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SERIES: Regression of the Cursed Blacksmith
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Chapter 26 - The Dark Swordsman
Choi Hyun didn't shy away from the Dark Swordsman's challenge, and met it head-on.
[ Super Focus has been activated. ]
[ Nimble Feet has been activated. ]
[ Nameless Footwork has been activated. ]
His skills activated.
At the same time, just as he had done against the Wandering Knight, Choi Hyun summoned and threw the Hammer of Repair.
Clang!
The Dark Swordsman calmly batted the hammer aside.
Then, with it's exquisite timing, it performed the incredible feat of blocking Choi Hyun's follow-up attack.
The swordsman's sword was incredibly heavy.
No, it was heavier than he could have imagined.
It felt like striking a solid block of metal with his sword.
The sheer weight, greater than anything he'd ever felt, made Choi Hyun narrow his eyes.
“When Yang-hwi challenged this floor, he had higher strength stats, more skills, and far better equipment and support items than I do now.”
On top of that, he had been carried to the 49th floor, so his condition was optimal.
But even then, he couldn't defeat the Dark Swordsman.
Yang-hwi had attributed his loss to the Dark Swordsman's superior swordsmanship.
But now, facing him directly, it seemed the man's physical prowess was just as formidable as his skill.
“Of course, if even Yang-hwi acknowledged his skill, his swordsmanship must be considerable.”
Still, the man's base physical stats were nothing to scoff at.
A glint appeared in Choi Hyun's eyes.
“But even so, I will win!”
The reason for his confidence was simple.
No matter how impressive his physical stats were, after clashing swords, it didn't feel like something he couldn't handle.
And while Yang-hwi had said he lost due to a lack of skill, that was by the standards of the past Yang-hwi, not the one from before the world's end.
From the perspective of Choi Hyun, who had experienced everything at the end of the world, the Dark Swordsman and the Wandering Knight were more or less the same.
And so, Choi Hyun began to push him back without much difficulty.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew in the air each time their swords met.
But as time passed, the one accumulating wounds was, as expected, not Choi Hyun, but the Dark Swordsman.
[ Parrying has been activated. ]
Swish— Clang!!
After using Parrying to alter the trajectory of the man's sword, Choi Hyun landed a flurry of blows, finally scoring a valid hit.
And now, he was certain.
He was certain that he could absolutely win this fight.
His certainty hadn't just started now; it had been there from the beginning.
It was said that masters could gauge the difference in skill after just a few exchanges.
In that sense, by Choi Hyun's standards, the Dark Swordsman was an amateur.
He continued to inflict more wounds on the Dark Swordsman's body.
[ The Dark Swordsman uses “Super Strike.” ]
The Dark Swordsman, who hadn't used a single skill until now, finally used one.
There was no time to dodge.
He had activated it just before their swords clashed.
And the moment their swords met with Super Strike active.
Craaaaaang!!
A high-pitched screech. And then.
Crack!
“……!”
Choi Hyun's eyes widened.
Because a crack had appeared on his sword for all to see.
“Damn it.”
It was a clear, undeniable crack.
Choi Hyun immediately backed away.
He never imagined a single sword strike could crack his blade.
“The sword's specs aren't low by any means. You're just ridiculously strong, aren't you?”
No wonder a fully equipped Yang-hwi in peak condition had lost to it.
But it was fine.
A normal player would have panicked by now, but who was Choi Hyun?
He was a blacksmith.
And one who was specializing in the repair trait, at that.
Choi Hyun immediately took out the Hammer of Repair and struck his sword.
[ Enhanced Repair has been activated. ]
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Choi Hyun frantically hammered at the sword.
Given the situation, Super Focus didn't activate.
Furthermore, the Dark Swordsman wasn't one to stand by and watch. He immediately closed in and unleashed a fierce assault.
But Choi Hyun calmly maintained his distance and continued the repairs, and thanks to his high dexterity stat, he was able to finish the job perfectly in no time.
[ Repair complete. ]
[ Due to the effect of Enhanced Repair, the target has been fully repaired, and some of its options have been improved. ]
Just as he had the fully restored sword back in his hand, the man's heavy blade came flying at him again.
Instead of blocking it, Choi Hyun evaded like an out-boxer and thrust his sword into the swordsman's body.
Clang!!
The sound of metal scraping.
There was no sensation of piercing flesh.
It felt like trying to carve a massive stone with a sculpting knife.
Having succeeded in landing a valid hit, Choi Hyun immediately checked the sword's information.
[ Wandering Knight's Sword ]
- Type: Item
- Requirement: Level 40 or higher. *However, all usage restrictions are removed in the Tower of Growth.
- Durability: 1,704/1,755 (1,350+405)
- Attack Power: 253.5 (195+58.5)
- Option: Increases power of sword-related skills by 10%.
# A sword used by the Wandering Knight, the guardian of the 40th floor of the Tower of Growth.
# A skilled blacksmith has removed unnecessary parts, reducing its size but improving its performance.
# The improved performance will disappear if its durability falls below the original maximum.
The option he focused on was the durability.
Choi Hyun let out a hollow laugh.
“Hitting his body once costs 51 durability?”
What an absurdly tough body, he thought.
If a single strike cost roughly 50 durability, it meant that after about 35 successful attacks, the sword would reach the end of its life and break.
“Then what about when our swords clash?”
The man's sword flew at him again.
This time, Choi Hyun didn't dodge and met the attack head-on.
Clang!!
Metal sparks flew, and Choi Hyun immediately retreated to check the sword's durability.
This time, it had dropped by 100.
“You've got to be kidding me.”
Was this for real?
Theoretically, that meant the sword would be finished after about 17 clashes.
“What is this?”
The man's sword came at him again.
The only silver lining was that his opponent's swordsmanship was far inferior to his own, so he wouldn't get hit by a stray blade.
“What about Parrying?”
Choi Hyun used Parrying against the incoming sword.
Swish— Clang!!
After a successful parry, he created distance again.
Checking the durability, he saw that it had decreased by about 50.
“Parrying costs 50 durability too?”
This was insane.
But thanks to that, he now knew.
The best way to handle the Dark Swordsman was to land attacks while avoiding clashes as much as possible.
When even a parry chewed through durability, how could he dare to trade blows?
“But it's fine. At least for me.”
Anyone else would have failed this challenge for sure.
With durability plummeting after a single clash and a Super Strike skill to deal with, there were hardly any weapons that could withstand it.
But Choi Hyun was fine.
Because he could repair it himself.
And with enough mana, he could repair it almost infinitely.
Besides, wasn't one of his goals to set a no-hit record?
“From now on, it's a real race against time.”
Choi Hyun closed in on him again.
The Dark Swordsman's sword came for Choi Hyun once more.
But this time, he didn't dodge, he parried it instead.
Swish— Clang!!
A momentary delay.
In the brief opening created, Choi Hyun thrust his sword into his desired target.
Clang!!
The attack landed.
At the same time, Choi Hyun's eyes glinted sharply as he charged at the swordsman again.
He swung his sword.
The swordsman's sword once again bore down on Choi Hyun.
Swish— Clang!!
[ Parrying has been activated. ]
Another parry.
And then.
Clang!!
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
[ Nameless Swordmanship has been activated. ]
[ A critical hit has been activated. ]
The moment the follow-up attack succeeded, three skills activated at once.
A glint appeared in Choi Hyun's eyes.
“Just as I thought!”
Until now, it had felt like trying to carve Mount Taesan with a sculpting knife.
But after continuously attacking the same spot, there was finally a change.
Something—he couldn't tell if it was blood or not—began to flow out.
“Whatever it is, with a critical hit landing, it's definitely guaranteed to be flesh, not just an outer shell.”
Thanks to that, he had a clear strategy.
It seemed he had to strike the same spot at least twice to expose the flesh, so he decided to continue with the same method.
The swordsman's attack came again.
Choi Hyun raised his sword, feigning a parry before immediately pulling back. At that moment.
[ The Dark Swordsman uses “Super Strike.” ]
The swordsman used Super Strike again with exquisite timing.
“I knew it.”
The corners of Choi Hyun's mouth lifted.
He had sensed it from the previous attack.
Now that he was bleeding, the swordsman was growing impatient.
He was just as silent as the Wandering Knight, but his silence couldn't hide his anxiety.
Choi Hyun immediately created distance, took out the Hammer of Repair, and struck his sword.
[ Enhanced Repair has been activated. ]
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
The moment the repair skill activated, the man closed in.
He couldn't use Super Focus this time either.
He probably wouldn't be able to use it again until the swordsman was dead.
That was fine.
The important thing was the repair itself, not Super Focus.
So he didn't even finish the repair completely, just tapping it a few times before stopping.
A perfect repair wasn't necessary.
The point was to keep the sword from shattering.
All he had to do was tap it a little whenever needed.
“This is why skills are so convenient.”
If he had to meticulously examine the sword and hammer it like a real blacksmith, it would have been a real headache.
But he was a player.
Skills and mana compensated for everything.
Choi Hyun raised his sword again and charged forward.
As expected, the man's sword flew at him, and Choi Hyun boldly parried the attack.
There was no Super Strike.
It seemed like he couldn't use it consecutively.
“That would be too broken!”
Swish— Clang!!
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
[ Nameless Swordmanship has been activated. ]
[ A critical hit has been activated. ]
The three skill notifications popped up once more.
This was the result of striking the same spot he had attacked before.
Sensing victory, a smirk tugged at Choi Hyun's lips.
“Alright, let’s go again!”
Choi Hyun closed in on the Dark Swordsman once more.
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