After leaving the Grey Shamblers behind, Kael moved quickly through the castle corridors until he arrived at another massive archway.
The moment he stepped through it, his footsteps slowed.
Before him stood a Great Hall.
The chamber was enormous, easily rivaling a cathedral in size. Massive vaulted ceilings stretched high overhead, disappearing into shadows. Long banquet tables ran almost the entire length of the room, still arranged as if a feast had been interrupted moments ago rather than centuries.
Dust coated every surface.
Petrified food remained on tarnished plates, frozen in various stages of decay. Chairs sat pushed back at odd angles around the tables, creating the unsettling impression that everyone had simply stood up in the middle of their meal and vanished.
Kael remained at the entrance for several seconds, silently studying the room.
Then he noticed movement.
Without hesitation, he activated Absolute Verdict.
Information immediately appeared before him.
---
[Slothbound Knight]
Former castle guards abandoned but never forgot their duty, defending their post out of residual instinct.
Level: 36
HP: 9,000
Abilities:
Petrified Swing — A slow, telegraphed overhead strike that deals massive damage if it lands (x2.5 multiplier).
Rust Guard — Passive 20% physical damage reduction.
Leaden Step — When a Slothbound Knight takes more than 200 damage within 5 seconds, it enters a brief frenzy, increasing AGI by 50% for 8 seconds before slowing again.
Curse Aura — Standing within 2 meters for more than 6 seconds adds 1 stack of Drowsiness.
---
Kael’s gaze swept across the four armored figures patrolling the hall.
Each moved with slow, deliberate steps.
They looked ancient.
Their armor was rusted and their movements stiff.
Yet Kael wasn’t foolish enough to underestimate them.
A level thirty-six monster was not something to take lightly.
His attention shifted elsewhere.
There were other creatures lurking within the hall.
Again, he activated Absolute Verdict.
---
[Sloth Hound]
Mutated guard hound.
Level: 30
HP: 5,000
Abilities:
Still-Hunter — Completely ignores stationary targets. Locks onto moving targets exclusively.
Pounce — Gap-closer. 8-meter lunge that knocks targets prone for 2 seconds.
Pack Drag — If two or more hounds attack the same target, one will attempt to drag the target to the ground, immobilizing them for 4 seconds.
---
Three of them.
Large.
Lean.
Their bodies resembled dogs stretched beyond natural proportions.
Their eyes glowed faintly within the shadows.
Kael sighed.
"Great."
The Grey Shamblers had at least been slow enough to ignore.
These weren’t.
If he tried running past them, they would simply chase him through the hall.
Which meant there was only one option.
Fight.
"Let’s get this over with."
He stepped into the hall.
Immediately a notification appeared.
---
[You’ve entered the Great Hall.]
---
Kael barely had time to read it as the hall suddenly brightened.
The dusty chamber vanished.
In its place appeared a magnificent feast.
Hundreds of guests sat around the tables laughing and drinking. Music filled the air. Golden chandeliers illuminated the room. Fresh food covered every surface.
The scene felt real.
Dangerously real.
For a brief moment, Kael almost believed it.
Then the illusion shattered.
The feast vanished.
The decayed hall returned.
Another notification appeared.
---
[You have resisted Feast Mirage.]
---
Kael didn’t even get a chance to process what had happened.
Movement flashed in his peripheral vision.
One of the Slothbound Knights had somehow closed the distance during the illusion.
Its rusted greatsword was already descending.
Kael’s instincts screamed.
He rolled aside.
Boom!
The sword crashed into the stone floor with tremendous force, scattering debris in every direction.
Before the knight could recover, Kael surged forward.
A dagger appeared in his hand.
Rather than targeting the heavily armored torso, he went for the exposed gap around the knee joint.
The blade plunged deep.
The Slothbound Knight released a low growl as its leg buckled slightly.
Kael immediately retreated.
Not because he wanted to.
Because another knight was already attacking.
A blade swept through the space his head had occupied moments earlier.
Kael twisted his body and slipped past the strike.
Then he drove his shoulder forward.
Boom!
The impact slammed into the knight’s chest.
The armored figure flew backward and crashed into a banquet table.
Wood exploded apart.
Petrified food scattered across the floor.
Unfortunately, Kael still wasn’t free.
The movement had drawn the attention of the Sloth Hounds.
The three beasts immediately charged.
Their claws scraped against stone as they rushed toward him with frightening speed.
Kael dismissed the dagger and the next moment two short swords materialized in his hands.
Just then a hound lunged.
Its jaws snapped shut inches from his face.
Kael shifted sideways.
The beast sailed past him.
In the same motion, he slashed low.
One blade sliced across its hind leg.
The hound yelped in pain.
But Kael never stopped moving.
Standing still against enemies like these was suicide.
The first knight had already recovered.
Its massive sword descended once more.
Kael sidestepped.
One blade sliced across the knight’s arm.
The other thrust forward toward a returning hound.
The creature was struck squarely in the shoulder and sent tumbling across the floor.
A growl escaped Kael’s lips.
His focus had reached its peak.
Every movement.
Every attack.
Every opponent.
He tracked all of it simultaneously.
Another knight approached from the side.
This one managed to get closer than the others.
Unfortunately for it, Kael noticed.
His sword flashed.
A heavy impact rang through the hall.
The knight staggered as a large dent appeared in its breastplate.
Before it could regain balance, Kael had already shifted targets again.
One of the hounds was sneaking around behind him attempting to immobilize him.
Too bad for it.
Kael spun around instantly.
His sword thrust forward.
The blade pierced through the hound’s skull.
The creature froze.
Then collapsed.
Dead.
A notification immediately appeared.
---
[You have killed a Level 30 Sloth Hound.]
[Experience Gained.]
---
Before Kael could dismiss it, another notification appeared.
---
[Would you like to use acquired experience immediately or store it until the instance is cleared?]
[Yes / No]
[Note: The choice made now will remain active for the duration of the instance.]
---
[AN_ Hello everyone, it’s your author here!
Firstly, I want to take a moment to thank all of you who have been reading and supporting my book. Your continued support means the world to me.
Also, please don’t forget to drop a comment and leave a review. Your feedback really helps me improve the story.
While I’m here, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Kael’s current fighting style. Would you prefer him to continue using multiple weapons at once in battle, or would you rather he specialize in a single weapon? Let me know your preference in the comments!]