Chapter 14: Versus The Gatekeepers (1)

Sol's light illuminated the narrow corridor for Blake and Vargar.

The old dwarf had been hesitant to accompany Blake, but he relented readily after seeing Blake's confidence.

In his long life, Vargar had met numerous confident people, but none had an aura like Blake's. Though bratty, impatient, and even somewhat entitled, the young player overcame his flaws and strove to change himself—a quality that was part of his charm.

He undoubtedly possessed something that drew people to him.

Moreover, this was yet another trial for The Lost King's throne.

It might be dangerous to enter the trial zone for outsiders, but Vargar didn't want to miss the rise of the new king, especially since he had been involved from the beginning. Considering all of this, he couldn't bring himself to disappoint Blake—or himself.

After ten minutes of walking, Sol's light reached the other end of the corridor, revealing the threshold. From that point onward, a vast expanse unfolded in every direction—so vast that Sol's light was nothing but a drop in a sea of darkness.

However, Blake and Vargar had already noticed at least fifty menacing red orbs staring at them from across the expanse.

At the edge of Sol's light, Blake caught sight of a few pairs of pristine white sabatons and glimpses of greaves of the same color and material.

Despite their color, these armors blended seamlessly into the hall's darkness—an intriguing and quite advanced mechanic for the first battle zone.

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Without hesitation, Blake accepted the challenge.

The moment he did, beacons hidden on either side of the hall, high above Blake and the gatekeepers' heads, ignited, casting a mix of blue and red lights across the hall. Every nook and cranny became visible to human eyes.

And with the hall illuminated, the appearance of the gatekeepers was laid bare.

Seemingly crafted from marble that could adapt to any source of light, their armors—now reflecting the red and blue beacons—were so lean they appeared as an additional layer of skin.

Their intricate details and finishes gave each armor a celestial appearance. Although perhaps excessively ornate, Vargar couldn't find any flaw in the design and grew more impressed the longer he examined them.

Sol didn't know anything about craftsmanship, but his little eyes shone like a thousand stars.

Meanwhile, Blake focused on their weapons, which were spears. Just like the armor, their spears appeared to be forged from the same light-absorbing material.

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"Forging and enchanting at its finest," Blake muttered.

Unaware that his words had pulled Vargar from his deep admiration of the armor—Vargar hadn't even considered the enchanting yet—Blake looked up at the gatekeepers' helmets and noticed something unusual.

Each helmet had a thin strand extending taut toward the ceiling like a marionette's string.

The blue light revealed the strands, while the red light concealed them. As each beacon swept its light across the gatekeepers, Blake confirmed his suspicions.

He smiled.

Unsheathing his katana, he assumed the balanced stance—middle guard. With his blade held in front and tip pointing at the nearest gatekeeper's chest, Blake compelled the opponent to make the first move.

Three gatekeepers advanced as their strings swayed, each making a thrust toward Blake, leveraging their superior reach.

In response, Blake sidestepped just enough to avoid two of the three thrusts without giving any other gatekeeper an advantage. Simultaneously, he angled his curved blade, parrying the inevitable enemy thrust and guiding it away from his body.

This created an opening that Blake could exploit.

However, the experienced spearman—the gatekeeper—also understood this and remained cautious.

He responded by using the other end of his spear to defend himself and to create distance suitable for him and his weapon—regaining his advantage.

Yet, the crescent blade sliced through his neck before he could execute any of those moves, beheading him in a split second. His finely crafted helmet plummeted to the cold floor and bounced before rolling between the legs of his comrades.

The rest of his body knelt before Blake before collapsing face-first… or chest-first.

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Vargar's jaw dropped, while Sol happily danced atop Blake's helmet.

In just a few seconds after entering the battle, Blake had defeated one of fifty opponents, and he did it with such precision and speed that he emerged unscathed.

What he did was nothing short of amazing, despite his moves seeming simple and effortless on the surface.

The execution of that defensive and offensive sequence was perfect.

Moreover, Blake's stats had increased beyond what the gatekeepers had adapted to, thanks to his use of one of his katana's three skills.

As Blake defeated one of them…