Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
A fierce gale swept through the battlefield. The ground trembled beneath its force, and just facing it sent chills down the spine. It was a terrifying storm—a black vortex that seemed ready to swallow everything in its path. At its center stood Obello, the Knight Commander, raising his sword high.
“Wooooaaah!”
A roar thundered through the sky in response, far more savage than before. No, it was downright ferocious.
Long ago, when a hundred knights—each a hero in their own right—charged in with everything to lose, chaos erupted. Though some knights fell here and there, the losses were far heavier on the southern continent’s side. The Obello Knights, suddenly throwing caution to the wind, attacked relentlessly. Wherever they clashed, blood splattered the earth, screams of agony pierced the air.
Within moments, dozens lay fallen, the dust rising red with spilled blood. Unable to withstand the fierce onslaught, the southern continent’s warriors began to scatter in all directions.
But that was only the beginning. Though the Obello Knights’ power was formidable, the combined strength of the Round Table knights and their forces was enough to counter them.
Yet the northern continent did not stand idly by. From the ramparts, they unleashed a barrage of magic and arrows, then finally flung open the gates and plunged into the fray. The battle soon descended into such chaos that friend and foe became indistinguishable, and even regrouping seemed impossible.
“This can’t go on.”
Natalie, standing frozen, clenched her fists until they cracked. Sharp instincts warned her of the growing danger crawling over her skin. In a flash, the battlefield was spiraling beyond control. She knew she had to act—but how, she had no idea.
What Natalie didn’t realize was that a user from the northern continent had her in their sights.
Whizz!
“Huh?”
A sudden slicing sound cut through the air, and Natalie snapped her head around just in time to feel something sharp graze her earlobe. A few strands of her hair fluttered loose. Shaking off her shock, she narrowed her eyes—and frowned.
There, standing before her with a beguiling smile, was none other than the ‘Shadow Queen,’ Ko Yeon-ju.
“Not bad, your senses,” the woman said in a languid voice that clashed with the urgency of the battlefield.
“Looks like you’re no ordinary stray… I wonder if Suhyun will be pleased if I kill you.”
With that, she extended her right arm, and a blood-red sword materialized in her hand. Her eyes flashed with darkness.
Kiiiiiing!
The demonic sword Tirbing howled fiercely, sending a chill down Natalie’s spine. Pressured by the overwhelming magical force, Natalie quickly drew her dagger and braced herself. She sensed this wouldn’t be an easy fight—but as a ‘Knight of the Search,’ she wasn’t about to lose.
Of course, how it would end was anyone’s guess.
Meanwhile…
“Hah…”
Ryan Winters, a silver-haired man, let out a short sigh, disbelief etched across his face as he surveyed the scene.
Bodies lay piled in a rough circle, and at its center stood a woman with long flowing hair. More precisely, a woman clad in blood-stained ice armor, standing with her back turned—like a single flower blooming amid corpses.
Winters clicked his tongue in disbelief, then his eyes gleamed. The woman, holding an ice blade, slowly turned around. Their eyes met—cold and unyielding—and a sudden chill swept over him.
In the next instant, the two raised their swords, aiming at each other. Winters’ blade roared like a lion’s growl, fierce and unrelenting. As the ‘Lion’s Knight,’ he was considered the strongest among the Round Table knights, second only to Eldora.
But the woman was no pushover. Known as the ‘Sword Empress,’ she was one of the top mercenaries, second only to Kim Suhyun.
Moments later, Winters bent forward and dashed across the muddy ground, closing the distance in a flash. He swung his sword in a wide diagonal arc, the force behind it terrifying. But Nam Da-eun twisted her body lightly, evading the blow and countering with a sharp thrust.
“!”
At that moment, as Winters pulled back to strike again, a flash of light erupted from the opposite side. Instinctively, he turned—and felt a cold blade graze his chest. Though he had anticipated the attack, two counterstrikes came from different directions. Without beast-like reflexes, he would have been seriously wounded.
But that wasn’t all.
‘Something’s off.’
Winters retreated hastily and glared at Nam Da-eun, standing poised and composed. Not only had she countered unexpectedly, but her expressionless gaze was strangely captivating. It wasn’t just an emotional effect—it seemed to sap his strength, draining his limbs.
‘She must be using some unknown ability.’
Winters’ suspicion was correct. The ice sword she wielded, Fragarach, also known as the Answerer, was a blade designed to parry and counter. Her armor had the power to seduce and weaken opponents. Winters was resisting only because of his skill; an average user would have been drained and defeated long ago.
‘Damn, what kind of monsters are these?’
‘…Anyway, dragging this out won’t help.’
With that thought, Winters stomped the ground and charged. Nam Da-eun met him head-on, their blades clashing in a sharp diagonal strike. The clear metallic ring echoed through the air.
They pulled apart briefly, then their swords danced again—white and icy light weaving patterns in the air.
The clash grew fiercer with every strike. Winters attacked like a beast, delivering powerful blows; Nam Da-eun dodged like a phantom, countering with precision. It was a relentless cycle of attack and counterattack.
But after about three minutes, it was Winters who began to falter. Their swordsmanship was evenly matched, and he had the advantage in strength.
Yet Nam Da-eun’s superior agility allowed her to evade his brute force attacks while landing chilling counters. Though he was fighting with beast-like senses, the longer the duel dragged on, the more likely he was to lose.
Gritting his teeth, Winters decided to gamble. He still had strength reserved for a counterattack, but now he pushed forward, lunging with all his might while crouching low. Before Nam Da-eun could regain her balance, he unleashed a burst of magic and surged forward like a striking beast.
Krrrung!
His sword blazed with white light, roaring fiercely. Like a lion swiping its paw, he brought his amplified strength down in a brutal overhead strike. Seeing no way to dodge, Nam Da-eun retreated but quickly leveled her sword to absorb the impact.
Kaang!
As sparks flew, her usually calm eyes snapped open wide for the first time. The shock was so intense it felt like her hand might tear apart. She managed to block the blow, but Winters’ sword pressed relentlessly forward—as if determined to cleave her in two.
In that split second, as their blades neared her chest, Winters sensed victory.
Wuuuuuuung!
Suddenly, her body shimmered with a divine light, and Winters’ sword halted abruptly, as if caught in a trap. Staring in shock, he saw her cold smile mocking him. The Sword Empress’s unique ability, ‘The Queen Never Lets Go of Her Sword,’ had activated.
Nam Da-eun knew exactly what Winters was trying to do—so she had been saving her physical enhancement ability for a more decisive moment.
Pushing his sword back, she swiftly straightened her blade and stabbed sharply.
Winters twisted his face and dodged with quick reflexes, kicking toward her leg in desperation. But Nam Da-eun leapt gracefully like a bird, moving her hands fluidly as she spoke softly.
“Straight cut.”
At that moment, a wave of numbness swept over Winters’ entire body.
He sensed two attacks:
One, the frontal strike aimed at his chest from earlier.
The other, a mysterious counterattack slicing at his head from the side.
But he didn’t sense a third attack—only a sudden flash of violet light before his eyes.
By the time he realized it—after parrying the first two—he already knew he was dead. A faint, ghostly trail brushed past his waist.
“…”
As the afterimage faded, a long, slanting wound appeared.
Skick!
A belated sound, and blood gushed forth.
By the time Nam Da-eun stepped lightly onto the scene, Winters was already dropping his sword and collapsing to his knees. He tried desperately to stand, but his body wouldn’t obey. No—his vision was already tilting, slowly blurring at the edges.
As he struggled to breathe out, Ian’s warning flashed through Winters’ mind.
“Strong. Very strong. The Northern Continent is not to be underestimated.”
“Haha… maybe I should’ve listened more carefully…”
Those were the last words of Ryan Winters. He let his upper body slump to the ground, closed his eyes quietly—and never got back up.
He became the second knight of the Round Table to fall.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield—
“Ahhhhhh!”
A piercing scream echoed.
“You bastard!”
Thrown to the ground, Lee Yoo-jung rolled over, her face twisted in pain. Standing before her was the giant—no, Nox Lord—who smirked mockingly, barely moving.
Yoo-jung clutched her left arm, where a fist-sized chunk of flesh had been torn away. It was clearly a serious injury, but she hadn’t just been on the receiving end. Two deep holes marred the giant’s abdomen. Strangely, the wounds began to close on their own, the flesh knitting back together as if the troll was regenerating.
“Ughhh… heh heh!”
Nox Lord, watching Yoo-jung warily, let his arms drop like a monkey’s and approached with a sly chuckle. Yoo-jung, fueled by anger, snorted sharply and charged—but suddenly gasped for air. The moment she stepped forward, Nox Lord’s form dissolved into smoke, then surged up right in front of her, mouth wide open.
“Y-You crazy bastard!”
Yoo-jung cursed, crossing her twin daggers in a swift slash. Blood splattered as two deep cuts appeared on Nox Lord’s face.
But that was all. The bleeding slowed, and the creature pressed its tooth-filled maw against her neck. Yoo-jung hurried to use her transformation magic, but the mana wouldn’t respond as she wished. The success rate was always low, and being held like this only made her panic.
“Ugh!”
As the sharp teeth grazed her skin, her legs stiffened. Her whole body felt like it was freezing, while a sharp sting spread through her lower abdomen. The creature bit down harder, and Yoo-jung’s crimson lips twisted in pain. Then—
Crash!
“Gah!”
With a sudden impact, Nox Lord was sent tumbling backward.
What just happened?
Yoo-jung collapsed to the ground, turning her head to see a massive, blood-dripping thigh striding past like a fallen log. A man with a black scythe slung over his shoulder was advancing.
Regaining her senses, Yoo-jung shouted urgently.
“W-Watch out! That guy’s regeneration is insane!”
“Grrrrr!”
As if to prove her right, Nox Lord—half his face blown away—sprang to his feet, growling fiercely. No wonder he was angry; his meal had just been interrupted.
“Grr, grr?”
The newcomer approached steadily, then paused with a reluctant expression, stepping back slightly.
“Oh? So it’s true, huh?”
Before Yoo-jung stood a man at least a head taller, grinning with interest.
“Hahaha, you get up even after I smashed your head in?”
And he was drenched in blood from head to toe.
There’s a saying: monsters recognize monsters, and lunatics recognize lunatics.
“Khuhuhuhu…”
Setting aside his blood-soaked hair, his eyes gleamed with a madness that made Yoo-jung’s own pale in comparison. Above all, the ominous aura radiating from the scythe made her body instinctively recoil.
“Khahahahahahaha!”
Gong Chan-ho, the wielder of the Surama Spear, burst into wild laughter.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Haha. Somehow, we’ve already reached chapter 900…
I thought about doing a special edition, but decided to just keep moving forward as usual.
I think that’s better.
If there are no unexpected breaks, the finale should come around July or August.
Thanks in advance to everyone who’s already congratulated me.
Wishing all readers a wonderful Saturday! :)