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And we have reached second world there, it being Cultivation Online.
***
"This must be the cave Loyd talked about," Alan mumbled as he looked at the hidden cave entrance, his gaze drifting upward.
"Beyond this lies the mysterious forest where the doppelganger lives," he continued quietly. "And past that… the Yellow Mithril Mine."
Alan refocused, stepped into the cave, pushed aside the vines covering the entrance, and walked inside.
[ You have entered the All Knowledge Cave ]
[ You are the first player to discover this dungeon. EXP gain and item acquisition rate have increased by 20% for the next 15 days. ]
Alan nodded as he saw the notifications. "It seems I entered the right place," he mumbled as he walked deeper inside, fixing his eyes on a large room ahead.
It was a vast chamber carved out of a mountain, its walls smoothed perfectly, making it look like a flawless cube.
"There is a door at the end… but what is this place for?" Alan wondered.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a notification appeared in front of him.
[ 1st Trial of the All Knowledge Cave ]
[ Win against the opponent using only swordsmanship ]
[ Rewards: All swordsmanship skills increase by one level ]
"Huh… the reward is really great," Alan muttered as he read it.
At that moment—
Clang…
The door on the other side of the room slowly opened.
From within, a knight walked out.
It was a fully armored knight, clad in dark blue armor from head to toe, with a striking red cloak flowing behind his back.
[ Trial Started ]
[ All skills aside from Advanced Swordsmanship Level 9 have been restricted ]
[ All resources aside from Sword Energy have been restricted ]
"Huh? So this is what it meant by only using swordsmanship… I can't even use my other sword skills, huh?" Alan muttered as he saw Madra War Dance, Undefeated King Swordsmanship, and all his other abilities greyed out on his status screen.
"Well… I guess such a juicy reward won't come easily," he added under his breath.
Alan drew his sword, Iyargut, and steadied his stance, preparing for battle.
Across from him, the knight moved as well.
It pulled out a massive greatsword, gripping it firmly before locking its gaze onto Alan.
Then—
Like a sudden flash—
It shot forward, the floor even cracked by the sudden burst of the knight.
The knight crossed half the distance in a single step, its greatsword descending in a brutal arc aimed straight for Alan's shoulder.
CLANG—!
Alan raised Iyargut just in time.
Steel met steel.
A shockwave rippled through the cube-shaped chamber, the impact alone sending a sharp gust of wind tearing across the smooth stone walls.
Alan's boots skidded backward.
"…Heavy," he muttered.
This wasn't just strength—it was perfectly controlled weight, delivered through flawless technique.
The knight didn't pause.
It twisted its wrists mid-clash, dragging the greatsword down and then snapping it upward in a reverse swing aimed at Alan's ribs.
Alan pivoted.
The blade grazed past him, missing by inches—
He stepped in.
A clean thrust.
The tip of Iyargut shot forward like a straight line drawn through space.
The knight reacted instantly.
Its blade slammed down sideways—
CLANG!
Deflected.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Good."
The knight surged again.
This time, it didn't attack aggressively like it did on the first try now it looked at Alan as walked around trying to find the opening as Alan also looked at him as they both circled.
Then the knight moved first once again.
Then the knight moved first again.
It stepped in with a controlled diagonal slash, aimed at Alan's shoulder—not too fast, not too slow, just precise.
Alan raised Iyargut and met it.
Clang.
The impact was clean. No wasted force.
The knight followed immediately, shifting its grip and turning the blade into a horizontal cut toward Alan's waist.
Alan stepped back half a step, letting the blade pass, then moved in again.
He struck straight.
A simple thrust aimed at the center.
The knight angled its greatsword and pushed it aside, redirecting the line rather than stopping it.
Alan adjusted his footing.
He turned his wrist and brought his blade back up in a short upward cut.
The knight blocked again.
This time, both paused for a fraction of a second.
Not standing still—but reading.
The knight moved first.
A downward strike.
Alan didn't block it directly. He shifted to the side and guided the blade past him with a slight touch.
As it passed, he stepped closer.
Too close for a wide swing.
He aimed a short cut at the knight's side.
The knight reacted by pulling its blade back quickly, using the flat to intercept.
Clang.
They separated by a step.
Then circled again.
The knight tested with another swing—slightly lower this time.
Alan blocked.
He countered with a diagonal cut.
Blocked again.
The rhythm continued.
Attack. Block. Adjust. Step.
Each exchange was small, but deliberate.
Alan began to notice the pattern.
The knight always recovered its stance quickly after every strike. It never overextended.
So Alan changed his approach.
Instead of aiming to hit, he aimed to disrupt.
The next time the knight swung, Alan met it early.
Not to stop it—but to push it slightly off its intended path.
The angle changed just enough.
The knight's blade missed its mark by a wider margin than before.
Alan stepped in immediately.
A short thrust toward the chest.
The knight pulled back just in time, but the distance between them had already closed. Now within close range, it tried to swing its greatsword across, but Alan didn't allow it. He pressed forward, staying tight and forcing the knight to adjust its grip. He struck once, then again—each attack steady and controlled. The knight managed to block, but its responses grew slightly slower. Alan kept the pressure constant, not giving it any chance to recover its stance.
Forced onto the defensive, the knight stepped back to create space, but Alan followed without rushing, maintaining a steady advance. The knight swung wide to push him away, but Alan stepped back just enough to avoid it, then moved in again. He raised his sword, paused for a brief moment, and shifted his angle mid-strike. The knight reacted to the initial attack, but the real strike came from a different direction.