?Mr. ck stepped out of the shadows, a wicked smile ying on his lips.


    His eyes glinted with malevolent energy, and he gestured to his followers to attack.


    The knights charged forward, swords at the ready, meeting the cultists in a sh of steel and magic.


    Spells were flung back and forth, and the room was soon filled with smoke and dust.


    The knights fought with all their might, but they were outnumbered and outmatched by the cultists'' dark magic.


    The cultists used dark magic to conjure up spells that would immobilize the knights.


    They also used deadly weapons, such as poisoned arrows and knives, to try and take down their opponents.


    The knights fought back with their swords, shields, and spears.


    Amidst the chaos, Prince Edward was hiding in a corner, trembling with fear.


    He was fully aware that the knights were here for him, and he was desperate to escape this ce.


    He had naively thought that affiliating with the cult would bring him no harm.


    However, he realized that his involvement with the cult had led to such an overwhelming situation.


    As the battle raged on, the knights began to take casualties.


    Some were struck down by the cultists'' dark magic, while others were wounded by their weapons.


    The knights were growing tired and weary, and their resolve was beginning to falter.


    Despite this, they fought on, determined to capture Prince Edward.


    The fight was intense, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.


    The oue was uncertain, and the fate of the city hung in the bnce.


    As the fight continued, the knights began to make progress.


    They managed to push the cultists back, inching closer and closer to Prince Edward''s hiding spot.


    The cultists were bing more desperate, knowing that their ns were about to be foiled.


    The knights finally surrounded Prince Edward''s hiding spot, preparing to capture him and bring him to the King.


    However, the prince was nowhere to be found.


    He had slipped away in the chaos of the battle, leaving the knights with no choice but to retreat and regroup.


    Suddenly, a wave of dark energy pulsed through the air, knocking several knights to the ground.


    The cultists had unleashed their deadliest weapon, a powerful spell that sapped the strength and willpower of its victims.


    The knights struggled to regain their footing, their movements slow and sluggish.


    Just as it seemed the knights were about to be defeated, one of them noticed movement out of the corner of their eye.


    It was Prince Edward, cowering in a corner of the room, his eyes wide with fear.


    The knights knew that they had to end this once and for all.


    Filled with renewed vigor, their determination was fueled by the sight of their target.


    The cultists fought back fiercely, but they were slowly losing ground.


    The knights had suffered heavy casualties, but they managed to hold their ground and push the cultists back.


    They were tired, wounded, and grieving for their fallenrades, but they knew that they had to press on.


    ...


    As the battle raged on, Mr. ck stood on the sidelines watching with a cold expression.


    He already had set up the sacrificial array in ce, The function of the array is to sacrifice the body of the dead knight to the shadow god.


    Doing this the god he believed in would grant an immense power.


    As the pile of bodies grew higher and higher, the cultists continued to fight fiercely, using dark magic and deadly weapons.


    Mr. ck''s eyes glinted with an otherworldly light as he raised his arms and began to chant in anguage unknown to mortal ears.


    The air grew thick with the scent of burning incense and the sound of eerie whispers filled the room.


    ck''s voice grew louder and more forceful, his hands moving in aplex pattern as he summoned the power of the Shadow God.


    The pile of bodies began to glow with an eerie purple light, and tendrils of dark energy snaked their way out of the corpses and into Mr. ck''s body.


    He gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face as he continued to channel the power.


    Suddenly, with a final burst of energy, Mr. ck released the power, causing the bodies to explode in a shower of purple sparks.


    The room was filled with the deafening sound of the sacrificial array activating, and ck''s body was surrounded by a maelstrom of dark energy.


    With a maniacalugh, he reveled in the surge of energy coursing through his veins, his eyes zing with power and madness.


    ...


    The scout rushed into the throne room, his breathing was ragged and his clothes disheveled. "Your Majesty," he gasped.


    "We have found the cult''s secretir. It''s in the abandoned house at the edge of the kingdom." Magnus'' eyes widened in rm at the news.


    Without hesitation, he rose from his throne and ordered his guards to prepare for battle.


    "Take me there at once," hemanded.


    "We must stop them before it''s toote." With that, Magnus led his advisor, shadow, and the troops out of the castle and toward the edge of the kingdom.


    As they arrived on the scene, Magnus was met with a devastating sight.


    Corpses were strewn haphazardly throughout the room, their lifeless forms contorted in gruesome positions.


    The air reeked of death and blood, assaulting his senses with an overwhelming stench.


    As he scanned the room, his heart sank at the sight of his son, Prince Edward, standing in the center of the room, his vacant eyes revealing that he had been killed using the power of darkness.


    As Magnusid eyes on Mr. ck, he knew that he was the one responsible for the death of his son.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Anger and devastation surged through him as he realized the extent of the damage the cult had caused.


    He looked at his advisor, Shadow, a tier 4 Sky knight, and also his lifetime friend.


    Shadow immediately understood what Magnus''s eyes were conveying.


    Shadow could feel the power emanating from the cult leader, Mr. ck, and realized it was closer to that of a Tier 5 Lunar Knight.


    They would only have a chance of winning if they fought using their lives, just like in the old days.


    Seeing that Shadow understood his message without words, Magnus let out a sigh.


    "This is not a battle you can join," he told the remaining guard who was still alive, urging them to retreat.


    Gathering his blood, Magnus activated his blood-burning technique for a power boost.


    Observing Magnus burning his blood, Shadow followed suit.


    "I suppose this will be our final battle, my friend," Shadow murmured to himself with a smile.


    With a sh, Magnus''s sword emitted a red blood mana, and Shadow synchronized his attack to merge with Magnus''s, amplifying its strength.


    Witnessing the two fightersbining their efforts, Mr. ck sneered.


    What could a Tier 4 Sky Knight possibly do?


    Although not yet a Tier 5 Lunar Knight, Mr. ck believed that with the blessing of his sacrifice to the Shadow God, he could crush a Tier 4 Sky Knight like an ant.


    However, when the blood-red sword mana reached him, fear contorted his face as he sensed a cursed energy within it.


    This type of attack consumed lifespan.


    While knights may not have as long a lifespan as mages in the same tier, they could still live for a considerable time.


    For example, a Tier 4 Sky Knight could typically live for 1000 years.


    But what he didn''t know was that Magnus''s battle injuries from his youth in the Central Continent had gued his body, shortening his life.


    As for Shadow, although he could live longer than Magnus, his strength was artificial, and forcibly pushed to advance.


    Shadow knew he could no longer advance, and his lifespan was equivalent to that of a Tier 3 Earth Knight, approximately 300 years.


    ...


    Realizing his body couldn''t withstand such an attack, Mr. ck parried and was sent flying backward.


    Magnus and Shadow shared a tacit understanding, wasting no time as they further burned their lifespans, denying Mr. ck any chance.


    As Mr. ck was pushed back in the air, he witnessed their actions and cursed under his breath, "Ruthless bastards."


    If he could fully control his strength, he believed he could crush them like tomatoes.


    Magnus and Shadow swiftly closed in on Mr. ck''s position,unching another attack with theirbined blood-red mana.


    Naturally, Mr. ck was not about to let this attacknd on him.


    Twisting his body to the limit, he parried the attack once again.


    This back-and-forth of attacking and parrying continued.


    Magnus and Shadow yed Mr. ck as if he were a tennis ball.


    Despite Mr. ck''s advantage in power and mana, his speed and reaction remained the same.


    After a while of relentless fighting, Magnus and Shadow visibly aged, clearly disying the toll on their lifespans.


    As Mr. ck continued to soar through the air like a tennis ball, he smiled, anticipating his impending victory.


    Magnus and Shadow realized that they couldn''t prolong the battle any longer.


    Initially, they had ns to continue living even if it was just for a short while after this fight.


    However, understanding that they couldn''t exploit their enemy''s weaknesses, they silently prepared to end it once and for all.


    Gathering every ounce of their life energy, they positioned themselves behind Mr. ck, ready to strike.


    This time, their attack emanated a darker, crimson huepared to before.


    At this moment, Mr. ck already sensed his impending death.


    He could feel that this attack was at least ten times more potent than thest.


    Frustration consumed him. Although he didn''t understand the technique they were using.


    He also possessed a forbidden technique that could use his mana and increase his strength.


    However, the consequence was that his strength would degrade to that of a Tier 3 Earth Knight.


    But how could he willingly ept that?


    He was only a step away from bing a Tier 5 Lunar Knight.


    "I regret it... I regret it... I regret it..." were hisst thoughts before the blood-red sword mana sliced him in half.


    Magnus and Shadow, on the other hand, resembled mummies drained of essence.


    They copsed to the ground, savoring their final moments of being alive, as theirst attack consumed the entirety of their lifespan.


    "It was nice meeting you, my friend," Magnus whispered weakly, his gaze fixed upon the starry sky of the now-devastated ce.


    "Likewise, I hope we meet again in our next life," Shadow replied, a smile gracing his face as he reminisced about his time with Magnus.


    After fighting their entire lives in the Central Continent and realizing they could no longer advance, they decided to retreat to their origin.


    The most deste part of the Cursed Continent, seeking a retired life as kings of their own domain.


    Initially, Shadow had established his own kingdom for retirement.


    However, upon discovering he couldn''t father an heir, he relinquished the idea and merged his created kingdom with Magnus''s, allowing them to live out their retired lives together.


    Though their journey had been arduous and filled with suffering, Shadow could proudly dere that he had lived a fulfilling life.