The enraged Banished Knight's combat pattern shifted abruptly. It was no longer a steady, methodical opponent; it had transformed into a true beast of the storm.
It slammed its massive kite shield into the ground before it. A visible swirl of azure currents began to coalesce and spiral across the shield's surface, emitting a low, guttural roar. The surrounding dust and debris were sucked into the vacuum of power, forming a miniature cyclone.
Lynn's pupils constricted, and he immediately leaped back to create distance. This was one of the Banished Knight's most troublesome moves.
"ROOOAR—!!"
An inhuman howl echoed muffledly from beneath the helm. The Banished Knight's entire body was enveloped in howling winds, turning it into a silver hurricane as it charged straight at Lynn! Its speed was easily double what it had been before.
The stone floor was plowed open by the edge of the shield, sending shards flying.
Facing this world-shaking collision, Lynn didn't panic for a second. He had seen this move countless times. He knew that dodging left or right was a death sentence; the tracking on this attack was incredibly strong. Moving laterally would only get him clipped by the hitbox, dragging him into the subsequent combo.
The only way out was forward!
Just as the storm-shrouded shield was about to collide with him, Lynn lunged forward instead of retreating. Crouching nearly flat against the ground, he performed a forward roll straight into the eye of the death-storm.
The whistling gale grazed his scalp. The wind-pressure generated by the shield's edge tore the back of his shirt to ribbons.
I-frames!
Lynn's silhouette passed cleanly through the shield bash's active frames, reappearing directly behind the Banished Knight.
The knight's strike hit nothing but air. Its massive momentum made it impossible to stop instantly, sending it skidding several meters forward. However, it proved itself to be a battle-hardened warrior; almost the moment its momentum halted, it forcibly twisted its body. The longsword in its right hand utilized the rotational force to unleash a crescent-shaped storm slash in a wide horizontal sweep!
A shield bash into a whirlwind sweep—a seamless, high-tier combo.
Yet, everything was within Lynn's calculations.
Having just stood up from his roll, he didn't even look at the lethal flash of the blade. Relying purely on muscle memory, he dropped his center of gravity and rolled again.
Shing—!
The blade, wreathed in wind pressure, swept past the back of his neck.
Opportunity!
Unleashing consecutive wide-range moves had left the Banished Knight in a momentary state of recovery frames.
Lynn planted his feet and launched himself forward like a cannonball. The cheap straight sword in his hand emitted an overstrained hum as he aimed once more for the gap in the knight's back armor. He didn't hold back, putting the full weight of his body into the strike!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three slashes—fast, ruthless, and all accurately striking the exact same point!
The Banished Knight's gargantuan frame shuddered violently, emitting a heavy metallic groan. It stumbled forward, attempting to turn and counter-attack, but its balance had been utterly shattered.
Poise Broken!
Lynn seized the moment. He stepped forward, discarded the cracked buckler in his left hand, and gripped the cheap straight sword with both hands. He raised the blade high, aimed it at the knight's lowered head, and drove it down with everything he had!
Execution!
PUCH—!!!
This time, the sword tip bypassed the metal and pierced the skull.
The Banished Knight's movements stopped dead. Its massive body stood rigid for a second. The two points of crimson light within the eye-slits of the helm flickered like candles in the wind before rapidly dimming and going out.
Clang-clank...
The heavy armor lost its support and crashed to its knees before toppling forward, kicking up a cloud of dust. A soft white light rose from the knight's body and merged into Lynn.
[Obtained Runes x 800]
"Only 800? That Minotaur gave over 3,000."
Lynn grumbled as he stood there, his chest heaving slightly. He looked at the chipped, notched straight sword in his hand and tossed it aside. It had done its job well for this run.
Unlike the normal monsters of the Dungeon, the Banished Knight's body didn't dissolve into ash. Instead, it lay there silently. But in the spot where it had fallen, an ancient-looking, broad-bladed longsword was emitting a faint, shimmering glow.
"Oh?" Lynn raised an eyebrow and stepped forward.
He leaned over and picked up the sword. It was heavy in his hand—perfectly balanced. Though the blade looked aged, the edge shimmered with a terrifyingly cold light. The carvings on the crossguard were intricate and beautiful, carrying a sense of weather-beaten solemnity.
[Banished Knight's Greatsword]
A high-quality greatsword with an antiquated design.
Given to knights who, whether by choice or as punishment for some crime, were forced to leave their homes.
It is said that many of these knights were sent to the fringes, where they eventually took root, accompanied only by their lingering disappointment.
Lynn nodded with satisfaction, testing its weight in his hand.
Whirrr...
The blade sliced through the air with a sound far more pleasing than his previous piece of junk. "Not bad. A bit heavy, but it'll do."
Propped up by his new greatsword, he finally took the time to open his status panel.
[Level: Lv. 1]
Strength: F 362
Endurance: C 668
Dexterity: E 483
Agility: E 494
Magic: H 100
"Wait... what?"
Earlier, killing several monsters had only raised his stats by a few points. But this single Banished Knight seemed to have boosted them by over ten points each? A single knight provided more "Excellia" than all the monsters he had farmed on the eighth and ninth floors combined!
"High risk, high reward... I see how it is."
No wonder it only gave 800 Runes. The compensation was coming from elsewhere.
Lynn muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He looked toward the dim corridor at the back of the hall—a passage that seemed to lead to an entirely different world.
Go back to farming Goblins and Killer Ants that moved in predictable patterns and just screamed while charging? Don't make him laugh.
When has a Tarnished from the Lands Between ever feared a challenge? The more unknown the territory and the more powerful the enemy, the more alive he felt.
"Let's see what kind of 'goodies' you've hidden here, Miyazaki."
Lynn made his decision. He straightened his tattered clothes, gripped the Banished Knight's Greatsword, and stepped into the profound darkness.
...
It had been over half a day since Lynn entered the Dungeon.
Above ground in Orario, night had already fallen. At the Twilight Manor, located in the northwest corner of the city—the headquarters of the Loki Familia—a small meeting of executives was underway.
"...And that concludes the preliminary summary report for this expedition." Riveria set down the documents in her hand and looked toward the red-haired goddess sitting at the head of the table.
Loki sat with her legs crossed, listening lazily and yawning occasionally.
"Got it, got it. Good work. But speaking of which..." She shifted her gaze toward the blonde girl sitting at the far end of the table. "Ais, what was up with you this afternoon? I heard you looked a bit off when you got back, and you even had a bit of a spat with Bete?"
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Danmachi: My Primary God is Hidetaka Miyazaki? (25 Chapters, Ongoing)
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