The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 39

Hanbit immediately opened the title list. One more line had been added under the 55 Times Recorder title.

[55 Times Recorder]

The experiences accumulated by the Record Holder are unlocked.

The proficiency of all experienced skills increases extremely quickly. Performance is adjusted upwards depending on the level of experience.

Spirit affinity is activated for all spirits, and the effects of spirit power are dramatically increased.

Freed from the equipping and usage conditions of all items with usage experience. (However, performance degradation due to stat differences is maintained, and the value is minimized.)

Unopened (Keyword: NPC)

Considering what had happened so far, he could guess what was possible.

'Item' was written in the unopened keyword of the title.

Considering his long life of repeating 55 times, it was more difficult to find items he hadn't used. He also knew the craftsman's mark engraved on the hilt of this greatsword all too well.

'The weight is just right, too.'

He had heard that when forcibly equipping a strength-based weapon, there was also a weight penalty. However, Hanbit's title completely nullified that penalty. Now, even if the performance decreased, it wouldn't be a problem. As long as he could hold and swing it, that was enough.

Whoosh-

[The wind spirit Sylph shows curiosity.]

A message appeared along with the wind gathering towards the greatsword. Hanbit took his stance, holding the greatsword with both hands.

"I don't want it to end boringly." Trigger let out a short sigh. He spun the dagger and asked condescendingly, "Should I give you a cheap sword? Do you want to fight with that?"

"Why is your tongue so long? Shut up and come at me."

"Ha, so you're the type to get cocky."

Trigger sighed, seemingly genuinely disappointed. Then, he straightened his dagger and said, "It's not fun anymore. Just die."

Thud-

He dashed forward, closing the distance in an instant.

Thwack-

Watching his movement, Hanbit thrust the greatsword into a crack in the ground. Using the hilt as support, he jumped upwards.

Swish-

Trigger's dagger grazed him by a hair's breadth. Using his speed, he stepped on the wall and followed. Hanbit's chant was uttered simultaneously.

"Fire Burst!"

Bang-!

The fireball that flew forward exploded immediately. However, Trigger blocked it by crossing his two daggers.

'He's using something pretty good.'

A good weapon could also be used for defense. Especially the blue light emanating from the dagger reminded him of a certain material.

Magic Enhancement Stone, which increased mana conductivity. It was something Hanbit needed.

"That wasn't bad."

Trigger's passion, which had cooled, flared up again. He seemed to be seeking only the joy of battle, rather than the request he had received. Such blind emotions were perfect to exploit.

Creak-

Hanbit pulled out the greatsword embedded in the ground. He could feel the sensation of the wind enveloping him.

"You can't use that, you know? It'll break even with my daggers."

"You don't know until you try."

Ignoring the warning, Hanbit stepped back and took his stance. This was to prevent him from noticing the gathering wind.

"Alright. First, I'll break that."

Giving up on persuasion, Trigger nodded. His conclusion was that he had to destroy the greatsword for the sake of amusement.

Slide-

Changing his stance, he put pressure into his back foot.he kicked off the ground, dashing forward in a straight line. Unlike his previous attacks, this movement was focused solely on power.

Hanbit, reading the timing, kicked off the ground forward.

Thud-

"That won't work!"

Trigger scoffed at the sight of Hanbit switching to offense with the greatsword. Putting his strength into the swing as he rotated his body, he forcefully slashed horizontally with the daggers in both hands.

Clang-

The attacks, aimed at each other's blades, clashed with a sharp sound.

Screech-

An unpleasant scraping sound arose as the twin daggers and the greatsword rubbed against each other.

A momentary struggle of strength.

Trigger pushed his opponent back with a strong force, a look of interest on his face.

Thud-

Hanbit retreated, using that force. It didn't take long for Trigger to close in again.

Clang-!

The two swung daggers flew in with intersecting trajectories and rapid speed.

At first glance, Hanbit seemed to be on the defensive. However, his eyes were calm.

Thud-

Every time Trigger's twin swords attacked, Hanbit deliberately stepped back as if being pushed. The distance was precariously maintained as he received the attacks with precise timing. The battle, which seemed like it would be one-sided, wasn't easily settled.

-The attack speed is insane lol

-But how is he blocking it?

-Black Dragon, you'll be sliced if you slip up.

-How is he using the greatsword properly in the first place?

-Huh?

-It's a bug.

'What did he do?' Trigger thought as he continued his onslaught.

This was because the greatsword, which should have been easily broken, didn't even have a crack in it. Moreover, his own flurry of attacks strangely failed to land a decisive blow.

Whoosh-

As the exchange continued, the wind around the greatsword in Hanbit's hand grew stronger. Trigger, who was close by, also sensed the change.

"You think I'll let you use it?"

Thud-

As if trying to gain the upper hand, he dashed forward, closing in.

Whoosh-

Waiting for this, Hanbit stepped forward and swung the greatsword upwards with great force.

"Ugh!"

Trigger twisted his body to avoid the sudden large movement. But then.

Whoosh-

The greatsword in Hanbit's hand was flung into the air.

"...?"

Trigger faltered at the unexpected action. Meanwhile, Hanbit had closed in right in front of him.

"It's useless!"

Trigger thrust his daggers with rapid speed. Having read his movements in advance, Hanbit lightly tilted his head to avoid the attack, and grabbing his arm and shoulder, he kicked off the ground.

Thud-

It happened in an instant, too fast to react to. Trigger belatedly followed Hanbit, who had jumped up using him as a support, with his eyes.

Thud-

Hanbit grabbed the hilt of the falling greatsword with both hands. Taking his stance, he struck the sword downwards.

"Crazy...!"

It was too late to dodge. His eyes widening, Trigger hurriedly crossed his two daggers and took a defensive stance.

Clang-

A tremendous roar echoed from the clashing blades.

Whoosh-

A tremendous gust of wind engulfed Trigger's body.

"Ugh!"

He was pushed back by the tremendous force pressing down on his body. In the process, Trigger lost his grip on the weapon in his left hand.

"It's good, as expected."

Hanbit's voice could be heard, having landed on the ground at some point. Looking up, Trigger saw his own dagger in Hanbit's hand. He had switched it with the greatsword he had been wielding.

"...You're holding a bound weapon?"

Trigger's eyes widened at the incomprehensible situation. The dagger, crafted through a quest, was bound to him. It shouldn't have been possible for another player to even hold it, let alone use it.

-?

-Bound?

-How is he holding it?

-This is a bug.

-Really lol this has to be a bug.

-Everyone, quickly praise Sylph too.

-So cute.

-Spirits are really OP.

The equally surprised viewers were convinced that this time it really was a bug. It was an unavoidable reaction for those who didn't know the effect of the title.

"So the spirit has something to do with it?"

After pondering, Trigger reached a conclusion.

An attack that ignored the stat penalty.

The wind's intervention in that wasn't a coincidence. The wind spirit skill Black Dragon had obtained negated the stat penalty of the equipment. If it was the power of a spirit, which wasn't yet fully understood, it was possible that it could also affect the binding condition.

"That's totally OP."

He laughed, amused and dumbfounded by the situation. Then, he took his stance again.

"I don't know what else you're hiding... but let's keep going!"

Bang-

Black smoke billowed around Hanbit along with the explosive sound.

Slide-

Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. Simultaneously, Trigger appeared from within the smoke.

Swish-

Hanbit, who had been concentrating on his senses, tilted his body slightly backward. Trigger's dagger cut through the air in front of him. He passed by in an instant and disappeared back into the smoke.

-Rank 4 skill, huh.

-He's so fast.

-That's so overpowered.

-As expected of an assassination skill.

-I'm going to unlock the route right now.

'It's a troublesome skill.'

The skill Trigger was using was tricky to deal with. This was because a single mistake could lead to death.

Swish-

Whoosh-

Trigger continued to attack from within the smoke. However, his attacks didn't even graze Hanbit's clothes.

-?

-How is he dodging?

-He's not getting hit even once;

The viewers were surprised that he was dodging the attacks.

'A few years isn't enough.'

Assassination required perfectly concealing both presence and killing intent.

However, Trigger hadn't met those conditions. Even if he had learned the skill through the game system, he probably didn't have enough time to reach that level of mastery.

Swish-

Whoosh-

Despite the situation not going as planned, he silently continued his attacks.

An ordinary person would have let out a small sound of frustration. Judging from his appearance and movements, he must have put a lot of thought and training into it.

Thud-

Footsteps were heard again.

Reacting immediately, Hanbit adjusted his grip on the dagger.

The moment Trigger's body emerged from the smoke, he swung the dagger downwards with all his might.

Crack-

"Ugh!"

The attack accurately struck his right shoulder. The shock he received from his own dagger wasn't light. It was a weapon he had spent a lot of time and money crafting.

Slide-

The smoke, its effect worn off, began to clear. Trigger, who had quickly retreated, was standing there holding only one dagger.

'He's not even drinking a potion.'

His pierced shoulder hadn't healed. This was because the flames of confidence in his eyes hadn't faded yet.

"This is fun."

Despite the overwhelming odds against him, Trigger smiled, his lips curling upwards.

-?

-He's trying to act cool;

-This is fun (while getting wrecked)

-He's a crazy bastard, so it is fun lol

The viewers scoffed at his reaction, which didn't fit the situation.

However, Trigger genuinely seemed to be having fun.

"Let's do it again!"

Thud-

He dashed forward again, closing the distance with a dagger in his left hand. A black aura flickered around his body.

Whirl-

He spun, putting more power into his attack. Hanbit read the trajectory and deflected the dagger in place.

Screech-

The clashing blades let out a sharp sound. Hanbit's twisted dagger slid towards the hollow of his left shoulder.

Pierce-

"...!"

Trigger's left shoulder was pierced through. Without letting go of the dagger, Hanbit pushed with all his might.

Thud-

Trigger was pushed back and crashed against the nearby wall.

"Who the hell are you?"

He didn't seem flustered. It just seemed like a genuine question.

"Who else would I be? A player."

"Well, I guess you wouldn't reveal it."

At the casual answer, Trigger closed and opened his eyes. He glanced at the embedded dagger and said, "You know what's good about the game? You don't feel pain."

Crack-

With an unpleasant sound, Trigger twisted his body. In an instant, his left shoulder was severed and he jumped back.

Gulp-

Taking out a potion from his inventory, Trigger quickly swallowed the liquid. His right shoulder, which had been relatively lightly injured, seemed to be recovering.

"Let's do it again."

Thud-

Trigger, holding his dagger, dashed forward again. A swift attack aimed at the neck. However, his right hand alone was far from enough to deal with Hanbit.

Whirl-

Lightly dodging the attack, Hanbit slipped under Trigger's left shoulder. Twisting his body, he thrust the dagger straight into his chest.

Pierce-

"Crazy..."

Trigger's eyes widened as his heart was pierced.

Slide-

With those short words, Trigger's body began to fade. Just before he completely disappeared, Hanbit saw his expression.

He was wearing a smile, even more amused than before.

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]