C.S.O.

 Flamia.

She is one of the 7 Valkyrie Maidens.
She is also known as one of the 7 strongest players in CSO.

Although she is considered one of the strongest, she and the other Valkyrie Maidens are often called cheaters by billions of other players.

CSO uses levels to determine the strength of players, and because the levels of the Valkyrie Maidens are always higher than other players, it's no wonder they are called cheaters.

The second world, Nilfheim.
Also known as the winter world.

It's called the winter world because 70 percent of Nilfheim is always covered in snow.
The remaining 30 percent is not significantly different, but snowfall is less frequent and warmer.

To cope with the cold, every player who ventures into Nelfheim is required to wear a Fire Rat Ring item that mitigates the effects of winter throughout the year.

Icre City.
One of the largest cities in Nilfheim and the most inhabited city by mid-level players.
Although mid-level, most players in Nilfheim are between levels 100-200.
Players above level 200 are mostly found in the third world, Alfheim.

Like most RPGs, players are required to level up if they want to defeat higher-level opponents.
This is why low-level players are cautious about going to cities inhabited by higher-level monsters unless they form a party consisting of high-level players.

At one of the weapon shops, Flamia sits at a table with a pleading expression.
On the table, a hot drink is served to quench her thirst.

While most players go to the weapon shop to buy weapons and items, Flamia comes here to rest.

The weapon shop is quite famous.
The owner is not an NPC, but a player.

And because Flamia is acquainted with the shop owner, this sight is not uncommon.

“…………”

Flamia glances at 3 players who are buying weapons, a spear, a shield, and a sword.

The girl serving them is the owner and also Flamia's friend.
The shop is well-known for producing high-quality 

weapons, so it's no wonder the shop is always busy.

After finishing serving the customers, the girl glanced at Flamia and waved her hand.
Three customers glanced at Flamia before leaving the store.
It was one of the proofs that Flamia was famous.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting, Flam-chan.”

The short-haired green-haired girl approached Flamia after finishing serving the customers.

“Ah…”

“Why do you look so down? Could it be that you're heartbroken? Well, well…
who's the lucky guy who has captured the heart of this CSO idol.”

Apart from being one of the strongest, Flamia is also known as one of the most beautiful players in CSO.
So it's natural that she has many fans.

But it's not just Flamia, all the Valkyrie Maidens are beautiful and have their own uniqueness.

“I'm not in the mood for jokes, Flirst.
I'm thinking about conquering the Demon King in the third world, which is not as smooth as I thought, huuhh.”

Flirst is a player with a quite high level, 311 to be exact.
Although Blacksmiths (weapon makers) are usually rare in the front lines, Flirst is an exception.

Flirst is a user of an axe weapon, which she created himself.
Not only the weapon, but the lightweight armor she is currently wearing is also her creation.

In terms of appearance, Flirst can be considered a tomboyish girl, but in the real world, she is actually very feminine.
Only a few people know this truth.

“Well, well…
shouldn't conquering the Demon King be like that? Besides, rushing things is not good.
Unfortunately, I'm more interested in your heart.”

“What do you mean?”

“Weren't you shot by Shun yesterday?”

“So?”

Flirst sighed.

“Don't pretend to be clueless.
Shun is the leader of the Shinsengumi guild and can be considered quite handsome.
Why did you reject him?”

“Why are we discussing this? Don't you forget that CSO is just a game? Relationships formed within the game never work out.
Besides, attractiveness and beauty in the game are fake.”

“Are you talking about your own fake beauty?”

“O-of course not.
Jeezz…”

“Ahaha…
you're truly adorable…”

Flamia pouted and turned her head away with a blushing face.

Flirst, who knows Flamia well, just smiled wryly.

“By the way, what's the issue this time?”

“Well, it's not a big problem, but in your estimation, how much longer do you think we can conquer the Demon King?”

“Hmmm…
I think it will take about 1-2 more months.
Within that time frame, I believe there will be more Liber (players) at level 400.”

Flamia rested her head on the table with a pleading expression.

“I knew it would take that long…”

“Why are you in such a hurry? You Valkyrie Maidens always level up faster than others.
If you want to speed up, why don't you just tell us how to do it?”

Flamia is currently at level 402, while most Liber players are not at level 400 yet.

“If I could, I would have done it already, but each Liber has different skills and abilities.
That's Impos-“

“That's just your excuse, right?” Flirst interrupted.
“But it's fine, it's also your prerogative.”

“Sigh…”

Once again, Flamia sighed with a weary expression.

At that moment, the sound of a bell rang, indicating that Flirst's customer had entered the store.

“Wait a moment, I have to serve a customer.”

“…..Alright.”

Flirst went to the cashier counter where he served his customer.

Flamia just glanced at her cold drink.

Little by little, Flamia glanced towards Flirst's customer out of curiosity, but what she saw was the skull face of the Grim Reaper.
Up close.

“?! Waaahh!”

Flamia was startled and fell backward.
Her head even hit the floor, but she wouldn't feel any pain because they were in the game.

“I know you're a Grim Reaper, but I don't like it when you scare a girl.”

The head of the Grim Reaper was immediately flicked by someone.
After that, the Grim Reaper disappeared from Flamia's sight.
But the Grim Reaper didn't die, it just returned to its original state.

A young man appeared, reaching out his hand to help Flamia stand up.

Flamia accepted the young man's hand.

“Ah…
I'm sorry.
Grim-kun is mischievous, but he's not evil.
Besides, Grim-kun is just a low-level monster.”

“…”

“Hm? Are you hurt?”

The young man asked as Flamia remained silent.

“Miss?”

“I-it's nothing…”

Flirst smiled slightly as she saw Flamia's strange reaction when looking at the young man.

“Thank goodness.
Sorry, I have to buy some items.”

The young man returned to the cashier counter and spoke with Flirst.

Meanwhile, Flamia sat back down, blushing and confused.

In CSO, she was always treated like a princess, but for some reason, the young man treated Flamia a little differently.

From the status bar, Flamia knew the young man's name was Kuro.

Kuro wore leather armor that resembled a leather jacket and also wore long black pants.

From the model of the items Kuro was wearing, Flamia could tell that they were handcrafted and not dropped items.

“Ku-chan, how did it go?”

“Average.
Nothing special.”

“You're always like that, Ku-chan.
So, do you want to pick up your order?”

“I wouldn't have come if I didn't want to pick it up.
But can you make a sword with higher durability?”

“Don't ask for the impossible.
You're my only customer who can quickly break my crafted weapons.
It's like you're treating my handmade weapons as cheap items.”

“…don't joke.
If your crafted sword is bad, I wouldn't buy weapons from you anymore.”

Flirst immediately pouted.

“You're such…”

“By the way, I want to exchange the weapon I obtained again.”

“Hm? Did you get another rare item?”

“I don't know, but you can see it for yourself.”

A large double-sided sword appeared in Kuro's hand.
The sword was quite large and looked heavy.

Kuro handed the large sword to Flirst.

Flirst pressed the sword, and a panel appeared displaying information about the large sword.

Gladius Sword

->ATK +140

->DEX -56

->SPEED -90

Special Effect: Increase Attack Damage by 20%

“Hmmm…”

“Don't try to lie to me.”

“Yeah, I know.
You're my loyal customer and also the most annoying customer, but I do business based on trust.
Alright, you'll get 6 Katana swords.
So you'll have a total of 16 katanas today.”

“Fine…
I guess I can't get more swords.”

A panel appeared with a notification to accept the item from another player.

After the transaction was completed, the katana swords appeared in Kuro's hand.
The steel color reflected light as proof that the katana swords were truly sharp.

“………”

Kuro observed the swords in his hand with a serious expression.

After a moment, he smiled slightly, and the katana swords disappeared back into the item storage.

“How is it? Are you satisfied?”

“It's alright.
The swords didn't differ much from the usual ones, so I don't know what to comment.”

“Hei hei…”

“But I'm never disappointed, doesn't that mean I'm satisfied with your crafted weapons?”

“Aha ha…
You're right.”

“Well then, I'll be going now.
I have to arrive in the city of Frost today.”

“Eh?”

Kuro casually walked out of Flirst's shop.

After Kuro left, Flirst sighed and walked towards Flamia's table.

Suddenly, Flirst rested her head on the table, mimicking what Flamia did earlier.

“What are you doing? Are you heartbroken, perhaps?”

Now it was Flamia's turn to tease Flirst.

“Well, I am heartbroken.”

“Huh?”

“Ahaha…
ha…
I was just kidding.
Besides, I don't want to snatch him away from you.”

“W-what do you mean?”

Flamia's face turned red.

“Don't pretend.
I know you're interested in Ku-chan.
Don't worry, I support you, but you'll have to overcome many obstacles to win Ku-chan's heart.”

“I-I'm not pretending, it's just that this is the first time someone ignored me, so I'm a little confused and surprised.
That's all.”

Flamia was famous, and everyone knew about her.
Many Liber players even played CSO just to see her.
She and the other Valkyrie Maidens were celebrities.

That's why Flamia was puzzled as to why Kuro seemed unaware of her existence.

If he pretended not to know, Flamia would immediately realize it, but she knew that Kuro genuinely didn't know about her.

Flirst simply smiled faintly as he raised his head again.

“Of course, he ignored you.
He has only been playing CSO for a month and a half.
So he doesn't know about you.”

“Really?”

Flirst nodded.

“Besides, Ku-chan is solely focused on playing to reach Alfheim, so he often ignores the cities along Nilfheim.
The only reason he keeps coming to this shop is because I craft weapons for him.
Honestly, it's quite troublesome.”

“Hm? I feel strange about what I just heard.”

Flirst sighed, knowing what's going through Flamia's mind right now.
No, she already anticipated it because this always happens.

“Wait a moment, I'll give you Ku-chan's latest data.”

Flirst then sent Kuro's data to Flamia.
Flamia opened it.

A panel appeared in front of Flamia containing Kuro's profile, which could be considered quite comprehensive.
But after reading the data, Flamia's eyes widened.

“He's so weak.”

The data showed that Kuro was only at level 58.
That's like a quarter of Flamia's current level.
If she thought Kuro was weak, it was perfectly understandable.

“But…”

“Well, well…
are you just realizing it now?”

“Why is he in this city?”

“Of course, he dropped by to buy weapons from my shop.
Didn't you already know that?”

“I'm having a hard time knowing, but why is a level 58 Liber in this city? That's what I'm asking.
Is this data of yours fake, and you're just playing with me?”

Certainly, Flamia felt like she was being played with.
Nilfheim is a world inhabited by monsters ranging from level 150 to 250.
There are indeed players below level 100, but a level 58 player can be considered the latest joke in CSO.

“I'm not playing with you, that's indeed Ku-chan's data.
Whether you believe it or not is up to you.
…But Ku-chan is heading to the city of Frost now, why don't you see for yourself whether I'm lying or not?”

“…………………”

Flamia felt curious about this seemingly abnormal player, but-

“No.
I don't want to fall into your trap.
Regardless, I don't trust the data you've given me.”

Flamia stood up with an annoyed and flushed face, while Flirst simply smiled.
He had already guessed that no one would believe the seemingly unreasonable data.

However, the data about Kuro that Flirst obtained was from a reliable and expensive informant, so Kuro's data was not fabricated.

“….Flam-chan, are you leaving?”

“I have to level up more to make sure the Demon King is truly defeated.”

“You are indeed a hard worker, unlike other Valkyrie Maidens, …but I hope you don't work too hard.
Didn't you say this is a game? Take a break once in a while or find a lover like Ku-chan.”

“W-why should it be Ku-chan, um…
eh…
Kuro? I know he's handsome, but there are plenty of men in this world, hmmph..”

Flamia headed towards the exit, but before leaving-

“Flam-chan, Ku-chan in the real world is no different from what you see.
He's handsome.”

Flamia stopped in front of the door.
Her face turned bright red, and without saying a word, she left Flirst's shop.

Inside the shop, Flirst could only smile in satisfaction, having witnessed Flamia's rarely-seen expression.

-A few days later, Flamia went to the city of Hiln.
This city was located in Nelfheim and was situated near the ice mountains.

The temperature in this city was colder than in other cities, but that was expected as it was near the Heaven Gate, which served as the gateway to the third world, Alfheim.

The monsters in that area were around level 290-300, and most of the Liber in the city had levels above 270.

Flamia entered the city using the teleportation gate.
As usual, she attracted attention wherever she went.

Her red hair seemed to melt the snow and warm up the entire city.
Unfortunately, Flamia didn't come to Hiln for leisure.
She came here to level up to 403.

Her high level actually made it challenging for her to level up because the required EXP increased significantly.
However, that wasn't a problem since the EXP balanced out with the high-level monsters.

In that case, wouldn't it be better to level up in Alfheim, where there were monsters above level 300?

Flamia had a specific reason why she went through the trouble of coming to Hiln.
In the ice mountains not far from the city, there were some special monsters.
More precisely, the drop items obtained after defeating those monsters were special.

The Holy Grail.
That was the drop item Flamia was after.

The Holy Grail had the function of increasing one level by drinking from it.
Not only that but even though it was melted ice, drinking from the Holy Grail made it taste delicious.

Another remarkable feature of the Holy Grail was that the EXP it provided wouldn't be lost after leveling up.
In other words, the Holy Grail was an extremely useful item for leveling up.

Flamia was well aware that besides being categorized as a Super Ultra Rare Item, the monsters that dropped the Holy Grail were extremely rare.
Not only that, defeating the monster had to be done at the right time since the Holy Grail only appeared during specific hours.

This was one of the secrets behind why Valkyrie Maidens leveled up quickly.
In short, they knew things that other players didn't.

After leaving the city, Flamia walked towards Mount Klifar, the largest and tallest ice mountain near Hiln.
It didn't take long for Flamia to reach the foot of Mount Klifar.
Strong winds blew, causing the air to become even colder, but thanks to an item, the cold weather was not a problem.

The real challenge was the time it took to climb the ice mountain.
Usually, players used items to facilitate mountain climbing, but Flamia had a slightly different approach.
She used the skill [Item Use] to retrieve an item from her storage, eliminating the need to use a panel to access items.

The item Flamia retrieved was the [Silver Wolf Doll].
This item could transform into a giant wolf that could be used as a protector or means of transportation.
However, the downside was that it could only be used once.

Flamia threw the Silver Wolf Doll into the snow.
In an instant, a 3-meter-tall and 1.5-meter-tall white wolf appeared.
Flamia then jumped and mounted the large wolf, using it as her steed.

After about an hour, Flamia arrived at her destination, a cave in the middle of Mount Klifar.
Normally, it would take players 3 hours to reach that location, but due to the Silver Wolf Doll being specifically designed for mountain climbing, it was reasonable for Flamia to only take a third of the usual time.

Once Flamia dismounted, the Silver Wolf Doll immediately shattered into particles, leaving behind a broken wooden statue of a white wolf.

“Thank you for your assistance.”

Flamia expressed her gratitude to the monster that had helped her and then proceeded to enter the cave.
The slippery ice floor made her tread carefully with each step.
Above her, sharp icicles as sharp as spears could fall and crush Flamia within seconds if they made a loud noise.

However, what she needed to be more cautious about were the walls of the ice cave that reflected shadows in various shapes and sizes like mirrors.
If she wasn't careful, Flamia could get lost, even though it wasn't her first time in this cave.

“…………”

Flamia drew her white-colored sword from its sheath.

Flamia's sword, known as Flame Haze Sword, was indeed one of the rarest weapons, even rarer than Anna's Cocytus.
Out of the two billion players, only five players possessed the same sword as Flamia.

Flamia drew her sword not because there was a monster mob attacking her but for a different reason.
After venturing deeper into the cave, Flamia swung her sword at the cave wall, causing it to shatter.
Suddenly, a hidden chamber appeared behind the broken ice wall.

Without hesitation, Flamia entered the chamber and observed her surroundings, which were noticeably different from the previous part of the cave.
The walls were adorned with sparkling ice crystals, and their numbers were plentiful.
Additionally, the crystal ice covered the floor as well.

The chamber Flamia entered was a secret chamber within the cave.
It wasn't easy to find this chamber, and even if players managed to find it, there was no guarantee they would discover anything significant.
This was mainly because the monsters only appeared at specific times, like the present moment.

The ice walls trembled, and small chunks of ice fell onto Flamia, but she ignored them and remained focused on the impending appearance of the monster.
Ice crystals sprouted from the ground and gradually grew into an 8-meter-tall ice monster.
It wielded two massive swords in its hands, resembling a statue made of ice.

–Crystal Giant Tree

Level 289

This formidable and rare monster possessed a special attack capable of depleting a player's MP in a single strike, making it quite dangerous.

“……”

Without uttering a word, Flamia advanced to attack.
Of course, the Crystal Giant Tree didn't remain idle and retaliated with its two enormous swords.

Flamia parried the attacks with her much smaller Flame Haze sword.
Normally, a smaller sword like Flame Haze would be overpowered, but Flamia's level was 100 times higher than that of the Crystal Giant Tree, and Flame Haze itself was a higher-level weapon.

Not only did Flamia defend against the attacks, but she also pushed back against the Crystal Giant Tree.
The significant difference in strength caused the Crystal Giant Tree to be thrown backward, colliding forcefully with the ice wall.

Without wasting the opportunity, Flamia prepared to launch her final attack.

“I will put an end to this!”

Flamia had no choice because time was limited to obtain the Holy Grail item drop.
In other words, the faster she defeated the Crystal Giant Tree, the greater her chance of obtaining the Holy Grail.

Flamia plunged her Flame Haze sword into the icy floor and used the magic skill [Fire Snake].
Six fire snakes slithered forward, burning the Crystal Giant Tree.

The impact of Flamia's attack caused the monster's HP to decrease rapidly but not significantly.
To finish off the Crystal Giant Tree, Flamia would use one of her strongest skills.

With her sword still embedded in the ground, Flamia began reciting an incantation.
High-level magic skills required activation time and chanting, which was why Flamia initiated the [Fire Snake] attack first.

“The eternal holy fire, the beginning of life, but also the beginning of destruction.”

A magic circle appeared beneath Flamia's feet, emitting a scorching aura.

“You destroy, create, create, and repeat endlessly.”

The Crystal Giant Tree had risen again and launched an attack to interrupt Flamia's magic skill.
Despite its close proximity and large body, the monster quickly reached Flamia, attempting to strike her while she was in the middle of chanting with her sword.

But it was too late.

Just before the sword touched Flamia's body, she finished reciting the incantation.

“I beseech the power of the sacred fire to annihilate my enemy…
[Supernova]!”

A blaze of fire spread rapidly throughout the chamber, melting the surrounding ice.
Not only that, but the flames also spread throughout the entire cave, causing it to explode from within.

Even the nearby town of Hiln, situated near Mount Klifar, could hear a loud explosion.

The Crystal Giant Tree received the attack, instantly reducing its HP to zero.
A golden, shimmering item drop appeared and fell into the water.

Steam filled the chamber, obscuring visibility.
Beneath Flamia's feet, a knee-high pool formed due to the remnants of the [Supernova].

Unable to see clearly, Flamia used the skill [Eagle Eyes] to locate the Holy Grail that had sunk into the pool.

Once Flamia found it, she retrieved it from the bottom of the pool.
It took the form of a beautiful golden goblet—this was the Holy Grail.

Flamia then filled the Holy Grail with icy water and drank from it.
Despite being ordinary water, a sweet and refreshing taste filled Flamia's throat.

Flamia's status level increased to 403 after completing her task, but the Holy Grail disappeared into particles.

“Haaaa…”

Flamia sighed as she sheathed her Flame Haze sword.

Afterward, Flamia walked out of the cave, which was now illuminated by the light from outside.
However, instead of descending the mountain, Flamia wore a frown on her face.

She looked at the snow-covered natural scenery, where everything appeared white.
The sizable town of Hiln looked small from her vantage point.
It was a beautiful sight, but Flamia couldn't enjoy it.

She was bored.
Bored of waiting for Liber to reach level 400 like herself and the other Valkyrie Maidens.

Her second reason for feeling bored was the lack of interesting things to do in CSO.
She had explored the entire region of Alfheim, leaving only the Demon King's territory untouched.
Although she was strong, she couldn't defeat the Demon King alone.
So, all Flamia could do at the moment was continue leveling up.

Flamia sat on a rock coated with a thin layer of ice.
A box containing snacks appeared in her hand.
She opened it and ate with a gloomy expression.

After some time, with the snacks nearly finished, the [Enemy Detection] skill notified Flamia of an enemy within her line of sight.

“Hm?”

However, what Flamia saw wasn't an enemy or monster but Liber.
What surprised Flamia was Liber's high-speed movement.

From Liber's destination, Flamia realized that he was heading toward the town of Hiln.
She looked at the path leading to Hiln from her current height.

From above, Flamia could see a small object flying toward Hiln at high speed.

“…..huh?”

It wasn't a horse.

Flamia was slightly shocked because what she saw was a monster, not Liber.

Sensing something strange, Flamia zoomed in on her vision like a camera.
After looking closely, she identified the figure of a bloodless and fleshless dragon, a Skeleton Dragon, at level 37.
On the back of the Skeleton Dragon, a liber was sitting casually, eating a sandwich.

“….”

Flamia couldn't comment on what she saw, but she realized that she had seen the liber dressed in all black before.

“Ku-chan…
I mean, Kuro? Why is he here? Didn't he head to the city of Frost a few days ago?”

Hiln and Frost were quite far apart and required passing through several cities to reach each other.
The usual travel time between the two cities was longer than this.
If Kuro arrived quickly, it meant he must have used some kind of method or trick.

(Could it be that he arrived quickly because he was riding that dragon?)

Nilfheim was a winter world where snow always fell, which made flying monsters quite rare due to weather disturbances.
However, it seemed that this didn't affect undead-type monsters much.
In fact, Nilfheim could be considered a suitable world for undead monsters.

Kuro was about to reach the town of Hiln.
As Flamia suspected, a monster intercepted him.

The white-colored, five-meter-tall monster resembled a gorilla at first glance but had two tails and two large fangs.

-> Fuape

Level 260

Similar to the Crystal Giant Tree, Fuape possessed a special attack called [Ice Breath], which could freeze anything it struck.

(Can Kuro defeat that monster alone?)

For Flamia, defeating Fuape was easy, but she knew from her experience battling it that the monster was also fast and powerful.
So facing Fuape alone would be quite challenging.

To defeat the guardian monster, usually, players will form a party consisting of 6 people.
Aside from being efficient, forming a party also saves on item usage.

Flamia noticed that Kuro and Fuape were getting closer.

Kuro still appeared calm and was still finishing his sandwich, but there was a panel in front of Kuro, and he seemed to be reading something on it.

Fuape attacked first.

Fuape picked up snow in his hand and shaped it into a large snowball, then threw it towards Kuro.

Kuro, riding the Skeleton Dragon, swiftly avoided each snowball and flew up to evade.

Fuape's attack should not be taken lightly.
Although simple, if hit, it would have a considerable impact.
Even players with a level below 150 would instantly run out of HP.

And it seemed that Kuro was aware of this as well.

After flying high enough, the Skeleton Dragon dived down with great speed like an eagle.
While in the air, the Skeleton Dragon attacked with Fire Breath Fuape.

Fuape was hit by the attack, but it seemed to have little effect.
Fuape's HP was still full.

“…………..”

Flamia, who saw this, remained silent because she didn't know how to respond.

The Skeleton Dragon was only level 37, so its attacks couldn't possibly have much impact.
Fuape also realized this and attacked the Skeleton Dragon once again using a snowball.

But the Skeleton Dragon flew high and performed the same attack pattern as before.
No.
This time, something was different.

A black fireball suddenly appeared and shot towards Fuape, but after it appeared, the Skeleton Dragon released Fire Breath, increasing the size and speed of the black fireball.

Unfortunately, it wasn't over yet.

Two black katana swords appeared in Kuro's hands, enveloped in black smoke.
That was Kuro's skill, [Acid Blade].

At the same time, the Skeleton Dragon disappeared into the air.

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Kamaitachi]”

Four black wind swords merged with the black fireball, accelerating toward Fuape.

Fuape defended against the attack by hitting the black fireball, but that was a mistake.

The black fireball shattered and spread throughout Fuape's body like a liquid, slowly burning away Fuape's HP bit by bit.
The decreased HP bar, about 20 percent, was evidence of the attack's effectiveness, but not only that, but Fuape's HP also gradually decreased as if affected by the poison.

Flamia widened her eyes upon witnessing it for the first time, seeing four skills combined into a single attack.

“What…
what was that just now?”

Even though she saw it with her own eyes, Flamia still found it difficult to believe.

In CSO (Counter-Strike Online), using skills in succession is common.
In fact, most players do it that way.
However, combining skills is rarely done by Liber.

Even though Kuro managed to have an impact, he now fell from a considerable height.
Kuro's HP would surely decrease significantly or even result in his death.

At least, that's what Flamia thought.

While in the air, Kuro spun and threw his two swords, coated in black smoke.

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Blade Spear].”

The swords flew straight toward Fuape, still enveloped in the black fire from the previous attack.

Fuape defended by crossing his hands, but once again, it was a big mistake.

Kuro's swords pierced through, gradually reducing Fuape's HP.
However, if Fuape didn't hold back, Kuro's swords would hit Fuape's Vital Soul located in the middle of his chest.

Kuro smiled as he saw Fuape's cleverness.
No, most monsters Kuro encountered often protected their Vital Soul, which was why Kuro took advantage of that to attack using [Blade Spear + Acid Blade].

Before landing forcefully, Kuro used the skill [Dark Wings] to cushion the impact.

Kuro landed smoothly on the ground, and two katana swords appeared in his hands again, accompanied by dark black smoke.

Kuro faced Fuape at a distance of about 10 meters.

Fuape became aware of Kuro's presence and stared sharply at him.

A gust of wind blew between them, scattering snowflakes.

Flamia, observing from afar, felt the heavy pressure of the second round of Kuro and Fuape's battle.

This time, Kuro made the first move.

Kuro used [Shadow Bullet].
The distance between Kuro and Fuape became zero.
Simultaneously, an orange spark and the sound of a metal collision occurred. 

Fuape defended against Kuro's attack with claws that suddenly appeared on his large hands.
Judging by their size, each claw was larger than Kuro's sword.

Fuape then attacked Kuro using his other claws.
Kuro jumped back, propelled by his sword.

Although he didn't receive a direct hit, Kuro's HP decreased significantly from just a small scratch.

At that moment, a large claw resembling a white sword appeared near Fuape's wrist.
Judging by its size, the sword could cut through Kuro's body in a single strike.

“…
that's [Bone Fang Blade].
Why is Fuape using it?”

[Bone Fang Blade] is Fuape's rarely used special ability, almost like a secret weapon.
That's why it's extremely rare for Fuape to use [Bone Fang Blade].

(But if he's using the Bone Fang Blade, it means Fuape senses the danger from Kuro.)

Flamia Frown.
She had suspected Flirst was playing with her.

“Fortunately, I didn't believe her!”

Flamia continued snacking while watching Kuro's battle.

Fuape pulled out the sword stuck in his hand and threw it up as a signal that the fight was about to begin.

Thanks to gravity, it didn't take long for the sword to descend and embed itself in the ground.
At the same time, Kuro and Fuape moved forward immediately.

Kuro used [Shadow Bullet], while Fuape used his swift movements to deflect Kuro's attack.

Swords and claws clashed.
Kuro was pushed back due to the difference in strength.
While Kuro was airborne, Fuape moved forward, preparing to strike him with his claws.

But with reflexes that could be considered abnormal, Kuro managed to withstand the attack by crossing his two swords.

Once again, Kuro was sent flying quite far, with his HP decreasing by about 10 percent.

Unexpectedly, Kuro landed perfectly with a somersault before landing.
Unfortunately, his body was still pushed backward.

“That was a good attack, but-“

Kuro's HP quickly replenished to its original state.
He used [Auto Use] to consume a potion.

Despite being pressed and outmatched in strength, Kuro continued to smile.
This puzzled Flamia a little.

“Is he enjoying the fight? …a strange liber,” Flamia commented while eating again.

Kuro then threw his two swords into the air.
At the same time, he conjured two Acid Blade-coated swords and threw them higher into the air.
Kuro repeated this until there were ten swords suspended in the air, all coated with Acid Blade.

“Kamikiri-Ryu…
[Tsurugi no Uta]”

Two swords appeared in front of Kuro.
He immediately kicked the hilt of one of the swords with full force.

In the blink of an eye, the two swords shot off and spun toward Fuape.
But that wasn't all; black wind blades continuously emerged from those swords and attacked Fuape.

But it wasn't over yet.
Two more swords appeared in front of Kuro, and once again, he kicked them.
Kuro repeated this action until all ten swords flew towards Fuape, unleashing black wind blades.

The result was hundreds of black wind blades attacking Fuape simultaneously.

Fuape defended himself by clawing at the wind blades coming towards him, but more swords struck his body.
And not only that, but Kuro's original swords also attacked Fuape.

Little by little, Fuape's HP bar decreased.

But Kuro's attacks were not yet over.
Kuro used [Shadow Bullet] to attack Fuape's body after the black wind sword was depleted.
Unfortunately, Fuape was able to anticipate Kuro's attack and blocked it with a sword made from bones.

Although Kuro's attack was successfully blocked, he simply smiled.

Fuape then pushed Kuro's sword, causing Kuro to be thrown off once again.

“…………………….”

Flamia could only hold her breath.
She even forgot to eat and dropped her food.

(Sword Skill?)

Flamia shook her head.
She refuted that assumption because she knew that there was no sword skill recently used by Kuro in the system.

While feeling confused, the battle between Fuape and Kuro continued.

Kuro and Fuape clashed swords and claws.
Their fight even extended into an area usually used to block players and entered a leafless forest.

Dozens of trees fell when struck by Fuape's claws and Kuro's sword.
Their fight even caused quite a commotion in the forest.

Three Liberators who were fighting monsters in the middle of the forest heard the approaching rumble.
Although the trees were leafless, the large and dense trees still prevented them from knowing what was approaching.

Suddenly, they saw a Liberator leaping among the trees, holding two swords enveloped in black smoke.

The Liberator passed above them, accompanied by two black wind swords flying towards the Liberator's original position.

They didn't have time to react.
All they knew was that Fuape suddenly passed in front of them, deflecting the wind sword.
Unfortunately, at the same time, their HP dropped to zero due to Fuape's swift attack.

The three Liberators died and vanished with a frustrated and puzzled expression.

Fifteen minutes had passed since the battle began.
Kuro's HP was still full because he immediately used a potion whenever his HP bar turned yellow.
Meanwhile, Fuape's HP was currently around 40 percent.

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Twin Breaker]”

Kuro used a tree as a foothold and attacked Fuape.
Fuape held back his bone sword, rendering Kuro's attack meaningless.

Kuro's body was thrown into the air defenselessly.

Taking advantage of that opportunity, Fuape attacked with a powerful claw strike from above.

Kuro blocked the attack with his sword, but his body hit the ground hard, creating a sizable hole.

Kuro groaned in pain.
His HP bar turned red, indicating that he would die if hit by Fuape's attack again.
Unfortunately, Fuape intended to end Kuro.

Still in the air, Fuape opened his mouth wide.
White light gathered in his mouth, similar to when the Skeleton Dragon prepared to use Fire Breath.
And indeed, that was what Fuape was about to do.

A white ball was shot toward the sleeping Kuro on the ground.
Kuro didn't stay still and immediately threw his sword toward the white ball, but it didn't stop the white ball from approaching him.

Realizing the danger, Kuro stood up and immediately used [Shadow Bullet].
Thanks to that, he managed to survive, but when he saw the effect of the white ball, which now froze the ground and created ice thorns, Kuro clicked his tongue.

“Tch…”

A new sword appeared in Kuro's hand, enveloped in black smoke.

Not far from him, Fuape landed and prepared to use [Ice Breath] once again.

Kuro used [Auto Use] to consume a potion, but his HP only returned to around 70 percent.

“Is this the end…?”

Kuro ran out of potions.
That meant if he were hit, it would be the end for him, and he would have to fight Fuape all over again.
After learning all of Fuape's skills, if they fought again, Kuro would undoubtedly win.

“But that's not my style.”

Kuro smiled and directed his sword horizontally.

“It's time to get serious…!”

Kuro used the remaining Magic Potion to restore his MP to full.

Kuro then advanced towards Fuape.
Fuape attacked Kuro with [Ice Breath] and jumped back to maintain distance from Kuro.

Kuro used [Shadow Bullet] twice to dodge and approach Fuape.

Their proximity left Fuape with no choice but to use his claws to engage in close combat with Kuro once again.

Claws and sword clashed, creating orange sparks.
Unfortunately, it was different from before.

When Fuape's claws intended to block Kuro's sword, Kuro's sword seemingly disappeared and penetrated Fuape's claws, hitting Fuape's body and causing an impact.

Kamikiri-Ryu [Shadow Moon].
That was the technique used by Kuro.
By moving the sword at high speed, Kuro created an illusion and made Fuape block the shadow sword.

The result of Kuro's attack was that Fuape's HP bar was now at 30 percent.

“I will end this.”

Kuro pulled his two swords back and prepared to use the finishing technique.

“Kamikiri-Ryu [Yami no Nagareboshi].”

Yami no Nagareboshi was a high-speed thrusting attack using two swords.

Fuape didn't stay idle and crossed his hands to block, but a black magic circle appeared in his hands, a sign of Kuro's skill [Vital Curse].

Fuape realized his mistake and widened his eyes in surprise, but it was too late.

Kuro swiftly stabbed the [Vital Curse] mark, instantly depleting Fuape's HP.
Fuape died and turned into particles.

As he vanished, an item drop appeared, consisting of two twin white swords.

Level 288.

Kuro took the item and stored it in his inventory.

After defeating Fuape, Kuro walked towards the city of Hiln while picking up the sword he had thrown.
In this battle, Kuro used 27 katana swords, 35 potions, and 16 life potions.
It was a considerable number, which would usually require a lot of money, but due to Kuro's low level, his expenses weren't too high since cheap potions were enough to restore his HP.

Meanwhile, Flamia, who had been watching Kuro's battle from beginning to end, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This was the first time she had witnessed such a fight in the CSO.

In battles, Liber would use their strongest skills and usually didn't rely much on sword techniques outside of the system.
Thanks to the ST system, which allowed characters to move as if they were their own bodies, Liber could use skills outside the system.

The advantage of skills outside the system was that they didn't require MP, but the impact of the attacks depended on the weapon and Liber's attack stats.

Although having a significant advantage, hardly any Liber members did this and instead relied more on MP-draining skills.
As a result, when their MP ran out, Liber members would be confused as they couldn't use skills anymore and would eventually die.

But Kuro was different.
It could be said that he used skills outside the system more often.
That meant he played and fought differently.
This was what made Flamia unable to forget the battle she had just witnessed.

“Oh, right…
with that item, I can learn more about him.”

A pair of glasses appeared in Flamia's hand.
The glasses were called [True Glass].
The purpose of this item was to obtain or rather, peek into all the information about Liber, such as their stats, MP, weapons, and skills.
Of course, the information displayed didn't reveal everything, but it could provide numerical information.

After putting them on, Flamia focused her gaze on Kuro, who was a few steps away from entering the city of Hiln.

After a few seconds, information about Kuro appeared.

“Name…
Kuro.
Level…”

Flamia stopped, unable to believe what was written in the information.

Name: Kuro

Title: –

Level: 62

Equipment: , ,

Skill (Magic Skill + Sword Skill): 48

“……………….”

Flamia couldn't say anything because the data in the glasses matched the data that Flirst had given her a few days ago.
More precisely, it was slightly higher as time passed.

One thing that came to Flamia's mind regarding Kuro was that he was an abnormal player.

Although his level was low, Kuro's skills and equipment allowed him to deliver powerful attacks to monsters higher level than him.
Technically, this could be achieved, but Liber members rarely did it because they knew they would lose in every battle if they attempted such reckless actions.

That's what made Kuro stand out as an abnormal Liber member.

“But why does he take such reckless actions?”

This made Flamia even more curious.
Why does Kuro play in such a way?

While pondering, [True Glass] detected Liber within Flamia's line of sight, but what surprised Flamia was that her detection skill didn't recognize Liber.
That meant Liber was using illusion skills or an item that could create illusions.

What surprised Flamia even more, was that Liber turned out to be someone she knew.

“Verona, why is she here?”

Verona.
One of the Valkyrie Maidens likes Flamia.
The only difference was that Verona shared the same element as Kuro, which was darkness.

In terms of appearance, Verona wore equipment similar to gothic Lolita.
Her petite body made Verona resemble a human doll, but in terms of power, Verona was almost on par with Flamia.

Suddenly, Verona disappeared.
Flamia simply rested her hand on her chin, lost in thought.

(If Verona is here, then…)

“Did she also witness the fight? Could it be?”

Flamia stood up and immediately leaped down.

“Summon [Phoenix]!”

A giant firebird appeared in the sky.
It was the legendary Phoenix and Flamia's familiar.

In the CSO game, players could tame monsters using the [Taming] skill, but it was difficult to use this skill if the monster was incompatible or resistant.
Therefore, the [Taming] skill was more suitable for smaller monsters.

The Phoenix that now served as Flamia's familiar was once a small bird, but it had grown into a powerful and dangerous adult Phoenix.

“Natalie, quickly go to the city of Hiln.
We have to find Kuro!”

The Phoenix named Natalie flapped her fiery wings and flew towards the city of Hiln.

Flamia knew Verona.
She was not the type of person who would watch a fight like before or even have an interest in battles.

But Verona had watched Kuro's fight, using illusion skills and observing the battle from a distance.
However, this seemed strange to Flamia.

Furthermore, unlike Flamia, who had only accidentally witnessed it, Verona seemed to intentionally watch Kuro.

“What is that Fox planning?”

Flamia knew Verona well.
She was well aware of her flaws.
What made Flamia wary was that Verona had more flaws than the other seven Valkyrie Maidens.

After flying low enough, Flamia jumped off Natalie's back.

Flamia landed perfectly and immediately attracted attention, as usual.
At the same time, Natalie disappeared after completing her task.

“Where is he?”

Flamia looked around in all directions to find Kuro.
Of course, no one knew about this, but they could tell Flamia was searching for something.

After searching for a while, Flamia couldn't find Liber, who looked like Kuro, even after going around.

(Has he left this city and headed to Wottr?)

Wottr was the next city after Hiln.
It was quite far, but Kuro would have arrived quickly because he had the Skeleton Dragon.

The problem was, did he go to Wottr?

To reach the Heaven Gate, there were several cities along the route besides Wottr.

Flamia shook her head.

(He has just arrived in this city.
The previous fight must have depleted his items.
He must have stopped somewhere to replenish, but…)

Had Kuro already logged out?

This was highly likely since it was getting late in the real world.

“I should try asking first.”

Flamia walked towards two male Liber players nearby.

The two Libers were surprised and nervous as they didn't expect Flamia to approach them.
They even thought they were dreaming in the game.

“May I ask?”

“Uh? Of…Of course? What do you want to ask, Flamia-sama?”

“We…we'll answer any questions you ask, Flamia.”

Flamia smiled wryly, finding it amusing to see their nervousness.
It always happened, but it still puzzled Flamia.

“I am looking for someone.
He is a newly arrived liber in this town.
Approximately 5 minutes ago.
Have you seen him?”

“Hmmmmm….

“Ricardo, I think Flamia-sama meant the liber who was dressed all in black earlier.
Isn't he a newcomer to this town?”

“Eh? Could it be the person Flamia-sama is looking for?”

Flamia nodded.

The two liber nodded to each other to confirm.

“That liber just entered that inn.”

Flamia glanced at the relatively cheap inn.

“I think he has already logged out, so it's impossible to meet him.”

“We apologize for being forward, but may we know why Flamia-sama is looking for him?”

“Thank you.”

Flamia didn't answer and immediately left the place.
It was impolite, but Flamia had to do it to avoid causing trouble.

If the Valkyrie Maiden is looking for someone, it will surely become sensational news.
That's why she has to avoid it.

Fortunately, not many people knew about the liber named Kuro.
This made Flamia breathe a little easier, as it didn't cause trouble for the person she had just met once.

After searching without success, Flamia went to Alfheim through the teleportation gate.

Unfortunately, the news of Flamia searching for the mysterious liber had spread like wildfire.
This news continued to be a hot topic for a week, but the liber Flamia was looking for was never found.

This became a heated discussion because many people were curious about the true identity of that liber.

A week after Flamia witnessed Kuro's battle, Flamia saw Kuro in Alfheim.
Specifically, in the town of Morif, the starting town in Alfheim.
Unfortunately, at that time, Flamia saw that Kuro was not alone.
He was walking with two girls that Flamia knew, Anna and Chika.

Flamia knew that Anna and Chika were members of the Ouroboros guild and were among the Top Players, but what intrigued Flamia was their relationship with Kuro.

So far, Flamia had seen the two of them being very close.
Especially Anna, who always held Kuro's arm wherever they went.

At the same time, Flamia felt something unpleasant that made her unhappy.

“Annoying…!”

Those were Flamia's last words before leaving the town of Morif.

 

Biography

=> All weapons and equipment in CSO can be used by low-level Liberators.
Only a few special pieces of equipment require certain requirements such as level and title.

=> Kuro indeed defeats monsters that have a higher level than him.
But because he always uses the Vital Curse skill, the EXP he receives is very little.

=> Monsters raised through the Raising skill can level up if they are brought into battle together.