"So Aunt's greatest fear… is the Witch of the Black Night…"
The instant Loshia laid eyes on the figure emerging from the Knight's Oath, her blue eyes shimmered with something complex—astonishment laced with a faint but undeniable dread.
She had never seen the Witch of the Black Night in person. Only heard stories—whispers passed between nobles, fragments of dread carried in tavern rumors and war reports.
But seeing her now—
A primal chill crawled up from the depths of her heart.
It wasn't grotesqueness that inspired fear.
Through the swirling black mist, one could faintly make out an exquisitely beautiful face—so flawless it seemed painted by a master's brush. There was even a subtle resemblance to Princess Vivian.
Yet her beauty felt wrong.
Corrupt.
Like a queen who would poison any woman more beautiful than herself without hesitation.
And those golden eyes—
They were enough to make one's blood run cold.
"…Exactly the same."
Kurose Akira murmured under his breath.
The Witch before him matched his memory perfectly.
She was identical to the woman he had encountered within the chaotic void of consciousness when he first accepted the Witch's Eye. The same outline. The same oppressive aura. The same abyssal gaze.
Though… thinking back carefully, the Witch he had faced within that chaotic realm had felt more tangible. More real.
After all, this manifestation was merely the embodiment of Loserine's fear—conjured by the Knight's Oath.
An echo.
A shadow.
"Ha…"
Facing the terror buried deepest in her soul, Loserine exhaled a faint plume of pale-blue soul-breath. Her hand moved to her waist, drawing the Oathbound Sword in one fluid motion.
Ever since becoming undead, her emotions had steadied considerably compared to her living days.
And yet—
The moment the Witch of the Black Night appeared before her once more, her grip trembled.
The old wound had been torn open.
Twenty years ago.
That nightmare.
The fleet of the Yerman family annihilated by beasts controlled by this very Witch.
The screams.
The shattered hulls.
The ocean dyed red.
Fear and despair surged back like a flood.
Her soul-body emitted a faint azure luminescence, flickering like starlight against a darkened sky—the visible ripple of emotional upheaval.
Akira watched silently from the side.
Even someone as composed as Loserine carried scars she could not fully release.
"Go all out," he said softly. "We're here."
At his voice, Loserine glanced back at him.
Then she turned forward again.
The turbulence in her gaze gradually stilled.
Her right hand tightened around the Oathbound Sword. Black-and-gold radiance flowed along its blade, dazzling and resolute.
The next instant—
She shot forward like a lightning bolt.
The Witch's phantom released a shrill, bone-chilling laugh in response.
The black mist swirling around her churned violently, coalescing into monstrous forms—beasts of varying shapes surging forward like a tidal wave.
Loserine moved like wind.
Her blade flashed like thunder.
In mere heartbeats, the mist-born creatures were cleaved apart, dispersing into nothingness.
She closed the distance in a blink.
Blue lightning erupted along the Oathbound Sword, every swing crashing down with the fury of a thunderstorm. Under the relentless assault, the Witch's phantom could only muster thin veils of black mist in defense.
Akira observed calmly, satisfaction glinting in his eyes.
"She's adapted quickly to her new traits. Her combat performance isn't bad at all."
With [Lightning Flash] and [Soul Light Wings], Loserine's speed rivaled a lightning strike. She couldn't sustain that velocity for long—but a single burst was more than enough to deliver a lethal blow.
More importantly—
While moving at such speeds, she retained the hardness granted by [Crystalline Construct].
The result?
A close-combat capability that was nearly unmatched at her level.
Even compared to a Mythic-grade adventurer—
If Mare Rhine refrained from unleashing her annihilating power or transforming into her true dragon form, she likely wouldn't be Loserine's match.
"So strong…!"
Loshia stared in disbelief.
She could hardly recognize the aunt she once knew.
The strongest knight recorded in Sunset City's archives had already been left far behind.
No—
That wasn't accurate.
A fierce conviction welled up inside her.
Even within the ranks of the Star Knight Order, her aunt would undoubtedly rank near the top.
And the source of this power…
Loshia's gaze shifted unconsciously toward Akira standing beside her.
Her eyes trembled faintly.
She understood.
Loserine's rapid growth wasn't solely due to her own talent and effort. It was inseparable from the guidance and support of this Guild Master.
Envy bloomed quietly in her chest.
If she, too, received Akira's favor…
If she, too, were granted his backing…
Could she obtain strength like that?
If she could also—
Suddenly—
The Witch's golden eyes flared brilliantly, like twin stars igniting within eternal night.
In that instant, Loserine froze.
Her body locked in place as if bound by invisible chains.
She could not move even a finger.
"Damn."
Akira's brows furrowed.
He recognized it immediately.
The Witch's Dominating Demon Eye had seized hold of Loserine's soul.
But with the trait [Knight's Loyalty] in effect, completely controlling her will was wishful thinking.
The Witch's phantom lifted a finger slightly.
As if commanding—
Forcing Loserine to raise her own sword and take her life.
The Oathbound Sword began to rise.
But just before the blade could turn inward—
A surge of deep azure light erupted from Loserine's body.
The effect of the Dominating Demon Eye shattered instantly.
Her fingers tightened once more around the hilt.
She lunged.
The Witch had no time to react.
The Oathbound Sword cleaved downward in a decisive arc, splitting the black mist body clean in two.
The fog dispersed.
The golden eyes faded.
And the Witch of the Black Night vanished into endless darkness.
The battle was over.
Before Akira's eyes, a system prompt surfaced:
[Loserine's Challenge Quest (Completed)!]
[Loserine has reached Level 50!]
[All Attributes +50!]
[Loserine has obtained Excess Growth! Each level-up will grant an additional 24 attribute points (freely allocable)!]
A flicker of delight passed through Akira's eyes.
So this was why adventurers experienced explosive growth after Level 50.
And these freely assignable bonus points—
They allowed every adventurer to tailor their development to match their build and combat style.
For Loserine, the priority would naturally be Strength and Agility.
For the elf sisters, Magic would be far more critical.
Then—
A new prompt appeared before him:
[Please select one of the following three Super-Rare Traits!]
[Note: Super-Rare Traits cannot be refreshed!]
[Sword of Dawn (Super-Rare)][Rule Breaker (Super-Rare)][Unlimited Blade Works (Super-Rare)]