Future Knight

Chapter 136

Dark Knight

In the dark gloom, Dark Elves with glowing red eyes were constantly scanning their surroundings with intense vigilance. They looked like caged wild beasts.

The back of their heads bore the unmistakable marks of surgery, evidence of the forced physical enhancement procedures conducted by humans.

To use the elite of the Dark Elf tribe as mere test subjects was an unbearable insult to the honorable Dark Shadows.

However, among them was one who had voluntarily undergone the surgery.

A top-level Sword Expert, on the brink of becoming a Sword Master.

He was Keremion, burning with a desire for revenge against Kang Chan.

Keremion had allied with a demon in his quest to defeat Kang Chan.

With a gaunt face, he was waiting for the moment he would confront Kang Chan.

‘This time, I will definitely kill you…’

While he was silently sharpening his resolve, the Dark Knight unit received their deployment orders.

Keremion grabbed his weapon and shouted to his subordinates.

“Deploy! Fully arm yourselves and gather at the magic circle!”

“Yes!”

As the armored and armed Dark Elves began to step onto the teleportation magic circle one by one, the circle transported them somewhere.

It was a teleportation magic circle created by the high-ranking magicians of the Visman Empire, and their destination was the battlefield.

* * *

Under the setting sun, a fortress in ruins was burning.

This was the work of Kang Chan, Saxon, Elradian, and Urkanta, who had already laid waste to five such fortresses in a single day.

They targeted only the largest ones.

After a very busy day, they were preparing to teleport to their next target without any rest.

There were still so many fortresses left to destroy.

However, their teleportation did not go as planned.

A fierce attack by supersonic fighters had begun.

The dragons no longer had the luxury of time to teleport them.

As hundreds of attacks equivalent to 7th circle magic rained down, even the dragons had to focus all their efforts on defense.

Through the sky filled with fighters, eight Zaid units also descended upon Zikyon and Rekracion.

The air was suddenly filled with massive explosions and light, and the ground shook with thunderous blasts.

“Zikyon!”

“Lady Zikyon!”

Kang Chan and Sylphiris, who were aboard the Red Rabbit, simultaneously cried out Zikyon’s name.

Looking up at the sky, Kang Chan could hardly bear his worry for Zikyon, who was under sudden attack.

But Zikyon and Rekracion were not ones to fall so easily.

As Ancient-grade Dragons and dragons close to that level, they used Blink to evade the attacks while casting powerful area-of-effect magic.

“Freezing Blizzard!”

The two dragons combined their powers to cast a wide-range ice spell.

Instantly, the area turned into an extreme cold zone, and the moisture in the air became sharp ice crystals.

As those crystals swirled violently with the power of mana, a sudden blizzard and small typhoon appeared in the clear sky.

The typhoon engulfed the unmanned combat aircraft attacking the dragons.

The ultimate ice spell, Freezing Blizzard, which could turn even the toughest wyverns into rags, struck the unmanned combat aircraft.

Zikyon was confident that the enemy’s fighter-like aircraft would be annihilated by the Freezing Blizzard.

However, an unbelievable sight unfolded before Zikyon’s eyes.

The unmanned combat aircraft were merely deflected by the sharp ice crystals; they did not break apart.

The unmanned combat aircraft were much sturdier than expected.

Designed to withstand collisions with small asteroids while moving at tremendous speeds in space, they were also protected by small energy shields like the Zaid units. Their durability was beyond Zikyon’s imagination.

“Damn those pesky flies!”

Zikyon inhaled deeply and unleashed a breath attack at the enemies.

Having recently expended much of her breath on Elmazen, its power was less than half, but it was still formidable.

As Zikyon’s breath scattered the Freezing Blizzard and exploded forth, one unmanned combat aircraft in front of her instantly exploded.

Even with an energy shield, it could not withstand Zikyon’s breath, which had the output of a warship.

But that was the end of it.

The maneuverability of the unmanned combat aircraft, moving at Mach 7 speeds, was beyond the reach of the dragon’s abilities, easily evading Zikyon’s breath.

Watching the fighters, Zikyon felt she had wasted her energy and reluctantly resorted to her final card, a wide-area Reverse Gravity spell.

The unmanned combat aircraft noticeably slowed down, indicating the effectiveness of the spell. However, while Reverse Gravity held them in place, the Zaid’s buster cannons took advantage of the weakened defenses, flying in from all directions. Zikyon cursed and released the Reverse Gravity spell to block the incoming buster cannons.

“Ugh! These annoying pests! They’re worse than the demons from the underworld!”

“Fighting those underworld demons would indeed be easier.”

To the dragons, who had lived for thousands of years, humans seemed more troublesome than the demon lords of the underworld.

While Zikyon and Rekracion were fiercely battling the fighters and the Zaids in the sky, Kang Chan and the Sword Masters were facing twenty black Gigantes that had suddenly appeared before them. The enemies were clearly Dark Elves.

However, something felt off. These Dark Elves exuded an alien energy, distinctly different from those they had encountered in the past.

They showed no fear in the face of the Sword Masters. They displayed neither anger nor a desire for victory.

Moreover, the intense flow of mana emanating from their Gigantes felt abnormal.

Kang Chan recognized this energy all too well.

It was the same energy he used himself.

“No way?”

Kang Chan hoped his worry was unfounded. But unfortunately, his worry soon became reality.

As the Dark Elves pushed their combat modes to the maximum, mana burst forth from their Gigantes as if it were about to explode.

The mana was nearly at the level of a Sword Master.

The ones subjected to the forced physical enhancement surgeries were all high-level Sword Experts and Arc Shadows, each possessing the skill level of an elite knight of a nation.

It was heartbreaking that such capable warriors had become mere test subjects for Zvezda, but their displayed abilities were astonishing.

Each one of them, like Kang Chan, manifested an enormous aura sword, nearly six meters in length. Saxon, Elradian, and Urkanta were left speechless at the sight of such massive aura swords.

They had never heard of a Sword Expert wielding such a gigantic aura sword.

Only Elradian felt that Kang Chan and these Dark Elves bore some resemblance.

He had witnessed Kang Chan unleash a giant aura blade when he activated his combat mode.

But there was no time to dwell on that thought.

The Dark Elves launched their attack with incredible speed.

Elradian was the first to clash swords with an enemy and was pushed back two steps, unable to withstand the impact. The power in the Dark Elf’s sword was beyond imagination.

It was embarrassing for a Sword Master to be pushed back by a mere Expert-level opponent, but the enemy’s swordsmanship felt far too powerful for an Expert.

『You dare!』

Elradian swung his aura blade with the intent to cleave the Dark Elf before him, but the Dark Elves effortlessly parried the attack.

Their reflexes and movements were beyond those of typical Sword Experts. Additionally, what shocked him even more was the Dark Elf’s swordsmanship.

It was undoubtedly Elven swordsmanship. Not just any Elven swordsmanship, but the highest level.

‘How can a Dark Elf master such high-level Elven swordsmanship?’

As Elradian exchanged blows with the Dark Elf, he gradually realized the truth about his opponent.

『No, it can’t be, Keremion?』

At the mention of Keremion, the black Gigantes flinched momentarily but then pressed Elradian even harder.

『What has happened to you, Keremion!』

There was no way Elradian could fail to recognize the swordsmanship of his disciple, whom he had trained for centuries.

It was indeed Keremion.

But he was no longer the Keremion of old.

He was now a Dark Elf consumed by revenge and hatred.

『Do not call me by that filthy name with your mouth!』

『What did you say?』

『Don’t speak my name so familiarly! It’s disgusting!』

Boom!

Seeing his supposedly dead disciple Keremion reappear as a Dark Elf was a tremendous mental shock for Elradian.

In the gap created by this shock, Keremion thrust his sword forward.

『Aaargh!』

『Master!』

Kang Chan, who was fighting another Dark Elf from a distance, saw Elradian’s Elven Knight being pierced by the enemy’s sword and rushed towards them.

He aimed a furious blow at Keremion, who was about to deliver the final strike.

『Get your hands off him!』

『You?』

Crackle!

Keremion twisted his body slightly, dodging Kang Chan’s attack, causing sparks to fly from his sword.

『Kang Chan!』

At the sudden mention of his name from the enemy Gigantes, Kang Chan flinched.

There was only one Dark Elf who knew his name.

『Keremion?』

『Ahahaha! What luck! To meet you so soon!』

『You bastard, pointing your sword at your master, are you out of your mind?』

『Serve that kind of master yourself. I have no interest. Besides, we have a debt to settle, don’t we?』

『A debt to settle between us?』

『Of course! I will collect that debt with your life! Haaap!』

Keremion pushed his combat mode to its final stage, and an immense power began to radiate from him.

He unleashed the power he had been warned about repeatedly, knowing that using it would mean he wouldn’t survive, all to confront Kang Chan.

『Ahahaha! Power! I have so much power!』

『No, could it be? Did he undergo the modification surgery?』

Kang Chan instinctively realized that Keremion had undergone the body modification surgery by humans.

Kang Chan decided to avoid a direct confrontation.

To face Keremion in his final combat mode, Kang Chan would have to use his own final combat mode as well.

Moreover, Keremion was doomed to die anyway, having used his final combat mode.

Kang Chan sent a communication spell to the Sword Masters.

『Let’s retreat to the sky for now.』

『Agreed.』

Kang Chan dodged Keremion’s sword and took Elradian with him, blinking into the sky. The other Sword Masters also leapt into the air.

The Dark Elves immediately unleashed a barrage of fire from the rail guns mounted on both of their hands.

『Where do you think you’re going!』

Boom! Bang!

『Argh!』

No matter how much they were protected by shields, it was impossible to completely block the concentrated fire from twenty enemy Gigantes.

『Damn it!』

Attacking them as they became easy targets in the sky were not only the Dark Elves on the ground.

A Phoenix appeared from somewhere and joined in, breathing fire at them.

Sensing the immense flow of mana, Elradian shouted.

『Everyone, evade!』

Though all four of them scattered to avoid the Phoenix’s attack, the Phoenix’s breath was faster.

As the Phoenix’s powerful breath, comparable to a Dragon’s breath, engulfed some of the Gigantes, the shields protecting them shattered like glass.

Elradian and Urkanta’s Gigantes were engulfed in flames and began to plummet.

『Master!』

Kang Chan lost his composure as he watched Elradian’s Gigantes fall into the jaws of the enemies below.

Elradian was as precious to him as Jaina.

『Combat mode to the maximum! Final safety mode release!』

– Combat mode maximum, final safety mode release.

For the first time since becoming a Sword Master, Kang Chan activated his combat mode to its limit, causing a chilling blue light to burst from the Red Rabbit’s Maglight Furnace, and the massive body of the Red Rabbit plummeted towards the ground.

『Aaaaargh!』

『Kang Chan!』

The Duke of Sachsen called out his name belatedly, but Kang Chan had already passed the falling Elradian and struck the enemies on the ground.

Dozens of aura swords attempted to tear apart Kang Chan’s Red Rabbit, but his aura blade, even more powerful, effortlessly shattered the enemies’ aura swords and swept across the ground.