“Why on earth did things get so tangled up?”
Ian let out what felt like her hundredth sigh since coming to Rundel.
Her original plan had been to leave Rundel early in the morning and explore the surrounding area.
Since she still had no idea what lay nearby, she had intended to spend a day or so revealing the map.
Ian looked around.
Far more people than yesterday’s welcoming ceremony were surrounding her.
“Go, Hakon!”
“Show them the strength of a Rundel warrior!”
“Savior, you’re beautiful!”
“One, two, three! Ian, fighting!”
From the residents of Rundel to Shaura and her group, whom she had met yesterday.
‘Why are those people here?’
But she could not blame them.
After all, if Ian herself had heard about an event like this, she probably would have come to watch too.
Yes, the one who had caused all of this was the man who had introduced himself as the great warrior.
Ian glared at the culprit standing before her.
Hakon.
The great warrior of Rundel, and the one who had challenged Ian to a duel, bowed his head in apology.
“I am sorry, Savior. I did not mean to cause such a commotion, but I was thoughtless.”
“When you shout like that in the first place, it’d be stranger if people didn’t come.”
Wasn’t it said that the most entertaining spectacle in the world was a fight?
Especially in a place so lacking in dopamine, a duel was the finest form of entertainment.
All the more so if the participants were the Savior and the great warrior.
In this situation, backing out was no longer an option.
‘It can’t be helped.’
Ian drew her sword.
Her opponent was an NPC anyway.
If only her clothes had been decent, it might have been different, but she wanted to end this quickly and escape this embarrassing situation.
“Shall we begin?”
“Yes. I am ready.”
Hakon lowered his stance and aimed his spear at Ian.
Once the two had taken their positions, the voice of Halvar, the village chief of Rundel who was serving as referee, rang out.
“O god of Baltor, today the Savior and the great warrior have gathered here. We offer to you the blood and sweat these two shall shed, so please bestow your grace upon Rundel!”
Following Halvar’s voice, the people gathered to watch the duel each offered their own prayers.
Amid a silence that felt almost solemn,
Halvar finally raised his hand high into the sky.
“Now, then… begin!”
The moment his hand fell,
Ian immediately lowered her sword and kicked off the ground with force.
Basic Swordsmanship Skill, Second Form.
Single-strike charge technique.
“Sword Rush!”
Ian closed the distance to Hakon at high speed.
Her target was the shaft of his spear.
Ian’s sword shot upward toward the spear.
But.
“Swing.”
“What?!”
A red light settled over Hakon’s spear.
Along with his low voice, the spear swept sideways and knocked Ian’s sword away.
Ian’s eyes widened.
‘Was that a skill just now?’
She had never handled a spear, so she did not know what kinds of skills it had, but she was certain that the red trajectory Hakon had created was unmistakably a skill.
As if to prove that fact, Hakon’s spear was pulled taut over his shoulder.
Basic Spearmanship Skill, First Form.
Single-strike thrust.
“Spear!”
A thrust of red light rushed toward Ian.
Startled, she hastily raised her sword to block the spear, but unable to withstand the impact, she was sent flying backward.
“Ugh!”
Her wrist went numb.
Because she had failed to respond properly, the impact had been transmitted straight through.
Hakon raised one corner of his mouth at her.
“You are weaker than I expected.”
“What?”
“I am a little disappointed. Since you struck such a fine pose, I thought you would be strong, but at this level, you are about the same as a young warrior.”
A vein bulged on Ian’s forehead.
“I was going to take it easy, but I guess that’s not happening.”
Her intention to do this halfheartedly vanished completely.
What remained in her chest instead was a blazing competitive spirit.
Ian opened her status window.
[Status Window]
Name: IAN
Gender: Female
Level: 9
Stats: Strength 12+3 | Agility 15+5 | Stamina 12+3 | Magic 6
(3 SP available for allocation!)
Proficiency Held: Basic Swordsmanship (86/1000)
Originally, she had planned to wait and see before allocating them, but Ian poured all the stat points she had been saving into Agility.
‘My body feels light.’
When their weapons had clashed just now, Ian had felt it.
It was impossible to beat Hakon with strength.
Then her only chance of winning lay in fighting with speed, her specialty.
Feeling as if wings had sprouted from her body, Ian stamped forward.
Even without using a skill, she closed the distance to Hakon in an instant.
Before he allowed her to approach completely, Hakon’s spear thrust toward Ian.
“Spear.”
“Too slow.”
Ian did not slow her run and tilted her head back, avoiding the spearhead.
As the tip of the spear grazed past her long hair, she drew her sword back past her waist.
The blade glowed blue.
“Slash!”
Ian’s sword dug toward Hakon’s waist.
It was only a spar, so she had no intention of killing him, but she wanted to make him pay for insulting her.
However.
—Clang!
Hakon blocked the sword that came crashing in with the shaft of his spear.
‘So he really is a great warrior in name and truth?’
Though a little surprised, Ian did not enter a contest of strength. Instead, she slipped into Hakon’s blind spot.
‘I’m faster.’
So she could not give him an opening.
Ian’s sword strikes battered Hakon relentlessly.
From top to bottom, from right to left; at times she swung the sword in a reverse grip, and at others she thrust at openings.
Ian’s sword, which she had swung through life-and-death struggles for a month, was quite powerful even without using skills.
On top of that, her skills that came rushing in between strikes chilled Hakon’s heart.
Even so, Hakon calmly blocked every one of Ian’s attacks.
Not only the spearhead, but the freely moving shaft as well, refused to let her sword reach him.
At close range, Hakon whispered.
“I will take back what I said about you being at the level of a young warrior. You are more worthy of attention than I expected.”
“Flattery won’t make me go easy on you.”
“I did not say you were strong.”
Hakon swung his spear wide.
Though she blocked it with her sword, the impact felt as if she had been struck by a club, forcing Ian to create some distance.
In that moment, Hakon lowered his stance like a spring just before it launched.
“Now I, too, shall face you seriously.”
There was no time to ask whether he had not been serious until now.
Hakon’s spear turned crimson.
At the same time, his body rushed toward Ian like a fierce wind.
Basic Spearmanship Skill, Third Form.
Single-strike charge technique.
“Drive!”
‘A third skill?!’
Startled, Ian failed to react properly and rolled across the ground.
As far as she knew, there was no player who had obtained a third skill yet.
That was how arduous it was to raise proficiency in Arcadia.
And yet, a third skill.
Cold sweat ran down Ian’s spine.
“Where are you looking?”
While Ian had lost her balance, Hakon had already closed in before she knew it.
His spear was already moving.
Basic Spearmanship Skill, Fourth Form.
Two-hit thrust.
“Twins Spear!”
Above and below.
It felt as though two spears were thrusting in at once.
“Kyaa!”
Thanks to throwing herself backward as if falling, she barely avoided defeat, but Hakon’s spear struck Ian in the chest.
Ian’s face twisted in pain.
‘That hurts like hell.’
At least her armor had blocked the spear. If she had been wearing the tunic she normally wore, she might have suffered a serious wound.
Looking at Ian, Hakon became certain of his victory.
“At this point, it seems the outcome has been decided. What do you think?”
“I can still keep going.”
“Is that so?”
Though she was bluffing, Ian tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword.
Because she had to admit it.
To dismiss him as merely an NPC was impossible; her opponent was stronger than she was.
The fifth, sixth… no, she could not even guess whether he had even more skills beyond that.
For a moment, the thought that winning might be impossible crossed her mind.
But.
‘Even if I lose, I’m going to land one hit on that annoying face before I go down.’
From here on, it was a matter of pride.
Recalling the pain rising from her chest, Ian opened her eyes wide.
She absolutely could not give him an opening.
Ian’s sword clashed with Hakon’s spear.
—Kagak!
The same pattern as before.
Deflecting the spear with the flat of her blade, Ian slipped inside Hakon’s guard and swung her sword.
Faster.
Using front, back, left, and right to their fullest, Ian’s sword danced.
Hakon, having lost momentum under Ian’s one-sided assault, was forced entirely on the defensive and let out a low groan.
This would not do. He had to seize the momentum again.
“Haaap!”
With a shout, Hakon swung his spear wide once more to shake Ian off.
A fierce wind carrying impact whirled around them.
Unable to overcome the force, Ian’s body was lifted above Hakon’s head.
But Ian spun her body in midair.
Her sword, empowered by rotational force and gravity, struck down on Hakon’s spear.
Fortunately, the spear shaft did not split, but Hakon’s body was pushed back by the impact.
Even so, Hakon immediately thrust his spear at Ian.
Two spears came aiming for Ian’s chest and stomach—Twins Spear.
Her body leapt into the air once more.
A blue light settled on her blade.
“Slash!”
A red light also settled on Hakon’s spear.
Basic Spearmanship Skill, Second Form.
Single-strike slash technique.
“Swing!”
Two trajectories collided, giving off light.
But the one being pushed back was Ian.
At that moment, Ian let go of the sword’s hilt.
She, who should have been driven back, instead slipped into Hakon’s embrace.
Hakon’s expression froze with surprise and confusion, never having imagined she would let go of her sword.
And at Hakon, Ian smiled in victory.
Before anyone knew it, a second sword was in her hand.
“It’s over.”
Ian’s sword moved toward Hakon’s waist.
But.
“What?!”
Before her sword could reach Hakon,
Hakon’s other hand, the one not holding the spear—
A purple light that appeared from it reached Ian’s stomach first.
Basic Fist Technique Skill, First Form.
Single-strike blow.
“Punch.”
“Guh!”
Struck squarely in the stomach by an attack she had not expected at all, Ian was pushed away from Hakon and ended up rolling over the ground again and again.
Everyone watched that moment with bated breath.
And they knew.
Who the victor of this duel was.
Halvar’s hand rose toward Hakon.
“Winner, Great Warrior Hakon!”
Cheers burst out as if they had been waiting for it.
Ian’s first sword, belatedly falling to the ground, announced her defeat.
***
“No, how is it fair to suddenly use your fist?!”
“But you used another sword as well, Savior.”
“I-I mean, mine was still a sword! You should only use your spear!”
“I never said I would only use my spear.”
“A-Anyway, it’s invalid. This duel is canceled!”
After the duel ended and Ian returned to the lodging where she was staying, her face flushed bright red as she shouted.
Because whenever she thought of how disgracefully she had rolled around at the last moment, her cheeks still burned.
‘Ugh… My stomach still hurts.’
She knew it was unmanly.
But even now, the stinging pain coming from her abdomen and the vanished symbol of manhood naturally made her act pathetic.
Watching Ian grimace again and again, Hakon lowered his head.
“I am sorry. At that moment, I was surprised as well and failed to control my strength.”
“…As long as you know.”
Though she grumbled, Ian had no choice but to admit that she had lost.
‘If it hadn’t been a duel but a battle, I probably would have died.’
How startled she had been when her stamina dropped below half.
In particular, the technique Hakon had shown at the very last moment would not leave Ian’s mind.
‘How did he do that?’
In the world of Arcadia, a player could register only one weapon in their weapon slot.
It was not impossible to equip duplicates, but in that state, skill usage was restricted.
But Hakon had used a spear and fist technique at the same time.
‘Is it an NPC privilege?’
It was a situation Ian could not understand with her common sense.
Separate from her embarrassment, she wanted to know the identity of the technique Hakon had shown.
“How did you do that last thing?”
“Do you mean the fist?”
“Yes. You were holding a spear then.”
Ian’s gaze turned to Hakon’s hand.
She had thought it was a simple glove, but in truth it was a gauntlet, and she stared intently at it.
Sensing Ian’s gaze, the corner of Hakon’s mouth rose broadly.
And at the answer that came back, her face turned bright red once again.
“If you admit defeat, I will teach you.”
“Pardon?”
“You know, do you not? Our wager.”
Of course she did.
If she lost, she had agreed to accept Hakon joining her party.
Ian clutched her head.
Because it was terribly difficult to abandon her principles and pride for the sake of curiosity.
But.
“…lost.”
“Could you say that once more?”
“I said I lost! Happy now?!”
Ian breathed harshly.
Having chosen to accept Hakon in the face of sweet bait, Ian rose from her seat and shouted at him as he wore that hateful smile.
“It’s decided, so hurry up and come out.”
“Would it not be better for you to rest a little longer?”
“I’m fine, so come out already!”
“If that is the Savior’s will, then it cannot be helped.”
Ian came out of the lodging first, looked up at the unusually blue sky, and sighed.
“I miss Kate and Rian.”
Today, she missed that rural village more than ever.