Chapter 116: The Black Knight, Kain

A pulse of mana surges from his body. He slams the staff against the ground, casting [Frozen Domain], a Tier 3 skill. The temperature drops instantly. The air crystallizes, and the stone beneath their feet turns slick with ice. Sorin moves to shift her weight, but her footing betrays her—her boots skid against the frozen surface. The mage smiles. "Slowed already?" Sorin exhales. She expected this. A lesser assassin might struggle here, but she isn't just any assassin. She activates [Phantom Step], a Tier 3 buff skill. Her entire body becomes weightless, her movements unhindered by terrain. She dashes forward as if skating across the ice, closing the gap in a heartbeat. Her daggers gleam. [Dagger Art: Phantom Strikes]—a Tier 3 skill. A flurry of attacks follows, too fast for the eye to track. She slashes at every vital point—throat, wrists, heart, lungs. But— [Frost Warden's Aegis]. A Tier 3 defensive spell. An intricate layer of ice armor coats the mage's robes, absorbing the damage. The daggers cut into him, but only shallow wounds appear. Then, he counters. A surge of magic erupts from his staff. [Glacial Chains]. Ice shoots from the ground, forming thick chains that snap toward Sorin. She twists, evading two, but a third catches her ankle, freezing on contact. The mage grins. "Caught you." Sorin smirks. "Not quite." She vanishes. A shadow flickers across the battlefield. She reappears ten meters away, completely free. [Veil of Night]. A Tier 4 skill. The mage's smirk fades. "Tier 4..." She also activates [Death Requiem], her Tier 4 dagger skill. A shadowy mist erupts from her blades, swirling like a living entity. It coils around the mage, wrapping him in a suffocating embrace. The mist seeps into his skin, spreading a deathly chill through his veins. His face twists in pain as his mana flickers erratically, his body rejecting his own magic. "W-what is this...?!" he gasps, stumbling back. Sorin steps forward, her eyes glowing faintly under the mist's eerie presence. "A requiem. Your last one." She flicks her wrist, sending the mist tightening around him. He screams as his body convulses, his movements sluggish, his magic faltering. But she's not done. With fluid precision, she activates her second Tier 4 skill. [Silent End] Her presence vanishes. No sound. No killing intent. The mage's panicked eyes dart around. He can't sense her—can't even tell where the next attack will come from. Then— A dagger pierces through his ribs from behind. His body jerks, blood splattering against the frost-covered stone. He gasps, trying to turn, but another dagger buries itself in his throat. Sorin leans in, whispering in his ear. "You should've been sure." With a final twist of the blade, she ends him. The mage collapses. Sorin watches his body hit the ice, then exhales. The gate lever is unguarded now. But just as she steps forward, she senses something. A presence. Strong. She turns her head—and standing at the other end of the wall who just arrived is a towering figure clad in heavy obsidian armor, a massive sword resting on his shoulder. Unlike the mage, this one radiates pure, unshaken confidence. A level 486 Tier 4 knight. His name is Kain Vortain, a legend among human soldiers. Sorin can tell immediately—this isn't an opponent she can defeat alone. The gap between them is overwhelming. Even with her Tier 4 skills, even with all her tricks, she knows. She will die if she fights him alone. But she doesn't let her expression betray that realization. Instead, she tilts her head, a smirk playing on her lips. "You're late. I've already killed everyone here." Kain steps forward, the stone beneath his feet cracking under his weight. His deep, gravelly voice carries easily across the wall. "And now you die for it." His sword hums with power, dark energy rippling along its length. This isn't just a weapon—it's enchanted, reinforced by countless battles. Sorin doesn't hesitate. With a subtle hand movement, she activates her communication sigil, sending a silent signal to Nyssara, Thurn, and Veltha. They'll understand. They need to get here. Now. Kain moves. In an instant, he vanishes from sight—his sheer speed unnatural for someone in such heavy armor. Shit— Sorin barely reacts in time, twisting away as his blade cleaves through the air where she stood. The force of the swing alone sends a powerful shockwave across the wall, shattering stone and sending debris flying. She flips back, landing lightly, but Kain doesn't give her space. He's already in front of her, his gauntlet-covered fist swinging toward her head. Sorin ducks. Just barely. The air pressure from the punch alone whips past her, a terrifying reminder of just how deadly a direct hit would be. She retaliates. [Dagger Art: Phantom Strikes]. Her daggers blur as she slashes at his exposed joints—elbows, neck, underarms. Precise, ruthless, lethal. But— CLANG. Her daggers barely scratch his armor. Kain doesn't even flinch. His sword whips around, faster than she can react. BOOM. Sorin throws herself backward, but the sheer force blasts her off her feet. She barely twists midair, landing in a crouch—but her daggers tremble in her grip. Her arms feel numb. Kain watches her, expression unreadable. Then he exhales, rolling his neck. "Hmph. Fast. But not enough." Sorin's mind races. She's outmatched. She needs to stall—needs to buy time. She lets out a slow breath, forcing a cocky grin. "You talk a lot for someone who's failed to kill me already." Then he moves again. Too fast. His blade comes down like a judgment from the heavens—a single, devastating strike that could end her right now. But— Before the blade lands— A deafening CRASH shakes the wall. A massive, armored limb slams into Kain's sword, deflecting it mid-strike. The sheer force splits the battlements, sending chunks of stone crashing to the streets below. Kain slides back, his boots digging into the cracked stone. A low, chittering laugh follows. Nyssara has arrived. She stands beside Sorin, her massive arachnid form towering over the battlefield. Her greatshield, the one that just blocked Kain's attack, glows with layered enchantments. She grins, her fangs glinting. "You looked like you needed help, Sorin." Sorin exhales. "Took you long enough." Thurn and Veltha appear moments later. Thurn steps onto the wall with slow, deliberate confidence, his chitin-covered arms flexing as his eight arachnid legs settle against the cracked stone. His entire body exudes poison, the air around him growing thick with a faint violet mist. Veltha slithers beside him, her scaled tail coiling around a fallen pillar as her forked tongue flicks out. The markings along her body glow with a dull golden hue—her bloodline's power awakening. Her clawed fingers twitch, dark magic swirling around them, pulsing with venom. She flicks her daggers. "Alright then. Let's kill this bastard." Kain stands across from them, silent. Then, he smirks. "Come, then. Show me what you're worth." The battle begins Kain moves first. A single step— BOOM. The sheer force shatters the stone beneath him as he lunges straight for Sorin. But this time, she's not alone. A figure intercepts him—Nyssara. Her foldable sword-like limbs extend, their razor-sharp edges gleaming as she slashes mid-air, meeting Kain's blade head-on. The impact sends a shockwave through the wall, cracks spiderwebbing across the battlefield. Kain grunts, his stance shifting to absorb the blow. Before Kain can counter, Thurn moves. With an inhuman burst of speed, he lunges from the side, his chitin-covered arms shifting unnaturally. His fingers extend into needle-like claws, glistening with a thick, viscous venom. [Tier 4 Bloodline Skill: Venomous Erosion] A single scratch—just one—would be enough to melt through steel and flesh alike. The air around his claws hisses as the poison reacts with the stone beneath them, corroding it instantly. Kain doesn't underestimate him. His obsidian blade shifts, redirecting Nyssara's attack with a powerful twist before swinging backward to intercept Thurn's claws. CLANG. Sparks erupt as metal meets chitin. Thurn grits his fangs, feeling the force reverberate through his limbs. But he doesn't retreat. Instead— [Tier 4 Skill: Abyssal Toxin] A pulse of dark energy spreads from Thurn's body, the thick purple mist around him turning nearly black. It sinks into the cracks of the stone, seeping into the air. Kain exhales sharply, his armor's enchantments activating, resisting the creeping effect. But the momentary distraction is all Veltha needs. [Tier 4 A Bloodline Skill: Serpent's Fangs] Her fingertips elongate, forming dagger-like claws that glisten with concentrated venom. They bypass armor, sinking into the gaps between plates, delivering a poison that attacks both body and mana. Kain moves. With precise control, he shifts his weight, raising his gauntlet to block her strike. The poison eats into the metal, sizzling upon contact. A devastating punch slams into Veltha's torso, sending her flying backward. She crashes against the battlements, coughing, but her body twists midair, regaining balance. The glow in her scales intensifies. She grins, wiping blood from her lip. Kain rolls his shoulders, his smirk fading slightly as he takes a steady breath. His armor is corroded in spots, faint traces of poison eating away at the enchanted metal. Inside, he's shocked. "Two of them... have already used two Tier 4 skills?" He clenches his grip on his sword, suppressing the unease creeping into his mind. He, a knight of the strongest kingdom, only possesses one Tier 4 skill. And yet, these monsters—these creatures—are wielding power that surpasses expectations. He exhales. No holding back. A surge of mana erupts from his body as he activates every tier 3 buff skill in his arsenal. [Champion's Valor] [Knight's Resolve] [Blood of the Tyrant] His muscles tighten, his speed sharpens, and his sword pulses with newfound strength. The air around him distorts, the sheer pressure of his presence now overwhelming. Nyssara narrows her eyes. "Here we go." Kain moves. This time, he's faster. Much faster. With a single burst, he closes the distance between him and Thurn in the blink of an eye. Thurn barely raises his arms before— BOOM! Kain's sword slams into him with monstrous force, sending him flying through the battlements. Stone shatters, dust explodes into the air, and a massive crater forms where Thurn lands. "Thurn!" Veltha hisses.