Broken Tower Saga: The First Swordsman

          [The duel will start in five. Prepare yourself challenger Wrik Everknight.]   

        Wrik brought his sword and took a stance, looking at the white glowing figure before him. to his preparation, a white ring appeared in his eyes as he closed the helmet. It was not the extent of the eye of insight he was capable of. He only went with the first level just to test the water first. 

        The man actually had a sheathed behind his shoulder though he had not brought it out yet, barely giving him a look.

        Wrik breathed evenly and refrain from using all the boast from the bracelet first. He has to win this duel at all cost, perhaps looking for an opportunity will be the only thing he could do to deal a blow. Knowing his opponent was the first step, he have to see what this man was capable of first before trying his skills. 

        [3. .. 2. .. 1.]

        The countdown stopped and Wrik shot towards the glowing figure, bearing his sword in a slash. The white swordsman only stood there and looked at him as if he did not care about him or if it had frozen.

        Unfortunately, it was not the case. Just the moment Wrik's sword approached the glowing swordsman, the arms of the man moved and a ray of white light flickered for a blink of an eye and the sword fell from Wrik's arms.

        Wrik swallowed a breath and noticed the sword was still in the sheath of the glowing swordsman. Then pain assaulted his brain and Wrik brought his arm to his chest to find there was a hole in his chest. The white armour he was wearing did not even get the chance to show its speciality against the move, nor could it reduce or ignore the damage. 

        His body fell on the cold ground of the mountain when a notification light appeared before his eyes.

        [Challenger Wrik Evernight has died.]

.. .

        Anton squinted his eyes before opening them. He sat upright and looked around to find the familiar background of the waterfall as well as a redhead maiden, trying something with an omega cube though she had a stiff face on. She was so busy with her work that she did not notice his awakening.

        Other than his stiff muscles and somewhat painful body, Anton felt somewhat relieved. Now he could at least battle, though not in his full strength. Picking his body up, he walked towards Michelle, who was concentrated on whatever she was trying.

        After looking at her doing, he found out she was trying to open a communication line outside, though she failed even with the red cube. This was, after all, the trial ground. People could cheat using the communication device, so it was forbidden. Though this floor had some issues with the system being somewhat broken, turning the test far harder than it actually was, it still remained the same with all the laws of a trial ground.

        Actually, on other floors, communication through a red cube was possible, like communication on the same floor is available and through the red cube one could actually communicate to a faraway place like Tanya did to call Sophia on the first floor, but that was not the case here. At least it was not easy to get the line, even though the highest grade red cube.

        "Any luck?" Anton asked, crouching next to her.

        Michelle yelped out as she had not noticed him before, even her ears tickled by his words. She sat a step away before glaring at him.

        Anton knitted his brows and thought her anger at him was still there. "Did any call connect?" Anton asked again, releasing a breath. He has to find a way to make it up for her. Perhaps some gift might work.

        "No," Michelle said and looked away. "We should move. If we find a way to the eighth floor, perhaps it would work."

        "That's the only thing we can try," Anton said. "By the way, who are you trying to call?"

        "My uncle," Michelle said. "I would like to call papa, but he would absolutely take me away, so instead tried to call uncle though it did not help."

        Anton's lips twitched upon hearing that. "Let's just find our own way out before we call others," he said with a stiff smile, recalling the ones she was calling very well be the right-hand man of the underworld lord and through all the experience he got he knew the right-hand men were crueller compared to the actual lord. And recalling the names and slangs he used on her, he could not help but shiver. 

        Michelle raised her eyebrow and did not say anything. She picked her body up and ignored him, mostly. "Let's start going then," she said. "Is your body alright?"

        "Yes," Anton said, knitting his brows. The girl before him seemed to have changed slightly, though he could not put where it was. "Is something wrong?" he asked hesitantly. "You know you can still go back if you like."

        "Shut up," Michelle yelled at him and ran out of the cave. 'After all I did, this bastard still wants me to go away. Fine I'll go away.'

.. .

        [Challenger Wrik Evernight has died.]

        Wrik woke up in heavy breathing and found himself at the foot of the mountain. Yes, that was written. He just died a moment ago. He had not seen it clearly, but he did feel the hole in his chest. In that second, he really felt the dread of death, but in the next second, it all turned false and he found himself at the foot of the mountain again.

        Wrik sighed in relief, and another notification appeared in his vision.

        [You have 11 lives remaining in the Sword Abode.]

        '11? Perhaps it is related to how many swords I have consumed,' he thought, recalling he consumed 12 swords before going to the mountain. That meant there were 11 more chances for him to get the success though he had no idea how he would do that.

        Nor could he consume more swords with his current ability to get more lives. Well, he could try, though it would be really bad for him. Moreover, one or two more lives might not even make a big difference.

        Wrik did not pick his body up but lay there in the cold earth, closing his eyes. He tried to remember how the glowing swordsman attacked. It was only a sword drawing, yet it was so fast that his normal eyes could not follow it. Perhaps he would succeed seeing if he turned on the second level of [Eye of Insights] with the slow-motion view, and if he gave the boost from the bracelet, then it might give him an edge.

        "No." he shook his head at once. Though he did not know who this First Swordsman was, though the name and whatever he saw from the moment he came, it appeared it was not just a name for the show. Did the name imply he's the best swordsman or the first swordsman ever alive? He had no answer, and it was the least of his worry.

        Even with all he had, his chances of success are very poor, considering how awfully he died on the first chances. Perhaps he was too arrogant, succeeding in the uncovering of the swords. Considering the fact, he had not used all his ability from the eye of insights to the boast from the bracelet, he sure was arrogant there and only trying for an opportunity.

        He thought the next duel would not be that difficult, or perhaps it would be difficult, but it would give him time to learn some art about swordsmanship. Instead, it turned out to be a one move kill. it was a few whole levels above what he was capable of.

        His passive way of waiting for a moment would not work against the glowing swordsman. He has to first discover the secrets of the moves first, before even trying to come up with a plan. 11 chances. Could he do it?

        Wrik laid there for some unknown time, breathing the heavy air, not even considering what it was doing with his body. With all the worries and thoughts, such thought entirely escaped from his mind.

        Wrik made his way towards the duelling ground again, and the gate opened again in a similar fashion. The glittering figure appeared almost similarly and said the exact same words as if its function was reset.

        Wrik cursed himself. He actually died so miserably in a freaking program. He started building momentum the moment he entered the duelling ground. So did his eyes turn white and his inhaling fastened. this time he had no plan on rushing at the glowing figure. Let him come towards him and show his drawing skills—it would be far more difficult to do that. 

        [The duel will start in five. Prepare yourself challenger Wrik Everknight.]   

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