The Birth of the Long Sword Hero

Although I complain.

But Rosalind wasn't about to desert her post.

She just felt that it was really going too far for the Architect to pull this stunt at the very beginning of the dungeon.

We don't even have weapons yet!

Moreover, not only can you not use real-world skills when entering a dungeon, but your attributes are also suppressed to below average.

--Roleplay Instance is not just about appearance; the most important thing is that your attributes will be suppressed to fit the dungeon's settings.

Players in Nine Provinces initially disliked this type of dungeon.

Rosalind, of course, wasn't used to it either.

but.

After calming down a bit...

She finally lowered her body and, steeling herself, rushed forward.

All players' attributes are suppressed to a level slightly stronger than that of ordinary people in the dungeon, especially agility, which is extremely low.

No one would feel comfortable in this situation.

Since no one is suited to it.

That means it can't be intended to make things difficult for the players.

Rosalind thought this was just a trial created by the Architect to create atmosphere.

And indeed, things turned out exactly as she had predicted.

Rosalind made it across without any trouble.

Although my heart was pounding and my adrenaline was pumping as I rushed over.

But at least he wasn't seriously injured.

He rushed through the gate, and the wooden security door behind him slammed shut with a thud.

Rosalind breathed a long sigh of relief.

Immediately afterwards.

The entire Astera came into view.

A three-dimensional base transformed from ship wreckage, a constantly running waterwheel, busy Hunter and Palico —a magnificent wonder.

Then comes the storyline guidance, where the NPC begins to explain the functions of the Astera to Rosalind.

Rosalind toured the Hunter's Guild's base in the New World, filled with awe.

I'm a little confused.

----no.

Is this a dungeon?

Processing, supplies, meals—this world seems even more like a gamified world than reality!

wrong.

This is what games are all about!

However, the instance didn't allow Rosalind much time to be awestruck and explore.

Guided by the squad leader, Rosalind quickly found her cat and arrived at her Hunter's Cabin, standing in front of the huge equipment box.

[Hint: Please select your starting weapon and proceed to the training area for basic tutorials and familiarization.]

Rosalind opened the equipment box.

Then a bunch of explanations started flooding in.

The weapons used by Hunter vary greatly, such as greatswords with powerful strikes, Sword and Shield with dexterity and versatility, and Heavy Bowgun with heavy firepower. Please choose a weapon with different characteristics to use.

[After equipping your weapon, talk to the butler at the cabin to go to the training area.]

[Armor consists of five slots, each with its own set defensive capabilities. Choosing the right equipment based on your hunting objective is crucial.]

The equipment box was filled with a dazzling array of fourteen different weapons.

Greatsword, Katana, Dual Blades, Great Hammer, Spear----

Even more outrageous is that each weapon's characteristics and mechanics are accompanied by a whole host of extended descriptions.

This, in addition to items such as armor, is also included.

There are just too many to look at.

"

Rosalind looked at the instruction manual that had been smeared all over her face.

The same thought kept popping into my head again.

Is this really a dungeon?

Isn't that a bit too outrageous?

Fourteen weapons!

--Or are these fourteen weapons just reskinned versions?

With this in mind, Rosalind directly selected a Research Commission Prototype Shield from the equipment box, and the heavy shield and sword appeared in her backpack.

She took out her sword and shield, then spoke with the butler and entered the training area.

As soon as I entered—there was another bunch of instructions.

It's a bit better than the previous text-only version; this time, there's a phantom figure demonstrating how to use the Charge Blade.

The core design of the Charge Blade is its sword and shield combination transformation mechanism.

Simply put...

Normally, he holds a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, swinging his sword to attack and accumulate energy. Once he has enough energy, the sword and shield can combine to become Great Axe that can sweep away thousands of enemies.

That weapon is undeniably cool.

The scene where the phantom stabs the sword into the shield and then transforms into a Super Amped Element Discharge Elemental Discharge is particularly thrilling.

However, Rosalind was having a headache dealing with various mechanisms such as bottle management, red shield, red sword, and chainsaw multi-forms.

Even so.

She had to admit that it was truly a wildly imaginative weapon.

etc.

No other weapons either----

Rosalind realized something and immediately switched to another weapon in the training area.

This time it's Hunting Horn.

This is a weapon similar to a sledgehammer, which can be used for hammering, and can also enhance the abilities of oneself and one's companions through playing music.

It can even play music!

Rosalind thought for a moment, then switched to another weapon, this time the Insect Glaive.

The characteristics of the Insect Glaive remain different.

This weapon is characterized by holding a stick in the left hand and controlling Kinsect in the right, combining stick fighting techniques with Kinsect control.

You can extract monster parts using Kinsect to gain three temporary buffs: red, orange, and white. You also have the ability to effectively ride monsters.

"..

Rosalind kept switching weapons.

Long spear, Gunlance, Switch Axe, Dual Blades, Heavy Bowgun, bow----

In the training area, Rosalind picked up each of the fourteen initial weapons one by one, watching the illusory figures demonstrate each weapon.

The demonstration of the last weapon came to an end.

Rosalind fell completely silent.

shock.

An indescribable shock.

Fourteen weapons.

The Architect Lu Xiu from Nine Provinces actually crafted a total of fourteen unique weapons just for a single dungeon!

Moreover, none of them are perfunctory reskins, and none are copies of reality. The underlying logic, operating mechanism, and feel of the attacks are completely different!

The greatsword's power is immense, built up to achieve the ultimate single burst of power.

The Dual Blades unleashed a chaotic dance, like a raging storm, at the cost of stamina, transforming the user into Demon Mode.

The Switch Axe can transform into two forms, Element Discharge with a violent aesthetic.

And then there's the katana—its logic is simple, yet its techniques are incredibly cool Foresight Slash, Iai Slash, Spirit Helm Breaker Slash.

"That's terrifying!"

Rosalind stared at the iron katana she had just acquired, her deep blue eyes filled with shock, and murmured to herself.

Putting everything else aside...

The design of these fourteen weapons alone is already outrageous.

How much martial arts knowledge would that require? And how much genius imagination would it demand?

Was that Architect from Nine Provinces actually a weapons master in real life???

Otherwise, how could she have conjured up these fourteen weapons out of thin air?

Is this really a fan-made copy?

Rosalind took a deep breath, feeling that all her previous understanding of dungeons had been overturned by this Monster Hunter dungeon in Nine Provinces —because even system dungeons couldn't achieve this level of perfection!

Not to mention the unofficial copies of Franca; compared to this copy, all other unofficial copies seem too crude to be looked at.

And this is just one of the works by Nine Provinces Lu Xiu.

Players of Nine Provinces —what kind of coarse bran do you usually eat?!

No wonder Nine Provinces won the arena battles!

In fact.

Rosalind wasn't the only one who thought this way.

Players in almost all other regions had the same thought.

Because the progress of the dungeons is about the same.

But after the immense shock...

An indescribable sense of frustration rose in Rosalind's heart.

This is a gap that players can't bridge with effort alone, right?

The victory in Nine Provinces is simply unrepeatable.

Wrong!

soon.

Rosalind realized what was happening, gently shook her head, and her Fox Ears twitched as she forcefully dispelled the sense of defeat that had just risen in her heart.

This is something that cannot be replicated, but that doesn't mean it can't be learned!

Clear the level first.

Only by fully experiencing this Architect's work and engaging in a true life-or-death struggle with the monsters within can one comprehensively learn her architectural philosophy.

And even if we assume we can't learn it, so what?

Players in Franca can now also enter Monster Hunter dungeons.

With such a complex system and so many weapons, the final reward for clearing this dungeon is absolutely unimaginable!

As long as players can clear the level and obtain the rewards, their combat power in Franca will also experience a qualitative leap!

Clear the level first!

She's also part of the Strategy Group! We need to get the guide out as soon as possible!

But which weapon should I choose to complete the game?

Rosalind stood in front of the weapons case, lost in thought.

Each weapon is different.

There are quite a few choices.

Rosalind hesitated.

However, she ruled out ranged weapons first.

Since the World Gamification, modern firearms have gradually become obsolete, and she hasn't experienced ranged weapons in a long time.

She doesn't have enough practical experience, and it would be a waste of time for her to start from scratch and get a feel for the game.

A bow would be suitable.

However, after seeing the size of the Anjanath, Rosalind felt that the bow would have too little room to maneuver against such a monster, so she ruled it out.

As for other melee weapons, those with overly complex mechanisms, such as the Charge Blade, Switch Axe, Insect Glaive, and Hunting Horn, were all eliminated without hesitation.

She wanted to get through the game as quickly as possible.

The learning curve for these weapons is too steep. Just figuring out the red sword and shield, extracting Kinsect essence, and playing the music requires a lot of effort, making it impossible to complete the game quickly in a short period of time.

That leaves ----

Sword and Shield, greatsword, great hammer, spear, Dual Blades, and katana.

The spear was a bit too cumbersome, as was the hammer, and neither suited her fighting style.

Greatswords may seem simple, but the principles are similar, and she felt that the charged attack method had too little room for error; once it missed, the opening was huge.

Rosalind's gaze finally lingered for a moment between the Dual Blades, the Sword and Shield, and the katana.

Finally, she took a deep breath and reached out to grasp the long, slender iron katana.

The mechanics of these three weapons are not particularly complex.

but.

The katana has the longest attack range.

Moreover, Rosalind thought the katana was the coolest.

Therefore, taking all factors into consideration...

Rosalind chose the most handsome one----

The virtual demonstration just now showed the katana's Foresight Slash Mikiri Counter and counterattack monster attacks the instant they strike, as well as the way to build up Energy Blade.

That fighting style, which teeters on the edge of a blade and combines elegance with ferocity.

Rosalind felt this was practically tailor-made for a top-tier player like herself!

"I've decided on you."

Rosalind raised her katana and looked at the illusory figure.

Since it's not a real game, players need to swing their weapons themselves for regular attacks, so the phantom initially teaches only the most basic moves.

The katana is indeed not difficult to use.

The only core mechanism of the katana is the Spirit Gauge Level System.

Simply put, the katana fills the Spirit Gauge every time it hits a monster.

By accumulating Energy Blade, one can use derived Spirit Blade Combo.

This is commonly known as Spirit Gauge Charge gymnastics.

Each time the Spirit Blade Combo's Spirit Roundslash hits a monster, the Spirit Gauge Charge, with the colors ranging from white to yellow to red, and the highest being red. The damage bonus varies depending on the color of the blade.

Once the Spirit Gauge Charge, you can use Spirit Helm Breaker, Spirit Helm Breaker consumes one of the current blade color levels.

There are also defensive moves like Foresight Slash that can evade monster attacks.

It can be described as capable of both offense and defense.

In the instance.

Except for the Spirit Helm Breaker Rising Slash, which is a skill-based attack, all other actions of the katana can be performed by the player automatically without any system correction.

"So heavy----"

Rosalind raised her katana, and as she swung the weapon once with the afterimage, she instinctively cried out in surprise.

Because there's absolutely no sense of lightness when actually wielding a weapon; the weight transmitted through the Iron Katana is real and substantial!

I don't know what restrictions Lu Xiu imposed.

In short, I want to wield a weapon.

That's really not simple.

Rosalind frowned slightly and looked at the illusory figure again.

Then, mimicking his opponent, he suddenly swung his knife again!

The blade tears through the air.

But the next second...

A look of astonishment appeared on Rosalind's beautiful face, and she almost stumbled from the immense inertia generated by the swinging blade.

"This restriction—"

Rosalind steadied herself, her gaze fixed on the Iron Katana in her hand, her expression completely changed.

That's so true.

It's so realistic that there's no system assistance whatsoever, and it's so realistic that there are no easy combos.

The weapon's weight, the inertia of its swing, and even the stiffness when sheathing it all follow the characteristics of the weapon itself.

Therefore, every swing of the sword requires the player to use the core strength of their waist and abdomen to forcibly control this force!

If you don't adapt to the weight of your weapon and instead try to fight in a light and airy manner, you won't be able to maintain even the most basic balance, and you'll be full of openings.

"So that's how it is—this was the Architect's true intention?"

Rosalind took a deep breath, and an unprecedented fighting spirit ignited in her azure eyes.

Not only the ecological environment, but even the combat system is this hardcore.

That means that in this instance, a player's own combat intuition, timing, muscle memory for their weapon, and even the power generation technique when swinging a blade are far more important than attributes!

In this respect, Rosalind believes she is second to none!

Since the phantom can be used so smoothly!

She can too!

For the next hour or so.

Her Royal Highness the Princess Franca completely forgot about the hunting mission and the initial shock caused by the Anjanath, becoming utterly engrossed in the basic tutorial.

Step, vertical slash, thrust, upward slash.

Gradually.

Her swings went from initial awkwardness and stumbling to smoothness and sharpness.

She began to imitate the afterimage, constantly building up her Spirit Gauge, trying out Spirit Blade Combo, and even mimicking the moment a monster's attack was coming by by performing a counter-attack with Foresight Slash retreat.

During the training process, she truly fell in love with the katana.

Because it was so exhilarating!

I could feel the force feedback with every strike.

I Spirit Gauge Charge to red and successfully used the Spirit Helm Breaker once.

Rosalind finally stopped moving, her chest rising and falling slightly as she exhaled a long breath.

She lowered her head, looking at the Iron Katana in her hand that had felt incredibly heavy.

At this moment, it seemed to have shed all its awkwardness and become a natural extension of her arm.

"It's just two sets of moves: a basic attack Energy Blade attack! First, use a normal attack! Then, find an opportunity to unleash Energy Blade attack!"

Make sure your final hit hits the enemy to Spirit Gauge Charge, then just follow up with your ultimate attack! Easy!

Rosalind said confidently, then glanced one last time at the illusory figure, exited the training session, and walked out of the Hunter's Cabin: "So, what's next—"

"It's time to go see the monster that the Architect prepared."

"And then—I cleared the level with lightning speed!"