Starting from Ainz Ooal Gown, simultaneously traveling through time

【Death Knight】.

If we roughly measure it by YGGDRASIL's game level, a standard Death Knight would have an overall strength of around level 35.

It belongs to the same category of "intermediate undead" as the [Night Death Mage] race to which Benjerry belongs.

Although Benjeri's own strength far exceeds that of an ordinary death knight (estimated to be above level 50).

In theory, his magic power is sufficient to support casting spells that create mid-level undead, but he cannot directly "create" a death knight.

The reason lies in the strict "rank" restrictions within the undead race.

Undead of the same rank generally cannot create beings of the same rank as themselves.

Just like the world of dragons.

In the world of Dragon Raja, the first generation of Dragon Kings can create the second generation, but cannot create another first generation.

Only a higher-ranking undead ruler can create more powerful undead.

For example, in the original work, only a "ruler of death" like Ainz Ooal Gown has the authority to "create" mid-level elite units like Death Knights.

Just like the most powerful Black King, only he could create the first generation of dragons, and even the entire dragon race.

If Benjeri can break through racial barriers and ascend to a higher level of undead, he might be able to obtain this power.

But at this moment, this death knight under his command was a "trophy" that he had spent a lot of effort searching for in the wilderness, defeating, and ultimately forcibly enslaving and controlling with his powerful strength.

It is his strongest "shield" and his most powerful weapon for charging into battle.

The Death Knight is characterized by an extremely unbalanced offense and defense.

Its attack power may only be equivalent to a level 25 warrior, but its defense is exceptionally impressive, comparable to a level 40 or higher heavy armor unit.

Even more troublesome is that any living being killed by a Death Knight will be transformed into a zombie controlled by the death aura emanating from him.

The more you kill, the faster the zombie army snowballs.

In theory, a single, unchecked Death Knight is enough to trigger a catastrophic undead attack that sweeps across an entire region.

This is precisely the fundamental reason why it is considered a "legendary" terrifying entity.

"Go and deal with those undead archmages!" Ares roared amidst the chaos, making a swift decision.

"Leave this Death Knight to me!"

He knew that only a strong person like himself, who had stepped into the realm of "heroes," could possibly outmaneuver the Death Knight's attacks with his agility.

And restrain it, preventing it from breaking into the ranks of ordinary soldiers and causing slaughter and terrible transformation.

"Yes, Commander!" the guards responded in unison.

While the prospect of twenty-four dead archmages sounds terrifying, our side possesses formidable weapons and armor, and with our combined strength, we are not without the power to fight back.

With clear division of labor, the battle erupted instantly.

Ares rode his horse to meet the three-meter-tall black giant.

The moment you make contact, an overwhelming pressure hits you.

The Death Knight swung his massive, shadowy Malay sword, which resembled a door panel, down at Ares's head, but Ares raised his sword to parry.

clang--!

The deafening clang of metal against metal was so loud it hurt people's eardrums.

Ares and his horse were thrown back a step by the force of the impact, and his arm went numb.

"Such powerful strength!" he thought with awe.

However, after several encounters, Ares keenly perceived his opponent's limitations.

Although the power is great, the movements are somewhat sluggish and the changes in moves are not quick enough.

He immediately changed tactics, relying on his warhorse and his own agility to begin hit-and-run maneuvers.

What truly made him frown was the opponent's defense.

His Valyrian steel sword, which was specifically designed to counter the undead, only managed to send sparks flying and leave a shallow white mark when it struck the Death Knight's ancient black armor; it was far from penetrating his defenses!

This is a far cry from the previous situation where the skeletal warriors were dealt with as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

"The defense is indeed as good as its reputation... The strength is acceptable, but the agility is lacking." Ares quickly finished his assessment and felt somewhat relieved.

As long as you don't get hit head-on, you have a chance.

"[Martial Arts • Agility Enhancement]!"

"[Martial Arts: Possibility Perception]!"

He gave a low shout, casting a buff on himself, making his figure even more elusive.

Then use the special martial art of [Possibility Perception] to focus on finding the opponent's attack gaps and joint weaknesses.

If we can find its weaknesses, we should be able to inflict even greater damage on it.

Ares managed to stabilize his position, but the situation on the other side was far from optimistic.

Those twenty-four dead archmages were extremely cunning.

They never engaged the charging guards in close combat, always maintaining their distance.

If any cavalry tries to approach, they will either instantly use [Dimensional Teleportation] to move to a different location, or simply use [Flight] to take off and look down from a high vantage point.

Soon, most of the dead archmages flew into the air, like a flock of circling vultures.

"You bastard! Come down here if you dare!"

"Is all you do is hide up there and shoot sneak attacks?!"

"If only we could fly..."

The guards on the ground were furious and cursed, but there was nothing they could do.

Arrows were of little effect on them, and even the sharpest Valyrian steel sword couldn't reach the sky.

Meanwhile, the archmages of the dead in the sky began a relentless barrage of spells.

One after another, [Dark Fireballs] enhanced with negative energy crashed down like meteorites!

"Scatter! Scatter now!"

"Watch out!"

"Ugh—!"

Despite their best efforts to dodge, several guards were still directly hit by the fireball.

The violent explosion sent them and their horses flying, crashing heavily to the ground.

The smoke of battle has cleared.

Fortunately, most of the guards who were hit struggled to their feet again. Although they were covered in dust and their armor was charred, they did not seem to be seriously injured.

"Thanks to the precious armor bestowed upon us by His Majesty!"

"This armor is incredibly sturdy; it actually withstood the test!"

"Your Majesty even anticipated this? Truly..."

The survivors stroked their Valyrian armor, which was slightly dented but otherwise intact, and were filled with admiration for the king's "foresight".

The king, who was in a tense standoff with Benjeri in the air, kept his eyes on the battle below.

Seeing that the guards were being suppressed by aerial fire, he made a decisive decision.

He cast a flight spell on himself, his body lightly rising from the griffin king's back and hovering in the air.

"Griffin King," he pointed below at the Sentinel Legion and the Death Knight, who were locked in a fierce battle, "go and lend them a hand!"

The glory-forged griffin king let out a clear cry, turned around without hesitation, and transformed into a golden lightning bolt, plunging towards the undead army on the ground.

Benjerry witnessed this, and both heads seemed to reveal a playful expression: "Abandoning your mount and guards to face me alone? King of Men, your courage is commendable, but isn't this a bit too presumptuous?"

The king hovered in the air, his magical power surging violently, his voice steady and firm: "Protecting my people is the responsibility of a king. As for whether I have been presumptuous..."

He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and a complex and dazzling crimson magic circle quickly took shape. The surging fire element gathered wildly, and the temperature in the air suddenly soared!

"You will soon learn about—[Sixth-Tier Magic: Flame Storm]!"

Intense light condensed in his hand, as if he were holding a miniature sun.

The battle has entered a new phase.