082. The Monster's Castle 4 - Pirenchi Castle 1st Floor
The gate to the first floor of Pirenchi Castle was enormous, exuding an overwhelming sense of grandeur. Standing before it were Odekus, captain of the 5th Knight Division, and Alenda, captain of the 6th. A handful of knights were visible around them. The two captains at the forefront wore grim expressions.
Suddenly, a deafening roar shook their ears.
Chiiieeeek!
It was the sound of Odekus slamming his massive axe down on the purple barrier. The barrier before them resembled violet glass. Chiiieeeek! As the axe blade tore into it, a surge of powerful magi erupted in an instant.
Paaat!
Odekus's hulking frame was pushed back by the magi. Ziiiiiik.
"Urgh……."
A clear '11'-shaped mark scarred the ground—the trace of Odekus holding on with all his might. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he spoke.
"Damn it… even a superior weapon can't break it……."
Odekus's face darkened in that moment. If the barrier wouldn't yield, it meant they had to face the monsters from the fourth floor. Just hours earlier, he had battled the third-floor monsters himself—a cavalry of 3rd-class assassins armed with superior weapons. Each one was a formidable foe. It had cost the lives of countless subordinates. He himself had fallen pointlessly. The terror of that memory drenched his body in sweat.
'Not like that… not again.'
Gritting his teeth, Odekus swung his axe at the barrier once more. Infused with mana, the silver axe carried his guilt and unyielding resolve to save his men. Chiiieeeek! But the same grating sound echoed as before.
And then. Ziiiiiik.
Odekus was repelled by the magi again. Leaning on his embedded axe, he gasped for breath.
"Hah… hah… hah……."
As Odekus struggled, the voice of 6th Knight Division Captain Alenda rang out.
"Allow me to try this time."
The long-haired Alenda focused his mana into his staff.
'Opening.'
Silver light poured from his body, and two magic circles appeared on the ground. From them emerged massive carnivorous plants that let out grotesque roars.
"Saaaaak!"
"Saaaaak!"
The creatures reared their heads back before lunging forward, spewing a torrent of liquid.
Swooooosh.
A sizzling sound assaulted their ears as smoke rose from the purple barrier. The knights behind the two captains held their breath, watching intently. Their fates hinged on what happened to the barrier—it was a tense moment.
Saaaaak.
Smoke billowed from the violet barrier briefly before fading away. Alenda shook his head.
"We've run out of options now."
"……."
Every knight on the first floor darkened at the grim reality.
* * *
Meanwhile, on the second floor of Pirenchi Castle, countless wounded soldiers came into view. Chimeras prowled around them. A chimera with a fox's body and bird's wings. A two-headed wild boar chimera. A centipede body with mantis forelimbs. They circled like starving hyenas, flicking their tongues and smacking their lips.
Swooooosh.
The chimeras eyed the knights guarding the wounded. After a tense standoff, they charged.
"Saaaaak!"
"Kwaaaak!"
…….
They could no longer resist the prey before them. But the knights weren't about to stand idle.
Swoosh.
With a sound grazing their ears, two knights plunged into the chimera pack in an 'X' formation. It wasn't ordinary movement—multiple layers of shadows cloaked their bodies, a sign of mana of agility at work. Their greatswords and spears danced busily.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
With repeated slicing sounds, countless chimera heads hit the ground.
Thud. Thud, thud.
The two knights were none other than Bin and Hite. Their ghostly sword and spear techniques left the 7th Division knights dumbfounded.
"Taking down that many monsters in an instant……."
"As expected of the captain and the 50th captain……."
Thus, the 7th Division knights protected the wounded.
* * *
A short while later. On the third floor of Pirenchi Castle, the footsteps of numerous knights echoed.
Thud. Thud.
Not only the three captains—Odekus, Alenda, and Bin—but also the top knights from the 5th, 6th, and 7th Divisions had gathered. These were the elite knights they had selected. Notably absent were the Ten Mages and Hite; their role was to guard the wounded on the second floor.
With the finest warriors assembled, Alenda spoke first.
"The cavalry is nowhere in sight, unexpectedly."
Bin replied.
"That's what they want. For us to head up to the fourth floor……."
"……Then our situation just got worse."
Bin nodded silently in agreement. From the current circumstances, he could predict it: they would face both the third- and fourth-floor monsters at once.
Meanwhile, Odekus frowned, scanning the surroundings.
'It should be here…….'
He was searching for the weapon he had glimpsed before. This time, it wasn't mere greed. He needed to maximize the knights' combat power. But for some reason, it was nowhere to be found. Realizing too late it was a lure, Odekus ground his teeth.
'These bastards…….'
Thud. Thud.
Soon, the knights reached the stairs to the fourth floor. Odekus spoke with resolute determination.
"As the saying goes, 'He who is desperate to die shall live.' Resolve to die, and you will survive."
"Yes, Captain!"
The knights responded with grim faces. They stared at the stairs ahead. They looked no different from the ones they had climbed before. Yet they felt utterly unlike any other—towering higher than any staircase they had ever ascended.
The knights began climbing.
Thud. Thud.
Leading them, Odekus gripped the fourth-floor door handle and said,
"Then, let's all meet again alive."
Creeeak.
With the door's groan, the elite knights entered the fourth floor.
* * *
The fourth floor of Pirenchi Castle was a vast space like a plaza. It teemed with the cavalry they had faced before—a full hundred riders strong. The knights swallowed hard at the imposing cavalry formation.
Gulp.
The terror they had once felt wouldn't easily fade from their minds. Behind the cavalry sat two monsters on massive thrones. One wore