Karamor, captain of the Steel Knight Order's Third Squad, was a taciturn Three-star Military Rank Knight with thinning hair. He stood only half a head taller than Reinhardt.
His brow was perpetually furrowed, as if burdened by countless worries. A long, stitched scar ran across his entire right cheek, hideous and terrifying.
His weapon wasn't the traditional longsword issued by the Knight Order, but a peculiar device fixed to his forearm. It resembled a hand crossbow, with an exceptionally exquisite design of interlocking mechanical structures and gears.
As the Abyss Legion's Evil Dragon Cavalry appeared on the distant horizon, an aura of Power—far stronger than Reinhardt's—spread out from Karamor's feet like a whining wind.
Immediately after, the gears on the crossbow fixed to his arm began to spin at high speed, and its mechanical structure expanded outward, layer by layer.
The small, exquisite crossbow, which had looked like a work of art, instantly transformed into a massive Crossbow Cannon! As Karamor drew the bowstring, his Knight Power roared in silence.
A shockwave of air erupted!
A deafening sonic boom erupted. A Crossbow Arrow formed purely from Power streaked through the sky, creating a terrifying vapor cone as it pierced straight through the massive body of an Evil Dragon. Without losing momentum, it crashed down into the Abyss Legion on the ground!
Such immense power was more persuasive than a thousand words!
Karamor's feat of felling an Evil Dragon Cavalryman with a single shot was like a shot of adrenaline, sweeping away the gloomy clouds of pre-battle tension and boosting everyone's morale!
The fortress walls, which had been deathly silent, erupted in a clamor.
As the first siege ladder hooked onto the ramparts, Knight Power gathered in Adrian's hands, forming two Frost Long Sabers. He raised his arms and roared!
"For our homes! For the glory of the Knight Order! For His Majesty the Emperor, supreme above all—! Soldiers, draw your weapons!"
The roars were like a tsunami!
The moment before he clashed with the Convicted Demons scaling the wall, Adrian turned his head to give Reinhardt a serious look.
"Protect yourself."
A dark purple light squirmed and twisted, rapidly covering every inch of Reinhardt's skin.
High-pressure air sacs hissed rhythmically.
Reinhardt took a deep breath, his intense focus stripping away all the noise around him. His vision narrowed to only the Convicted Demons climbing onto the wall one after another.
They stood over three meters tall, with jet-black scales like steel and Abyssal Fire burning eternally in their eye sockets. Their physiques were like that of giant bears, as immovable as iron towers! Their thick, sharp claws could crush a soldier's head with one hand, and every swing of their chain hammers claimed another life.
These were the Convicted Demons, Tier Two Demons far superior to Abyssal Hounds. They possessed the terrifying power to face an Official Knight head-on and were one of the mainstays of the Abyss Legion.
They roared in a Demon Language Reinhardt couldn't understand, advancing like a relentless iron torrent, vowing to crush any life that dared stand in their way.
The clash was instantaneous. A Convicted Demon that had scaled the wall tore a soldier apart with its bare hands. Amid agonizing screams, viscera and flesh splattered everywhere.
Its eyes, burning with Abyssal Fire in the darkness, turned and locked onto Reinhardt. The mere gaze sent an immense pressure washing over him.
It grinned, baring long, sharp fangs. Though Reinhardt couldn't understand the Demon Language, it was obvious the Convicted Demon wasn't saying anything pleasant.
As the Convicted Demon swung its Chain Hammer and charged toward Reinhardt, he felt the very ground of the ramparts tremble slightly.
'Here it comes.'
Reinhardt took a deep breath, his expression impassive. The silently writhing Morphic Armor became one with his will, and the high-pressure air sacs on his back went to full power.
In the Convicted Demon's vision, the small, dark purple figure shot past it like a streak of light in the span of a single breath.
It froze for a second before its body fell uncontrollably to one side.
Splattering Demon's Blood sizzled on the stone ramparts. The Convicted Demon's right leg had been severed cleanly below the knee!
The Convicted Demon staggered, nearly falling, but it managed to regain its balance. The Abyssal Fire in its eyes blazed, as if venting its towering rage at the sneak attack. It swung its Chain Hammer, smashing it viciously toward Reinhardt.
But all it saw was shattered stone flying from the impact on the wall, and a longsword run through its throat!
Speed is power.
Even a mundane, Knight Order-issued Standard Longsword could tear through the Convicted Demon's tough scales!
「At the same time.」
The crisp sound of the Steel of the Heart rang in Reinhardt's ear.
DING—!
[Giant Devouring Current Layer Number: 88]
[Current Physical Enhancement Coefficient: 0.088]
[For every 1 point the Physical Enhancement Coefficient increases, your Physique and base stamina will double.]
The system panel's description was plain and simple, but the increase in Physique brought by the Steel of the Heart's advanced ability, Giant Devouring, was unparalleled!
A stronger Physique meant one could bear a stronger Power! It allowed for the development and expansion of more Special Abilities and Combat Techniques! Muscle and Physique! This was the foundation of all Knights and the absolute core of increasing one's strength!
A single Convicted Demon could stack twenty Heart Steel Layers. According to the Physical Enhancement Coefficient given by the system, he would only need to farm fifty Convicted Demons for their Heart Steel Layers to raise the coefficient to 1.0, doubling his Physique and base stamina.
The temptation of doubling his Physique's strength was one few Knights could refuse. Reinhardt could have just ignored everything else and focused on rapidly stacking Steel of the Heart on the wall.
But he understood that he was facing a large-scale war.
Any carelessness or arrogance could be fatal.
Moreover, behind him rested the safety of the fifteen hundred soldiers in the fortress, the lives of the hundred-plus youths in the training camp, and the defensive line his comrades in the Knight Order had built with their own flesh and blood!
'Stay true to myself, and keep moving forward.'
For his own selfish desires, Reinhardt would never become like that bastard Sedon, using his comrades-in-arms as stepping stones to achieve his own Knight Power!
That wasn't glory; it was a disgrace!
A real man would never resort to such despicable, dirty tricks that went against his principles!
Adrian, who had been watching Reinhardt the whole time, finally breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw him take down a Convicted Demon with his own hands.
He too had once been a newly promoted knight, working his way up step-by-step.
For a young Knight who had awakened his Knight Power less than five days ago, forget arduous training to enhance his Physique or increase the strength and capacity of his Power—Reinhardt hadn't even had time to develop suitable Combat Techniques or Special Abilities.
If his Extraordinary Armament didn't naturally come with a Special Ability, Reinhardt, on his first time on the battlefield, would be no stronger than an ordinary soldier.
Power without the support of Special Abilities and Combat Techniques was just an empty shell; he would have Knight Power in name only.
However, Reinhardt's performance exceeded his expectations. Taking down a Convicted Demon so cleanly and efficiently—he didn't seem at all like a new recruit on a real battlefield for the first time.
Adrian's heart, which had just settled, hadn't even had a moment's peace before he saw Reinhardt trying to pull the longsword out of the Convicted Demon's neck. His pupils shrank, and he roared hoarsely!
"Reinhardt! Watch out!"
The Abyss Legion pressed its assault. Death and screams, mixed with the stench of blood, filled the frigid air of the Northern Lands.
Reinhardt had intended to pull his longsword from the Convicted Demon's neck, but the creature's Life Force was more tenacious than he could have ever imagined!
Its brain stem and spinal cord had been severed by a sharp weapon. Common sense dictated that even if it didn't die immediately, such a fatal blow would cause it to lose all control of its body.
But the instant he drew near, the seemingly dead Convicted Demon, without any warning, suddenly spewed high-temperature Abyssal Fire from its mouth, instantly engulfing him completely!