Chapter 42: Fallen Knights

As he read the email, Gabriel was still trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing. He had been expecting a long and drawn-out interview process with the city officials, so he had prepared himself accordingly. He had even taken the time to anticipate some of the questions they might ask him and had prepared some notes in advance. But now, all of that preparation seemed to be for nothing.

The email he had received stated that his application had been approved, and he was advised to be in the vicinity of the dungeon the following morning. Despite his confusion, Gabriel felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of finally being able to explore the mysterious realm.

As he pondered the email, Gabriel was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts by an alarm blaring loudly in his ear. He hurriedly grabbed his communication device to check what was going on and found an unread message waiting for him. The message consisted of only four words: "Good luck, young man." Though he had no idea who had sent it, Gabriel had a strange feeling that he knew the person behind the message.

.....

Meanwhile, in the Principal's office at Green Leaf Academy, Principal Dalhmer was looking at his own communication device with a sly smile. He had been the one to approve Gabriel's application to enter the dungeon, and he was eager to see what surprises the young man would uncover.

Unbeknownst to Gabriel, Principal Dalhmer had been the reason why he had been able to skip the lengthy interview process. He had seen something special in the young man and had decided to give him a chance.

.....

Despite his confusion about the sudden approval of his application, Gabriel decided to put it out of his mind and focus on preparing for his journey. He restocked on his supplies of mana potions and health potions, even though he was a healer and didn't necessarily need them. He wanted to be prepared for anything that might happen.

After placing his order with his supplier and receiving a box full of potions, Gabriel spent the rest of the day checking the durability of his equipment and making sure everything was in order.

...

The next day, Gabriel arrived at the entrance of the mystical realm feeling excited and eager to begin his adventure. However, he was quickly met with resistance from the guards, who used their spears to block his path.

"Halt!" the first guard barked, while the second guard moved closer to Gabriel with a threatening look. The third guard stood at the ready, alert for any signs of trouble.

Undeterred, Gabriel calmly produced his documents and passed them to the fourth guard, who read them carefully before disappearing into the camp.

As he waited for the guard to return, Gabriel took in his surroundings, feeling relaxed and at ease. Unlike the other people around him who were nervous and anxious, he was in his element.

He couldn't help but notice the gloomy aura emanating from the portal that led to the dungeon. It was the complete opposite of the mysterious realm he had explored during his assessment, which had been full of life and energy. He saw dark energy tentacles that surrounded the portal, and he couldn't shake the feeling that they were somehow connected to the inhabitants inside the dungeon.

After a few hours of waiting, the fourth guard returned with a mysterious-looking token in her hand. She handed it to Gabriel and signaled for him to follow her, leading him towards the portal.

As they walked, the fourth guard warned Gabriel that the dungeon was very dangerous and that he should shatter the token if he found himself in too deep of trouble. With that, she activated the portal, causing it to vibrate and emit an even darker aura. A deep vortex appeared, swirling ominously and signaling that the portal had been opened.

....

Gabriel stood before the Deep dark portal, his heart pounding with nervous anticipation. With a deep breath, he steeled himself and stepped forward without hesitation, disappearing into the unknown.

As he emerged on the other side, Gabriel was struck by the stark contrast between the portal's bright light and the dark, foreboding atmosphere that surrounded him. The air was thick with a sense of danger, and he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

Looking around, Gabriel noticed that he was standing on a small platform amid a strange, eerie forest. The trees towered above him, casting long shadows on the ground, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

As he took in his surroundings, Gabriel couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The plants and insects around him were unlike anything he had ever seen before, their twisted and unusual shapes adding to the unsettling atmosphere.

Suddenly, his attention was drawn to the ground beneath his feet. Rotten branches and leaves covered the forest floor, and ancient trees reached up into the sky, their gnarled limbs casting dark shadows across the landscape.

"This place looks like something out of a horror movie," Gabriel muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper.

But before he could contemplate the strangeness of his surroundings any further, two humanoid monsters emerged from behind a nearby tree. Their black armour was tattered and rotten, revealing glimpses of decaying flesh beneath. In their hands, they wielded rusty iron swords, poised and ready to strike.

With a bestial voice, they roared toward Gabriel with their weapons raised high waitng for him to exit the platform.

....

[Name: Fallen Knight]

[Health Point: 300,000/300,000]

[Mana: 5000/5000]

[Physical Attack: 15,200– 17,200]

[Defense: 3,300]

[Rank: Bronze Stage ★★★★★★★★★★

[Skills: Rapid Slash, Dashing Strike, Jumping Slash, Pierce]

[Description: The Azeal Empires warriors displayed immense valor in the gruesome battle against the relentless invasion of the undead. However, the war took a terrible toll on them, and they lost their lives in their attempt to protect their land. Sadly, their souls were captured by an unknown force and were unable to find eternal rest. As a result, they transformed into vengeful and malevolent ghosts, haunting the Valley of the Fallen. These spirits ruthlessly attack any living creature that dares to trespass their territory, seeking vengeance for their untimely demise.]

.....

The dungeon was fraught with danger. The Fallen Knights, despite being at a lower rank than the silver monsters, were nothing to be trifled with. They had a 10 ★-Bronze stage and could beat all the monsters and bosses that Gabriel had encountered before. What's more, they possessed a corresponding Orion's system that allowed them to adjust the attributes of their professions and use their professional skills. It was a concept that was both intriguing and terrifying.

Their intelligence was almost as low as the undead creatures, and their attack and skill patterns were too rigid, making them easy to predict. However, their sets of skills were deadly enough to kill more than 95% of the Low leveled Orions who entered the dungeon. These spirits were once battle-hardened advanced Orion's when they were alive, and fighting them was like watching a veteran take on newbies. It was a recipe for disaster.

Thankfully, their strength had been weakened due to their deaths, and their intelligence had also become extremely low. But for the Orions who were not fully equipped, it would still be a challenge. A full-health level 25 Orion could be killed with just three or four slashes, and there was no room for mistakes in this fight.

To enter the dungeon, Orion's had to reach a level high enough to avoid being insta-killed. They also had to obtain a full set of class equipment and form a team with other Orion's to fight together. It was too dangerous to enter the dungeon alone. The Fallen Knights were fully equipped with combat classes, magic spells, and bow snipers. It was very likely that a Low leveled Orion would be killed by a series of combo attacks, leaving them with no time to use escape items to run away.

...

Gabriel found himself deep in thought, pondering the best course of action to take when faced with the formidable Fallen Knights. These ghost warriors, with their exceptional class, posed a significant threat, and even his talent would not be enough to easily defeat them.

The main attribute of these Fallen Knights was their strength, which made their attacks incredibly powerful. Each slash they made was akin to a small skill, and their damage output was nothing short of formidable. Despite Gabriel's high damage output and impressive at least 4,500+ HP, he knew that he could not withstand even a single direct slash from these elite warriors, no matter how much he relied on his current defense.

To stand a chance against them, he would have to rely on his [Goddess Blessing] and [Oceans Blessing] as well as his shield's damage reduction capabilities to prolong the fight. He also had to be mindful of the Fallen Knights' tendency to follow up their attacks with a flurry of rapid strikes, which could quickly add up to significant damage.

Gabriel knew that he could not afford to stand still and engage the Fallen Knights head-on. Instead, he would have to remain agile and strategic, carefully dodging their attacks while looking for openings to strike back. With a little bit of luck and a lot of skill, he might just be able to overcome these fearsome enemies and emerge victorious.

....

Gabriel had just stepped out of the protection area of the safety zone when both of his feet landed outside the boundary, and in an instant, both Fallen Knights pounced on him. Gabriel's eyebrows furrowed, and with a graceful dodge, he managed to evade their attack.

"Ah, so this is the Fallen Knight's [Pierce] skill," Gabriel muttered to himself, analyzing the situation. He quickly realized that it wasn't a difficult skill to counter as long as his reaction speed was quick enough. Without wasting any time, he dodged the second Knight's attack and moved away from the two of them.

With a calm and collected demeanour, Gabriel raised his right hand and aimed it at the two Fallen Knights' heads. He began to gather holy light in his hand, which looked like an energy cannon that was charging up and illuminating the surroundings like a beacon of light.

"I'm afraid playtime is over," Gabriel said, and he cast his skill [Light Hurricane] towards one of the Knights.