Child of Destiny

…..

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

Shin is alternately swinging his swords in a circle diagonal motion on his front as he deflect the incoming sword Qi’s.

Sometimes he is moving one of his shoulders backwards while powerfully swinging his other arm and sword at the stronger sword Qi that is coming on his way.

Bang!

Sometimes he is doing some strange foot technique to move in eight directions, and letting some of the powerful sword Qi to brush pass his body, or doing some flips in the process as he dodge the even more powerful sword Qi’s that he can’t deflect.

Sean is supporting his chin with his right hand while it is clench into a fist. “So that is why he managed to pass the trial set by that guy. I didn’t expect that this guy is a ‘Son of God’ (A ‘Mighty Chosen One’ in Real World).”

Ta-Ta!

Then Shin finally reach his target location. And immediately followed by System Notifications that sounded on his ears.

*DING!*

System: Congratulations! You passed the Sixth stage challenge.

System: Your total score is going to be computed together with your score the next challenge after clearing it.

Huu~!

Shin stood in exactly 30-yards away from Sean. He look at the later before saying. “Should we start the next Stage already?”

Sean chuckles softly before sneering at Shin. “Quite full of yourself already? Young man, In this world, talent in not everything, it is just an extra fuel. And a talented person is still too weak when he stands in front of a person with an absolute strength.”

Shin knitted his brows and didn’t reply. He is too tired to have an argument on this kind of things.

Sean slowly stand up from his sitting position while picking up his sword. After that, he look at Shin and said. “Alright, since I told you that we are going to make this simple, then let us just have fight.”

“I’m going to seal most of my strength and lower my Tier to match yours. And I’m also going to used only three kind of skills at most. If I use more than that, then it is your win. It is also your win if you manage to land a single hit on my body.”

“You on the other hand can use any skill that you want. What do you think? Quite fair for you, right?”

Shin thought for moment before asking. “Then how am I going to lose? And did it have a time limit?”

“Hmm…. You have a troublesome talent so let use just limit it to ten. If you died ten times, then its your lost. And I’m not a fan of having a time limit so let us not consider it.” replied Sean after some careful thought.

The corner of Shin’s mouth twitch after hearing that. “Even that guy give at least 300 times of death before I lose, but you are going to give me just TEN? Are you for real?”

Sean smirks at Shin and said. “Heh, you don’t have the right to bargain with me, young man. So take or leave it. And another thing, don’t underestimate yourself too much.”

“When you fought with that guy, you are still a greenhorn so it is natural for him to go easy on you. On the other hand, you are completely different now, so don’t expect that I’m going lower the difficulty of this Seventh Challenge.”

Huu<~ Ha~!

Shin took a deep breath before calming his mind. Then he look at Sean and said. “The I guess I don’t have any other choice.”After that, he stood calmly on his spot waiting for Sean to make his move.

Sean’s mouth curve upwards when he saw Shin’s actions. “Want to invite me to make the first move? You are disrespecting your Seniors with this, young man.”

Then he suddenly disappeared at his current location and reappeared right in front of Shin, while powerfully swinging his greatsword at the later in a right to left diagonal manner.

Sean’s movements are too fast for ordinary player to respond. But obviously, Shin is not one of them. He took a slight step to his right, before doing a quick backward diagonal step to his left.

Shin avoided the tip the greatsword with a very small margin. He is about to counterattack when Sean suddenly change the trajectory of his greatsword and swing it rightwards, trying to cut Shin in two.

Shin just taken a large stride forward when the greatsword change its trajectory. He quickly lowered his hips and ducked forward, letting the greatsword to brush pass above him. Then he is now in a perfect position to attack. He quickly pulled the [Yamato] out from its sheath before swinging it rightwards.

‘Class Fighting Style: Quick Draw’

Shing!

“Oh~?” Sean hop backwards while shifting his forehand grip on his greatsword into a reverse handgrip, before holding it in front of him in diagonal manner. 𝐛𝐞𝐝𝗻𝐨𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝐜𝐨𝗺

Clang!

After the ‘Quick Draw’, Shin swiftly thrust the [Yamato] forward while chasing after Sean.

‘Extra Skill: Sword Rush’

Swoosh!

Clang!

Shin stopped his advance when the tip of the [Yamato] collides with the surface of Sean’s greatsword. But the later, didn’t do anything and wait for Shin to do his own.

,m Shin squinted his eyes when he saw that. ‘Base on the records regarding the ‘Ultra Instincts’ that I’ve read from grandpa’s study room, its greatest weakness is also its strength.’

‘Someone with this talent can’t use its strength if his/her opponent is not moving at all. If their enemy didn’t do anything until the very last minute before they counterattack, then the wielder of this talent can’t take advantage of its strength at all.’

‘And if that happens then all I have to do is to force my opponent to make their move so that I can respond with a counterattack of mine.’

After quickly having that long train of thought, Shin immediately pulled the [Yamato] backwards as he disappeared in front of Sean, and reappeared behind the later.

‘Advance Combat Technique: Vanishing Steps’

Shin is about to swing his sword downwards when Sean swiftly let his greatsword to pass through left side, and thrust it towards the former.

Shin quickly changed the target of his slash and swing it towards the incoming sword.

Clang!

Sean use the momentum of that move to take a quick one hundred and eighty turn in counterclockwise direction, while changing his position into a sword thrusting position.

Shin scratch the surface of the [Yamato] on the edge of Sean’s greatsword as he swing it forward, and creating a sharp and metallic sound.

Tshing!

Sean raise the handle of his greatsword, making for it to become inclined, and guiding Shin’s sword slash towards the air.

Cling!

Then the [Yamato] suddenly become ablaze as Shin use the momentum of his previous attack to throw a powerful diagonal slash at Sean.

‘Extra Skill: Destructive Slash’

Sean’s mouth suddenly curved upwards after seeing Shin’s actions. He swiftly pulled his right hand downwards as he move his right wrist in a circular outward motion to use his greatsword to deflect Shin’s diagonal slash before swinging it leftwards, and throw a horizontal cut at Shin.

Then Shin’s sight turned dark, indicating that he died once. And when he respawned, the first thing he heard is Sean’s remark.

“Not bad, young man. You understand how to properly take advantage of your talent. Unfortunately, you are still blindly dependent to it, and your enemy can use it to lead you to their desired rhythm. Well that was understandable since you are still adjusting with it.”

“Then I’ll take note of that.” said Shin as he nodded his slightly while having some thoughts. ‘Tsk, I didn’t even forced him to use a single skill.’

After that slight exchange of words, they resume to battle. But this time, Shin is the one that make the first move.

Shin transformed into a bluish-white light as he charges forward. And when he is about to arrived in front of Sean, he swiftly pulled his sword out of its sheath and slash it forward.

Swoosh!

‘Slayer Skill: Moonlight Splitter’

Shing!

Sean’s greatsword suddenly glows with a golden light as he swing it downwards at the incoming stick of light.

‘Guardian of Light Skill: Radiant Sword’

Clang!

‘Huh!? This is the first time that someone can hit my sword when I’m in this form.’ thought Shin as he retain his illusionary form before dashing to the right, and dodging the incoming greatsword.

‘Basic Combat Technique: Second Drive’

‘Slayer Skill: Moonlight Steps’

Swoosh!

Miss!

When Shin materialize 10-meters away, Sean is already upon him while powerfully swinging his glowing greatsword downwards.

Shin immetiately use the ‘Sun-Ray Dash’ to move backwards, and put some distance away from Sean.

But Sean immediately ended his downward swing, and swiftly thrust his greatsword forward while also dashing forward and chasing after Shin.

During the backward dash, Shin immediately flicks his left wrist to change his forehand grip on the sword-sheath on his left hand into a reverse handgrip.

Then the sheath of the sword suddenly transformed into a semitransparent longsword.

‘Legacy Skill: Mondi’s Style: Meteor Form’

Then both of the swords on each of Shin’s hands suddenly glow with purple light as he throw a diagonal slash with each of them, sending a purple cross shape sword Qi at Sean’s direction.

‘Self-Created Skill: Eclipse Cross’

Whoosh!

The golden glow on Sean’s greatsword suddenly turned brighter as he continue to change forward.

Boom!

An explosion was created by that clash but Sean didn’t take any damage, and continue charging forward and chase after Shin.

When Shin stopped moving backwards, he immediately executed the ‘Parrying Stance’ to redirect the course of the sword thrust of Sean.

Clang! Clang!

Since Sean’s strength is a like stronger than Shin, the later have to swing both of his swords at Sean’s greatsword to redirect it.

Then the two of them started having a melee exchange with each other. And during that time, Shin suddenly get a sudden inspiration. But because of it, he suddenly have a slip on his concentration, and resulting for his second death.

And when he respawn for the second time, he heard Sean’s remark once again. “Your sword is quite flexible and unpredictable but it is lacking in terms of speed and strength. You will never beat a strong opponent with flexibility and unpredictability alone.”

“They can’t be easily fooled by those cheap tricks, so you better change your approach.”

‘In Martial-Arts, strength is absolute while speed reign supreme.’ Shin suddenly recall his Master’s words when he heard Sean’s remarks. Then he look at the later and said. “Thanks for reminding me something that I almost forgot because of this world(game).”

Then Shin take his battle stance and wait for Sean to making his move. And the two of them stay standing on their places waiting for their opponents to make their move.

Few moments later, Sean release a helpless sigh and said to Shin. “You really are quite bold, Young Man.”

Then he suddenly disappeared from his spot and reappeared in front of Shin as he swing the greatsword at the later in a powerful manner.

Shin hop backwards while quickly pulling his sword out from its sheath and swinging it rightwards, sending a blazing crescent sword Qi towards his front.

‘Class Fighting Style: Solar Flare’

Shing!

Then the [Yamato] continue releasing a fiery light as Shin swing it diagonally, sending another blazing crescent sword Qi.

‘Basic Combat Technique: Second Drive’

‘Extra Skill: Flame Burst’

Sean’s greatsword suddenly release another golden light as he throw two consecutive slashes at the incoming sword Qi’s.

Bang!

Bang!

A bunch of smoke were created at the collision on the powers blocking the view of the two, but that doesn’t enough to block off their other senses.

Clang! Clang! Cling! Cling!

Cling! Cling! Clang! Clang!

Shin use the smoke as a screen to cover his movements as he circle around Sean while throwing some attacks in the process with each of his swords.

Sean on the other hand did not fell for that trick, and continue to respond at Shin’s attacks without problem.

Moments later, Sean throw a powerful circular swing, sending a powerful gust of wind in all direction, and clearing all the smoke dust around him. But Shin is nowhere to be found. And Sean suddenly throw a powerful slash above him.

Shin who is currently descending from above suddenly kick the air with his right foot, as he twist his body midair while doing a spinning back-flip in the air.

Pa!

‘Legacy Skill: Mondi’s Jump’

After barely dodging the greatsword, Shin suddenly force his body to fall on the ground, while swinging his sword downwards.

Swoosh!

‘Extra Skill: Falling Lightblade’

Sean hold his greatsword horizontally above his head, blocking the incoming falling sword.

Clang!

Then they are once again back at the melee exchange, but this time Shin is doing something amazing.

Every time that each of his swords collides with Sean’s greatsword, Shin is slightly pulling his arms backwards as he absorb some of the force from Sean’s attacks, and use it to supplement his follow up attacks.

This is one of the Combat Techniques that he have created during his time inside the ‘Tiger’s Altar’ Instance Dungeon. And this technique is base on his base technique real version in the Real World.

‘Quasi-Epic Combat Technique: Yin-Yang Twist’

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

Unfortunately, even if he become a little stronger, that was still not enough to land a clean hit at Sean.

But at the very least, Shin forced the ‘Guardian of Light’ to use another skill, but that also cause him to died for the third time around.

…