"What's this? Not as bad as I thought...”

"Don't get cocky, lack. Everyone, regroup. There's definitely more of them.''

The knights, having won the initial clash, gathered around their leader to reorganize. Amidst this, the young wizard, the core of their formation, dismounted his horse to examine something.

"What's caught your eye, Ares?''

"It's a bit odd.''

"Odd?”

"There are old records about the Destroyers, all preserved in video format.”

The wizard stood up with a serious expression and began to recount the ancient tales he had studied.

"The Destroyers are said to take on the form of their victims, including animals, while they're still alive. But from what I can see, I don't think there's ever been a creature that looked like this in our world.”

He lifted the head of one of the legionnaires as he spoke. Indeed, the creature, clad in black armor like a knight, was unlike anything they had ever seen. It was impossible to tell whether it was a beast, an insect, or a crustacean.

Everyone fell silent for a moment, the memory of the red eyes filled with murderous intent charging at them full force flashed across their minds.

"The first appearance of these creatures was in the ancient labyrinth. There must have been some changes. We have nothing to fear from the ancient creatures that have long since declined.”

The knight commander, who had been advocating for caution just moments before, now laughed heartily, easing the tense atmosphere. However, Ares, the wizard from the Stars Society, remained doubtful.

‘In just one night, the entire region was attacked simultaneously. Of course, if they're merely simple beasts like now, they'll be subdued soon.'

As a promising member of a prestigious academy, he had heard many stories. Among them was the situation when numerous distress signals were sent out in the middle of the night.

The city hall governing the attacked city of Rehelm, the director of the Blackl Society branch in the city, individual wizards in the city, and wizards residing in nearby villages were all involved.

His senior had described the scene of everyone screaming as a horrifying hell unlike anything he had ever witnessed before.

‘Are these really the Destroyers that were declared extinct?'

"Watch out! Everyone, be on guard!”

lust as Ares, who was still harboring unresolved questions, was about to mount his horse again, the knight commander sensed something. He sheathed his spear in the saddle and drew his sword.

‘They're coming.'

"The ground is shaking!”

As Ares, who had detected the trembling of the ground, widened his eyes in surprise, the knights also struggled to control their panicked horses.

They knew it was too late to flee.

All they could do was desperately hold onto the reins and try to stay on their horses.

"Below us!”

Someone shouted about the anomaly occurring beneath them.

Something twisting wildly beneath the ground was rapidly approaching them at an incredible speed.

"Damn it.”

With the knight commander's faint sigh, the ground they were standing on exploded as if detonated.

Ares closed his eyes tightly in shock. He, along with the horse he was riding, was thrown into the air and soon hit the ground with a strong impact.Through his blurred vision, he could see the horses and knights soaring even higher.

‘Ugh...'

He could taste the thick, bitter blood in his mouth.

Something cast a shadow over him.

A monstrous creature, half-emerged from the ground, with a huge and sturdy-looking body.

One of its powerful arms, used to break rocks and dig through the ground, was raised to strike him down with its sharp claws.

He needed to dodge, but his trembling body wouldn't move easily.

"Snap out of it!”

The knight commander, who had thrown himself to save Ares from the monstrous hand, slapped his face repeatedly to bring him back to his senses.

"You are the core of our formation. If you lose your mind now, we will all die.”

"Yes...yes! ”

Overwhelmed by his burning gaze, Ares nodded desperately.

"Everyone, take your positions!”

The knight commander controlled the surviving knights. All the knights, gritting their teeth, took their positions with their swords drawn.

Once again, the attack came at the forefront. But the knights weren't just standing there for no reason.

‘Using the knights with magic as pillars. Draw a circuit. Defense Octagon.'

Ares, the central axis and core, was sweating profusely as he cast the spell.

In response to the knights' swift movements, he unfolded the most powerful shield that a single wizard could create using them.

"Damn!”

"We held them off!”

They all held their ground until the moment of near death.

The result was the enemy's attack being repelled with a strong shock.

"Switch to attack formation!”

At the same time, the knights adjusted their positions again.

It was a movement etched into their bones, manifested through hundreds, thousands of repetitions.

This time, instead of a shield, flames of magical power wrapped around their bodies.

"Charge!”

The knight commander led the charge in this state. Before the enhancement effect on their bodies disappeared, they had to cut down the enemy.

‘It's working!'

Ares clenched his fist.

The thick armor, impervious to an ordinary spear, was sliced open, blood splattering everywhere.The knight commander, propelled into the air by his comrades, began to bring his sword down on the monster's head. The monster's body slowly started to crumble.

Ares, pale from shock, rushed to the knights.

"Get your magic ready. This isn't over.”

But the knight commander, far from relaxing, pointed ahead with a heightened sense of urgency.

"What the hell is that...”

Ares muttered, too stunned to believe his eyes.

Once the legion had grown to a certain size, they stopped mass-producing the all-purpose soldiers for efficiency's sake. Instead, these soldiers were upgraded into high-ranking legionnaires, with more resources invested. The advantage of versatility was enhanced by the formative force, compensating for the lack of firepower.

Now, three high-ranking legionnaires stood before them. Among them, the one in the center had a

slender figure with short, glistening black hair.

"Get in formation! Set up a defensive line!”

The knights, with no time to assess or evaluate their opponents, sprang into action. They formed a defensive line to fight while protecting their target.

A stifling tension and silence filled the air. The opponents began to move. The legionnaires on either side slowly drew their swords with their four arms. Kang Do Yeon, standing in the middle, also drew her sword. Everyone was taken aback by the sword that was blazing red.

"I'll make the first move!”

Ares, sensing something ominous about the mere trio of opponents, cast a spell. It was a hastily constructed spell, but not one to be dismissed.

"No way.”

However, the blue magical spear he launched was effortlessly blocked by the crimson barrier they had created. As if taking their turn, the legionnaires moved next.

"Here they come!”

The knights, forming a defensive line, braced themselves for the incoming attack. Two high-ranking legionnaires, wielding four swords and their tails, charged at them.

"These bastards...”

The knights, having prepared their formation in advance, rushed from all sides to counterattack the enemies that seemed to be sucked into their formation, swinging their swords with all their might.

But not a single sword strike landed. The enemies hadn't been sucked in at all. In a split second, the enemies swung their swords and tails, severing the knights' arms and legs, causing blood to spurt out.

"Ugh...huff..”

The knight commander, with a tail piercing his chest, coughed up blood. His body was lifted, and he locked eyes with the high-ranking legionnaire. Six gleaming eyes inside the armor met his dying, furious gaze.

"That technique...it's definitely...”

As he was dying, he recognized the technique the enemies had used to break in. It was far more advanced and dense than the original, but it was definitely the technique that his knight order had been training as their specialty.

Of course, the legion had no reason to answer his question. The high-ranking legionnaire, deciding that there was no more information to extract from him, swung its tail, flinging his corpse away. Even in death, he never let go of his sword.

Now, all that was left was Ares, the mage they had originally targeted.

"I won't die alone.”

The moment all the knights fell, Ares, resolute, conjured a spell with the intention of self-destruction. Seeing this, the high-ranking legionnaire aimed its arm at Ares.

And in that moment of realization, a large poison thorn shot from its forearm, piercing Ares' chest. The legion, having already experienced self-destruction twice, had planned not to fall for the same trick a third time.

"Ugh...”

Unable to resist the infectious bacteria spreading from the poison thorn, Ares fell forward. The legion retrieved his immobilized body.

He writhed in despair unaware of what was to come.

‘Your body is no longer yours.'

Then, as if whispering, someone's will invaded his brain through the bacteria that had taken over his body.