Learning Experience

Lucius watched everything silently.

Despite his seeming overconfidence—even to the point of being considered arrogant—he was calculating as fast as he could, while keeping up a facade that showed the opposite.

'Before Legion rose up, I told them to remain on the ground and pretend to be dead because I wanted to see how things would play out in that case…'

The way Lucius was able to do this was the same way he could hear the thoughts of his Undead: [Death Probe]. This ability made him telepathically linked to every one of his undying followers, and if he focused well enough… he could hear their thoughts.

Now, he could also make them hear his own.

In essence… he had given Legion that command through mind communication.

'I told them to remain still and pause their regeneration, and they did just that.' He smiled. 'That gave the enemies an inaccurate impression of their chances of beating me, even if it was only for a moment.'

Truthfully, Lucius saw no chance at all that the Deacons could win against him.

'I already noticed them about a second before they launched their weapons. They're quite stealthy, so I didn't pick up on them sooner, but… even then I had more than enough time to dodge the attacks.' The grin on his face grew even broader as he watched his most loyal Knight prepare to fight.

'Besides, even if those swords hit me… I would have most likely been fine.'

Lucius already knew that Cursed Weapons could slow down or interfere with regeneration due to the special energy that flowed through them. However, the Cursed Weapons of the Deacons weren't strong enough to affect him.

Of course, he didn't know about the intensity of the energy in their blades when they were launched, so he had no intention of taking them on in the first place. It just seemed appropriate to act surprised and go with the flow, especially since Legion already jumped in to save him.

'Speaking of Legion…' Lucius' smile slowly vanished as he narrowed his eyes on the Death Knight. 'It seems Cursed Weapons of this level can still affect them. They couldn't regenerate until those two retrieved their blades.'

It just went to show the difference between himself and them.

'But, this also presents me with a good opportunity…' Since the Cursed Weapons could damage Legion, the match would be as close as it could possibly be.

Lucius was already curious about Legion's full capabilities, so this scenario—where he would have to face off against multiple enemies that could damage him—was prime for precisely that kind of experiment.

'If things get out of hand, I'll definitely interfere.' He nodded to himself. 'Until then…'

"Legion, I'm not going to step into this fight at all, so make sure you end this no matter what."

"Yes, Lord Mors." They bowed their head, solidifying their battle stance as dark energy swirled and danced around them like a small whirlwind.

It even gave Lucius slight chills.

"Legion will not lose."

~WHOOOSH!~

The moment those words were uttered, Legion had already taken off, leaving shattered earth in their wake. Once they reached the perfect range of attack, the Knight thrust out a powerful blow in the direction of one of the twins.

Naturally, the man's eyes were wide open in shock.

Legion's speed far exceeded what a human should be capable of, and both adversaries had still not recovered from watching him regrow a severed head. As a result, the sudden approach of the Death Knight, and the lethal move that he sent forth right off the bat disoriented the Deacons.

However—

~SWISH!~

—They quickly recovered their momentum, the adrenaline of battle granting them the clarity they desperately needed at that moment.

The one that was about to be hit by Legion's fist leaped away from the attack—though he was still in range of the powerful strike. However, before the fist connected, the blade of the second pierced it with its wielder's own swift jab.

"Tch!" Legion twisted their body to send a powerful backhand blow and hit the interferer, but was immediately stopped by the kick of their first opponent.

This kick did nothing to them, however, since they were incredibly sturdy. However, the split-second distraction allowed the twins to safely escape Legion's attack and leap away to regroup.

Lucius silently watched this exchange, folding his arms while observing every detail.

'Legion is outmatched in terms of skill. They're much better fighters, and their coordination is simply superb. But… their physical abilities are lacking.' His eyes burned deep purple and his smile returned almost immediately.

'That's why Legion will win in the end.'

Despite the match starting off with the two Deacons using pure skill and coordination to evade—sometimes even countering—the Death Knight maelstrom of attacks, the tables were slowly beginning to turn once the latter started showing signs of exhaustion.

They couldn't keep up with Legion forever, and unlike Undead—who had limitless stamina—the Deacons were ultimately human.

"This is why I said Legion can't fall to the likes of you." Lucius chuckled.

The Deacons were impressive in so many ways, but that wasn't nearly enough. 

Legion was stronger, faster… better.

In no time, the Death Knight was able to study their movements and acclimate to the patterns the two showed them over time. 

Within a few more tries, they even exceeded the skill-level of the enemies due to their superior physical abilities.

That was when the tragedy truly began for the Deacons.

~BOOOOM!~

In a black flash, Legion twisted their bulky body and dealt a powerful straight thrust towards the closest enemy to them—right after expertly dodging the attacks of the other.

The resounding echo of shattering bones and breaking flesh drowned the agonizing scream that pierced the air at that exact moment.

With just one powerful blow, the Cursed Weapon was sent flying away and Legion's tightened fist drilled a hole in the chest of the Deacon.

He died instantly.

"PHILIP!!!" The surviving twin yelled out, his posture breaking for a split second once he witnessed his own comrade die before his very eyes.

As his eyes burned with rage and his body trembled with the pain of loss, he wavered for only the slightest moment.

Legion did not miss that chance.

~VWUUUSH!~

Almost like they teleported, Legion appeared behind the distraught Deacon, using their two hands to press on his face—crushing it like one would do to a plump tomato.

Blood and gory remains spilled all over, causing a disgusting mess to stain the surrounding dry trees and blackened ground. 

It was over within a moment.

"They are both dead, Lord Mors." Legion knelt and bowed their head as they made the announcement—acting as if the one he addressed didn't witness the event with his very eyes.

"Good work."

"Legion is happy that Lord Mors is pleased."

'Ohh… I'm more than pleased.' Lucius smiled to himself, walking towards the two corpses that were drowning in the puddle of their own blood.

His squinted eyes focused on the Cursed Weapons they had used in their fight against Legion, and he grinned amusedly.

'I can't keep destroying these weapons…' 

He stole a quick glance at Legion, and an interesting idea came to his mind.

'I mean… a Knight isn't complete without a primary weapon.'

So far, Legion had none of that.

'The only issue is… should I give him one of them, or both? I also still have the blade of the other Deacon with me. Hmm…' He picked up the swords and stared at them for a moment before placing them in his [Dead Safe].

'I'll think about all that later. For now…' Lucius' eyes focused on the two bodies now laid bare before him.

He didn't need to think twice before saying the words.

"Rise up."