Chapter 20: The Knight Awakens
With a deliberate motion, the knight pulled his greatsword from the ground and stepped forward, his two-meter height looming over the surroundings. His armor reflected the light like polished steel, and his white plume rose and streamed behind him like the mane of a male lion.
Leonard stared at his new summon in a daze. Following his command, Joker had forced his way into the dormant armor, awakening a presence that had long been slumbering within it.
[Summon: Knight of the Shattered Order]
[Rank: Rare]
[A knight once part of a dragon-slaying army, now a proficient monster hunter. His cold heart knows no fear and shall not falter even in the presence of a god. With his homeland brought to ruin, he lives solely to slaughter, hoping one day to reach those who have wronged him. Possesses 200% of his master’s attributes and gains an additional 200% boost when facing humanoid-type monsters.]
[Summon cost: 100 mana. Further mana expenditure required to sustain the summon depends on the level of exertion.]
"Preposterous... How are you alive?!" The vampire bellowed, backing away. "We were certain we exterminated all of your kind! The displayed remains of your comrades in this chamber are proof enough!"
The knight ignored the monster’s ramblings and shifted its silver gaze to his master.
Leonard’s eyes narrowed, sensing the rapid decline of his mana pool.
He gave the command at once.
"KILL!"
The knight obeyed. Lifting his sword to the side, he leaned forward and exploded into motion with monstrous speed.
In the blink of an eye, he stood before the vampire, his blade descending with lethal force.
With Leonard’s strength still buffed to 25 points, the knight’s surged to a staggering 100 points.
The monster’s skin gave way to metal. A large gash opened across the vampire’s chest, spilling blood.
[Lowborn Vampire has been struck by silver! All attributes have been reduced to 90%!]
"Silver?! What if..." Leonard’s mind raced.
In an instant, he hurled his cheap axe aside and dashed toward one of the armors on display. Reaching out, he seized a double-headed axe that, just like the knight’s sword, was made of pure silver.
His lungs burned. With the vampire distracted by the knight, he flanked.
"Lightning Strike!" He roared.
This time his strike broke through the monster’s defenses, carving a fresh wound into its body.
[Lowborn Vampire has been struck by silver! All attributes have been reduced to 80%!]
"Arabella!" He yelled to catch her attention.
"I understand!" She replied, reading his message. Tossing aside her arrows, she switched to silver-coated ones that wounded the vampire.
Winston also discarded his old weapon and swapped it for a hammer that carried silver properties.
In hindsight, the three had never been meant to face the vampire in a fair confrontation! The weapons displayed on the armor sets had been the vampire’s weakness. They needed to turn the tide of battle in their favor!
[Lowborn Vampire has been struck by silver! All attributes have been reduced to 50%!]
"You mere cattle! If only it weren’t for this damned knight!" The vampire shrieked, barely keeping his head attached to his body.
Leonard’s mana was seconds away from running out. Taking a step back, he gulped down the mana potion he carried.
Just then, the monster came to a realization. The knight wasn’t alive but a summon, just like the mist!
"You are behind all of this!" The vampire declared in pure hatred, abandoning all defense, and his claw shot toward Leonard’s face.
With the vampire’s slowed movements, he was able to perceive the incoming blow. However, he lacked the necessary speed to avoid it!
Barely escaping death, the monster’s claws scraped past his face. Blood blurred his vision, and pain overwhelmed his senses.
"Catch!" Winston threw the healing potion he carried right at Leonard’s face.
Upon collision, the container broke, and its contents spilled over his head, mending his condition.
The vampire continued to shriek like a dying animal. His once composed nature was nowhere to be seen, now reduced to a monster pushed to the brink.
"Die!" His blood swipes didn’t faze the incoming knight. His armor remained pristine.
[Lowborn Vampire has been struck by silver! All attributes have been reduced to 10%!]
Standing on its last legs, the vampire panted heavily, barely able to remain upright.
[Mana: 0/140]
Sadly, the party was similarly battered and exhausted. Leonard’s mana had run out, and sensing this, the knight knelt in his direction before disappearing.
Since he required a whopping 100 mana to be summoned again, it became clear the party of three was now on their own.
Leonard glanced at Arabella, only for her to shake her head. "Sorry, I used my mana potion. Had I known, I would have saved it."
"Ridiculous... so much trouble... for mere cattle." The vampire’s breathing grew ragged.
Witnessing the pitiful state of the vampire, Leonard let out a sigh and glanced at the requirement to upgrade Lightning Strike.
He hadn’t gotten the moment to use the 300 evolution points he had gained. Seeing no reason to spare them, he invested them right away.
[Lightning Strike - Level 6]
[Rank: Rare]
[Infuses your strike with low-affinity lightning and amplifies your strength by 250%.]
[Usage cost: 10 mana.]
[Upgrade Lightning Strike to the next level: 320 Evolution Points]
"I... will kill you." The vampire growled, limping forward.
"Is that so?" Leonard mused. "I’d like to see you try."
Enraged, the monster charged.
Meanwhile, Arabella and Winston took a step back. Out of the three of them, they believed Leonard deserved the kill the most.
Despite the vampire’s furious assault, its movements had slowed to such an extent that Leonard easily dodged every strike without breaking a sweat.
[Mana: 10/140]
He kept one eye on his mana regeneration. The moment he recovered enough to activate his skill, he effortlessly blocked the vampire’s attack.
"Good strike, but it lacks weight." He remarked, his eyes growing cold. "Let me show you how it’s done."
A flash of lightning erupted. The vampire’s head was cleanly severed and tumbled to the ground. Its body fell on its knees.
[You have defeated a Level 20 Lowborn Vampire, the True Boss of the Haunted Catacombs!]
[All gained experience and Evolution Points have been doubled!]
[You have gained 1,000 Experience!]
[In recognition of your exceptional achievement, you have been granted 1,500 Evolution Points!]
[You have gained the following titles: Inquisitor, One Man Army]
[The vampire drew its last breath, and with it, the dungeon collapsed.]
[The Haunted Catacombs have been sealed. Initiating a dungeon-wide teleportation...]
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