“The most important thing in evasion is ‘timing’.

 

After all, everything comes down to this.

 

I carefully observe the approaching wolf’s movements.

 

What is the sense of distance?

 

How long does it take for its sharp claws to reach my torso?

 

Next, I decide the direction of evasion.

 

The safe bets are left and right.

 

The straightforward nature of a charging attack makes it easy to dodge as long as the timing of the evasion is matched, except for going backward.

 

But here, I step forward.

 

I crouch low and evade, as if diving under the jumping wolf.

 

This creates a ‘distance’.

 

Distance is also ‘time’.

 

I consider strategies to turn the tables in the time before the wolf launches its next attack.

 

First of all…

 

“– 『Open』”

 

I whisper the command word softly.

 

Then, a translucent status screen, similar to a hologram, appears in front of me.

 

The system here is the same as Regicide of Saga.

 

A simple status screen made up of a grey humanoid figure and shortcut keys for various actions.

 

However, unlike the game era, the system has changed in some ways.

 

As you would expect, there is no logout key, and other commands like the friend feature are grayed out.

 

I’ll check later what can be done.

 

From what I can see, the level and experience points, skill acquisition, and inventory seem to exist, so I don’t foresee any immediate issues.

 

With the simply revamped status screen in my peripheral vision, I pulled out the bronze sword, my initial equipment, from the inventory.

 

I could defeat it bare-handed with a bit of effort, but I want to fight with the sword here.

 

With a pale blue visual effect, a bronze sword appears in the air.

 

The sudden phenomenon makes the wolf more cautious.

 

It’s definitely different.

 

Game monsters were just paper tigers that moved according to programming.

 

The target of the attack was not the player themselves, but the coordinates of the player’s existence.

 

Their breath seemed somehow obligatory, and the finer details became rougher as they were magnified.

 

Any flinching was not due to pain but was one of the motions resulting from accumulated damage assessment.

 

But this, this is different.

 

The rough breathing.

 

The tips of hair fluttering in the wind.

 

If I inflict damage, it’ll likely show a reaction due to pain each time.

 

This is a real, life-containing entity.

 

And this place is undeniably the real world.

 

Despite my body growing hot, my mind clears up, and my fingers start to tremble nicely.

 

Items pulled out from the inventory fall to the ground in a few seconds.

 

Before that happens, I grip the handle of the bronze sword and pull out the blade from the sheath.

 

The dull, crude blade reflects the sunlight.

 

The insane glow stirs an indescribable emotion within me.

 

The tangible weight I feel in my palm.

 

Even in Regicide of Saga, praised for its next-gen technology, the weight wasn’t accurately represented.

 

It feels somewhat refreshing.

 

By changing the gripping point, the center of gravity changes subtly.

 

If you don’t take the swing speed into account, the attack can quickly become a big opening.

 

This first battle is essentially a test run of this new body I’ve acquired.

 

At the same time, it’s also an experiment to confirm if I can fight monsters in the future.

 

The first goal is to confirm the movements of the body.

 

Next, to investigate the changes in the monster’s behavioral patterns and actions.

 

The preparations are in place.

 

I slightly aim the point of the bronze sword, held in my right hand, at the wolf.

 

My knees are slightly bent, I put force into my toes, and I prepare to move at any moment.

 

The wolf and I stare at each other.

 

There’s just one wolf.

 

But, usually, wolves are animals that live in packs.

 

If that same environmental behavior applies here as well then this must be a young wolf that just recently separated from its pack.

 

That or, one that, due to age couldn’t keep up with its pack.

 

However, depending on the species or environment, it may not be unusual for one to hunt alone.

 

…Is this individual a young one?

 

I intuitively thought so.

 

And―I think this speculation might not be wrong.

 

There’s a hint of immaturity in its behavior and facial expression.

 

Young individuals are generally inexperienced in hunting techniques.

 

Impatience and anxiety due to lack of experience leads them to take clumsy actions.

 

As if to confirm my speculation, the wolf, tired of the stare-down, lunged at me.

 

A plain charge with no feints.

 

Like the previous attack, it probably intends to knock me down with its front paws and then bite me.

 

I didn’t have much leeway, but I managed to avoid the attack by twisting my body again.

 

Ideally, I would have liked to counter at this point.

 

However, regrettably, my head can’t keep up with my body.

 

No, it’s enough just being able to evade.

 

My current status remains at its initial value.

 

So, if I were to take two or three attacks from the wolf, it would be game over.

 

Moreover, if I were to hit my head when falling, it could be game over regardless of HP.

 

It’s best to act cautiously.

 

The wolf lands on the ground and regains its posture.

 

Again, we stared at each other.

 

Both of us are adjusting our distance, looking for an opening.

 

After moving a few steps, I step back half a step and adjust the angle of my foot for fine tuning.

 

Ah.

 

This feeling.

 

A smile inadvertently spills out.

 

When I first played the game, I felt exactly the same.

 

Reading the opponent’s moves and paying attention to every single movement.

 

Sometimes boldly.

 

Sometimes with the utmost caution.

 

Now, in the midst of a life-or-death battle.

 

However, as inappropriate as it may be, I can’t help but find it exhilarating.

 

Now, shall I make the first move?

 

I start running without any preparatory motion and accelerate all at once.

 

With the highest speed I can muster now, I close the distance with the wolf.

 

My sudden action causes the wolf’s body to stiffen for a moment.

 

But it immediately moves to evade.

 

The attack I unleash is a thrust.

 

There’s no form to it.

 

Of course, accuracy is completely disregarded.

 

I prioritize attack speed.

 

The tip of my attack is wavering; to put it bluntly, it’s an ugly attack.

 

But that’s fine.

 

The wolf, understanding the simplicity of my attack, aims for a counter by keeping the evasion distance minimal.

 

Ah.

 

This is really fun.

 

―― To an almost amusing degree, the wolf is easily caught in my trap.

 

If I were to describe the personality of this wolf, it would be impulsive.

 

Its reflex speed and physical abilities are good, as expected from a wild animal.

 

However, its thinking ability, which is crucial, is poor.

 

From the beginning, I never thought I would be able to swing the sword properly.

 

I haven’t held this sword long enough to understand its balance or quirks, and I lack the experience or talent to see through these in an instant.

 

So, what should I do?

 

I just won’t swing the sword.

 

If it’s a thrust, my body won’t be swung around by the sword.

 

Moreover, there’s no worry about becoming unbalanced by smashing it into the ground.

 

The focus on speed is only for the initial phase of the attack.

 

In the latter half of the attack, I will maintain the momentum to the maximum and focus solely on landing a hit.

 

The moment the wolf moves to evade, I use my foot as a spring to slow down a bit.

 

I keep the wrist of the hand holding the bronze sword fixed.

 

I fully extend my arm.

 

In that state, I forcefully adjust the direction of my thrust to match the wolf.

 

The bronze sword overlaps with the wolf’s face, who was aiming for a counter.

 

A spray of blood.

 

The sword passed the area near the wolf’s left eye, almost as if grazing it.

 

Quite a good response.

 

A single red line was etched onto the wolf’s face as red droplets spurted out.

 

I aimed for between the eyes, but I expected it wouldn’t go as planned.

 

Just the fact that the attack landed is a victory.

 

The wolf cries out pitifully.

 

Despite having long since regained my stance, it is still howling disgracefully, writhing on the ground.

 

Well, that’s about it.

 

The results are more than sufficient.

 

I was able to grasp the characteristics of the bronze sword in the recent exchange.

 

Swing speed and handling are almost the same as in the game.

 

My new body is more capable than I thought, and there should be no problem with sword swings.

 

Now, let’s deal the finishing blow.

 

I’m driven by the desire to test whether there’s a correlation between blood loss and HP by inflicting damage on this wolf.

 

I also want to test things like the conditions for a critical hit or understanding the mechanism of stun value… but that’s for another time.

 

I don’t enjoy torturing, and most importantly, it leaves a bad aftertaste.

 

I approach the wolf.

 

However, the fighting spirit in its remaining right eye hasn’t faded, despite its injury.

 

“I know that move.”

“――‼”

 

I easily dodge the wolf as it leaps at me in a rage.

 

In the game, monsters whose HP has decreased would often pretend to be frightened and then counterattack.

 

Moreover, this wolf is bad at hiding its intent to attack.

 

If it’s planning a surprise attack, it shouldn’t show a gesture as if timing the attack.

 

Compared to the start of the fight, the leap was lackluster.

 

There’s no trace of its intimidation or fighting spirit anymore.

 

Moreover, it seems it can’t gauge the distance well with just one eye, and its attack was just a bit short of reaching me.

 

I ready my bronze sword.

 

What did it feel in its final moments?

 

What did it think?

 

Its left eye that lost its light.

 

Did it feel fear of me standing in its blind spot?

 

Did it despair over the pain of the sword, not knowing where it would strike?

 

Did it wish to live until the very moment it lost its life?

 

I swung down the bronze sword at the wolf’s neck, which had been left wide open.