Truth Forge in Battle
The instant the glowing chains erupted from the earth—
Aster disappeared.
Twin Flash Step.
His body slipped diagonally through the narrow gap between the incoming bindings.
The chains struck empty ground.
The mage's confident smile instantly froze.
"What?!"
The tank's pupils contracted.
"...He dodged it."
Not by luck.
Not by instinct.
The movement had been deliberate.
Perfectly timed.
The tank immediately abandoned his charge, planting his tower shield between Aster and the mage.
Clang!
Aster's sword struck the shield instead.
The impact echoed throughout the forest.
"So fast..."
The tank slid back several steps but remained standing.
His expression grew serious.
"We're not dealing with an ordinary player."
The swordsman attacked from Aster's blind side.
His blade descended in a swift arc.
Aster reacted almost unconsciously.
His sword rose.
Guardian Parry.
Clang!
Instead of meeting the attack head-on, Aster angled his blade just enough to redirect the force.
The swordsman's strike slid harmlessly away.
His balance wavered for a split second.
"...What?"
The swordsman blinked.
"He copied my timing..."
The tank's eyes narrowed.
"No."
"He understands swordsmanship."
He quickly evaluated the battle.
The player's movements.
His reactions.
His composure.
None of it resembled someone who had started playing only days ago.
Only two possibilities came to mind.
"He's either..."
"A beta tester..."
"Or..."
"A young master trained by one of the great families."
His grip tightened around his shield.
"We've underestimated him."
The tank's voice became calm and commanding.
"Formation Two."
Instantly—
The trio moved.
The mage retreated farther back.
The tank remained between Aster and the spellcaster like an immovable wall.
The swordsman circled to Aster's right, constantly searching for an opening.
Every role became perfectly defined.
The tank defended.
The mage controlled.
The swordsman killed.
Aster clicked his tongue.
"They're coordinated."
Every attempt to reach the mage ended with the tank intercepting him.
Every time he turned to fight the tank—
The swordsman attacked from behind.
Every retreat invited another binding spell.
He was fighting three players...
Who trusted one another completely.
Minutes passed.
Steel clashed repeatedly.
Twin Flash Step.
Guardian Parry.
Twin Flash Step.
Guardian Parry.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Aster gradually stopped thinking.
His body moved on instinct.
Then—
The Primal Codex quietly opened.
---
Guardian Parry
Temporary Skill
Comprehension: 18%
---
Aster's eyes widened.
"...Already?"
The percentage continued climbing.
Every successful parry revealed something new.
The angle.
The force.
The timing.
He suddenly realized something.
Guardian Parry wasn't about blocking.
It wasn't even about defense.
It was about...
Understanding force.
Every attack carried direction.
Weight.
Rhythm.
The blade wasn't resisting.
It was guiding.
Redirecting.
Returning strength back toward its source.
The realization caused the percentage to rise dramatically.
---
31%
---
The swordsman attacked relentlessly.
Aster parried.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each collision became another lesson.
The sound of steel striking steel gradually transformed into a rhythm only he could hear.
---
49%
---
The tank watched carefully.
"...He's changing."
The mage frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"His movements."
"They're becoming cleaner."
The swordsman gritted his teeth.
"My attacks keep getting redirected."
"He wasn't doing that earlier."
The tank's expression darkened.
"Don't give him time."
The battle intensified.
Fireballs exploded across the battlefield.
Binding spells erupted beneath Aster's feet.
The swordsman unleashed increasingly aggressive combinations.
The tank never allowed Aster within reach of the mage.
Yet—
The more pressure Aster faced...
The faster his understanding deepened.
---
61%
---
74%
---
82%
---
Sweat rolled down Aster's forehead.
Twenty minutes had passed.
His copied skill still had time remaining.
But he knew...
The battle couldn't continue forever.
The tank knew it too.
He stepped backward, raising his shield.
His voice echoed through the forest.
"Enough."
"We finish this now."
The mage immediately understood.
Mana surged around his staff.
The swordsman lowered his stance.
The tank pointed toward Aster.
"Go all out."
"No more testing."
"We end him here."
The three players released their strongest attacks simultaneously.
The mage began chanting a large-scale binding spell.
The swordsman gathered all his strength into a single decisive strike.
The tank charged directly ahead like an unstoppable fortress.
At that exact moment—
The Primal Codex burst open.
Golden pages fluttered wildly.
Ancient letters engraved themselves across the parchment.
---
Guardian Parry
Comprehension Complete
100%
---
Time itself seemed to slow.
Aster finally understood.
The Truth of Guardian Parry.
A parry was never meant to stop an attack.
Stopping force required greater strength.
Redirecting force required only understanding.
A blade that resisted would eventually break.
A blade that yielded...
Would never shatter.
The ancient words of the Codex glowed brilliantly.
---
Truth Recorded
Steel does not triumph by opposing force.
It triumphs by guiding it.
The greatest defense is not resistance...
It is perfect control.
---
Warmth surged through Aster's body.
The borrowed technique disappeared.
Only to return an instant later.
Not as a temporary imitation.
But as a permanent page within the Primal Codex.
His eyes slowly opened.
Calm.
Steady.
Unshaken.
The three attackers were already upon him.
And for the first time since the battle began...
Aster smiled.