Life had never been easy.
'Who was the biggest backstabber?'
Someone once asked a Godly being.
The only answer that came from the heavenly realms was; "Life."
Nothing went according to one's plan. Something similar happened to Zhao Luo.
Zhao Luo was single-handedly sword fighting against more than 20 puppets; he had never felt so amazing before.
Even the earlier stages didn't make him this excited.
'Swoosh, Swoosh, Swoosh, Clang, Clang.'
The only sounds reverberating around the silver space were swords cutting through the air and metal hitting metal.
Sometimes Zhao Luo would perfectly dodge the swords arms of the puppets by just the bare minimum movements, while other times he would block them with Ifrit and blackey by using multiple 'Wood Drops.'
'Hmph.'
Zhao Luo didn't sweat at all as he still had to start his attacks.
For now, he was looking for the weakness in their coordination.
It wasn't easy to attack one or two 'First Sword Warriors' who had a 'dual' nature and were above level 40.
"If I attack one of them, then I will have to take on nineteen of their swings. If I attack two, then I will have to block eighteen attacks somehow."
Zhao Luo whispered as he calculated the best move he could use to break their formation, which was far from perfect since the start.
The puppets were coming at him with instinct. It was a simple one after another from their side. Thus, Zhao Luo had to wait for the best time to initiate his attacks.
"Clang, Clang."
While jumping backward, Zhao Luo had been blocking the attacks of the First Sword Warrior puppets, which were coming at him from left, right, and center.
One of the First Sword Warrior puppets, who was at level 49, had the fastest speed and was the closest to Zhao Luo.
'Clang.'
"Now."
After blocking the attack from this puppet in mid-air, Zhao Luo used the force behind its attack to spin his body and brought down both of his swords on that puppet.
"Spinning Wood Drop."
Zhao Luo shouted as he forced Ifrit and Blackey on that puppet.
Bang!
The puppet, who was under pressure of Zhao Luo's sword, couldn't block them and was thrown back to hit the other puppets behind him.
While everyone landed on the ground, Zhao Luo leaped at the disturbed puppets and attacked them fiercely.
This was the best chance for Zhao Luo to take multiple puppets down at the same time.
Zhao Luo brought his swords diagonally and slashed at the puppets who were standing together after stopping the level 49 puppet.
"Dual Burst Drop: Reverse."
Zhao Luo said as this time he was bringing the sword from the opposite direction.
The puppets tilted their sword arms and tried to block Zhao Luo's attack with their strong arms.
But instead of stopping, Ifrit and Blackey passed through their arms like they were passing through butter.
Like a whale attacking a fishing boat from under the sea, more than seven puppets were thrown upwards after being slashed into two.
Zhao Luo didn't stop there as he moved towards the other remaining puppets.
'I have to destroy them before the boss decides to join.'
Zhao Luo glanced at the puppet that was watching Zhao Luo with its head tilted towards the left.
'Clang.'
'Clang.'
Zhao Luo attacked the other puppets as they surrounded Zhao Luo in a circle.
'I have to get out of here.'
Zhao Luo thought as it would be hard for him to defend from both sides.
It wouldn't have been a problem for him if he had eight arms, but unfortunately,
"Why don't I have eight arms?"
Zhao Luo whispered as he looked upwards, like looking back at someone who was whatever him.
Instead of dwelling over his complaint, Zhao Luo rushed at the puppets in the front of the circle and attacked them before they attacked him from all sides.
Zhao Luo tried to get out of their formation after throwing the ones at the front to the sides with the help of Ifrit and Balck-.
"Crack."
A crack appeared on the surface of blackey as the puppet had blocked the slash.
Then the puppet counter-attacked Zhao Luo's slash with one of its own.
'Clang.'
The attack landed on the already weak blackey as Zhao Luo's second-named sword broke into pieces, and its shards fell to the ground.
Zhao Luo jumped back towards the middle of the circle as he looked at the sword in his left hand that was already a broken sword.
'Why Life, WHY?'
Zhao Luo shouted in his mind.
"Blackeyyyy."
Zhao Luo couldn't control his emotions as he felt like he had lost something important.
"Ahhh~"
Zhao Luo screamed as he saw a glimpse that started from the time Zhao Luo had randomly picked a black sword from the floor of the silver space.
Even though their journey was a short one, blackey had helped him in destroying many puppets. But, now it had parted away, leaving Zhao Luo filled with sadness and remorse.
Zhao Luo loosened his grip over Blackey's hilt as it dropped to the ground.
'Tang.'
The broken blackey made a metallic sound as it came in contact with the floor.
The story of 'blackey the sword' ended here, but the moonstone challenge was still going on.
Zhao Luo didn't have time to waste any more of his time on a random sword that had been destroyed.
Zhao Luo calmed himself and bent down. The puppets were looking at him in confusion. They couldn't understand what this human who they had surrounded and would be ripping into pieces was doing now.
"Yes, this."
Zhao Luo said as he grabbed the hilt of another sword that was on the ground.
"The successor of Blackey, Blackey 2.0."
Zhao Luo said with a smile.
The moment of a sword succession ended as Zhao Luo went towards the puppet who was the one behind the end of Blackey and swung both Ifrit and Blackey 2.0 at it.
The other puppets closed in on Zhao Luo while Zhao Luo attacked this puppet.
"Clang, Clang, Creaaa-"
But before they could reach Zhao Luo, under the metallic collision sounds, the puppet had already fallen mid-scream.
Zhao Luo turned around and swung his swords at the other remaining puppets.
"Wood Drop."
'Clang, Clang.'
"Burst Slash."
'Clang, Creaaa~~.'
"Dual Burst Drop."
Thud!
"Dual Burst Drop...Reverse."
Bang!
"Vertical slash."
'Swoosh.'
Zhao Luo released all the sword techniques in his arsenal, destroying the First Sword Warrior puppets left and right.
They tried to block Zhao Luo's attacks with their sword arms and using the 'Wood Drop,' but it was useless.
Zhao Luo was like an unstoppable sword beast now.
Maybe it was because of the loss of Blackey or Zhao Luo that had changed after using the sword continuously for so long in the silver space.
Something had awakened in him, but Zhao Luo hadn't realized it as he kept on moving forward.
"Come."
Zhao Luo said as he looked at the last puppet left in this "Stage 50".
"What?"
Zhao Luo was shocked as the last standing puppet was a random noob of this stage.
It was a level 45 'First Sword Warrior: Dual.'
Zhao Luo had destroyed puppets like this one left and right.
'Where is the boss?'
Zhao Luo questioned as he looked around while ignoring the last remaining puppet.
Among the countless destroyed bodies of the puppet that Zhao Luo had fought, he couldn't find any instrument that looked as short as the puppet he had glimpsed at.
'Where is it?'
While Zhao Luo was confused, the last puppet rushed at Zhao Luo.
'Swoosh.'
It swung its sword arms at Zhao Luo.
Even though Zhao Luo wasn't focused on the puppet, it wasn't like he was deaf.
Zhao Luo turned around to block the sword arms of the puppet with Blackey 2.0.
'Clang, Clang.'
Both sword arms fell on Zhao Luo's Blackey 2.0.
Thud!
Zhao Luo was pushed back by the puppet's attack.
'Huh.'
Zhao Luo had it hard to believe that he was pushed back by a random level 45 when he was still using the same power, which was enough to deal with a level 49 'First Sword Warrior' Puppet.
"Something's wrong."
Zhao Luo whispered while looking at the advancing puppet.
The puppet leaped at Zhao Luo again and brought down its sword arms while using 'Wood Drop.'
Zhao Luo blocked the puppet's attack with his own 'wood drop.'
He wanted to see what was so special about this level 45 puppet.
'Clang, Clang, Clang, Clang.'
Zhao Luo was pushed back again as he squinted his eyes while staring at the puppet.
'Why is he so strong?'
Zhao Luo questioned again as he bounced back at the puppet after being pushed back.
"Spinning Wood Drop."
Zhao Luo used 'Wood Drop' after adding a spinning force by rotating his body mid-air before landing his attack on the puppet.
'Clang'
The puppet's sword arms started trembling as Zhao Luo's Ifrit and Blackey 2.0 were at a deadlock with the sword arms.
'CREAK.'
REEE!
The puppet screamed as the tear formed in its abdomen, and another puppet came out of it while swinging its sword-like arms towards Zhao Luo.
'What?'
Zhao Luo, who had his swords in a deadlock against the other puppet, was shocked, and for the first time, he felt fear.
'Swoosh.'
Even though the distance between that puppet and Zhao Luo was short but the speed of this puppet's sword arms was disgustingly fast.
Slash!
Zhao Luo's robe around his stomach was slashed apart as Zhao Luo jumped backward hurriedly.
'I don't feel pain.'
Zhao Luo thought as he touched his stomach with his fist and couldn't feel any tearing in his skin.
The sneaky sword attack had failed to injure Zhao Luo.
"Hahaha, nice try."
Zhao Luo laughed like a mad man after knowing that the attack of the puppet had failed.
'Thud'
The level 45 puppet fell as the puppet who had attacked Zhao Luo came out of the level 45 puppet from the tear in its abdomen.
[LVL 50]
[Second Sword Warrior: Dual (Trickery)]
Zhao Luo saw the level and the status of the puppet.
"So you are the boss of this stage."
Zhao Luo said to the puppet.
He tightened his grip over Ifrit and Blackey 2.0 and ran towards this level 50 puppet.
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