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The Knights set out into the forest.

Naturally, this news spread fastest in the community where users gathered.

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[They’re finally entering the forest]

Look at that armor, it’s ridiculously thick ㄷㄷ

How much did just that armor cost?

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[Didn’t they usually wear chainmail? Suddenly full plate armor shows up;]

[Looks like they prepared as defensively as possible since it’s a dangerous area]

[Now that I think about it, the shield is super thick too, lol]

[Heard the news that the two-bladed axe split the shield, huh?]

[They really take care of their lives, no doubt about that]

[Well, would you not want to take care of your life if it were you?]

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[About 150 of them, huh]

150 knights, purely knights ㄷㄷ

Considering that users will join in, Yor will probably go with them too…

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[Finally, the balance is a bit right]

[ㅋㅋㅋ Is this actually balanced? The difference in power is huge]

[But surprisingly, the numbers are a bit low]

[Is 150 not a lot?;;]

[No, normally when a hunting party opens, thousands of soldiers and hundreds of knights flock in]

[They say it’s because of the forest; even if they gather, the surrounding monsters would just cause more damage]

[Instead, it seems they filtered out only elite soldiers; judging by their gear, they’re well supported]

[Got it]

Of course, various discussions flooded the community.

Raids were always massive events, and this time the boss was even particularly unique.

An NPC that had loafed around on the broadcast suddenly got designated as the boss.

Some users were not pleased with this situation, but it couldn’t be helped.

The situation had already unfolded. It’s hard to swim against the tide.

Some users were still clutching at the thinnest thread of hope, but most were already considering his demise.

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[Forget everything else; the filthy rich are thrilled at the thought of a hundred million ㅋㅋㅋ]

I’m excited too, haha

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[So true, lol]

[The streamers are probably all smiles thinking about the broadcast opportunities ㅋㅋ]

[You bastards, do you really have to make that much money?]

In the end, most users just wanted to enjoy the raid as a festival.

*

Day 6 dawned.

And the air felt different that day. How should I put it… it felt stifling and murky, to say the least.

When a crowd gathers, heat tends to accumulate and it gets warmer.

Especially on a hot summer day like this.

It might just be my imagination, but it was undeniably true that since this morning, I had not felt great.

And that instinct did not turn out to be wrong.

Boom – thud –

As time passed, strange sounds floated from deep within the forest.

The clashing of metal, and the sound of hundreds of boots trampling over the ground.

And the various voices echoing in between.

“Wow…”

Just a little bit of listening revealed all too clearly.

The Knights had finally entered this forest.

Frowning, I cautiously made my way toward where they were.

First, I needed to assess their strength if I was to do anything at all.

There was also the option of moving up into the trees to avoid detection.

“Damn, there are a hell of a lot of them.”

Upon confirming their forces, it was indeed a hell of a lot.

I expected them to be numerous, but seeing them in front of me was a whole different level.

The engraved patterns on the iron armor made it clear that they were indeed Knights.

One notable thing was that they were all moving as five-man units.

One person wielded a massive shield, while the remaining four brandished swords. It was almost like five bodies were one.

Although it was a bit comical to see, it was definitely not something to be underestimated.

It was clearly going to be incredibly hard to break through.

To make matters worse, otherworlders were gathered some distance away from the Knights.

Some were walking about casually without any tension, and there were broadcasters too.

It felt more like they had come to watch the fight rather than participate in one.

“I found it!”

“There it is!”

As I continued my thoughts, the individuals who spotted me pointed in my direction and shouted.

I wasn’t particularly panicked.

Just because I was in a tree didn’t mean I was completely hidden.

Besides, there were hundreds of eyes in that area.

“…Tch.”

I clicked my tongue and charged at them. I needed to collide and gauge their strength.

Preparing for a thrust, I dove towards one of the Knights.

“Here it comes!”

“Get the shield ready!”

Unfortunately, they were prepared just in time.

One of the five held up a shield while the remaining four hid behind it.

Thud-!

“Ugh!”

When the blade-brimming tip of my spear collided with the shield, the Knight’s face scrunched up in pain.

Even with the shield, the impact was quite heavy.

But that was all. The shield didn’t crack, nor did it budge any further. An iron shield was simply too thick to penetrate with just a shabby spear, and behind it were five Knights ready to hold fast.

Moreover, it became difficult to continue my attack. After that one thrust, four swords came darting at me.

Swish – swoosh -!

I quickly pulled my body back. Luckily, none of the blades managed to touch me.

Their sword strikes were sharp, but they seemed confined to a certain range.

It was as if they had no intention of stepping outside the protection of that shield.

A highly defensive maneuver.

It was clear that they would have a hard time capturing me, but the problem was, there were a ton of Knights around.

As expected, while I was dealing with one group, other Knights were stealthily approaching me from the direction of their party, like turtles slowly surrounding me.

“Wow, just as rumored, their looks truly are exceptional… How did such a child come to be born from the Demon’s Blood…”

“Hey, who taught you to talk during a mission? Focus. The opponent isn’t just a human; it’s the seed of a demon.”

“Ah, yes. S-sorry.”

Here and there, I could hear Knights muttering to one another.

But no matter what they said, I only frowned. The current situation felt incredibly stifling.

I had to act before that encirclement was complete.

I already understood that mere attacks couldn’t pierce through that shield.

Then, my solution was simple.

“Just hit harder!”

It was a crude method, but at the same time, it was the most effective.

There was no time for a prolonged battle now. I was up against hundreds of them.

The scarcity of stamina was on my side.

Taking a deep breath—

I pricked my fingertip. A mild pain flowed, and blood seeped onto the spearhead. From here on, this blood would protect my blade sharper and tougher than any weapon.

“The foe is using a power!”

“Confirmed! Holy Water ready!”

I thrust the spear toward the shield once more.

By that time, they had completed their preparations. They pulled out Holy Water from somewhere and sprinkled it directly onto the shield.

Using precious Holy Water like that… it felt a bit wasteful, but the effect was outstanding.

As soon as it touched the shield, the blood flowed down.

It was as if it was purifying an evil, the magic contained within the blood rapidly evaporated.

Consequently, this attack only managed to sink halfway into the shield before stopping.

This time, I couldn’t help but curse.

“Damn, the fight truly sucks.”

Even with such overwhelming numbers, my attacks weren’t getting through.

They were incredibly careful and deliberate in their moves. It felt like an enormous power was crushing me.

If I couldn’t land an attack, there was only one thing left for me to do. That was to escape.

“The foe is trying to flee!”

“Block them!”

As expected, the quick-witted Knights tried to close in on me faster.

A large shield, as tall as I was, blocked my path.

But what they didn’t anticipate was that I still had a useful trick up my sleeve.

I utilized the arm of Seere at my waist. The annoying large shield in front of me was my target.

Even though it had a cooldown of ten minutes after each use, making it not particularly useful for large scale battles…

It was definitely possible to create an opening to slip away.

“What!?”

“Damn, of all times!”

The one group that lost their shield was thrown into confusion.

I discarded the shield that teleported to my waist and swung my weapon towards the five Knights.

Swhack-!

“Ugh!”

With a chilling sound, the Knights sustained various minor injuries.

Glancing around, it was clear no one had taken fatal damage.

It was destabilizing but I attacked five at once, and they were all wearing thick armor.

However, that was enough to create an opportunity to escape.

“Catch him!”

“Yes!”

Thus, I began to flee through the Knights. My feet moved quickly as I asked myself.

“Where should I go?”

The answer was clear. I needed to head deeper.

Of course, the Knights didn’t just watch me run.

In that five-man formation, they began to chase me diligently.

However, they weren’t closing the gap at all.

In the first place, I was faster, and it was difficult to pursue someone in heavy armor.

Swish-! Swoosh-!

Occasionally, arrows whizzed by. Luckily, none hit me.

In the forest, it was difficult to aim, and shooting while running required considerable skill.

Good. Under these circumstances, I could escape.

…What I would do once I entered deeper would have to wait.

But there was one thing I overlooked: among them, there was one human capable of catching up to me.

“!”

Suddenly, a chilling sensation crawled up my spine.

An alarm rang loudly in my head. I stopped running and looked back.

Swish-!

A sword charged at me with incredible speed. A refined, precise strike.

I quickly turned to block the opponent’s strike with my spear.

Clang-!

With a heavy pressure, I saw my assailant.

It was the man who had silently given orders while observing me during my attack.

He looked to be in his early thirties with blond hair.

“You shall not escape here.”

The Fourth Knight Commander spoke as he looked at me.