[Level 30 Mihuwang]  
[HP 1,470,000/1,470,000]

"Hmm… hmmm…"

I was sitting on the ground, clutching my head in frustration, staring at Mihuwang, the boss of one of the *Four Divine Beast Dungeons*, a regular instance dungeon. 

Even though the boss was just from a regular dungeon, its HP was a whopping 1.47 million, which didn’t really bother me much.

After reaching level 25 and ranking up, or getting new skills for the swordsman class, my power had grown significantly to match the boss's strength.

The reason I was stressing was due to my newly upgraded swordsman skills.

It was time to establish a proper "damage cycle."

[Moonlight Slash (B)]  
- A strong 360-degree slashing attack. (Cast time: 2 seconds)  
- (Instant Cast) Activates upon a successful block  
- (D-Rank) After casting the skill, switches to *Draw Stance* (Draw Stance cooldown: 30 seconds)  
- (B-Rank) Cast time reduced by 1 second

"It’s time to stop using *Moonlight Slash* as my main skill during boss fights."

At this point, *Moonlight Slash* was more useful for clearing mobs or as an entry move into *Draw Stance*. It no longer served as a main skill.

The swordsman’s new primary attack was *Starlight Slash*, an upgraded version of *Moonlight Slash*.

[Starlight Slash (E)]  
- A powerful single-target slashing attack. (Deals 250% damage of *Moonlight Slash*)  
- Can only be used in *Draw Stance*

*Starlight Slash*, which dealt 250% of *Moonlight Slash*’s damage, was a significant upgrade for single-target attacks. After obtaining this skill, the swordsman’s damage potential increased dramatically.

Of course, it wasn’t just the swordsman’s skills that had been strengthened.

As the specs of bosses inflated, so did the skills of each class in *Astra Online*.

So, does a swordsman who ignores *Block* and only stays in *Draw Stance* for free damage seem strong?

Not quite.

The *Block* skill had also evolved.

[Block (A)]  
- Blocks attacks from a 180-degree forward angle.  
- (A-Rank) If *Block* is successful within 0.2 seconds of activation, gain a "Vitality" buff that increases all damage by 30% for 10 seconds.

It was the same as a "Just Guard" in fighting games, where blocking with precise timing would give an advantage. *Astra Online* had a similar feature.

"So, if I time a block correctly every 10 seconds to gain the buff, switch to *Draw Stance*, dodge attacks with movement, and then unleash *Starlight Slash*, that should maximize my damage output."

I nodded to myself.

This was the optimal damage cycle for a swordsman.

It didn’t seem too difficult.

Standing up suddenly, I faced Mihuwang.

*Beep.*

"Oooh?"

The giant monkey boss holding a massive club looked at me with a puzzled expression, realizing I was within its aggro range.

I confidently placed my hands on my hips and taunted Mihuwang.

"Hey, you! Be my practice dummy for my damage cycle!"

"Ooooohhhh!"

Mihuwang, now furious, raised its club and charged at me.

---

After defeating the boss of the *Hwagwa Cave*, I exited the dungeon.

"Oh."

I squinted as the sunlight attacked my eyes, raising my hand to shield them from the brightness. The rays of light seeping between my fingers felt sharp.

Once my eyes adjusted, I was greeted by an endless green plain stretching out before me.

"Wow."

I gaped in awe at the breathtaking scenery.

The *Hwagwa Cave*, located in a small cliffside area, was perched on slightly elevated terrain. 

Though I had been in this region for some time, it was my first time seeing the plains from this vantage point.

The expansive green field stretched out as far as the eye could see, with the gentle breeze rippling through the grass, making it look like a vast, undulating sea of green.

This was the *Rozellia Plain*, the heart of the continent of *Astra*. It was the third stage of the adventure, following the *Orc Forest* and the *Fames Desert*.

This massive plain lay at the border between two great empires.

And at its center stood a grand and mysterious forest.

The *Rozellia Forest*, nestled in the heart of the plain, was a world of its own.

Ironically, that beautiful forest had now become a hidden battleground between the two empires.

"PVP field, huh."

I sighed.

Back when I was active on the *Astra Continent*, the two empires were on good terms.

The brother empires, *Alpharion Empire* and *Betarion Empire*.

Of course, aside from sharing the same imperial name and emperor’s surname, the NPCs here didn’t mention any familiar names.

Was *Astra Online* just using the continent as a backdrop, or was it that the era was simply different from the one I had lived in?

I wasn’t fond of studying, but if a quest took me to an imperial capital’s library or palace, I might take the opportunity to dig through some books.

For now, though, the immediate problem was today’s daily quest.

I grumbled as I stared at the forest ahead.

"I really don’t like PVP."

I preferred to be a passive player.

I wanted to solo dungeons and enjoy the game at my own pace.

But the game system had pushed me into becoming an imperial mercenary.

I clenched my fists, steeling my resolve.

"Today, as a mercenary for the *Alpharion Empire*, I need to gather *Magic Stones* and complete my daily quest."

The *Rozellia Forest*, which belonged to neither empire, was full of valuable *Magic Stone Ore*.

Neither the *Alpharion Empire* nor the *Betarion Empire* wanted an all-out war, so neither openly claimed the forest, but they still sent mercenaries to harvest the stones.

Inside the forest, fights constantly broke out between mercenary players, but since neither side’s soldiers were officially involved, the empires were largely free from responsibility.

In regular fields, PKing (player killing) without the other’s consent carried heavy penalties, but in this forest, there were no penalties for PK.

It was truly a "PVP Faction Battlefield."

To incentivize PVP players, *Astra Online* had included mouthwatering rewards in PVP fields.

The daily quest reward, *Refined Magic Stone*, was a valuable item that could be applied to weapons to increase their attack power.

It wasn’t based on chance, like with traditional enhancement systems, and even if you dismantled a weapon after using it, you could recover some of the materials to use for the next enhancement.

Every player wanted this weapon upgrade material, but to get it, you had to enter the PVP field.

I didn’t want to buy it from aggressive players for an exorbitant price.

Like me, there were other passive players who just did their daily quests and quickly ran away.

"Hopefully I won’t get ambushed by the PVP players today."

Running away wasn’t difficult.

But even as a passive player, there were times when I had to fight back.

With a deep sigh, I headed toward the *Rozellia Forest*.

---

As I collected the shining *Magic Stone Ores*, each the size of a pebble, I smiled brightly.

"I found them pretty quickly today."

*Magic Stone Ores* were scattered throughout the forest, and once you found one, you could usually find more nearby.

I had already collected seventeen *Magic Stone Ores*.

If I could gather just three more, I’d complete my daily quest quota.

Then, I’d just need to rush out of the PVP field without looking back.

But as I happily picked up my eighteenth stone, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine.

Someone was nearby.

Where?

I quickly shoved the stone into my inventory, drew my sword, and scanned the area.

My body was ready to dash away using *Backward Evasion* and the agility speed boost from *Draw Stance* at any moment.

A few moments of tense silence.

Then.

*Rustle.*

I heard a noise about 10 meters to my right, near a tree.

*Tap!*

I immediately turned toward the tree and used *Backward Move*.

In an instant, I moved 8 meters back.

Now, the distance between me and the tree was 18 meters.

The maximum attack range for a ranged class was 15 meters.

With my speed boost from *Backward Move* and *Draw Stance*, if I ran, they wouldn’t be able to catch me.

*Tap tap tap!*

But my opponent wasn’t going to make it easy.

*Thud, thud, thud.*

"Hah!"

Suddenly, three talismans appeared at my feet.

With that, my body was temporarily paralyzed.

It was a binding skill from the *Onmyoji* class.

Non-damage skills could be cast from up to 20 meters away.

That confirmed it—my opponent was an Onmyoji.

However, for them to deal damage, they’d need to come within 15 meters.

I couldn’t run. In that case, I had to fight back.

Fifteen meters was the range of ranged attacks, but it was also within my strike zone.

If I could locate my opponent and target them,

 I could use *Charge* to break free from the bind.

In PVE, the swordsman’s *Charge* skill was simply a fast approach, but in PVP, it also acted as a bind-break.

The opponent was 16 meters away.

I couldn’t see their face clearly due to the tree’s shadow.

15.5 meters.

However, I could clearly see their hand moving toward the talismans.

15 meters.

*Whoosh!*

Before the Onmyoji could even fully activate their talisman, I broke free from the bind and dashed toward them.

The Onmyoji flinched, startled by my sudden approach.

*Whoosh!*

*Clang!*

In an instant, I closed the distance and launched *Moonlight Slash*, switching into *Draw Stance*. The Onmyoji responded by using *Talisman Shield* to block my *Moonlight Slash*.

*Swoosh.*

I immediately used *Counterattack*, positioning myself behind the Onmyoji.

There was no time to waste. *Moonlight Slash* was just the starter. 

As the Onmyoji froze for a moment, caught off guard by my maneuver, I prepared to unleash *Starlight Slash* at their back.

Wait...?

Red hair?

"Cr-Chris?"

"Ah...?"