Near the entrance of the Crow Forest.
“Ahh…” Bella held a sword in her grip, facing her opponent with a resolute gaze.
Her opponent was a gray-eyed fox. It was a rather tricky opponent, as it moved fast and was rather cunning with its attacks.
Ambrose sat on top of a fallen wooden trunk, a wooden sword in his hand. He was ready to protect her at a moment’s notice.
A short distance away, some players walked through the forest with their friends, planning to venture deeper into the forest.
There were a lot of players nearby, as this place wasn’t far from Crow Forest’s entrance. It was common to hear the sound of fighting and screams.
As the gray-eyed fox lunged forward, Bella used Nachbilder to avoid it and then swung her sword to strike the fox.
However, her attack only grazed the fox’s fur, and it quickly retreated for the time being.
“You need to extend your arm further.” Ambrose advised her. “If you had, you would have killed it.”
“All right.” Bella nodded with a resolute gaze and jumped after the sneaky fox, determined to finish it off this time.
The fox lowered itself and ran past Bella between her legs. It then quickly turned around, like a cat chasing a mouse, and jumped at her with its sharp teeth bared.
lightsΝοvεl ƈοm Bella flinched and put the sword between her and the fox. The fox’s teeth smashed into the steel blade, and it started munching on it as if it were a piece of meat.
“Need help?” Ambrose stood up and asked.
“N-no, I got this!” Bella swung the sword, sending the fox flying. It crashed into the tree behind it, causing a loud cracking sound.
“Basic Slash!” Bella screamed, and the fox let out a pained yelp as it struggled to get back on its feet. In that moment, her sword ended its life.
“Aaah…” She breathed heavily and watched as the fox’s body turned into pixels. “I-I did it…”
“Good, that is your third kill already.” Ambrose smiled. “The fox was more challenging than the squirrels, so good job.”
“Mm.” Bella crouched and picked up the items the fox dropped, such as its teeth and its tail.
“Neigh!” A horse, pulling a fancy carriage, galloped down a dirt road that spanned across Crow Forest. The carriage was adorned with gold and silver decorations, and it was clear that the rider was someone of great importance.action
Ambrose frowned, leaned against his wooden sword, using it as a walking cane, and watched as the fancy carriage approached them.
The horse slowed down and came to a stop, neighing and snorting as it waited for the rider to dismount.
The rider was a black-cloaked figure, hunched and hooded, their faces hidden in the shadows. He wasn’t dismounting.
Instead, the carriage’s door opened, and a silver-booted figure emerged, stepping down to the ground. He was rather handsome, with piercing blue eyes and a strong jawline.
He wore a silver cloak over his shoulders, and his presence seemed to radiate power and authority. He had a silver-handled sword dangling from his wide belt, and there was a chain of silver links around his neck.
Atop his head, a strange holographic screen appeared.
[Sword Traveler, Lancelot]
‘A named NPC?’ Ambrose frowned. ‘Those are rare sights.’
The named NPCs were a rare breed of NPCs who mainly either helped players or gave quests.
They rarely interacted with other NPCs as they were mainly ‘coded’ to interact with players.
“Ah, I’ve found you!” Lancelot exclaimed, rushing towards Ambrose with a warm smile. “My name is Lancelot!”
“Who are you?” Ambrose asked.
As Lancelot tried to hug him, he quickly avoided it and returned to Bella’s side as protection.
“And why are you trying to hug me?”
“Ah, my bad!” Lancelot laughed and said, “From where I come, hugging is a sign of greeting.”
“All right, and what do you want?” Ambrose asked while tapping his finger against his wooden sword’s handle.
“Jesse, is he a threat?” Bella whispered.
“He is powerful.” Ambrose said. “However, I do not feel hostility. Named NPCs are rarely hostile, except bosses such as Karma, etc.”
Lancelot, not hearing their whispers, drew his sword and pointed it towards the night sky.
“I am Lancelot, and I have traveled across the world in search of powerful swordmasters. I have fought hundreds of different masters, lost some, and won some, but my desire is still as high as ever.”
“And what is that desire?” Ambrose asked curiously.
“I want to find the embodiment of swordsmanship!” Lancelot exclaimed with a giant smile. “The true pinnacle of swordsmanship!”
“It’s a myth among swordsmen. Some believe that the embodiment of swordsmanship is a scroll that teaches the most powerful sword style.
“Some believe it is a slumbering god.
“Some believe that it is a person at the highest level of swordsmanship!
“I want to find out what it really is. That’s why I try to fight the strongest swordsmen across the world and uncover the truth!”
“The easiest way is to go to the World’s Strongest Swordsman, isn’t it?” Ambrose asked with a frown. “Find Reinhardt.”
“Haha, I have tried!” Lancelot laughed. “However, he has gone missing. No one has seen him lately.
“However, I have heard of a swordsman who gained notoriety for his skills and strength. But he is also apparently a disciple of Reinhardt and perhaps the only person in the world who knows where he is.
“That guy is you, Ambrose, the Blade Master!”
“Hmm, so you want answers from me?” Ambrose questioned.
“Yes, but not now!” Lancelot pointed his sword at him and smirked. “I do not take answers from anyone for free. Please answer my questions if I defeat you first!”
Ambrose nudged his chin towards Bella, signaling her to stand aside as the fight might get messy. He then grabbed his wooden sword with both hands, moving into his fighting stance.
“A wooden sword?” Lancelot asked in surprise.
“In the hands of a true swordsman, any weapon is an instrument of death.” Ambrose said. “This is no different.”
“Well said.” Lancelot’s corner of the lips lifted into a thrilled smirk. “I’ll accept this challenge.
“Show what you are made of, Blade Master!”
“Mortal Style, Geschwind!”
Ambrose vanished like a bolt of lightning and appeared behind Lancelot with his sword raised high as if he had already finished slashing.
Lancelot had also finished his sword slash within an instant. His sword was pointing down to the ground, and his expression looked serious.
Rip—Lancelot’s shirt suddenly ripped, and his chest was exposed. There was a shallow cut on his chest, but he didn’t seem to be injured heavily.
Ambrose lowered his sword and turned completely around. His sleeve suddenly ripped, and his arm was exposed with a shallow cut that didn’t seem to be too serious.
“I applaud you!” Lancelot laughed and turned to face Ambrose with a giant smile. “That attack was fantastic!”
“You aren’t too bad either.” Ambrose said, and at that moment, a notification appeared in front of him.
[Secret Quest Activated!]
‘Oh…’ Ambrose smiled and narrowed his eyes as he read the details of the quest.
It was a rather simple one.
He had to defeat Lancelot before the time ran out.
However, this time, he didn’t have hours of time.
[Time limit: 3 minutes]
‘The rewards better be worth it.’ Ambrose thought, and his aura suddenly turned serious. ‘I suppose I have to go all-out right away.’