Duke’s Son: Re

Chapter 55

“Named…!”

Monsters that exude an overwhelming presence were common.

If the level was relatively high, one would naturally feel the intense aura.

However, monsters with whom one could “converse” were exceedingly rare.

These were entities with human-level intelligence, growing to achieve specific purposes.

They were commonly classified as Named.

“Its rank is low.”

Lauren analyzed.

The green-haired boy, who had awakened the bloodline skill years ago and survived several wars, was at the level of an active player.

With a high insight stat, he discerned the level of the Death Knight.

Below level 80.

In other words, it was on the verge of becoming A-rank.

“……”

Silla Kyung silently agreed.

Yet, there were players who could perform beyond their levels. Given Silla Kyung himself was such a case, he couldn’t disregard the potential of a Named.

‘Its actual combat power would be above A-rank.’

The weapon it wielded was a longsword.

Clad in full-plate armor, it seemed poised to execute a heavy swordsmanship; however, premature assumptions were perilous.

A Named of the undead type was unlikely to be restricted by the weight or structure of its armor.

‘If it employs swift swordsmanship, it would be disastrous.’

The average level of Class A students was still below 30.

If the Death Knight utilized speed-centric sword techniques, most wouldn’t even have the chance to react before being slain.

“Is domination impossible?”

It was well-known that necromancers could dominate even the wild undead classified as monsters.

Raising corpses as undead and dominating already active undead had earned them the title of one-man army.

Yet, ironically…

“A Named’s ego is stronger than that of humans. Especially an entity like that, which has existed for hundreds or thousands of years, it’s beyond my current capability to dominate.”

Even necromancers weren’t omnipotent.

Moreover, Lauren was still in the growth phase.

He couldn’t expect too much from a candidate level National Treasure rather than an actual one.

“What about your divinity?”

Lauren countered.

Many focused on Silla’s ability to manipulate nature and summon storms with mana, but Baos family was an exception.

The Baos family, which traditionally produced necromancers, both focused on and guarded against the divinity of the Silla family.

Saint or Saintess.

The heads of the Silla family had been called by such names for generations.

“My feeble divinity doesn’t seem to be effective either.”

Silla Kyung, like Lauren, was also young.

He judged that it would be difficult to successfully confront a Named-level undead.

Ultimately, both boys reached the same conclusion.

‘Avoiding battle is the best option.’

Lauren moved instantly.

He leaped backward, disappearing beyond the bushes.

He had escaped.

As an exchange student, he didn’t feel any obligation to his classmates.

To him, Korea was merely the cursed land that held Dojin captive.

He didn’t care what happened to the children who bore the future of Korea.

“Junior family head, let’s move at once.”

Oh Jaha urged Silla Kyung, sensing how quickly Lauren had disappeared.

The young retainers of the Silla family had enrolled in Lion’s Castle for only one purpose.

To protect Silla Kyung.

Other students’ safety wasn’t a priority for them.

They only needed to ensure Silla Kyung’s protection.

They expressed this thought without hesitation because they believed they understood Silla Kyung’s personality.

During the Leech King raid.

Silla Kyung hadn’t bothered to aid Class A students.

They assumed it would be the same this time.

“What about those kids if even we run away?”

But Silla Kyung’s response was entirely different from his retainers’ expectations.

“A noble has the duty to protect the people.”

At that moment.

“Haap!!”

Chae Dahui, the second top freshman, was fulfilling the duties a noble should practice. She was relentlessly thrusting her rapier against a Named-level Death Knight.

“Yujin! Lead the children to escape!”

Simply to buy time for the others to flee.

“That kid’s really out of her mind…”

Oh Jaha clicked his tongue.

In fact, from the first time he saw Chae Dahui, he had felt a sense of repulsion.

Her impulsive actions based on emotion were somewhat similar to his own, yet her motivations contrasted starkly with his.

While Oh Jaha prioritized his safety, Chae Dahui prioritized the safety of those around her.

He even felt a sense of disgust towards her seemingly hypocritical actions, which were similar yet entirely different from his own.

Even now, it was the same.

Throwing her life to save the students?

Who did she think she was?

“So, junior family head?”

Oh Jaha, who had been glaring at Chae Dahui while gritting his teeth, quickly came to his senses.

Silla Kyung was summoning a massive zweihander from his inventory.

He seemed genuinely intent on fighting rather than fleeing.

“Unlike the Leech King event, this is an unforeseeable disaster, and it’s not the students’ fault.”

“Sigh…”

With a resigned sigh, Oh Jaha drew two swords,

“I don’t wanna.”

And with a complaint, Oh Jadu, the twin brother of Oh Jaha, summoned a large shield almost twice his size and positioned himself at the forefront of the group.

The girl with a short bob hippie perm silently deployed her buff skills.

It was a rare area-wide buff.

It uplifted the stats of the entire Class A, awakening their spirits.

“Withdraw while we buy some time. This includes Chae Dahui.”

With every word, action, and even gaze, Silla Kyung was elegant.

The step he lightly took was reminiscent of someone entering a garden or a ball rather than a battlefield.

But the result was destructive.

Boom!!

The gust of wind that arose when Silla Kyung stepped on the ground sent his body flying dozens of meters forward.

The massive zweihander enveloped in a white divinity crashed down like thunder upon the Death Knight’s head.

『Fuh?』

The Death Knight’s purple eyes flared up as it blocked the zweihander with a longsword.

『It’s weak, yet there’s authority in it.』

Crack!

Silla Kyung’s zweihander groaned in protest. Unable to withstand the monstrous strength of the Death Knight, it was gradually being pushed back.

That’s when Chae Dahui and Oh Jaha attacked.

Their sword techniques sharply stabbed and slashed at the Death Knight’s joint areas.

Nearly perfect weak point attacks.

Silla Kyung didn’t miss the slight imbalance in the Death Knight.

〈Divine Wind〉

A gale whipped up by the zweihander caused the Death Knight, trapped in a luminescent white storm, to stagger, slashed repeatedly. Despite Silla Kyung’s relatively low level, the power of divinity was inherently devastating to the undead.

“I told you to run too, didn’t I?”

“Only after ensuring that all other students had left.”

“Anyway, stubborn despite being weak.”

Oh Jaha, throwing a jab at Chae Dahui who refused to retreat, activated his skill.

〈Linked Kill〉

It was classified as a top-tier skill among physical type skills.

Just for having awakened Linked Kill, Oh Jaha was assessed to inevitably become an S-rank player.

However, absurdly powerful skills often had drawbacks.

This skill, which involved continuously slashing and stabbing a target, placed immense strain on muscles and joints.

The sword trajectory, which was supposed to slant or plummet vertically, had to be forcibly redirected to make a straight stab, defying physical laws to the point where bones could break easily.

Hence, Oh Jaha opted to use two swords.

He performed the Linked Kill by slashing the target with the sword in his left hand and stabbing with the sword in his right, reducing the skill’s side effects.

『Foolish boy.』

The Death Knight, splitting the storm with its flaming sword, effortlessly neutralized Oh Jaha’s skill and ridiculed him.

『You ruined the profundity contained within your swordsmanship.』

It had seen through the true power of Linked Kill in an instant.

“Urk, I’m dying here…”

Struck in the chest by a kick and coughing up blood, Oh Jaha’s face turned pale rapidly.

Had Oh Jadu not appeared just in time to block the follow-up attack, he would surely have lost his life.

“Are we okay?”

Worriedly asked Oh Jadu, chilled by the energy contained in the Death Knight’s sword as it almost splintered his shield.

Joining in the tension, Chae Dahui instinctively thought of Jaehyuk.

If he were here…

Wouldn’t he assure them that everything would be okay?

As she pondered this, Silla Kyung responded in a way Jaehyuk might have.

“It’ll be okay.”

“I’ll make it okay.”

A noble.

Unlike in the Leech King incident, the silver-haired boy was demonstrating traits befitting a successor to a great ducal family.

『You are quite… hmm?』

The Death Knight, which was observing Silla Kyung’s eyes gradually turning golden with interest, suddenly turned east.

It had sensed a thick scent of blood.

『The sword-obsessed specter! Were you also here!』

Ecstatic, the Death Knight departed without hesitation.

The students left behind were left dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Silla Kyung worked to regain control of the situation.

“We will pursue the teacher’s trail, while the rest seek support from the military forces.”

Who on earth was this sword-obsessed specter that made him leave me behind?

Suppressing the curiosity brimming within him, Silla Kyung focused on the current priorities.

***

“Huff, huff…”

Class A homeroom teacher Park Jubong was deeply troubled.

He was attacked out of nowhere by a Death Knight shortly after parting ways with the students.

It was so strong and ambushed him so well that he sustained severe injuries after barely a few exchanges.

“No Death Knights have ever appeared in the snowy plain before. And this one was Named level.”

If that thing targeted the students…

Despite the turmoil, Park Jubong pressed on.

Though the gaping wound on his chest refused to heal with a lesser potion, he was solely concerned about the students’ safety.

He was aware there were students who dismissed him due to his premature retirement as a non-talented warrior.

However, regardless, he was their teacher.

He was entrusted with the role of educating and looking after them.

And the reason the world continues to function peacefully today is due to individuals diligently fulfilling such roles.

This was a fundamentally obvious truth that Jaehyuk, who grew up watching his father’s back, understood fully.

“Hold on. Calm down and open your mouth.”

Following the seemingly endless procession of monsters, Jaehyuk coincidentally discovered Park Jubong crawling, bleeding profusely.

Jaehyuk hurried over, uncorking a potion the color of blood, and poured it over the wound and directly into Park Jubong’s mouth.

It was an top-grade potion gifted by Jo Sunghyun.

“… Ja, Jaehyuk, how are you here?”

Park Jubong’s eyes widened in astonishment as he met an unexpected savior and recovered from his wounds.

His quivering gaze fixated on the empty potion vial.

“Why did you use such a precious item on me?”

“Who else would I use it on?”

“…huh?”

“Let’s get out of here quickly.”

Something felt ominous.

Even as Jaehyuk slashed through their ranks, seemingly oblivious to everything happening around them, the monsters suddenly halted in their tracks, lost and confused.

Judging by their tensed muscles and raised hackles, they seemed gripped by intense anxiety and fear.

Signaling Park Jubong with a glance, Jaehyuk prepared to sprint with all his might, but just then—

—I’ve found you.

The visceral voice struck Jaehyuk’s consciousness.

Theodor.

Remembering the name mentioned by the lion statue, Jaehyuk flinched at the overwhelming killing intent.

‘What’s going on?’

He had roughly four months until his arrival, hadn’t he?

The mystery unraveled quickly enough.

—Four months…? By the time four months have passed, you’ll only just manage to swing your sword. True, that fellow isn’t one for patience. It wouldn’t be strange if he wandered, searching for you the moment he became mobile.

The lion statue had already given a significant hint.

That Theodor, the rascal, was impatient.

‘Things have gotten complicated.’

There was no time to hesitate.

Intentionally veering away from Park Jubong, Jaehyuk sprinted in a different direction.

His destination was the same direction the monsters were heading.

Namely, where the road would lead to the nest.

Anticipating the aid of military forces monitoring the area to secure safety, Jaehyuk executed the plan.

However, upon reaching the area near the cave, he found not a single trace of anyone. The echoes of ghostly wails reverberated off the steep cliffs enclosing the vicinity.

‘Why is no one here?’

Baffled by the unexpected scenario, Jaehyuk turned around.

He could faintly discern the figure of a towering knight.

—Sword-obsessed specter, where are you headed?

The voice echoing in his mind grew more pronounced.

Left with little choice, Jaehyuk entered the cave.