Chapter Sixty: Challenging Dark

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“What? You want to see Commander Dark?” Lin He was clearly surprised.

I nodded, replying, “Yes. There are some things I wish to say to him. I hope he can improve your current situation.”

“All right, come with me!” Lin He didn’t hesitate before agreeing. Perhaps he too was weary of this life among the rebels.

The camp of the Golden Knights was enormous. Watching squad after squad of cavalry pass by made my heart tremble with fear. These NPCs alone must number in the tens of thousands—if players were to attack this place, who knows how many would die before they could level it? Maybe even if every player in Hurricane City died three times over, they still wouldn’t be able to conquer the Golden Knights.

The commander’s tent was vast, guarded outside by Golden Knights whose levels I couldn’t even see—judging by their aura, they were at least level 37. Even facing one of these knights alone would be a challenge for me. Who knew what level the boss inside—the commander Dark—would be?

Lin He lifted the tent flap and turned to me. “Go in, I’ve already had someone announce you.”

I nodded and stepped inside. The sight before me was a fully armored general, his gleaming armor a mix of deep blue and white, a golden sword at his waist shining with dazzling light—clearly a weapon of legendary attributes!

“You’re looking for me?” Dark’s presence was commanding without anger; his sharply defined features radiated strength. In his youth, he must have been strikingly handsome. Time had carved lines of resolution into his face, and his tiger-like eyes shone with unwavering spirit, confidence, and sincerity—so bright, so clear.

I answered, “Yes, I come at the request of Captain Roger.”

“Roger? He hasn’t been wiped out by the Undead Legion yet?” Dark sneered with a hint of disdain.

“No. I’m here in hopes of obtaining a token from you, that it might resolve the rift between you and the king. After all, the Golden Knights were once the empire’s foremost battle legion. Now, with the undead’s power ever encroaching upon human lands, the kingdom needs the might of the Golden Knights!”

Dark laughed, self-mockingly. “Ha! When they need me, they send a nobody to persuade me? Has the old man Carvin finally lost his mind? Does he take me for a fool?”

I thought for a moment, then said resolutely, “Commander, I’ve heard some of what happened between you and the old king. I don’t think it’s an irreconcilable matter. The fate of the kingdom’s people rests in your hands and the king’s. If the Golden Knights return to the royal army, the fight against the undead will be secure…”

Dark abruptly cut me off. “Carvin, for his own gain, sent his daughter to the Plaguelands—a forsaken, lifeless place. Misha, all alone in a graveyard—can you imagine what that feels like? Despair! I braved the loss of a hundred Golden Knights to storm the manor, but Misha was gone. She must have perished… Damn those undead!”

Dark clenched his fists, his gaze fierce.

I quickly replied, “Commander, I think you’re mistaken—Princess Misha… she isn’t dead!”

“What? Misha… she’s alive?” For a moment, hope flickered across Dark’s face, almost extinguishing his despair.

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“That’s right. At the request of Master Healer Lance, I found the herbs in the mountains to cure Princess Misha’s plague. Later, I found her in the Plague Cemetery and have already brought her back safely to the kingdom.”

Dark’s grief turned to joy; he laughed heartily. “Ha! That old fox Lance! So he’s still alive? He saved Misha, he really saved her!”

Suddenly, Dark stopped laughing. He drew his sword, pointing it at me with a thunderous voice: “Trying to trick me so easily? I searched that entire cemetery with over a thousand soldiers, and not even a shadow of Princess Misha was found. The court mage who accompanied us didn’t detect a single trace of life. Misha is dead!”

I was startled and hurried to explain, “That’s because her soul had already been extracted by an undead warlock’s dark spirit magic. Her body was hidden in the manor’s basement, so the mage couldn’t sense her presence. I found her in the basement and brought her back to the palace.”

Dark’s anger eased slightly, but he still eyed me warily. “And you expect me to believe you could rescue the princess from so many undead?”

“How would you like me to prove I have that strength?”

Dark smirked and pointed to his greatsword. “If you can survive ten seconds under this blade, I’ll believe you.”

“How arrogant,” I thought with a wry smile, but I straightened my face and said, “Let’s begin.”

System prompt: Accept Dark’s trial—if the player survives ten seconds, the test is passed.

Time remaining: 10 seconds!
Time remaining: 9 seconds!
…

At the count of seven seconds, Dark moved. His longsword flashed like lightning, and in the next instant, my body was sent flying. The system message filled me with despair!

You suffered Dark’s fatal strike, losing 1420 health!

Damn, one sword left me with only 110 health. This is insane!

I quickly fumbled in my bag for the only large healing potion, gulped it down, and instantly regained 800 health. That brought me back to 910, but before I could celebrate, Dark’s next sword slashed down—another 670 health gone! My health bar was now at a mere 240.

This was insane—Dark’s attacks were just too fast!

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Frost blossoms swiftly gathered on my sword. As Dark swung his second attack, I finally unleashed my Frozen Slash—casting it immediately. Dark was ferocious enough to make one fear for their life, but even he was frozen on the spot by my strike!

Most players, in this situation, would seize the chance to land a few hits on Dark. But I was a master—no, a master among masters! Such low tricks were beneath me.

After 0.01 seconds, I unleashed a long-lost ultimate technique known in the martial world as—

Running for my life!

I dashed out of the tent at full speed, not daring to look back. The sharp wind in my ears told me Dark had already broken free of the ice and was hot on my heels!

The system continued to prompt:

Time remaining: 3 seconds!
Time remaining: 2 seconds!
…

In the final second, Dark’s blade struck my back. At the same moment, the eight-second potion cooldown ended. I quickly pulled out a medium potion and used it. The battle log appeared clearly before my eyes:

You used a Healing Potion (Medium), restoring 485 health!
You were struck by Dark, losing 710 health!

My body felt light, almost floating…

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