Once I got my dinner, I tried to rest as much as I could, but my chest pounding didn't let me relax enough to fall asleep. It seemed that I wasn't going to be able to sleep soundly until I pushed myself to the limits.
Still, even if I couldn't fall asleep, closing my eyes and then resting my body would help somewhat and so I did that and spent the night at the inn. In the end, I got up before the sun could rise and then went to the field to hunt monsters. Every moment was impossibly valuable either to gain experience or to grind my skills, I had to use every single moment.
'I should get enough cols by noon to upgrade my gear and then head to the dungeon. Gaining exp there will be better and the loot is also of higher level.'
As I moved from one spawning spot to another, cutting down boars with practiced efficiency, my mind wasn't just focused on the fights. My body went through the motions automatically—dodge, strike, finish—but my thoughts were elsewhere.
I was already thinking ahead.
If I was going to survive soloing a floor boss, I had to be realistic. I wouldn't make it just by being fast or precise—I needed more power. In a group, you could rely on tanks, healers, and backup. But alone? Every weakness was mine to carry.
Defense was going to be the real issue.
The loot I could get from these low-level monsters wasn't going to cut it. Leather armor and beginner gear wouldn't protect me from even one clean hit from the boss. And while better equipment might exist deeper in the dungeon, reaching it in my current state would be like walking into a storm without a coat.
Getting defensive skills wasn't an option either, not yet. I remembered enough about the system to know that many of the best skills had requirements: certain stat thresholds, weapon proficiencies, or completion of specific quests. It wasn't just a matter of picking what I wanted.
So I had to work with what I had.
That meant one thing: Battle Healing.
It was already active and functional, and it could make the difference between standing up or falling down in a long fight. If I couldn't reduce incoming damage, then I had to recover from it quickly—and outpace the enemy's offense with my own.
Which led to my next conclusion: I needed to increase my attack power as much as possible.
More damage meant shorter fights. Fewer chances to get hit. And the faster I could cut down enemies, the less pressure I'd have to survive under.
That would be my strategy.
Build up my strength, push my damage, rely on Battle Healing to recover, and keep grinding until I was strong enough to take a shot at the dungeon.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was something.
'I suppose I could pick the blacksmithing skill this time around, but leveling it up will take a lot of time wouldn't be better to invest that time increasing battle healing and get more levels?'
That was a tough question… since sword art online wasn't a game that a single person was supposed to beat alone. With those thoughts in mind, I kept fighting until I could barely stand. Around that time, I could see the sun above me, so I decided to return to the town and then upgrade my gear.
Username: [Lunar]
Level: 13
HP: 220 / 220
EXP: 50 / 1950
Col: 0
Location: Floor 1 - City of Beginnings
Title: None
Guild: None
Party: None
PK Status: Green (Non-combatant)
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PARAMETERS
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STR (Strength): 22
AGI (Agility): 10
VIT (Vitality): 22
DEX (Dexterity): 10
END (Endurance): 22
LUK (Luck): 5
Attack Power: 27
Defense: 27
Movement Speed: Normal
Attack Speed: Normal
EQUIPMENT
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Weapon: Starter Sword
Armor: Leather Armor (Basic)
Accessory: None
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INVENTORY
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- Health Potion x1
- Return Crystal (Disabled)
- Starter Sword (Equipped)
- Leather Armor (Equipped)
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SKILLS
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- One-Handed Sword (Rank 3)
- Two Handed Sword (Rank 1)
- Battle Healing (Rank 3)
- Empty
--------------------------
SYSTEM MENU
--------------------------
- Log Out: [Unavailable]
- Settings
- Help
- Message Inbox (0)
Speed wasn't something I needed much of. I had always preferred to face enemies head-on, meeting their blows with force rather than finesse. I wasn't the type to dance around attacks or wait for the perfect opening, I focused on brute strength, overwhelming my targets before they could become a threat.
Now, fighting alone, that approach made even more sense. Dodging was useful, sure. It could save your life in certain situations. But it also made fights longer. Every time you circled, waited, repositioned, it added seconds—sometimes minutes—to a battle. And right now, time wasn't something I could afford to waste.
I wasn't just trying to survive. I was trying to climb. The faster I could take down enemies, the faster I could grind, earn loot, and grow strong enough to take on the dungeon—and eventually the boss. If I spent all my energy avoiding hits, I'd burn out before I even made it halfway.
That's why I was putting everything into strength and vitality. So I could attack hard, block or absorb damage when I needed to, and keep moving forward without having to second-guess every swing. I wasn't here to dodge death. I was here to beat it down and force a path through.