A massive castle loomed ahead, swallowed by a heavy, eerie mist.
White and black smoke curled through the air, dancing across the broken walls and empty courtyard, giving the place an aura of death and abandonment.
Alex stepped forward, his boots echoing faintly against the cracked marble floor. As he entered the long corridor, rows of portraits lined both walls—each depicting nobles of past eras.
The deeper he went, the newer the portraits became. The faces slowly aged in reverse, each painting showing younger, prouder expressions, until he reached the very last one.
It hung directly before a colossal set of doors, their surfaces engraved with silver runes. The final painting depicted a man with white hair and piercing silver eyes, clad in immaculate armor of the same hue. He held his helmet in one arm and gazed outward with an expression of absolute dominance.
Alex studied the portrait silently.
So this is what he looked like... he thought. Velkar, the Fallen Knight. I didn't know much about this boss in my past life—my mission was different back then.
He exhaled slowly, steeling himself. Then he reached for the door and pushed it open.
The heavy doors groaned and swung wide.
Instantly, a wave of ghastly aura surged outward, pressing against Alex's skin like icy wind. The stench of rust and decay filled the air.
Inside the grand chamber stood Velkar—the same figure from the painting, though now his once-silver armor was cracked and blackened, his eyes burning with faint blue fire. Around him floated twenty Chain Wraiths and five Iron Lashes, each radiating killing intent.
The doors slammed shut behind Alex with a thunderous boom.
For a moment, silence ruled. Then, as if on command, the monsters moved.
Five Chain Wraiths and two Iron Lashes lunged forward. Chains rattled, metal scraped, and the air seemed to warp from their combined presence.
Alex planted his scythe firmly into the ground and reached into his coat. In one fluid motion, he drew three daggers—each gleaming faintly with mana.
He poured more energy into them, their edges flaring blue, and with a sharp flick of his wrist, hurled them forward.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The daggers pierced through the skulls of three Chain Wraiths, their forms unraveling into smoke before they could even shriek.
Alex gripped the handle of his scythe and pulled it free, spinning it once before hurling it like a spinning blade toward the two remaining wraiths.
The scythe rotated in midair like a dark crescent moon, slicing through both Wraiths' heads in one clean arc. Their bodies collapsed into mist as the weapon continued its spin toward the advancing Iron Lash.
Before the scythe could strike, the Iron Lash swung its blade-like arm, deflecting the attack with a metallic clang! The weapon flew off course—but before it even hit the ground, Alex was already there.
He vanished from his previous spot in a blur of motion and reappeared in front of the falling scythe. Catching it midair by the handle, he used his momentum to bring it crashing down.
SLASH!
The blade cleaved straight through the Iron Lash's chest, splitting its body in two. Sparks and fragments of corrupted metal scattered across the stone floor.
The second Iron Lash screeched and lunged. Its massive blade arms swung down with brutal force—but Alex was faster. He ducked low and slashed at its legs first, severing one cleanly.
The creature faltered, its balance lost, crashing down on one knee. Before it could recover, Alex stepped forward and delivered a devastating punch straight into its head.
CRACK!
The Iron Lash's skull shattered like stone under his strike, its head embedding deep into the floor. Its body convulsed once before falling still.
Alex withdrew his bloodstained hand from the crushed remains and exhaled slowly. He turned his gaze upward, his eyes meeting the burning blue ones of Velkar, who had yet to move.
The air grew heavier, darker—like the calm before a storm.
Alex raised his scythe and pointed it forward, the weapon pulsing faintly with shadow energy.
"You're next," he said, his tone calm yet carrying an edge sharp enough to cut through the oppressive silence.
Velkar's hollow eyes narrowed, and the sound of clanking armor filled the chamber as the fallen knight finally began to move.
Velkar's hollow eyes narrowed, and the sound of clanking armor filled the chamber as the fallen knight finally began to move.
The battle for the second floor had truly begun.