Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Block
"Well, could you share the information and data you gather in the higher-level areas with me?" Argo asked, quickly adding, "I will pay you in Col!"
"Hmm?" Arthur glanced at Argo in confusion. Had she already started thinking about creating a guidebook? But it wasn't a big deal, and Arthur nodded in agreement.
"Thank you so much," Argo sighed in relief upon seeing Arthur agree.
"So, as compensation, you can buy any information I know from me."
"Information about closed beta players is an exception!"
"Got it, Miss Argo," Arthur nodded.
"Don't worry, situations like today won't happen again!" Argo promised, driven by the credibility of an information broker.
"Yeah, I believe you. So, good luck, Miss Argo."
"Huh?" Argo looked at Arthur, puzzled by his sudden words of encouragement.
Argo naturally did not understand why Arthur encouraged her. She thought he was cheering her up, so she thanked him and then hurriedly left.
Arthur shrugged and continued walking deeper into the forest.
The path ahead was not as smooth as before, with insect monsters occasionally emerging. While they didn't pose much trouble for Arthur, they provided him with considerable experience points.
Deep within the forest, Arthur discovered ruins, something he hadn't expected.
This area was still a virgin territory, yet to be discovered by other players, and Arthur was the first player to set foot there.
Arthur observed the ruins, which seemed to belong to an unknown civilization, and slowly stepped inside.
The ruins appeared to be an abandoned temple, with giant stone pillars around it carved with scenes of religious rituals.
Following the path of blue stones, Arthur arrived at the relatively intact front of the temple.
Inside, there was a statue of a goddess. Arthur, curious, walked into the temple.
The temple had obviously been abandoned for a long time. Even though it was relatively intact within the ruins, it was still drafty, with vines and moss growing everywhere.
Even the statue of the goddess had a hand broken off, lying on the ground.
Arthur frowned. According to the map, he was now in the center of the forest. However, apart from this temple ruin, there seemed to be nothing else here. There weren't even any monsters inside the temple ruins.
Could this be a special resting area?
But Arthur immediately dismissed this thought, as a thick giant python appeared on the statue without him noticing.
Guardian of Arca? Arthur read the name above the monster's head and saw it had three health bars, causing him to grimace.
No wonder there were no other monsters—there was a big boss here! Arthur hadn't expected this temple ruin to contain such a mini-boss monster. He quickly drew his one-handed sword.
The giant python noticed Arthur's movement. It swiftly transformed into a blur and charged at Arthur with incredible speed.
Arthur hadn't anticipated the python's speed, which far exceeded his own. In a panic, he gritted his teeth and raised his one-handed sword in front of him.
Bang!!!
An unstoppable force came through his hands, causing Arthur's eyes to widen as he was sent flying backward.
Landing on the ground and seeing that he had lost a quarter of his health, Arthur's pupils contracted. He had indeed underestimated this game.
"Congratulations, host, for mastering the universal skill: Block. Current proficiency: 0/100 (LV1)."
Arthur, who initially wanted to turn and flee, was surprised by the notification in his mind.
At this moment, the giant python, seeing that its intruder was not dead, moved its head toward Arthur, its scarlet tongue flicking out, and its golden vertical pupils coldly staring at him.
Swoosh!
The sound of the air being split reached Arthur, who quickly snapped out of his daze and gritted his teeth, assuming a blocking stance.
Block: Use a weapon as a shield to fend off all attacks!
Taking a gamble, Arthur recalled the skill description he had just seen and raised his one-handed sword.
Bang!!!
This time, Arthur didn't fly backward from the giant python's attack. Instead, he stood firmly in place, his health bar untouched.
"Block successful, gained 100 proficiency points. Current proficiency maxed out. Do you wish to upgrade?"
"Upgrade!"
"Block upgraded successfully. Current proficiency: 0/1000 (LV2)."
The giant python hadn't expected Arthur to block its attack. It gripped the one-handed sword tightly in its mouth and shook its head, trying to separate Arthur from his weapon.
Arthur couldn't let go of his sword; otherwise, he would face certain death!
The giant python, surprised by Arthur's persistence, showed a flash of anger in its eyes and slammed him into a wall.
Arthur grunted, and in the instant he made contact with the wall, he pushed off with his legs, using the momentum to adjust his stance, preparing to use a lower-tier sword skill he had never used before.
"One-handed Sword Skill: Sparkling Flash!"
As the system registered the skill, Arthur's one-handed sword suddenly erupted within the python's mouth.
In an instant, Arthur struck six times! The speed of these strikes was so fast that they created sparks from the friction with the air. These weren't real sparks but rather visual effects from the sword skill.
Indeed, the one-handed sword skill Sparkling Flash was a six-hit combo. The python's gaping maw was far less defensively strong than its scaly exterior.
Under the relentless six-hit combo, the python hissed in pain, and Arthur finally regained his freedom.
Landing on the ground, Arthur saw that the first health bar of the python was nearly half depleted. Taking advantage of the python's staggered state, he charged forward with his sword!
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