The Grand Duelist

Joseph rubbed his eyes with an effort to check if he was in a dream. Since Gaming Capsules simulated sleeping whilst your brain relaxed within the world of Victory.

There was some strange phenomenon reported by players where they unknowingly entered the world of their dreams while they were playing Victory.

According to them, it was a strange yet scary experience because they couldn't distinguish what was virtual, real or fake. That so-called phenomenon was called, "Gi-urom Phenomenon".

This term was coined by the first player who reported the occurrence of that phenomenon and he named it like what he would call it in his vernacular dialect.

The name of the Phenomenon wasn't really that important. However, right now, Joseph doubted his eyes and he couldn't help but check for obvious signs that he was in a dream such as distorted arms and fingers. However, he couldn't find anything that signaled that he was a dream.

It was impossible for him to be in an illusion too, due to the effects of his titles, but just in case. He checked his Status Bar and didn't find any abnormal debuffs.

After gathering this information, Joseph finally concluded that the strange actions of the old man in front of him was indeed genuine and not a product of his dreams or an illusion.

But...

"Are you serious?!"

Joseph cried out in anger, he felt like he was wronged. Was he really that weak to the extent that his enemy could casually do something else while he was fighting them?

Even though the old man was a Legendary Blacksmith. That didn't mean that he could easily ignore Joseph's damaging capabilities!

"Shut up! Let me make my weapon in silence. Just sit tight there and once I am done. We can finally get this party started." The old man glared at Joseph and scolded him, yet his hands never stopped. Such a scene was too comical for Joseph even to take him seriously anymore...

However, when he saw the old man's expression in front of his anvil. Joseph turned serious. It was because the old man became like an entirely different man when he hammered on his anvil.

"So this is a legend..." Joseph thought to himself. The hand that gripped his sword tightened and he also turned serious.

Ding!

A ringing sound startled Joseph and when he turned to look in front of him. A system notification in a transparent window bordered with gold was floating before him.

[ You may be a myth but this is the first time that you saw a Legend in the middle of his works. ]

[ Congratulations, you are the first player to witness the skills of a Legend! As a commemoration for this achievement, a title will be generated and granted! ]

[ Title: Old Man, Let's Fight! Wait, Why Are You Hammering? has been generated! ]

[ Title: Old Man, Let's Fight! Wait, Why Are you Hammering?

(A Myth visited a Legend. The Legend misunderstood and a battle ensued. Reluctant, the Myth had no other choice but to show the Legend his strength. But just as the Myth was about to attack. The Legend squatted and suddenly hammered on his anvil.

The Myth was left confused...)

For every strange action that you do in battle, there is a certain chance of inflicting [ Confusion ] against your enemies.

While Confusion is in effect, one's accuracy and hit rate are dramatically lowered. Confusion from this source is considered as the product of a natural phenomenon and cannot be resisted! ]

A bitter smile emerged on Joseph's face when he read the effects of the title. Was the Supercomputer Noah watching him since it could make such an accurate, yet comedic title?

But even though the title was ridiculous to read, its effects were powerful for as long as Joseph grasped the Confusion's rate of occurrence...

After all, what if the chance was a mere five-percent, wouldn't that make the skill useless?

Joseph calmed himself down and erased his thoughts. No matter what, he must not let the Legendary Blacksmith make his weapon or else everything could be over for him!

"Haaa..." Joseph took a deep breath and rushed towards the old man.

"Grace." He first activated one of the Mercenary's default skills, Grace. This skill increased one's movement speed when facing a single opponent. Now that Joseph was sufficiently fast, he only needed damage and he had that in the form of another Grand Duelist skill, [Sharpened Eyes].

"Sharpened Eyes..." Joseph silently activated the skill and small red and white marks the size of small plates, saucers, and even a palm appeared all over the old man's body.

From Joseph's experience, the smaller a mark was, the higher the chance that his attack would critically strike on top of the base damage that Sharpened Eyes bestowed upon the shattering of a mark.

Joseph hurried towards the old man and the old man didn't seem to mind his approach.

"Don't mind if I do then!" Joseph raised his sword and attacked a mark that had the size of a small palm on the old man's shoulder. He felt confident about his attack since the old man was busy with his hammering. But his eyes suddenly widened in shock.

The old man's right hand that held the hammer suddenly moved and he smacked his hammer directly at Joseph's sword, causing it to be forcefully shoved aside as Joseph flew along with it and miserably rolled on the ground.

[ You suffered 23 damage due to a strong impact on your body. ]

Joseph gnashed his teeth, and the old man didn't follow up with an attack while he was rolling on the ground.

"Damn he's underestimating me!"

Anger flared within Joseph's heart and he once again dashed towards the old man.

"Thrust!"

Joseph pushed his sword towards the old man's chest, but the old man suddenly stood up. He stepped on his sword and used the momentum of his attack so that he would lose balance.

"Ah!"

Joseph cried out loud when he realized what happened but it was too late. He was already under the old man who attacked Joseph's head with a hammer.

Clang!

A clear ringing sound rang out when the hammer made contact with Joseph's head.

[ You suffered 467 damage! ]

[ You are currently in a [Dizzy] state. This is caused by an unknown force that even you, a myth cannot resist. ]

"Shit!" Joseph inwardly screamed, and right as he opened his mouth. The old man's foot made contact with his nose and he was sent flying backward.

Bang!

[ You suffered 275 damage! ]

[ You are currently in a [Dizzy] state. This is caused by an unknown force that even you, a myth cannot resist. ]

Joseph struck a wall and he was now covered with dust and debris from the wall that crumbled upon impact with his body...

But...

"I don't understand, why am I still alive? His attacks clearly looked heavy, yet why is the impact too low?" Joseph didn't know how he's still alive.

Facing a full-fledged legend like Krid, Joseph knew that he didn't have that much of a chance against him. He only moved according to his objectives and his resolve to complete them.

"Could it be that this is the effect of my quest? The Supercomputer purposely lowered the damage that I would suffer in front of Krid so that the quest wouldn't be so difficult? Nice!" A smile spread on Joseph's lips as he consumed a Health Potion.

"In that case, does that mean that I have a chance against this old man?" The prospects of defeating a Legend was huge, even for a Myth like Joseph.

After all, he was currently Level 15...

Too low for someone who started the game two months ago.

The rewards that he may acquire from defeating someone like Krid may help him arrive at Level 100 in an instant...

And so...

Joseph was motivated once again.

But just as he stood up, the old man also stood up. The only difference was that the anvil and hammer were replaced by a single, slender, yet long and elegant sword. The sword hilt didn't look different from an average sword, but the thin blade made it incomparably delicate.

It also had a handguard, just above the sword hilt and below the blade. All in all, when combined. The sword in the old man's hand looked gorgeous, yet definitely deadly.

"When you came here earlier, I already felt that divine aura coming out of your body..." The old man spoke in words that Joseph couldn't understand.

"It really made me happy when I felt that familiar aura, it was the aura of my idol..."

"The one whom I idolize..."

"Even though I am known throughout the world as a Legendary Blacksmith. I was never really a blacksmith in the first place..."

The old man revealed a gentle smile on his face as he reminisced about his past. But his expression suddenly turned serious when he once again stared at Joseph.

"Before I became a Blacksmith, I was a Swordsman. Someone who aimed to be the Sword Saint. At my peak, I was a Sword Connoisseur. Second only to the Sword Saint."

"The main reason why I became a Sword Connoisseur in the first place was because of her holiness's blessing... Yes, I only reached my peak as a Swordsman due to her..."

"But you..."

The old man's expression transformed into that of rage and resentment.

"How dare you impersonate her aura!"

He screamed, in great anger as the chains that bound his body slowly came off...

When the chains that shackled him disappeared. H

e slowly took a stance that looked incomparably familiar to Joseph...

It was the stance of the Grand Duelist.

With the sword in held vertically in front of one's chest and the less dominant hand behind one's back.

Yes...

It was the arrogant stance of the Grand Duelist.

"Face me! The bastard who dares impersonate the Grand Duelist!"