WOODY VS KUONH

Kuonh stood his ground, a sense of determination surging through him as he took a step closer to this seemingly formidable wooden dummy named "Woody." His iron longsword gleamed in the ambient light, its blade poised and ready. With a fluid motion, he raised the sword, the tip pointing directly at his artificial adversary.

*Shiiing* The sword sliced through the air with a sharp, resonating sound, a prelude to the imminent clash.

Creek creek Woody's movements were mechanical, the creaking of its joints echoing in the training room. It moved awkwardly, resembling a lifeless puppet. But as the seconds passed, something remarkable happened. The wooden figure's actions gradually shifted, its jerky motions evolving into something more fluid, almost human-like in nature. The transformation continued until, all at once, Woody came to a sudden, calculated halt.

"…"

A palpable tension hung in the air, creating an atmosphere of suspense and anticipation. Kuonh's heart raced, but he welcomed the feeling with a smile that brimmed with excitement. The unknown thrilled him, the unpredictability of the impending battle filling him with exhilaration.

He couldn't help but relish this moment of uncertainty, where the outcome was uncertain, and the stakes were high. It was in these moments that heroes were forged, where ordinary individuals proved their mettle and revealed their true potential.

With a glint of determination in his eyes, Kuonh spoke to his inanimate opponent, his voice carrying a mixture of confidence and readiness.

"Bring it."

With those defiant words, Kuonh and Woody, the wooden dummy, locked eyes in an unspoken challenge. This was Kuonh's first true test, his first player versus environment (PVE) encounter in NEuEarth.

*Baghs!*

Woody, now eerily human-like in its movements, made the first move. It lunged forward with unexpected agility, a blur of motion. Kuonh's instincts kicked in, and he deftly raised his sword to block the attack.

*Clang! *

The sound of wood meeting steel echoed in the room as Kuonh's blade intercepted Woody's strike. The force of the impact reverberated through his arms, but he held his ground, determined not to yield an inch.

With a quick twist of his wrist, Kuonh countered, launching a series of swift strikes at Woody's midsection. The wooden dummy, surprisingly nimble, managed to evade some of the blows, but Kuonh's relentless assault forced it on the defensive.

Each swing of his sword was met with a graceful parry from Woody, its wooden limbs moving with an uncanny fluidity. It was as if the wooden dummy had come to life, responding to Kuonh's every move with astonishing speed and precision.

Kuonh's strikes grew more calculated, his timing more precise. He observed Woody's patterns, anticipating its movements, and adjusted his tactics accordingly. With a powerful overhead swing, he aimed for Woody's head, hoping to land a decisive blow.

In a split-second decision, Woody sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"ugh"

Woody's eyes glows more red, it suddenly sprang into action. In a blur of motion, it kicked off the ground and lunged toward Kuonh with surprising speed. Its right hand shot forward, aiming to strike straight through Kuonh's face.

Kuonh reacted with lightning reflexes, stepping back and crouching low, narrowly evading the punch with a slight distance to spare. The force of Woody's attack was palpable, causing Kuonh's arm to instinctively shield his head. This maneuver placed Kuonh below Woody, a tactical advantage he was quick to exploit.

Without hesitation, Kuonh seized the opportunity and swung his iron longsword diagonally upward with precision. *Shhing!* The sound of blade meeting wood filled the training room.

Woody bore the brunt of the attack, a clear slashed mark now etched across its wooden chest. It staggered back, creating some distance between itself and Kuonh.

"Wha?!"

Kuonh couldn't help but voice his surprise, a hint of panic creeping into his tone.

"No damage?"

Kuonh muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. He had struck Woody cleanly with his sword, yet there was no damage value anywhere on the screen, unlike when the guild master had playfully slapped his back earlier.

A sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. "No, it's not that there's no damage value. It's that the damage I dealt didn't appear on my calculation screen?" Kuonh's mind raced, putting the pieces together. "If that's true, aside from not seeing the enemy's HP, you can't even see the damage you deal? This game is playing some crazy psychological warfare."

With this revelation, Kuonh understood that the absence of visible numbers and health bars added an extra layer of challenge and uncertainty to the battles in NEuEarth. It was a test of skill, instincts, and adaptability, where every move and every strike carried weight and consequence.

"even so, I can win this"

It's build is just like a human, no matter how it moves. I've trained for years, facing off against human opponents in different sports and martial arts disciplines, and I know where their weak points lie."

Kuonh's keen eye for combat tactics came to the forefront as he analyzed the situation. He knew the vulnerabilities of a humanoid figure all too well—those areas where armored plates met at joints and left gaps exposed. The weak points included the underarms, groin, anticubital space, behind the knee, and more. These were the chinks in the armor, the spots that could be exploited with precision strikes.

"The groin is usually protected by straight shots, but not from strikes that can come up under the mail," Kuonh reasoned, visualizing the strategy he was about to employ. "It won't feel comfortable to take an undercut from a murder strike to this area."

*crrkk rrrkk*

The dormant Woody began to stir, its wooden joints creaking as it readied itself for the next round. Kuonh wasted no time, swiftly positioning himself and raising his iron longsword once more. With unshakable determination etched into his features, he pointed the sword's tip squarely at Woody, his eyes locked onto his formidable adversary.

"Now it's time for round 2,"

Kuonh declared, his voice firm and resolute. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he braced himself for the ensuing clash. The stage was set, and Kuonh was ready to put his combat prowess to the test once more.