Ark Undead

Let him be defeated head-on in the place he is most proud of!

"I admit it!"

Shield Bash!

Boom!

The hand gripping the great shield had lost its original purpose; the fingers were now brutally crushed by immense force. If the gauntlets were removed, countless pieces of torn flesh would be visible on the palm.

This time, the hammer-spear knight stumbled back several steps, unable to maintain his balance, and landed hard on his backside.

He gripped his hammer and spear in his right hand, but without making a single swing, he withdrew from the battle.

Now, the hunt has come to an end.

The beast offered up four arms, a pair of eyes, and a hand as a sacrifice to appease its ferocious predator.

They also paid the price for daring to tarnish the honor.

"I swear! I swear I've never seen a battle like this before!!"

Mob was almost out of his mind; it was the first time he had ever witnessed such a breathtaking match.

"The Undying Legend! The Undying Legend has defeated five knights head-on! I swear! This is absolutely the most terrifying match of my commentary career! Five battle-hardened knights! Defeated them in less than five minutes!!"

The audience was silent, with only Mobu's impassioned voice echoing through the stands.

The immortal took a deep breath and raised his right hand.

He used his longsword to cut through the blockade, and his giant shield to break through the obstacles.

Now, the victor's sword is pointed to the sky, ready to pierce the giant web of interests that obscures honor.

One against five!

37. Post-match celebration

"cheers!"

Several cups were raised and clinked together in the air.

Beer and milk splashed up, glanced at each other across the glass, and then quickly returned to their own little ponds.

Maria smiled and raised her milk glass to join the adults in drinking.

This is a bar in the Midtown area, a place Maria frequents.

It's not that Maria would come here to drink. As a child, she's not of legal drinking age.

However, she has several elders with whom she has always had a close relationship who have taken care of her since she was a child.

"Wow! Today's match was absolutely thrilling!"

The old knight, dressed in knight's attire, finished his drink in one gulp, chuckled, and began to comment on today's competition.

"I dare say this is the most exciting and thrilling match in recent years!"

"And it was the match I liked the most!"

A large white bear next to them shook its round ears and chuckled.

"That was fucking awesome! One against five! One against five, that'll slap those business alliances in the face!"

Undoubtedly, they were discussing the first qualifying match of the Kazimierz Knights Grand Tournament, which took place this afternoon at the Howling Arena.

This match immediately made headlines across major news outlets after it ended, becoming the biggest news story of the day.

There will likely be a lot of news surrounding this game in the coming period, and many Cavaliers players will offer their own assessments.

Regardless, today's game was an exhilarating one and a great comfort to the older generation of Cavaliers.

A knight wearing old-fashioned armor defeated five gladiator knights wearing modern armor through his skill, even when he was outnumbered five to one, by launching a direct and forceful attack.

Regardless of how he did it, this victory has been a slap in the face to the commercial league and has saved face for the Knights Association.

"I just can't understand how a sword and shield knight could take on five opponents at once."

The bald old man next to him shook his head; he was still marveling at the match.

"This kind of victory is even more exhilarating than spraying menthol balm into your pants!"

Maria listened to the elders praising the teacher, her eyes almost squinting into slits.

Just a few hours ago, she was in the audience with tears in her eyes, worried sick about her teacher.

"I just can't figure it out! How can a longsword and an iron shield possibly allow one person to take on five opponents?"

The old knight spoke with a wink and an odd tone.

Then, he suddenly realized what he meant and said.

"So it's an immortal legend? Then it's alright."

"Hahaha! You old man."

The white bear grinned and raised the wine glass in its hand.

"Again! Let's drink to our little Maria's teacher, the immortal legend!"

"cheers!"

boom!

The cups collided, splashing water everywhere.

After finishing his drink, the bald old man looked at Zofia next to him.

"Didn't Maria say that the knight might be coming? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

Zofia drank two glasses of wine, then gracefully covered her lips, let out a soft burp, and shook her head.

"I'm not sure, hiccup... um, maybe something came up at the last minute? Like I couldn't come suddenly or something."

Zofia poured herself another glass and placed it on the table, not intending to drink it all at once.

"Indeed, he injured his right shoulder in today's match and needs to get it treated properly."

The old knight nodded, agreeing that the Undead should indeed rest after the game.

Maria coughed softly, too embarrassed to say anything.

Even after the match ended, she dragged Zofia backstage, hoping to find the Undead.

When they found them, the undead also saw them.

Maria rushed forward to examine the Undead's wounds, only to find a gap in his armor on his shoulder, with no other obvious injuries.

Those wounds were miraculously healed by the Immortal the moment they left the arena, so there was no need to wait until they went to the hospital.

In other words, the Undead haven't arrived yet, probably because they've encountered something else.

Speaking of which, when the Undead first started teaching Maria, the Old Knight, the Great White Bear, and Martin, who had watched Maria grow up, also questioned the Undead's strength.

After all, the Undying has not yet received an officially recognized title; it is only a name given spontaneously by fans: the Undying Legend.

But that alone is not enough to demonstrate his true strength.

Before the official confirmation of the account's status, all speculations from the public cannot be considered 100% true.

Even without the death of any player, the chances of winning the championship are already very high.

Then, Zofia dispelled all their doubts with just one sentence.

"Even if my left hand were still intact, I wouldn't be able to guarantee that I could last even half a minute in front of that person."

Zofia rarely praises people, and even when she does, it's usually in a very subtle way.

The number of people who can truly win Zofia's respect can be counted on two hands.

Moreover, after today's game, the veteran Cavaliers and the Big White Bears realized they couldn't achieve a level of zero casualties, so they were naturally completely relieved.

As traditional knights, the group was particularly eager to get to know the silent, retro-style knight.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that in the present day, everyone in Kazimierz wants to get to know the Undead.

Bald Martin sighed.

"What a powerful knight! If it were a few decades ago, he would surely have been able to fight his way out of these scoundrels. If he had appeared ten years earlier, he could have given that Black Knight a run for his money. That would have been an unforgettable match."

While Martin's words were full of praise for the Undead, they now expressed more regret.

Maria tilted her head, still unable to understand Martin's meaning. But the old knight and the polar bear beside her already understood Martin's words.

Their initial joy gradually faded.

"Indeed, if it were him, there is a very high chance that he would suffer consecutive defeats in the following matches."

The old knight also shook his head.

"What a pity."

"Why?!"

Maria held the glass of milk in both hands and asked, puzzled.

"How could a teacher be so capable?"

The polar bear reached out and patted Maria on the head, then glanced at Zofia beside him.

Zofia naturally understood what they meant, so she spoke up to explain to Maria.

"Your teacher became a knight as a competitive knight supported by the company. But no matter what company it is, they are subject to the commercial league. And if an undead wants to participate, they have to rely on the company to arrange their registration."

In other words, the Undead are able to compete only because of the company. And without the company's help, the Undead's knighthood would likely be revoked.

"Chengjin Company's market isn't doing too well right now. Plus, your teacher has been wearing the same suit of armor since he started competing. That means he hasn't accepted any sponsorship contracts from any company."

"Zofia said with a worried expression."

"If he fails to create enough value, Chengjin Company is likely to put pressure on him and force him to accept those contracts. Under the threat of the Business Alliance, Chengjin Company may even freeze your teacher's career, preventing him from participating in any more knight competitions."

This is not alarmist; this is the most accurate description of the situation.

Such incidents have been commonplace over the past few decades.

The Black Knight, a three-time consecutive champion, had lost her initial appeal in the equestrian arena due to her numerous victories. Seeing the declining profits of the commercial league each year, she was given a choice: either join a certain company or leave Kazimierz and never return.