*KREEK...*
A piercing sound echoed as a door that seemed long unopened slowly creaked open.
Ethan, Eris, and Yunyun stepped cautiously, one step at a time, into the room.
*DANG!*
As soon as the three entered, the door that had just opened suddenly slammed shut on its own, as if pushed by an invisible force.
If ordinary people faced such a situation, they might immediately panic.
However, Ethan, Eris, and Yunyun seemed to have anticipated this, and none of them were startled!
"Not bad for a trick! What? Trying to scare us with a little trick like this?"
With a faint smile on his face, Ethan gripped the Demon Sword and carried 'Gram' on his back. His dark, night-like eyes showed no joy, only coldness and emotionlessness, as if staring at the dead.
"Hah—! If a small trick like this can be considered intimidation, then your strength is truly not worth considering. This is merely basic etiquette for a sacred duel between knights."
The voice responding to Ethan was that of a powerful yet eerie adult man.
*WHOOSH!*
The three looked ahead, and in the darkness, lights suddenly flickered with eerie blue flames. The flames offered no warmth, instead sending shivers down their spines.
Yet, thanks to the flames, even Yunyun, who lacked the ability to see in the dark, could now see the entire scene within the room.
"Hiss—!" However, what she saw shocked and horrified her!
In this eerie hall, there was a group of knights clad in black armor, wielding sharp swords, their faces withered and their eyes glowing red within their helmets. Their aura was dark and menacing, clearly indicating they were high-level undead.
Their formation resembled that of loyal knights protecting their king, but the atmosphere they created was not one of solemnity, but of overwhelming dread.
From the information gathered by Ethan's 'Enemy Detection' skill—
These undead knights possessed strength equivalent to level 30 adventurers, and not ordinary adventurers like Ethan, but high-level sword-wielding knights!
And there were over a hundred of these high-level undead, standing in neat rows, sending chills down one's spine.
"Chivalric ethics? First, an endless army of undead, and now over a hundred undead knights? I don't see how that relates to chivalric ethics!"
Ethan's cold gaze pierced into the deepest part of the eerie hall!
His cold, emotionless words struck directly!
"That was merely a welcoming gift, nothing to fuss over. In fact, thanks to that undead army, you gained a lot of experience and grew stronger, didn't you?"
"And I also gave you enough time to recover to your best condition. Isn't that beneficial to you? What matters most—"
"Chivalric ethics aren't about numbers! In battle, not fleeing and fighting to the death is the true ethic of a knight. That's why I closed the door..."
As he spoke, the figure seated on the throne slowly emerged from the darkness, entering the sight of Ethan, Eris, and Yunyun.
It was a large, burly knight clad in thick, heavy black armor, with a massive sword at his side. The dark aura surrounding him pierced the skin of those who looked at him.
The knight had no head. His head, like a crown guarding this hall, was placed on the throne.
Eris could even feel a gaze like a curse emanating from the helmeted head, directed at her.
"I am Verdia, an General of the Devil King."
"Welcome to my audience, powerful holy priestess! And also the seemingly weak black-haired boy who gives me a sense of caution, as well as the Crimson Demon girl over there! It seems our battle can finally begin!"
Verdia!
This name was not unfamiliar to Ethan!
He had a deep connection with Wiz. When Wiz was still human, Verdia had once single-handedly defeated Wiz's adventurer team, and he himself only suffered severe injuries!
He was also a Dullahan!
A being that, even among the undead, ranks only below Liches and True Vampires!
Therefore, it was certain—he was extremely strong!
At the very least, he was far stronger than the high-level demon Host that Ethan had faced before!
*CLANG!*
With a clear sound, Verdia grabbed the massive sword at his side and drew it.
Magical energy capable of creating storms and a terrifying killing intent immediately surged forth!
"Attack, my minions! Let the enemy witness the strength of undead knights!"
As soon as his words ended, the undead knights standing in neat rows on both sides of the hall raised their heads, their auras turning as fierce as Verdia's.
"Groarr—!"
Their roars echoed throughout the hall.
And in an instant, the undead knights moved like lightning, their sharp swords thrusting toward Ethan and the others!
"Ordinary undead! Know your place!"
"Purification—!"
Blinding white light enveloped the entire hall!
"Groarr—!"
"Crack—!"
Under the holy purification magic, the undead knights, equivalent to high-level adventurers, began to show signs of burning, and even their sturdy armor started to crumble!
"Impossible! My undead knights are protected by the Devil King! Ordinary holy power shouldn't be able to harm us! Why is it still causing this much damage!?"
Verdia gripping his massive sword, took a defensive stance to block the remnants of the white light, but his body still emitted a pungent white smoke!
He was also injured!?
"So that's it! You're the one the Devil King fears!"
Why did Verdia come to a beginner village like Axel?
Normally, one would think that the Devil King's army wanted to destroy the kingdom's new forces, cutting off their supply of fresh blood.
But Verdia's reason for coming to this beginner town wasn't that!