Chapter 359: The Final Struggle
"A true knight will never surrender to monsters like you!"
Knight Mitra continued shouting, unaware that his defiance had already drawn several greedy gazes.
"Well said!"
Applause suddenly erupted on the battlefield, and Mitra turned his head in confusion.
A towering half-dragon warrior, over two meters tall, with bulging muscles and blood-red eyes, leapt over ten meters into the air, wielding a massive axe.
"Then fight me!"
Born Battle Maniac roared.
Having learned from his previous death, he had spent a fortune enchanting his axe and activated the Berserker ability [Savage Strike], determined to claim victory.
He poured all his strength into this attack, the axe tearing through the air, its blade glowing with a dark red hue.
This was the barbarian's signature "three-axe combo."
To be precise, it was just one mighty strike.
"Damn, Battle Maniac got to him first."
"It's over. Now that he's targeted the mini-boss, we've got no chance of getting any loot."
"No wonder he's a former pro player—his speed is unmatched."
Voices of disappointment rippled through the players, lamenting their missed opportunity to take down the boss, already assuming the knight's fate was sealed.
"How dare you underestimate a knight!"
Mitra gritted his teeth, his face a mix of anger and tension as he swung his longsword with all his might.
This was his most practiced move, honed through years of relentless training since his youth.
He had decapitated countless bandits with this skill, earning the moniker "Sharp Blade Mitra" in the lands under Viscount Ferenc.
"Come, show me the strength of a dragon vassal!"
"This is a duel of destiny!"
His mind raced with countless thoughts as his determination grew ever firmer.
"Dieee—!"
At the same time, Born Battle Maniac descended with an unstoppable force, his axe swinging down from above.
"Slash—"
The sound of the axe cleaving through metal and flesh echoed.
Under the immense force of the blow, Knight Mitra was cleaved in two from the head down, armor and all.
He didn't even realize his death was imminent. His split eyes still held a determined gaze as the axe split his head.
The blood-soaked axe continued downward, embedding itself several feet into the stone floor.
[You have killed [Ordinary Noble Knight (Challenge Level: 2)] and gained 100 XP.]
Born Battle Maniac struggled to pull his axe free from the ground, his face filled with surprise.
The players let out gasps of awe.
"Classic Battle Maniac—unstoppable!"
"One-shot kill?"
"He looked so formidable, but that's it?"
"Damn, with armor that flashy, I thought it'd at least be enchanted. Turns out it's paper-thin—purely for show."
"That's it?"
Born Battle Maniac picked up a piece of broken armor from the ground and easily dented it with his grip. Scratching his head, he cursed under his breath.
"Wasting my ultimate on a minion. So annoying."
"I've got to make up for this loss!"
His eyes glowing red, Born Battle Maniac turned toward the soldiers.
The soldiers felt like prey under the predator's gaze, trembling uncontrollably.
A deafening roar echoed across the battlements.
"Die!"
"Help! Ahhh—!"
"Retreat! Don't go near him!"
Born Battle Maniac charged into the crowd, entering full-on hack-and-slash mode.
Summer Night Autumn Rain lightly landed on the castle wall. She wore no armor, only a fashionable red gown purchased from the "Northwind Fortress Premium Boutique."
The soldiers seemed to notice this "easy target," avoiding the fearsome dragon-blooded monsters and closing in on Summer Night Autumn Rain.
"Ah, finally."
Watching the approaching soldiers, her golden eyes gleamed with flames, her excitement barely contained.
Extending a delicate hand, she conjured a radiant fireball that shot toward the soldiers and erupted into an explosion of roaring flames.
"Boom!"
"It's a spellcaster!"
"Take cover!"
Before the words could even be finished, the soldiers fell, leaving only charred corpses smoldering in the aftermath.
But it wasn't over. Behind Summer Night Autumn Rain, a group of dragon-blooded sorcerer players appeared, unleashing a barrage of fireballs upon the soldiers.
"Behold! When the fireballs rain, none shall remain!"
"The Fireball Universe is unstoppable!"
The dragon-blooded sorcerers cheered excitedly—they were members of the newly popular [Five Fireball Cult].
This quirky group arose after a player named "Lonely Mage" proposed on a forum that a team of five mages casting fireballs could instantly dominate any battle.
Thus, the cult was born.
"Charge—!"
"The castle is ours!"
"For the Ember Kingdom!"
Within just ten minutes of the players' relentless assault, the seemingly impenetrable castle was left in ruins, practically a half-collapsed wreck.
The defending officers and soldiers were nearly wiped out. Those who survived had lost their will to fight, many descending into madness.
"The bear... the bear is flying!"
A despairing officer screamed before leaping from the top of the castle tower, only to splatter into a bloody mess below—unlike the players, he lacked their resilience.
"Whoosh—"
Wyverns once again soared above the castle, this time carrying someone who leapt down—that was Mantou.
Rolling as he landed, he bypassed the remaining defenses and reached the heart of the castle.
The nobles of the feudal era had never imagined how to counter airborne infiltrators. To Mantou, the castle was as good as wide open.
"Open up! Water meter check!"
Mantou shouted as he kicked the door open.
Inside, he saw Viscount Horace Lot cowering in a corner, trembling uncontrollably.
"D-don't kill me!"
"I beg you, my lord, the Lot family can offer you wealth..."
Viscount Horace grovelled on the ground, pleading pathetically.
"Just kill."
"The Lot family? What's that?"
Mantou strode forward and thrust his sword into the Viscount's chest.
A translucent barrier flickered briefly around the Viscount before the sword pierced through, driving deep into his body.
"I won't make the same mistake as that fool Lang Li Baitiao."
"Tsk, his failed boast is all over the forums thanks to the Magic Coin snitches."
"This anti-magic oil costs five gold coins per vial—ridiculously expensive."
Mantou withdrew his bloodied sword, smirking as his contribution points increased on his interface.
The siege was reaching its conclusion, with corpses littering the castle grounds.
Players wandered freely, rummaging through every room and looting everything in sight. They seemed intent on tearing up every brick, just in case treasure was hidden underneath.