Clang, clang!
“Who are you?”
Number 6 instinctively blocked the additional attacks with his dagger, but blood was already trickling down his chest. He hadn’t bothered to wear heavy armor, thinking he’d be safe in the hideout.
“Tsk, almost got you.”
The subordinate who had reported the escape — no, Kane disguised as the subordinate — held his bloodstained dagger in a reverse grip and drew another dagger with his free hand.
Number 6 and Kane.
Both were beyond expert level in close combat, specializing in assassination and espionage. They recognized each other’s prowess immediately.
“Do you know where you are?”
A black mana blade sprang from Number 6’s dagger while his subordinates swiftly surrounded Kane, blocking any escape routes.
“Haha.”
But rather than being tense, Kane, despite being surrounded, chuckled as he ran a hand across his face.
“You bastard!”
One of the aides swung a longsword at Kane, but with a slight flick of his wrist, a green mana blade extended from Kane’s dagger, slicing through the air and severing the aide’s ankle.
“Argh!”
As the aide clutched his severed ankle, groaning in pain, Kane stopped laughing and addressed Number 6 with a bright expression.
“That damned brass mask of yours. I never thought the day would come when I’d get to rip it off myself. Today, I’ll avenge my fallen comrades.”
“Crazy bastard.”
Number 6 had no intention of listening further. He lunged at Kane with his black mana blade.
Whoosh.
Now wearing his power armor, the mana blade from Number 6 emitted a menacing aura, seemingly capable of piercing Kane in one swift motion.
Clang! Clash! Clang! Clang!
But Number 6’s expectations were shattered. Kane’s daggers also emitted a powerful mana blade that was a match for his own.
“Damn it. An armor user too?”
Kane was now clad in power armor similar to Number 6’s. Though both were skilled, Kane’s movements were superior, as if to make up for the frustration of previously having to flee without power armor.
Slash, clang! Thud! Squelch!
Despite Number 6 and his five subordinates attacking Kane with their mana blades, Kane moved with flawless precision. Like a dancing swallow, his dual daggers skillfully deflected their attacks, effortlessly turning their strikes into forced missteps that drew blood.
The agents, whose swordsmanship was enhanced by tattoos, were no match for Kane. In less than a minute, three of Number 6’s subordinates lay dead, vital points pierced. Instead of being overwhelmed, Kane was gaining the upper hand.
However, this was still an Imperial Hound hideout. Responding to the sound of battle, mechanical soldiers and knights flooded into the underground chamber.
“Don’t think you’ll leave here alive!”
Humiliated, number Six’s voice quivered with fury as he shouted at Kane. He couldn’t tolerate the fact that he was struggling against someone who wasn’t even a proper knight but a fellow assassin.
There was no way he could let Kane escape. He needed to know how Kane had infiltrated and what he knew. The terrace was soon crowded with numerous soldiers, leaving Kane with no place to escape. Realizing this, Kane lowered his sword slightly and glanced around.
“Is that everyone?”
“What did you say?”
Number 6 was taken aback by Kane’s nonchalance. No matter how skilled Kane was, there was no way he could handle this alone.
“Seize him.”
Without further delay, number Six ordered, and this time the Imperial knights advanced to encircle Kane properly.
“Idiots. To think you fell to these weaklings…”
Kane muttered, raising his sword again, emanating a green mana blade. Just as the knights’ swords clashed with Kane’s, a thunderous explosion rang out.
Boom!
“Leave no one alive! Wipe them all out!”
“Charge!”
The massive iron door to the underground chamber was blasted apart, and numerous knights wielding mana blades stormed in, cutting down the Imperial Hound’s forces.
“What—what is this? How did they get here?”
Number 6’s face was a mask of astonishment and confusion. How had they bypassed all the guards, magical barriers, traps, and mechanisms from the mansion’s entrance to this place?
Alarms enchanted in the passageways should have alerted him the moment an enemy intruded. How had all these people managed to enter undetected?
Swish! Slice! Thud.
A golden wave seemed to sweep through, cutting down chunks of the Imperial forces, clearing the space.
“Come on now. I told you to wait, and here you are, already making a mess.”
“You’ve arrived, sir.”
Kane, plunging his sword into the neck of the Imperial knight he had been fighting, bowed to Raul. Raul acknowledged the gesture with a nod and casually walked towards Number 6.
“You… you are…!”
“You must be the one in charge of this rat hole.”
“Raul! How are you here?”
Ignoring Number 6’s question, Raul glanced around the underground chamber, smirking.
“Does the Empire have a special mole division or something? It’s fascinating how you always manage to dig these underground lairs.”
“You….”
Number 6 wanted to say something, but the situation had already turned dire.
“Argh!”
“Ugh.”
The domain he had spent over a decade crafting was collapsing in mere moments. Hundreds of mechanical soldiers, over a hundred enhanced agents, and more than twenty Imperial knights— all swept away without much resistance.
‘This can’t be happening. Where did all these knights come from? Have we been deceived all along?’
Publicly, the First Knights were known to number around a hundred, including trainees. Even though Raul was a noble, owning a fully equipped knight order of a hundred was considered excessive.
But what was Number 6 witnessing now?
Over 300 knights adorned in the white armor emblazoned with the golden hawk of the First Knights, all wielding mana blades, were surging forward.
True knights, every one of them!
‘What on earth is happening?’
Number 6 was utterly bewildered. Conventional wisdom held that training an expert-level knight took at least ten years. Out of a hundred who trained with the sword, only one or two might reach the level of an expert.
While elite families might achieve better results by selecting only the most talented individuals, there were limits. The annual knighting ceremonies of the association showcased the reality:
Even in the best years, only about thirty knights were certified, and in lean times, fewer than half that.
‘How did they gather so many knights? Hidden knights? No, we couldn’t have been deceived… Recruited from other families? From foreign lands?’
No matter how he racked his brain, he couldn’t find an answer. Who could have imagined that these were talents Raul had gathered using his 『Developer’s Insight』?
For over six months, these individuals had trained intensively, aided by the 『Connect System』, conquering gates and honing their skills. The swords Raul had meticulously prepared over the past six months were finally severing the Imperial Hound’s throat.
Even the dozen or so Imperial mechanical warriors, who wielded mana blades, were no match for genuine knights.
“Hmm. I’m really curious about the face behind that mask. I have a feeling I might know you.”
Raul’s golden eyes gleamed as he looked at Number 6.
‘It’s all over. No, I can’t give up. At least….’
Biting his lip, number Six suddenly raised his fighting spirit.
‘A black sacrifice?’
However, Raul didn’t lift a finger, instead asking Kane, “How about it? Want to take him on yourself, sir Kane?”
“It would be an honor!”
Both Raul and Kane knew how dangerous an expert-level fighter could be when activating the Emperor’s tattoo and going berserk. But unlike in the past, Kane was now full of confidence.
Having obtained a Master’s legacy from an ancient ruin, such an opponent was no longer a threat to him.
“Let’s see what you’ve got!”
Now ablaze with black mana, number Six looked like a black beast. Kane, facing the black beast, also raised his fighting spirit.
Boom! Clang! Clank-clank!
The black beast clashed with the green mana blade, filling the air with piercing sounds. The berserk black beast seemed to have the upper hand, but surprisingly, Kane held his ground well.
“Lady Kane! If you ever need the assistance of this White Knight, just say the word.”
As Jake, who had just dealt with the Imperial knights, appeared with a greatsword slung over his shoulder and shouted, Kane’s eyebrow twitched.
“That won’t be necessary!”
Kane’s power armor shimmered with a green aura, lifting him slightly off the ground. With movements far more agile than before, he began to outpace the black beast with sheer speed.
Whirl, thud.
Kane circled around the black beast like a swift bird, striking with pinpoint accuracy.
Thump, thump, slash!
His sharp daggers darted forward like a beak, piercing the gaps in the black beast’s armor and inflicting small but accumulating wounds.
“Roar!”
The enraged black beast’s roar echoed through the underground chamber, but it was only a hollow cry. Its frenzied movements failed to catch the agile Kane.
And finally,
Thud.
The black flames extinguished as Number 6’s knees hit the ground. Kane’s green-tinged dagger was already poised under his chin.
Clap, clap, clap.
“That was an impressive fight.”
With Raul’s praise, the knights who had been watching erupted into applause and cheers.
“I apologize for my inadequate performance.”
Kane humbly stepped back, and Raul patted his shoulder before approaching Number 6.
“It would be a shame if it ended like this.”
Six golden daggers emerged from Raul’s grasp, surrounding Number 6.
‘Activate Radiant Aura.’
A divine aura emanated from Raul, infusing the daggers with holy energy.
Whoosh!
At Raul’s gesture, the daggers embedded themselves into Number 6’s monstrous form.
Clatter, thud.
The daggers severed the dark energy corrupting Number 6, causing his deformed power armor to fall to the ground lifelessly.
“Take him away.”
Though Number 6’s body appeared burnt and melting from the corruption, he was still breathing. Kane’s subordinates dragged him away while Raul picked up the remnants of the deformed power armor.
And at that moment,
Whoosh.
Regnator autonomously activated, absorbing the blackened power armor into Raul’s right palm.
「It’s confirmed. To evolve Regnator to the next stage, it needs to absorb power armor tainted with dark energy.」
Rabel’s voice resonated in Raul’s mind, checking the changes in Regnator.
「I figured as much. Any other changes?」
「Hmm, we’ll need to wait until the digestion process is complete. But you know one set won’t be enough, right?」
「Of course. Don’t worry; there’ll be plenty of opportunities to get more.」
The real battle against the Empire had yet to begin.
“Alright, let’s clean up and get back. There are still many enemies left to deal with.”
“Yes, Master.”
The knights hurriedly tidied the battlefield, collecting spoils. Raul approached Kane, who had fought valiantly.
“I need to rely on you once more, Kane.”
“Leave it to me. This is where I excel.”
Kane’s appearance was already transformed to resemble Number 6. With the brass mask securely in place and the black cloak draped over him, he looked every bit the part of the real Number 6.
‘Now it’s time to weed out the insects hiding within the castle walls.’
In the darkness of the underground chamber, Raul’s cold eyes glinted with a chilling resolve.
(To be continued)