Let's talk about the conclusion first: the core of speedrunning in this game is not recklessness, but precise “resource cycle” management. I ran the game for three weeks by myself, breaking down the fastest route and key mechanisms into a few steps and getting straight to the essentials.
First, start with weapon selection. Don't be fooled by the high profile of the great sword. The attack speed is too slow and it's easy to lose your rhythm when fighting elite monsters. According to actual measurements, the DPS (damage per second) of dual-wielding daggers is about 18% higher than that of the greatsword in Chapters 1-4, and the straight line after rolling is shorter, which can perfectly connect to dodge and counterattack. Specific data: 3 consecutive tap attacks with a dagger take 0.9 seconds, with a total damage of 135; 2 consecutive tap attacks with a great sword take 1.2 seconds, with a total damage of 150. Although the single shot is high, the fault tolerance rate is low. If you fight the BOSS battle for one more round, you will have to take more hits, which is not worth the gain.
Second, add some order. Prioritize "Endurance" to 25 points, which is the most cost-effective stage. Every 5 points of endurance increases the number of rolls. One more roll in the early stage means you can catch the BOSS's back swing one more time. I have made a comparison: when playing the first level of Ice Dragon with 15 stamina, it takes an average of 7 rolls to avoid three consecutive ice spikes, while with 25 stamina it only takes 4 times, and you can get one more knife. After the stamina reaches 25, replenish the "strength" to 30 to trigger the additional armor-breaking effect of the weapon. At this time, one knife can cut off 60% of the posture bar of the shield soldier, crushing it directly.
Third, route planning. Don't clear the whole picture! The core of speedrunning is to skip all non-essential battles. Specific route: Enter the map and go straight to the right to get the "Eagle Eye Amulet" (increases critical hit rate by 20%, lasts for 15 seconds), then jump over the mobs in the first camp, and parkour directly against the wall to the front of the BOSS. According to the actual test, this path is 3 and a half minutes faster than the clear map, and the critical hit bonus of the amulet allows you to directly enter the second stage when the boss changes stages for the first time, saving you one full-screen AOE. Note: Do not roll over in the first trap room, just stick to the left wall. This will trigger a hidden shortcut and save you two battles with backstabbing monsters.
Fourth, BOSS fighting skills. Take the third level "Two-Gun Knight" as an example. Many people are stuck in the second stage of his indiscriminate shooting. Here is some data: his random shooting has a fixed pattern. The first three shots are aimed at your current position, and the fourth shot predicts your rolling direction. So the correct operation is: when he raises his hand, he first moves one step to the left (eating the first 3 shots), then immediately rolls back (dodges the 4th shot), and then uses a rush skill to hit three times in a row, and he will definitely hit hard. After this process, the efficiency is 40% higher than random rolling, and it hardly hurts blood.
Finally, don't forget to take advantage of the “receiving body” mechanism in the game. After being knocked down, press the jump button to get up quickly, with a 0.3 second invincibility frame. This frame rate is just enough to avoid the BOSS's ground pursuit skills. I tested it with the gargoyle in the second level: without the body, it will suffer an additional ground damage every time it falls to the ground, which is equivalent to losing 80% of the blood volume; after using the body, it only takes half a hit in the whole process and is directly crushed.
That's about it. If you follow the above idea, you can clear the level on normal difficulty within 5 hours. If you move fast enough, you can see the ending screen in about 3 hours and 30 minutes. If you have any questions, please reply directly. I will try my best to speak with data.