Headless Knight

Biodata

Background

The Headless Knight was once a loyal subordinate of the Lord of the Netherworld. After the gods overthrew and killed the lord, the knight was beheaded. The sword used to behead him remained in the Qingshui Village instance 49 50.

According to the instance background, the knight appeared in the formerly peaceful village and began riding through it at night, beheading anyone who saw him 48. His dwelling was the Undead Tree west of the village. A player guide claimed that his power came from bloodstains in the Bloodstained Holy Grail, which had once held the Lord of the Netherworld’s blood 49 50.

Appearance

The knight is a headless, fleshless skeleton clad in black armor. Green flames cover his body, and he rides a tall black warhorse similarly surrounded by fire 50 58.

• Weapon: A longsword hangs beside his horse’s saddle 50.
• Body: As an evil spirit, he has no physical body and his Constitution is zero 50.

Personality

The original Headless Knight has no intelligence and acts on instinct. When Shen Hao takes his form, however, he retains his own intelligence and deliberately manipulates the players’ expectations 50 55.

Abilities & Skills

Soulfire

The green flames use souls as fuel and burn them directly 49 50.

• Once ignited, the flames cannot be extinguished until the target’s soul is consumed 50.
• Contact with the knight’s incorporeal body can ignite a victim 59 60.
• The flames destroyed the ghosts raised by the soul-type ability user Yan Dahai 61.

Mental Perception

The knight uses spiritual power to perceive his surroundings despite having no head 50.

• While Shen Hao occupied his form during the day, he could sense images, sounds, and smells over a hundred meters away 55.
• Shen Hao later acquired a more limited version, with a 50-meter range and a mental-power cost 63.

Undying Will

The knight is exceptionally difficult to kill. If killed, he can revive once, after which all his abilities increase by 20% 50.

Spirit Form and Tree Dwelling

• His illusory body can pass through people 59 60.
• He can turn into black smoke and merge with the Undead Tree 50.
• Although guides recorded him emerging at dusk, he can move freely during the day if he accepts the reduction in power 49 50.

Time-Dependent Strength

The knight is weakened during the day and strengthened at night. The following figures include Shen Hao’s own Spirit while he occupied the knight’s form 50 59.

Weaknesses and Counters

• Dusk: A guide identifies dusk as the knight’s weakest time 49.
• Holy water: Water from the pool beneath the goddess statue can suppress him. Earlier players reported that he would not approach the statue 49.
• Rusty Bloodstained Greatsword: The sword that originally beheaded him is an instance item sought by players as a counter. Its reported location varied between attempts 49.
• Remains: Destroying the knight’s remains in his mausoleum would also destroy him. The coffin beneath the Undead Tree is a decoy and does not contain his body 55 58.
• Barriers: A Boundary System ability can trap and weaken him, making other counters more likely to work 51 58.

Story Role

Qingshui Village Instance

Before entering the instance, Shen Hao reads the Alliance Guild’s guides and correctly suspects that he will take the Headless Knight’s role 48 50.

• Disrupting the guide: Shen Hao appears in daylight, steals the greatsword, and sends Xiaobai to destroy the goddess statue, depriving the players of their planned counters 51 54 55.
• The decoy tomb: The players search beneath the Undead Tree and find an empty coffin. Shen Hao knows it is a decoy; he did not remove the remains himself 57 58.
• Breaking the group: Shen Hao overpowers Lin Feng, possesses him, and attacks Qi Lin from inside the group’s barrier. After the surviving players scatter, Lin Feng, Su Su, and Yan Dahai die from Soulfire 58 59 60 61.
• Final player: Xiaobai leads Han Rui back to the tree. Trapped with the knight in the underground tomb, Han Rui takes her own life rather than be killed by him 62.
• After the instance: Shen Hao gains Mental Perception, while witnessing Soulfire rekindles the ability in his Demon Eye 63.

Relationships

• Lord of the Netherworld — The knight’s former master; the instance describes him as a loyal servant 49 50.
• Shen Hao — Takes the knight’s form as the Qingshui Village boss, adding his own intelligence and Spirit to the role 50.
• Qingshui Village players — The knight’s opponents in the instance. Shen Hao uses their knowledge of earlier guides against them 49 55.