I Became the Dark Knight in the Game - Chapter 20: The Cursed Sword (1)

Chapter 20: The Cursed Sword (1)

You all thought you could kill me just by piercing my head? Arent you looking down on me too much?

Of course, Dale hadnt really expected it to go that far.

After all, he didnt know how much power the device given to him by Balton would wield.

But he had thought that even if it was not a fatal blow, it could still cause serious damage.

That wasnt the case.

The demonic power and the spell of stars flowing within Hasinas body immediately healed the wound.

Her level is higher than I thought. Also, she has excessively invested in defense.

The thought occurred to him that the fight might be more difficult than anticipated.

Receiving no response to her words, Hasina spoke with a disinterested face.

This is becoming annoying.

She pursed her lips. Dale sensed something amiss.

He grabbed Harkin who was just standing dazed there by the nape of his neck and leaped with all his might.

The next moment, purple flames burst forth from Hasinas mouth.

Woosh!

The flames stretched out in a straight line and targeted Dale and Harkin as they retreated.

The flames were fast.

And they seemed about to engulf them any second.

Fortunately, that didnt happen.

A curtain emitting a faint light blocked the approach of the flames.

Hasina pulled out the hand axe embedded in her forehead and murmured,

A minor protective miracle? How trivial.

However, that seemingly trivial minor miracle bought Dale and Harkin time to escape.

Harkin, looking as though he had narrowly escaped death, muttered,

Whats with the fire breathing from her mouth? Does she think shes a dragon or something?

Its a demons spell. More importantly, Esther, are you alright?

The demons flames were fiercer than anticipated, and Esther had to exert a lot of energy to ward them off.

Esther, who was sweating profusely, nodded her head.

For now, yes.

How much longer can you use your miracles?

I can still use healing and blessing miracles to some extent. Anything beyond that will be difficult.

I see.

Harkin and Esther looked at Dale anxiously.

The situation was clearly not good.

Could they really win if they continued to fight?

The problem was that even if they tried to run away, it was unlikely that the demons servant would just let them go.

Dale thought for a moment and then blurted out.

Ill fight alone. You two run away.

What?

Wh-what do you mean!

Dale responded calmly to the bewildered pair.

Didnt I tell you before the mission? That Id at least keep you from dying. Im just keeping my promise.

But, still

Besides, you two are of no help in fighting against that minion. In fact, if you linger around, youll only be a hindrance.

Dale had been mindful of Esther and Harkins positions until now, but he wanted to focus entirely on Hasina.

He wished to draw out all his abilities in this fight.

Esther wore a look of surprise and tried to persuade Dale.

However, Harkin was quicker to assess the situation. He grabbed Esthers arm and pulled her back.

Lets go.

But!

Were just getting in the way. You know that.

Esther was conflicted for a moment but she nodded in agreement.

The two quietly retreated. And Esther just bowed her head to Dale without saying a word.

Dale nonchalantly waved his hand in response.

When the two disappeared, Hasina, who was watching with interest, asked.

Sacrificing yourself for your companions, huh? Are you really an undead? You feel quite different from the undead I know.

I just got rid of nuisances.

Dale, armed with his warhammer, took his stance. When she saw that, Hasina burst out laughing.

Hahaha! You think you can win alone when even three of you couldnt defeat me? Quite the joker for an undead, arent you?

Hasina was remarkably unfazed. She carried herself as though she had already won.

Dale felt a twinge of irritation.

More than anything, her recurring reference to him as an undead was grating on his nerves.

So Dale kicked off the ground and swung his warhammer.

Take that!

Hasinas tentacles surged toward Dale from three directions.

Dale read their trajectory. They were almost flawlessly executed. Thus, he decided to create an opening.

Like a baseball player swinging a bat, he twisted his waist and swung the warhammer with all his might.

Boom!

The warhammer collided with two of the tentacles, producing a dull sound. A couple of scales attached to the tentacles fell to the ground.

The impacted tentacles stiffened. Dale seized this opening to thrust his warhammer forward.

The pointed end of the warhammer, like a spear, embedded itself in Hasinas chest.

Kyaaah! You!

Hasina screamed and immediately tried to counterattack. But by then, Dale had already retreated to a safe distance.

Hasina was furious and rushed at Dale.

Her six tentacles writhed as she moved at a remarkably swift pace.

Dale pondered his next move. He then made a decision: to use the space around him to his advantage.

Dale began to circle widely within the square room.

Hasina used the suckers on her tentacles to cling to the walls and ceiling as she chase after Dale.

The distance between them precariously narrowed and widened in turn.

And each time they got close, Dales warhammer repeatedly swung into action.

After repeatedly taking hits from the heavy metal, Hasina exclaimed.

You damned cur! Youre a knight, arent you? If you have any honor, stop running and face me directly!

I dont have honor.

As he ran, Dale kicked off the wall and, twisting his body, delivered a powerful kick to Hasinas chest.

The full force and weight of his metal boots made Hasina shudder.

Though she tried to retaliate, Dale had already widened the gap between them again.

Through their repeated exchanges, the two gained a better understanding of each other.

For starters, Hasina had to admit that Dale fighting alone against her wasnt just a sacrifice.

His movements are completely different now.

They differed from when he was concerned about Harkin and Esther.

The Dale of the moment was ruthless, pursuing victory without regard for means or methods.

His movements were like those of a machine that was built solely for battle.

On the other hand, Dale was becoming increasingly familiar with Hasinas fighting style. And he started to read her movements.

Good physique, but her skills are not very good. Poor sense of distance. Is this because shes essentially a mage?

Dale gripped his warhammer more firmly. Hasina certainly possessed monstrous strength and healing abilities.

However, this did not mean she was invincible.

If I keep hitting her until she dies, shell eventually die.

It was bound to be a long and frustrating task. But Dale had seemingly endless stamina.

He could manage it, as long as things stayed this way.

If things stayed this way, that is.

Just then, Hasina brushed her hair back with her hand.

Really, youre so annoying. Ill admit it. Im terrible with physical combat.

All mages are.

Ill admit that too. So, I guess Ill have to get a bit more crude.

After saying that, Hasina took a deep breath.

Then her body began to inflate like a balloon.

Hasinas grotesque form rapidly swelled up in size and started to fill the room. Her strategy was simple.

Engulf the entire room with her body and crush Dale in the process.

A straightforward yet difficult-to-counter tactic.

Is she still hiding her remaining power?

A plan was needed.

The exit was already blocked. Dale had to puncture her balloon-like body quickly.

Dale swung his warhammer, but it was futile.

Instead, he ended up losing grip of the warhammer as it stuck to a sucker.

As Hasinas tentacles wrapped around the warhammer, the metal easily bent.

This is bad.

The longsword and warhammer were broken, and the hand axe was nowhere to be seen.

Fighting this monster barehanded? Impossible.

I need something sharp.

Dale looked around and then he found it.

A black longsword stuck right in the center of the altar.

Interestingly enough, it was the same object Hasina had been fiddling with when Dale first entered this place.

His hesitation was brief.

Dale lunged toward the sword almost immediately.

Hasina, who realized Dales intention, laughed.

Ha! Do you even know what that is before you touch it?

What is it?

Youve probably heard of the sword made by the faithless dwarven kingdom that rejects all divinity and miracles, right?

Dale wore a skeptical expression. He had never heard of such a thing.

But he did recall hearing something about the faithless dwarven kingdom recently

Convinced of her imminent victory, Hasina decided to impart a sense of despair upon Dale.

She explained with a mocking tone.

The Blasphemer is a sword that can only be wielded by a faithless person without a shred of devotion in their heart! Or should it be called a cursed sword? Its not meant for an undead who serves the goddess of night like you!

Dale grabbed the handle of the longsword. He forcefully pulled the sword that was embedded in the altar.

Named the Blasphemer, this cursed sword was entirely black, from blade to handle.

Its color was not like ink spilled on paper but more akin to a cold gleaming obsidian.

The cross-guard protruded prominently above the handle and it was wrapped in an unknown leather.

The blade stretched out straight and ended at a sharp point.

And on that blade, white letters in an unknown script were engraved.

Dales attention was completely captured by the sword.

He might not have known whether it was a cursed sword or something else, but he knew one thing for sure.

It was a masterpiece of a sword.

Dale firmly gripped the sword.

For a longsword, it was slightly longer and heavier than usual. However, this posed no issue for Dale at all.

Hasina, sensing something amiss, rolled her eyes in wonder.

Are you not affected by touching the sword? Could the legend be false? Thats impossible. When I touched it, it was certainly

Dale wanted to test out this newly acquired sword.

Fortunately, there was a suitable target nearby.

He lightly swung the sword towards one of Hasinas huge tentacles.

Swish!

The tentacle was sliced off effortlessly. The sword was astonishingly sharp.

Kyaaak!

Hasina screamed as blood gushed from the wound.

She immediately tried to regenerate it.

If she were to use the demonic power flowing through her body, combined with the spell of the stars flowing within her body, her wounds would heal instantly.

At least she believed so.

But her belief was shattered. The wound did not heal.

With unsteady eyes, Hasina gazed at Dale.

Youve summoned the power of the Blasphemer? Impossible. Only unbelievers can wield such power

Dale responded indifferently.

Then half the people in my country can wield it.

What? What are you talking about!

Hmm.

Dale considered explaining further but then decided against it.

It was simply too bothersome.

Instead, he swung his sword again.

Hasinas tentacles were severed with ease.

Without her regenerative power, Hasina was now nothing more than an overly large and weak prey.

Ah! Aaah!

As she screamed, Hasinas eyes fiercely changed.

The madly screaming Hasina sensed her defeat. But her pride wouldnt allow her to succumb so easily.

If its come to this, Ill take you down with me!

Hasina summoned all her remaining strength into her mouth.

She braced herself for mutual destruction.

Waves of flame poured out from her pursed mouth. A cascade of violet fire.

Dale calmly observed the incoming flames.

He knew that a direct hit would melt his armor and his entire body.

Yet, even in such a moment, his heart, which had ceased beating, did not flutter.

There was no fear.

Dale gripped his longsword, his gaze fixed beyond the flames on Hasina. He kicked the ground, and his hefty body soared into the air.

The flames got closer and the heat heated up his armor.

Dale struck down with his sword towards the flames. As the sword met the fire, the flames that raged like a fierce storm split in half as if it were all a lie.

As the flames cleared, Hasinas face became visible, filled with panic and fear.

It was a stark contrast to her usually arrogant demeanor.

Much better to look at.

Dale felt satisfied to see that.

Then, without giving Hasina a chance to say anything, he swiftly brought down his raised longsword like a bolt of lightning.

Swoosh!

Hasinas head split precisely in two, and the uncontrollable flames swirled violently around the place.