N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 393
Unlike other undead monsters, death knights and arch liches have ranks. Their strength is on par with their former lives, making it difficult to distinguish their danger based on names alone.
Those between beginner and intermediate master rank are called "low-rank", those between intermediate and advanced master rank are called "mid-rank", and those of higher rank or above are called "advanced-rank".
Raon rubbed his fingers as he looked at the death knight with bloodshot eyes.
"Low-rank."
The knight had reached the Master Intermediate level in life, but after death, they had fallen into a Death Knight with the combat abilities of a master beginner level.
You should not look at it so simply.
'I see.'
Raon nodded at Wrath.
'Because this swamp is not ordinary.'
Despite its name, the Swamp of Death doesn't emitted any aura of death, but it held the power to enhance the undead. Raon considered the Death Knight to be at a higher level than Master beginner level and knew they had to fight accordingly.
"Burren, Martha, and Runaan. It'll be tough with just the three of them."
Even though the three captains of the Light Wind squad defeated the first vice-division leader of the Warring Steel division, Kaman, without much damage, that was because it was not a fight to the death situation.
If Kaman had wanted to, one of the three would have died.
That death knight is stronger than Kaman at the time, so the entire Light Wind squad must face him.
"Light Wind squad."
Raon pointed to the death knight drawing his sword from his waist.
"Take care of it."
"Yes."
Without question, the Light Wind squad followed Raon's order and charged toward the Death Knight. Their eyes were filled with the determination to vanquish their enemy.
"A-are you sure they could face the Death Knight?"
Prika opened her mouth wide in disbelief.
"It's a good opportunity, so they have to fight."
"But there's no master level there, how...?"
"Whether they win or lose doesn't matter. If they don't challenge, the path won't open."
"Uh..."
She swallowed her saliva.
"Open formation!"
Burren stepped forward and raised his sword.
"Open formation!"
Hearing his cry, the Light Wind squad spread out flexibly like snowflakes on the wind, forming a circular sword formation.
It was the Great Typhoon Formation, which was unfolded by all the members of the Light Wind squad as one.
'Ah, I have to kill him somehow!'
'If I don't kill that thing, I'll die!'
'The one in front of me is a death knight, but the demon king is waiting behind me!'
'I'm getting hit here and there! Damn life!'
The Light Wind squad members imagined what would happen if they lost this battle, and readjusted their swords, drawing up their aura with all their might.
"Kukukukukuku!"
As all the members of the Light Wind squad gathered their aura with one heart, an energy wave that was not inferior to the death knight rose.
"Haaaaah!"
A crimson flame rose from the death knight's dark blade. It was the Abyssal sword, which is said to summon the flames of hell.
The Light Wind squad unleashed the first form of the Great Typhoon Formation, the Green Wind. The energy condensed at the center of the formation wrapped around Burren's sword and poured out.
"Kwaaaaah!"
A fearsome shock wave rose as the Abyssal sword and the Green Wind collided.
The Swamp of Death cracked, and clumps of mud poured down from the air.
"Tddddddd!"
The death knight and the Light Wind squad were simultaneously pushed out of the swampland that was being crushed.
"Switch!"
At Burren's command, the Light Wind squad's position changed. The third team moved to the back, and the 1st team moved forward, concentrating a powerful aura around Martha.
They used to be as slow as a snail crawling...
Wrath curled his lips as he watched the Light Wind squad members switched like lightning.
The transformation has become faster.
'Yeah.'
Raon nodded with a faint smile.
'They've changed a lot.'
Previously, it took them a long time to switch the positions between the teams, and their movements were clumsy. But now, it flowed smoothly, like water.
It was a sight that showed how much effort the entire Light Wind squad had put in.
"I'll smash that head!"
Martha screamed and twisted her sword down. A moment of rage. However, even at the moment she was covered in madness, she did not rush in alone.
She, along with the 1st team supporting her from behind, unleashed a sword strike that contained all her strength.
Kuwaaaang!
A loud noise like a building being crushed rang out, and the Death Knight was pushed back. There was a sense of anger in his eyes.
The Beef Girl seems to have developed more in terms of mental strength than physical.
'You were right.'
As the King of Essence's subordinate, she should be well taken care of, as fhe King of Essence has said!
As Wrath said, Martha had become stronger in mental strength than in physical power. Even now, after causing a rage in the moment of concentrating her strength, she immediately regained her senses so that her team members would not be injured.
Tdddddduk!
The Death Knight's jaw opened with a creak. He seemed to be very angry, and he ran towards them with a strong flame in his eyes.
Chiiiiiiiiiing!
The Light Wind squad's position switched once again. The 2nd team took the front, the most solid form. It was the fifth formation, the Snowy Divine Manifestation.
Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
Runaan moved forward and swung her sword. The cold that flowed out like a ribbon string covered the air, creating a graceful sword barrier.
Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeong!
The blade of ice and the death knight's flaming sword collided head-on, creating a huge amount of steam.
A silver blade rose up from the increasingly dense fog.
Fiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
It wasn't the death knight. It was Runaan, who stood at the end of the formation, who thrust her sword and stabbed the death knight's cheekbone.
Chiiiiiiiiiick!
Although it did not create a major wound due to the astral energy, a small sword mark was carved into the cheek.
Oh, oh!
Wrath clenched his fist.
The King of Essence didn't know she could counterattack like that! Ice cream girl has changed too!
'That's right.'
Runaan always focused on defense..
Runaan, with her kind personality, took the lead in protecting everyone.
But her personality had also changed. She unhesitatingly stabbed the sharp ice dagger hidden in her shield to save her comrades.
Kikikikikik.
The death knight, apparently furious, tapped his slightly scratched cheek and gripped the Abyssal sword. The flames that rose from the dark blade swirled like a storm.
ROAR!
The sky was turning crimson as the sun was about to set, and the sound of swords clashing echoed in the air.
Raon smiled faintly as he watched the sword techniques of the Light Wind squad.
"It's not just the captains. They've all changed."
Not just Burren, Martha, and Runaan, but everyone in the Light Wind squad had grown into different people.
"Ahhh!"
Even Dorian, the greatest coward in house Zieghart, held on with his sword tightly clenched in his hand, not backing down from the center of the formation. He supported them to the end, even with tears in his eyes.
"Squeal!"
At a time when everyone was holding their ground, a member was thrown back with a pig's squeal.
"Damn it!"
It was Krein. He spat out the blood in his mouth and returned to his place before the Death Knight could deliver a follow-up attack. His return was as fast as a squirrel, perhaps because he always dropped out first.
That one's in trouble. A harbinger of misfortune, he is.
'Yeah, there's a bit of that.'
Krein was the vice-captain of the third team, and he was one of the top ten strongest in the Light Wind squad, but he always fell first.
He was a guy with bad luck rather than perseverance.
And you should prepare yourself properly. That skeleton is a strange one.
'I know.'
Raon nodded as he turned his gaze to the Death Knight.
"A rapidly growing undead... "
Normally, undead monsters had slow growth. After all, they were once human and had to adjust to their new state of undeath. But this Death Knight seemed exempt from that curse, growing stronger with each passing moment, not just in terms of astral energy but also in swordsmanship.
I can accept that the Death Knight's aura is strengthened by the power of this swamp, but I don't understand how its swordsmanship can grow in such a short time.
To be honest, the Death Knight is getting used to the Light Wind squad much faster than the Light Wind squad is getting used to the Death Knight.
If this continues, the Light Wind squad will not be able to withstand it for long and will be defeated with internal injuries.
“Vice-squad leader.”
Mark Gorton grabbed the black sword at his waist and narrowed his eyes.
“I will go out.”
“Hmm….”
Raon was about to give his permission when Yua, who was next to him, ran out to the battlefield.
“Yua!”
Mark Gorton tried to stop her, but Raon shook his hand to stop him.
“Vice-squad leader?”
Hey! Stop the pineapple girl!
"Let's just watch for a while.”
He shook his head, swirling heat in his mana circuit so that he could save Yua at any time.
Gooooo!
Yua gathered her hands and operated her aura. A blue current flowed out like a piece of antique silk.
[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]
Yua chose not a sword, but a voice. The sacred song that flowed out as if the angel of light had descended created a new wave in the swamp.
Kikikiki….
The face of the Death Knight, who had only been enraged by being stabbed with a sword, was distorted in pain. His sanguine eyes turned to Yua beyond the Light Wind squad.
“What, what is….”
“My, my wounds seem to be healing…"
"I thought I was running out of stamina, but I can hold on a little longer."
“I almost fainted just a moment ago….”
“Is this Yua's power?”
On the other hand, the Light Wind squad's complexion brightened as if their internal injuries had subsided.
This was the ability of Yua that Eden had been targeting. It was the voice of a siren that gives harm to the enemies and bestowed vitality to allies.
ARRRRGH!
As the Death Knight roared with his sword in hand, the swamp rippled and a number of ghouls and skeleton warriors emerged.
Kiii!
Kyaa!
The ghouls and skeleton warriors did not even pay attention to the Light Wind squad, but rushed towards Yua.
Chhhaaaa!
Just as a poisonous nail was about to stab Yua's neck, a sharp sword flash flashed.
Kiiik!
The ghoul was buried in the swamp with its arm cut off.
“I can’t just let you be the only one who shines!”
Yulius stood in front of Yua with his teeth gritted.
“If you do it, I’ll do it too!”
He used the straightforward swordsmanship that he learned from Roenn to cut down the approaching undead monsters.
Sweat dripped down his entire body due to tension, but he gritted his teeth and held on.
Kugugugugugung!
A Dullahan emerged from the swamp on the right side, rippling like waves. It rushed towards Yua, wearing a stronger aura than the one he had just dealt with.
“It can even summon Dullahan?”
Normally, Death Knights can summon different types of monsters depending on their rank.
Since the Death Knight can summon Dullahan, it seems to have grown from low-rank to mid-rank.
“I’ll take care of that.”
Mark Gorton drew his black sword and ran out. He stood in front of Yua before the Dullahan could stab her with its spear.
Zaaaarrrrrrr!
Mark Gorton’s powerful sword strike pushed back the Dullahan’s massive body. He sprinkled the basic sword techniques of the Sword of Bianlan to break the black spear, as if to say, “Don’t worry about this side.”
It used to be so messy and unpleasant to look at, but it's improved.
As Wrath said, Mark Gorton’s Sword of Bianlan technique was only strong, but it did not evoke any emotions. But now, his sword strikes contained a chilling sharpness.
Chejejejejeok!
Mark Gorton cut off the Dullahan’s body with a sword strike that fell like lightning.
The Dullahan sank into the swamp without even a groan, but the Light Wind squad’s condition worsened in that short moment.
Kwaaaarrrrrrr!
The intermediate experts level could not withstand the sword strike of the Death Knight, and they were pushed back, vomiting blood.
The experts who had reached the advanced level also had internal injuries, and blood was dripping from their lips. Only the three captains and Dorian, who had reached the peak expert level, were barely holding on.
[Aaaaaa….]
Yua’s complexion turned pale under the aura of the Death Knight, which was becoming stronger, and Yulius also let out a rough breath from exhaustion.
“Vice-squad leader.”
Mark Gorton, who had dealt with the Dullahan, frowned with a serious expression.
“Could it be that Death Knight is getting stronger?”
“Yes.”
Raon nodded.
“At first, The Death knight rank was only at the beginner master level, but now he is on the verge of reaching the intermediate master level."
“Then I’ll go too.”
Mark Gorton bit his lip and entered from the right side of the Light Wind squad. He struck down with the sword strike that had cut down the dullahan, but the Death Knight easily deflected his sword.
“Humph!”
As expected, Mark Gorton spun his body in the air and unleashed a second sword strike. It was a basic technique of the Sword of Bianlan that was difficult to read the trajectory of, like lightning falling from the sky.
“Let’s go too!”
The Light Wind squad also switched to the eleventh form, which is the strongest in terms of attack power, and entrusted the aura to Martha.
“Haaaaaah!”
When powerful energy poured out from both sides, the Death Knight slashed the Abyssal sword diagonally. The powerful energy contained in the simple sword strike spread out like waves.
“Kuwaaaaaaah!”
The Death Knight was unable to withstand the combined attack of the Light Wind squad and Mark Gorton, and was pushed back all the way to the back, hitting his back on three pillars.
His body creaked as if he had taken a pretty big hit, but his aura burned even stronger than before.
“Kwaaaaah!”
The Death Knight’s fiery eyes, which had been burning red, turned green. At the same time, the astral energy that was blooming from under his feet soared into the sky.
He has crossed the threshold.
‘Yes. It has reached the intermediate level.’
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Death Knight. With the shock from earlier, the Death Knight had firmly established itself in the intermediate master level. No, it had even gone beyond that.
‘It seems to get stronger the more he fights?’
The King of Essence agrees. The King of Essence hasn’t seen such an undead in a long time.
Wrath licked his lips, saying that it was a rare species even in the Devildom.
The Light Wind squad and Mark Gorton were both thrown into the swamp by the Abyssal sword of the Death Knight, who had reached the intermediate master level.
“Ugh…”
“Cough, cough!”
“Damn it…”
“That skeleton bastard seems to have gotten ridiculously strong, doesn’t he?”
“I, I can’t hold on anymore…”
Mark Gorton and the Light Wind squad shook their shoulders as they got up, even though they were trembling from the incredibly thick aura.
“Aah…”
“Hey! Hold on! This isn’t over yet!”
Yua also collapsed from exhaustion, and Yulius was trembling as he held his sword.
“I guess…”
Raon put his hand on the hilt of the Heavenly Drive sword for the first time since he entered the swamp.
“I’ll have to finish this.”
That Death Knight was dangerous. The Light Wind squad members had also gained some gains, so it was best to end it as soon as possible.
He walked forward, channeling the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's aura and the Divinity that Bloomed from the Darkness. (Previously: Divine Bloomed in the Shadows)
Squelch
Even though he was walking through the swaying swamp, the sound of his feet hitting the ground rang out. The Light Wind squad members immediately backed away when they heard the footsteps.
Thump, thump
Even though Death Knight was walking through the swampland, a thunderous noise accompanied every step he took. The terrifying aura emanating from him was soul-chilling. He was growing stronger even at this moment.
"I'd like to see how far you can grow, but I have a lot of people to take care of. Let's finish this here."
The Death Knight seemed to be infuriated by those words, and he kicked the swamp. He approached as a green beam of light and slashed down with the Abyssal sword.
Within the seemingly simple sword strike lay intricate layers of strikes. One blade multiplied into ten, surrounding and covering all angles for evasion and defense.
The heat of the Abyssal sword, which is wrapped in the flames of hell, caused pain as if his skin was melting.
When the Blade of Requiem at his waist vibrated to warn of danger, he put his strength into his right hand, which was holding the Heavenly Drive sword.
The blade of the Heavenly Drive sword, which was drawn without a sound, was engulfed in flames that were even thicker than the Abyssal sword. The line of flames that soared up like a comet’s tail traced a magnificent trajectory.
Clatter!
The crimson blade pierced through the Abyssal sword, which was saturated with the aura of death, and sank into the core of Death Knight's skeletal form. With all his strength, he thrust the sword to the hilt.
Kwaaaaah!
The astral energy that seemed unbreakable cracked open, and the heart of the Death Knight, which was burning with hellfire, was crushed.
Raon turned around while holding the skull of the Death Knight, who had lost his body and was falling. He smiled at the people who were staring at him with their mouths agape.
“Let’s go.”
It was time to deal with the pigs now.
