Capítulo 101: Chapter 100 - [Hard Swing]
swing (swɪŋ)
noun
1. The action of a forceful motion, involving the movement of an object, typically with the intent to deliver a stronger strike or impact.
Example: The knight's swing cleaved the enemy's shield in two.
2. A sweeping motion through the air or space, often involving momentum.
Example: The pendulum moved in a steady swing.
3. The ability to influence or control the motion of an object in a deliberate, directed manner.
Example: His skill allowed him to manipulate the swing of his blade effortlessly.
Origin: Middle English swingen, from Old English swingan – to strike or move rapidly.
(See also: arc, sweep, strike)
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20 Years Ago...
"What is [Hard Swing] again?" Magus asked, narrowing his eyes skeptically, as if he hadn't heard Van clearly the first time.
Van grunted, rolling his eyes. "You can swing stuff really hard with your hands, or something. Do you want it word for word, harem fucker?"
"Haha, no... Jeez, that's just brutal." Magus snorted, shaking his head with an amused grin. After a short chuckle, he added, "But seriously, just so we're ready—what's the cooldown time and mana usage?"
"Oh, let me check..." Van muttered, opening his status window. His eyes scanned the display before landing on the skill.
"...Huh," he murmured, furrowing his brows. "There's only the skill's name and description here. No cooldown. No mana usage. I guess that's... kinda cool?"
"YOU'RE FUCKING CRAZY!!??" Magus exploded, grabbing Van by the shoulders and shaking him. "YOU HAVE A COOLDOWN-LESS, MANA-LESS ACTIVE SKILL AND YOU'RE JUST SHRUGGING IT OFF, YOU INSANE BASTARD!?"
"I mean... it's just a skill that lets me swing stuff harder. Not exactly game-breaking like your skills," Van replied, his tone dismissive as he lazily brushed off Magus's outburst.
Magus froze mid-shake, his face twisting into a mix of disbelief and reluctant agreement. "...I... I... guess you have a point," he muttered begrudgingly, still staring at Van as if he'd missed the bigger picture.
"But," Magus finally added, leaning back with a thoughtful grin, "you can use it endlessly. That's still pretty cool!"
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Back in the present, as the skeletons swarmed and piled onto Van, a single question surged through his mind:
How endlessly?
The thought consumed him, gnawing at the edges of his consciousness. It lingered, even as the fire and chaos raged around him. Focusing so intently on the question, Van could only muster two words when the dust cleared and the skeletons lay scattered after the explosion that reverberated through the cave:
"I swung," he said simply, his voice flat and distant, as if the explanation itself eluded even him.
Kota froze, his expression twisting in disbelief. 'He swung? What does he mean, he swung!? That's not an answer!' The thought reverberated in his mind as he stared at Van.
But for Van, the meaning of his words—however simple—was rooted in action, not explanation.
'...It was a gamble, but as it turns out, I'm good at gambling,' Van reflected, glancing at the aftermath of his work.
'That...!!' Kota's mind roared, 'That's impossible!!! I SEALED YOU!!! You couldn't have done it by swinging once!!'
Because it wasn't a single swing.
Not even close.
When the skeletons had surrounded him, questions raced through his mind: How far does the sword need to move to count as a swing? Is there a set distance? A minimum threshold?
He remembered the earlier moments: how he chained [Hard Swing] during his attack on Kota, how he used it when throwing a khukri, or even when wielding something as mundane as a rock earlier in his travels. The skill wasn't bound by weapon type or object—it was bound only by movement.
He could activate [Hard Swing] whether he swung a meter, a half-meter, or even a centimeter. Every motion counted.
Combine that with no cooldown, no mana cost… and this was the result.
Van had activated [Hard Swing] twenty times in a single motion. When that motion ended, he swung again in another direction, chaining the skill another forty times. And then again, experimenting with 80. And again, 100. Over and over. He didn't stop. Couldn't stop. The force accumulated exponentially, until the sheer energy released created an explosion-like shockwave.
A new skill was born in Van's mind as he processed what he had just done, his sore muscles screaming in protest after the intense motion.
A variant of the seemingly useless skill he'd carried since the beginning.
"[Hard Swing: Overdrive]," he voiced aloud, almost instinctively.
'Description: You can swing stuff with your hands really hard x100 and beyond,' Van defined it in his mind, a grin forming beneath his helmet.
Kota immediately activated his [Investigation] skill, bringing up Van's status window to see if he'd missed something crucial.
'WHAT OVERDRIVE!? WHAT OVERDRIVE!? HE HAS NOTHING LIKE THAT!!! THERE'S NOTHING NEW IN HIS STATUS! IT'S JUST THAT USELESS SKILL!!! HE MUST HAVE SNUCK IN SOME ITEM, OR—'
"Hey," Van cut through Kota's spiraling thoughts, his raspy voice snapping the fire mage back to reality.
Kota jolted, glaring down at Van. [What?!] He growled.
"My turn now, fire fuck," Van said, his tone cold as he began advancing toward him, greatsword dragging along the ground.
[YOU FUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!] Kota screamed, his rage boiling over. [DON'T GET COCKY BECAUSE YOU GOT LUCKY!!!! 10 CLONES, COME OUT!!! FIRE BARRAGE THIS BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
In an instant, ten flaming clones materialized, surrounding Van in a perfect circle. Hundreds of magic circles lit up the cavern, overcharged with energy, unleashing a barrage of massive, searing fireballs.
'There are so many,' Van thought, watching the attacks converge on him. 'It's more like a fiery dome closing in… There's no escape.'
He adjusted his stance, gripping his greatsword tightly as he bent his knees.
'Oh well,' he thought, swinging his sword backward in preparation.
"[Hard Swing: Overdrive]!" Van roared.
Faster than a flash, his arms moved in a full-circle swing, releasing a force so powerful it dissipated the entire barrage. The flames extinguished mid-air, the magic circles wobbled, and the clones were blown back by the sheer shockwave.
Kota ground his teeth, his disbelief giving way to fury. [FUCKERRRR!!!! EVERYONE, ATTACK HIM PERSONALLY!!!] he commanded, his clones charging at Van from all directions.
Van's eyes narrowed as the clones closed in, their movements swift—swift for enemies with only 500 Dexterity and Strength.
One by one, Van cut through them with surgical precision, cleaving them apart with [Hard Swing: Overdrive]. Each clone vanished in an instant.
'Did he lose his mind?' Van wondered, lowering his sword momentarily as he searched for Kota—only to realize the fire mage had vanished.
[Hmph,] a grunt echoed from behind him.
"What the—" Van turned, but before he could fully react, a fiery fist collided with his back.
"GAARH...!!" Van coughed up blood, the impact denting his armor. Before he could recover, another punch struck him in the helmet, throwing him off balance.
"[Skill: Demon Speed]," Kota announced smugly, his movements a blur as he circled Van at lightning speed, delivering punch after punch. Each strike landed before Van could react.
'I was surprised before, but now I see,' Kota thought with a sadistic grin. 'There's no limit to how hard he can swing—but if he can't move, he can't swing at all. I just need to keep him pinned!'
Kota's grin widened as he pummeled Van relentlessly. 'Soon enough, he'll die… and then, Varolia, I'll finally be with you!!!'
'Relax,' Van thought, his body screaming in pain. 'Remember...'
He gritted his teeth, steeling his resolve. 'It doesn't matter how small the movement is…'
Van's arm twitched from one of Kota's strikes.
'... It can count as a swing. I can use [Hard Swing] as a result. And if I can use [Hard Swing]... I can use [Hard Swing: Overdrive] as well.'
Van focused his mind, his vision tunneling on the timing. With a small, deliberate twitch, he thought:
'[HARD SWING: OVERDRIVE X10]!!!'
In an instant, the sheer force of a thousand swings compressed into a single motion. An explosion erupted, sending Kota flying like a bullet into the cavern wall. The impact cracked his mana shield and caused the entire cave to rumble violently.
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"GYAAH!!" Ami cried, struggling to keep her balance as the ground shook beneath her feet. The rest of the party stood by the sealed cave entrance, dust and debris falling from the ceiling.
"What was that…?" Sylva murmured, turning toward the depths of the cave.
"A battle," Arnolt said grimly, standing firm as he stared into the darkness.
"Of gods."
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[Fucker... FUCKER…!!! NOT FAIR!!!] Kota roared, staggering to his feet. His shield was cracked, barely holding together, as the aftermath of Van's devastating attack lingered in the air. The remnants of shattered clones littered the ground around him, flickering briefly before vanishing into flames.
But then, something clicked.
'Wait,' Kota thought, his eyes narrowing as he studied Van's movements.
'I've got it.'
A smug grin crept across his face as realization dawned.
'This little winning streak of yours is over now, Hellix…' he thought, his confidence surging. 'I know your weakness.'
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Hazy_0832
Hazy_0832 Thank you for ALL YOUR SUPPORT!!!!! HAPPY 100TH CHAPTER ANNIVERSARY YOU LOT!!!
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