The Beginning of Knife King's

As it swung its massive sword at me, I created a mana-infused dagger coated with an aura behind it. Then, I gathered the aura in my hand and controlled the dagger to strike its back.

"Take this!" I said with growing confidence.

As it stumbled, I detonated my core and grabbed the dagger, thrusting it into its armor with all my might.

Crack—crack—shatter!

The skeleton knight's armor broke into pieces, revealing its core.

"So, that's your life source, huh?" I said, before plunging the dagger into its core.

Shatter!

Its body and giant sword disintegrated, leaving behind only two daggers and some kind of journal.

"Man, that was exhausting!" I shouted in relief.

Creeeak!

A massive door appeared before me, but I chose not to open it. In my current state, I'd definitely die if I pressed on.

Step, step, step… stop.

I picked up the daggers and the journal. The journal looked ancient and continuously emitted an aura. I opened the first page and was stunned.

"What the hell is this!?"

The first page contained knowledge and techniques unrelated to cores, auras, or magic. I kept reading, utterly captivated.

"So that's how it works... Merge the core and aura, then release it to synchronize with nature."

I focused my mind and began merging my aura with my core. As I did, I felt an overwhelming surge of energy colliding within me.

My aura and core became one, creating immense power that was nearly uncontrollable. After struggling for a while, I gradually gained control.

About a week later, I managed to enter a natural state—an equilibrium where neither my aura nor core could be detected by anyone. Though I wasn't fully proficient, I could use it effectively.

I activated the natural state to prevent monsters from detecting me and approached the massive door before me.

Creeeeak~

I opened the door with newfound confidence. Beyond it lay a familiar sight: a vast cavern with a single straight path. Unlike before, it lacked scattered weapons.

As I walked, a familiar sound reached my ears—a sound that rekindled my desire for battle.

Grrr... Grrr!

It was the howl of a pack of Silver Wolves, numbering in the hundreds, rushing at me with ravenous hunger.

"If this were before, I might've been overwhelmed. But you're unlucky to face me now."

The moment I finished speaking, I dashed forward with incredible speed, much faster than before.

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

My enhanced speed left the Silver Wolves unable to react. Within five minutes, I stood amidst a sea of their corpses.

After defeating them, I continued deeper, slaughtering countless Silver Wolves—roughly a thousand in total—until I reached the large door at the end of the cave.

"Up next is probably their boss. If I remember correctly, it should be the Shadow Wolf," I muttered with a smirk as I opened the door.

Creeeak~

A familiar, oppressive aura greeted me. Standing before me was a jet-black werewolf.

"So, it's you—Shadow Wolf."

The Shadow Wolf lunged at me just like last time, but things were different now. I could easily follow its movements.

Clang! Slash! Clang!

My speed surpassed the Shadow Wolf's, and its body was soon covered in wounds. Its claws began to crack from clashing with my daggers.

"Darkness Sleep: Unmove!"

The Shadow Wolf cast spells to paralyze, blind, and put me to sleep. However, they had no effect. By merging my aura and core, I could nullify any abnormal status.

"Too bad. I came prepared."

The Shadow Wolf, realizing its hopeless situation, tried to escape at full speed.

"Running, huh? You won't get away."

I threw my dagger, hitting its leg and immobilizing it. It desperately tried to heal itself.

Step, step, step.

"Sorry, but no matter what you do, it's futile," I said coldly, raising my dagger and slashing its neck.

Slash! Thud!

Its head rolled to my feet before disintegrating, leaving behind another journal.

It became clear to me then: this place rewarded techniques that made one stronger upon defeating the floor bosses.

I picked up the journal and read it. This time, it contained techniques for emitting and suppressing killing intent, which were crucial for my skill set.

I spent my time training while searching for a way out of this place—before the day I had to return to school arrived.

End of Chapter 8