The sound of metal clashing against bone, of growls that split the morning air, and of men shouting — if they could even be called men — filled the borderlands of the Wesk Territory.
For the first time in years, the small, forgotten castle had come alive.
Fifty Gray Knights — Issac's first "troops" under the mysterious Castle Crashers System — stood before the wooden palisade that protected the farmlands, their dull iron armor gleaming faintly beneath the sunrise.
They looked ridiculous. Their helmets were oversized, their stances clumsy, and half of them seemed more interested in waving at passing townsfolk than holding proper formation. But now, when the danger had arrived — when the first wave of Horned Rabbits and Mud Wolves burst from the Copper Rank Monster Zone — they were no longer bumbling fools.
They were knights.
They roared in unison, shields raised and blades drawn, their gray capes snapping in the wind as they charged forward.
Issac stood upon the rampart, looking down at the chaos below with his heart hammering. His breathing was shallow, his palms slick with sweat as he gripped the railing.
"Dear heavens…" Melissa muttered beside him. Her long silver hair swayed in the wind, her elven eyes glinting faintly with mana sight. "They're fighting as if they've trained for years… but— their aura—!"
She gasped as faint white light began to seep from the Gray Knights' bodies.
It wasn't mana, not exactly — it didn't shimmer or distort the air like elemental energy. No, this was denser. A neutral, colorless force that wrapped around their swords, their arms, their very armor.
Each swing became faster.
Each step became heavier.
And when the first blade connected with a Horned Rabbit, the resulting shockwave of force sent dirt and blood flying several meters high.
Issac's eyes widened. "Aura…"
He remembered it vividly — not from this world, but from the game.
Back then, pressing Left Trigger on his controller had unleashed a magical pulse, an aura, well, magical attack unique to every character.
Back then, it was a mere button.
Now, it was reality.
"They're using Aura," Melissa whispered in awe. "That's… impossible. Only trained knights of the royal capital are able to wield Aura… even our kingdom's elite guards don't use it with such synchronization."
Below them, the Gray Knights continued to advance. Their movements were clumsy, but every slash was empowered by that neutral energy, slicing through monsters like parchment.
A group of Horned Rabbits — small but vicious creatures — charged through the wheat fields, their eyes red with rage. A knight stumbled forward to meet them, nearly tripping over his own sword before planting it firmly in the ground and swinging horizontally.
"FOR THE LORD!"
His shout echoed — followed by a white crescent of Aura that cleaved the entire group of rabbits in half.
The villagers watching from the safety of the ramparts gasped.
A small child, holding her mother's skirt, whispered, "Mommy… are they angels?"
Another knight — with a bent visor and a cracked pauldron — simply gave the child a thumbs-up before being dragged back into formation by his comrades.
Issac couldn't help but laugh weakly. "Idiots… but they're my idiots."
The waves continued. From the Copper Zone's tree line, the beasts poured — Horned Rabbits, Mud Wolves, and even a few Scaled Alligators crawling from the swamp trench. They came by the dozens, slamming against the knights' lines, but the Gray Knights didn't falter. Their formation tightened, blades flashing, aura flickering with every swing.
The ground began to smoke from the energy discharge.
Blood splattered across the gray armor, turning their dull sheen into a battlefield mosaic.
Issac clenched his fists. "This… this is what they were made for."
Melissa stood silently beside him, her elven sight piercing deeper than mortal vision. Her world was painted not in color, but in mana — every person, every beast, every gust of wind shimmered with the light of the elements.
And what she saw from the knights… was bizarre.
Their mana didn't flow like normal life energy. It wasn't elemental — not fire, not water, not earth or wind. It was neutral, raw essence that simply existed.
And yet, it obeyed them.
"They're not human," she whispered.
Issac glanced at her. "What?"
"They are… creations. Or perhaps… constructs? No… their souls are there. But their mana is shaped differently. Like—" she hesitated, trying to find the word, "—like they were molded from something beyond this world."
Issac swallowed hard. "That's… complicated."
She turned to him sharply. "Issac Wesk. Tell me truthfully—where did these knights come from? Even the lowest squire can't control Aura, yet these men—"
He raised his hands. "I told you already. A distant relative sent them. You think I can just create people out of thin air?"
Melissa's sharp blue eyes narrowed. "...I think you're lying."
He smiled nervously. "And yet, you still feed me breakfast every morning."
Her glare could have killed a dragon.
The battle outside reached its climax. The last of the Horned Rabbits fell, cleaved cleanly in two. The Mud Wolves scattered, tails tucked. The villagers began to cheer — but their joy was short-lived.
The earth trembled.
From beyond the hills, a shadow emerged — tall, silver-furred, with muscles that rippled beneath its hide. Its eyes burned with intelligence, and its fangs glinted in the light of dawn.
A Silver-Tier Mana Beast.
Melissa's face paled. "By the spirits—! That's a Silver-Tier! Why is it here!?"
The creature's growl carried across the fields, shaking the nearby trees. The remaining beasts rallied behind it, snarling once more.
Issac's breath caught in his throat. He recognized the terror instantly — a mini-boss-level threat.
In reality, these kinds of monsters would take multiple parties of C-Tier Adventurers to defeat.
And he had only a bunch of bumbling NPCs.
"This isn't good…" Issac muttered. "They'll be slaughtered."
He looked to the barracks, his mind racing. The system had mentioned prosperity rewards. That included summons, right?
He pulled open the glowing blue interface only he could see.
> [Castle Crashers System Online]
Prosperity Level: 1 – "The Cracked Walls."
Knight Barracks: Active
Available Summon: 1 Elemental Knight Ticket.
Issac exhaled, relief washing over him. "Oh, thank God."
"Melissa!" he shouted, turning back toward her. "I'll handle this. We have… one more knight."
"One more?" she repeated incredulously. "From where—?"
"No time!" he called, dashing down the stairs before she could protest.
Inside the dim barracks, torches flickered as fifty exhausted Gray Knights rested, their armor dented, their spirits unwavering. They saluted as Issac entered.
"Stay strong," he said. "Reinforcements are coming."
He focused his thoughts on the system screen.
> [Summon: Elemental Knight – Chance Roll]
Fire (25%)
Ice (25%)
Poison (25%)
Lightning (25%)
Proceed? [Yes/No]
Issac pressed Yes.
A glowing rune circle appeared in the center of the barracks, its colors spinning like a roulette wheel — red, blue, green, and orange flickering in dizzying motion.
"C'mon, c'mon…" he whispered. "Give me something cool."
The circle slowed—
Slower—
Stopped on orange.
A flash of fire erupted, and out of the smoke stepped a figure clad in bright, polished armor marked with crimson flames. A glowing ember burned in the slit of his visor.
He knelt immediately.
"Reporting for duty, Lord Wesk!"
Issac grinned like a madman. "Perfect timing. We've got a Silver-Tier Mana Beast outside."
The Fire Knight rose, cracking his neck. "Then, my Lord, I shall burn a path for your people."
Outside, the Silver Beast tore through a line of Gray Knights, sending two flying into a cart of cabbages. Melissa winced as the beast roared, its silver mane shimmering with mana.
"Retreat!" she shouted — but the Gray Knights only dug in deeper, forming a shield wall around the wounded.
And then—
A streak of orange light cut through the air.
The Fire Knight descended like a meteor, his flaming sword cleaving into the ground, releasing a burst of heat that scorched the grass. Flames coiled around him, licking his armor, his every movement a blazing statement of purpose.
The Silver Beast roared and lunged.
The Fire Knight met it head-on.
Their clash sent a shockwave across the battlefield. The ground cracked beneath their feet. Fire licked at the air as he swung his sword in a fiery arc, each motion leaving trails of molten light. The beast howled as the blade bit deep, burning through its hide.
Melissa's mouth hung open. "He's… he's winning?"
Issac nodded proudly from the rampart. "Of course he is. He's my knight."
Below, the Fire Knight slammed his fist into the ground, summoning a Fireball that exploded directly beneath the Silver Beast's chest. The monster reeled, smoking, before collapsing in a heap of smoldering fur.
The battle was over.
The beasts fled, retreating into the woods. The remaining Gray Knights raised their swords and cheered, voices echoing through the valley.
"FOR LORD WESK!"
Issac exhaled, slumping against the wall. "Oh, thank God that worked…"
As the sun began to set, the field outside the walls became a makeshift infirmary. The Gray Knights — now resembling soot-covered golems — carried the wounded and patched each other up with surprising tenderness.
Melissa moved among them, using her minor healing magic to close wounds and soothe burns. Her earlier irritation had been replaced by a kind of cautious awe.
One knight sat nearby, sipping calmly from a chipped cup.
Melissa recognized it instantly.
"That's my teacup…" she muttered.
The knight turned toward her, raised the cup slightly as if in greeting, and gave a slow thumbs-up.
She blinked. "...Unbelievable."
Issac finally descended from the ramparts, meeting her in the courtyard. His coat was dusty, his face tired but triumphant.
"Well?" he asked. "What do you think?"
Melissa crossed her arms, her silver eyes narrowing. "I think we need to have a very long chat."
He smiled sheepishly. "About?"
She stepped forward, poking his chest. "About the truth. About where these 'knights' come from. About what you are."
He gulped. "You sure you don't want to rest first?"
"No. Now."
Issac looked toward the barracks — where a group of knights was currently juggling helmets and cheering around the Fire Knight — and sighed.
"Yeah," he said, "I figured this day would come."