The three knights of Londan stood against at least 60 cultists.

"Kill them all!"

With a deafening roar, the heretics charged toward us like a tidal wave. It was a cowardly attempt to overwhelm us with sheer numbers. Just watching them come at us was enough to make anyone feel suffocated by the sheer mass of bodies.

"…Hoo."

I took a deep breath and reassessed the situation. The patrol had quickly noticed our intrusion, and a rapid response unit had swiftly arrived. From the quality of their armor to their disciplined formation, it was clear that these weren’t just a ragtag group of bandits. They must have been trained for this.

This showed how long the heretics had been preparing.

In terms of numbers and armament, the odds were heavily against us. It seemed possible that we might be defeated here.

Yet, despite the seemingly grim situation, I felt my blood boiling. It was a completely different sensation than when I faced the Candle in the snowstorm. I could feel a mix of emotions coursing through my veins—emotions I wasn’t sure belonged to me or to Raidan Tanton.

I couldn't fully describe what I was feeling, but one thing was clear: I had to act.

I’m not one for needless violence, and I certainly don’t relish the thought of killing. But I had no intention of repeating the mistakes of the past.

And now, I had the physical and mental strength to back up that resolve.

"Uraaah!"

Unexpectedly, the one to charge first was Muyeon.

The moment an enemy moved forward, Muyeon leaped high into the air with her massive toy-like axe, vaulting over two of the enemy commanders—let’s call them that for convenience—before landing right in the middle of their soldiers.

A heavy thud reverberated through the air, and soon her massive axe was lifted high above her head.

"Ugh!"

"Kraaak!"

"Get back! Keep your distance from that ax-wielding woman!"

Muyeon began spinning in place like a top, slicing through the advancing soldiers with unbelievable speed. None of the heretics could land a proper hit on her; they were utterly helpless against her.

On closer inspection, it was clear why. She wasn’t just spinning wildly—she was controlling her movements with incredible precision, making sure no one could get close enough to attack her.

I had seen her strength before—when she broke through the entrance with the Gardener and when she briefly fought alongside the dragon slayer. Muyeon’s combat prowess was far beyond that of a typical knight. If she ever mastered Meditatio, as White Mask once mentioned, she might even surpass her current strength by a significant margin.

"What are you standing there for? We have our own job to do."

White Mask’s words snapped me back to reality. She leaped into action, her sword aimed directly at one of the commanders.

Boing!

A strange spring-like sound filled the underground space as the commander managed to parry White Mask’s attack, sending her bouncing backward. But with that momentum, White Mask gracefully performed a somersault in midair, landing with poise and leveling her sword at the commander once more.

The commander, slightly flustered, glared at her.

"You, and that other woman… How do you women possess such strength?"

"Maybe it’s because you’re just weak," White Mask replied with a smirk, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Hah! Weak? Me? Hoeman of the Moustache Brothers, weak?"

Hoeman, the commander, laughed heartily, but there was a cold malice in his eyes as he stared at White Mask.

"I’ve always enjoyed watching the pride of women like you crumble into tears."

"I look forward to seeing you cry then. It’s usually those who boast the loudest who end up bawling," White Mask shot back, unbothered by his threats.

"In battle, only skill matters!" Hoeman roared, his neck bulging with veins as he summoned every ounce of strength.

"Addicted to foreign shards, are you?" White Mask muttered before charging at him again.

Foreign shards? It seemed like these cultists had enhanced themselves with some sort of steroid-like substance, probably derived from foreign dignitaries. It reminded me of the body-strengthening candy Muyeon had shared with us earlier. They must have consumed these substances in large quantities.

But me, Raidan Tanton?

I was the man who had consumed raw, unrefined foreign shards—the original formula.

I hadn’t had a proper gauge of my strength since I’d mostly fought foreign dignitaries up to this point. This could be a good chance to see just how strong I’d become.

"Looks like it’s just you and me," the other Moustache Brother said as he approached me, hefting his massive sword.

I thought he might team up with Hoeman for a 2v1, but no.

"A man should fight honorably. You didn’t jump in to help the women, so I assume you were waiting for me?"

…Well, I appreciated the high praise, but honestly, I had just been standing there, spacing out.

When I didn’t respond, the commander clicked his tongue and raised his greatsword.

"Silent, are we? Good. There’s a saying that the quiet ones are the most skilled."

Like Hoeman, his muscles bulged unnaturally, writhing as if they were about to burst.

"I, Caliburn, will take you on personally!"

These heretics were confident enough to announce their names without hesitation. But they were messing with forces beyond their understanding. I’d read enough in the community to know that some foreign dignitaries could twist a follower’s name into a curse, transforming them into monstrous forms.

Whatever. That wasn’t my concern right now.

I crouched slightly, preparing myself. Seeing how Muyeon had handled things, it was clear that capturing these guys alive would be preferable. But capturing an armed enemy barehanded… Well, that seemed like an overestimation of my abilities.

Still, as I’ve said before, when your superior gives you an order, you follow it.

"Let’s fight, young one!"

With that, Caliburn charged at me, closing the distance in an instant. His greatsword, slightly taller than he was, came crashing down toward me.

Boom!

The greatsword clanged against my fist, a sharp metallic sound reverberating through the air. It was absurdly heavy—was this some kind of toy weapon too?

That meant he was swinging this monstrously heavy sword like it was nothing.

"…A monster, huh."

"And you’re the one who caught it with your bare hand. Consider it a compliment."

Caliburn lifted his sword once more, and despite its weight, he swung it at me with the speed of a rapier, aiming for my side. I barely managed to leap out of the way in time.

"Good reflexes!"

There was a crazed gleam in his eyes, as though this battle was some sort of exhilarating game for him. Just watching him was enough to get my adrenaline pumping too.

This guy… He’s a real battle junkie.

If that’s the case, I’ll have to respond in kind.

I remembered a fighting game villain I used to obsess over during my time in the hospital.

"Show me your full strength! You are the only one who can surpass me—I want to fight you at your best!"

"Heh."

That line had lifted my spirits during some pretty dark times.

I couldn’t help but smile as I charged at Caliburn, fists raised.

Clang! Clang!

The first strike came when I leaped toward him, parrying his greatsword in midair. The second came when I dodged his downward slash and landed a punch, only for him to block with his sword.

The friction between my fist and the metal of his sword made a harsh, grating sound, but the pain in my fingers was nothing compared to the rush of adrenaline coursing through me.

"Haha! It’s been a while since I’ve met someone who knows how to fight with honor!"

Caliburn knocked me back with his greatsword and leaped backward to avoid my follow-up attack.

"Caliburn, I salute you. You are the strongest human I have ever faced!"

…Well, I felt a little guilty about that. But hey, let him believe what he wants.

I could tell this was going to be the final strike. Caliburn’s breathing had grown ragged, and I could feel the strain in my legs.

I’d need to do some serious leg training after this. My endurance was clearly lacking.

"Hyahhh!"

Caliburn charged at me, and I responded in kind.

Swish! Thwack!

We crossed paths, neither of us moving for a moment.

Time seemed to slow.

"You… You’re strong… But I didn’t expect someone like you to crave such power."

I wasn’t sure what he meant at first, but then I noticed something sharp growing from my knuckles.

It looked like… tree branches?

"Urgh…"

Caliburn collapsed, his body stiffening as he fell to the ground, paralyzed.

There was only one entity who could’ve done this.

"Don’t drag this out. It’s a paralysis toxin—he won’t die. Just finish it already," the Gardener’s voice echoed in my mind as the spikes retracted from my hand.

I guess after using the party flute a few times, the foreign dignitaries had decided it was okay to grant me some of their powers directly.

But I sent a wave of frustration toward the Gardener.

"…? What? You were clearly winning. I just stepped in to make sure nothing went wrong…"

This foreign dignitary had no sense of the drama! Sure, I probably would’ve won anyway, but why butt into a battle between men?

I’m sulking!

"Wait, hold on…"

I stopped listening to the Gardener.

"…Phew."

It had been a while since I’d felt my heart race like that. Why were there tears in my eyes?

"Good fight, Caliburn. I apologize for any disrespect."

I quietly paid my respects, and I could’ve sworn I saw a faint smile on Caliburn’s frozen face.

"Subordinate."

"Master."

As I finished with Caliburn, I looked around to see the other soldiers and Hoeman lying defeated.

"Good work, Master."

"Eh, I just made him cry like he wanted."

Of course, I had my two reliable allies with me. And they were now strong enough to hold their own even against the foreign dignitaries.

"Tanton, are you okay?"

"Yeah, somehow."

Muyeon came running over, tapping the unconscious cultist she had just knocked out with the flat of her toy axe.

…Uh, was that guy’s eyes rolling back? He’s not dead, right?

Yeah… He’s definitely still alive. I hope.

One thing I was sure of: never mess with Muyeon.

"Now, let’s head inside. If there were this many cultists out here, something big must be happening inside."

"Yes, Master."

"Understood."

With our overwhelming victory secured, Muyeon, White Mask, and I headed deeper into the mysterious room.