Chapter 75: Order of the Ashen Dragon Knights [1]

The Elite Undead Knight’s sword descended again.

BOOOOOOM!!!!

The second patrol knight split apart from shoulder to waist while black energy burst violently across the ruined entrance. Before the broken corpse even touched the floor, the summon rotated its massive blade sideways and crushed another undead directly through the chest.

CRACK!!!

Zich watched quietly while the Elite Undead Knight advanced through the collapsing patrol line without slowing down even once. Every movement looked efficient and direct.

Varok’s eyes narrowed slightly while observing the summon fight. "It fights differently from ordinary undead," he muttered. "Too disciplined."

The giant Velhari grunted while smashing aside another weakened patrol knight.

"At this point we barely need to swing our weapons anymore."

Honestly, nobody argued with that statement.

The Elite Undead Knight had practically taken over the frontline alone. Every undead patrol rushing through the broken hallways got intercepted before reaching the group properly.

Even Jayden slowly lowered his sword after realizing he could barely find openings to attack anymore.

This was a good thing, but it also made them uneasy because now, if the monsters were to drop treasures, no one would be able to argue with Zich, and the latter could simply hoard everything to himself if he wanted.

The group moved quickly through the ruined castle corridors in silence.

Broken torches lined the stone walls while faded knight banners hung from cracked pillars overhead. Black mist drifted through the halls continuously, but every time undead figures appeared ahead, the Elite Undead Knight simply erased them before they reached the others.

BOOOOM!!!

Another sword swing crushed two skeletal guards directly into the wall.

One corpse embedded halfway into the stone while the second exploded apart completely from the impact alone. The Elite Undead Knight never paused after killing.

It simply kept advancing, like a machine programmed for the sole purpose of slaughter!

Zich quietly opened the summon panel while walking behind it.

[Elite Undead Knight — Lv.1]

[Rank: Elite]

[Type: Undead Commander]

[Details: An experienced undead knight created from the fusion of undead knight spirits and the Knight Captain’s spirit. It carries battlefield command traits and specializes in direct combat, pressure, and formation disruption.]

[Skills:]

[Crimson Charge Lv.1 — Temporarily boosts movement speed by 70% for five seconds.]

[Black Cleave Lv.1 — Releases destructive sword force capable of damaging multiple targets.]

[Commander’s Pressure Lv.1 — Weak undead targets suffer fear and lowered movement speed.]

[Summoning Cost: 35 Mana]

[Maintenance Cost: 4 Mana per second]

’Very balanced.’

The summon already possessed battlefield suppression abilities despite only being Level One. More importantly, unlike Blood Leech or Slimy, this thing naturally excelled in direct combat.

It was more experienced. In fact, Zich believed it retained the collective experience of all the knights, making it a battle veteran, hence why it was able to easily obliterate all those who stood in its path.

Another group of undead rushed from a side hallway. Nearly eight this time.

The Elite Undead Knight lowered its body slightly before crimson lines suddenly ignited beneath the armor joints.

CRIMSON CHARGE!

BOOOOOOM!!!!

The summon vanished forward almost too quickly for the weaker patrol knights to react. Its black sword carved through the hallway sideways while violent force tore apart armor and stone simultaneously.

CRAAAAACK!!!

Three undead exploded instantly. The remaining patrols staggered backward under the pressure wave before Black Cleave followed immediately afterward. Dark energy burst outward from the sword edge and tore through the corridor nearly twelve meters ahead.

Everything inside that path collapsed.

The giant Velhari’s expression darkened further while watching.

"This thing is ridiculous," he muttered under his breath, trying to mentally compare himself to the summon.

Zich ignored the compliment completely.

Instead, his attention was fixed on the floating notifications appearing nonstop before his vision. Spirit orbs continuously entered his body while experience surged upward at absurd speed because of the summon’s nonstop slaughter.

[Ding! You have leveled up]

[Ding! You have leveled up]

[Ding! You have leveled up]

[Ding! Your summoned undead knight has leveled up]

Three levels in barely several minutes!

Even Zich felt slightly stunned after seeing the speed of progression. The sheer density of undead roaming this place combined with the Elite Undead Knight’s destructive efficiency created perfect leveling conditions.

By now, the summon had already slaughtered thirty five monsters.

Most died before the others could even properly react.

The shorter Velhari finally spoke while staring ahead quietly.

"At this point, we are escorts instead of fighters."

"I hate agreeing with you, but the monster is doing all the work." The giant Velhari snorted loudly.

Varok remained silent for several seconds longer before finally looking toward Zich again. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again.

The Velhari had an idea of how Zich’s summons worked, but it was something he did not have a good grasp on, so he simply let it be.

Moreover, he doubted the shameless kid would reveal his secret.

One thing he was certain of though was that Zich was not scared of showing off his summons.

Indeed, he was right. Zich had already planned on selling summons in the marketplace and keeping one for personal use.

Some time later, another hallway opened ahead of them after a while of hunting.

Unlike the narrow stone corridors earlier, this chamber stretched enormously wide. Tall pillars lined both sides while massive banners hung from the upper galleries overhead.

Every banner carried the same symbol.

A silver dragon wrapped around a black sword.

Zich’s footsteps slowed slightly, his gaze snapping toward the banner.

The Elite Undead Knight also stopped advancing for the first time since entering the castle halls. Crimson light flickered faintly beneath its visor while it stared toward the surrounding banners silently.

The atmosphere here felt different. There were no patrol knights. No black mist moved through the chamber. Only silence filled the enormous hall.

Several ancient banners hung torn from the upper galleries while old symbols decorated the cracked walls surrounding them.

Zich’s gaze slowly moved toward the largest banner hanging above the central staircase.

Words had been embroidered beneath the dragon crest.

[Order of the Ashen Dragon Knights]

His pupils narrowed slightly.

"The what?"

It was the first time he had ever heard a name like that.

On the forum, nothing mentioned dragon knight orders existing inside Layer One. Most players treated the first layer as a ruined beginner region filled with monsters and forgotten structures.

For a knight order, which was usually associated with a kingdom, it could only mean one thing...

At that moment, Zich was disrupted from his line of thought as Helen suddenly stepped forward while staring upward toward the banners with bright eyes.

"I know this name," she said, forcing everyone to turn toward her.

Even Jayden looked slightly surprised after hearing that reaction. He did not doubt Helen one bit as she was someone who came from a strong lineage of players who had explored the Ascension Mountain for decades.

"You’ve heard of them before?" asked Varok, his tone laced with curiosity.

Helen nodded immediately as she proceeded to speak.

"My mother mentioned them once during a relic discussion," she explained while walking slowly beneath the hanging banners. "The Ashen Dragon Knights were supposedly one of the original dwellers of Layer One before everything collapsed."

"Wait." Zich froze completely the moment he heard that. "There were actual dwellers here?"

***

Guys I’m still waiting for you guys to provide a name for the Knight