n

n

nZhao Luo faced two

"skilled sword apprentice

" who were different.

nEven though Zhao Luo knew there were two puppets in front of him, he couldn't believe it.

nEither the chemistry between them was insanely good, or Zhao Luo was just trapped in a dream.

n'This is even harder than the last stage. Bring back the dual puppet.'

nZhao Luo thought as he sweated while sidestepping the attacks of the two puppets.

n

"Creak.

"

nThe puppets, skilled sword apprentice 'Wood' and the skilled sword apprentice 'Fire' both swung their swords at Zhao Luo in a manner where Zhao Luo couldn't block both of their swords together.

nZhao Luo wasn't even left with the option of counter-attacking their sword attacks with one of his own as he held Ifrit tightly.

nZhao Luo just kept ln backing away and jumping left and right whenever they would attack him.

n'Hmm.'

nZhao Luo quietly studied the attack pattern of the puppets as he dodged their attacks.

n'Swoosh.'

nA moment came where Zhao Luo dodged the sword of the 'Wood' puppet and passed him to attack the 'Fire' puppet.

n

"Dual Burst Drop.

"

nZhao Luo shouted as he brought down his sword on the 'Fire' puppet.

nHe had finally named his technique as Zhao Luo perfectly blended the 'Wood Drop' in the 'Burst Slash.'

nPushing back his left leg and bending his knee of the other leg, Zhao Luo brought down his Ifrit on the sword of the 'Fire' puppet.

n'Creak'

n'Clang.'

nThe puppet barely blocked the first attack as Zhao Luo's 'Wood Drop' powered by the 'Burst Slash' exploded on his sword.

n'Clang.'

n'Clang.'

nZhao Luo had launched a total of three strikes in one move at the 'Fire puppet', but unfortunately, he couldn't take it down.

nThe second and third strike of his 'Dual Burst Drop' was shared by the 'wood' puppet's sword.

nThe wood puppet had used its own 'Wood Drop' to decrease the impact of Zhao Luo's technique too.

nIt had turned back to block Zhao Luo's sword before Zhao Luo could destroy the 'Fire' puppet. That is how these puppets had been fighting since the start. One would attack, and the other would defend.

n

"Hmph. That was a perfect chance. sh*t.

"

nZhao Luo didn't back down here even though he couldn't destroy the 'fire' puppet, but he complained.

n'Creak.'

nZhao Luo saw the attack of the Fire puppet coming at him. He could already see the motions of the 'Burst Slash' technique behind the puppet's movements; thus, Zhao Luo hurried at him with his own 'Dual Burst Drop.'

nThe 'wood' pullet also attacked Zhao Luo with its 'Wood Drop' as it jumped at him from behind the 'Fire' puppet.

n'Clang'

n*Spark*

n'Clang, Clang, Clang, Clang.'

nZhaobLuo's Ifrit fell on the 'Fire' puppets sword like a boulder as it destroyed its sword and passed through its head before Zhao Luo pulled it back to block the incoming sword swings of the 'Wood' puppet.

n

"Only you are left. Ahhhh.

"

n

"Creak.

"

nZhao Luo shouted as he continued to swing Ifrit at the 'Wood' puppet as the 'Fire' puppet had already fallen.

n'Swoosh.'

n'Clan~'

nIfrit passed through the sword of the

"Expert Sword Apprentice 'Wood' puppet

" and continued to pass through its body as the puppet was split in two.

n'Clap.'

nAnother stage clearing announcement was heard by Zhao Luo.

n

"Ah, Shhhh.

"

nZhao Luo placed his index finger on his lip and made a sound while looking upwards in the silver space.

nThe clapping sound ended following Zhao Luo's gesture.

nSince the challenge had started, aside from naming the techniques he had learned while facing the puppets, this was the most achieving moment for Zhao Luo.

n

"Finally, Peace.

"

n'Hah~'

nZhao Luo breath a sigh of relief as he looked around for the beginning of the next stage.

nThe next moment shocked Zhao Luo so much that he almost choked on the air. He could have died before the stage even started. The reason behind this nearly fatal reaction was the stage number.

n

n

"LVL Error

"

n*Skilled Sword Apprentice: Dual*

n*Skilled Sword Apprentice: Wood*

n*Skilled Sword Apprentice: Fire*

n'What? Error?'

nZhao Luo questioned as the level wasn't fixed as the puppet's level ranged from level 33 to level 40.

nZhao Luo could see more than a dozen of these puppets with different natures. But there was something even more surprising than the number of these puppets and the jump of the stages from

"stage 32

" to

"stage 40

".

nIt was the last puppet.

nLike there was another puppet that Zhao Luo couldn't see well as it was behind the crowd of these puppets that were in front of Zhao Luo making their mechanical noises,

"Creak, Creak, Creak.

"

n*First Sword Warrior: Dual*

nZhao Luo could see the last puppet's name.

n'Sword Warrior? I hope he has some nice techniques that I could stea-- learn.'

nZhao Luo thought as he corrected his actions in his mind while looking at the small army of puppets that were going to jump at him with their swords anytime now.

nHe shrugged his shoulder while grasping Ifrit tightly in his hand.

n

"Come.

"

nZhao Luo said calmly as the earlier shock had already altered into excitement.

nZhao Luo could feel his body burning with the rising excitement as Ifrit started glowing in his hand.

n

"Creak

"

nA short yet powerful noise came from behind the puppets.

n'It's obviously the boss of this stage.'

nZhao Luo thought as the puppets rushed at him.

n'Clang, Clang.'

nOne of the puppets brought down its sword while using the 'wood drop' as Zhao Luo simply blocked it.

n'Cla~ang.'

n'Clang.'

nThe next puppet used its 'Burst Slash' on Zhao Luo.

nZhao Luo blocked another swing without even taking a single step back and without using any technique; Zhao Luo stopped the attacks by simply redirecting their force around him with Ifrit, which was glowing more intensely.

n'Is it gonna explode?'

nZhao Luo wondered as he rushed towards the other puppets while dodging the incoming sword attacks.

nIt was simple.

nEven a toddler will learn to stand over time without being taught if he only sees others standing.

nZhao Luo, who felt like he had been using the sword for eternity as he couldn't feel the flow of time in the silver space, had already grasped the 'perfect counter' technique.

nBut he didn't know as Zhao Luo was just doing it unconsciously.

nJust like that, Zhao Luo kept on countering them like some sword demon as a smile crept upon his face.

nUnder the pressure of facing so many puppets who Zhao Luo considered to be the strongest sword users that he could face, the excitement he felt was increasing with every swing of his sword.

nHis sweat dripped from his face to the floor of the silver space. Zhao Luo's beautiful silver hair danced around his handsome face as a growing smile was spread across his mouth.

n'Clang, Clang.'

n*Spark*

n

"Thump

"

nEvery time Ifrit clashed with the puppet's sword, Zhao Luo could hear his heart beating loudly. Just like his heart with every collision, Zhao Luo could hear Ifrit's excitement as they were connected now.

n'Clang.'

nZhao Luo slashed down a 'Dual' puppet while smiling.

n'I can take them down.'

nZhao Luo thought as he lowered himself by needing his knees.

nZhao Luo used his posture to accelerate his body like a leopard and rushing towards the middle of the puppets again as he swung Ifrit left and right.

nLike a chef cutting through an onion on the cutting board, Zhao Luo sliced through eight of the puppets as if they were nothing more than some kind of vegetable.

n'Hah, I feel unstoppable.'

nZhao Luo exclaimed as his eyes shined, giving him the feeling of invincibility with Ifrit in his hand.

n'Is this how the Swordmasters of ancient times felt?'

nZhao Luo internally questioned himself as even though the timeframe of the World where he was from didn't have a living swordmaster, he did know of some 'fictional ones while there were others who he had read about.

n'Swoosh.'

nZhao Luo thought as he tilted his head and then rotated his body to dodge the sword of a 'dual' puppet.

n'Slash'

n

"Cre~~

"

nZhao Luo brought down Ifrit on its head, slicing the puppet in two.

nThe puppets, even though they had increased in number and all of them were 'Expert Sword apprentice,' Zhao Luo wasn't having a hard time.

nIt was like Zhao Luo was going through 'Sword Puberty.'

nLike that with each swing, Zhao Luo destroyed the puppets one by one, till the floor of the silver space was mostly covered by the bodies of the destroyed puppets.

n

"Only you are left.

"

nZhao Luo said as he looked at the boss of this stage.

nThe puppet looked shorter than the ones Zhao Luo had just destroyed.

nBut for some reason, this puppet was giving Zhao Luo a feeling of uneasiness that he could not shake off.

nThe smile on Zhao Luo's disappeared as he looked at the title of the puppet.

n

"Level 40.

"

n

"First Sword Warrior Dual.

"

nZhao Luo whispered the level and the status of the puppet as he grasped the hilt of Ifrit with his other hand too.

n'Tremble.'

nIfrit gave a slight tremor to Zhao Luo's hand.

n'Haha, good, let's show this basta*d what we are made of.'

nZhao Luo said as he felt the shiver of Ifrit, which ended his uneasy feeling.

n