Within a few breaths, Ronin was the first to enter the woods by the roadside.
Using the trees and a small hill to block their line of sight, he immediately summoned the seven-day login interface and claimed the Day 1 reward.
Instantly, countless pillars of light rose from the ground before him. The sight was as mesmerizing as the Tyndall effect created by beams of light.
These pillars of light outlined a complex, esoteric, and profound Summoning Array on the ground, radiating a faint aura of power.
A fierce wind swept through, and a figure slowly materialized within the pillars of light.
The man was built like a mountain. Beneath his simple Leather Armor were a broad chest and powerful arms. His expression was resolute and steady, the kind that wouldn't change even in the heart of a storm.
"Macken Saliton greets you, my master!"
His voice was sonorous, his attitude respectful. The man summoned through the Magic Array struck his left breast firmly with his right hand, giving Ronin a standard Knight's salute.
"It's good to see you, Macken, but we're in a bit of a tight spot right now."
Ronin had barely finished speaking when the treacherous Guards caught up to them.
They stared in astonishment at the strange, blond-haired man before them, unable to fathom how someone could have appeared in the woods in less than ten seconds.
"Who are you?"
The traitors' leader watched Macken warily, the feeling of unease in his heart growing stronger.
Macken had already sensed their intent. A Shield appeared on his left arm as he drew the Longsword at his hip. "Anyone who wishes to harm my master must first step over my corpse!"
Standing a step behind Macken, Ronin's gaze fell upon a small Attribute Panel that had appeared at the Knight's side. Its contents were extremely simple:
[Macken Saliton]: Basic Level Knight · Earth (0/100) +
'Clearly, I can allocate points to Macken, and it costs Energy Essence.'
To ensure nothing went wrong in the coming fight, he spent all his Energy Essence without a second thought.
[Macken Saliton]: Basic Level Knight (0/100) → (60/100)
Macken froze for a moment. He felt his power surge in an instant. The Fighting Qi Spirit Seed in his heart seemed to come alive, pulsing with incredible strength!
He couldn't help but glance back at Ronin, certain that such an enhancement was his master's doing.
In the instant he turned his head, the traitors seized their chance.
"Kill!"
Ronin drew his sword and shouted, "Macken, finish these traitors!"
"As you command, master!"
Macken lunged forward. With a burst of immense power, he kicked up a spray of dirt as his figure moved with unbelievable speed.
These treacherous Guards were all ordinary men. At best, they were capable of catching thieves or bullying commoners. When had they ever crossed blades with a Professional Knight?
And Macken was not just any Knight; he was a Knight born with a natural instinct for combat. Before him, these traitors were like lambs to the slaughter.
SHUNK!
The Longsword pierced the chest of the fastest charging traitor, killing him instantly!
As Macken withdrew his blade, he used his agile footwork to evade an incoming sword. In the same motion, he lashed out with a kick, sending two more attackers flying.
In a single exchange, he had already shattered the traitors' morale.
Before they could react, Macken wrenched his Longsword free, lunged forward, and with a sweeping slash, slit the throats of two more traitors.
The metallic scent of blood drifted through the woods on the wind.
Ronin had thought he might need to jump in and help, but he never expected Knight Macken to be so ferocious, killing three and knocking down two in the blink of an eye.
The deaths of three of their own shattered the remaining traitors' composure. The fear of betraying a nobleman and a Knight once again seized their minds.
All thoughts of escape or resistance vanished. The only thing they could think to do was drop their Longswords, kneel on the ground, and beg Ronin for mercy like groveling dogs.
"My Lord, spare us!"
"My Lord, have mercy!"
The courage they had mustered for their betrayal moments ago had vanished completely.
Ronin let out a cold laugh. He ignored the traitors and instead gave Macken a thumbs-up.
"Knight Macken, your abilities are a real eye-opener!"
Hearing this, the traitors' faces turned ashen. 'So it's true,' they thought, 'this brutal man really is a Knight!'
They suddenly realized how ridiculous they'd been, naively thinking the Baron had no Knight to protect him.
"This is all thanks to your gift, master!" Macken said, standing to the side, not continuing the slaughter.
"My lord, are you alright, my lord?"
The manservant, Chahar, came stumbling into the woods, clearly not expecting to walk into such a scene.
"Chahar, I have witnessed your loyalty. You've done well!"
Although Chahar hadn't actually been much help, the fact was that in that desperate situation, the servant hadn't betrayed him. He had even wanted to rush forward to help.
For that loyalty alone, Ronin had to give the man credit.
Longsword in hand, he slowly walked over to the leader of the traitors. Looking down at the man kneeling and begging for his life, Ronin's eyes were filled with ice.
"You instigated and planned this betrayal, didn't you?"
Ronin's brow was furrowed, his voice frigid. "What gave you the courage to betray me?"
The man didn't dare to look up, his body trembling in fear. "M-My Lord, I didn't... I didn't expect you to have a Kni... a Knight."
"Oh?"
Ronin drew out the sound mockingly. "So if you knew I had a Knight with me, you wouldn't have betrayed me. Is that it?"
"Spare me, my Lord! I won't dare to again! I'll never dare to again!"
"Actually, there's something you may not know," Ronin said, his voice betraying no hint of joy or anger.
"What is it?"
The kneeling traitor couldn't help but raise his head. From his angle, Ronin seemed impossibly tall, his presence suffocating.
"The truth is... I'm a Knight, too!"
"Even without Macken, you would still be no match for me!"
The blade plunged downward, piercing through the man's chest. The traitor's eyes widened in disbelief, perhaps never imagining he would truly die.
Ronin still felt some hesitation about killing. His body's previous owner had never killed anyone, and as someone who had transmigrated from another world, he was even less experienced.
But having come to this Otherworld, and as a Lord, sometimes one had to make difficult choices.
If he'd been powerless, he would have been the one to die today. His enemies certainly wouldn't have been merciful.
Watching the man collapse into a lifeless pool of his own blood, Ronin's heart pounded in his chest. It was, after all, his first kill.
But soon, a spark of joy mingled with his trepidation and unease, because a line of text was now pulsing in his vision—
["King of Slaughter" Achievement Unlocked: Attribute Points +10, Energy Essence +20]
The requirement for the King of Slaughter achievement was to kill any unit. Since the traitor was an ordinary person, he naturally counted.
He glanced at his achievement panel. The King of Slaughter achievement had now updated:
[King of Slaughter]: Kill one First-level Extraordinary Unit. Reward: Attribute Points +30, Energy Essence +60
'So the achievements are progressive, just like when I used to design game systems.'
First-level Extraordinary Units referred to Basic Level Knights, Basic Level Mages, and First-level Magical Beasts. Completing this achievement would be rather difficult for Ronin right now.
Although he himself was a First-level Transcendent, he had no actual combat experience.
What he'd just told the traitor—that he could've defeated them even without Macken—was mostly a bluff.
If he had really fought them himself, he would have been seriously injured, if not killed. There was no way he could have terrified his enemies into submission in an instant like Macken.
'When I get the time, I need to seriously work on my combat skills.'
'But now, with Macken, I have a teacher.'
"Master, there is no need for you to dirty your hands with the rest of them. Allow me to handle it!" Macken offered.
Ronin raised an eyebrow and looked at the five remaining "Elite Soldiers" kneeling and trembling on the ground.