SSS Unknown: Dark Knight's Legacy

"Damn it, not again!"

Before he could even react, a barrage of magical arrows came at him, raining down in relentless waves. It wasn't just a few; it felt like the sky itself was opening up to release an unstoppable storm. 

The sound of the arrows cutting through the air was deafening, like thunder crashing in the distance, each one viciously tearing through the quiet atmosphere with terrifying speed.

Unknown's heart pounded in his chest. He knew he had to stay focused if he wanted any chance of survival. 

But even as the first wave of arrows approached, he realized how foolish it was to think he could block them all. The arrows were coming too fast, too many, and his strength alone wasn't enough to deflect them all.

He swung his sword desperately, managing to deflect one arrow, but that didn't stop the next two from hitting him squarely in the arm which armor didn't cover.

 Pain shot through his body, but he fought to keep his focus. He swung again, deflecting four arrows this time, but still, they kept coming.

The arrows seemed endless, each wave following immediately after the last. 

This was bad—really bad.

 He couldn't keep this up for long. Even if he tried to retreat, there was no guarantee he'd escape the barrage unscathed. The thought of taking just one more hit in this chaotic storm made his stomach twist.

"Enough of this!" He gritted his teeth, pushing aside his fear and pain. His body crackled with energy as he activated the hidden circuits inside his body, triggering Accel.

In an instant, his body surged with speed, his reflexes sharpening to a blinding degree.

His arms blurred as he spun them, creating a whirlwind of motion that knocked the arrows away with shocking speed. The first wave was dispelled in an instant, the arrows scattering harmlessly to the ground.

But that wasn't enough. Even with his increased speed, he knew this wouldn't last forever. Another wave would come soon enough, and he couldn't afford to make a mistake. If just one arrow slipped through, it could be the end.

"Retreat!" His mind screamed. As soon as the wave of arrows had passed, he dashed toward the next door, slamming it shut behind him with a resounding thud. He didn't stop to catch his breath.

 Pulling the arrows out of his body, he winced as blood spilled from the wounds, but the damage wasn't severe.

What mattered was how to deal with the tower's defenses. Charging straight up was a terrible idea. If he continued on this path, sooner or later, he'd be nothing more than a pincushion, dying in agony on that twisted staircase.

'Think... think...' His mind raced, trying to process the situation. Just like with the Death Knight, there had to be a flaw in the skeletons' attack strategy.

There had to be something that would allow him to get past them.

"Alright... focus." He pressed his hand to his forehead, deep in thought. He needed to analyze what was happening. The simplest assumption: the skeletons attacked him because he was their enemy. But that raised the question: What made him an enemy to them?

There had to be a distinction between him and these undead creatures—something that triggered their attacks. The question that lingered was: How do they decide who their target is?

'Targeting mechanism,' he thought. The skeletons attacked in unison, as though they were responding to a single command. They didn't seem to be acting individually; they were more like automatons, driven by some central force.

And if they were controlled as one entity, that meant there had to be a flaw somewhere in their system—a weak point.

"Let's figure it out," he muttered, eyes narrowing in determination. He needed to identify the flaw in their system before it was too late.

"Would they shoot at this?" Unknown muttered, his gaze drifting to the motionless suit of armor beside him. An idea began to form in his mind.

'If the skeletons could see the armor,' he wondered, 'would they shoot at it?' It could give him the insight he needed to understand how they operated, helping him plan his next move more effectively.

A crooked smile spread across his face as he opened the door again, eager to test his theory.

Minutes passed, and yet nothing happened. The skeletons didn't react. They didn't shoot at the armor, despite being able to clearly see it. The lack of response was puzzling, but it told him something important:

These creatures didn't operate like cameras with a built-in recognition system. They weren't programmed with complex detection algorithms. Instead, he began to suspect that they detected signals.

'Why do I think that?' The answer was simple: both the skeletons and the suit of armor emitted the same energy signature.

"Alright, it's settled then," he murmured to himself, clenching his fist. The path forward was clear. He would extract the core inside— the key to deceiving the archers.

But doing so meant facing whatever lay ahead. He wasn't sure if he'd succeed, but it was a risk he had to take. If he couldn't pull it off, at least he'd know for certain after trying.

"Well, if I can't do it, at least I'll know for sure," he thought, gripping his sword with resolve in his chest, he moved toward the armor, no longer afraid.

The mysteries that had plagued him for so long were slowly being unraveled, and with each piece of the puzzle he solved, his fear lessened. What mattered now was action.

And he was ready.

"Awake, are we?" Unknown muttered as the suit of armor began to stir. As if responding to his unspoken challenge, a dark, ominous aura began to seep out from within the armor. The helmet glowed faintly, and fiery, burning eyes appeared, glaring down at him from the depths of its hollowed visor.

The creaking of cold, rusted steel filled the air as it shifted, and with a menacing rattle, it gripped the old sword firmly, rising to its full height.

The silent figure stood before him, a clear message in its stance: it was ready to fight.

"A Death Knight," Unknown whispered under his breath. That was the only name that could describe this terrifying figure. The aura it exuded felt ancient, malevolent, and powerful.

Without any warning or chance for him to strike first, the Death Knight surged forward with alarming speed. It swung its sword with an intensity that could have cleaved him in two, its rusted blade aimed directly at his head.

For a split second, he thought he had it figured out. Its movements were rough, sluggish even. The armor was clearly worn, its form stiff and unnatural, making its intentions almost predictable.

But in the blink of an eye, Unknown realized how wrong he was.

The attack was faster than he had anticipated, far faster even more than the previous one.

Despite the heavy armor and the aura of decay that surrounded it, the Death Knight's strike was nearly instantaneous. He tried to evade by darting to the side, but it was too late. The blade tore through the air with an unnatural swiftness, slicing into the lower part of his left cheek.

The force of the strike was enough to tear the wound open, sending flecks of blood and torn flesh flying in all directions. It wasn't a direct hit, but the pain surged through him as the blade bit into his skin.

'Too fast. It's faster than me.' The realization hit him hard, and he barely had time to process it before the Death Knight's next move.

The Death Knight, a being of pure strength and combat mastery, was far superior to him. He had only been lucky before, but luck was not on his side this time.

'This isn't good. I need to dodge enough to figure out its attack patterns,' Unknown thought as he quickly assessed the situation. Time was of the essence.

With a determined breath, he activated the power that had saved him in the past: "Accel!" His body surged with energy as his reflexes and perception of time sharpened, entering a state of survival mode. 

He could feel the world slowing down around him, but it still wasn't enough. The Death Knight's speed was too overwhelming.

He barely managed to avoid the first slash, but the Death Knight was relentless. It swung again, its blade cutting a vicious path through the air. 

The rusty sword struck the center of his chest, grazing the amor. The violent gust of wind created by the sword's motion knocked him back into a vulnerable position. 

The Death Knight wasn't giving him any time to breathe. A second swing came, and this time, the sword unleashed a wave of energy with it. Unknown was sent sprawling backward, barely keeping his footing as the ground beneath him shook from the attack.

'Think, think, think!' Panic surged through him as his heart raced, the weight of the Death Knight's power threatening to overwhelm him. He had to dodge. He had to find a way out. But no matter how fast he moved, the Death Knight was always one step ahead.

With a deep, resonant boom, the sword swung again, this time glowing deep purple, a signal of the final, devastating strike. It was like a freight train coming toward him, and Unknown felt like a fish trapped on a chopping block, unable to escape.

But just before the blade made contact, his instincts kicked in. With all his might, he rolled away, barely evading the oncoming blow. The destructive force of the strike left a trail of shockwaves, ripping through the air with enough force to shatter bones.

"That was too close," Unknown gasped, panting for breath as he scrambled to his feet. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through him, but it didn't change the facts. The Death Knight was on a different level, and all he could do now was dodge—just barely.

He was alive, for now, but the gap in their strength was undeniable.

"Dammit!" Unknown gritted his teeth, his grip tightening around his sword. The Death Knight was relentless, its mindless assault showing no signs of slowing down.

Every attempt to analyze its movements and create an opening had failed. It wasn't going to give him an opportunity to strike—it would only continue to attack, endlessly.

'So the strategy of waiting for an opening doesn't work after all...' he thought, frustration building. If there's no opening, I'll have to make one myself.

With no time to waste, he steeled himself. He had no choice but to take the risk, to confront the monster head-on. Gathering every ounce of courage, he stood his ground, preparing for the next move.

The Death Knight swung its rusted sword horizontally, aiming to take him down with its brutal force. There was no hesitation in its attack. It was a simple, calculated strike, but he knew what he had to do.

Without thinking, Unknown ducked and charged straight at it, dodging the deadly arc of the sword just in time. The gusts of wind created by the sword's swing ripped through the air, sending a sharp, tearing sound through the space around him.

'Success... I dodged it!' A surge of adrenaline coursed through him, the fire in his heart flaring to life. His senses sharpened, his movements faster than the Death Knight's relentless assault.

It was as though he had become one with the battle, faster than his opponent, more lethal than ever.

A savage grin spread across his face as his fighting instincts took over. His pupils narrowed, focusing entirely on the Death Knight's exposed form. Now's my chance.

With a fierce battle cry, he lunged forward, sword in hand. The blade cut through the air like lightning, thrusting directly at the Death Knight's helmet. The force of the strike sent the head flying off, rolling across the floor.

For a moment, it felt like victory was within reach. Unknown twisted his sword, aiming for another strike, this time directly at the monster's chest. The impact was powerful, causing the Death Knight to stagger backward, a dent forming in its armor.

But then, something unexpected happened.

The severed head, still glowing with dark energy, jerked back as if pulled by invisible strings. The head, which should have been a permanent casualty, was being reattached by an otherworldly force. It hovered back to its original position, as if the attack had never happened.

Unknown froze, his mind racing to understand what was happening. What the hell? The Death Knight's head, once severed, had simply returned to its place. It was as if nothing had changed.

The dark energy surrounding the Death Knight seemed to pulse, and with it, the body began to stir once more, the attack he had thought would end it merely a temporary setback.

"Are you kidding me?" Unknown muttered under his breath, momentarily stunned.

The brief lapse in concentration was just enough for the Death Knight to take advantage, swinging its sword in a vicious diagonal slash. With no time to think, he quickly raised his sword to block the attack.

"Too close," he hissed, realizing how lucky he had been to survive the blow. The Death Knight was relentless, and he knew he couldn't let his guard down again.

Taking a quick step back, he retreated, creating some distance to reassess the situation and better observe the Death Knight's attack patterns. He needed to understand its movements, find a weakness, or at least a rhythm.

Then, the Death Knight's body erupted in a fiery blaze, dark swirling flames engulfing its form. The once rusted, aged sword now glowed with an unnatural, violet fire. The energy coursing through the knight intensified, and with a brutal roar, it unleashed bursts of purple flame from its blade. The air crackled with dark energy.

"Great, now it's a fiery suit of armor," Unknown muttered with a bitter laugh, though the situation had taken a turn for the worse. He was forced onto the defensive once again, dodging and weaving to avoid the increasingly dangerous flames.

The Death Knight swung its flaming sword with speed that was beyond anything it had shown before. Unlike the stiff, mechanical movements from before, its motions now flowed fluidly, almost elegantly, like a deadly, infernal dance.

Each swing created spiraling arcs of fire that quickly transformed into straight, fiery ribbons, filling the air with chaos. It was an overwhelming storm of attacks.

Unknown barely managed to dodge the first few, but it was clear he wasn't fast enough. The sword's purple flames cut through the air, searing his skin in several places. He gritted his teeth as pain surged through him, but it didn't stop him—this was the kind of battle he thrived in.

Something inside him had shifted. This time, there was no fear, no panic. The exhilaration surged through his veins, pushing aside the physical pain. 

His heart pounded, not in terror, but in pure excitement. With every cut, his will grew stronger, his body more resilient. The harder the battle became, the more alive he felt.

He began to realize why he felt this way—he was born to fight. The rush of combat, the challenge of survival, it was his true calling. The more desperate the situation, the sharper his focus became.

As he fought, he could sense the strange energy that surrounded him—the energy flowing through the air, the ground, the Death Knight, and even within himself. 

It was the source of all miracles, the fuel for both life and destruction. He could feel its power surging, shaping the world around him.

"Let's go, you bonehead!" he sneered, his voice filled with determination. He adopted a combat stance, mimicking the fluid motions of the Death Knight. 

He began channeling the same dark energy into his limbs, focusing the power into his arms and legs.

It was time to turn the tables.

The Death Knight swung its sword to the left, but Unknown was ready. With a practiced movement, he used the outer edge of his sword to deflect the blow. 

As soon as he made contact, the knight immediately followed up with another attack, this time a downward strike aimed at him with brutal precision. 

But Unknown was already one step ahead. He had predicted the move and stepped back just enough to avoid the strike that came crashing down like an arrow.

Now, the real dance began. Unknown started to flow with the rhythm of battle, dodging, weaving, and anticipating the knight's every move. He was no longer just reacting. He was starting to control the pace of the fight.

The Death Knight's strikes were fast, so fast that they left afterimages in the air. But Unknown was moving with him, his own rhythm matching the knight's. 

He forced the Death Knight off-balance with every dodge, every parry, every step. The knight's frustration was palpable as it struggled to keep up with his movements.

Death Knight lost its rhythm in frustration. It swung its sword downward with incredible speed, so fast that he could only catch glimpses of its afterimages.

"Take that, you idiot!"

Ding!

5 skill points spent.

"Skill Gained: Limit break."

The thought surged through Unknown's mind, fueling his strike as he activated "Limit break". His entire body hummed with energy, and a strange, electrifying sensation coursed through him. 

The system, ever present in his mind, responded instantly, confirming his action with a flashing notification in the corner of his vision:

System: limit break activated. All stats increased by 200% for 60 seconds.

In an instant, everything around him blurred, fading into monochrome. 

The world slowed, and only the image of the Death Knight remained sharply in focus. 

His senses were heightened beyond his wildest expectations, and he could see every movement of the knight, even the subtlest shifts in its body. 

The system's boost surged through him, amplifying his reflexes and perception to superhuman levels. The restraints on his body, mental and physical, shattered entirely.

Unknown moved with a speed that defied belief. The Death Knight's sword cut through the air toward him, but he was already stepping to the side with razor precision. 

Every moment felt stretched, yet he was moving faster than the blink of an eye. His arm rippled with newfound strength, and as the knight's sword whizzed past him, Unknown's sword shot forward like a bullet, aimed directly at the Death Knight's helmet.

The hit landed with a sickening crack, obliterating the knight's head in an instant. Shards of metal flew in all directions, embedding themselves into the tower's stone walls.

"I've won!" Unknown thought, certainty filling him as the knight's lifeless form crumpled. He could feel the thrill of victory bubbling inside him as he pressed forward, continuing to attack without a second thought, pushing every advantage his enhanced state gave him.

But then he saw something strange.

Death Knight's body jerked unnaturally, its movements like a puppet with its strings cut. Despite the loss of its head, it wasn't finished. 

It twisted in an eerie imitation of life, and before Unknown could react, a stabbing pain shot through his side. His vision blurred for a split second as the Death Knight gained back its footing.

Blood poured from the wound as Unknown staggered, but the adrenaline surge from the "Limit break" still kept him upright. His body screamed in pain, but he refused to fall.

The fight wasn't over. The Death Knight was still moving, its sword raised again, ready to strike.

"Shit."