looked tough. This way was just the lesser evil. Nothing easy in sight.
“Shield Warrior, you can handle two archers on the left, right?”
“Two, yes. Three, I’m not sure.”
“I’ll take care of the rest somehow. PrettyGirl, stick right behind me, and when I hit that War Wolf archer first, move in on it.”
She nodded.
“Charming, you might get focus-fired, so wait at first. When PrettyGirl latches onto the War Wolf, bind the spear-user.”
Charming nodded as well.
“Let’s go.”
Shield Warrior raised his large shield and advanced, and the War Wolf archers, as if waiting, loosed a volley at him.
“I can’t hold for long!”
The sound wasn’t a light ting ting but heavy thunks, like a ballista slamming into his shield.
That was a mistake. I’d assumed only the closest two would fire, but they were linked—every archer had shot at once. Our plan was already falling apart.
I drew my twin swords and sprinted tight along the right wall. Only then did two of the archers switch their aim toward me.
The sight of arrows hurtling toward me triggered the right kind of tension, dragging my excitement under and sharpening my focus to a knife’s edge.
With that razor awareness, I caught the trajectory of the arrow splitting the air toward me.
At the exact instant I sensed it, I angled my right longsword to deflect the first arrow’s head. No time to watch it glance off—the heavy rebound jolted my hand, and before I could even register it, my left sword was already slashing across the path of the second arrow.
More arrows flew in rapid succession. Trajectories, my speed, the tactile feedback of steel against shafts—every sense screamed data and warning at once.
Swing—third arrow gone. Swing—fourth arrow too. And with that motion still carrying me, I twisted my torso and hurled my right sword at the nearest archer’s chest.
No time to check if it landed. I rushed the next target; PrettyGirl would finish the first.
The archers weren’t flustered at all. Bows drew again. All three that weren’t struck by my thrown blade targeted me at once.
“Dodge!”
Charming shrieked, high-pitched. Instinct had me roll before I even processed it. The arrows shrieked past, hammering into the floor where I’d just been. If I hadn’t rolled, I’d be a kebab.
No follow-up arrows—looked like Shield Warrior had closed the distance. Sliding low, I slipped behind one archer and slashed its throat twice in quick succession. Only then did I take in the surroundings.
Shield Warrior had pinned two archers close, forcing them back. PrettyGirl was tearing into the one I’d tagged with my thrown sword, glaive hacking away. The spear War Wolf was frozen in place, burning under Charming’s magic.
Archers were predictable—once you closed, it turned into a massacre. PrettyGirl and I each cut down an archer, then split. She joined Charming to finish the spear-user, and I moved to help Shield Warrior down his targets.
Just in case, I dashed over to retrieve the sword I’d thrown. Couldn’t let it despawn. The distance had made me nervous when I threw it, but fortunately it was still there.
We all looked at each other and laughed. The plan had been a mess, but somehow we broke through. While gathering drops, Shield Warrior turned to me.
“How in the world do you do that?”
Do what? I tilted my head.
“The arrows. You actually cut them down. Not one, but several in a row.”
“If it wasn’t possible, I wouldn’t do it. Try it sometime. The shock through your hands is incredible.”
He gave me the same look you’d give an alien. I’d seen that look before… back when I was sniping foxes? Or maybe when we downed the Orc Chieftain.
After a few more rough skirmishes in the corridor, we found a chamber with fewer mobs and farmed there until logout time approached.
Archers were tough to break through in groups, but once you cleared a room with many of them, it was actually easier—each new spawn could be mowed down instantly. Archers generally had less HP than warrior-types. But if you didn’t burn them fast enough, their numbers snowballed into a disaster, arrows raining from every direction.
“Nothing but bows and spears piling up.”
Spears weren’t worth much, but bows fetched a good price. Selling them would bring a tidy profit.
Shield Warrior glanced at his inventory and grinned in satisfaction. That grin was terrifying. Without my time limit, I probably would’ve ended up farming like a slave under him all day. From what I’d seen, he had it in him to drive me to the ground.
We all returned to town and handed every drop to Shield Warrior. Without me, they wouldn’t be able to keep pace with spawn rates in that spot anyway. The three of them could form another party or grind on the first floor. I wanted to keep going, but my time was finite.
“Good work today.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Reluctant but resolved, I accepted Charming’s and PrettyGirl’s farewells and logged out.
***
“What’s got you so focused?”
“This? A video of dual-sword matches overseas. I got curious and looked it up.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Someone said image training helps. Better to watch something than imagine from nothing, apparently.”
It was something Team Leader Yoo Hyesun had tossed out in passing, and I’d remembered to check.
“Image training… that’s a nostalgic term.”
“You’ve done it, hyung?”
“Hm? Ah… we always do. Picture the flow in your head before practice, split the whole into parts, rehearse those parts. Not special. Just normal prep, especially when planning new strats.”
“Professional gamer stuff, huh?”
“Sure, though you forgot the ‘former.’ Since you’re watching dual-sword clips, I take it you’re running two blades in Lost Sky?”
“Yeah. Sort of ended up that way.”
Jaejung looked at me quietly.
“That’s not easy. There are types of dual-sword styles—longsword with dagger? Two longswords? Even footwork changes the name. Some hold one blade reversed. Lots of branches.”
“I don’t know that much yet. Right now I’m just using two longswords.”
“You’re a complete novice, then.”
“Who isn’t, when it comes to swordplay? Ordinary people like me wouldn’t know. There’s kendo, sure, but real sword work? Almost nobody.”
“True. Unless it’s your hobby or your trade, knowing more would be stranger. You never touched 3rd-Gen games, so you’d know even less.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m checking videos online. They help more than I expected.”
“Visual input’s intuitive. But dual-wielding is really tough. Maybe it works in-game? In 3rd-Gen, it was common to try but rare to master. In reality it’s basically obsolete. Almost no one in history used it seriously.”
“That hard?”
“You could say so. Two swords mean both arms need to be strong. And you have to attack and defend with blades only. Compared to a sword-and-shield, it’s full of weaknesses. Two blades split your focus. Worse, their paths tangle—you have to solve that first. Some dual-wielders go with two short swords, or one long and one short, splitting offense and defense. Anyway, without talent, forget it. You need to be ambidextrous.”
“Plenty to consider.”
“Compare with a greatsword—two hands on one hilt. Lots of power, but limited angles, simpler moves. Dual blades give freedom, more variety, but you’re still weaker in raw force.”
“Different from the game, then.”
“Well, the game boosts everything with stats and damage. Raise strength, learn to use both hands smoothly, and it looks pretty good. If you can imagine it, you can do it. Honestly, all weapons in the game work like that. Spears too.”
“You’re using a spear, right?”
“Yeah, picked up a glaive and tried it. Suits me. And there’s tons of real footage and records of spears. Easy to build imagery. Most common is still swords, though. The dream weapon. Sword Master!”
“They don’t have sword aura yet. Maybe they’ll add sword force later.”
“Heh, listen to you. Talking about sword aura without any enlightenment.”
“Ugh. If anyone heard us say this stuff, I’d die of embarrassment.”
“Why? It’s fun.”
“It’s humiliating.”
“…So you’re saying I’m humiliating, huh?”
Jaejung instantly clamped me in a headlock.
“I surrender!”
At my cry, he let go and kept talking.
“It’s not ‘sword aura,’ but—don’t spread this around.”
A secret?
“If you take down mages, there’s a tiny chance a weapon gets enchanted. That’s your so-called sword aura, right there.”
“Hyung, I love you.”
“Disgusting. Get lost. Anyway, you’ll have to get to floor three or deeper to farm mages. Figure it out. And keep it quiet—only a few know. Word will get out soon, though.”
“Got it. But can swordsmen even use magic?”
“Oh man, you need to study more. What’s this game’s biggest strength and weakness?”
So to cast magic, do I need to raise INT? Is that right?
“No fixed classes?”
“Exactly. Raise INT. You need at least two points to learn magic. True magic swordsman! At least in a game, you’ve got to try sword aura once.”
“With stats already spread thin, won’t raising INT ruin me?”
“It won’t. Have I ever given you bad advice? What’s the rule about what I say?”
“Everything out of your mouth is a lie?”
Headlock, again.
“It’s truth. Absolute truth. Where’s your respect?”
“Yes, yes. Truth.”
Younger brothers have it rough. I was right, though.
“And you’ve got a mage friend, don’t you?”
I flinched.
“Oh? Something there?”
“There’s nothing.”
“Fine, I’ll respect your privacy. Tell them to raise AGI. If they only pump INT and MANA, they’ll quit later—no survivability. AGI is key. As enemies get faster and stronger, a mage with no dodge and low HP dies before casting. A mage who can’t move is useless. Don’t let them become a standing sandbag. But tell only close friends. Don’t spread it. Later, they’ll also need STR—staffs will get heavier like everything else.”
As expected, the man dissected the game like an analyst.
But a magic swordsman… that sounded fun. Now I had another reason to push down to the third floor fast.