How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

34.

The intuition of those who handle mana is unbelievably accurate compared to that of ordinary people.

Especially when it comes to ominous matters.

Unlike the soldiers whose minds were at ease with what seemed like a peaceful exploration, the knights and wizards were raising their guard against the growing sense of unease.

Even though they felt a sense of impending doom, there was no choice but to move forward.

With so many troops, they couldn’t simply operate based on their mood.

When they discovered a lake of a size that seemed impossible in the midst of the mountains, cutting through trees and bushes.

The punitive force could finally face the reality of the unease they had been feeling.

“Mad…”

The curse that burst from the mouth of the knight who had been particularly noble in his actions explained the situation in an instant.

It wasn’t just a gathering of monsters.

Under the control of dark wizards, they formed a single army.

Like a human army, monsters armed uniformly by race.

The armored ogres and trolls seemed to exude a terrible combat power without even engaging in combat.

But what caught the attention of the punitive force the most was not the military strength of the monsters.

A gigantic body half-submerged in the lake.

The remains of a once great race, who had once ruled the world.

One of the essences of black magic, passed down like a legend.

“Corpse dragon…”

The name that came out like a groan was the word used to refer to the transcendent monster that appeared before them.

The punitive force, frozen at the sight of a being they had never imagined seeing in their lifetime, was led by the knights and wizards at the forefront, all strong individuals among men.

Despite feeling fear, they did not stop scanning their surroundings, and soon found something strange about the creature.

“Their magic is incomplete. Look at the color of the bones at the back!”

At the words of one wizard, the eyes of the punitive force all turned towards the tail end of the body behind the lake.

“Indeed… the color is different.”

“It seems like that might be the original color.”

Contrary to the darkened upper body, the lower body of the dragon retained a beautiful silvery color.

It was a clear sign that the magic of the creatures had not completely tainted the dragon’s body.

‘But… even without the dragon, they pose a formidable force.’

Just facing that number of monsters would require being prepared for total annihilation, and with their good equipment and expected organized movements according to orders, rushing in recklessly was not an option.

The leader of the punitive force, Count Gustaf, could not easily make a decision.

Retreating now would give the giant dragon time to awaken, but he was not confident that they could win with their current forces if they were to engage in battle.

If they were defeated, it wouldn’t simply be a reduction in the kingdom’s power.

The bodies of the knights and wizards, who held a lot of mana, were the best materials for practicing black magic.

Even if they managed to reduce the monsters, it was certain they would quickly recover their strength.

‘The risk is too great.’

Count Gustaf sensed that the fate of the kingdom would be decided by his decision.

‘If only we had a bit more troops…!’

No matter how he calculated, their current forces were insufficient to handle all the armed monsters and dark wizards.

Despite knowing that the great evil would rise in power, now was the time for retreat.

Having made his decision, Count Gustaf signaled the retreat.

To avoid agitating the demons, the wizards cast a spell to block sound before relaying orders to the soldiers.

Just as the soldiers in the back were beginning to retreat, those at the very rear suddenly screamed in unison.

It was a narrow path carved through bushes and trees, deep within the mountains, a sound that civilians wouldn’t have noticed, but for the knights with enhanced physical abilities, it was different.

As if by some signal, some knights, including Count Gustaf, swiftly moved to the back of the formation.

The knights, upon identifying the source of the screams, paused briefly at the gruesome scene.

“Drake…?”

Trolls, and even ogres, members of the formidable dragon race known for their overwhelming power and size.

Among the demons, this individual, possessing remarkable strength, had the soldiers pinned down.

Furthermore, following behind were armed trolls, ogres, and other malevolent creatures.

Upon assessing the situation, Count Gustaf, with a swift decision befitting a commander, hoisted his sword and shouted, “It’s a trap! Follow me immediately! Knights and wizards, come this way and clear a path!”

Though a commander with no shortage of quick thinking, once ensnared, no matter how fast they moved, they could only be a step behind the enemy.

“They knew we were coming. They laid a trap in advance.”

Even though the absence of demons seemed suspiciously empty, the Count hadn’t anticipated such a massive trap.

Regretting their lack of vigilance, the Count swung his sword without a hint of hesitation, knowing they had to save as many troops as possible.

Even with just the demons near the lake earlier, victory wasn’t assured, and now, with new demons emerging from the rear, the possibility of winning was slim.

Concentrating firepower to break through the demons at the rear seemed the best option available.

“Demons are also gathering from the rear!”

It seemed the demons near the lake were also on the move, cries echoing in the Count’s ears.

“Soldiers, hold the line with your spears! Wizards and knights, focus on breaking through the front! Don’t worry about the rear!”

Effectively a command akin to abandoning the rear soldiers, but as a commander, it was an unavoidable choice.

The worth of one knight handling an ogre far exceeded that of dozens of ordinary soldiers.

Even from the perspective of a dark wizard, the same held true.

After issuing orders, the Count swiftly cut down around a dozen ogres, reaching Drake with a determined gaze.

Ogres clung thickly to the Count’s sword, and as the Count leaped high, several knights followed suit, launching themselves into the air.

No need for reconnaissance.

Now was the time to bring down the beast as quickly as possible and clear a path.

Behind the leaping Count, numerous spells soared.

Not high-level spells from the elite, but a barrage of low-level magic cast by dozens of wizards, enough to momentarily distract Drake and pose a significant threat.

The magic hitting the beast’s tough hide shattered like glass, and as Drake’s vision was obscured, the Count’s blade descended upon the dragon.

Among the knights, apart from the masters, the Count stood at the top in terms of skill.

Officially recognized as one of the kingdom’s superior knights.

The dragon’s thick hide tore like paper, its upper jaw splitting and falling to the ground.

“Rraaargh!”

The dragon’s spewed blood rained down on the soldiers like a downpour, its massive body thrashing wildly, crushing everything in its path.

“aaargh!”

The knights who leaped alongside Count Gustaf fell like autumn leaves in the wind as they faced the raging creature.

But even if they couldn’t match the Count, the knights stood among the superhuman ranks.

Amidst the loss of lives and injuries, they etched their mark on Drake’s hide, never wavering.

Losing the upper part of his snout, Drake, whose body was covered in blood stains, staggered as if in shock.

No matter how powerful a demon may be, once it loses a certain amount of blood, its combat effectiveness diminishes significantly.

The Count, seizing the opportunity, leaped once more and successfully sliced the creature’s neck halfway.

Drake was a formidable demon, but his regenerative abilities were nowhere near those of trolls.

In a brief fight with Drake, a total of seven knights became incapacitated.

While the giant enemy was defeated, the Count’s expression remained stern.

The monsters advancing from behind seemed endless, and the numbers of those blocking the front were steadily increasing.

Without even checking Drake’s corpse, the Count swung his sword incessantly.

Facing the overwhelming force of the Count, the monsters classified as large species were dying helplessly.

Not only the Count but also other knights were displaying superhuman strength in the face of imminent danger.

Despite being armored with thick steel, their joints and vital areas were relatively vulnerable, and the precise attacks of the well-trained knights were sufficient to exploit these weaknesses.

Undoubtedly, led by Count Gustaf, the frontline knights were demonstrating remarkable strength.

Large species, which were considered terrifying by ordinary people, seemed powerless in the face of the Count’s overwhelming might.

Yet, the kingdom’s knights were struggling to break through the monsters’ ranks.

“There are too many…!”

Having joined forces with a knight next to him to kill a troll, Dennis wore a face of exhaustion as the relentless horde kept pouring in.

Even if all the monsters from the mountain range gathered, the continuous influx of enemies towards the knights was beyond imagination.

The Earl’s request to preserve their forces came to mind, but there was simply no room to spare to protect them now.

It had reached a point where even preserving Dennis’s own life was becoming difficult.

Due to the Earl’s urgent call to move forward, it was impossible to know where the soldiers who had come with Isel were fighting.

“Let’s focus on surviving for now.”

As sorry as he felt for the soldiers, even as an individual, even as a knight, Dennis believed that surviving, even on his own, was the right path.

The situation of Dennis and other knights was similar.

Rushing to follow Count Gustaf’s lead, there was no room to spare to protect the other soldiers and knights.

The only consolation was that Count Gustaf’s leadership at the forefront was even more exceptional than expected.

Rumors that he was at the brink of becoming a master, surpassing the realm of experts, were indeed true.

Behind him, cutting through the monsters like a scythe through wheat, the knights formed a wedge formation and struggled to break through the waves of monsters.

A single monster, like a troll, was something a knight, a human weapon, could handle.

However, there naturally existed differences in skill among the knights, and with the absence of a strong figure like Count Gustaf, the situation at the rear was not as favorable as at the front.

With many troops fighting in close quarters, there were three to five knights per large species, if not more.

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At a glance, it seemed like the monsters would quickly fall, but the actual battle unfolded differently from what was imagined.

“Argh!”

One knight who couldn’t withstand the troll’s attack groaned as he collapsed to the ground.

It was because he couldn’t overcome the overwhelming force.

The reason a knight could defeat a large species in the first place was not due to superior strength.

It was the utilization of wide spaces, agile movements for evasion, and transcendent attack power gained through aura.

With these two advantages, even though there was an overwhelming difference in strength and endurance, they could not only engage in an equal fight with large species but also kill them.

However, in a large-scale battle like the current one, the situation had completely changed.

Numerous monsters were moving under the command of a warlock, forming ranks, and due to their strong pressure, the gaps between the knights had narrowed.

The number of knights facing each demon had increased, but in turn, the knights had no space to dodge the powerful and relentless attacks of the demons.

Naturally, situations arose where the knights had to squarely block the demons’ attacks, leading to rapid exhaustion in the knights’ bodies as they bore frequent impacts.

Amidst the relentless swinging of swords, Count Gustaf, who intermittently surveyed the battlefield, quickly grasped the situation faced by the knights without needing much time.

Even though the knights possessed exceptional endurance beyond comparison with ordinary individuals, they were ultimately made of flesh and blood.

Although the knights had held up well until now, it was clear that they would crumble like a breached dam in no time if the battle dragged on.

The state of the wizards who continuously unleashed magic was also unfavorable.

Some faces had turned pale from exhaustion, while others had slumped to the ground, showing signs of extreme fatigue due to excessive magical exertion.

Despite advancing a considerable distance, demons were steadily filling the gaps by rallying from the rear.

“It’s inevitable annihilation if we stay like this. We need to make a decisive move.”

With resolve in his heart, the Count increased the speed of the aura circulating within him.

The size of the aura entwined with his sword noticeably grew, and his physical capabilities ascended to a higher level.

“Knights, break through with all your might. Those who are running out of strength, engage with other knights on the sides! Wizards, concentrate your firepower ahead of me! Those with reinforcement magic, use it without hesitation!”

Amidst the chaos, the Count’s voice infused with aura was distinctly conveyed to the front lines of the punitive force, and the members swiftly moved in accordance with the Count’s intentions.

The knights at the forefront, bolstered by the wizards’ reinforcement magic, surged with increased physical prowess to overwhelm the demons, while a collaborative vision spell cast by several wizards of the same school descended upon the demons’ heads.