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ShangriLa Frontier Chapter 528 Part 1

ShangriLa Frontier Chapter 528: An Orchestra Just For You PART 10 Part 1

Martial Arts. Yes, Martial Arts. Why did I not think of it sooner? And more importantly, why all that it took for me to come up with a solution like that was a random encounter with one of my classmates at school, and the one that was seemingly so nonsensical and borderline comedic like that? The way in which the universe tends to work is truly a mystery to me sometimes.

In order for me to win this battle against the other “me”, it is not necessary to just blindly increase my levels, stats, skills and obtain more weapons. Sure, I am more than confident enough that it would help, but there are also other things that can be done about it. Things that are more down-to-Earth, so to speak. Like refining the way that I handle some of my weapons. Because I’m not going to lie here, there are weapons that I am good at handling and there are those that give me some troubles when it comes to utilizing them properly.

So, it’s a good thing to remember: whenever in doubt, it is a good idea to just go back to the very basics and start to review the things you already know. Who knows? Maybe that will open some new paths to you, the ones that were previously unavailable?

Now, it is true that the other “me” is most probably rigged in such a way that no matter the weapon or skill or magic he comes equipped with, it will always start out with a maximum knowledge of handling those things. And this is the only bad thing here, because some of the weapons are going to be essential in this fight, and the fact that it knows their ins and outs is going to be a severe difficulty tweak.

And there is also a risk of things starting to get messy. I want to avoid that happening at all cost, mostly because it would only work against me here. When things tend to get messy all the strategies tend to go out the window, and the fight devolves to a simple and unrefined brawl. And when a brawl happens only the ones with better stats have the advantage, so that would most certainly put me in a disadvantageous position.

Now, the only question in here is: what kind of martial arts should I use in order to have a chance at winning? Because choosing the right martial art to fit the situation is not all that easy of a thing to do. There are so many different ones to choose from, each with its own unique set of pros and cons, each offering possible solutions to the variety of issues that may happen to emerge during the fight.

As for the weapons, ever since starting their adventures inside of this game, the Players are given some of the most primitive weapons to use that this game can offer. They do not have amazing stats and skills, but in the beginning they are more than adequate enough to get the job done, and more importantly, the players can start to accumulate the proficiency when it comes to using them properly. This may not sound like that much of a big deal, but it is something that is eventually going to pay off down the road.

Because there is a huge difference between the player who knows how their weapons tend to work and what the most efficient way of moving around and attacking with them is, and the player who just randomly swings their weapons around like some slabs or raw metal or steel. And it is precisely that knowledge of weapon handling that can more often than not decide about someone’s victory or defeat. Which is why gaining proficiency in weapon handling is oh-so important.

Another thing of importance here is this: the way in which the players handle their weapons does not have to be all too realistic. It may be something that is possible only inside of a video game, but that does not matter all that much. What matters here is the fact that you invested your time in learning and mastering the way of using certain weapons.

Needless to say, if it would turn out that the other “me” can also use the same kinds of martial arts that I am aware of, this would only make the challenge of this fight increasingly more difficult, most probably elevating it to the ranks of “nigh impossible” or downright “impossible” to complete.

And to those of the people who only keep on yapping, mastering the proper use of weapons in video games is something that is not required to enjoy them…… Yes, that may be so. However, don’t come back crying later on when you are going to stumble upon a wall so high that you won’t be able to surpass it no matter how hard you try and what you do.

If you want to get results in video games, you need to put a certain amount of effort into this! It may seem hard at first, but it’s the kind of effort that is going to be greatly rewarded to you.

「And besides, after fighting with that thing a couple of times already, I think that I’m starting to slowly understand the way in which this thing tends to work. So now it’s only a matter of time before I get this pattern down!」

The AI of this other “me” is certainly what I would call a miniature work of art. It’s not even about its weapons or skills, or the way in which it conducts its behavior. It’s the fact that as long as it is presented with the appropriate amount of data, it can easily analyze it and copy it seemingly without any issues and in a blink of an eye at that.

Plus, it’s a real pain in the ass that it is able to move about in the same way that I am, but I guess that’s only to be expected of an enemy like that…… Or rather, that’s to be expected from myself. But still, even though our moves are supposed to be mirrored, there are some slight nuances here and there.

「Is this what you would call familiar aggro? Or could it be that it’s something completely different, by any chance……?」

But if it’s something alongside those lines, then I can at least take some countermeasures against that…… that is, assuming that this thing is a “corresponding” AI that manages to actively read my movements the moment I make them. However, it is wise to assume that the AI in this game operates on a slightly different principle than your usual Trace AI, so the ways in which it does things must be different as well. Better remember about that and watch out for it, just to be on the safe side.

「Also, judging by how things thus far went for me, I would say that this thing is actually a Counter Type. Or at least something that is very similar to it.」

The number of attempts that I have conducted for this fight is still relatively small, but of that one thing I am more than fairly sure. I wouldn’t bet all my money on that, though, but a vast majority of them? Sure. The other “me” never attacks spontaneously. It may try to bait me to attack first from time to time, but that’s about it. It baits me into attacking and then it slaps me with a counter of its own.

And even though I am going to start utilizing martial arts here, this thing is not going to change. Besides, martial arts allow me to reach only as far as my hands can reach, which is not all that far without my weapons. Usually that would be the only disadvantage, but my current situation is a far cry from being called “usual”.