Watch Your Head~!

I’m screwed. Definitely screwed.

“Oh dear….?”

I clearly tore the Water Strike scroll to finish him off, but for some reason, no magic activated.

Could the scroll have been fake?

No, that can’t be.

There has never been a fake scroll in the mock occupation war, and if the scroll had been fake, it would have been labeled “Water Strike Scroll (Counterfeit)” when I first obtained it.

In other words, there’s no way the scroll could be fake.

Then, why?

• • Whoosh!

As my mind was filled with confusion, hot flames rose from the abandoned asphalt.

“Ouch, hot!”

I jumped as high as I could using dolyeok, but I couldn’t avoid the hot heat wrapping around my ankle.

Groaning from the burning pain in my ankle, I kicked dolyeok in midair to escape the range of the flames.

“What was that scroll just now.”

Then, several flaming arrows poured down on me as I landed unsteadily.

“Ha, there’s a limit to jokes.”

I tried to twist the paths of some with dolyeok and avoid the rest by throwing my body, but perhaps due to my ankle injury, I couldn’t avoid them all.

“Ugh…! This is really hot, you know?”

A flaming arrow was lodged in my left arm. Isn’t this inside the Matrix? Why does it hurt so much? I barely managed to hold back tears that were about to flow.

Unlike me who was groaning in pain, Marcas approached with firm steps without showing any signs of pain. Surely Marcas must have been pierced by the flame spear I had countered, but there was no hesitation in his steps.

Indeed, there’s too big of an experience gap between someone who has become accustomed to pain through various training since childhood and an ordinary person who was living in the modern world just a few weeks ago.

….For a moment, the word “surrender” flickered before me.

‘….Getting eliminated here? After coming this far?’

No.

That can’t be.

I can’t accept it.

I, as a veteran player who has been working hard for the past month, cannot accept being eliminated so futilely.

There must be some way. Something to turn the tide of this unfavorable battle…..

Just then, as if reading my inner thoughts, a “ding!” sound was heard, and text began to form before my eyes.

[Trait – You have discovered a hidden function of Counter]

[Counter – Sword of Romance (Passive): The use of all attack skills except Counter is prohibited]

…….WHAT? What? There was such a passive trait?

Counter had a hidden passive. Sword of Romance. Cannot use other attack skills.

‘What the hell…?’

No wonder it seemed too versatile for a Hero grade skill.

But isn’t this too much?

‘It’s saying I’m only allowed to counterattack or strike directly with my own hands.’

My mind feels dizzy from being instantly demoted from a counter-style character to a counter-obsessed character.

This isn’t just about failing this mock occupation war. A major error has appeared in my future potential.

‘I’m screwed. I can’t see a future.’

I wonder if I should switch to a non-combat profession even now…

[Trait – You have discovered Counter’s hidden passive. A new trait has been unlocked by satisfying the conditions]

[Trait – You have acquired Hollow Slash (Unique)]

Just then, a lifeline was thrown to me.

A ray of light shines into my heart that was filled with despair.

‘A unique grade trait…’

Hollow Slash, a new trait obtained by discovering Counter’s loose screw of a passive.

The grade of this trait was none other than Unique.

Unique grade. A rare grade assigned to classes or traits that cannot be obtained by anyone except the specific character.

For example, the class that Sheena will obtain, World Savior, is a Unique grade class.

No one besides Sheena can acquire ‘World Savior.’

‘So Sion also had a Unique grade trait.’

The fact that Sion, who is merely an early-game villain, has a Unique grade trait makes me wonder if Sion is really just a disposable villain.

But such doubts can wait until everything is over.

What I need to do now is to check this newly acquired trait and overcome this crisis.

‘Please be an overpowered trait. Please be an overpowered trait…!’

I quickly opened my status window and viewed the information for ‘Hollow Slash.’

[Hollow Slash – Unique]

Hollow Slash – Slashes all designated entities within 100m except enemies and allies in the caster’s view. Makes all enemies and allies in the range immobilized.

Consumes all of the caster’s magic power, enters ‘Magic Exhaustion’ state.

Magic Exhaustion – Magic power recovery rate decreases by 90%. Lasts for 1 hour.

‘……?’

I widened my eyes for a moment at the terrifying content of cutting all entities, but as I read the content more carefully, my pupils grew even larger.

‘Cuts all entities… except enemies?’

For a moment, I thought I had read it wrong, so I read it again, but unfortunately, my language center was functioning properly.

‘What the hell is this nonsense.’

Let’s think. I swung the sword. I cut all entities except enemies. Then what’s the result?

‘It just cuts everything in the background.’

It doesn’t cut enemies, but cuts everything except enemies?

What kind of insane trait is this?

What’s the point of being able to cut everything if you can’t cut the enemy?

‘Is it for stunning?’

When using ‘Hollow Slash,’ it seems an effect similar to the sword aura emitted when using Strong Strike is applied to enemies.

But in return, I can witness the miracle of consuming all magic power and reducing magic recovery speed to 10%.

“….This is complete garbage?”

“Suddenly muttering to yourself. Now that you see no chance of winning, are you pretending to be crazy?”

….No. That can’t be right.

Hollow Slash is a Unique grade trait obtained as a reward for understanding the passive, Sword of Romance, which prevents the use of other attack skills.

Such a trait cannot simply be an inefficient stunning technique.

Could it be that I haven’t yet realized the true usage of this trait?

Let’s use some creativity. Look at it from a new perspective.

‘Yes. For example….’

Instead of focusing on cutting ‘except enemies,’ what if I focus on being able to cut ‘surrounding objects’?

Let me think.

The distance between Marcas and me is about 30m. And behind him stands a dilapidated building of considerable height, precariously standing.

What if I were to cut that building….

“It seems you’re trying to think of a way to escape, but it’s all futile.”

Marcas twisted his neck in a stretching motion and spoke to me as I desperately racked my brain.

“And surely you don’t think I would stand still like an idiot and give you time?”

Then as he extended both arms above his head, 12 large Fire Demons began to float in the air.

Fire Demon, a magic that could be considered the most difficult spell a 3-star fire magician can use. And he’s casting eight of them simultaneously.

“I’ve also been buying time.”

He looked at me with a sneering gaze and swung his arm.

“This is the end!!”

Eight Fire Demons carrying intense heat rushed toward me.

Escape is impossible due to my ankle injury, and even if I could use my doppelgangers to counterattack as much as possible, I couldn’t shoot down all eight Fire Demons.

Is this really the end?

No.

“Firing such ominous magic. This could be serious trouble if I just let it slide.”

In this desperate moment, I finally recalled the true usage method of Hollow Slash.

Deliberately ignoring the burning pain in my ankle, I stood up with a slight smile, placed my hand on the sword in its sheath, and said:

“In that case…. I’ll have to exert some effort as well.”

I lowered my posture.

I held my breath.

And with the hot fireballs rushing toward me and the building behind Marcas in my sight, I designated them as targets and.

“Hiya!”

I swung my sword while using ‘Hollow Slash.’

Then, for an instant, all sound in the space where Marcas and I stood was cut off as if sliced.

!……….. !……… !……. !…… !….. !…. !…!!!!!!!!

And after a flash of momentary brilliance, all of Marcas’s Fire Demons were bisected.

• • BOOOOOM!!

The Fire Demons that had been cut in half exploded with a violent bang.

“….!”

At the same time, Marcas flinched greatly. He must have fallen into the immobilized state of Hollow Slash.

“Don’t worry. At least I don’t have a hobby of cutting people in half.”

Enduring the nauseating sensation, I grinned and sheathed my sword.

And soon, as Marcas began to move his body again, a thunderous sound began to echo from behind him.

Marcas turned around, and.

“Instead….. I prepared a slightly larger gift.”

• • ……!!

The building, with its base cleanly cut, began to tilt rapidly toward Marcas.

“Haha, I hope you like it.”

Marcas stared blankly at the building tilting toward him, like an ant facing a natural disaster, and.

• • CRAAAAAAASH!!!!!

Eventually, the building with its enormous mass completely crushed Marcas.