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And we have reached second world there, it being Cultivation Online.
***
The knight reacted to the initial attack, but the real strike came from a different direction.
Clang.
It managed to block, but the timing was slightly off.
Alan noticed.
He didn't rush to finish it. Instead, he continued pressing forward with steady attacks. Each strike was simple—no tricks, no wasted movement—but they came one after another without pause.
Sparks flew every time their blades met.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The knight adjusted, tightening its defense. It began to block earlier, keeping its blade closer to its body to avoid being forced off balance again.
Alan changed his rhythm.
He slowed down for a moment, then struck faster on the next exchange.
The knight blocked the first strike.
The second came lower.
Blocked again.
The third aimed at the shoulder—
The knight raised its sword to intercept, but Alan stopped midway and redirected the strike into a thrust.
Clang.
The knight barely deflected it.
They separated again.
Both stood still for a brief moment, watching each other.
Then the knight stepped forward.
This time, its attack was sharper.
A quick downward cut followed by an immediate upward swing.
Alan blocked the first and stepped aside from the second.
The knight continued with a horizontal strike.
Alan leaned back just enough to avoid it, then stepped in again.
He aimed a short cut at the knight's arm.
Blocked.
Another strike followed immediately.
Blocked again.
The pace increased slightly.
Not faster than before—but tighter.
Less space between movements.
The sound of steel echoed continuously in the chamber.
Neither of them spoke.
They moved, adjusted, and responded.
Alan began targeting smaller openings—arms, shoulders, sides—testing the knight's defense from different angles.
The knight responded efficiently, but each block required more effort now.
Alan stepped in again.
A straight thrust.
The knight deflected.
Alan followed with a quick upward cut.
Blocked.
Then a downward strike.
Blocked—but the knight's stance shifted slightly.
Alan saw it.
He stepped forward again, closing the distance.
The knight tried to push him back with a strong swing.
Alan met it directly this time.
CLANG—!
The impact rang louder than before.
Neither moved for a moment.
Then Alan twisted his blade slightly, sliding along the knight's greatsword and stepping to the side.
The knight adjusted, but it was a step slower.
Alan struck.
A clean, controlled cut across the knight's torso.
Clang.
Blocked—but not fully.
The knight slid back half a step.
That was the first time it had been pushed back without control.
Alan steadied his stance.
His breathing was calm.
"…Almost," he said quietly.
The knight raised its sword again.
The knight stepped forward again, its stance steady, its blade held firm.
The clash resumed.
Steel met steel in a steady rhythm as both exchanged strikes without pause. Alan attacked, the knight blocked. The knight countered, Alan responded. Sparks continued to fly with every impact, scattering across the smooth stone floor. Minutes passed, then more, yet neither side gained a clear advantage.
The knight remained consistent—every movement clean, every defense precise. It never rushed, never hesitated.
Alan began to notice something.
No matter what angle he attacked from… the knight always had an answer.
Not because it was stronger—
But because it was just as skilled.
The realization didn't come instantly. It built slowly, through every clash, every blocked strike, every failed opening.
This opponent… was at his level.
Alan exhaled quietly as their blades locked once more.
"…So that's how it is."
If he wanted to defeat it—
He couldn't rely on what he already knew.
He had to go beyond it.
The knight pushed forward, breaking the lock and swinging down again.
Alan stepped aside and countered, his movements slightly sharper now.
Though of course it was not a rapid improvement.
Surpassing oneself was easier said than done.
The knight's blade came down again.
Alan stepped aside and countered, his movements sharper than before, though still not enough to fully break through. The battle dragged on, time losing meaning within the silent chamber as the steady rhythm of steel echoed—clang, clang, clang. With each exchange, Alan improved. Not quickly, not in bursts, but slowly and steadily. His strikes grew cleaner, his reactions more precise, and his control tighter.
The knight began to feel it. Its counters lost a fraction of their smoothness, its defense lagging ever so slightly.
Alan stepped in again. A diagonal cut—blocked. A thrust—deflected. But this time, he didn't stop. He adjusted mid-motion and struck again from a tighter angle.
Clang.
The knight blocked, but its stance shifted.
Alan moved forward. Step by step, he applied pressure, forcing the knight back for the first time. Their blades clashed again, but now Alan held his ground, redirecting the greatsword and closing the distance. He struck toward the shoulder—blocked, but slower. Then another strike. And another.
Without any delay, he maintained a continuous flow of strikes, building momentum with each movement. The force behind his sword grew—not from strength, but from the consistency and precision of his technique.
The knight tried to interrupt the rhythm.
It swung wide to break the pressure.
Alan met it early.
Clang.
He didn't let the impact reset the distance. Instead, he stepped in again, keeping close and forcing the knight to defend within a tighter space.
Another strike—
Blocked.
A quick follow-up—
Blocked again, but slower.
Alan adjusted his angle and struck from the side.
Clang.
The knight caught it, but its footing shifted back.
Alan moved forward immediately.
Step by step, he closed the gap again.
The knight attempted a counter, bringing its greatsword down with force.
Alan redirected it, guiding the blade past him instead of meeting it directly.
As it passed, he stepped in and struck.
A clean hit toward the torso—
Clang.
Partially blocked.
The knight slid back.
Alan didn't stop.
He stepped forward again, keeping the distance closed.
The knight tried to stabilize its stance, raising its greatsword to guard.
Alan struck once—
Blocked.
He followed with another strike from a different angle—
Blocked again, but the impact pushed the knight back a little more.