Sword vs. Bow : 8 Squad
"They've got a Cloak of Stealth! Stay sharp!"
A knight roared out from a squad that didn't include a single mage.
His cry set off a surge of momentum as the knights, lined in formation, charged forward. It wasn't just bravado—they moved with practiced synchrony, exchanging energy and spirit as they stormed ahead. This wasn't their first time doing this.
Sensing the tide would turn if they let them break through, JinRyung and Limin instinctively sprang forward.
If they didn't pin down the charging knights, the mages wouldn't get a stable shot.
"Watch out! That's a breakthrough formation! Sword Emperor's vanguard is built for sieges!"
Dump's voice came through the team comms, but that didn't mean they could pull back. Even Dump, warning them like that without giving a counter, clearly didn't have a solid answer either.
Jinlung and Limin drew their swords, channeling inner force, ready for the clash.
Then—with a thunderous crash—a knight on the far right was suddenly blown backward, tumbling across the ground.
KRASH!
As one of the charging knights fell, the squad's momentum wavered.
"Tch. Damn, that was tough."
Seowoon grimaced, shaking out his wrist, and slipped the Cloak of Stealth back into subspace.
He briefly sensed the gaze of the Sword Emperor as he passed, but the knights didn't slow despite losing a comrade.
"Ignored?"
With a scoff, Seowoon flipped around and closed in on their backs. It made no tactical sense to leave an enemy behind them, but Seowoon wasn't one to waste a chance.
Whoosh! CLANG!
His Chainsword, fully deployed, swung with a roar—but barely made an impact.
It didn't even cut through the exposed back of the knight. The blade just bounced off. Frowning, Seowoon pumped more force into Gale Step.
BOOM!
Suddenly, Jinryung and Limin were hurled backward even faster than they'd approached, blood spilling from their mouths.
Despite the weakened formation, the impact felt like hitting a mountain bare-handed. Disoriented, their eyes flickered.
"Fall back! We can't stop them!"
Limin's shout prompted the three mages to scatter, canceling their spells with frustrated grimaces.
Having shattered their formation, the knights wasted no time rushing the exposed casters.
CLANG!
In the chaos, Dump blocked one knight. Lilingwi held back others with poison fog, but the force around the Sword Emperor and his core was unlike anything else.
As Seowoon closed in on a knight pressing Jinryung and Limin, a sudden force flared toward him.
In just a brief exchange, the Sword Emperor had already picked Seowoon out as the squad's ace.
The blazing sword trailing behind him exploded with energy as the man rushed in, too fast to ignore.
"He's going for something!"
Hammit's warning came as the knight seemed to accelerate mid-stride, as if pushed from behind.
Red streaks of light burst from the charging figure. Seowoon quickly stepped back.
"Hammit!"
He reached toward a floating roulette wheel in his vision.
Whrrrrrr… Ding! Forced Strike! Not bad! This skill can only be used once every 10 minutes. Use it wisely.
The moment the skill clicked into place, the enemy knight, now upside down in midair, reversed his grip on his sword and plunged.
THUD! FWOOOSH!
As his blade struck the ground, red energy burst outward—splitting into eight beams that shot in all directions like ignited gasoline.
A translucent red barrier snapped up around them.
Now locked in a steel octagon with the enemy knight, Seowoon punched the shimmering wall.
KAAAANG!
It quaked but didn't break.
"It's nearly impossible to shatter from inside before the timer's up," Hamit said.
The knight rose, retrieving his sword. Seowoon released his tight grip, shifting into a Bloodbone Stance. His lips were parched.
"Crown class, huh. I've been curious."
Despite the knight's small frame and compact armor, there was nothing small about his presence.
Without a word, the knight charged, sword raised.
KAKANG!
Even with Hammit's boost and the Bloodbone Stance, Seowoon's arms stung just blocking the flaming blade.
As the enemy's sword blazed brighter and moved faster than moonlight, Seowoon clenched his teeth.
He began drawing on both of his internal cores. He had wanted to save energy in case a third party interfered, but there was no room for restraint now.
KA-KAK!
He caught a descending overhead slash with one hand. The knight's eyes flickered.
He'd planned to slowly wear Seowoon down, but the sheer power and momentum forced a change in strategy. The knight began striking faster.
Seowoon narrowed his eyes.
The knight stuck close, maintaining just enough distance to prevent evasion or counterattack. Seowoon couldn't use Phantom Step, nor dodge freely—his movements felt dictated, sweat trickling down his spine.
'This won't work.'
Feeling like a soccer ball being dribbled, Seowoon decided to gamble.
KRNNK!
He launched a Bloodbone Technique, perfectly timed to clash mid-swing. Metal screamed.
His blade passed Hamit's enhancement and scraped the knight's arm from elbow to shoulder—pain lanced through Seowoon.
CRRACK!
Gritting his teeth audibly, Seowoon kept pushing. The knight had no choice but to retreat.
Trusting his armor to absorb it wasn't enough—the predator in front of him was too dangerous.
"You must never allow a gap."
At the very moment that this thought was reflected clearly in the knight's movement, Seowoon's foot finally extended in the desired direction, causing his body to sway.
From one to two, then to four, and eventually twelve—Seowoon multiplied as he rushed forward. In that fleeting moment, the knight's pupils trembled violently.
As twelve Seowoons charged in from close range, nine clones were slashed and disappeared. Watching it happen, Seowoon twisted his lips into a smirk.
"Forced Strike."
With a smile that seemed to declare his victory in this gamble, Seowoon's blow landed cleanly into the knight's side.
-Kang!
-Forced Strike has hit the target.
-Ding! Distance has been forcibly imposed on the opponent.
At the same time as the alert sounded, the knight, who had been swinging his sword, was pushed back against his will.
Though his face was hidden behind a helmet, the confusion in his eyes was obvious.
The knight, who had been repeatedly closing the distance to attack, seemed to hear the notification late and gave up on charging at Seowoon.
At that moment, Seowoon pulled out his bow.
As the knight watched Seowoon nock a special arrow to the bow, he drew a cross in the air with his sword, causing the translucent wall that had isolated the space to vanish.
Seowoon swiftly turned his aim, now directing the bow not at the knight, but at the back of the head of the enemy pressuring Limin.
-Shoo! Boom!
The arrow exploded upon impact with the back of the knight's head, sending him stumbling forward as he lost balance.
-Thunk!
Though the internal injury wasn't fatal, few warriors would miss the chance.
Limin's sword pierced through the thin metal plate between the knight's helmet and chestplate, burying itself in his neck. The knight's body slumped.
With one teammate incapacitated, the Sword Emperor, now desperate, lunged toward Lilingwi.
His decision was clear: if he couldn't defeat Seowoon, he would at least reduce the number of enemies.
But Seowoon wasn't idle.
Predicting the enemy's movement, he intercepted the Sword Emperor before he could reach Lilingwi. Due to the limited distance, the enemy couldn't even swing his sword.
Then Seowoon fired another arrow.
"Five minutes from now. We can keep the Sword Emperor pinned!"
Though the Sword Emperor boasted overwhelming strength and a flaming sword, he lacked any real ranged abilities.
At most, he could emit a burning aura—but it was slow and drained stamina quickly, making it more of a bluff than a threat.
In contrast, Seowoon, who intercepted enemies from a distance and fired precise arrows while guarding his teammates, was proving to be an enormous asset to the team.
It didn't take long for the tide of battle to turn.
Surprisingly, Kichan did a great job protecting Lyle and Juriel while charging forward to face the knights. This naturally played a major role in shifting the momentum.
"Group up!"
Seeing the unfavorable situation unfold, one knight shouted, but it wasn't as if they could retreat easily like they had attacked.
-Shoo! Ssshhh…
An arrow flew beneath the knight's feet as he tried to retreat. Cold air burst out, freezing his legs in place. Limin and Jinryung instantly closed in.
-Kang!
-Slash!
Limin's sword sent the knight's helmet flying, and Jinryung's blade struck his neck in what seemed like a synchronized attack.
"9 seconds left."
Hammit announced the remaining time limit. By then, only one knight—poisoned and staggering from Lilingwi's venom—barely managed to escape.
Faced with an 8 vs. 2 disadvantage, the knight gripped his sword with both hands, seemingly resolved to fight to the end rather than flee.
"Charge all at once! Now!"
As the final second ticked down, all melee team members including Seowoon dashed toward the knight.
Dump was the first to arrive, his shield glowing a bright gold as he blocked the knight's flaming sword. Sharp attacks followed, flying toward the knight's entire body.
-Clang! Kang! Screeech!
Finally, Seowoon's hand tore through the knight's breastplate and knocked off his helmet.
The knight, bleeding from the mouth and reeling backward, revealed golden hair streaming behind him.
For a brief moment, everyone was captivated by the beautiful knight with pale skin and shining blue eyes.
Seowoon broke the spell by shouting:
"Attack!"
Snapping out of their trance, the team unleashed their attacks. Not long after, the knight's head shattered, and his body collapsed to the ground.
Seowoon wiped the blood and brain matter from his hands and approached Limin and Jinryung.
"How's the internal injury?"
"I'm okay," Jinryung replied. Compared to Limin, he did seem better.
Limin, however, looked pale.
"My great meridian is damaged."
At those words—referring to the most vital of the internal energy channels—Seowoon frowned and handed over a precious internal injury medicine.
"This is rare. Recover quickly."
Limin took not only Seowoon's medicine but also his own, and sat down to begin recovery meditation. Seowoon then turned to Juriel.
"How are you?"
"Just mild mana depletion."
As she drank a blue potion, her complexion quickly improved, and Seowoon nodded.
Rael had run over and started treating the burn and sword wound on Seowoon's arm.
Seowoon patted lyle's head, then turned to Dump.
Already busy looting, Dump looked thrilled.
Comparing armor options and swapping gear, he was grinning when Seowoon asked:
"Any sword manuals?"
"Nah. Unfortunately, no official knight sword manuals. But I did get this awesome shield with top-tier options!"
"Sounds like the last manual helped you a lot?"
When Seowoon mentioned how Dump had blocked the Sword Emperor's blade multiple times, Dump nodded.
"Definitely! I've started understanding aura. I think the day I can infuse my weapon with it is near!"
Smiling at his confident words, Seowoon looked around at the team.
"Everyone, sit and rest. Recover your strength. I'll keep watch until Limin finishes his meditation."
As the moon moved from the center of the sky and began to tilt, Seowoon stood guard while everyone sat down to tend to weapons and circulate their energy.
In the meantime, Dump distributed accessories, reciting their stats aloud.
When the bright moon finally set and bluish dawn approached, Limin stood up, his meditation complete. The team, who had stayed up all night, began to stir.
"As we head to the next island, destroy every Seondongwoon we see."
"Wouldn't it be more efficient to focus solely on destroying Seondongwoon instead?" Lilingwi asked.
Seowoon's face darkened.
"We're too poorly farmed for that."
He raised his arm, showing the scars on his elbow and shoulder—healed by magic, but still visible due to the lack of healing scrolls.
"If nothing else, we must stock up on healing items."
Lilingwi nodded in agreement.
Despite having defeated 100 goblins, not a single healing scroll had dropped. Seowoon had kept this in mind when planning, as this map offered no specific farming zones.
He hadn't dismissed the idea of focusing on reducing the number of Seondongwoon, but the priority had to be securing enough recovery items to sustain further battles.
The team mounted their Seondongwoon and began flying across the dawn sky.
Not long after, as the sun began to rise, a new sensation of cutting through the sky brought a flush to the faces of the team members.
While briefly enjoying the moment, Seowoon drew his bow.
As he fired an arrow toward the distant Seondonguns—ridden by monkeys—just three of them were enough to draw all the aggro without fail.
Crackle!
Without even a chance to swing their red staffs, the three monkeys were instantly eliminated by Kichan's Chain Lightning.
Lilingwi promptly destroyed the three Seondonguns that had come to a halt.
Remaining Seondonguns: 358/400
In just a single day, the number of Seondonguns had decreased by more than 10%.
"If the Seondonguns keep decreasing at this rate, this game might end quite quickly."
At Juriel's comment, all the team members nodded.
In reality, the side that monopolized the Seondonguns held an overwhelming advantage in this game.
"No matter how many Seondonguns you monopolize, if you don't take control of the Seondong Stone on the main island, you can't fulfill the game's clear condition."
Lilingwi's remark wasn't wrong either.
"The most important thing is to reduce the Seondonguns and dominate the skies. Once we do that, we'll at least secure our survival. We can think about attacking the main island after that."
Seowoon clearly laid out their immediate priority.
After flying for a while and spotting the next island in the distance, Hammit shouted,
"I feel a nasty gaze."
No sooner had Hammit issued his warning than cracks appeared in Seowoon's barrier.
Crack!
As the bullet embedded itself in the cracked barrier, it entered Seowoon's line of sight—moments before the gunshot rang out.
Bang!
"Everyone, mind your barriers and move unpredictably!"
Despite giving the order, Seowoon spotted the glint of sunlight reflecting off a scope and swiftly closed in on the sniper's location while drawing his bow.
Clang!
As Seowoon's barrier shattered, Lyle quickly cast a new one over him.
It was a spell called "Personal Barrier," which protected a designated player for three hours.
Crack!
Bang!
This time, the bullet hit the barrier just as the gunshot echoed—proof that the sniper was getting closer.
Seeing the bullet lodged in his barrier, Seowoon loosed an arrow.
Whoosh!
Though typically a curved trajectory weapon, the arrow shot straight like a bolt, and as it exploded, a player's movement was clearly revealed.
Shuuuu…
As he readied another arrow, a loud roaring object flew rapidly toward him.
Had his agility not been as high, he might not have reacted in time—but almost instinctively, Seowoon fired a returning arrow toward the incoming projectile.
Whoosh! KABOOM!
The shockwave from the explosion whipped his hair violently as it passed by.
"Did they even bring rocket launchers?"
Seeing enemies stubbornly bringing inefficient modern weapons, he didn't hesitate to fire more arrows.
KABOOM! BOOM!
Rapidly firing his explosive arrows, Seowoon entered the island, stored the Seondongun in a subspace mid-air, landed on the ground, and charged forward.
Even as he activated his Windstep technique, he launched arrows at the enemies fleeing beyond the hill.
Roughly estimating their location, he fired arrows into the sky, and explosions erupted constantly from beyond the hill.
His teammates quickly backed him up and caught up.
"Hyung! It's most likely a guild—keep that in mind!"
Even without Kichan's reminder, Seowoon had already considered that it was likely a guild from Earth.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]