Chapter 175 : Top-tier Magic Knights

“Keuk!”

The moment he saw the black arrow approaching right in front of his eyes, Muno raised his hand reflexively.

However.

Kwaaaaaang!

The black arrow slightly dented the gauntlet of that hand and grazed the side of his helmet as it passed.

‘Ugh!’

His head rang with a sharp pain, and his vision spun.

Because of that, he couldn’t even properly grasp whether his body was spinning or just his vision.

When he felt like the ground was spinning round and round as it approached from the high air.

Chwaruruk.

The other iron chains he had extended reflexively caught onto the ground and trees, allowing him to barely regain his balance.

Of course, even so.

Kuuung.

“Keuk!”

Because of the shock from the arrow grazing his helmet, even landing properly was difficult.

But that wasn’t the end.

Pa-ang!

With a small noise, almost like a joke, a black arrow appeared right in front of his nose as if it had torn through space.

‘No way!’

Feeling goosebumps rise all over his body, he threw his head back.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

The arrow that passed over his face exploded the ground behind him.

Urrruuuung.

‘Crazy…….’

Even Rauel couldn’t shoot an arrow like this.

Just as he barely managed to recover his stance and tried to spring forward.

An arrow imbued with blue mana, fired from behind, grazed past his face.

Paaaaang.

The blue arrow headed toward where the black arrow had been shot from.

“Lord Muno! I’ll cover you!”

Instead of answering those words, Muno put strength into the tips of his toes.

And he began to accelerate his body following the trajectory the blue mana arrow had flown.

Paaak.

The sensation of the soil being dug up and flying away with each step, and the feeling of the air beginning to flow slowly.

Inside the unique sensation of acceleration where only his own time seemed to have sped up, Muno looked straight ahead.

In the distance, he saw a giant tree with a large hole in its trunk finally toppling over with a creak.

‘That was an arrow?’

It was different in nature from what Rauel shot; something that should be called a cannon rather than an arrow had been shot in the form of an arrow.

Fortunately, perhaps Rauel’s cover fire had been effective, as no more arrows came flying in succession.

However, instead, he felt other things approaching as if they were flying.

‘One guy…… no?’

Pabababak.

They hid their figures inside the forest lined with huge giant trees, but the movement of demonic energy was clearly felt within the accelerated time.

‘Fast!’

Movements that felt even faster than himself, who was currently using acceleration, numbering a whopping…… five.

The feeling of the approaching demonic energy seemed to be that of magicians between 4 and 5-Circles, but their physical movements were beyond imagination.

Classifying them as Magic Knights based on past experience, the amount of demonic energy close to 5-Circle meant……. 6-Star, Top-tier Magic Knights.

But that was nonsense.

‘What is this?!’

He was bewildered, but a sense of crisis covered that bewilderment first.

‘Right now, at least one…….’

The moment a chill ran down his spine, Muno instinctively moved toward the demonic energy felt closest to him.

And as he jumped into the forest, he unleashed his chains toward the target.

Chwaruruk.

Just before the iron chain that flew in a straight line could snatch the masked person in the darkness.

Pabak.

The masked person, moving as if they had eyes on the side of their head, turned direction at a right angle, ignoring inertia, dodging the chain, and rushed right in front of his eyes.

‘Got you.’

If it’s a head-on confrontation, there’s no reason to refuse.

Kung.

Immediately after his left foot, carrying all the momentum and weight of his charge, planted firmly on the ground, the ‘Blade’, containing kinetic energy transferred intact from his knee to his thigh, waist, and fingertips, was swung diagonally.

Jjeooooook.

The giant sword, shimmering with a Mana Blade mixed half and half with gray and red, sliced right through the tree caught in its trajectory.

Paaaaaaang!

The masked person, having dodged that lightning-fast offensive with just a slight step, had dug into Muno’s bosom before he knew it.

Blue eyes visible inside the thin mask.

‘Smiling?’

The moment the encountered eyes wavered.

A transparent longsword stretched out from within the masked person’s embrace.

And.

Chwaruruk.

Muno’s remaining three strands of iron chains shot out from below as if to coil around the masked person.

Then, the masked person, who seemed like they would swing that transparent sword any moment, urgently jumped into the air.

Kwang!

“Keuk!”

A kick slamming into Muno’s helmet was a bonus.

Staggering from the pain that felt like his neck would snap, he still extended his iron chains.

Chwaruruk.

‘Mid-air!’

If only I catch him…….

While he gathered his dizzy mind with that single will.

Tadak.

The masked person, climbing the trees to the left and right, dodged those iron chains again with acrobatic movements.

‘Crazy…….’

There was no time to curse out loud.

At that moment, a chilling killing intent struck from the rear.

He hurriedly tried to turn his body.

Kwang!!!

Kung. Kung. Kung.

Blocking the offensive with his raised arm, greatsword, and chains, he was forced back, feeling a stinging pain in his wrist.

At that moment, exclamations(?) rang out.

“Hiya, he’s really hard.”

“He’s heavy, too.”

“What kind of evolution did he go through?”

Chwarurung.

The masked people, revealing only blurry shapes in the darkness of the forest and drawing transparent swords, scattered to his left, right, and above, scattering chilling killing intent.

For a moment, it seemed like something invisible flew in.

Chachachachang!

Sparks flew from his entire body as he curled up reflexively.

‘It’s not, metal?’

While feeling confusion at the enemies’ baffling weapons.

Muno chased the traces of demonic energy felt all around and launched his chains.

Of course, the masked people dodged all those iron chains with light movements.

“He’s really hard.”

“This is going to be a bit of trouble.”

“To think we can’t even touch him, geez.”

Goosebumps rose along his spine just from the words delivered as if mocking him.

‘They came completely prepared for me.’

That wasn’t all.

“Hmph, cowards.”

With a heavy voice, a presence approached rapidly.

Kwaaaaaang!

The moment he reflexively swung his blade as soon as he turned around, his body was bounced away just like that.

“Here. Let’s see if you can do anything about this too, Black Knight!”

A giant axe seemingly frosted with blue cold energy. A masked person with a massive build to match it rushed straight toward him again as he was bounced away with those words.

“That idiot.”

“He brought his own weapon.”

“Did he even listen when we said weapons would get destroyed?”

There was no time to pay attention to the voices mixed with ridicule.

He was just grateful that they paused their offensive because of it.

‘This guy first!’

Since each one was formidable, he would take a risk.

Starting with one guy.

‘Double Acceleration.’

Kung.

The moment he made up his mind, it felt as if his body weight increased by the square.

Pressure that felt like his entire body would tear apart right away was felt, but in exchange, the movement of the giant rushing terrifyingly before his eyes began to look drastically slow.

‘Still, it’s more doable than before.’

The mana that became more abundant and purer after reaching 3-Class reduced the burden on his body much more than before.

And the body with stronger vitality allowed him another margin of ease even while exerting brute strength.

‘One more.’

Kung.

Udeudeuk.

Wuuung.

The mana that was inside his body flowed out as it was to form another body on the outside.

And.

Suaaaa.

The mana spewed from the Red Heart filled his body again, reinforcing his body doubly.

Brute Strength added to Double Acceleration.

Feeling the power overflowing in his whole body and the sense of speed moving alone as if the surroundings were stopped, Muno stared at the enemy approaching right in front of him.

‘That is……’

The cold energy felt from the giant axe was clearly different from the energy of spirits.

‘As expected…… a magical tool.’

Chwarurek.

The moment he extended his iron chains to wrap around the axe first, a red light shone from inside the giant’s mask, and the guy’s movement, which had slowed down, began to speed up even more.

And.

Kwang. Kwang. Kwang!

The giant axe struck the iron chains in succession.

Even Muno’s body, which tried to rush forward to meet him, was shaken by the impact.

‘Damn it.’

Although they mocked the other masked people, it seemed they were equally wary of the iron chains.

Muno forcibly maintained his balance, which was shaking from the aftermath of the axe strikes, and approached the guy’s front.

Everything around him had slowed down as if stopped, but strangely, the masked person’s red-glowing eyes followed his movements exactly.

Following the trajectory of the swinging blade, the giant axe also approached head-on as if not afraid at all.

– You dare to compete with me in strength?

The eyes glowing red inside the mask spoke for his overflowing confidence.

– No.

Muno’s black eyes betrayed that expectation.

And immediately, his ‘Blade’ exploded.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

Although the masked person was seen curling his body even while taking the blade explosion head-on.

Kwakwakwakwakwa!

The fragments of the blade, which had exploded into dozens of pieces, tore his entire body into tatters and struck everything around.

Of course, even that was beyond Muno’s expectations.

‘He withstood it?’

Only then did he realize that the black leather armor they were wearing was an extraordinary item.

‘Dammit!’

Muno hurriedly swung the iron chains, which were extending toward the other masked people, back toward the giant.

Chwarurek.

“Cough. If only my armor…….”

Kwadedeuk.

The iron chains wrapped around the giant’s whole body as he coughed up blood.

But.

Chaeng!

Jjejejejeong!

In an instant, the iron chains were bounced away in all directions by the barrage of transparent swords that poured in from all sides.

“Stupid bastard!”

“If you were going to be like that, you should have worn the armor provided too.”

“That guy carries his brain around as a decoration.”

“Leave him be. Is this the first or second time?”

The four masked people who seemed to stand blocking the front of the giant spat out a word each in annoyance.

Yet, there was still leisure in their eyes looking at Muno.

“Keu-heuk!?”

Until the giant suddenly screamed and collapsed.

“Kkeuaaak!”

In an instant, the giant’s hair turned completely white.

Thud.

“Ho, how…….”

A person who had crossed a stage with demonic energy was beginning to regress as the power of that origin was stolen.

Since their stage was high, it wasn’t simply a level of the body becoming weak and old; even his life force was draining away in an instant.

But conversely, color began to return to Muno’s pale complexion.

“Rohan!?”

“Oh no!?”

Only then did the iron chains that pierced the ground and wrapped around the giant’s ankle enter the eyes of the other masked people.

Kwadedeuk.

Following that, the iron chains that tried to wrap around the ankles of the other enemies cut through the empty air in vain as they hurriedly jumped up.

“Come.”

Kwadadang.

Kwadeuk.

The fragments that had flown in all directions from the blade explosion formed the ‘Blade’ in Muno’s hand again.

Although he had perfectly finished off one guy and recovered his stamina, the face inside Muno’s helmet was only dark.

Kung.

Once again casting Double Acceleration, he activated Brute Strength.

Udeuk.

As the surrounding time slowed down again, the sound of strain on his body was heard directly, but he couldn’t hesitate.

Having experienced it once, he knew.

That the conjecture he thought made no sense was the truth.

‘All of them are Top-tier Magic Knights.’

Usually, 6-Star Corporeal Arts users are at least knights who have made a name for themselves in a region or are famous figures in the kingdom.

But their case was different.

Magic Soldiers and Magic Knights who sold their souls and gained power through contracts with magicians only gained power at a level just below that magician.

That was why 6-Star Top-tier Magic Knights were inevitably even rarer.

They were, in short.

‘Seven-Star’s Magic Knights!’

Is this a situation that makes sense?

However.

“Ca……an’t…… let…… him…… live…… right?”

“If…… some…… one…… takes…… the…… risk……?”

“Who……?”

“Just…… die…….”

Apart from the speech sounds that stretched out and sounded funny within the accelerated time, the killing intent encroaching from all directions was real.

If there was a silver lining, it was that they were Magic Knights, not authentic 6-Star knights.

‘If I just catch them with the chains…….’

But they seemed to have come thoroughly prepared to deal with him.

Armor: Leather armor where no metal was felt at all.

Yet, looking at the giant’s case, it was a masterpiece tougher than most metal armor.

Chwarurung.

Seugak.

What they were wielding were transparent swords of non-metal, made of unknown material.

Kwang!

Kwaaang!

“Keuk!”

Seeing that they created scratches on his armor even with light attacks not imbued with demonic energy, those swords were also extraordinary.

Even with movements adding Brute Strength to Double Acceleration, it was burdensome to block just two of the four.

It would be nice if they let their guard down like that giant earlier.

“Take…… him…….”

“As…… a…… corpse…….”

The murderous eyes flashing inside the masks didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.

Chwarurek.

Ta-ang!

Even when he extended chains in all directions, they reflexively blocked or deflected them.

And dug into that opening, adding a strike each.

Kwaaang!

Kung.

“Keuheuk!”

Just maintaining Brute Strength and Double Acceleration was piling burden onto Muno’s body.

‘This won’t work.’

At this rate, I’ll really die.

While racking his brain for a retreat amidst the thrilling sense of crisis.

Only then did one question come to his mind.

‘What happened to Rauel?’

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