084. Monster's Castle 6 - Pirenchi Castle 4th Floor
Pirenchi Castle's 4th floor. Countless cavalry units made of monsters and skeletons faced off against each other. The clash of blades rang out repeatedly in their ears. Clang! Clang! Clang! It was the sound of weapons striking the bone monsters.
Soon, screams erupted as blood sprayed like fountains.
"Urghhh..."
Stab! Stab...!
It was utter chaos on the battlefield. Amid it all, Odekus stared in stunned disbelief.
What in the world am I seeing right now...?
Unbelievable sights unfolded one after another. His mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Was he dead and hallucinating? Even illusions seemed plausible.
The figure in the red uniform topped with a crown. It was unmistakably a 2nd-grade monster. A being that wielded high-level magic capable of felling a 3rd-class knight like him in an instant.
Yet now, it was being pushed back by Bin, who had just been appointed a centurion.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Bin's sword, trailing black aura, grazed the monster's surroundings. These weren't wild swings—they were seasoned strikes exploiting the tiniest openings.
From that swordsmanship alone, Odekus could gauge it. Bin's current prowess.
Odekus gaped in astonishment.
To think he's reached this level...
He was incomparable even to Odekus, the 5th Division's centurion. He wouldn't fall short against the centurions of the top four divisions either. And that was with an inky black aura trailing his blade, too fast for the eye to follow.
Soon, black blood spurted from the 2nd-grade monster's body.
Squish!
A crisp sound pierced the air. The monster's eyes—utterly different from when it had faced Odekus—brimmed with shock and bewilderment.
Odekus watched, utterly dumbfounded.
This... this can't be real. He's overwhelming a 2nd-grade monster...!
As Odekus's eyes widened in shock, yet another unbelievable scene unfolded.
Another leader on the 4th floor, clad in a yellow uniform—a 2nd-grade monster—was casting debuff magic not on Bin, but on King.
"...!"
Odekus's pupils trembled for a moment before Bin's greatsword swept horizontally.
Whoosh.
The red-uniformed monster collapsed, blood pouring from its neck. But that wasn't the end.
Odekus's eyes widened further at what came next.
"Rise again, King."
At Bin's command, the fallen 2nd-grade monster began to stir. It bowed its head to him in formal respect. The other two 2nd-grade monsters assumed similar postures. Their reverent obeisance resembled subjects before a king.
All three of them...!
Odekus had nearly crossed death's threshold facing just one. Those beasts had mercilessly swept away the 5th and 6th Divisions. He had despaired over how to even fight them, his mind filled with terror.
Yet now, three such 2nd-grade monsters followed Bin.
How is this possible...?
As the 2nd-grade monsters submitted to Bin, the countless cavalry halted. They obeyed their superiors' will.
Bin gazed at King bowing before him and thought,
What a complete reversal from moments ago.
It had clearly been trying to kill him. Now its attitude had flipped 180 degrees. The rigid posture, the tone laced with reverence—it was jarring, hard to adjust to.
This was due to the undead tradition here. The knightly code passed down through generations. The custom where the vanquished exalted the victor after battle.
Bin addressed King about the purpose of their visit.
"King, where is the weapon you guard?"
"A... a weapon, you say?"
King's expression hardened instantly. It pondered deeply on its own.
Seeing this, Bin spoke up.
"Is that the extent of your resolve to fulfill your duty?"
Bin frowned, guessing it hesitated out of possessiveness over the relic.
King quickly caught on and began to explain.
"That's not it, my lord."
"Then what is it?"
"We cannot touch it either."
The unexpected words narrowed Bin's eyes.
Cannot touch it?
Bin looked down at King, scrutinizing whether the claim was true or false.
Moments later, King walked toward the back of the 4th floor.
Thud. Thud.
Standing at the wall's edge, it scanned left and right. Its gaze fixed on one brick among many.
Then, as it placed its hand there—
Click.
Rumble. Rumble.
The entire 4th floor shook—floor, walls, everything. Dust trickled from the ceiling.
Ssshh. Ssshh.
It felt like an earthquake. As the tremors hit, everyone's attention snapped to King.
The wall rose upward, revealing a new space. Amid the focused gazes, a black glow emanated from within.
King shouted urgently as the space appeared.
"Turn away, you weaklings."
Even the 3rd-class assassin cavalry turned their heads at its words.
Rumble...
Thud!
With the wall fully raised to the ceiling, the space lay fully exposed, and the shaking stopped. A veiled chamber appeared.
Codic, in the form of a gust, widened his eyes at the mystical sight.
"Is that black flame?"
The scene was utterly alien. Black flames roared fiercely there, encircling something hidden from view.
King pointed at the space with a finger and spoke.
"That is it, my lord."
Bin frowned.
A weapon shrouded in black flame...
A weapon even 2nd-grade monsters couldn't touch. Bin eyed the menacing black flames and felt certain—King wasn't lying.
Bin focused intently on the spectacle. Just from the extraordinary black flames, he knew it was sufficiently threatening.
As he was captivated by the black flames, a deep voice whispered in his ear.
Covet it. Make it yours. The power from the other side of the world.
Meanwhile, Jack and Queen muttered at the menacing flames.
"As expected, the flames show no change even after all these years."
"No matter how many times I see it, I covet it."
As they exchanged words, one cavalry unit stepped toward it.
Clop. Clop.
It seemed to have ignored King's warning. Not content with walking, it broke into a vigorous gallop.
Clop-clop-clop. Clop-clop-clop.
The pounding hooves drummed in their ears. Its eyes had already turned pitch black.
The charging cavalry reached the space in a flash.
"Oh no..."
Jack tried to stop it, but it was too late. Even a 2nd-grade like him risked losing his mind if he got too close.
Soon, a scream echoed from within.
"Aaaargh!"
A piercing wail filled the 4th floor. Its body thrashed in agony. As the scream stabbed their ears, the cavalry's form began to change sequentially.
"Gaaargh!!"
First, its armor crumbled to ash. Then its skin melted, revealing black tendons, flesh, and ligaments. Finally, even its bones liquefied.
A repulsive sight that made everyone grimace.
"...!"
At the cavalry's demise, many eyes flashed in alarm. In stark contrast, the black flames danced excitedly, flaring brighter.
The startled Codic approached Bin.
Swoosh.
"My lord, this flame is no ordinary thing. I fear even you cannot..."
But before Codic could finish—
Thud-thud.
Bin advanced like one entranced. His eyes had already turned black. Only the black flames reflected in his pupils.
Thud-thud.
As Bin walked, fixated on the flames, the panicked Codic grabbed his arm with his right hand.
"M-my lord! No! Even if it's your will, this is too much."
Codic's voice was desperate. It was a black flame even 2nd-grade monsters couldn't touch. He was certain Bin would be reduced to ash there too.
This worry wasn't Codic's alone. The 2nd-grade monsters began to restrain him as well. King and Queen spoke first.
"Please stop, my lord..."
"No. That flame turns all to ash..."
The deeply loyal Jack approached and knelt on one knee before Bin.
"My king... please reconsider."
His eyes pleaded—just heed him this once.
"Please..."
But despite their pleas, Bin pressed toward the black flames.
Thud-thud.
Unable to stand by, Jack moved in an instant. Just as his hand reached for Bin's arm—
Swoosh.
A shadow detached from Bin's body and reached the flames first. Even Codic, holding his arm, was flung off.
The fallen Codic screamed frantically.
"M-my lord!!"
Despite Codic's cries, Bin stepped into the chamber.
At that moment, the black flames enveloped him.
Shwoooosh.
Like a towering wave crashing down.
Codic turned away, eyes tearing up at the dire scene.
"M-my lord...!"
He couldn't bear to watch Bin, with whom he'd journeyed so long, become a pile of ash.
The 2nd-grade monsters grimaced too.
"..."
Just as the black flames fully engulfed Bin—
Black aura surged from his entire body.
Shwoooosh.
Soon, thick black smoke clashed with the black flames.
Sizzle!
As they repelled each other in fierce contention, the black smoke from Bin began to spiral, devouring the surrounding flames entirely.
Shwoooosh.
King, Queen, and Jack's eyes widened at the unprecedented sight.
"...!"