Chapter 84

This is the second chapter of today.

The sound of swords clashing echoed throughout the floor.

My unnamed sword and the enemy's projected sword were locked in a fierce battle.

The knight with the projected sword had the upper hand.

I, on the other hand, was gradually being pushed back.

"So strong...!"

I had gone all out from the start, using the Adamantine Force and Gale Speed.

This increased my attack power and speed by 60%, so even if the projected sword's stats were boosted by 56%, I should have been superior in those two aspects.

However, the reality was that I was on the defensive.

The only conclusion was that the knight with the projected sword was also using Adamantine Force and Gale Speed.

When I used Appraisal, there was a line about some skill effects failing to apply, but it must not have included those two.

"Being outpaced like this is such a hassle!"

I couldn't help but curse.

I had fought many stronger enemies before, but with the unnamed knight and the orc general, I had always had the advantage in speed.

By leveraging this advantage, I had managed to secure victory.

However, this tactic wouldn't work against the knight with the projected sword.

I needed to find another way.

But before I could think about that, I had to stop this onslaught!

"It'll look a bit awkward, but there's no choice—Swift Sword!"

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【Swift Sword】

- A short sword created using the Smithing skill.

- Recommended equipment level: 4150

- Attack power +3150

- Speed +1600

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Holding the unnamed sword in my right hand and the Swift Sword in my left, I adopted an unconventional dual-wielding style.

I judged that this unusual form was the most suitable for the current situation.

Weapon and skill effects can be divided into two main types—passive and active.

Passive effects are constant, while active effects only come into play in specific situations.

For example, the +3150 attack power of the Swift Sword is an active effect.

This means it only comes into play when attacking with the Swift Sword, not when kicking.

On the other hand, the +1600 speed is a passive effect, which is active as long as the sword is equipped.

While there is a disadvantage in having two swords with different reach and attack power, I had to ignore that for now.

After all, I didn't have the opportunity to attack.

In any case, equipping the Swift Sword narrowed the speed gap between me and the knight with the projected sword.

While he still had a significant advantage, I could at least avoid his attacks and fight back if I found an opening.

I could now shift from a purely defensive stance to one where I could look for opportunities to counterattack.

The problem was the method of counterattack.

The knight with the projected sword not only had increased attack power and speed but also durability.

Half-hearted attacks wouldn't work...!

Was there anything?

Just one thing, something I had over the knight with the projected sword.

Something—

"Got it."

A single possibility flashed through my mind.

Intuitively, I understood that this was the only way to defeat the knight with the projected sword.

Immediately after dodging the knight's attack, I put the plan into action.

"Take this!"

"———!?"

I swapped my unnamed sword for a Smoke Bomb from my item box and activated it on the spot.

Thanks to the white smoke that monsters dislike, the knight with the projected sword quickly retreated.

Magic items were one of my weapons, something the knight with the projected sword didn't have.

It was best to use them effectively.

I didn't need to win in a fair and square fight.

Continuing, I whispered in the smoke.

"Stealth"

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Stealth LV4: Uses MP to make oneself invisible to people and monsters in the surrounding area (the required MP and stealth range vary with skill level).

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The Stealth skill.

Its success rate was low when the enemy could see me, and it often didn't work on beast-type monsters with a keen sense of smell, so I rarely had the opportunity to use it.

However, in this situation, this skill was the most effective.

When the smoke cleared, the knight with the projected sword was looking around, apparently having lost sight of the enemy.

It seemed the Stealth skill had succeeded.

Now, it was time to counterattack.

After muttering this to myself, I sprinted in the opposite direction from the knight with the projected sword.