A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

Bray sat down and lightly flicked his sword a few times.

"Hey, I don't even bleed when I flick you... You're really not sharp." "This should be the bottom level."

“This door is badly rotten; let’s pry it open with some force.”

Two adventurers exploring the ruins, after many twists and turns, finally found the last part of the ruins.

The two adventurers were excited, already imagining the generous rewards they would receive once they went up there.

They have been exploring until now, and not a single person has been killed.

There is absolutely no need to worry.

Without much effort, the two adventurers pried the door open with a "whoosh".

Fortunately, the two were B-rank adventurers, so breaking down the iron gate wasn't too difficult for them.

Well, of course, a perfectly crafted door wouldn't be so easy for two people to pry open.

The stones around the iron gate were almost weathered, and the gate itself looked dilapidated.

"Hey!" The two adventurers gave each other a high five.

Then the sound of armor moving rang out.

Along with this came the sharp sound of metal rubbing against the ground.

The sound of synchronized footsteps came from behind the pried-open door.

Cold sweat trickled down the foreheads of the two B-rank adventurers.

But the two quickly calmed down.

They're B-rank adventurers, after all. If they encounter terrible danger, can't they just run away?

Advancing an adventurer's rank comes at the cost of countless experiences that teeter on the brink of life and death.

"Shoot-"

Then blood splattered everywhere.

Throughout the entire ruins, the stripes on every stone brick shone brightly.

---

Feeling dazed and confused, Bray felt a heavy head.

"..." Bray got up.

Bray frowned, not understanding what had just happened.

The surroundings are now very dark; the once brightly lit ruins seem as if all the lights have been suddenly extinguished.

"No...this place...is unfamiliar..."

It's not where it was originally located.

Nisha and Virginia were having a great time chatting.

But suddenly Bray lost consciousness.

Before falling into a coma... it seemed that all the stone brick textures were glowing.

I woke up to find myself in this inexplicable place.

"What kind of drug did they give me?" A strange thought flashed through Bray's mind.

Thinking this, Bray slowly made his way forward in the dark, and then the sound of his footsteps echoed.

"It seems to be a very empty place."

Bray squinted and realized that all he could see around him were pillars.

With his ear pressed to the floor, Bray tried to find a place where people were.

The sounds coming from the other side were chaotic, but there was no doubt that there were still people in this godforsaken place.

The cold floor, the cold pillars, everything around exuded a chill that sent shivers down one's spine.

Suddenly, Bray's pupils contracted—

There was also a bloody smell.

It smelled just like the intense stench that filled the fortress when countless people died there last time.

Bray touched his left eye patch and exhaled.

It seems I've gotten myself into some serious trouble again.

However, staying still isn't an option; the only thing we can do is keep moving forward.

Standing still does nothing to improve the current situation.

Calming himself down, Bray gripped the broken sword behind him tightly.

Even if it's a "final battle" where nothing is bloody, holding a weapon will give people a slight sense of security.

"What the hell..." Something tripped him up, and Bray fell down.

His chin slammed hard against the hard stone floor, and Bray cried out in pain.

"What tripped me up...?"

After Bray saw it clearly, his expression became even more serious.

It's a corpse.

The adventurer, cleanly cleaved in two from head to toe, fell in front of Bray.

The scene, which was inappropriate for children, made Bray feel nauseous.

The overwhelming stench of blood made Bray's heart sink.

As expected, absolutely safe ruins do not exist.

However, since he's here now, Bray has already prepared for the worst.

Bray knew his own strength; it wouldn't be surprising if he were killed by something powerful at some point.

However, Bray was not happy about dying under mysterious circumstances.

As Bray advanced, the surroundings finally began to brighten.

After Bray advanced a certain distance—

Suddenly, the surroundings lit up.

The sudden brightness made Bray squint, feeling a little uncomfortable.

Streaks of azure flames hung around each pillar, illuminating the entire area.

The flames were not close to the ground, but hung high overhead.

But the flames did not bring any warmth to the environment.

Bray surveyed his surroundings; it was a place that resembled an arena.

At the same time, Bray also heard screams.

The incessant screams were irritating to the scalp.

The screams, whether from men or women, made Bray gasp for breath.

"Snapped--"

The severed corpse flew directly towards Bray, splattering blood all over his face, and the immense impact knocked Bray to the ground.

Even Bray was so frightened that his face turned ashen.

He pushed away the corpse that was pressing down on him and took a breath.

After catching his breath, Bray finally saw what was happening around him and even saw familiar faces.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!" Virginia cried, her face streaked with tears, curled up behind Blanche.

The trembling girl looked as pitiful as a frightened little animal.

However, even Blanche's expression wasn't much better; fear filled her little face.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!! Go back!!! I want to go back!!!" Virginia's terrified voice reached Blanche's ears.

"Young Miss, everything will be alright..." Blanche said, but she herself didn't have confidence.

The only hope they could place lay in Nisa, who directed the adventurers' struggles.

What terrified everyone present was a large group of people dressed in black armor, each wielding a knight's greatsword in one hand and a tower shield in the other.

"Knight Princess" Nisa is now the backbone of all adventurers.

Nisa, whose strength rivals that of an A-rank adventurer, is everyone's support.

"Prepare a powerful spell!!!" Nisha's voice rang out.

Magic circles lit up all around.

The chants echoed through the arena, like an epic poem.

"Forward, block it!!!!"

"Hahhhhh!!!" A group of strong adventurers stood in front, raising their weapons.

Meanwhile, the black-armored knights on the opposite side also launched a charge.

Twenty black-armored knights launched an attack on at least two hundred adventurers.

There are quite a few B-rank and C-rank adventurers among them.

Normally, such adventurers, banded together, would not be afraid of even a regular army of ten thousand.

However, there was no sign of relief on the faces of these adventurers.

Instead, it was filled with fear.

The adventurer managed to suppress his fear.

Any fear would cause this makeshift front to collapse.

"Shoot-"

The black-armored knights moved as precisely as if one person were swinging a sword, raising the sword simultaneously and lowering it at the same moment.

A truly perfect order of knights!

But no one was in the mood to appreciate such synchronized movements.

In that brief exchange just now, at least twenty adventurers were killed instantly.

Severed limbs were scattered all over the ground, and weapons that had lost their owners were lying on the ground, making a "clanging" sound.

Such voices are amplified infinitely in the arena.

"Aaaaaaaahh ...

And Blanche is trembling constantly.

"It'll be alright, Miss! It'll be alright!!!! Miss!!" Blanche's voice grew louder and louder, it was unclear whether she was trying to encourage Virginia or herself.

Blanche, her delicate body trembling, hugged Virginia tightly.

"No matter what happens, I will never let you get hurt!!!"

Virginia was crying so hard she couldn't speak, and her breath seemed to stop.

Blanche's strength is at most that of a B-rank adventurer, while Virginia is probably at the level of a C-rank adventurer.

However, the two of them were far from having the mental fortitude of adventurers, so all they could do was hide in the back row, filled with fear.

The situation on the scene was utterly baffling to Bray.

What are those black-armored knights? I don't know.

Why are all the people here? I don't know.

The only thing that is known is—

Things are bad.

"Eee ...