Game Maker: Starting by Healing the Players

Actually, Ashina Genichiro is a boss whose moves are quite predictable and not particularly difficult.

However, for new players, especially those who like to skip fundamentals and haven't built up solid skills, Ashina Genichiro is one of the hardest.

This is because he tests the player's various fundamental skills.

Parrying, deflecting, dodging, and counter-attacking – if you're missing any one of these, facing Ashina Genichiro means you'll have to make up for all the skipped lessons tenfold.

That's why many people call Ashina Genichiro a teacher, because so many players learn their fundamental skills from him.

"Are you going to back out?! Are you going to back out!"

Zack's voice grew increasingly agitated and loud.

He had already died so many times, but now he could get through Genichiro's first phase without dying once.

After all, he did have some prior experience, and Genichiro in the first phase isn't really difficult.

But entering the second phase changed everything.

First, there were more variations. Besides the grab attack, Ashina Genichiro's new counters included not only the thrust that could be deflected mindlessly, but also a low sweeping attack that couldn't be deflected and could only be avoided by jumping.

The problem was that Zack sometimes couldn't react in time. After all, sometimes your mind understands but your hands can't keep up.

And in the second phase, Genichiro's little tricks increased.

Especially after jumping, sometimes it was a slash, and sometimes it turned into a rapid volley of arrows. His head often got a thorough washing from arrows.

Just as Zhuge Kongming borrowed arrows with straw boats in ancient times, now there's Zack, "the iron-headed one," borrowing arrows.

This Genichiro is truly despicable.

Fight me fair and square, but why pull out a bow?

Of course, what caused his mindset to change even more wasn't just the Genichiro in front of him, or the countless deaths.

What truly changed his mindset were the external factors in the game.

While he was struggling, the voice prompt sounded again.

He heard that familiar voice in his ear.

"Zack, where are you at? Did you beat that Ashina Genichiro? I finally beat Gyoubu the Demon out front." Ben's voice echoed in Zack's ear.

Hearing this made Zack hesitate to speak.

Gyoubu the Demon was already beaten!?

That means, besides the Mist Noble and the general in front of Ashina Castle that you don't have to fight, there's only the sword saint left to deal with?

He was about to catch up to his progress!

"Genichiro? This boss is a bit tough, not comparable to the Mist Noble or Gyoubu. I can only say that Ashina Genichiro truly lives up to being Sword Saint Isshin Ashina's grandson, right?" Zack said, clearing his throat softly.

This was an excuse he used when playing multiplayer games like Warcraft and Rainbow Six Siege.

Exaggerate the opponent's strength infinitely, so no matter how embarrassing he was, it wouldn't feel like a big deal.

It was the same now. Who was the opponent?

The legendary grandson of Sword Saint Isshin Ashina; could he be weak?

"Is he that strong? But Zack, you've been stuck for almost an hour and a half, right? I've fought my way from Hirata Estate to Ashina Castle. Have you died a hundred times yet?" Ben smacked his lips.

"Stop talking so much!" Hearing Ben's words, Zack's mouth twitched.

Did he die a hundred times?

If you count respawns, it feels like it's about the same, right?

"Don't lose heart. I died fifty or sixty times before beating Lady Butterfly, but I feel like fighting humanoid monsters is much more satisfying than fighting beasts. That feeling of clashing swords is just amazing," Ben said with some emotion.

"Enough about that. I feel like this is the one. Genichiro should be taken down by me!" Hearing Ben's words, Zack felt he couldn't continue this topic.

And he did have that feeling, that he was about to overcome Genichiro.

He was already quite skilled at the first phase.

After hanging up with Ben, he continued to battle Genichiro.

Finally, Zack saw the victory screen.

He had to admit, this Ashina Genichiro was definitely the strongest opponent Zack had faced so far.

"Die!"

Zack shouted excitedly, fitting the moment.

As the Kusabimaru in his hand pierced Genichiro's chest, the game screen didn't show the usual boss defeated message; instead, it transitioned into a cutscene.

'Impressive... ninja... What a pity. Do you intend to change lords?'

'Absurd.'

'You say absurd? As long as I can protect Ashina, I can wield any power, no matter how unconventional... Let me show you this Way of Tomoe lightning!'

Genichiro's armor fell away, revealing a torso full of scars.

At the same time, outside the castle, lightning split the sky. Ashina Genichiro's sword was struck by lightning, glowing with golden electricity.

The next moment, the game switched to combat. The original Ashina Genichiro had now become "Way of Tomoe Ashina Genichiro."

Looking at Genichiro, Zack in the game was completely stunned.

"What's going on? What happened? A third phase? Are you cheating?"

"And this lightning phase is waiting for me here!"

Zack completely panicked.

He wondered why, before fighting Genichiro, he had seen a "Lightning Reversal" prompt on the wall in the dojo downstairs.

So that's why this third phase Genichiro could summon lightning?

And this third phase Genichiro must be very strong, right?

Zack cautiously watched as Genichiro charged at him, preparing to dodge.

He dodged, stomped on his sword, Genichiro retreated and followed up with a series of slashes. This move was from the first or second phase, and Zack was quite proficient at it, parrying continuously.

Sparks flew with perfect parries. Although not all were perfect, as long as the posture gauge didn't break, it was fine.

Then, a "danger" symbol appeared above Wolf's head.

Zack saw Genichiro leap, draw his bow, and summon lightning to shoot at Wolf.

Remembering the scroll about Lightning Reversal he had seen after defeating the sword saint.

Instinctively, Zack jumped, just as the skill description for Lightning Reversal stated: catch the lightning, then attack as you descend.

The Wolf in the game caught the lightning bolt with his Kusabimaru and then flicked it back – Lightning Reversal.

Wolf's health bar dropped by one segment, while Genichiro's posture gauge increased by almost two-fifths. More importantly, Genichiro entered a stunned state.

"Did I... did I just successfully reverse the lightning?"

Zack was stunned.

He was so stunned he forgot to attack the stunned Genichiro.

When Genichiro got up and continued to attack him, Zack countered by blocking, dodging, and counter-attacking, and then he noticed something.

This third phase Genichiro was incredibly fragile!

One hit took away a large segment of his health bar, and his posture gauge just kept increasing.

Then Genichiro retreated and continued to summon lightning.

Timing it perfectly, Zack jumped and reversed the lightning.

"My god! This is too easy! This lightning reversal is much easier than parrying!"

He slipped up once and was defeated by Genichiro, but Zack wasn't discouraged at all.

Because he realized that the third phase Genichiro wasn't strong at all!

After returning to the rooftop from the second floor and challenging him three more times.

Seeing Genichiro's posture gauge filled and a deathblow prompt appear, Zack pressed the attack button to execute him and was completely shocked.

He himself hadn't even fully registered it.

Why was this third phase Genichiro so easy?

It was like a free win?

He had died over a hundred times in the previous two phases, and this third phase Genichiro was defeated in just a few tries?

It felt a bit unreal!

"Could it be that I've evolved!?"

"I've become so strong that I don't even understand my own power?"

"It's not that the third phase Genichiro is too weak, but that I, having gone through rigorous training, am too strong now?"

Having successfully defeated Ashina Genichiro, Zack looked at the subsequent cutscene featuring Emma and Kuro with great joy.

(End of chapter)

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