Level 0 Master

It turned out just as everyone had expected.

Rittier and Nart faced each other in the forest, unsheathing their swords. Once, they were called to be the four knights to serve the late king, and now, they faced each other as enemies.

"You have pledged your loyalty to Ereka, to the late king! Now you abandoned your oath by fighting next to the Blood Ruler. Shame on you!"

Nart laughed at the veteran knight's thundering.

"Haha. The Oath? Hey, old man. The tyrant forced everyone to make an oath, trying to make it sound like chivalry. Don't you know that everyone said those words unwillingly?"

"What…?"

"Extras are our gift from God for us to play with, but the tyrant didn't let us."

Nart's anger roused the wind around him.

"He trampled our rights with his power and gave us anger, pain, and sorrow! You disloyal, old subjects who sucked up to the tyrant would never know how that felt!"

It was written in the scripture. God created this world to see the supremacy of hero levels; extra levels were just awarded assets for the heroes. But the tyrant forced the heroes to dip into their own pockets to feed the old and disabled instead of throwing them away. Messing around with girls was also not allowed. Whether using them or keeping them, whatever we did with our belongings was none of the king's business.

"From that point of view, the Blood Ruler is the great ruler. She lets us do whatever we want to do in our own territory as long as we obey in battle. Hahaha. She is strict, but she is still the greatest ruler."

Nart nodded.

"Compare to the Blood Ruler, the princess tries to suppress us. Hehe. But her body is something special. I will tame her like a dog in chains starting from tomorrow. It will be fun to watch that noble face licking, crawling, and begging me."

"Your rule of right is out of love for the weak. How dare you call it a suppression!"

"Who allowed that bitch to show love to my belongings!!"

The wind blew around Nart's twin blades. Nart was the knight of wind. That was his nickname because he was the fastest among the four knights, and his skill was managing the wind.

The young knight fiercely looked into the old knight's eyes. Incompatible faiths confronted each other—the one who believed that the ruler's kingship was great love, and the other who believed that that was just tyranny over his lawful right as a hero class.

Their conversation couldn't resolve a fundamental difference in their point of views. There was only one way left.

"I challenge you to a duel! Let's have a 1:1 sword fight!"

"No more talking! Let's have a duel as knights. We don't need anything else."

"Hoho. Do you realize that your level is lower than mine?"

"Are you going to run away from a lower level's challenge?"

"Of course not. I will cut that old throat of yours now."

Nart rushed toward Rittier, and Rittier firmly returned the blow.

This was a sword fight, one that has been replaced by firearms on earth a long time ago. Swords were an old fashioned weapon that couldn't be used as a main weapon apart from some special occasions, such as kendo competitions or hand-to-hand fights.

That was not the case here. That applied when it was a human-to-human fight.

Their energy dug into the ground, causing a shock wave. Without realizing it, the wave cut into the ground, and pieces of broken rock scattered about.

The collision of swords left traces everywhere.

"Wind Cutting!"

"Earth Armor!"

The collision of Heroic Power radiated and heated up the air. The shock wave from the twin blades cut up a gigantic tree in a heartbeat and sliced up the rocks around it.

The opponent Rittier took all the attacks with his body that was stronger than iron.

Nart was the knight of wind. When Rittier thought an attack was coming from the front, Nart was already behind him, and as soon as Rittier was attacked from behind, Nart's sword was in front of him.

Free movement of the rapid wind.

Rittier, the knight of earth, was taking all the attacks with one huge sword and fought back. His armor was the crystalloid of his devotion. His firm legs never collapsed, but his huge sword was not enough for Nart's speed.

It was a close match.

Nart seemed to be irritated that it took so much time although his level was higher.

How long should I spend fighting with an old man at level 5?

"Pfft. Stubborn old man. I will give you a death blow!"

Finally, Nart showed a strange posture and crossed his swords in front of him. The next moment, the wind that had been rising around him stopped.

The air stopped, and the leaves fluttered. Suddenly, all the falling leaves started to flow towards Nart.

A hurricane followed the air around him and was sucked into the area where Nart was standing.

"Hurricane Blade!"

Compressed air blew up into two streams and then swirled around Rittier. The massive pressure overpowered his body, and the streams spinning against each other ripped through everything.

The human body was like an apple in a mixer within this power that tore up the earth. But the real terror of this technique was something else—this technique couldn't work on similar leveled heroes.

There were twin blades tangled up in the wind. There were supposed to be two, but there were actually 23 swords in the wind.

This was the lethal technique of Nart.

Every split sword was magically contained within the power of the wind. The storm tied up the opponent, and 33 swords cut up the opponent's body. This was an impossible phenomenon that was beyond a human's capability, an extreme sword skill of the knight of wind who moved above the movement of the world.

But Rittier reacted with a smile in the middle of this fierce attack.

This is the moment I was waiting for.

It was clear that Nart's ultimate skill was maximizing his Heroic Power. However, that also caused a massive rebound after using this skill. Nart's Heroic Power would decrease for a moment and expose his weakness. Of course, this would only be useful if the opponent were still alive.

Lack of experience and patience, those are your weaknesses as the youngest of the three knights.

Nart was one level higher, yet Rittier had incomparable experience.

"Armor of Faith!"

Armor of Faith, that was Rittier's ultimate skill. It maximized his defensive ability in a second. It was a passive skill, yet the increment was absolute. This skill won over their one level difference and bounced back all the swords in the wind.

This was the real appearance of loyalty Rittier kept despite the changes in the world or people's minds.

It defended against everything.

This is my final defense!

After blocking all 33 swords, Rittier attacked with his gigantic sword. This was the victory that Rittier was presenting to the princess in a battle of 3:2 without needing an extra class.

"Molting Sentence!"

If only there were no chains attacking and twisting his body like a poisonous snake.

"Ugh."

Chains twisted all over Rittier's body. They were pitch black as if they were made of stone-cold magma that has been just cooled off. There was red, bloody magma about the chains, and every drop melted the ground it touched.

No need to mention the state of Rittier, who was tied up by the chains.

This was the ultimate kill of the knight of fire—Molting Sentence. It would tie up the opponent's body and melt them to death. This skill contained both long term imprisonment and powerful damage.

"You… In this sacred duel…"

Rittier looked toward the caster of the chains with anger and sorrow in his eyes.

There was Firgrine, the knight of fire. The air around him heated up and shimmered.

"Haha. A sacred duel? Victory is the only thing one needs."

Firgrine laughed at Rittier as he poured more Heroic Power into the chains.

"You should thank me, Nart."

"Pfft. You were hiding behind to get a chance to stab him in the back. You didn't even show up as soon as I called you."

Nart already knew Rittier would not be an easy target with his skills despite their level difference. So Nart had to secretly use a Wind Spirit Stone to call Firgrine, but Firgrine took his time to deal the final blow.

"You… Nart… You accepted the duel… how dare you call yourself a knight after doing such a dishonorable thing!" Rittier cried out with anger, while Nart laughed at him.

"You are a fool to be tricked."

Firgrine agreed.

"Haha, you are a fool to be snatched up like this. I'm taking the credit of killing Rittier!"

"No chance!"

Levels were given at birth. The only way to raise your level was to accumulate credit in battle. To take credit, both Nart and Firgrine started their attack to kill Rittier.

"Ughhhh!"

The Armor of Faith expired, and the fire burnt Rittier's body while the wind was cutting him into pieces.

Your… Highness…

Rittier was out of the game in three minutes. And now, the 3:2 strategy for victory was destroyed.

"Now all that's left is the princess and the kid. Okay, I will go to the upper part of the forest, while you defend the forest," said Firgrine.

"No. Now that Rittier is done, I don't need to defend the forest. You take the forest."

The two knights started a quarrel while thinking of the same thing.

Rittier came here, meaning that the princess was in the top lane or the bottom lane. That further meant that the one who went to those lanes would have a chance to catch the princess in the early stages. Neither of them had any intention to miss that chance.

"Are you disobeying the ruler's lineup?"

When Firgrine named the Blood Ruler, Nart agreed unwillingly.

"Ugh, okay."

"If you think that's unfair, then clear the forest and join us."

A few moments after Rittier left for the duel, Ereka bit her lip and grabbed her spear. Now the minions were created and were moving to the battlefield.

There was no time to waste.

I have no idea what happened to Sungjin, but since we all entered, it is just the three of us fighting.

She had no idea that now it was only two, not three. Rittier died without using a wind spirit stone to report.

"Jenna. We can do it. Now our minions are here, so let's get moving."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Jenna answered with her tail flapping about.

"Yes. We will win, and we will have a feast with amazing food."

"I would love that! Let's make some chicken and pie! Hehehe."

Jenna smiled to cheer up.

"Hehehe. When we win over the castle, let's call everyone over to have a party. Everyone must be starving."

There's no way people were fed under the Blood Ruler. Although Jenna was young, she knew that much.

"Yes, I promise. I'm sure Sir Rittier is having a good fight."

The two girls made a promise.

Their level was lower, yet they had the same manpower, so they promised to somehow overcome the difference together, without knowing that one was already gone.

* * *

"Your Highness… Your Highness…"

In the waiting room. Rittier's tears fell with sorrow and anger. The old knight's regret melted into his tears.

But there was nothing he could do.

He was already dead and exiled from the battlefield. From the waiting room, no one could send any messages to the inside. The battlefield was a different world. Even the wind spirit stone couldn't be used. All he could do was to watch what was going on with despair.

"Ahh… What kind of humiliation you will have to endure…? This was my fault… I should have protected her…"

Rittier fell down to his knees.

"Ahhh. My late king. I couldn't protect the princess. How can I expect your forgiveness?"

There was no way. Giving his life could not protect Ereka from the humiliation. Then the waiting room door opened.

"Don't worry. I will protect her."

Rittier looked toward the confident voice, and there Sungjin stood.

"But how did you…?"

"Of course, I escaped."

"Ugh, But how! You are supposed to be unconscious until now! And even if you woke up, I tied you up and locked the warehouse door!"

"I was prepared. I saw it coming."

Sungjin's laughter reflected his arrogance, and Rittier shook with anger. If he was not worried about the princess, he would have hit Sungjin.

"Ugh… you used some kind of a trick. But it is too late! I'm already dead. Now the princess has only herself and the kid! There's nothing we can do!"

Rittier hit the ground with his fist.

"Even if you had a real strategy to win… It is too late. There's nothing we can do."

Rittier, the one who was supposed to execute the strategy, was already exiled, and there's no way to re-enter.

"Now… the princess will fight this impossible battle only to be defeated… ugh… alas…"

That was exactly what was shown on the screen airing the battlefield.

* * *

Ereka met her opponent on the crossroads to their bases, Angrasil, the knight of water. He was a cold-blooded and sadistic man, but nevertheless a powerful knight.

When he moved his spear of ice, the air froze on its way. The air became ice particles and dropped to the ground. Naturally, his power froze not only the air but also his opponents.

Ereka had to fight the chilly air that was surrounding her. Every time she returned the spear, the icicle flowers gnawed at her defenses.

But that was not her biggest problem. She, herself was a knight of level 6. She could have returned the spear with her glorious shield to break up the icicle flowers, but the real trouble was not those things.

When she returned the spear of ice with her shield in her left hand and tried to counterattack with her spear in her right, a new spear raised up from the spear of ice and attacked her ribs. She twisted her body to avoid the second spear, yet within a second, a third spear appeared.

Even if she managed to return an attack, there was another spear coming from an unpredictable position, and the fourth one came right in.

This was the fatal skill of Angrasil.

"Ugh."

She wanted to counterattack, but she could barely return the attacks. They both were level 6, yet the difference in knowledge and skill as knights was huge. Trying hard was not enough, because some people were already born with talent.

"How long do you think you can keep up?" Angrasil laughed frigidly.

"Until I kill you!" Ereka answered with a shout.

Even if the enemy was strong, she was determined to win. She had so much to protect. Angrasil's laugh became even crueler when he saw her determined face.

"I will give you a good tip."

"I won't take any false information."

"This is my good will. Rittier is already dead."

"That's not true!"

"Hahaha. You can try to contact him. The game is already over. You are done."

"I don't trust you!" said Ereka, yet she started to have doubts.

Is that true? Is Rittier really dead?

If that was true, this disadvantaged battle just became an impossible one. There's no chance to win against a stronger enemy who also had more manpower.

"I will give you a break. Check if it's true."

Angrasil stepped back as if he was trying to provoke her. With doubts, Ereka used a wind spirit stone to call Rittier, but there was no answer.

"Rittier? Rittier?"

"Hahaha. Can't you see! He is dead. Now, it's just the two of you!"

"Oh… no…"

Ereka trembled. She knew she needed to stand still, but she felt like her body was sinking into quicksand.

The only hope to take over the castle by winning against these three knights was gone.

We are defeated. We've lost our last remaining territory. People will be killed under the tyranny of the Blood Ruler's magical sword, and I and everyone who followed me will meet a tragic end.

We can't give up. We need to fight!

Ereka told herself knowing it was impossible now.

No… we need to defeat them… we must fight!

There was nothing left but sorrow and grief. She felt tears in her eyes.

It was really going to end this way. The hope… the hope was gone.

"Yes. That's it! That sad face turns me on!" Angrasil cheered and attacked her once again.

"Argh."

Ereka tried to defend from the raining spears, yet her body trembled just like her spirit did. She lost her firm defense, and the second spear attacked her ribs again. The concentrated power broke past her defense and tore up her flesh.

"Ugh…"

Ereka quickly returned to the turret.

This is not going to work. We need to change something…

It was taboo in a fierce match to return to one's base while the enemies were still out there. During that time, the enemies would hunt down their minions to win more crystals and damage their turrets at the same time.

But she had to. She knew that if she kept fighting like this, she would be slaughtered. She had no choice but to activate her return stone.

"Pfft. That was close."

Angrasil thought it was too bad; this was his chance to gain the most credit. It was already a winning game.

The key was who would kill the princess. It was okay that the other two killed Rittier. Anyways, the biggest credit would go to the princess slayer.

Oh well, that's ok. Even if she rests for a while, she won't be able to fight. I will have another chance.

When despair froze the spirit and body, fighting a battle would be impossible.