Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented

Chapter 89

[Level 50 Ice Ogre King]

[HP 2,114,017 / 15,000,000 (14%)]

**Grkrk-!!**

The Ice Ogre King’s body began gathering cold energy again, signaling the start of its second ice burst special pattern.

I had managed to endure the first eight bursts using *Astaroth’s* cooldown reset ability. I expected there would be a second ice burst pattern, of course. Normally, if I’d reached this point at a higher level, I would have minimized the level penalty and used the torch gimmick to reduce the number of bursts. But, at my current low level, I didn’t have time for that. I had to keep pushing my damage output non-stop.

The initial ice burst came, and I resisted it with a backward dodge. The white hexagonal crystals filled my vision, each delicate snowflake sweeping past me in sharp clarity. Using a movement skill, I closed the distance and slashed at the Ice Ogre King.

Silver and starlight flowed as I swung my sword—left, right, and then a diagonal slash downward.

The second ice burst followed. Was the interval 2.7 seconds? Maybe 2.8? Either way, if I timed my *Flash Slash* correctly, I could narrowly reset the cooldown for my next backward dodge.

**Srrk**, I executed a counterattack, my body cutting through the snowflake-like crystals as I shifted behind the ogre.

The third ice burst came. My sword sliced cleanly through both the ogre and the falling snowflakes, as if splitting them in half.

The invincibility window was short, but it felt natural to me, like breathing. It was a physical acceleration technique, harnessing explosive energy from my feet to propel me forward. It was one of my favorite techniques, both in the past and now. The feeling of becoming a streak of light, cutting through the air, always felt exhilarating.

The fourth and fifth ice bursts came, but I resisted them with a sequence of backward dodges and counterattacks.

At that moment, the bracelet on my arm, a gift from the dwarf Ain, glowed. The "Hammer and Anvil Bracelet" allowed me to reset the cooldowns for my dodge, counter, and *Flash Slash*.

For now, Ain was the only one with me, but someday, I’d have other comrades too.

The sixth and seventh ice bursts followed, but I continued slashing between dodges and counters, never missing a beat.

**Bang!**

The Ice Ogre King stomped the ground and leaped into the air, clenching both fists together.

The eighth and final ice burst came. The pattern ended with a ground slam after the aerial jump.

If I had failed even once in resisting the ice bursts, I would have been frozen solid and shattered into pieces by that last attack.

Narrowing my eyes, I lowered my stance, preparing for my final *Flash Slash*.

I had done enough damage during the bursts. There was still some time before the ogre’s final berserk pattern.

**Flash!**

My slash cut through the Ice Ogre King’s body as it descended to the ground.

**Krrraaah!**

**Thud.**

Without glancing back at the fallen body of the Ice Ogre King, I made my way to the upper floor.

---

[Ice Tower, 10th Floor]

**Wooooong.**

The familiar scanning process began, and a radiant glow gathered in the center of the Ice Tower’s hall.

From within that light, a figure appeared.

[Level ??]

[Ancient Hero ■■]

[HP ???/???]

I smiled.

"Long time no see."

The figure before me, radiating explosive power within its small body, was a golden silhouette—*Hero Rain*.

Even though the light still obscured its face, I could almost feel her smiling back at me.

"I’m here to save this world again."

The continent of Astria had manifested in the form of this game, but a clear threat existed.

That threat was still vague, a shadow of its true form, but even though all the players were tasked with saving the world...

Perhaps I was the only one who could really do it.

"I’m going to carve the names of my comrades—and mine—into Astria once again."

To do that, I needed more power.

A strength that set me apart from the others.

Was this a trial to make me stronger? Or a barrier meant to block my path?

**Tap. Tap.**

I stepped forward, raising *Astaroth* toward her.

"So, give me my power back."

To reclaim what was once mine from my past self, I stepped to the edge of the *Hero’s* aggro range without hesitation, then turned away.

**Tatat!**

I executed a backward dodge.

**Papapapapap!**@@@@

With *Flash Slash*, I cut through the golden light and advanced to the hero’s immediate proximity.

I raised *Astaroth*, ready to strike her down, but she raised her sacred sword horizontally

.

**Woom!**

The resonance of the sound made cold sweat drip down my back.

**Boom! Boom! Boom!**

Golden energy erupted from the hero’s body.

Her sacred sword was now fully charged with extreme golden energy.

This was the preparatory stance for a sword dance imbued with pure sword energy.

I couldn’t counter this. I’d be sliced into pieces.

**Srrk!**

I immediately activated the cooldown reset function on my bracelet.

**Screeeech!**

At the same time, the hero’s accelerated sacred sword came crashing down toward me.

I couldn’t dodge. I couldn’t block.

Thinking I could read her sword path was a mistake. The hero, who had drawn upon all her mana, wielded her sacred sword with a single purpose—to kill me.

Facing this overwhelming sword dance, all I had was the game’s system to rely on: invincibility frames.

How long would this sword dance last? Could I resist it if I used all my invincibility skills? *Astaroth*'s cooldown reset was still available. If necessary, I would use that too. There was no room for hesitation. This sword dance, imbued with pure energy, was that dangerous.

**Srrk, papapapap!**

Using *Counter*, I slipped through the gaps in space, the hero’s golden sword grazing past me multiple times.

The speed of her slashes was incredible. Even worse, her sword energy was concentrated to its absolute limit. I couldn’t counter this pattern. If not for the invincibility frames, I’d have been torn apart into four or five pieces.

The invincibility of my counter was ending. Without hesitation, I immediately used a backward dodge.

**Tat-tat.**

The hero pursued me, launching sword strikes as I retreated 8 meters backward.

**Screeeech, papapapap!**

During the short invincibility window of the backward dodge, I saw her sacred sword slicing through the air, narrowly missing my sides. The relentless sword dance hadn’t ended yet.

How many strikes does she have?

As I completed the 8-meter retreat, I lowered my stance.

I still had one final invincibility skill left: *Flash Slash*.

I had to keep cycling through invincibility skills. The moment my invincibility frames ran out, I’d die.

**Flash!**

As soon as the invincibility frames from the backward dodge ended, I activated *Flash Slash*.

A chilling sensation crawled down my spine as I realized that the hero’s sword dance still wasn’t finished.

I had no time to turn or recover from the *Flash Slash* stance.

The invincibility frames for *Flash Slash* were brief, and the hero’s sword dance was maddeningly fast.

At that moment, the after-delay from using *Flash Slash*, which had never been an issue before, suddenly became a fatal flaw.

This is bad.

I need to use *Astaroth*'s cooldown reset now.

But before I could act, the hero’s sword, still tracking me at the speed of light, pierced my body the instant the invincibility frames vanished.

**Thud.**

"Guh!"

I heard the sound of flesh being pierced. My body trembled as my mouth opened wide in shock.

Ah, this feeling... I’ve felt it before.

Through my blurred vision, I saw the golden sword protruding from my chest.

As expected, she was an impossible opponent.

I guess overcoming this in one go was too much.

Fine, just wait.

**Thud.**

As the sword vanished from my sight, my body collapsed forward.

Not a single ant could be seen on the floor.