Ark Undead

"Are you serious?"

The Undead nodded and said earnestly.

"This is a thank-you gift."

The final result is self-evident. If Bloodthorn hadn't begged for mercy beforehand, Undying would probably have beaten him so badly he would have vomited up his meal.

Even though the Undead only used his greatsword and didn't use a shield or other defensive equipment, Bloodthorn couldn't get close enough for him to get to the Undead's side with his dual blades.

The Undead's greatsword acted like a giant net, blocking all of Bloodthorn's attack trajectories.

What terrified Bloodthorn the most was that the Undead could still use their greatswords to completely disrupt his rhythm.

The greatsword in his hand was even more ferocious than the dual-sword attack of the lightly armored knight, and its power and weight made it even more imposing than the greatsword he used before.

It is a weapon intended for fierce attacks, yet it can be used for both offense and defense in the hands of the undead. What kind of combat awareness is this?

Moreover, Bloodthorn keenly sensed that the Undead seemed to have improved in combat skills and physical fitness.

Of course, Bloodthorn did not use Originium Arts during their battle.

The immortal did not use any magic or miracles.

"You really are... wow... so despairing."

After finishing the fight, Bloodthorn leaned against a tree, retching and panting heavily as he spoke.

"To be honest... do you know how to use dual swords? Why don't you teach me later?"

"Row."

The Undead did not refuse, as Bloodthorn's fighting style was very different from the Undead's.

Bloodthorn is the type who attacks relentlessly, regardless of the consequences. For Bloodthorn, who possesses Blood Origin Stone techniques, physical injuries are not a problem, which also creates a weakness in his attack method.

He was so focused on offense that he forgot about defensive tactics.

If given the chance later, the Undead would certainly not pass up the opportunity to communicate with Bloodthorn.

"Okay...it's a deal...ugh!"

Bloodthorn gagged twice more, looking miserable.

Luckily, the fight didn't start right after we finished eating, or we would definitely have thrown it all up by now.

The fact that they were staying at the same hotel was an advantage.

Under the cover of moonlight, the two returned to the village and strolled leisurely toward the inn.

It would be wonderful to exercise with friends like this, and then go back to sit around the campfire and digest what we learned in the battle.

Bloodthorn was initially helped by the undead to walk a short distance, and after regaining some strength, it was able to move on its own.

The two parted ways downstairs at the hotel, agreeing to go watch the Warriors Tournament together in a few days.

Bloodthorn did not receive an invitation, which means he will have to fight his way up to the Undead Arena from the very beginning.

Considering his abilities, this is not a difficult task.

The next few days passed uneventfully for those who didn't die.

In the days leading up to the Warriors' Tournament, the village of Akrotti was becoming increasingly crowded, and many warriors were having private matches.

The arena near the altar was under renovation and temporarily closed to the public. As a result, many warriors chose to duel in the open.

In the past few days, when Du Bin has been leading the reserve team in training and guidance, he has also been able to see the soldiers sparring.

The competitive atmosphere in Minos is indeed different from that in Casimir.

Warriors who were fighting to the death just a second ago might, after the outcome is decided, go to a tavern arm in arm to drink together and praise each other's skills.

This would never happen in Casimir. Minos's attitude towards competition is very clean, which is something Casimir can't match at all.

While Dobermann was training the reserve team, Undead would spar with Bloodthorn whenever he had free time. This was not only to instruct Bloodthorn, but also to summarize and refine his own fighting style.

Although immortals no longer need to train to increase their combat power, combat skills are something that even countless hours of practice are never enough.

Bloodthorn was quite impressed by the Undead's attitude.

No wonder he's a War Knight.

The Undead wasn't worried at all about how Melantha would fare against Bloodthorn. In his mind, every battle had a winner and a loser. And temporary victories or defeats weren't scary; what was scary was losing and having your morale shattered.

Coincidentally, Melantha was the Undead's most respected student, and her tenacity was truly rare even among the Undead.

Whether Melantha can defeat Bloodthorn or not, it's a valuable experience for her.

This leisurely period lasted for three days.

That very night, priestly apprentices emerged from the Temple of Heroes in Akroti and posted notices throughout the village.

The Undead also received the news, and the priests of Akroti invited him as a guest to attend a ceremony at the altar in front of the Temple of Heroes.

The first game of the Warriors Tournament will start the day after tomorrow.

Tomorrow, the Temple of Heroes will be accepting applications from all warriors.

Even the competition format has been determined.

The reserve team members returned to the hotel with trepidation, starting to plan how they should perform. Meanwhile, Instructor Dubin began to talk to the boys, giving them a pep talk.

Only a few people were completely relaxed.

The two are medical operators in the reserve group, Hibiscus and Ansel.

These two knew their limits. So they went into the competition with the mindset of training, never expecting to win.

There are two more: Melantha and Kroos.

Melantha had a very positive attitude; she knew the extent of her efforts. Therefore, she didn't blame herself for winning or losing, nor did she put pressure on herself.

She just needs to perform honestly and let the teacher see her value, and that's enough.

As for Kroos...

To be honest, she probably doesn't even have a concept of competition anymore.

However, no one in the Rhodes Island group thought that Ceobe would lose in the first few games, not even Coach Dobermann.

In team battles, Kroos can become a thorn in the side that disrupts the team's rhythm.

However, in a one-on-one fight, no one was confident of gaining an advantage over Kroos, not even Melantha.

Because her fighting style is too wild.

Normally, he's a cute, goofy blond dog. But once he gets serious about fighting, he subconsciously treats it like a life-or-death battle.

This was a habit she developed during her years of travel in Terra.

If it weren't for this habit, she probably wouldn't have ever seen an immortal.

Therefore, when Kroos and Melantha slept together by the Undead's campfire, the Undead had no worries about the two children.

He was still thinking about what Bloodthorn had said to him a few days ago.

Maria...

The Undead looked at his right hand, where sparks of lightning crackled.

What does Maria look like now?

333. Warrior Conference

Maria, whom the Undead rarely worried about, was resting in a village far away from Akroti at this time.

She only arrived in Minos today, and unlike the Undead, this time she is traveling alone with Zofia.

In other words, it took Zofia more than two weeks to drive to Minos.

If it weren't for Zofia's habit of traveling to surrounding countries when she was young, the two of them would probably have gotten lost in the wilderness long ago.

It's not that the road is particularly difficult to travel, but rather that it's a combination of natural disasters and man-made calamities.

Let's set aside the current situation in Kazimierz.

After the Great Knights Territory was reorganized into four city-states, Kazimierz's management of security in the surrounding areas suddenly became much lax.

Because the Major is so important, the commercial leagues will also work hard to maintain a safe environment around Kazimierz to ensure that the tourism experience is a part of customer satisfaction.

However, since the Major was over, the commercial league withdrew all the funds allocated to maintaining order.

In addition, the Alliance itself, which was previously attacked by the Undead, also needs to recuperate, resulting in a significant weakening of Kazimierz's connections with neighboring countries recently.

Some infected individuals, unable to make ends meet, have returned to a life of constant danger.

Moreover, Minos and Sargon have a long history of conflict. When Maria and her companions entered Minos territory, they encountered two raids by Sargon's tribe.

Maria could not stand by and watch those elderly merchants be robbed and murdered.

She jumped out of the car, drew her long sword from her waist, and joined the battle.

Although she did drive away Sargon's soldiers, she herself suffered some minor injuries, and Zofia's car was also hit by crossbow bolts in the tires.

With the help of the rescued old man Minos, the two returned to the nearest village, and only then did they arrive.

"Thank you so much for your help, I am truly grateful!"

It was already very late at night when Zofia and Maria arrived at the village and were receiving thanks from the crowd.

Maria chuckled. In the books she had read as a child, knights were supposed to be like this, helping the weak and realizing their own sense of justice.

"It's alright, we were just going the same way anyway. If it weren't for your help, we wouldn't know how we would have found this place."

Zofia was clearly much more adept at handling things than Maria; she stated her purpose in just a few words, thus dispelling people's doubts.

"We're here to participate in Minos's Battle Festival, the Undead Arena. Do we first need to participate in the Warriors' Tournament in the surrounding villages?"

It was fortunate that Zofia and Maria were traveling together. Otherwise, Maria probably wouldn't have known what to do once they arrived at their destination.

A burly man in the crowd stepped forward and said.

"That's true, but today is the last day to register. If you two want to register, it's still not too late."

"Huh?! Last day!"

Maria's two furry ears immediately stood up, and her bright golden eyes also showed a hint of panic.