Super long range. Overwhelming power. Gigantic size.
Leon and his team had never seen a lobster like this before.
"Can magic reach it?" Leon turned to Drew.
Drew shook his head with difficulty. "Too far. Ordinary spells won't hit it. And I'm a support mage, not a sniper. What am I supposed to do—throw buffs at it? What I need right now is a rifle."
Leon glanced at Terl, still locked in a brutal brawl with the bear, and made a snap decision.
"I'll handle it. Drew, check on Maru—she still hasn't gotten up."
"Got it." Drew quickly cast several buffs on Leon, then whipped up a gust of wind magic to launch him toward the lobster before sprinting off toward Maru.
"These monsters can't be underestimated… every single one of them has some strange trick," Leon thought grimly.
Even mid-air, he was already charging up his combat skill—Light of Victory. He intended to finish this lobster in a single decisive strike.
Shell-type monsters weren't usually smart. He should be able to land the hit before it even realized what was happening—
Splash!
A jet of water slammed into Leon, knocking him out of the sky and into the ground with bone-rattling force.
"???"
He shot upright, face flushed with disbelief.
How was that water jet so fast—and so strong? And it had fired a second shot almost immediately?
Normally, Light of Victory granted a state of hyperfocus—interruptions were nearly impossible unless the impact was overwhelming.
And yet, this lobster had broken through it.
That one shot alone had numbed half his body. No wonder Maru was still down—anyone weaker would've been sent back to respawn instantly.
Leon no longer dared underestimate it. Gritting his teeth, he charged at full speed. Dodging two more water jets, he closed the distance and reached its flank.
"Combat skill—Heavy Cleave!"
His blade carved a brutal arc, slicing half the lobster's body clean through.
"Yes—!"
But before the words left his lips, the lobster's massive claw whipped around and smacked him square across the face, sending him flying several meters.
"Puah—!"
Leon crashed into a tree and spat blood.
How was it still so strong? Even with that massive wound, it fought as if unfazed.
It made no sense—pain usually slowed creatures down.
But this one… its toughness was simply absurd. He hadn't even managed to stagger it.
Thankfully, though durable, it was mortally wounded. After a few more spasms of resistance, the lobster collapsed at last, dead for good.
"Wagggghhh—!"
Terl's triumphant roar echoed from the distance. Looked like he had won too.
Leon let out a long, weary breath. Finally. The ordeal had drained him to the bone—physically and mentally. These monsters weren't unbeatable, but they all had some revolting, unexpected way to make things miserable.
His spiritual power had been pushed to three, maybe four times its usual limit.
Then—
"A light?"
A faint purple glow shimmered beneath the lobster's corpse. Loot.
Leon picked it up and froze.
"What the hell is this…?"
[Attached Lobster]
[Skill: Witness Me!]
[Fires a long-range stream of water that interrupts enemy actions.]
In his hand was a lobster-head gauntlet. He stared at it, utterly baffled at the absurdity of such a weapon even existing.
Before he could puzzle it out, glowing words flashed before his eyes:
[ A seal somewhere has been unlocked. ]
"Finally…"
Without hesitation, Leon regrouped with his companions and made for the Sealed Prison.
Maru, though blasted by the water jet, had been quickly healed and was unhurt. Terl still glowed green with adrenaline, pounding his chest in victory. Drew was fine, though his mana reserves were down by a third—it would take an hour or two of rest to recover.
Overall, the party was in decent shape. They could push forward.
"Everyone, get ready."
Leon recalled the letter's message: inside was a knight from a distant, ancient city. Defeat him, and they would obtain the Ringed Knight Straight Sword and "Cancel."
If Wade described them as powerful, then the knight wielding them must be formidable—perhaps even righteous.
Leon pictured a tall, imposing warrior in noble armor. He always admired the strong.
But once they entered, the sight before them was nothing like what they imagined.
The battlefield was confined within a circle, streams of magical energy weaving a barrier with no escape.
"Being locked up in a place this small… that knight's really pitiful," Maru muttered.
"But where is he?" Drew scanned the arena. Empty.
"Wagggh, wagggh!" Terl was still riding his victory high.
Leon stepped forward. A strange, mechanical ding rang out—and a phantom slowly materialized, dark blue and looming.
Everyone held their breath, expecting a mighty knight.
But what they saw was… bizarre.
He was tall, yes. But instead of noble armor, he wore a pointed black cloth hood, sagging like Majin Buu's antenna. Hollow sockets glowed faintly beneath it, radiating a hungry lust for victory.
The armor wasn't just large—it was fat, giving the impression of a bloated belly.
At his waist dangled small jars filled with a sickly green sludge, reeking like sewage and rot.
Everything about him exuded trickery and filth—a warrior who would win by any means necessary.
The only normal thing was his gear: a blackened shield in one hand, a filthy straight sword in the other.
That was the Ringed Knight Straight Sword?
Leon's heart clenched. Doubt battled with unease, his instincts screaming louder than ever—this knight was far more dangerous than the bear, lobster, or hand trio.
"Come, knight! Show me your strength!"
The knight suddenly swung his sword, tilted his head, swung again, and shifted his shield in tandem.
"Huh?" Maru nudged Leon. "Did you see that?"
"…No."
Leon's eyes narrowed. As the knight swung, he lifted his shield. In that instant, the recovery animation vanished—chained seamlessly into another slash.
He had canceled the move.
Leon's breath hitched. Danger alarms screamed in his head.
"Heehee… I must keep winning," the knight laughed, his voice eerie and sly. Then he stomped forward, heavy and relentless.
[ Banished Knight – Cancel Edition ]
[Mana per unit: Confidential]
[Overall Combat Strength: C-]
This was no ordinary foe. It was something Wade had cobbled together—an amalgam of monsters and tricks.