Festival Of The Fallen Warriors (2)

Boom boom!

The noise of armor being struck echoed in my ears.

A warrior of strength.

The man, casually referred to as a ‘knight,’ shouted with a voice as cheerful and robust as it was loud.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a challenger. Nice to meet you!”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yu Seha.”
“…!”

Wearing a helmet, I couldn’t see his exact expression…

But I instinctively felt the knight was momentarily flustered at my words.

If I didn’t have any information about this place, I would have been puzzled, tilting my head in confusion.

However, having played ‘GAL’ for years, I knew why he reacted that way.

At the same time, I also knew that if handled well, this could become part of building rapport.

“…I see. To think you’d reveal your real name right away. As a warrior, I too shall reveal my true name to you.”
“No, it’s just a gesture of courtesy. Please don’t mind it. For me, the name ‘Strength’ is enough.”
“…Hmm!”

Thud!

As soon as he finished speaking, the knight in armor slammed the thick two-handed sword he was carrying into the ground.

He crossed his arms and bowed his head.

Then he laughed loudly enough to shake the arena.

“I really like you. To be honest, I was worried. You looked too young, so I thought you wouldn’t know the etiquette of warriors. I’m sorry for assuming that! And thank you.”

‘Great.’

I clenched my fist in response to the rising message.

This place, , was a unique location unlike typical dungeons.

Unlike most dungeons where the law of the jungle applies, where you just have to solve everything with strength and defeat the boss, simply being greedy here led to unfavorable outcomes.

Respecting each other.
Treating each other well.
Showcasing each one’s martial prowess to the fullest.

These actions and mindsets in the ‘Festival of the Fallen Warriors’ were transformed into tangible rewards.

Perhaps because of this.

Many Supervisors considered this place ‘romantic’ and praised it as a well-made location.

Of course, I wasn’t particularly interested in that.

What I aimed for was solely these tangible rewards.
Only the power that directly related to me.

‘Romantic, huh…’

Instead of pursuing that, I was happier to gain more opportunities and provide for my Meowi and the others.

Rumble!

My thoughts were interrupted by the knight’s gesture.

The signaling knight. A corner of the empty arena split open, and a display platform began to rise.

I flinched for a moment at the sight of the display platform.

It seemed the knight had a very favorable view of me.

‘I never expected them to bring that out…’

On the platform, armor and weapons of seemingly high quality were shining brightly.

Some consumables were also visible…

Every single one of them would provide high-performance buffs just by consuming them.

“In response to your courtesy, I shall also treat you. Personally, I don’t think you can break through here with such flimsy leather armor. Good equipment is a virtue that warriors should have and the easiest way to victory.”

The knight gestured.
It was a sign that he was willing to wait as long as needed.

“Choose whatever you want from these and use it.”

I blankly stared at the display at the knight’s words.

Most likely, if other hunters were in my situation, they would have been immediately suspicious.

In the ’s [Dungeon Studies Class], this was also mentioned.

―Never accept equipment given by gates, dungeons, or trials. Nine times out of ten, it’s a trap that will make things more difficult for you.

In reality, for most dungeons, that statement was true.

‘But the Festival of the Fallen Warriors here is an exception.’

Everything here was purely good equipment without any curses.

Some of them might even rival the performance of [Saint’s Sword].

However, I shook my head.

A clear sign of refusal.

The knight showed a puzzled expression at this sight.

“Is there nothing you like? If you suspect I might use underhanded tactics, I swear on my honor that I won’t do so.”

“No, I don’t doubt it. Surely, you are all more than I deserve. Therefore, I appreciate the offer, but… I will prove myself with the path I believe in.”

I raised the [Saint’s Sword].

A testament that I would face him with only the weapon I brought.

I deliberately exaggerated my actions so the audience could glimpse my determination.

It felt a bit awkward, like a scene only heroes would enact.

Well, the effect was good, nonetheless.

The audience, as well as the knight, expressed admiration.

‘Does this mean I’ve already cleared two favorability events?’

It was a good start.

Even now, that display was a kind of favorability choice, just like before.

The equipment over there grants a special buff exclusive to the .

In other words, using it provides great assistance and significantly reduces the difficulty, but…

‘Once you clear this place, it disappears automatically.’

And I personally judged that the reward for refusing was even greater.

“It’s been a while since a fine fellow has come.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Raise your sword, young man.”

Swish!

I drew the [Saint’s Sword].

A surge of energy mixed with magic and holy power erupted.

In the knight’s hand was a greatsword about 1 meter and 30 cm long.

Ancient script engraved on the broad blade emitted a gentle light.

“Here I come!”
“Bring it on!”

Bang!
Bang!

The knight’s sword and mine clashed.
I was the first to gain the upper hand.
Clearly having the speed advantage, I skillfully pressured the knight.

The foundation was the [Overlord Sword Technique].
Swiftness and strength blended together, culminating in an art form.

It seemed I was pushing forward.

The more I fought, the more I realized.

‘It’s not easy, after all.’

The knight’s sword was a typical strong and heavy sword.
It was bold, with each strike powerful—an honest yet sharp blade.

There were no tricks or techniques.
No sly moves aimed at victory.

It wasn’t particularly difficult to face.
In fact, the knight’s sword path was easily discernible.
Knowing where it would strike made it possible to respond.

And yet, it wasn’t easy to bring them down.

It felt like swinging a sword at a perfectly fortified wall, with no gaps to exploit.

Thanks to this, the fight lasted much longer than I had anticipated.

Boom!
Clang!
Crunch!

I blurred the knight’s sword with my blade and lowered it downwards.
A flash-like thrust exploded.
However, the knight was experienced.

He boldly closed the distance, blocking the attack with his armor, and raised his sword to strike down.

Boom!

“Ugh!”
“Hmm!”

-A single strike that splits the mountain.

I felt there was no better phrase than this for that.
Barely defending with the flat of my sword, I engaged in a contest of strength.

I could instinctively tell that this strike I was blocking was the path to the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

The first trial.

Strength.

And the knight before me, who had reached the pinnacle of that strength, showed the dignity of a senior far beyond me.

‘…Damn it.’

My current strength is a whopping 54.

Recently, I’ve experienced explosive growth, reaching an unbelievable level, yet I was lacking in many ways compared to the knight before me.

‘At least 60…’

No, perhaps it’s nearing 70.

Beyond mere stats, there was a steadfastness felt, as his conviction and world had sublimated into a single realm.

The knight, seeing me, exerted even more strength.

A fierce momentum erupted from his entire body.

“Challenger! Are you defeated by just this much? If so, I cannot help but be disappointed in you!”
“That could never…”

Be the case!

Using the propulsion from bending my knees, I sprang up in an instant.

It was possible because the three skills, [Forceful Agility], [Strange Monstrous Strength], and [High Bone Density], supported each other.

Simultaneously, a red shockwave rippled through my body.

Thunk!

[Charge Crush] exploded precisely into the knight’s torso.

A groan escaped from the knight’s mouth.

“Ugh!!!”

However, the knight was not flustered.

Despite being undoubtedly caught in , he forcibly resisted and swung his sword widely.

A gleaming blade accompanied by a roaring sound.

After numerous calculations, a conclusion was reached.

It couldn’t be blocked.

He had to retreat and evade by increasing the distance.

As he naturally withdrew, he focused on recovering his composure.

‘Phew.’

Indeed, it seemed true that fighting fellow hunters was more challenging than battling monsters.

I steadied my stance.

At the moment when I resolved to charge again and seize the advantage.

‘…Nice!’

The that appeared before my eyes made all my fatigue vanish in an instant.

‘Here it is!’

The reason I deliberately chose this ‘Festival of the Fallen Warriors’ as the top priority trial.

The reason I immediately headed here with Bora Bora’s hand as soon as the vacation started.

This place is one of the few locations in ‘GAL’ where you can power level the most across all dungeons and trials.