"Did we win...?"
"It should be."
The two men, panting, stared intently at the arena.
The defeated knight did not fall; his shattered armor still supported him as he stood tall.
Dark energy, like fine sand, flowed and dissipated continuously from the gaps in the armor.
As the last wisp of energy left the body, the armor disintegrated with a crash, scattering across the ground.
Boom--
Two treasure chests rose from the ground.
"A second-level boss... is this outrageous?"
Vane was still shaken, while Gorth shook his head:
"No, at least the Ghost King on the same floor doesn't have this kind of oppressive feeling."
"So it's calculated based on the intensity of the plot?" Vane's expression darkened further. He tried contacting Gregor and Vera again, but to no avail.
"The boss's side shouldn't be slower than ours."
The portal didn't appear either, and the two guessed, recalling the main entrance they had entered through:
"Looks like we'll have to fight on both sides first." Gorth looked at the treasure chest. "Let's open it first then."
"Third brother, come here!" Vane shoved Gorth forward. "The eldest brother said you were the one who got the red weapon last time!"
Gorth stepped forward reluctantly, not holding out much hope, after all, it was the red weapon with the lowest drop rate in the entire game.
As light shone into the opened box, the two of them sighed simultaneously.
"A greatsword..."
Yes, the weapon obtained from the treasure chest after the life-or-death battle was only a basic greatsword.
Vane brandished his greatsword and turned to look at the knight's remains behind him.
"Dude, you're too stingy. We went through so much trouble to beat you, at least give us something good."
Click--
A soft sound sent the two of them flying backward instantly!
The wreckage began to crumble, turning into countless tiny, scarlet specks of light.
The points of light converged into a dark red stream, which surged straight toward Vane... the greatsword in his hand.
The greatsword erupted with a dazzling crimson light, and then, to the astonishment of the two, it split in two.
Two longswords, entirely black and with flowing bloodstains entwined around their blades, hovered in front of Vane.
"That's too honest, bro."
Vane murmured in amazement, waving tentatively.
Countless dark red projectiles shot out with the attack, and Vane stood there stunned, covering his head with his hand.
"What's wrong?"
Gorth snapped out of his shock, Vane remained silent before suddenly brandishing his sword in front of Gorth.
"???"
Just as Gorth was about to ask a question, he saw Vane use the same move that the Black Knight had used.
A blood-red storm unfolded, Gorth instinctively took two steps back.
"That's such a passionate guy!"
Vane let out a shout and excitedly handed the sword to Gorth.
The latter instinctively took it, and a strange feeling flowed through his body.
"This is..."
"It's martial arts! The Black Knight's martial arts are hidden in these two swords!" Vane's eyes lit up.
"Do you still remember now?" Gorth pressed.
"Huh?" Vane was taken aback and tried to loosen his grip on the sword hilt. The feeling of clarity that had permeated his entire body immediately receded like a tide.
"So it wasn't a permanent account boosting service after all...?"
"It's already pretty good, besides..."
Gorth stared at the sword's edge, and in that crimson light, he seemed to feel the gaze of the Dark Grand Knight once more.
"You can feel it when you hold the sword; martial arts are something... the best one is the one that suits you."
He handed over the sword, Vane, toying with the twin swords, sighed:
"It's just a bit of a pity..."
There was no response; Gorth sat down and stared at both sides of the treasure chest.
What happened to the boss and the others...?
Who exactly are you?
The figures of the demon and the knight clashed violently once again!
Axes clashed with swords, shields collided with shields.
Faced with Gregor's roar, the knight remained silent, and the phantom of a holy knight appeared on his own body.
In response, lava extended its arms from behind the demon.
Clang--
Axe and sword shot out dazzling sparks, the shockwave sweeping outwards and echoing again in the sealed room.
The ripples of power caused Vera's hair to flutter in the distance. She stood at the edge of the battle, not because she was unable to intervene, but because Gregor had ordered her to.
Rewind a moment, and return to the beginning of the battle.
Faced with the Grand Knight's "bullet screen erasure" technique, the two were startled but not afraid.
Gregor won't lose.
Vera was so certain that Gregor shared the same confidence in his mind.
Even if it comes at the risk of going berserk, in terms of pure strength, the knight cannot defeat him.
Gregor unleashed his Energy Shield, the moment his domain expanded, a dazzling light also erupted from the knight opposite him.
A cross-shaped area covered with sacred runes spread out from the knight at its center.
Gregor's forward momentum suddenly halted.
Vera was about to launch an attack with her fingertips when Gregor urgently stopped her:
[Wait a moment]
Vera was puzzled and stopped, and the scene fell silent for a moment.
The knight simply stood silently with his sword, showing no intention of attacking.
[Are you... Paladin?]
Gregor asked a question, Vera looked at him in surprise, then fixed her gaze on the knight.
She tentatively launched an energy blade, which flew into the edge of the cross-shaped area and silently dissolved.
Only then did the knight make a move.
He held the giant shield firmly in front of him, and held the Knight Commander upright at his side with his right hand.
Then, it turned slightly to the side and made a gesture towards Gregor.
"A duel invitation?" Vera blurted out.
A thought flashed through their minds simultaneously.
"You possess your own consciousness!?"
Vera's voice rose with urgency, and a barrage of questions rained down on her.
"Who are you? Do you know the truth about this Dungeon?"
"What does our appearance have to do with you?"
"What's at the end of the Dungeon? If we clear it... will we be able to go back?!"
The knight ignored her questioning, his gaze piercing through the mask and landing solely on Gregor.
"Answer me!"
Vera took a step forward, but was stopped by Gregor.
I'll go.
The knight, who had been standing still, seemed to understand and took two steps back, clearing the space in the center of the hall.
Gregor was about to take a step when he was pulled back.
Turning around, he saw Vera handing him the Paladin's shield that had accompanied him from the very beginning of his journey and hadn't been used in a long time.
"Take it."
Gregor gripped his shield, turned, and stepped into the area.
Buzz--!
The domain expanded instantly, and divine light enveloped the entire room, encompassing Vera.
A warm red glow emanated from her, not as an attack, but rather as a strange sense of peace and protection.
The knight raised his greatsword, and a condensed golden light bullet shot from the tip, striking the wall to the side.
A red glow appeared on the wall surface, but it remained completely undamaged.
Does this mean... we can let our guard down?
Gregor understood, and lava surged from his palm, transforming into that ferocious battle axe.
The knight remained silent, only slightly adjusting his sword-wielding stance.
The two drew closer and closer, able to touch each other simply by raising their hands.
The knight finally moved.
However, the attack was unusually slow, not because it was weak, but rather as if it was a deliberate display of movement.
The greatsword slashed down steadily, its trajectory clear, even giving Gregor ample time to think.
Gregor raised his axe to meet the attack, attempting to sidestep while simultaneously using the axe to parry and deflect the force of the sword strike.
The movements were a bit clumsy, but it was successful.
The knight's sword, which had been deflected, traced an arc in the air before sweeping horizontally, its power increasing slightly.
Clang! Clang! Thump!
The rhythmic clang of battleaxes clashing with greatswords began to ring out.
The knight's moves gradually became more fluid: slashing, thrusting, parrying, sweeping, blocking... basic yet dangerous.
Gregor initially reacted passively, but gradually, he began to realize the other party's intentions—
Mistakes, adjustments, and another attempt.
Inside the hall, the speed of attack and defense between the two figures increased slowly and steadily, and the battle turned into a tacit martial arts demonstration.
The knight remained silent, the light behind the crosshairs calmly observing Gregor's every step forward and every mistake.
This was not a life-or-death struggle at all.
This is a... lesson.
Finally, Gregor couldn't help but ask.
Who exactly are you?
The knight still did not respond, but the weight on his greatsword grew even heavier.
The offensive strategy changed accordingly—strength steadily increased, speed accelerated, and sword moves flowed smoothly like flowing water.
Gregor suddenly felt a surge of pressure.
The coordination between the battle axe and the shield began to falter, and he was forced back step by step, yet he still couldn't activate his Energy Shield.
In this strange "teaching," it seemed like an admission of defeat, a betrayal of the other party's silent instruction.
In the distance, Vera's heart leaped into her throat.
However, the atmosphere of this battle was too eerie, and she dared not intervene rashly.
In her anxiety, she tried telepathy again:
[Vera: Gorth Vane, how's the situation over there?]
[...]
There were no familiar complaints, no warm responses, only cold emptiness.
Vera's expression changed instantly:
"Boss! We can't get in touch with them!"
Gregor, who was dealing with the knight, was startled. The knight's sword flashed like lightning, precisely deflecting the loosened axe blade, leaving the center wide open!
However, the anticipated attack did not occur.
The knight sheathed his sword and retreated, causing the domain that had enveloped the hall to completely recede.
Gregor steadied himself and immediately called out over the connection, but there was no reply.
A restless fire exploded in my chest.
No news often means the worst-case scenario.
We must break through here immediately and find them!
Gregor gripped his battle axe, his gaze fixed on the standing knight.
But...
Throughout the entire ordeal, the other side never actually launched an attack.
That patient guidance, that deliberate pause, that calm demeanor that seemed to possess wisdom...
If what's in front of us isn't a mindless monster...
If he is a true "knight" who exists here, transcending some kind of boundary...
Therefore, the only way to clear this room is--
He had to kill this silent "teacher" with his own hands.
Clang--!
The sharp metallic clang pulled Gregor back, and the knight held his longsword level, striking it against the shield with a clear, resonant sound.
It assumed a fighting stance once more, but the sword's edge slowly shifted, passing over Gregor and pointing towards Vera behind him.
He swung his sword.
The golden blade of light flew out of the sword, but the blazing lava sword energy arrived first and intercepted the blade of light in mid-air.
In the burst of light and flame, Gregor understood the other party's declaration:
[If you don't kill me, I'll kill you all.]
There is no turning back.
"Roar--!!!"
A suppressed roar erupted from his throat, and a lava Domain Expansion, colliding violently with the knight's golden cross field that had lit up again, the two forces pressing against each other.
In the same instant, the knight unleashed his sword and shield simultaneously, unleashing holy light projectiles, arc-shaped light blades, and solidified shockwaves...
A golden torrent instantly engulfed Gregor.
Gregor's body continued to expand, but the knight showed no sign of stopping.
Shields clashed violently, and the shockwave exploded in a ring!
The knight leaped into the air, raised his longsword high, and slashed backward to meet the falling axe blade.
Boom--!!!
"Boss!"
Vera cried out in alarm. The lava on Gregor's body was boiling and expanding uncontrollably.
Without further hesitation, the Weakness Curse desperately suppressed the surging energy.
The size difference made it impossible for the two to exchange blows anymore, and the battle entered its most brutal phase.
The dark red light overshadowed the gold.
Cracks appeared in the knight's armor, and the holy radiance gradually dimmed.
Finally, after yet another clash--
Click.
A soft cracking sound was heard.
The cross-shaped area shattered like glass, and countless fine cracks appeared on the knight's armor, from which streams of light escaped.
The knight stopped attacking and stood still.
The armor peeled off his body with a crisp sound.
Beneath the armor lay not flesh and blood, but only a deep void.
Those who stand here are ultimately not true knights.
But...
The knight raised his sword again and struck it against his shield.
Clang--
The sound was no longer clear and melodious, but rather had a hoarse, lingering resonance.
Gregor stared at him, lava coalescing into a shield, and an axe blade slammed upwards.
The two shields clashed from afar, and the two parted in silence.
The next moment, the knight unleashed a massive arc of light slash from below.
The shield vanished, Gregor, wielding his axe in both hands, brought it down in a downward strike.
The silent annihilation of light and darkness.
The knight transformed into countless golden dust particles that danced in the air.
Rumble--
The treasure chest slowly rose from where the light and dust dissipated, and portals lit up on both sides of the hall.
In the link, Vane's shouting and Gorth's calm questioning flooded into his mind almost simultaneously.
Communication was restored, but there was no joyful cheering in the hall.
The swirling golden dust did not completely dissipate; instead, it seemed to be drawn towards Gregor's shield.
The weapon hovered in mid-air, its form becoming ethereal and uncertain, before finally splitting in two, transforming into the knight's sword and shield.
From the depths of the void, a voice resounded.
Sword and Shield
[Your choice is--]