LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 4
Pon’s eyes widened in shock.
“D-did he just… kill it?”
Even as a novice guide, Pon knew enough to realize how bizarre this was.
The Giant Slime, a monster that usually required dozens of newbie players hammering away for over three hours, had been slain in a single strike.
This level of power far exceeded anything a Level 5 adventurer should have.
[Your level has increased.]
…
[Your level has increased.]
[Current Level: 10.]
While Pon stood frozen in disbelief, Rian was quite pleased with himself.
“Basic skills never fail me!”
Indeed, mastering the fundamentals had paid off.
Meanwhile, the Immortals (Users) watching from a distance were outraged.
“What’s with that guy?”
“No matter how shameless you are as a high-ranking player, this is just too much.”
Some players tilted their heads in confusion.
“Isn’t only Level 10 or lower allowed to hit it?”
“There’s no way that guy’s Level 10. Must be a bug.”
“Look at his damage! The Giant Slime has insane durability, but it just melted!”
Muttering amongst themselves, they shot hostile glares at Rian from behind.
Confused by their reactions, Rian turned to Pon and asked, “What’s their problem?”
Pon, oblivious to the unspoken rules of the Immortals, hesitated before replying.
“W-well… maybe they’re intimidated by your powerful battojutsu…”
That doesn’t seem like intimidation, Rian thought. But he decided not to press the issue, as Pon looked like he’d be mortified if called out.
Was my swordsmanship bad or something?
Curious but wary of the hostile atmosphere, Rian chose not to approach the grumbling players.
Among the Immortals, a Level 5 swordsman named “UprightMan” gritted his teeth.
“That jerk… I won’t let this slide. What a no-manners punk!”
Even in a competitive world, there was an unspoken rule to leave the Starting Village and its beginner players alone.
It was a principle akin to protecting the weak during a war—children and the elderly were off-limits.
But this guy had come in and single-handedly stolen the hope of dozens of newbies by soloing the Giant Slime.
(To the Immortals, the pufferfish spirit Pon was invisible.)
No way he’s above Level 50, right?
The Starting Village had a strict Level 50 cap for entry.
You’re dead meat.
UprightMan had an older brother, a Level 50 swordsman named “SuperPanda.”
SuperPanda was a PvP specialist with an impressive track record in the Arena Colosseum.
They say mages don’t stand a chance against swordmasters in PvP until they hit at least Level 100.
Until then, their frail bodies made them easy prey for melee fighters.
“Brother, it’s that guy,” UprightMan said.
Despite being an annoying sibling most of the time, having a strong older brother felt reassuring at moments like this.
SuperPanda, known as the “Holy Blade of the Arena,” smirked.
“I’ll take care of him.”
Dozens of newbie players watched SuperPanda with admiration in their eyes.
This is the perfect opportunity, he thought.
Some of these players were likely recording the encounter, and if he could pull off a stylish, flawless takedown, it would be a surefire way to boost his popularity across forums and social media.
Super Panda, who was preparing to start his own YouTube channel, saw this as an ideal marketing moment.
He drew his sword, a sleek, blue blade that shimmered like the ocean.
The faint glow from the weapon gave it an ethereal appearance, mesmerizing onlookers.
Standing before Rian, he called out, “Hey.”
Without waiting for a reply, he charged, activating his skill, Triple Gale.
Triple Gale sent three powerful waves of wind slicing toward Rian.
Though its damage wasn’t high, the skill’s primary purpose was to disorient the opponent, setting up for a follow-up attack.
SuperPanda intended to use his flashiest, strongest skill, Thunderclap Blade, right after.
The sudden attack startled Rian.
“W-wow, he’s fast!”
The energy radiating from the skill felt like a vortex of magic.
But…
As Rian observed the incoming attack, something felt off.
Wouldn’t it have been more effective if he’d just swung the sword directly?
The attack didn’t physically connect with the blade. Instead, it relied on wind-elemental magic, which made it less threatening to someone like Rian.
Calmly, he swung his sword, dispersing the gusts of wind.
Rian wasn’t particularly skilled with wind-elemental swordsmanship himself, but his opponent’s technique was even worse.
The fact that he could nullify it so easily was proof enough.
Why would he use wind-elemental swordsmanship if he’s not comfortable with it?
Pon puffed himself up nervously, sweating bullets.
“D-d-don’t panic!”
SuperPanda stepped back, reassessing the situation.
This guy’s strong.
Most troublemakers who caused chaos in beginner areas weren’t actually that skilled.
They were typically mid-tier players trying to show off.
But this time, things were different.
He’s a veteran exploiting some hidden mechanic.
While the Starting Village had a Level 50 cap, true veterans knew how to bypass such restrictions.
He must be using some kind of skill nullification.
The ability to nullify attacks, often called Dispel, was a technique favored by PvP mages.
It required an absurdly high level and mastery to pull off effectively.
SuperPanda tightened his grip on his blade.
If he’s nullifying skills, he’s at least Level 80.
Moreover, the fact that he had bypassed the Starting Village’s restrictions meant he was a true master.
“Doesn’t it embarrass you to be using such skills to bully others here?”
With those words, SuperPanda sent a duel request.
The duel system balanced the “level gap” between players, ensuring that skill and quick thinking, rather than raw stats, determined the outcome of a fight.
Rian received the duel invitation:
[‘SuperPanda’ has challenged you to a duel.]
[Do you accept? Y/N]
Unfamiliar with the system, Rian hesitated, unsure of what to do.
“Scared?”
“Scared?”
The crowd of newbie players began jeering.
Though Rian couldn’t understand their words entirely, he could tell from their tone that they were mocking him.
That word—”scared”—felt oddly irritating.
Pon, ever eager to assist, explained confidently:
“A duel adjusts both participants’ levels to match, making it an ideal way to test pure skill.”
Hearing this, Rian nodded.
“So the levels will be even.”
This seemed like a great opportunity to test his fundamentals in real combat.
[The fight zone is opening.]
A large circular arena appeared beneath Rian and SuperPanda’s feet.
The crowd of players grew more excited, especially those who recognized SuperPanda.
“SuperPanda always wins duels. This will be easy.”
“But… isn’t his opponent pretty strong too?”
“Come on, no real expert would mess around here.”
“Still, did you see his dodges earlier? Those were insane!”
“That’s just his level advantage.”
“Yeah, he’s probably not even above Level 50.”
“Didn’t you see him use Dispel? That guy’s clearly high-level.”
“Isn’t this area restricted to Level 50 and below?”
“High-level veterans can bypass those restrictions. You think they care about limits?”
Bolstered by his brother’s presence, UprightMan declared, “If it’s pure skill, my brother will crush him!”
In the game Eltian Saga, it was widely known that mages needed at least a 1.5x level advantage to defeat swordsmen in one-on-one combat.
With equal levels, there was no question who would win.
“If my brother loses, I’ll crawl on all fours and bark like a dog,” UprightMan boasted confidently.
[The duel will begin in 3 seconds.]
[The duel will begin in 2 seconds.]
Rian started feeling nervous.
SuperPanda’s earlier movements had been anything but ordinary.
“He’s incredibly fast.”
Fortunately, his strange reliance on wind-elemental swordsmanship had worked to Rian’s advantage earlier. But if he switched to more traditional techniques, things could get dangerous.
[The duel will begin in 1 second.]
Rian placed his hand on the hilt of his wooden sword, ready to unleash his basic skill the moment the duel started.
[The duel has begun.]
[Activating unique ability: Instant Kill.]
Thud!
SuperPanda collapsed onto the ground.
The fundamentals never fail!
Though Rian had been worried, it worked flawlessly. He let out a sigh of relief as he drew and sheathed his sword in a fluid motion.
The order was a bit off—he had activated Instant Kill before performing the battojutsu, when it should have been the other way around.
“Behold, the ultimate technique: Delayed Battojutsu.”
The fight zone dissolved, and SuperPanda disappeared in a cloud of light particles. His translucent ghostly figure screamed something incomprehensible before fading away completely.
“Ooh.”
Where SuperPanda had fallen, a shimmering blue sword remained.
[Sword of Blue Light]
A sword forged with azure crystals, emitting a soft, luminous glow.
Rian picked up the sword while UprightMan, true to his word, got on all fours and barked like a dog.
“Woof, woof!”
The crowd of players that had gathered to watch the duel began dispersing in haste, fearful of being caught in the aftermath of whatever was going on.
The incredible feat of defeating the “Holy Blade of the Arena” with a single attack—and seemingly with an invisible magic skill—quickly became the talk of the player community.
“Didn’t he draw his sword after the guy was dead?”
“The battojutsu thing was just for show, right?”
“Why would anyone bother with such theatrics?”
“Do you think I understand how a weirdo veteran’s brain works?”
The consensus among the spectators was that Rian must have been using a hidden job class with access to special abilities like Invisible Magic.
“Isn’t that guy a top-ranking player?”
“He’s got to be a veteran… but a total weirdo.”
“A one-hit KO at equal levels? That’s broken.”
“Probably an all-crit build.”
“That actually makes sense.”
While speculation spread among the players, Rian felt uneasy.
If not for Instant Kill, I’d have been in trouble.
Today’s experience had taught him a valuable lesson.
Relying solely on one skill wasn’t enough for the dangerous adventures ahead.
He needed to refine his techniques and develop more abilities if he hoped to survive.
So that’s why Uncle Heiser called Instant Kill just a basic skill.
Rian finally understood.
To become a true swordsman, he would need far more training and skills.