In a trance, it seemed as if he had returned to that backyard beneath the gloomy, heavy mountains.
Cold gray mist permeated the air, and messy bloody characters were left amidst the chaotic stones and overgrown weeds, covered by scattered snow. In the distance, beyond the fence where an ancient statue stood, grim and towering peaks rose between the clouds.
Of course, these were all Isagi's "hallucinations".
At this moment.
The Incarnation of the Dungeon, holding a long blade, stood within that blooming flower field. The pitch-black, beast-shaped armor on her body, full of ferocious spikes, was slowly transforming into the appearance of a Great Dragon.
Isagi was cautious. He did not carry a weapon but walked empty-handed to a spot not far from the opponent.
He remained silent, momentarily wondering if this guy could speak.
Theoretically, she should be able to, right?
After all, the NPCs encountered before could speak, and some monsters and Bosses could as well.
Just as Isagi was thinking this, she moved first. She took a step forward, seemingly finally displaying the speed of her high-level application. In an instant that no one could see clearly, she had already arrived in front of him.
Fortunately.
The speed of swinging the weapon was deliberately slowed down.
This was obvious. Otherwise, with that speed just now, let alone Isagi, not a single adventurer present would have been able to react.
Lv.8?
Just that move alone.
Everyone broke into a cold sweat inside, because it felt as if even that estimate was too low.
Or perhaps, the Dungeon Incarnation before them could not be estimated by Level or the strength of normal monsters at all. Even her thoughts were...
At this moment, only Isagi could understand what she was doing.
[Learning], and then [Practicing].
This was his own feeling, but because of the existence of the "Dark Bond Ring" in his hand, he could be incomparably certain that this was the opponent's true thought.
It was like... a meeting of minds...
Too weird! How could there be a "meeting of minds" in a place like this!!
The recurve long blade slashed down.
Just like before, it always followed Isagi's body, sticking to him like a shadow. No matter how he dodged, or if he wanted to counterattack, he would find the blade always falling towards him.
Facing such an attack, Isagi was very experienced.
In the eyes of other adventurers, the best countermeasure at this moment would actually be to block with a shield.
No matter how you slash, the blade always has to fall. So if the shield is big enough, it can definitely defend against it—this is a very taken-for-granted way of thinking.
But Isagi is an expert, so an expert has an expert's way of dealing with things.
First, a quick backstep to open the distance.
The recurve blade is not a long sword; in a certain sense, it counts as a "small knife," belonging to short weapons. Naturally, its attack range is limited.
However, this does not mean that after opening the distance, one should use a long weapon to start kiting the opponent.
Because the opponent's speed is also fast. The moment he backsteps to open the distance, she will also immediately dash forward to maintain the distance between the two.
With identical performance, it is absolutely impossible for an expert to be foolishly kited by you.
So why backstep?
Answer.
It is to regain the initiative of the rhythm.
To deal with the [Roll Catch] in the hands of the Dungeon Incarnation, Isagi's response was extremely simple, yet difficult to the extreme.
The moment the opponent's attack was about to land on his body, he would roll to the other side to dodge.
This is the fundamental of combat: [Reaction Roll] [Observation].
It is not a simple dodge, but a dodge made only at the instant one confirms the opponent's attack is about to land.
Humans have instincts.
When seeing an enemy raise a weapon, they will make a corresponding judgment, whether it is dodging, blocking, or counterattacking.
And the so-called [Roll Catch] is essentially actively mastering the rhythm of combat. Utilizing the opponent's habits and instincts, predicting their movements, and then using the extremely fast swing speed of one's own weapon to create an illusion that "the blade is attached to your body and cannot be dodged no matter what."
This is not only game theory. After coming to this world, Isagi gradually discovered that it is also universally applicable in actual combat.
It's just that it isn't used in battles with most monsters.
The way of fighting humans; and the way of fighting monsters; are completely different. Isagi knew this well, and was proficient in everything!
[He dodged it!]
Incredible!!
In the distance, Finn and the others stood before the corridor leading to the 27th Floor. Watching the battle between Isagi and the Dungeon Incarnation in the flower field, they all felt a certain kind of shock.
If ordinary adventurers were here, they might only feel bored.
Because there were no magnificent "special effects," and the exchange of battle didn't count as very exciting. It was just one person swinging a long blade, and the other constantly rolling and dodging.
But this was a case of the insider seeing the doorway, while the outsider sees the spectacle!
As high-level adventurers, what Finn and the others saw at this moment were only two words: "Limit"!
It was also the purest "Technique".
Aside from anything else, if they were to switch places with him right now, could they do the same thing as Isagi?
Even if the boy explained clearly to them how to do it and what should be done, could they actually do it?
[No].
There was no need to deceive themselves. At this moment, what surfaced in everyone's hearts were these simple two words.
Even Lefiya and Ryuu beside them had looks of sudden realization and thoughtfulness on their faces.
They probably recalled the moment when Isagi fought all night against the seemingly completely invincible [Pale King].
The situation back then also sounded very "ordinary." It was nothing more than dodging every one of the opponent's attacks while constantly utilizing the speed difference to forcibly change his position, leaving their line of sight to perform the so-called "circling back."
[But can it really be done?]
Ryuu and the others, who had participated in that battle back then, still felt it was a fantasy until now.
But now.
The technique the boy displayed was even more exaggerated than back then.
If the previous battle with the [Pale King] demonstrated his high-intensity "Endurance," then what was displayed now was Isagi's instantaneous "Burst"—
Whether it was the judgment in that instant, the coordination of the body, the angle of the dodge—
Everything was impeccable. All movements were just right, completely without any flaws, nor was there any place to pick fault.
Too exaggerated!
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, the group of adventurers who could now be considered the strongest in the City would probably never have imagined such a battle in their dreams, let alone see such "Technique" perfect to the extreme.
The Grand Dao is simple.
Although this world did not have such a concept, the "feeling" was shared.
At this moment, everyone couldn't help but think in their hearts: if a simple swing of a sword could be done to the extreme, what kind of result would it present?
Compared to them, Ais seemed to see a bit further, or perhaps a bit deeper.
Inexplicably, what surfaced in the blonde girl's heart at this moment was the scene that always appeared repeatedly in her dreams, of her father practicing the sword alone in the yard.
What exactly is the function of [Practice], and to what degree should it be done?
Ais had never thought about such a question.
But now, watching the battle before her, she seemed to have understood something. She gradually comprehended a little; she seemed to somewhat understand her father's practice.
Everyone could feel it.
Although the Dungeon Incarnation was attacking at this moment and Isagi was simply dodging, in fact, the rhythm of the battle was firmly controlled by the boy.
Every single roll was just right, and he could even utilize that instant, almost too short to perceive, to take out a weapon and counterattack.
Long blade slashing, short sword stabbing; utilizing the moment of shield defense to suddenly backstep, then borrowing the momentum for a staff sweep.
Isagi became more and more handy with it, constantly utilizing the art named [Cancel] to switch the weapons in his hands, attempting to launch attacks at the Dungeon Incarnation.
And on the other side.
She still didn't use the power and speed brought by her Level that far exceeded everyone else's.
She was also still just displaying her own technique. Just like the boy, the two sides went back and forth, Cancel Cancel Cancel Cancel Cancel—
The instant the weapons collided, they had already swung out again. that strange spectacle was very, very counter-intuitive, and even gave people an indescribably eerie feeling.
It was even... twitching...
Although it sounded a bit unpleasant to say, that was the fact.
And.
As the battle progressed further, the Dungeon Incarnation seemed to use a brand new "technique" again.
Ais, Finn, and the others couldn't understand it at all, and at this moment, no one was explaining it nearby.
But just watching her holding a small sickle in both hands, which looked like it was used for harvesting wheat, they initially even felt it was a bit "cute" to the point of being funny.
But with every swing.
Her body also simultaneously began to "rotate" around Isagi, just like a long snake gliding on the ground.
At a glance, it seemed like nothing, but if one thought about it seriously, they would realize its terror.
The attack speed of the small sickle was already fast.
To be able to swing it while simultaneously orbiting the opponent inseparably, constantly launching attacks—this made Ais seem to realize something again. Because when fighting monsters before, flying in the sky and swinging the longsword in her hand while rotating around the opponent was her most daily combat method.
That was just the girl's intuition, but thinking about it now, didn't it have the same effect as what the Dungeon Incarnation was using before her eyes?
Except.
That she could do it entirely by relying on magic that allowed flight.
This was unique, and could even be said to be the only one in the entire City—that is, Miss Asfi had Flying Boots, and Isagi also had a Skill that allowed flight.
So, this was actually something that could be done using just two legs?!
Don't say it's impossible!
The movements displayed by the Dungeon Incarnation at this moment were clearly visible to everyone. Since they could see them clearly, it meant they could definitely be done.
But they still couldn't understand. What kind of techniques were these, and why were they "discovered"?
Exactly what kind of battles, and what kind of "adventurers," facing what kind of enemies, would finally present such techniques that looked simple to the extreme, but were actually incomparably limit-testing and difficult?
It was like discovering some new world.
Even Lefiya and Ryuu felt that the Isagi before their eyes was very, very unfamiliar at this moment.
The boy's previous battles were already incredible enough, but it turned out that wasn't even his full power?
At this moment, meeting a match.
Isagi also displayed his full strength in the true sense for the first time.
[Quickstep] was useless too.
Isagi still responded to the Dungeon's attacks incomparably proficiently, and even wanted to laugh a little. And it seemed exactly because of this that he "enraged" the opponent.
Soon, the battle changed again.
Because this move was still useless against Isagi, and was even easily neutralized again.
Thus, as if flying into a rage out of humiliation.
Everyone saw a very shocking and outrageous scene again.
That is, the Dungeon Incarnation suddenly actively backstepped, also opening the distance from the boy—this was a common occurrence in the battle between the two, used to readjust the combat rhythm.
However.
Just as Isagi wanted to chase immediately.
The Dungeon Incarnation suddenly raised her hand, as if throwing something at the boy. Her hand was clearly holding nothing, so doing this action appeared especially comical.
Of course, what no one expected was.
Suddenly.
The moment she made this action, a pitch-black small knife abruptly stabbed into Isagi's shoulder, causing crimson blood to splash from that black, ferocious wolf armor.
"???"
Confusion, incomprehension, completely not knowing what had happened. And the answer was only Isagi's sudden, extremely irritable "#!" word!
He could only respond like this!!
This guy directly started playing dirty!!
Unable to dodge, and absolutely unable to see its trajectory. This was the "Power" of the ultimate taboo. And what was even more excessive was that the tiny, invisible black flying knife carried massive impact force, directly knocking him to the ground.
Then... Then.
Just as he wanted to climb up, it was another knife, one knife after another, endless and inexhaustible. Unable to be countered, and without any way to deal with it.
[Invincible.]
Isagi thought this. At this moment, when the Dungeon used this move, she was truly invincible.
Isagi could even feel the opponent's joyful emotion.
It was as if winning against him in such a shameless way made her incomparably happy. She even began to throw flying knives while twitching in place, simultaneously performing a spiral [Point Down] on the spot.
And, it seemed even this wasn't satisfying enough.
At this moment, the Dungeon Incarnation, as if intentionally, displayed yet another of her brand new abilities towards him.
"[Tail Sting]!"
Following a small, tender shout, a giant scorpion tail glowing with deep green poisonous light inexplicably emerged from behind her petite body. Just like that, very suddenly, it directly gave Isagi a heart-chilling pierce.
[Awesome].
Before resurrecting, this was the only sentence Isagi wanted to say to the Dungeon.
To be able to learn even this, you are truly, indisputably invincible.
PS: Staying up late to adjust my sleep schedule recently, so the next update will probably be after six o'clock again. Can't help it, I slept in the afternoon yesterday and only woke up past nine in the evening. If I endure for another two or three days, I'll soon be able to endure until sleeping at nine or ten at night.
____
New Story: Danmachi: But I am a God, time to make a family!
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