At the stairwell stood a black-and-white humanoid creature. Su Ming spotted it from a distance.
It wasn't a scythe-wielding Honkai undead—those all wore red uniforms, and the huge scythes were unmistakable. This one looked more like…
A shadow samurai?
Why the hell was that here?
Sure, the "shadow samurai" was the same kind of roadside trash mob as the enemies Su Ming had beaten before—something that gets swept away by AoE when you're clearing packs. But in front of him, it was the kind of existence whose numbers and mechanics crushed him outright.
What made it terrifying?
First: the dual blades. With two weapons, it could fluidly switch between defensive counters and a desperate trade-damage-for-damage brawl. Meanwhile, Su Ming, facing dual weapons, would be forced into awkward parries and constant mismatches.
Second: Shadow Step. The shadow samurai could blink-like dodge ranged attacks, and even at close range it could forcibly reposition using that footwork. It couldn't directly evade a point-blank strike with it, but whether it was suddenly closing distance or retreating, it was absurdly effective.
Which was exactly why Su Ming had abandoned the idea of a ranged build. Against a mechanics monster like this, even the Herrscher of Reason would whiff half her kit.
And under those scummy mechanics, what were its stats?
[Shadow Samurai]
[Attributes:]
Strength: 20
Constitution: 15
Stamina: 15
Intelligence: 2
Spirit: 2
Agility: 17
[Description: This slash carries twenty years of skill.]
People who play dual blades are all the same kind of menace.
Su Ming glanced at his experience bar—[80/100]—and decided to try it anyway.
If he won, he'd level up on the spot. If he lost, he'd go farm experience, level up, then come back and chop it down. Either way, it was just one death.
You have mechanics and stats. I have "young hero, try again." Let's see whose edge is sharper.
Su Ming tightened his grip on his long blade and advanced slowly, intending to get a cheap opening hit.
But unlike the dull undead, simply approaching triggered the shadow samurai's alertness. It snapped around, its cold, lifeless eyes locking onto Su Ming—killing intent reflecting like steel.
A straight duel, then? Fine.
Su Ming steadied his breathing. His blade tip aimed at the shadow samurai's knee joint. He adopted a low stance meant to bait an attack and waited.
His advantage was that he could see its stats. It had 20 Strength, but with Honkai-energy bonuses of +4 and an additional +1 from Honkai adaptation, Su Ming effectively had 16 Strength inside the dungeon.
And the shadow samurai used dual blades. Even if it had 20 Strength, a one-handed weapon couldn't match the leverage of Su Ming's two-handed swing. So his plan was simple: exploit that advantage, land damage early, and degrade its combat effectiveness.
After a brief standoff, the shadow samurai finally couldn't contain its bloodlust. It whipped its right-hand long blade toward Su Ming's face.
So fast!
Nineteen Agility didn't feel that dramatic on those charging beasts, but 17 Agility on a humanoid enemy was a different story. Su Ming had to pour everything into a two-handed swing just to keep pace.
Cut and drop.
One of the core techniques of the Beichen Isshin-ryu: bait the enemy into striking, then move second but arrive first—knocking the opponent's weapon aside to open the follow-up.
It was useless against Honkai beasts or overpowered Herrschers, but against a foe still bound by flesh and swordplay, it was perfect.
Su Ming stepped left. His blade—Muramasa—rose in an upward arc, the wind of steel aimed at the enemy's wrist.
The shadow samurai adjusted, choosing to meet his edge head-on—while its other short blade shot for Su Ming's ribs.
Clang!
Su Ming's grip went numb from the shock. The shadow samurai's right hand was lifted high, leaving a wide opening. He hadn't knocked the sword away, but it was still a golden chance to press the advantage—
Except that short blade on the right forced him to abandon it.
He had already positioned his feet for retreat. One step back-left avoided the sneak strike; the enemy's edge hissed past his chest.
"Now!"
Su Ming roared and slashed again. As the side with the inferior weapon setup, he had to keep attacking—compressing the enemy's space and denying it comfortable leverage.
The shadow samurai answered in kind. Black blades in both hands gave no ground. Steel rang and screamed as they traded blows—dozens of strikes in barely ten seconds.
"Hah—"
The exchange yielded nothing. Su Ming withdrew one step to steady his breath. He showed no obvious fatigue, but his sword hand—his right—had been shocked numb, held together only by brute strength.
Damn. Stamina wasn't the only factor in a clash like this. Constitution mattered too.
Realizing that, Su Ming regretted thinking earlier that "I'm going to die anyway," and neglecting Constitution.
But there was no time for regret. While he tried to shake feeling back into his hand, the shadow samurai surged forward again—blades whirling in a dual-sword dance.
Dual blades excel at alternating swings to create visual pressure, forcing the opponent backward. Even Miyamoto Musashi, founder of Niten Ichi-ryu, said the terror of two swords could shake an enemy's heart.
With enough power, even someone wildly hacking with two blades could be threatening—let alone a shadow samurai with stable rhythm, relentless as a tide.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Against the alternating long and short blades, Su Ming was forced into desperate blocks and constant footwork adjustments. Every strike demanded full focus—analyzing trajectory, controlling timing. One mistake, and a human body meant instant failure.
And it got worse. The enemy never stopped. Su Ming's right hand—just recovered—began trembling again. Little by little, he started falling behind.
If he kept defending like this, he would lose.
So he changed the way he looked at the fight—searching for a "gap" that wasn't quite a gap.
First, he intentionally stepped back an extra half-step, forcing the shadow samurai to step forward to maintain its rhythm, slightly disturbing its flow.
It wouldn't last long. It wouldn't flip the fight. But Su Ming noticed something: the right-hand long blade arrived a fraction slower.
If he continued playing defense-and-counter, that difference didn't matter.
So…
Why not trade damage for the kill?
Su Ming threw everything into deflecting the short blade with both hands—then ignored the long blade already falling.
He ducked and lunged forward with his right hand driving his sword.
Slash—
His left arm was severed first—cut clean off at the root by the shadow samurai's long blade. Blood burst from the stump. Su Ming's face went paper-white, but adrenaline drowned the pain. Using momentum, he rammed his sword straight into the shadow samurai's chest.
Not enough.
He clenched the hilt and twisted—hard—turning the enemy's chest into shredded meat.
"Ghh—!"
The shadow samurai let out a hoarse, low scream. It tried to deliver a finishing strike with its short blade—
But its arm slackened and dropped to the floor.
"Hh… hh…"
Su Ming collapsed too. His chest heaved violently. The agony of dismemberment finally surged up, sweat rolling down his forehead in heavy beads.
"You were right… but—hh— I won."
Then he didn't bother waiting to bleed out.
He stabbed himself cleanly, tilted his head, and died.
Ending: Two Lives, One Ending
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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