Lexel's frown deepened.
The air in the forest clearing changed. The laughter and arrogance of the gray knight (Fodler) vanished, replaced by a cold, heavy silence.
The pressure this new man gave off was suffocating. It wasn't the kind of power Lexel was used to—not the roaring ocean of his mother, or the burning sun of his father. This was... different.
The air itself seemed to kneel.
The three brothers stood side-by-side, Seleron and Myda unconsciously mirroring Lexel. Their blades were half-drawn.
A shiver ran through the trembling gray knight. He stumbled, then fell to his knees, his face suddenly full of tears and ecstatic relief. He shouted, "I'm saved! Please help me! These devils wiped out my entire party! I'm the only one left!"
The Black Knight glanced over his shoulder. It was a single, dismissive look. In that one glance, his System—cold and precise—flared before his eyes.
[Name: Fodler]
[Lv 30]
[Class: Knight]
[Guild: Gray Shield]
"It is to be expected," the Black Knight said, his voice deep and steady, without a hint of anger or surprise. It was the voice of a man checking an inventory. "You bit more than you could chew. Such is the risk of the 'Black Portal.'"
He raised one heavy, black-gauntleted hand. A green glow shimmered in the air, and a greatsword materialized from thin air. It was huge, nearly as tall as the knight himself, its dark, jade-like edge pulsing faintly, like a heart.
"Damn," Lexel muttered, forcing a grin. "That's a cool sword."
"Too big for my taste," Seleron said, rolling his shoulders. His "Void Art" was about precision, not brute force.
"I'm not a sword user," Myda added, cracking his knuckles. "I use knives for cooking. But I think I can find a use for it."
I'm saved... I'm saved! Fodler thought, his chest swelling with relief—and a new, vindictive pride. He sneered at the three brothers. "It ends for you now, you [Unregistered] freaks!"
The Black Knight turned his gaze upon them. His cold, intelligent eyes lingered on each of them for a second. Lexel felt that scanning sensation again, but this time it was heavy, like a stone dragging across his skin.
Then, the Black Knight's lips curved. "As expected."
His System had tried to scan their data... and failed.
"Their loot shall be mine, and mine alone," the Black Knight said, his voice a law. "Got that?"
"W-what?" Fodler stammered, his relief vanishing.
The Black Knight simply raised a dark brow.
"O-of course!" Fodler squeaked, quickly scrambling backward.
Lexel tilted his head, his own cold smirk now on his face. "You sure you want to go against us by yourself? The last four weren't much of a warm-up."
"I alone am enough."
The greatsword's edge pulsed. A ripple of emerald-green light—that energy—spread outward, crushing the wind itself.
"Gravity Root."
The words struck like law.
Lexel gasped as the air didn't just turn thick (like his mother's pressure); it turned solid. His knees buckled. The ground beneath him cracked. Even breathing felt like dragging iron through his lungs. His armor—his Cultivation-forged gauntlets—screamed under the strain. His weapon, usually as light as a feather, now felt like a mountain.
Beside him, Seleron and Myda groaned, forced to one knee, their own Cultivation "fields" imploding under this alien pressure.
What... what is this?! Lexel thought, his arms shaking. Just... just a single skill—!
From the back, he heard Fodler (the gray knight) gasp in terrified awe. "This pressure... this is what a Level 90 Knight feels like!"
Level 90? Lexel's mind raced. What does that even MEAN?!
The Black Knight walked toward them. He was unaffected by his own skill. Each measured, merciless step seemed to bend the world around him. The forest bent with every motion; leaves trembled, tore free, and fell in heavy spirals, drawn by the invisible weight.
"Shit!" Seleron spat through clenched teeth. His muscles bulged, veins standing out like cords as he fought the "law," forcing his body upright, one agonizing inch at a time.
The Black Knight stopped, his shadow falling over Lexel, swallowing him whole. "It's over."
He raised his greatsword, the jade-green energy flaring. He brought it down, not in a slash, but in a cleave designed to execute all three of them.
CLANG!
Sparks erupted, bright-white against the green-black gloom. The ground split—but the blade stopped.
Midway.
The Black Knight looked down, his calm expression finally showing a hint of surprise.
Lexel's hands were gripping the blade. His gauntlets were cracked, his palms were bleeding—his Cultivation-blood dripping onto the blade. Yet his eyes, looking up, gleamed with pure, unfiltered defiance.
"Impressive," the Black Knight said, his voice flat.
"Yeah... well..." Lexel smirked through clenched, bloody teeth, "you should see what my brother can do."
"Now, Seleron!"
Seleron's aura flared. He was free. "Void Art—!"
The air distorted. Heaven and Hell spun into one. His blade drew both extremes—light and shadow intertwining into one merciless edge.
"CLEAVE!"
He swung.
The sky cracked. The clouds tore open as the arc of his blade ripped through them. A shockwave of unmaking blasted through the forest, uprooting trees and hurling stones like leaves.
Fodler ducked, shielding his eyes from the storm of dust.
When the air cleared, he looked—and his jaw dropped.
The Black Knight stood unmoved.
A long, deep scar marred his black armor, smoking faintly from the "Void Art" eating at the metal.
...But no blood flowed. The scar was... fading.
"Are you... kidding me..." Seleron whispered, his eyes trembling. That strike... that strike should have cut mountains...
"It's not over!" Myda roared, leaping past Lexel. His hand burned crimson. He was channeling his Cultivation, his attribute, into his palm. He pressed it directly against the Black Knight's face.
"Prometheus Tongue!"
Flames erupted. White, furious, divine flames. The explosion swallowed them whole, a column of fire that burned the air.
Fodler, the gray knight, was still cowering. He saw the fire spread. "No, no, no— AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
His armor melted. His skin turned to ash. In seconds, there was nothing left but dust. The minion had been vaporized by a boss's attack.
Myda collapsed, landing on one knee, panting. "Haah... haah... is that... all?"
The smoke parted.
The Black Knight stepped forward. His armor was... glowing faintly, but it was untouched. Not even a scorch mark remained. It had nullified the heat.
"Is that all?" His calm voice cut through the fading roar.
"Myda, look out!" Lexel shouted.
The Knight's gauntlet clenched. His arm moved—a blur that was faster than Seleron, stronger than Lexel. A single, "hollow" punch crashed into Myda's gut.
The force detonated like thunder.
"Guha!" Myda's mouth burst open, a spray of blood arcing through the air. He was sent flying, a cannonball crashing through ancient roots and solid rock.
"Die!" Seleron charged, his Void Art reforming—
He was caught mid-step. A heavy, black boot slammed into his chest. A crack of breaking ribs echoed, and Seleron was launched backward, skidding across the clearing.
"Seleron!" Lexel tried to rise, but he lost his grip on the greatsword. The weapon tore free. The Black Knight, in a single fluid motion, swung the flat of the blade, smashing Lexel aside, sending him tumbling into his brothers.
The trio lay in a heap, broken and bloody.
"Fuck... we need... help..." Myda hissed, blood dripping from his mouth.
The Black Knight straightened, his presence swallowing the clearing. He showed no emotion. He wasn't even breathing hard. "You'll find none."
He raised his greatsword. The jade-green blade began to hum, to vibrate. The power it gathered was immense—far greater than the "Gravity Root." This was not a control skill. This was an extermination.
"Giga Slash."
Light bloomed. The air froze for a single heartbeat.
Then it exploded.
BOOOOOOM!
A flash brighter than the sun consumed the forest. Dozens of trees were cleaved clean, entire rows collapsing like grass before a storm. The shockwave rolled outward, flattening everything in its wake.
When the light faded, three bodies lay sprawled on the ground, their "Cultivation"-forged armor shattered, their blood trickling into the roots of the earth. Their eyes were dull and unfocused.
Lexel's fingers twitched once.
Then... silence.
The forest was dead quiet—save for the crackle of fading energy and the soft step of the Black Knight's boots as he sheathed his blade.
"Futile," he said, turning his gaze toward the lingering portal. "Even miracles die when faced with levels beyond their reach."
Then another set of boots came in—a full party of four.