Ark Undead

That was a true knight officially recognized by Kazimierz.

Although there is still a significant gap between competitive knights and battle knights, the best competitive knights, and the record for the fastest victory set by one of them in the Major, remain unbroken to this day.

"However, before that."

Yato nodded, then looked up and called out.

"Melantha, step forward!"

The little purple cat was still hiding behind its friend, secretly observing its teacher.

Upon hearing Instructor Nightblade's shout, Melantha's ears perked up, and she looked completely bewildered.

"what?!"

"Melantha, step forward!"

Instructor Nightblade shouted again, which finally brought Melantha back to her senses.

"Ah! Here!"

Melantha had no choice but to pick up her straight knife, take a step forward, and step over Katie beside her.

Everyone waited quietly for Instructor Yato, wondering what he wanted to do.

Only Katie, Andrejel, and Ansel, who were in the same squad, probably understood what was going to happen next.

Yato looked at Melantha, a smirk playing on his lips, and then spoke.

"As the disciple of the Undead, Melantha, I have a task for you."

"Huh?! Ah! Okay!"

Melantha's face flushed crimson, and she gripped the straight knife in her right hand tightly.

The fact that Instructor Nightblade revealed Melantha's relationship with the Undead at this moment made Melantha feel extremely ashamed.

Well, it wasn't exactly a shameful relationship to begin with. But having it said in front of so many of her companions made Melantha want to find a place to hide away!

But the other members of the team, apart from the A4 Operation Reserve Group, were unaware of this information.

Many of them knew that the Undead had a disciple in Qazimir, a blond Kuranta.

But he never imagined that the knight's disciple was right beside him, and that she was this very diligent little girl from the Felin tribe.

Instantly, all eyes were on Melantha.

Katie unconsciously revealed a strange smile, Ansel seemed thoughtful, and Andrej and Stewart also huddled together, both of them showing the same strange smile as Katie.

The girl, who was already shy, felt her whole body burning up as she stood in front of everyone.

With her tail curled between her legs, Melantha struggled to lift her head and look at the Nightblade instructor in front of her, ignoring the undead beside her.

Instructor Yato himself hoped that Melantha could overcome her shyness.

Melantha is an excellent girl, that much is undeniable.

Born into a noble family in Victoria, she received an excellent education from a young age, possessed a resilient character, and was also very kind and humble.

But she was a little shy, especially since she was the captain of the A4 preparatory team, which required her to have a certain leadership quality.

Although Melantha's companions all acknowledge her as their captain, it's impossible to go far if it's just about being meticulous.

Today, the instructor, Nightblade, intends to expose Melantha's little secret in front of many of her companions, and he also has a plan to give Melantha a good workout.

"Very good, very energetic!"

Instructor Nightblade patted Melantha on the shoulder with satisfaction, then stepped back, making way for the undead behind him.

"As Mr. Undying's disciple, you should first show everyone what it's like when Mr. Undying teaches you. This way, everyone will know what they should do."

Instructor Yato reached out and asked the operator next to him to bring over the prepared training knives.

The Undead took the training knife, but Melantha in front of him did not.

"Melantha?"

Instructor Nightblade reminded Melantha, but saw her shake her head.

Just as Melantha was about to explain, she heard the voice of the Undead.

"Train with me. Don't hold back."

As the Undead spoke, he put the greatsword behind him aside, then stood five steps away from Melantha, holding a training knife in one hand.

"That's the rule."

Everyone watched as Melantha drew the long sword she always carried from its sheath.

Melantha takes excellent care of the sword. Although it has been used for a year or two and is used for daily slashing practice, Melantha still asks the craftsmen of Rhodes Island to repair it whenever she has free time.

After all, this was a gift from the teacher to him as a student.

On one side are training knives that are too dull to be used properly, and on the other side are sharp, real killing tools.

But Melantha, as the disciple, actually raised the knife in her hand and pointed it at her teacher.

Katie gasped sharply.

"Wow... Xiao Mei doesn't always do this during training, does she?"

"Actually, there are clues to this."

Anderscher nodded and analyzed.

"Even when facing Instructor Yato, or even Miss Franka of Black Steel, the captain was able to raise his weapon and launch an attack. This fighting spirit was probably honed by facing her teacher head-on."

After all, Melantha's sparring partner used to be a War Knight... Could there be an enemy more terrifying than a War Knight?

Instructor Yato stood quietly to the side. She was also very curious about how the Undead had trained a girl who was originally delicate and weak into what she was now.

Moreover, what is most commendable is that although Melantha's swordsmanship is deadly, she does not possess the murderous aura of an executioner.

This matter remains a mystery within the entire instructors' circle. Given Melantha's physique, her fearless fighting style is truly baffling, and Instructor Dobermann even once bluntly stated...

"Without actually killing someone, it's impossible to understand the efficiency and fearlessness of this swordsmanship."

Even Franka, the Blacksteel International Exchange Operator who once considered taking Melantha as her apprentice, praised Melantha's swordsmanship.

Melantha gripped the knife, then sheathed it, holding it loosely to her left side, her upper body slightly lowered.

To be honest, Melantha still found it strange. Although sparring with undead was something she was used to, doing it in front of so many people...

The nervous kitten was stiff all over, too afraid to look up at the teacher in front of it; it felt like...

It's like being caught reading a domineering CEO novel and then being forced to read it aloud in front of so many friends!

To others, Melantha's stance indicated that she was ready to attack.

But the immortal shouted loudly.

"Concentrate!"

Melantha's body trembled, and all the little thoughts that had been swirling in her mind vanished with the Undead's shout.

She suddenly realized that what her teacher wanted to see was a stronger version of herself. How could she present herself properly to her teacher in her current state?

So, the purple kitten relaxed, its eyes gradually became listless, and it officially entered the zone.

His right hand rested lightly on the hilt of the knife on the left, and his legs were slightly bent, ready to unleash a burst of power.

The Undead, seeing Melantha in this state, showed a slight satisfaction hidden under their helmets.

Then, he raised his sword, took two steps forward, and slashed straight down at Melantha's head!

No one realized it, not even Melantha, who almost lost focus.

This was the first time an Undead player had taken the initiative to attack Melantha in a formal sparring match.

This signifies that Melantha's demeanor has been recognized by the undead for the first time. "Ah!"

Katie gasped; she had never seen such a powerful strike. In her eyes, this blow from the Undead was no joke. Even a training knife could smash a person's head in one blow.

Just as the blade made of hard steel was about to press against the deep purple hair, a soft hum of a sword rang out in the arena.

The blade and the steel scabbard sparked brilliantly as Melantha pulled upwards, before she abruptly brought the blade to rest on the undead's blunt blade as it slashed downwards.

The straight blade pulled the Undead's iron blade outwards, slicing past its own side, while Melantha, like a purple shadow, took a step forward from her spot, passing by the Undead like a ghost.

He parried the iron sword in the immortal's hand with the straight sword at his side, then lifted it along the spine of the iron sword, slashing straight down the immortal's arm toward his neck!

However, the Undead were not without a countermeasure. The iron sword that Melantha had deflected was cleverly repositioned in his steel-encased gauntlets, changing his grip from a backhand to a fronthand grip.

His tall frame, however, moved like a swift cheetah. The Undead lowered his head, his upper body contracting downwards, his right hand, gripping the blade in a reverse grip, pulled it across the edge, and his entire body lunged towards Melantha's arms, but in an instant, he took a step forward, charging behind her.

The blade in her right hand and her arm acted like a clamp, seemingly about to strangle Melantha's sword-wielding right hand.

The dark gray body took only one step before flashing behind Melantha again. The right hand holding the knife flipped inward, and the iron knife was placed horizontally near Melantha's neck. Just a little deeper and it would press against the fair skin, drawing out a large amount of blood.

Melantha had already foreseen her perilous situation. She quickly retracted her right arm, held the blade in front of her, and leaned back.

Oh!

Sparks flew, blades clashed, and the metallic hiss of steel filled the air. Melantha stared at the iron blade already held before her, bent over, and took a step forward.

She escaped danger and left the immortals' side like a nimble cat.

The Undead did not pursue. He flicked the sword in his hand, changed his grip from a right hand to a left hand, and swung it horizontally to his side.

The first thing Melantha did after sheathing her sword was to put her straight sword back into its sheath and then cautiously look back at her teacher.

The distance between the two had returned to five steps.

It was only a brief moment, less than five seconds. But in this short encounter, everyone present witnessed a highly valuable close-quarters combat scene.

Whether it was the immense pressure from the immortal, or Melantha's ability to deflect the force, including the two or three clashes between the two, it was all breathtaking.

Even though the immortal was her teacher, Melantha had no intention of holding back.

The Undead stood opposite Melantha and spoke softly.

"very good."

Melantha paused for a moment when she heard the undead speak, then straightened up and lowered her hands from the swords.

"it is good..."

For Melanie, the teacher's praise was the best reward. This resilient and kind girl longed to hear such words.