novelraw Chapter 218 : Test (2)
Chapter 218 : Test (2)
Chapter 218: Test (2)
After that, the exchange of attacks continued.
While sparring with Frederick, Sanghyun realized that he was intentionally holding back some of his power.
Simply put, he was adjusting his level to match Sanghyun's, which only made Sanghyun more determined.
Certainly, thanks to Over Psychedelic, it wasn't too much of a strain to go on the offensive.
Naturally, though, he couldn't overpower Frederick in battle.
If he had been capable of that, Sanghyun would already be somewhere else, not here.
So Sanghyun wasn't frustrated about being counterattacked or hit by effective blows from Frederick.
Even though he was at a disadvantage, he was enjoying it. Because he could understand exactly why he was losing to this person.
Like a young athlete growing stronger through lessons or mock training with a senior athlete.
Sanghyun was the same.
Every strike Frederick landed, every counterattack, every exploitation of a gap—was all a lesson.
‘This is fun. It’s rare to get a chance to fight someone like Frederick. Why is this so fun?’
Throughout the practice spar, Sanghyun couldn’t control his pounding heart. He trembled, again and again.
Maybe that’s why.
Ironically, as the tension faded, Sanghyun's offense began to deepen even further.
He tracked and found Frederick, who tried to hide using Invisibility, with Gaia’s Breath.
He magnificently blocked a flurry of spear techniques flying at him head-on with Defensive Sword.
On top of that, even after taking a horizontal hit from the spear and being knocked back, he immediately used Recovery to cancel the knockback and launched a counterattack.
Because of that, Frederick lost about 10% of his suit’s durability at one point.
If that blow had landed on a battlefield, it might have left a serious wound.
‘He’s certainly clever. I’d be completely overwhelmed at level 400, but level 500 seems about right.’
As he exchanged attacks with Sanghyun, Frederick finished calculating Sanghyun’s capabilities.
Regardless of Sanghyun’s current level, the depth of skill he could handle was around level 500.
In other words, he could stand his ground even against a level 500 player.
That didn’t necessarily mean victory, but at least it meant he had a fighting chance.
Sanghyun had told Frederick his level was in the low 300s.
Yet he was already displaying enough overpowered strength to surpass that level.
‘I thought he would rely solely on status effects, but his fundamentals are solid.’
What impressed Frederick the most was Sanghyun’s basic swordsmanship.
People often ask whether it’s really important to emphasize something as obvious as the basics.
They argue that most players rely on skills anyway, so is basic technique really that vital?
But Frederick thought differently.
When there’s no clear difference in skill, or when you’ve exhausted your mana and can’t use any more skills—
That’s when the basics determine the line between life and death. For a swordsman, that means basic swordsmanship.
Frederick, who had experienced countless battles, knew the importance of fundamentals better than anyone.
He had seen far too many players live or die depending on that gap. It wasn’t even worth mentioning anymore.
And Sanghyun had the kind of strong fundamentals as if he had been honing his swordsmanship for a long time.
That didn’t mean he used a standardized style. It looked like he had his own established sword technique.
If he had a teacher, they must be a high-level player. If he was self-taught, that was truly astonishing.
Just then—
Frederick spotted an opening and struck with full force, aiming at Sanghyun’s weak spot with his spear.
Sanghyun’s body was pushed far back, and an alarm went off. His durability had dropped below 20%.
“Ah…”
Sanghyun let out a hollow breath.
That strike had come in a flash—so fast that “flash!” was the only way to describe it.
Usually, attacks that fast lose impact, but this one struck heavy into his abdomen.
It even shaved off more than 30% of his durability.
That alone made it clear that this was one of Frederick’s finishing skills.
If this had been on the battlefield, his internal organs would’ve burst. His outside might’ve been fine, but his insides would be shredded.
It was frustrating, but he felt good about what he had gained.
He now understood a gap in himself that neither other players nor monsters had ever noticed—something even he hadn’t realized.
As Sanghyun bit his lip in lingering frustration, Frederick offered a handshake first.
“That was a good spar.”
“Weren’t you holding back too much?”
“It’s more accurate to call it adjusting, not holding back. We weren’t trying to win or lose, right?”
“Well… that’s true.”
“First of all, I want to praise you. Your fundamentals are really solid. Among the sword-wielding players I’ve seen recently, I’d say you’re at the top.”
“Top?”
“Let me be clear, I don’t give out empty compliments. Same goes for my cousin Sophia. Just take it as is.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Anyway, the harsh criticism’s coming up too.”
Frederick grinned playfully, more like a neighborhood big brother than a famous name.
When talking about skill purely as a player, not in a business context, he seemed genuinely sincere.
It felt like there was a clear divide between Frederick the businessman/master and Frederick the player.
“Your skill setup also seems to have quite a few valuable options not dependent on status effects.”
“My repertoire isn’t that simple. I do have a lot of directions I can take.”
Sanghyun nodded.
He had always considered that a strength of his.
Of course, just having variety in setup isn’t enough. You need to be proficient in using each skill.
“However, there’s something you should work on. If your opponent’s focused on balanced exchanges or defense, your current skills and strategy work well. But—”
“…”
He gulped.
This was feedback from a named player like Frederick. Missing even one word could lead to lasting regret.
“If your opponent is an extreme offense type, things could get dangerous. Your skill set isn’t particularly geared toward agile defense.”
“That’s true.”
“Also, your movements are slow as well. Probably because you subconsciously rely on your defensive skills as a backup.”
Frederick hit the nail on the head.
Sanghyun had the invincible skill “Song of the Sword,” which felt like a reliable safety net.
That sense of psychological security likely affected his physical movements. It was subconscious.
Until now, it hadn’t been exposed much. He hadn’t fought top-tier players.
But Frederick saw it right away. If he faced someone who could go blow-for-blow, he’d be in trouble.
“I got chills for a second there.”
“I hope you didn’t take that the wrong way.”
“Not at all. Where else could I get feedback like this? I won’t forget it.”
“Let’s keep in touch. If I have requests or proposals, I’ll contact you with a fair reward.”
“You’re welcome anytime.”
Thus, the short yet intense sparring session with Frederick came to an end.
To Frederick, it might have simply been a moment to satisfy a small curiosity.
But for Sanghyun, it held significant meaning—because he became aware of weaknesses that had been hidden deep in his subconscious.
Not only that.
Meeting a skilled player like Frederick made him realize which specific parts of himself were vulnerable.
The words he had said to Frederick about never forgetting this—those were sincere.
Afterward.
Back at his lodging, Sanghyun slowly reviewed the spar with Frederick from the very beginning.
He wondered if he could recall it clearly, but thanks to his focused engagement during the fight, every movement and thought came back vividly.
When Frederick moved more loosely, Sanghyun's strategic feints definitely worked.
Frederick also had to rely on his defensive skills to block Sanghyun’s skill combos.
In such situations, Sanghyun could at least maintain his own pace and predict the next developments.
Even though Frederick was strong, Sanghyun could still visualize how he should fight.
But once Frederick abandoned defense entirely and pressed on with pure offense, the situation changed.
Among players, there are those who accept getting hit once if it means they can land two or three in return.
It’s not that they don’t want to bleed—they just have the mindset of, “I’ll make you bleed more than I do.”
If he got entangled with such a player, his current style meant he’d inevitably be forced onto the defensive.
“Thank god for that.”
He hadn’t just said he got chills for nothing. The realization struck hard.
“I’m not invincible, and I’m not all-powerful. This is why I can’t afford to be careless! The world is big, and there are still many strong people out there.”
It was motivating.
He now had a renewed reason to commit even harder to his personal training.
Lately, with his packed schedule, he had admittedly been slacking on his fundamental defensive training.
He figured this was a good excuse to push himself through a round of intensive training.
Just then.
A muted TV in the room, which had been left on without sound, suddenly aired an interesting domestic news story.
The Yeouido Fireworks Festival is just around the corner!
This year’s fireworks event is expected to be the largest in history, according to government announcements!
A player market involving many players from Korea, China, and Japan will also be held at the fireworks venue!
As a result, it’s attracting a lot of attention from players! When are you planning to attend the festival?
The voice of an excited female reporter could be heard. The scene already seemed to be bustling with energy.
Though the event hadn’t officially started, it looked like preparations were causing a lot of activity.
Right then.
“Ah!”
A memory suddenly flashed in Sanghyun’s mind, and he shot up from where he was sitting.
Some memories are tied to the events or weather at the time—and this was exactly one of those moments.
When the Yeouido Fireworks Festival was taking place.
And unlike before, the special player market nicknamed the “Three Nations Market,” involving Korea, China, and Japan, was being held!
That was when the “Amsa Station Rift” occurred.
A rift incident that had happened in his past life, where the Player Union had thoroughly controlled the information.
The reason being—there were almost no civilian casualties, but many of the Union’s deployed forces had died.
After the Amsa Station Rift incident—
The Union, having lost many of its core forces, began to weaken rapidly.
Leadership faltered, and a large number of Union-affiliated players resigned en masse.
They argued that they couldn’t stay in an organization that couldn’t guarantee their safety.
In that process, many players flowed into guilds, and the Union’s influence was greatly reduced.
Although they kept trying to rebuild their public image afterward, they couldn’t break free from the burden of their past.
That very incident—
The one that ended up cutting off the Union’s breath—was now right around the corner.
It was not far off.