Youngho was grateful for his age. With it came experience and wisdom, two things he had been sorely lacking in his youth. There were too many fights that he had run into without thinking and too many friends lost to risks that should have never been taken.
The wraith moved quickly, dodging from side to side making its movement unreadable. Not that there was much to read. While there was an intelligence guiding its actions, there wasn’t any strategy. The things were killers, plain and simple.
The claw swipe came in hard and fast, but Youngho had seen it coming from miles away. These things attacked to kill, not to wound. A wave of his arm and a flick of his wrist sent the attack sailing harmlessly past while Youngho barely moved from his spot.
[WAVE FORM (Passive)]
Parry counter: 4 (+1)
+12% to AGI, +12% to WIS, +12% to DEX
The second wraith attacked immediately after. A thrust that would have removed his head from his body had a well-timed fist not been there to change its trajectory.
[WAVE FORM (Passive)]
Parry counter: 5(+1)
+15% to AGI, +15% to WIS, +15% to DEX
The monk class was difficult to master, if only because of the inherent risk. [Wave Form] allowed Youngho to increase his agility, wisdom and dexterity so long as he continued to parry or dodge attacks. It helped that each increase made it easier for him to see the attacks coming and to move out of the way. He moved quickly, keeping his breath in check and making sure that each parry was a clean one. All the while, the counter ticked upwards until he was ready.
[WAVE FORM (Passive)]
Parry counter: 21(+1)
+63% to AGI, +63% to WIS, +63% to DEX
That’s good enough, he thought.
During his years as a brawler, Youngho had focused on one thing: dealing as much damage as he could as quickly as he could. Unlike other classes like scholars, rogues, archers, or even other fighter classes like knights, brawlers had no defensive skills. They could only focus on offense and so their “build” strategy was simple. Kill your opponent before they kill you.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
But the monk class was entirely different. [Wave form] meant that Youngho grew stronger as the fight carried on. Until he dealt or took damage, he could continue to stack the bonuses so long as he was physically able to fight. His joints screamed the longer he fought, but the system bonuses meant he could see the attacks coming more easily, move his body more quickly, and eventually land a devastating blow more accurately.
It didn’t take long before he saw his opening. One of the wraiths swung wide again. He dodged easily (Parry counter: 22(+1)) and the next wraith dragged its claw through the floor and swiped up. For a moment, both wraiths were completely off-balance and open.
Before either monster could react, Youngho stepped towards the nearest one and punched. Hard.
“[Crippling strike]!”
In the moment of impact, Youngho felt an intense energy flow through the entirety of his body and out his fist. It was almost like a surge of electricity directed through his punch into his adversary. It had taken years of training to master, but it felt amazing each time.
The perfect punch.
***
It sounded like a gunshot. A crack that echoed underground and made Jinyoung’s ears ring for a second after. It came from somewhere above them, in the catwalks maybe.
But Jinyoung didn’t have long to think about the sound or what could’ve been responsible for it. The two wraiths moved and attacked without hesitation. His sister raised her shield and blocked one blow while he [dashed] forward to meet the next one. Instead of going on the defensive, Jinyoung activated [charge] and immediately attacked. The wraith flew back from the impact and from experience, he knew he had a few seconds before it re-engaged.
Behind him, he could hear Hana use [shield bash] to stun her opponent and immediately follow up with [charged hit]. It wasn’t quite powerful, but it was enough to push the wraith back. Jinyoung moved quickly and aimed a cut at the monster’s heart. Unfortunately, it moved right before he made contact so that he cut into its ribs instead.
Shrieeek!
Hana felt the telltale pull of wind and knew immediately what was coming next.
“Get behind me!” she ordered.
Muscle memory and instinct had the shield up long before the attack came. And Jinyoung’s reassuring hand on her shoulder told her he had taken cover behind her. The burst of cold air hit her shield, but she knew what to expect. The air didn’t even feel as cold.
For his part, Jinyoung saw the attack coming. His [scan] glowed when the wraith charged its mana giving him more than enough time to get behind his sister’s shield. But he also saw the attack for what it really was, a spell. The brunt of the ice mana dashed on Hana’s shield and behind it, a gap. No, not just a gap, an opening.
He shifted his weight and [dashed] letting the skill carry him through the spell and behind it. And there it was, the wraith. Arms stretched wide and completely open. Undefended.
Jinyoung moved quickly before the monster had a chance to react and plunged his sword deep into the monster’s chest where its heart should be. The wraith fell backwards and opened its mouth to let out another piercing wail. But before it could, Jinyoung [charged] and swung his blade hard, decapitating the monster.