Gah, My Swift Slash!!!

Wow, the newcomers are three big guys dressed in lots of cloth!

Their crimson spirit bodies, the hard armor covering every inch of their skin, and their eyes flashing with battle intent—it was clear they were the best of the best among the soul-devouring ghosts!

Every intruder wore an animal headgear, completely obscuring their faces. Their names were merely code names, making it impossible to know their true identities.

Black Dog, Snot Slug, and Big Goat —these three are sure to bring Leon and his friends endless surprises!

"It's true what they say, what you say comes true." Leon drew his straight sword and asked Delu to make him a magic shield. When it comes to dealing with people, you still need some protective gear.

He sized up the three intruders in front of him. They were all wearing armor ranging from light to medium armor, and their weapons included broadswords, hammers, daggers, and the like. Each of them had bulging waistbands, as if they were hiding some surprise items.

These people did not carry the items commonly known for fighting monsters. Judging from their posture, it was clear that the equipment of these three was entirely designed to target "humans"!

The difference between Leon and them is like the difference between the Survey Corps that kills Titans and the Military Police that kill people in Attack on Titan.

"Get out of here," Leon said with a gloomy face, his blond hair billowing like a lion, exuding an imposing aura.

The lead Black Dog shrugged, spreading its hands and shaking its head, but didn't say a word.

It seems these people understand that being intruders is something that can't be done in the open, and they need to find ways to hide themselves, including their voices. As for why they don't use voice-changing magic—

Almost simultaneously, a red magical light flashed across the bodies of all members on both sides. This was a sign of a low-level Furious Rajang spell, which increased attack power.

Delu immediately looked up at the other side and saw the intruder nicknamed "Snot Slug" holding a magic wand, beckoning to him with his free hand.

The other side also has a mage? Then what we need to do next is self-evident!

"[Silence Spell]!"

Delu reacted swiftly, casting Silence Spell on the Snot Slug that prevented it from using magic. The slug was a step too slow, but it didn't need to chant, because it had torn open a magic scroll.

The name of this scroll is—[Mass Silence Spell]!

The magical fluctuations enveloped both sides, and as a result, magic was disabled for a period of time.

"Tsk." Delu was forced to switch to his usual self-defense hammer, but his close-combat skills were weak. He might be stronger than average, but his fighting techniques were lacking.

In terms of the outcome, he has been weakened.

The clash between the two mages occurred in an instant, and in that short time, the Black Dog and the Big Goat had already charged over.

There's no point in saying more; the only solution is to send these guys back to be resurrected!

The Black Dog's greatsword struck Leon's shield squarely, but fortunately, the Silence Spell couldn't affect the already deployed magical shield.

Leon pushed aside the intruder, only to see Snot Slug swinging Wolf Tooth Club he'd pulled out from somewhere and smashing it at Delu. Knowing Delu wasn't good at close combat, he turned to go and help.

"Smack!"

A powerful whip suddenly wrapped around his ankle and pulled hard, causing him to lose his balance immediately.

It's Black Dog, and his secondary weapon is actually a long whip?

"Malu, go help Delu!"

Leon shouted this as he was thrown into the air.

On the other side, Te Er faced off against the Big Goat, both of whom were equally tall and evenly matched.

The Big Goat voluntarily discarded its weapon and made a provocative gesture towards Te Er with its bare hands.

Te Er looked at the Big Goat that had provoked him, then at the hammer in his hand, and chuckled.

"Do you think I'm stupid?!"

He swung the hammer and smashed it!

The other person grabbed the hammer head with his bare hands, letting out a muffled groan as the ground beneath his feet shattered.

Slightly weaker Te Er in strength, but still capable of fighting!

On Delu's side, he and Malu together were just enough to contend with the Snot Slug, but in reality, they were slightly better, as the slug couldn't keep up with Malu's speed.

However, there was no way to break through their defenses. Underneath their thick robes was very hard armor, and fighting them felt like hitting Iron Ball.

But this Snot Slug is a fake magician; he's much more adept at wielding his Wolf Tooth Club than at using magic.

Even a slight brush could result in injury, forcing Delu and Malu to be extremely cautious and somewhat restrained in their fighting.

Battles between people can be quick or slow.

Leon had already fought the Black Dog for dozens of rounds, and the latter's armor had been damaged in many places. On the other hand, Leon was almost unharmed, except for being a little out of breath.

This is the true value of the Strategy Team; a soul-devouring ghost emerging from some obscure corner could never defeat him.

However, he couldn't see any joy on his face. During the battle, he always felt awkward fighting. His opponent seemed to know his fighting style very well and was always able to make targeted reactions and avoid many moves.

So these invaders.

"You trained specifically to target me?" This was the only possibility Leon could think of.

Is someone, or some organization, targeting me?

The Black Dog remained silent, but he twisted his waist in a rather irritating and flamboyant manner.

"Forget it, I'm tired of fighting you."

The magic shield had reached its limit of duration, and as it turned to dust and dissipated, Leon discarded his straight sword and drew his Backhand Sword.

"I originally intended to defeat you in a normal way, but I still need to explore the dungeon and don't have time to entertain you."

When the Backhand Sword was gripped, Leon felt a sense of security.

This is his unique second phase!

When the Swift Slash occurs, no one can escape its grasp.

The Black Dog clearly knew the power of the Swift Slash. Where it got the information was no longer important. What mattered was that it did not show any fear.

As Leon charged forward with Swift Slash, Black Dog, overestimating his abilities, spread his arms wide, intending to use a grappling move; his armor gleamed with an eerie light.

But doing so will only result in being attacked in the face by sword energy!

He had taken almost all the damage, and the sharp Backhand Sword had ripped his prized armor to shreds.

A deep, bone-revealing wound appeared on his chest, and a large amount of blood gushed out. Before he fell, Leon used Swift Slash on him once again.

"Bang!"

The Black Dog fell to the ground in the same pose as Yamcha, unable to get up!

Leon charged toward the other two enemies without stopping.

Snot Slug and Big Goat charged at him fearlessly, and they quietly patted his armor, causing its surface to glow.

Wherever the Swift Slash sword energy reached, fragments of armor flew everywhere, and the intruders fell one after another.

The Snot Slug -like spirit that devours souls is dead!

The soul-sucking ghost "Big Goat" is dead!

Leon walked up to the dying Black Dog, stepped on its head, and said in an icy tone, "Speak, what is your purpose?"

The Black Dog raised its hand and punched Leon's calf, the price being a pierced wrist, along with its arm guard.

"Stop playing tricks, just tell me."

"Heh," the Black Dog deliberately pinched its throat, making its voice sound sharp and shrill, "You've fallen for my trap."

Leon's brow furrowed even deeper. What? He'd fallen into a trap? He'd clearly defeated all the invaders—

"Snap!"

It sounded like something had fallen to the ground with a dull thud.

Leon looked down and saw a decaying blade, long and winding, which looked just like his Backhand Sword.

He quickly looked at his hand and saw that the Backhand Sword had been corroded to the point that only the hilt remained!

After being corroded, can the Swift Slash Ash still remain on it?

No, no, the question we should be concerned with now is how these intruders managed to do it?

"You--"

The soul-devouring ghost "Black Dog" is dead!

The intruder's spirit began to dissipate, and the Backhand Sword forked in his arm was corroded down to just the hilt, falling to the ground with a clatter.

Leon stared at his corroded Backhand Sword, still somewhat bewildered.

If the Sword Saint Gapar were here, he would recognize that the armor of these three invaders was made from the shell of a monster from the dungeon.

There is only one type of monster that can corrode weapons— the Rust Monster!

These invaders used the shells of the Rust Monster to create armor, retaining its corrosive properties and turning them into equipment skills that could be activated actively.

The cost of using this skill seems to be that it makes the armor more fragile, which explains why Leon felt much more comfortable fighting earlier.

Black Dog and his gang knew how powerful Swift Slash was, so they deliberately set a trap!

But what good was it? Although he successfully damaged Leon's Backhand Sword, he also died.

The Spirit Power penalty for an intruder's death is quite severe; an intruder will reach the danger zone after dying a maximum of three times a day.

Surely he can't possibly have another way to invade Leon, right?

"Me, my Backhand Sword"

Leon muttered to himself, his face filled with sorrow. Although he didn't shout or scream, silent grief is sometimes even more painful.

His current sorrow is even greater than that of Shu Ouma, who has lost his power as king!

"Boss"

Malu walked over to Leon and patted him on the shoulder. "Please accept my condolences."

"Me, me"

Leon, panting heavily, recalled his moments with the Backhand Sword. Memories flooded his mind, turning his sorrow into rage.

I'm going to scatter them!

I'm going to hack into these bastards too!

Don't let me find out who you are!

He jumped to his feet, wiped his face, and put on his usual smile, saying kindly:

"I'm fine, Malu, don't worry."

"Are you sure you don't need to?"

Malu shuddered. She felt that Leon was even more terrifying now that he was smiling, as if a lion was hiding in his eyes.

"Absolutely not."

Leon ruffled her hair and chuckled, "Let's go, we still need to explore the dungeon today. When we get back, I'll go to the blacksmith's shop to see if it can be repaired."

Although Malu really wanted to persuade him to go home and calm down, the oppressive feeling emanating from him made her unable to say anything.

Let's try to take care of the eldest son and prevent him from being further agitated.

That's what Malu thought, however.

After walking along the path of the Death Knight for a short while, another prompt appeared before them.

[The body has been invaded by the soul-sucking ghost "Lao Ma"!]

[The body has been invaded by the soul-devouring demon "Xi Ke"!]