Settling his new Pyre Sword across his hip, Suna breathed out the cold frigid air that started to fall on them as a blizzard began to approach the charred battlefield. This might cause complications. Suna did not like the chance of the [Godknight] using the upcoming blizzard for cover.

  However, the [Godknight] should know enough that Suna’s arrow can easily pierce through a blizzard, which was why the knight charged forward with his own Pyre Sword. Jack and Amidela finished their strategy and rushed to meet the [Godknight].

  Suna’s breath hitched as he saw Amidela blast the snow beneath her feet with Gale Step and launch herself into the [Godknight].

  The knight pivoted, swinging his sword that trailed with a flicker of Pyreflame. In the last moment, Amidela kicked her right leg, causing a slight sonic boom that thumped everyone’s ears. The Runebearer slid on the snow and raised her sword with dark wind building up on it.

  Seeing Amidela charging the dark wind that had caused Landfred so much grief, the [Godknight] scurried to dodge. But Jack was there, jabbing his astral spear forward. They clashed in a blur of exchange, each strike sending dark and blue flame dancing across the cold air. The sound of sizzling flames burning against each other sent a minor heatwave coating over the freezing winter.

  Suna, seeing that Landfred no longer had any of those annoying armor pieces, manifested Gale Bow and Emberwind Arrow with Slea beside him, pointing her wand and charging her seeking serpent fire. Two great heat points were born suddenly, and that earned the [Godknight]’s attention.

  A slight hesitation stuttered the knight’s steps. The plan was working.

  Jack, not missing this, quickly darted away to his right and spun his spear. Dark fire bristled around that spear. In one downstroke, Jack sent a slice of dark flame forward at Landfred.

  Suna followed with his fully charged Emberwind. Snow melted away by the pure power of his spell arrow. Five serpent flames then rushed to ensure the [Godknight] did not charge into them.

  Three attacks flew at the knight, but the fourth did not come.

  Amidela could not fire off that Dark wind through the Pyresword; she needed the Thief Sword for that. So her job was to make the [Godknight] think an attack from three directions was coming, and no way to avoid them except by running back, which he did.

  The [Godknight] did not turn away; he jumped back with his sword ready to parry. Jack’s attack passed by and was far away from hitting the knight. But Suna’s arrow lanced straight into the knight. Landfred managed to catch Emberwind with his pyre-flame-coated sword, but the flame weakened, and red roared over blue. His arrow blasted straight into the knight’s chest, fracturing his remaining armor and piercing his skin.

  Landfred skidded along the ground, his legs dragged against the snow. His body stopped, and through intense fire, the [Godknight] gripped the arrow’s shaft and broke it, throwing it down.

  Slea’s magic was still going. Five serpents rammed down at Landfred. The knight quickly wove between the serpents, ducking through one and evading another by bending his body. The third serpent, however, caught the [Godknight]. Landfred managed to lift his arm and catch the magic, but that still caused his body to burn away as the other two serpents bit into his collarbones.

  Seeing the [Godknight] wreathed in pain and almost on his deathbed, Jack and Amidela launched forward, each of them having their weapon ready.

  “Don’t!” Floundea shouted behind Suna, and seeing this, Suna reacted instantly by letting his Gale Bow go.

  From the fire, the [Godknight] surged forward with skin creeping like decaying pages. Amidela arrived first and swung her sword down. The knight received her strike with his sword and twisted his body around, making Amidela block Jack.

  Jack, in turn, let out a frustrated growl as he withdrew his spear, angling to stab Landfred.

  The knight ducked low enough that Jack could not see him.

  Landfred angled his sword to stab through Amidela and possibly Jack. But the moment it was about to impale her, an arrow suddenly appeared inside his last hand, and vines splayed it apart. A tangle of green vines crept up his neck, tying around him. The vine thickened, and Landfred tried to wrestle them off, but he no longer had a hand.

  Not giving up yet, the [Godknight] kicked Amidela’s leg, forcing her to kneel, and lashed at her chin to send the Tiefling flying into Jack, who managed to catch her in time.

  No doubt the knight thought he needed to run now that he just incapacitated two of them. But in front of him was Suna, standing. He had arrived quickly with Gale Step, knowing that the knight would not go down so easily.

  In Suna’s arm was Gale Bow, with swirling snow trapped by the air-forged bow. In his other arm, an ember-lit arrow shone, becoming a flare point as the surrounding blizzard grew stronger. Strangely, the snowstorm chose now to appear, insulating both Landfred and Suna alone.

  Landfred’s eyes were clear now. Pyreflame flickered once on Landfred’s stump. It uselessly faded away. Then again, once, twice. But it never held. The knight’s face truly looked like a wretched sheet of paper, and agony mixed in; his eyes tightened, and a solemn tear streamed down to his lips.

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  “It’s my loss.” The [Godknight] spoke with a breathless voice.

  Suna felt exposed without his Rabbit Cloak. Cold bit him, like a thousand small needles; however, now he could tell even a Rabbit wouldn’t run from the [Godknight] now.

  Suna raised on one leg. Wind built up around his feet. He kicked one of the [Godknight]’s legs, forcing the Undead to one knee, the knight's head swaying up and down, and all fight left him.

  Planting his feet down again, Suna spoke to him. “Tell me, about the Third depth.”

  “I refuse.”

  “That Pyre-tornado you just did. Did you mean to call reinforcements with it?”

  The knight stayed silent. “Just get it done with. I will not answer anything, especially if they—”

  “Harm the Necromancer,” Suna finished for Landfred. The [Godknight]’s eyes widened at that. “Delia said the same thing.”

  “Delia? What happened to her?”

  Suna smiled at the question. He then said, “How about this? I will answer your question, but then you will do the same.”

  “I refu—”

  “Delia made a Pact. It’s a bit long-winded, but now she is reborn in a new world. The world I came from. The Drowfication I obtained? Delia helped me unlock it.” Now, when Suna think of it, he probably could unlock the Drowfication on his own, just like Min and Jack managed to do.

  Perhaps Delia expected Suna to be able to do it himself and judged that this wouldn’t change the battle against the [Necromancer], but still…

  “The [Necromancer] allowed her to help me, allowing me to obtain a Skill to defeat him for the sake of her reincarnation. Tell me, do you have it, knight? A Domain? If you are willing to stand down and offer your help against the [Necromancer], then we can—”

  “No,” Landfred said simply. “The answer will be no, human. I have no desire to go beyond the life I have given.”

  Suna’s eyes turned cold; it looked like he would get nothing from the knight. Suddenly, all he could see now was the monster that killed James and John, something he should just kill and be done with.

  He nocked his arrow. Fire and Wind met, and Suna pulled to his ear. Flames tickled his cheek with warmth and color, casting Landfred in molten gold.

  “The third depth is a Pyre Lab. You encounter the Pyrebone Archer. That is where my Lord experiments for his creation. That's where his obsession is. The system chained an intense desire for research on him, and that is the sole reason why he has not gone up into the upperworld to take the fight against the Tiefling and Drow.”

  “I see, this whole kingdom is also part of it then?”

  The knight nodded.

  “A Gateway. Does it really exist there?”

  “Of course, plenty of…” Landfred paused. “You can make a deal with him. Under this abnormal situation, my Lord would definitely let you pass—”

  “No, I will kill him for the Tiefling,” Suna stated.

  “Why? You could just leave and be well away from this place! Take my life.” The knight shouted. “But spare my King and my Lord.”

  “About that. I’m afraid it’s impossible.”

  “Impossible?”

  “I’ve been thinking lately about the Altar. Once, I planned to offer the Drow Seeker’s body to it. But now, the Necromancer’s body seems like it would offer a new possibility. This time, I will retain his core and offer it wholly…”

  “You dare?” Landfred tried to lunge, but his legs gave way under him, and Suna kicked the knight up again.

  “I don’t know what to do with you. Should I take your rune? I know your dead body can still be offered to the Altar, but the viable option now is only the Moon Altar… So, the one who does the offering will be one of my friends. Question is… should I part with your rune?”

  Suna aimed at Landfred’s eyes and slowly adjusted to his chest.

  What to do? Someone like Noa, maybe, could get some ridiculous armor with the Knight’s runed body. But again, Suna had gotten a Legendary item with Delia’s runeless body… He couldn’t help but think perhaps he might even get a better item with her body still with her rune, though.

  Hard decision.

  Added to that, this knight burned away the Rebel Assassin’s body, which would be a great sacrifice for Min to make.

  If he wanted to increase their chance to win this Tutorial, then perhaps letting Noa have the Knight’s runed body would be the best choice. But then, beyond that chance, they would split apart after the Tutorial. That’s not necessarily true; maybe they would meet again back in their world, and Noa would be a valuable ally.

  However, Suna wanted it, the power the [Godknight]’s rune could give.

  “I decided.”

  All the [Godknight] could do was watch.

  Suna switched to Sootroot Arrow so he could conserve the knight’s body. He let his arrow loose. The knight’s body snapped like a broken twig. He collapsed. Lying on the snow with blood slowly coloring the soft white was the dead [Undead Godknight].

  [You have Slain Undead Godknight Lvl.70]

  [Level Up]

  [Level Up]

  [Level Up…]

  [Feat gained…]

  [Feat Gained…]

  Mana: 120.

  Drowfication slowly bled out from his body. His mottled black skin faded away like smoke churning, carrying shadows with it up from Suna’s skin. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to both knees as a hazy dream began to take him over.

  Not yet,

  Not until he saw what he got. The Status could come later, for now…

  [Rune of Pyre Armor]

  [Skill Rune]

  [Pyreforged Armor][Mystic]—The flame of corpses carries many wishes—one such wish is the grand desire to protect the body of its owner. The Pyre flame hated death; it loathes it. The moment Pyre-flame is harvested from a dead body, it swears an oath to prevent the death of the new body it resides in.

  Death is not a must.

  Formed Armor of Pyreflame befitting the class of Pyre-wielder. Armor shall be created from the Pyre-flame storage the wielder’s body possesses.

  Be warned.

  Pyre-Armor will continue to exist even after being worn.

  This skill was, in a way, a reverse of what the [Godknight] had. The knight could summon weapons, and now Suna could armors. But the weakness stayed the same. Wait, was it a weakness?

  Suna read it again, over and over. He could not help but laugh. Would it keep existing? Could he create as many as he wanted to? Suna had seen the power of the Godknight’s weapon, how they wove flame and the pure destruction it possessed.

  Granted, Suna’s class right now still does not have any Pyre-flame on it. So it might be weaker. But, if he upgraded his class to more flame-centric…

  His vision slackened, and Suna’s cheek pressed against the cold snow. This was good. He could not get a better skill than this. After he woke up, he could theorize on how to build into his next class. He still had two classes waiting for him. The Pyre archer and the Rabbit archer. Both would be considered. For now, he wanted rest.

  “Suna?” Slea’s voice called.

  Suna reached up and called her. “Here!”

  He huffed, closing his eyes. Slea's footsteps neared him; Suna had already crossed into the dream first.

  In his dream, the world was dark. Soft wind fluttered around in this absolute void.

  What is this place?

  Suna saw emberlight glowing in a circle. It showed a tent and a campfire flickering strongly, illuminating a log where someone sat. That figure was armored with knight armor of… dark flame shrouding his figure.

  [Nightfire Bowmaster]