Chapter 42 - Knight's Cave
The place where the island's most difficult boss among the uninhabited island bosses, the 'Knight', slumbered.
Zien walked alone through the infamous dungeon.
"A cave, huh..."
It seemed like an artificially created space. White marble tiles lined the floor, and statues of medieval knights were sculpted along the walls.
But the most impressive sight was the pillars lined up like a path guiding participants onward.
'Follow this path.'
There was no doubt a knight waited at the end.
As Zien silently surveyed his surroundings, a hologram message from Amy popped up.
At this very moment.
70,000 in the Central Dome.
100,000 on Amy's channel.
1 million on G Channel. Nearly 1.2 million people total were watching Zien. His bold move of challenging the boss monster solo was paying off spectacularly.
Ding!
Not long after, Amy sent another message. This time, it was a screenshot of the real-time trending searches.
Real-Time Trends
- Battle Survival
- IG Group Virtual Gate Commercialization
- Arcana Party Leader
- Arcana Academy
- Celia Party Member
'Did I overdo it?'
The day before Battle Survival began.
Zien received a call from Metis.
Metis introduced himself politely even to Zien, who was merely a student.
Until now, students had been limited to 3rd-grade gates. But Metis wanted to give talented students a chance at higher gates.
With that, Metis selected five students from the Battle Survival participants.
'And I was one of them.'
With this level of performance, he'd more or less met Metis's request. Now, Zien had only one task left: claim first place in Battle Survival, as promised to Selphis.
Step by step.
Zien walked silently down the endless path.
His jet-black sword.
His black training robes.
The sole participant challenging the massive dungeon alone.
It unintentionally created a dramatic atmosphere, like a swordsman resolved to a duel to the death.
Ding.
A hologram appeared right beside him.
Zien blocked Amy.
'Time to focus.'
It was because of the throne visible in the distance. A [Knight] sat there, guarding the cave like a hologram.
He knew honor and the sword—a hunter from Zone 1 with witch-like traits.
'That's the backstory Amy explained.'
Hunter Lee Sung-jun, possessing strength comparable to a 5th-grade Saber. With traits related to the sword, he had attempted to conquer the dungeon [Knight's Cave].
And he succeeded.
But the problem came after. His soul was stolen by the demonic sword he obtained in the cave. Thus, Lee Sung-jun remained in the dungeon instead of becoming a monster, turning into the worst knight.
'What a twisted setup.'
Zien frowned.
Considering the nature of virtual gates, the Battle Survival bosses were clearly pulled from actual gates that had existed.
It meant that in some timeline in Zone 1, a hunter named Lee Sung-jun had truly existed.
A story that felt unsettling in many ways.
Before he knew it, Zien had arrived before the throne. The [Knight] with closed eyes slowly opened them.
- A hunter?
A single line true to the knight's setting.
Zien pointed his sword Heukhyang at him and played along.
"Yeah."
The opponent was the uninhabited island's top boss, equivalent to 5th grade. A league above the Hyperion he'd slain in the mountains.
But.
Zien was on a different level now too.
He'd eaten the World Tree's fruit and unlocked his magic tool. In less than a month, he'd grown incomparable.
"Pocket."
Zien opened his pocket and pulled out the enchant scroll from the factory, then shouted.
"Light."
As he tore the scroll, Heukhyang emitted a pure white light. The light attribute was granted to the weapon for five minutes.
Of course, the [Knight] wasn't undead, so light held little meaning. This was just part of the show Amy had suggested.
Rumble.
The ground shook, and the ambient mana trembled. At the center stood the knight—hunter Lee Sung-jun.
- I see.
The knight looked down at Zien with a cold gaze. In his hand, the artifact demonic sword spewed black energy. It contrasted sharply with Zien's glowing Heukhyang, making the two swords seem like polar opposites.
- A swordsman, eh.
The knight pointed his sword at Zien.
In this moment, they weren't Saber and boss. Just two swordsmen wielding blades.
No clash yet, but Zien already felt the opponent's strength. A sudden surge of exhilaration.
'Here it comes.'
To brace for the attack, Zien lowered his stance.
- Good instincts!
The knight seemed pleased by the sight.
Thud!
With a footstep, the knight's form vanished. His hunter trait [High-Speed Movement] activated, and he reappeared behind Zien, slashing down.
Clang!! Clang!
A two-hit combo that numbed his hands.
The assault didn't end there.
Shoulder. Waist. Stomach. Chest. Indiscriminate sword strikes poured down like butchery. This was the power of his second trait, [Swordsmanship Enhancement]. The trait-infused strikes transcended human limits. Taking even one meant game over.
'Fast.'
Zien couldn't believe he was being pushed back by pure swordplay.
But the opponent was a boss mob using two traits: [High-Speed Movement] and [Swordsmanship Enhancement]. And Zien was facing this monster with pure swordsmanship.
Swoosh!
The knight's demonic sword swung horizontally.
Zien parried it with Heukhyang.
Using his body to shove the knight back, Zien countered with flash-like speed from below.
Slash!
The knight retreated, sliced by the blade.
Mana sprayed from the wound instead of blood.
A lightning-fast sword duel too quick for the eye to follow.
However.
Neither was at full power.
The knight had used only two of his four traits. Zien was conserving MP for any contingencies.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Slash! Clang!
Ten seconds.
Fifty exchanges in that brief time.
Sparks flew endlessly, and Zien's muscles screamed in silence.
- The strongest hunter I've seen.
The knight's eyes turned red.
His third trait: [Berserk]. It was the knight's hallmark and the reason the demonic sword dominated him.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
Red and black mana danced chaotically around the demonic sword.
Bang!
This time, the knight charged with a sonic boom.
Kraaang!!
Zien was pushed back hard by the frontal strike. In pure swordsmanship, Zien dominated, but the trait-stacked knight was transcendent.
But if the opponent was a hunter.
Then Zien was a Saber.
Bang!
The knight kicked off again, charging straight. That's when Zien's skill Sensory Maximization kicked in. In the seemingly frozen world, Zien clearly saw the knight.
'Parry this one.'
Zien's max MP was 3300—plenty for a boss. He channeled mana into his legs and lowered his stance.
'And here, the trait.'
The second effect of his unique trait, Sword God.
Tsssraaak!!
Heukhyang absorbed mana with a vicious sound. Not comparable to sword aura or sword energy, but its destructive power doubled. Time to test it.
In the slowed world, Heukhyang clashed with the demonic sword again. The scattered mana was explosive.
Kaboom!!
Massive mana collided, sparks flying as both were repelled.
— Impossible...
With [Berserk] and the demonic sword's power, the blocked strike shook the knight's red eyes with doubt and fear. The flow had shifted—now it was Zien's turn.
Whoosh! Kakang! Clang!
Zien closed in, swinging concisely.
Minimal motion, but the knight staggered to block.
A graceful sword dance even [Berserk] couldn't match. Zien's swordsmanship was fluid and straight. Not faster, but he had mastered the weapon called "sword."
- Ngh!
The knight backstepped to create distance, breathing heavily. Dominated by the demonic sword yet valuing sword and chivalry, this boss—former hunter Lee Sung-jun—was being dismantled by Zien.
- What's your name?
To the question sensing the end, Zien answered straightforwardly.
"Zien Russell."
- Zien Russell. An odd name.
The knight calmly mulled it over, then poured all his power into the demonic sword. As swordsman, hunter, boss—he unleashed everything, including his final fourth trait, [Rampage].
Now, the knight resembled a demon more than a man.
'Final phase.'
Zien calmly assumed his stance.
Unlike the knight, Zien needed only one technique.
[Moon Sword]
Madly surging MP cloaked Heukhyang in blue moonlight, Zien's robes fluttering in the dispersing mana. In the hair-trigger moment, the knight charged.
Kraaaaaang!!
Entwined red and blue.
As the two lights vied, the grinding of metal echoed through the cave.
Then.
Schwick! Thud!
Someone dropped to one knee.
Winner and loser decided.
"Clear."
As Zien's words ended, the knight dissolved into particles.
The uninhabited island's strongest boss, the knight.
But wielding a sword meant a terrible matchup. The weaker [Sea] and [School] bosses had been tougher for Zien.
The crystals embedded in the pillars glowed. The cave shone brighter than ever.
The Knight of the Cave has been conquered.
But the brightest glow was where the knight had vanished.
A dazzling golden light.
As expected from the strongest boss—an S-grade artifact drop.
'Perfect showmanship.'
MP depleted, body battered, but Zien smirked and reached for the artifact.