-255- The assaulting rapier user

"Whooosh!"

As if a gust of wind had passed by, Rozen's figure glided through the labyrinth's pathways, creating a sense of vigor that made his robe's hem flutter in the air as he pressed forward.

"If only I had this kind of speed in real life."

Rozen sighed in admiration while maintaining his accelerated pace.

In terms of movement speed alone, Rozen's current pace was nearly approaching that of players who had maximized agility points.

This wasn't due to a change in Rozen's point allocation method but rather the result of skill enhancements.

At Level 6, Rozen had obtained a third skill slot, and at Level 12, he had gained a fourth slot, granting him two additional skill slots compared to what he had initially.

After careful consideration, Rozen had chosen to use one of these slots to set up a skill - "Sprint."

As the name suggested, it was a skill that boosted movement speed.

This skill had been quite popular during the beta test, not only among agile players but even among tank-type players.

Rozen had also chosen this skill initially.

So, when he reached Level 6, Rozen almost immediately thought of it and placed it in his third skill slot. Over time, he had become quite proficient in its use.

Hence, Rozen could now dash at such a breathtaking speed, making him feel envious and impressed.

However, such an audacious rushing method inevitably drew the attention of monsters.

"Growl!"

With a roar, a monster seemed to be alerted and emerged from behind a nearby stone. It was a creature with a dog-like head on a short body, wearing armor-like attire and holding a crude hand axe.

The monster's level was 6, and it was officially called "Ruin Kobold Troopers."

"Growl!"

The Ruined Kobold Trooper snarled angrily at Rozen, leaping into the air while raising the hand axe high above its head.

In that moment, something incredible occurred.

"Clang!"

A radiant effect appeared on the hand axe raised high by the Ruined Kobold Trooper.

Undoubtedly, it was a sword skill.

A sword skill from a monster.

This was one of the distinctive features of monsters in Sword Art Online.

Within SAO, humanoid, semi-humanoid, and human-like monsters posed formidable threats because they were capable of using weapons and armor. The use of armor naturally improved their defense. And, of course, the ability to use weapons implied the potential for sword skills.

Sword skills were essentially finishing moves with unparalleled power, speed, and accuracy compared to regular attacks. Thus, even the simplest sword skill, when dealing a critical hit, could deplete a significant portion of a player's HP. In unlucky situations, it might even result in instant death - a highly dangerous situation.

Therefore, even if facing what seemed like cannon fodder in other games, these dog-like creatures in SAO became formidable foes, because they could utilize sword skills. Rozen, despite being of higher level and well-equipped, didn't dare to be carelessly struck by these monsters' sword skill.

However...

"Using a sword skill right off the bat is quite foolish."

Rozen didn't slow his pace in the slightest. He stared intently at the Ruined Kobold Trooper, which was preparing to swing its axe with the glowing effect of a sword technique. Simultaneously, Rozen pulled out his +8 Toughened Sword from his waist.

"Gu!"

And Rainbow Butterfly, which had been flying closely behind Rozen all this time, appeared to receive some form of instruction. Just as Rozen drew his sword, Rainbow Butterfly suddenly increased its speed once again and flew towards the Ruined Kobold Trooper.

Of course, Rainbow Butterfly wasn't aiming to confront the monster directly.

Due to its low HP, Rainbow Butterfly would be instantly killed by a monster's sword skill. However, Rainbow Butterfly had another unique feature - it was extremely fast in flight.

In this scenario, Rainbow Butterfly seemed to leave behind a long trail of light as it zoomed over the still-airborne Ruined Kobold Trooper. While doing so, it showered the monster with a phosphorescent powder.

This wasn't the "Paralysis Powder" skill. Using a paralysis skill against an opponent in the midst of a sword technique was futile. Once a sword technique was initiated, it wouldn't stop until its execution was complete, even if the monster was paralyzed. It would continue until the end of the technique, after which the monster would collapse.

However, this was exactly why Rozen considered the Ruined Kobold Trooper's decision to use a sword technique foolish.

After all, once a sword technique was initiated, if the timing was off, the user became an easy target. If the attack missed, the user would be vulnerable to the opponent's counterattack, and they wouldn't be able to retaliate.

Even though monsters could use sword techniques, players with strategic minds had an advantage in equal-level encounters. As for players who didn't strategize, they were at an even greater disadvantage.

To get back on track, at this moment, Rainbow Butterfly was using a special skill it unlocked upon reaching Level 10 - "Blinding Powder."

Clearly, this was a skill that could induce blindness in its target.

"Growl!"

The Ruined Kobold Assault Trooper felt a sudden darkness before its eyes, causing panic as it remained airborne. Its sword technique continued, and it fell like a thunderbolt, swinging its axe downward.

However, its strike didn't hit Rozen; it struck the ground instead.

"Clang!"

With a clear sound, the axe with the glowing effect struck the ground forcefully, creating a shower of sparks.

Meanwhile, Rozen had already lowered his body, slipping towards the Kobold, his eyes closed.

In Rozen's perception, the world changed.

"Right here!"

Rozen's +8 Toughened Sword transformed into a flash of light.

The sword technique called "Slant" hit the Kobold Trooper's throat, a vulnerable point just above its armor, deeply penetrating it.

That was undoubtedly a weak point.

Thus, the combination of level difference, weapon quality, sword technique power, and the damage from a critical hit lowered the HP of this level 6 Kobold, who had decent defense due to its equipment, to its lowest.

"Boom!"

The frozen blue Kobold exploded into pieces.

Before Rozen, windows displaying experience points, Col, and dropped materials appeared.

In that very instant...

"Gu!"

Rainbow Butterfly, which had returned, suddenly tensed up and emitted an urgent cry.

Rozen was taken aback at first, then quickly understood.

However, due to the rigidity after finishing the sword technique, Rozen couldn't move anymore.

The dark figure rushed forward from behind him.

"Clang!"

The radiant effect of a sword technique appeared on the slender blade of a small sword.

It was a weapon named "Rapier."

The user of the cloaked rapier, who was entirely shrouded in a cloak, suddenly dashed behind Rozen and without any hesitation, unleashed a sword technique.

"Swish!"

In the crisp sound of the sword resonating, the gleaming rapier aimed directly for Rozen's back.