Day 1 of Training.
In the end, I couldn’t land a single effective hit on that damn golem.
It wasn’t a training session—it was a one-sided beat-up show by the golem.
Thanks to that, some of my skills did level up, but I couldn’t feel good about it.
The golem moved again to strike my thigh, but I stopped its motion by pressing the white button.
Title: Isn’t It Too Strong?
Writer: Anonymous
– How can a golem with a durability of just 30 be this insanely strong?
Reply by Light Sword: Its durability is 30, but apart from that, it’s the same. Good job. Did you catch a glimpse of the sword route?
Reply by Anonymous: Sort of. It looks like I’m starting to see it. This method of learning through direct punishment seems to work faster, but putting it into practice seems like another matter.
Reply by Heaven’s Devil: It’s not wise to overestimate your learning ability.
Reply by Sewer Sword Sage: There’s no choice but to keep rolling. That’s what practice is.
Reply by Someone: These old geezers are something else.
Reply by Another: The old men got excited when the guy with the sword started rolling.
Reply by Someone Else: I also want to chime in, but… If I join in, I’ll likely get scolded by those “Iz Normal” types… Hahahaha. I better not.
Reply by Yet Another: Do it. We’re not weaker than them. Are we lacking in spirit?
Day 3.
When I pressed the black button to restart the golem, it came charging at me.
A sword strike rushed down like lightning before my eyes.
I raised my arm.
It was purely an instinctive defensive action.
Creeeek!
I blocked it.
My body had semi-forcedly learned that it was the third style of the Dragon Slayer technique called “Drakabani.”
Learning through bodily pain was far quicker in terms of knowledge absorption.
Even though it was a vertical slash, there was a complexity to it that couldn’t be simply described by such a word.
I busily swung my sword, and the sensation of my muscles tightening spread through my arms and legs.
[‘Strength’ stat increased by 1.]
This proved the senior members’ words correct: that even without leveling up, my stats would increase if I exceeded my body’s limits repeatedly.
[‘Stamina’ stat increased by 1.]
Indeed, the wisdom of the seasoned veterans proved true. That’s that.
And then I got hit again.
Flashy sword strikes appeared from all sides.
After two days of getting hit repeatedly, I finally started to see something.
A clear angle to properly block.
No brief moment of enlightenment flashing through my mind.
Only this: how the golem’s arm moved, and how its legs advanced when it swung its sword.
And I quickly observed the golem’s movement and reacted accordingly.
I felt guilty for realizing something so obvious only now.
Just like how a pitcher observes a batter’s habits and strikes with unexpected pitches—it’s all so obvious.
It’s as natural as breathing.
Blocked the first strike of the slash series.
Blocked the second strike, the thrust called “Hjartagnyr.”
Blocked the third strike.
My vision started to become clearer.
Snap!
“Ah.”
And yet, I got hit straight on by a simple vertical slash.
My vision went dark for a moment, and my body leaned back.
Thud.
As I raised my head, I saw the golem approaching with steady steps.
“Don’t come near me, brat.”
I grabbed the broken fragment of the golem control cube from the floor and pressed it.
The golem’s movement came to a halt in place, preparing to beat me further.
This is enough for today.
I gained a lot. I decided to use the remaining time to review everything.
Day 10.
Title: Today Will Be Different
Writer: Anonymous
– I had an epiphany yesterday.
Reply: What round of this guy is it now with these cryptic announcements?
Reply: lolol
Reply by Someone Famous: If you’ve gained such an insight, isn’t it time for you to enter Nirvana?
Reply: Sharp words, as always!
Who is this new guy?
“Sharp words”?
Reply by Anonymous: What exactly are you talking about with ‘sharp words’?
Reply by Heaven’s Devil: It means the average level of the Open Guild.
Reply by Someone: What kind of ridiculous thing is that? Why is an inferior being like you, claiming to be the supreme and leading figure in the Heavenly Devils, bothering to explain the meaning of ‘average level’? This isn’t the martial world I know. There’s no way this is the real Heaven’s Devil.
Reply: Don’t you know that there’s only one Martial Earth?
Reply: This guy you’re talking about is the real Heaven’s Devil.
Reply by Someone Famous: Heaven’s Devil Heaven Reincarnates, Ten Thousand Devils Prostrate(天魔再臨 萬魔仰伏)!
Reply: What the hell? Is this guy a guild member and the guild master shouting that? AAAAHHHH!!! My Martial World!!!
Reply: He’s just adapted to modern times. Didn’t you catch that even the sect leader bows to Heaven’s Devil?
A seemingly disinterested comment was posted amongst the replies.
Reply by Light Sword: Don’t lose hope. Remember what I’ve written.
He did write a lot, but apart from sword skills, it didn’t do much good.
Reply by Anonymous: Why did you write “Ultimately the greatest weapon is the sword”?
Reply by Sewer Sword Sage: That’s a fact.
Reply by Light Sword: That’s right.
Reply by Spear King: I’ve finished my seclusion. Strange things have happened. Someday, I’ll also use a spear…
Reply by Heaven’s Devil: Line up! I shall teach you the fist first, my subjects.
Reply by Spear King: That’s your decision, isn’t it?
In short, everyone was crazy about swords.
I wasn’t ready to join their ranks, even though I myself was in a situation where I was supposed to be obsessed with swords.
I exited the gallery and activated the golem.
Flash.
The crimson single eye on the golem’s forehead began to blink.
This constant staring is driving me crazy.
I took a step forward.
The golem’s right hand, holding a sword, moved.
My right hand also moved.
The two trajectories clashed horizontally.
My sword collided with the golem’s wooden sword.
Finally. Finally, I managed to counter the damn first style, “Turshahog”, and neutralized it.
First success.
They say the start is halfway there, don’t they?
I blocked every subsequent 2nd and 3rd style of the golem.
My arms trembled.
There had been moments where I indulged in useless thoughts about why Light Sword sent me this golem, such a brute.
And then, after getting beaten up for a while, I came to a natural epiphany.
Not to shrink in front of an opponent stronger by several levels compared to Ansland trolls or goblins.
He must’ve sent it to teach me that.
If Sword of Light calls this conclusion of mine wrong, then he’s the dumb one.
[Warrior’s Movements Lv. 1 – Skill Acquired.]
[Skill ‘Focus Enhancement’ Level Increased. Lv.2]
[Skill ‘Sense of Danger’ Level Increased. Lv.2]
Because I managed to gain some actual advantages now.
Moreover, ‘Warrior’s Movements’ was a skill directly emphasized in the appendix of Sword of Light’s sword manual.
He said it’s a versatile skill.
After countering three successive attacks, I got beaten up one-sidedly again.
After stopping the golem, I practiced manipulating mana.
When I climbed to the second floor, I gained the ‘mana’ stat and naturally acquired a mana core in my body.
Sword of Light left brief notes on how to operate the 10 mana points stored in the mana core, much like the appendix of his Dragon Slayer Sword manual.
I sat in a cross-legged position.
It took me an entire week just to become aware of the ‘mana core’ itself.
After that, it took me three days to succeed in slowly circulating the mana throughout my body.
[Mana Body Strengthening Lv.1 – Skill Acquired.]
Although I couldn’t yet manifest sword qi, I was now capable of temporarily enhancing my body during battles.
Even if I only have ten mana points, there’s a big difference between being able to handle them or not.
Fighting with the golem, along with the sword manual given by Sword of Light, have granted me the bare minimum skills necessary to survive in this tower.
A clear turning point occurred on the 13th day of training.
[Mana Body Strengthening Lv.1 – Skill Activated.]
“Hyaaah!”
I swerved my shoulder to evade the wooden sword slicing down through the air.
I stretched my right leg and stepped on the golem’s right foot. It wasn’t calculated; it was an instinct.
– CRACK!
I deployed the first style of Dragon Slayer until…
Finally, I reduced its durability from 30 to 29.
By the time the training session ended, the golem’s remaining durability was 23.
Title: Hey, Sword of Light, you’re lying, right?
Writer: Anonymous
– Weren’t you far stronger than this Golem MK.2 when you were seventeen?
Reply by Sword of Light: Ah, so you’ve finally managed to hit it!
Reply by Anonymous: Not one hit, but seven hits!
Reply by Laughing Audience: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA AAAH Ascender. Aren’t you proud?
Reply by Sword of Light: The golem has rusted a bit over time.
Reply by Sword of Light: The golem isn’t weak enough to undermine your accomplishment.
It sure doesn’t look slightly rusted.
On Day 15,
The golem’s current remaining durability is 16.
I couldn’t delay any longer. After clearing the second floor and safely reaching the waiting room on the third floor, I had to participate in the exchange meeting. So today was my deadline for sparring training.
I spread the mana from my mana core throughout my body.
[Mana Body Strengthening Lv.1 – Skill Activated.]
This is the end.
The sparring golem MK.2 had large cracks all over its frame.
But I couldn’t underestimate this thing at all.
Because I’ve been hit by it more than a hundred times.
[Focus Enhancement Lv.2 – Skill Activated.]
Undeterred by the pieces falling off from various places on its body, the golem still came at me with relentless strikes.
Pain sharpens the senses.
I moved inside the sword’s effective range.
A warrior must move like a beast.
That’s the note Sword of Light scribbled at the end of the sword manual, and it became my guideline.
I can take some hits.
Giving up flesh for the bones is acceptable.
That’s how I pushed forward.
But I realized I could parry in a fleeting moment of time.
I’ve grown. This certainty sent adrenaline rushing from the depths of my body.
The sword horizontally swung hit the golem’s head, then its center chest.
CRACK!
Next, I struck its side, leg, and neck. I attacked the golem’s limbs with my sword.
The stone and metal crumbled.
Golden fragments scattered all around.
Shiiiiing!
The golem’s right arm, bent into an unnatural shape, cleanly split into two.
The fragments scattered, emitting a continuous roar.
The golem’s head hit the ground and rolled away.
Thirty.
Its durability hit zero.
The crimson single eye lost its light completely.
I looked down at the broken pieces of the golem.
“Thank you.”
I was sincere.
I truly felt grateful towards the broken golem.
Had it not been for it, it would’ve been impossible to enhance my practical combat skills this much in a short period without risking death.
Even the pain the golem gave me would serve as medicine in the long run.
I just posted a picture of the broken head of the golem to the gallery.
Title: Destroyed.
Writer: Anonymous*
– Let’s eat a bowl of pig bone soup before opening the door to the second floor.
Attachment: 99868690.jpg
[Picture of the golem’s wooden sword.]
Reply by Someone: OKAY HAHAHAHA! Are you getting the hang of it?
Reply by Sorceress: Hahaha! You’ve also posted a picture of pig bone soup!
Reply by Sword of Light: Well done!
Reply by Ice Queen: Kya! That’s amazing! Ascender!
Reply by Sewer Sword Sage: You’ve finished within the expected timeline.
Reply by Elf: Well done.
Reply by Archmage: Don’t let your guard down. The hard difficulty starts on the second floor, and this is Pandemonium. Don’t forget that.
I’m not letting my guard down.
I’m just thinking of diving in as it comes.
I ate pig bone soup.
The sorceress, who was eagerly asking for a picture earlier, actually left a frail comment that the visual alone made her lose her appetite.
I headed to the very end of the second floor waiting area.
A gray door was there, with a faint light seeping through its gap.
I held the doorknob and turned it.
Creek-
“Welcome to the Pandemonium difficulty second floor stage.”
The scenery was distinctly different from the mere dungeon of the first floor.
The giant gray wall and the warriors gathered there.
The battle cries piercing my eardrums.
What unfolded before my eyes was a scene of a castle defense battle.
“The Pandemonium second floor is a quest-based stage.”
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