Ghost of the Battlefield
Just as Arthur thought it was over.
Ran leaped out in front of him.
Kwajik!
A dagger embedded itself in his shoulder.
Ran gritted his teeth and clamped both hands down on the dark elf's arm.
"How dare you try to harm the lord!"
What they could do.
Protect their lord, even if it meant throwing their bodies in harm's way.
"You bastard!"
"Black-skinned monkey bastard!"
The dark elf yanked his gripped hand free with brute force.
But by then, the soldiers had already stabbed into the creature's body from all sides with their weapons.
"Cough…"
The dark elf collapsed to the ground.
"Ran."
"Yes, my lord."
Ran clutched his bleeding shoulder and bowed his head.
"Do something that stupid again, and you'll be put to work farming."
Even as he said it, Arthur gave a small smile.
"Yes, I understand."
Ran smiled too.
Soon, the snake darted out and rapidly healed Ran's wound.
"We're sorry, my lord. Because we're too weak…"
"We're sorry we couldn't be of any help."
They were furious with themselves, seething in rage.
They kept repeating how sorry they were.
But Arthur responded coolly.
"Say 'sorry' one more time, and you're farming."
"We love you."
"…Say that, and you're exiled from the territory."
"Yes…"
Arthur and the soldiers chuckled softly.
In the midst of that razor-edge tension, Arthur realized his bond with the soldiers was growing ever stronger.
Thud. Thud.
Thud. Thud.
Arthur and the soldiers' faces began to twist.
The soldiers' expressions hardened rapidly.
Arthur bit his lip.
They're coming.
The dark elves were swarming in.
Unlike what he'd expected, they were organized.
They didn't feel like typical dungeon monsters.
It's like they're desperately defending this place.
Guardians, maybe.
They had chosen.
To swarm and hunt Arthur and his soldiers.
I need to hurry.
Arthur swiftly began slicing off handfuls of hair from the fallen dark elf.
27th, 28th…
The footsteps drew closer and closer.
At least thirty or more dark elves were heading their way to capture them.
And his instincts screamed.
That their leader was coming here with them.
Thud. Thud.
The footsteps were right upon them.
The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, tense.
And just as the enemies emerged from the darkness, Arthur sliced off the final handful from the last dark elf.
Conditions met. Reward acquired.
Arthur, who had looked somewhat surprised, smirked with one corner of his mouth raised.
◈ Initiates step-by-step duel mode against opponents.
◈ Opponents fight 1:1, then 2:1, 3:1, etc.
* * *
The boss of this place was Bred, a warrior renowned even among the dark elves.
Bred had received special powers from the operator.
He wasn't a Dungeon Master, but he could check dungeon status and various other details.
It was similar to a Dungeon Master's abilities.
Bred was quite shocked by the lord who had entered with thirty soldiers.
He was hunting dark elves at an accelerating pace.
The deeper they went, the stronger they became.
So he made a decision.
I can't watch my race suffer any more sacrifices.
He didn't know how the lord was growing stronger.
But if it was growth over time, it would be better to gather all forces and hunt him down.
To that end, he rallied the dark elves in the dungeon and moved swiftly toward the lord's location.
Bred, leading at the front, spotted him.
A small-framed human boy who had just finished cutting his comrade's hair slowly rose, glaring at them with sharp eyes.
He's young…?
Seeing how young he was shocked Bred even more.
Had this boy faced dark elves at such a tender age?
Or were the soldiers behind him that strong?
No, the soldiers look terrified.
The soldiers could barely stand at the sight of the emerging dark elves.
The boy at the front, clad in silver armor, cloak, and boots, slammed his spear tip into the ground with a thud and grinned wickedly, in stark contrast.
"Was it you?"
Bred furrowed his brow at the sight of his comrade with chunks of hair severed.
Arthur didn't answer.
"My lord, fall back!"
"We'll protect you!"
The soldiers were gripped by fear.
Visions of their families flickered before their eyes.
Today, they would die here.
But even so, they didn't forget.
Protect the lord until the very end and die honorably.
Show him the same resolve he's shown us today!
They tried to push past Arthur.
"Everyone, fall back."
"No! We'll protect you, my lord."
Arthur swallowed a bitter smile.
At least their words were grateful.
Even with their legs trembling, they vowed to protect him.
Yes, that was enough.
Having soldiers willing to lay down their lives for him—what more could a lord ask for? He was truly fortunate.
Arthur smiled faintly.
"I said fall back."
Arthur slipped through their midst.
Bred furrowed his brow.
Even in this hair-trigger moment, the boy was relaxed.
"Let me ask once more…"
"Shut up."
At Arthur's curt command, Bred looked down at him with a baffled laugh.
The boy was much shorter than him.
Bred drew his dual swords.
Shring.
The clear ring of blades being unsheathed.
With the number of dark elves here, dealing with those soldiers and the boy would be child's play.
"I'll kill you."
Bred subtly signaled the dark elves behind him.
They would take the soldiers; he would take the lord.
But then Arthur turned back.
"Everyone, stay quiet."
Absolute Defense activated by the Lord's authority.
For 30 minutes, no attacks can be received. However, attacks are also impossible in Absolute Defense state.
"L-Lord!"
"N-No!"
The soldiers were stunned.
Was he planning to die alone?
Or telling them to run?
Why would he do this…!
And the dark elves realized it too.
Attacking the soldiers will result in death.
Bred furrowed his brow.
"What can you do alone?"
"This."
Arthur tore the parchment that had appeared in his hand.
Opponent has torn the Step-by-Step Duel Mode Parchment.
Boss can only enter at the end.
Non-combatants may not offer advice.
You may only fight the opponent 1:1.
Step-by-Step Parchment!
Arthur hadn't expected to get it.
Collecting dark elf hair, unlike regular elf hair, gave two rewards.
If I'd only gotten one and they'd swarmed me, I might really have died.
Step-by-Step Duel Mode Parchment.
As the name implied, it was step-by-step.
Start with 1:1.
If Arthur won, two dark elves would come for 2:1.
Then 3:1, 4:1, and so on, with more opponents each time.
But for me right now, this is the perfect scenario.
It rose 1% per kill.
About 60 monsters hunted after using the item.
And about 40 ahead.
"Must be because he's young."
Bred smirked.
He knew about the Step-by-Step Parchment too.
The number of enemies the opponent faced would keep increasing.
Arthur would tire out eventually.
Not so for them.
Bred glanced sideways.
One dark elf stepped forward leisurely, gripping a well-honed weapon.
(Ghost of the Battlefield)
📍 Grade: A
📍 Cash Reward: 5,000
📍 Rewards: Absolute Sense +1, Boss Trait Plunder
📍 Failure: Death
📍 Description: Dark elves have long been famed as a combat-specialized race. But you are the Ghost of the Battlefield. Etch into their minds what that title means—and emerge victorious!
Ghost of the Battlefield.
Arthur smirked.
The battle between a combat-specialized race and himself was about to begin.
His blood boiled.
Yeah, let's do this.
Let's see just how well these dark elves fight!
Paat!
The dark elf struck first.
Whirling dual swords.
Arthur casually tilted his head back to dodge.
Then moved with concise precision.
Puk!
"…"
Bred and the dark elves furrowed their brows.
In one strike, the dark elf's throat was pierced, dead.
Arthur was several times stronger than usual right now, displaying the movements that had earned him the title Ghost of the Battlefield with that enhanced body.
"Next."
Arthur said curtly.
Two dark elves stepped forward.
Tatat!
Arthur didn't allow a single hit.
And then.
As Arthur thrust his spear with full force!
Both dark elves' abdomens were pierced together.
Spurt!
Arthur yanked it out forcefully.
"Next."
3:1.
Splitch!
Pshik!
Crack!
"Next!"
4:1.
Kwajik!
Kwak!
"Next."
5:1.
"Next!"
6:1.
"Next!"
Un-believable…
The lord… has been holding back for our sake all this time…
The soldiers were stunned.
They never dreamed their lord fought this well.
And not taking a single hit, no less.
Bred was shocked too.
That… that's…
Arthur conserved his strength as much as possible.
Slicing enemies with the most concise, powerful strikes.
Every time he said "next," a chill ran down their spines.
And his blood boiled.
He wanted to fight.
Against that human boy.
"Next."
7:1.
Arthur dashed toward the deep cave interior.
The dark elves, familiar with the terrain, thought they had the advantage.
Bred nodded.
7:1 situation. He must think melee is impossible. But dark elves know this dungeon better than anyone.
He figured Arthur would return as a corpse.
Then, striking sounds echoed from deep within.
Drag. Drag. Drag.
Something being dragged.
And soon, a body thudded down before Bred.
A dark elf corpse.
Arthur wiped the blood from his face with his arm and said,
"Next."
Arthur grinned crookedly and charged back inside.
The dark elves swiftly pursued.
Bred thought,
Doesn't he ever tire?
He should be mentally and physically exhausted, but that little brat?
Kwajik!
Pshik!
Splat!
Sounds from within.
Bred swallowed dryly.
No way…
Soon, a severed arm thudded before him.
Then Arthur burst out, pursued by three dark elves.
Tatat!
As Arthur, fleeing, kicked off the wall and spun mid-air with a back kick to a dark elf's face.
Landing, he kicked off the ground—and stealth activated.
Kwajik!
One dark elf's abdomen was pierced by the spear appearing from thin air.
This can't be.
Kwajik!
Splat!
The remaining two fell pathetically.
Arthur steadied his ragged breathing.
96.
96% boosted.
His muscles swelled.
Veins bulged, dulled senses awakening.
Yes, this is it.
The chilling sense of a blade at his back.
Senses sharpened by survival instinct.
Memories from back then returned.
Arthur raised his spear one-handed, aiming at Bred's throat.
"You're the last one."