The moment the << Stage 1 Complete >> notification faded, the ethereal training chamber shimmered. The energy constructs Drake had been parrying dissolved into silver-blue mist, and new, different forms began to coalesce. These were more robust, heavily armored phantoms, still translucent but with a greater sense of solidity. They moved slowly, almost patrolling, and crucially, they weren't immediately aggressive.
Elder Jian's resonant voice echoed through the chamber, seemingly from all directions at once. "Stage Two: Focused Assault. The way of the Twin Soul is not merely defense, but the application of precise, synchronized offense. These constructs will periodically reveal momentary points of vulnerability. Your task is to strike these points with the [Twin Fang Strike] – a simultaneous assault with both your trial blades. Only this skill and basic movement will be available to you. Master it to an 80% Skill Completion Rate to proceed."
As Jian spoke, Drake's limited trial interface updated. The [Parry] skill icon was still present though greyed out, and a new skill icon appeared: [Twin Fang Strike]. He quickly focused on its description.
[Twin Fang Strike] (Active - Unique Offensive Skill - Twin Soul Bladesworn)
Description: A swift, focused, simultaneous strike with both equipped trial blades against a single target. Designed for burst damage when an opening presents itself.
SCR Mechanic: Requires both weapon strikes to achieve at least 60% SCR for the skill to execute properly and deal damage. The overall damage and effect scales with the average SCR achieved across both hits.
60-89% SCR (Average): Standard damage.
90-99% SCR (Average): Increased damage, high chance for bonus Critical Strike Chance on this attack.
100% SCR (Average - Perfect on both): Guaranteed bonus Critical Strike Chance and applies a minor Bleed effect (Physical DoT).
"Simultaneous strike... both hands need to hit at least 60% SCR. Damage scales with average. Okay, this is a coordination test more than just raw timing for one hand. And I've never dual-wielded offensively before."
The [Trial Blades] felt light but unfamiliar when considered as a paired offensive set.
<< Trial Stage 2 Initiated: Master [Twin Fang Strike] to 80% SCR. >>
One of the heavily armored phantoms nearby paused. A small, circular spot on its chest suddenly glowed with intense white light – the vulnerability point. It remained visible for only a second or two.
Drake reacted, targeting the glowing spot, and tried to activate [Twin Fang Strike]. He attempted to swing both blades simultaneously in a converging strike. The phantom guides for each blade – twin lines tracing their optimal paths – flashed briefly. His right hand, more accustomed to leading from his sword-and-shield days, felt somewhat coordinated. His left hand, however, was clumsy, lagging slightly.
Clink-thud. His right blade connected with the glowing spot, but the left was too slow, hitting the phantom's normal armor just as the vulnerability point faded. << Skill Failed! [Twin Fang Strike] Off-hand strike SCR 48% >> << Damage Dealt: 0! >>
"Damn it! Left hand too slow. Both need to hit minimum SCR. This is going to be tough."
Another phantom revealed a vulnerability point on its shoulder. Drake focused, trying to consciously synchronize his arm movements. He swung. This time both blades connected with the glowing spot, but the impacts felt weak, slightly mistimed relative to each other and their individual SCR prompts.
<< Skill Success! [Twin Fang Strike] Main-hand SCR: 65%, Off-hand SCR: 62%. Average SCR: 63.5%! >> << Damage Dealt: 35! >> The damage was minimal against the heavily armored phantom, which didn't even flinch.
"Success, barely. But that damage is pitiful. 63.5% average... need much better. This requires a whole new level of hand-eye coordination and dual-focus."
The next several minutes were a cascade of failures and low-quality successes. Sometimes his left hand would fail the SCR. Sometimes his right. Often, even if both succeeded at a basic level, the average SCR was too low to be effective, or he'd miss the fleeting vulnerability window entirely, his blades striking inert armor for zero damage. Frustration began to build. This wasn't like grinding [Defend], where he could focus on one action. This was two actions, perfectly timed with each other, and with an external target window.
[Perfect Recall] became his only salvation. After each clumsy attempt, he'd mentally replay the last few seconds:
How long did the vulnerability point stay active? Exact duration?Did it always appear in the same spots, or was it random? (He noticed it cycled between chest, shoulder, and occasionally a knee joint).What was the phantom guide for each blade's optimal path? Were my swings matching them?Critically, were my inputs for each hand synchronized with their respective optimal SCR timing windows, AND with each other?
He realized he couldn't just "swing both swords." He had to treat it as two independent [Basic Slash]-like executions performed simultaneously, each requiring its own SCR timing, yet needing to converge on the same target at the same moment.
He began practicing the dual-strike motion even when no vulnerability points were active, just striking the phantoms' normal armor, focusing purely on the physical act of coordinating his two arms, getting a feel for the rhythm of two blades moving as one. He ignored the << Damage Dealt: 0! (Target Armored) >> messages, focusing only on the phantom guides for each blade's path and the feeling of synchronized movement.
Slowly, through relentless repetition and the meticulous analysis afforded by [Perfect Recall], his coordination began to improve. He started landing more successful (if still low quality) [Twin Fang Strikes] on the vulnerability points. His average SCR crept up: 65%... 68%... then into the low 70s.
<< Skill Success! [Twin Fang Strike] Average SCR: 72%! Damage Dealt: 90!>> The damage was better now, actually making a dent when he hit a weak spot. [Eidetic Execution] locked this 72% average as his new baseline for the skill if both hands met minimums.
"Okay, 72% average is more consistent. Still needs to be higher for the trial requirement, and much higher for any bonus effects. Need to push both hands' individual SCRs up during the strike."
He continued the grind. Phantom appears. Vulnerability glows on its chest. Drake focuses, visualizes the twin arcs, times his mental input for both hands. SHINK-SHINK! A perfectly synchronized double impact. Both blades hit true, feeling powerful, the execution clean.
<< Skill Success! [Twin Fang Strike] Main-hand SCR: 84%, Off-hand SCR: 82%. Average SCR: 83%! >> << Vulnerability Exploited! Significant Damage Dealt: 180! >> << [Peak Performance Replication] updated: [Twin Fang Strike] Average SCR 83%! >>
The phantom staggered from the potent blow. And then, the welcome chime: << Trial Stage 2 Complete: [Twin Fang Strike] mastery threshold (80% SCR average) reached! >> << Please await Stage 3. >>
The armored phantoms dissolved. Drake let out a long breath, lowering his [Trial Blades]. His arms ached with the virtual strain of maintaining such intense dual-focus. He had achieved an 83% SCR baseline for [Twin Fang Strike], a reliable starting point for his first unique offensive skill of the [Twin Soul Bladesworn] path. The coordination was still a challenge, but [Eidetic Execution] now guaranteed he could replicate that 83% average quality as long as both hands individually met the minimum SCR requirement. He had another tool in his arsenal, forged once again through persistence.