NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27
Death Knight.
A powerful Undead created from the corpse of a knight by an Evil Dark Mage.
Of course, the knowledge I possess is nothing more than a figment of imagination.
However, the opponent who revealed itself before me was real.
Cold sweat dripped down my back.
The strength of the Death Knight I knew was beyond imagination.
Now wielding wicked mana, the Death Knight displayed power far surpassing that of its living self.
However, this creature was not the Death Knight I was familiar with.
Crack!
At that moment, the Death Knight lunged forward.
Its legs dashed rapidly, supported by swirling purple mana.
That overwhelming murderous intent triggered an involuntary reaction from my body.
Clang!
“Ugh! Ugh!”
The sword I reflexively raised blocked the Death Knight’s strike.
In an instant of impact, I realized something.
This creature’s strength far exceeded mine.
“This… this can’t be…! Seris! Just hold on a bit longer!”
Isoline’s urgent voice scattered around me.
Could I really hold up? Using only swordsmanship?
My contemplation didn’t last long. The Death Knight’s sword was already again flying toward my body.
The storm-like barrage of strikes aimed to give no room for thought.
Clang! Clang!
“Ugh…”
Groans escaped between my tightly clenched teeth.
Each clash of swords reverberated sharply through my hands.
Even with my body enhanced by mana, I was being overwhelmed in power.
I couldn’t even imagine a counterattack, let alone catch my breath.
All my focus had to go into defense.
Still, I couldn’t block every attack from the Death Knight.
As time passed, I grew weary, unlike the undying Death Knight, which had no signs of fatigue.
Then, at that moment, the Death Knight’s sword traced a strange arc.
That movement was almost snake-like, as the wicked mana-wrapped serpent evaded my sword and lunged straight for my chest.
It was a split-second strike. I had no chance to defend or even think to dodge.
Gah!
As I allowed the blow, my vision flickered and the balance of my body broke.
It felt like all the oxygen inside me escaped through my mouth.
“Ugh…!”
Using the force of the impact, I staggered back, clutching my chest.
I felt the sensation of torn leather at my fingertips and the sticky warmth of blood.
The wound was shallow. It meant it wouldn’t impede my movements.
It was a moment worth the expensive price paid for crafting Ogre leather gear.
Boom!
The explosion came suddenly.
The Death Knight staggered back, entangled in the blast.
Curious as to what happened, I turned my head slightly and saw Isoline engulfed in a storm of mana, aiming her wand.
At that moment, the Death Knight corrected its stance and began to move again.
Its long legs quickly closed the distance toward Isoline.
It aimed to deal with her, the source of the threatening attacks, first.
In this world, wizards become defenseless when casting spells.
I had only encountered two wizards so far, so I couldn’t be sure everyone was the same.
However, I could tell Isoline needed my help.
Pretending to be an ordinary swordsman was over.
Though Isoline’s probing would likely follow after the fight, I had no hesitation in my actions.
Hiss!
The mana circle forming around my heart began to spin rapidly.
The white starlight mixed with blue chill mana dashed past the burning ring of flames.
The mana flowing from my heart surged through my arms, extending toward the tip of my sword.
Whoosh!
The starlight mana shot off in a straight line, freezing everything in its path with the cold chill.
First, the air became icy solid, and white frost settled upon it.
However, the Death Knight, struck directly by this mana, did not stop moving.
Though its speed had slowed, its sword still shot toward Isoline.
Clang!
Slowing down proved effective.
I drew a ragged breath but managed to successfully block the Death Knight’s sword.
I could feel Isoline’s gaze burning into my back, but I had no time to look back.
Screech!
As the cold chill began to dissipate, the frost clinging to the Death Knight’s form fell away.
Its movements began to return to normal.
At that moment, Isoline’s voice reached me.
“Seris! Get out of the way!”
I could feel the rough mana swirling around.
Her second spell was complete.
I swiftly rolled to the side.
Boom!
The mana sphere that shot toward the Death Knight exploded.
A fierce flame burst forth, and the impact of the explosion trembled the dungeon as it seemed ready to collapse.
I frowned. Even amidst the chaotic explosion, the Death Knight stood unscathed.
Its armor might have been severely dented, but its movements showed no change.
“Haa…”
I exhaled slowly and gathered my mana once more.
The starlight mana swirling in my heart dashed forward toward my sword.
I swung my sword, now wrapped in starlight, at the Death Knight.
The Death Knight’s swordsmanship was systematic, elegant, and at times, razor-sharp.
Especially the bizarre swordplay that moved like a snake became a nuisance; every time its tip wiggled strangely, the Death Knight’s sword would inevitably slice toward my vital points.
As the fight dragged on, the blood flowing from my body increased.
The once sturdy Ogre leather was now tattered, and my cloak, draped behind me, had long since fallen away.
My body was quickly growing weary.
Howl!
As I blocked the powerful swing, strength left my hands.
My exhausted body could no longer hold on, and I dropped my sword.
The sword slipped from my hand, spun quickly, and hit the ceiling before falling to the floor.
“Dammit…”
A curse fell naturally from my lips.
Yet it remained unfinished.
A follow-up attack from the Death Knight was coming.
With its sword raised high, it aimed for my exposed upper body where I had lost my weapon.
I hurriedly lifted my hands, releasing mana.
The cold chill began to gather at my fingertips, forming an unstable sword.
Clang!
The ice I had formed, of course, shattered immediately.
As shards of white frost scattered, a fierce downward strike fell upon me.
Crack!
The solid blade penetrated deeply, tearing through the fragile skin underneath.
Using that force, the Death Knight sent my body flying aside.
“AAARGH…!”
The Death Knight did not finish me off as I tumbled across the floor.
It seemed confident I was unable to move, advancing instead toward Isoline.
And at that moment, Isoline’s spell was completed once more.
The mana sphere that shot from her wand flew toward the Death Knight, resulting in a massive explosion.
“AAARGH!”
Isoline, nearby the Death Knight, couldn’t escape the blast either.
Isoline was sent flying by the explosion, with her only weapon, the wand, tumbling to the ground before rolling into a corner.
I raised my head in daze. The wand that had fallen to the ground rolled right in front of me.
“Seris! Throw it!”
Isoline shouted, telling me to toss her weapon.
Logically, that would be the right call.
However, I did not do so.
I grasped the fallen wand in my hand and stood up.
My legs trembled, and one side of my vision blurred, but I had no issue moving my arms.
“Seris!!!”
Isoline’s voice became muffled.
A severe headache throbbed, and my whole body began to warm rapidly.
This place was a world where swords and magic thrived.
There were wizards and dragons, and the appearance of a Death Knight indicated the presence of Evil Dark Mages.
Everything that had only existed in my imagination had now become reality.
Suddenly, a question popped into my mind.
Then, could I not bring my imagination into reality as well?
Recognizing the existence of mana, I began to construct my own inner world.
Countless starlights unfolded beyond my blurred vision.
Each star represented another world I had perceived, indicating the potential contained within mana.
Hiss!
A sound only I could hear began to whirl.
The mana circle resting within my heart spun fast.
The blazing ring of fire displayed its raw nature without filters, starting to consume my body.
“Haa…”
Fwoosh!
The breath escaping my lips shimmered with flames.
At my current level, I couldn’t draw upon Kalbain’s Mana.
However, utilizing the power of the Mana Stone, I could guide the direction of movement.
The heat that had been enveloping my body began to flow out.
That heat directed toward the wand gripped tightly in my right hand.
Hiss!
At the same time, another mana circle began to rotate.
Gathering all the remaining mana within, I formed a blue chill.
The starlight-wrapped mana flowed to my left hand.
Both hands now contained opposing powers.
In that moment, beyond my hazy vision, one starlight sparkled brightly.
Simultaneously, the figure of a man appeared.
A character from another world that only I knew.
The Emperor of the Northern Sea displayed a curious posture, his hands embodying opposing energies.
And I moved in sync with that motion.
The moment the conflicting powers merged into one, they pushed against each other with tremendous force.
A rough storm began to surge between my small hands, and the impact caused the wand I held to shatter, leaving only the Mana Stone.
I could endure no more than this.
I gritted my teeth and thrust my hands forward.
The turbulent storm that had been pushing against each other surged forth.
The ferocious storm obliterated everything in its path.
The ground was torn away, and the formerly blocked walls crumbled to reveal what lay beyond.
The Death Knight caught in the storm was far from fine.
Its upper body had vanished somewhere, and the sword it wielded flew into a corner, embedding itself within the wall.
At that moment, the lower half of the Death Knight collapsed.
The purple mana that had inhabited it disappeared, confirming its death.
I wasn’t sure if it was fitting to say an already dead Undead had died again, but no other expression came to mind.
“Ah…”
My body began to tilt, collapsing to the cold ground.
I had experienced a backlash from using all the mana left within me.
“That… that magic… what on earth…”
Through the fading haze of my consciousness, I heard Isoline’s voice.
I smiled and responded. I wasn’t sure if my answer reached her, but I could say it clearly.
“Dual Polarities…”
As I finished speaking, my voice faded, and my consciousness sank.