The battle began. Without grand background music or spectators, two knights clashed on the desolate stage of the ruins.
Wielding two longswords, the martial knight moved with agile precision, seeking an opening in the blue lance knight’s defenses. Piercing the gap in the shield, which seemed as sturdy as a fortress wall and was encased in full armor, appeared nearly impossible.
But her movements, swifter than the lance knight’s, made it possible. Dodging the thick lance swung like a club, Ea thrust her longsword into a gap the shield couldn’t cover. The blade struck mana-infused iron, sparked, and bounced off. Her failed strike left her exposed, and Jeanne’s shield came rushing in. Ea leapt back just in time; a second slower and she would’ve ended up like the goblin she saw crushed earlier.
The blue lance knight stood her ground like a fortress, fending off Ea’s relentless attacks. Her ability to block the ceaseless strikes was nothing short of astonishing. Then, spotting an opening, Jeanne stepped forward and thrust her lance at Ea. A sharp, wind-piercing sound tore through the air.
Startled, Ea retreated, but Jeanne stayed on her heels. Dodging was impossible. With no choice, Ea gritted her teeth and crossed her two longswords. The lance’s sharp tip struck precisely at their intersection.
Hup!
With a sharp inhale, Ea was flung back, rolling across the ground. Tripping over a goblin corpse, she soared into the air, spun gracefully, and landed safely. Covered in dust, Ea frowned, her red eyes seeming to ooze with killing intent.
Wooong-
The blade hummed as faint red mana enveloped it. Without a word, Ea charged at Jeanne again.
The mana-clad blade struck Jeanne’s mana-infused armor, shield, and lance, gradually chipping away at them.
In the clash of a lance that pierces all and a shield that blocks all, the shield faltered. Like peeling skin, a portion of the conical, thick lance was sliced thinly into the air with a shrrk.
“!”
Jeanne, who had held her stance like a fortress waiting for Ea to tire, stiffened. At this rate, time was working against her. Ea’s attack power was unexpectedly high, not only breaching her defenses but also eroding her equipment’s durability. With no choice, Jeanne shifted to an offensive stance.
But her attacks, lacking relative agility, couldn’t reach her. In the first place, blue lance knights were strongest in groups, while martial knights excelled in chaotic one-on-one combat, putting Jeanne at a disadvantage.
“Impressive.”
It wasn’t Ea who spoke, nor Jeanne.
In a situation where a moment’s lapse could lead to defeat, they had no leisure to chat. The words were muttered by Yuda, secretly watching from a three-story building overlooking their fight.
Arriving at the ruins yesterday and checking the 〈Map〉, Yuda had recalled an old memory. The terrain displayed matched perfectly with the map he had once created while setting up a quest on his computer. Hoping he was right, he spent the night inside a building, waiting. As the set time approached, the blue lance knight appeared, followed by the martial knight, and they began fighting. It wasn’t a coincidence.
‘It’s following the settings exactly.’
Watching them fight according to the set date and time, Yuda let out a long breath. Things were going smoothly. Truly. Hoping it would continue, he observed their fierce battle.
As he pondered when to intervene and help her, a holographic message window appeared before him.
[Hidden Quest!]
[You are witnessing a battle between knights staking the pride of two empires.]
[The 〈Martial Knight〉 of the Baekje Empire, the 〈Blue Lance Knight〉 of the Byron Empire.]
[In this battle between the two knights, whose side will you take?]
[Your actions and words will determine whether they become allies or enemies.]
[Martial knight 'Ea' - Wields dual swords, approaching enemies with agile movements. Her signature rapid attack speed and high damage quickly eliminate opponents. However, she has a foul personality and harbors ill feelings toward adventurers and commoners. But if you can open her heart… well, who knows?]
[Blue Lance Knight 'Jeanne' - Wears plate armor and, with superior strength, wields a shield in her left hand and a lance in her right, protecting allies at the formation’s front. Possesses an upright personality and upholds chivalry. Her honesty can sometimes hurt others.]
Seeing the choices before him, memories of playing the old game resurfaced.
The martial knight was a highly effective dealer. Her skills had armor penetration and bleeding effects, dealing significant damage. However, her low health and defense made her prone to quick deaths, so he boosted the evasion to compensate. Thinking that was enough, players went overboard, stacking evasion-boosting code items to maximize survivability. Already efficient in boss fights, she could even act as a sub-tank, remaining useful late-game. Setting up evasion required heavy investment and sacrificing other characters’ setups, so no nerfs were applied.
In contrast, the blue lance knight had higher defense and health than any early-game character, enabling stable play. Unlike the martial knight, she grew excellently without much investment. With solid growth, superior defense and health, crowd-control attacks causing stagger, and great skills, she was perfect… except for one flaw.
Her attack power was low. She was useful for regular mobs, but in boss fights, her damage was notably weak. That was her flaw, but her other strengths made it easy to overlook.
[Martial Knight]
[Blue Lance Knight]
“Ah.”
As if urging a quick decision, the hologram flickered. Without hesitation, Yuda chose the blue lance knight. His mind was already made up. Between the hostile martial knight and the blue lance knight he had spent two years with, there was no need to think twice.
For a reliable ally he could trust without dependency, the blue lance knight was ideal. The moment Yuda chose her, the hologram vanished. As he watched closely to see what changed, the martial knight began overpowering the blue lance knight.
Ea deftly ducked a lance thrust aimed at her head. Both were exhausted, breathing heavily. Dodging the lance, Ea flashed a triumphant smile.
“Hah!”
One of her longswords screamed. The red mana cloaking the blade sharply boosted its edge for a moment but heavily drained its durability. The screaming tremor was a result of that.
The blade, shimmering with red light, slashed diagonally upward, astonishingly targeting the lance’s tip.
“!”
Startled, Jeanne tried to retract her lance, but Ea’s longsword was faster. The lance, already pushed to its durability limit, couldn’t withstand the blow and its tip was severed. Ea’s longsword dulled from the strike, but it didn’t matter. She wielded two, so losing one was no issue.
Seizing the advantage, Ea slipped outward, using the dulled blade to slice through a gap in the armor covering Jeanne’s right arm. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Jeanne swung her lance hard, pushing Ea back.
But Ea immediately closed the distance again and drove a powerful kick into Jeanne’s shield.
Thrown off balance, the blue lance knight stumbled back several steps and slammed into a nearby wall. Her armor let out a heavy, echoing thud.
“Looks like I’ve won, lance knight. What do you think?”
Ea grinned and spoke. Jeanne, panting and gritting her teeth, could only admit it. She had lost. Through the visor’s slit, she saw her lance’s tip reduced to a blunt club. Worse, the cut through her armor’s joint weakened her arm’s strength.
“…”
The blue lance knight took a deep breath, silently processing the situation.
She could swing her shield, but with her weapon useless, making desperate moves to survive was beneath her pride.
‘Is this the end?’
She calmly accepted her defeat.
“…Indeed. I’ve lost.”
Acknowledging her loss, she slowly lowered her head and her shield. Completely defenseless, a single thrust from the martial knight would kill her. The martial knight burst into loud laughter, savoring her victory.
In this moment, Jeanne couldn’t help but think Ea’s laughing voice sounded like music.
She closed her eyes. Or rather, as she tried to, she noticed something moving beneath her shield at her feet. On the verge of death, she thought it didn’t matter. And yet, her gaze was drawn to it.
‘The ground?’
The white asbestos floor was filthy with dust and dirt. Yet, a black aura shimmered like heatwaves above it, resembling a shadow. Like ink dissolving in water, it spread across the ground, centering on her. Blinking at the strange phenomenon, she confirmed it wasn’t her imagination. But soon, her blue eyes cooled.
‘Is this the death I’ve only heard of?’
The end of life, death itself, seemed to materialize and approach.
Born a noble of the Byron Empire, she had lived a life others envied. She learned the duties and responsibilities expected of her station and strove to uphold them. She aimed to live righteously, working tirelessly to achieve her dreams. Talent had never been lacking.
In time, she rose to join the Blue Lance Knights, one of the empire’s most prestigious orders, securing a position that countless young warriors only dreamed of. She believed she would bring honor to her family’s name. But now, it seemed that dream had come to an end.
Losing to the eternal rival, the Baekje Empire’s martial knight, was frustrating and bitter. But it was due to her own shortcomings. She was willing to accept it humbly. She had no regrets.
‘No- maybe I do have regrets.’
She let her thoughts go. It had been a long time since so many had rushed through her mind in just a few short seconds. To leave no lingering regrets, she chose to accept the death drawing near. Just then, the martial knight’s laughter came to an end. As if leaving behind her final will, she spoke.
“Your voice is pleasant.”
“Oh, you’re not mocking me, are you?”
“Of course not. I meant it sincerely. It sounded like music.”
Ea stared at Jeanne, momentarily stunned, then let out a small chuckle.
“Thanks. Now, I’ll end it. It was quite fun.”
She approached, with her longsword’s tip pointing downward.
Resigned to her impending death, she closed her eyes.
…….
…….
…….
But it seemed it wasn’t her time to die yet.
The shadowy black aura shimmering at her feet expanded beyond her shield, as if emanating from Jeanne.
“What the!?”
Approaching with her longsword, Ea jumped back in shock, but the shadow covered a far wider area than her retreat. Despite the strange phenomenon of the shadow engulfing the area, nothing special happened. Ea glared at Jeanne with displeasure. She had never heard of blue lance knights having such a technique.
“What the hell did you do?”
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
***Author’s Note***
Ugh, this crazy weather.
Everyone, are you guys still even alive?
Comments