The knight lunged forward with terrifying speed, his long sword carving a dark arc through the air.

He brought it down in a vicious overhead slash at me. The blade hummed with dark energy, the sheer force behind it powerful enough to split a boulder in two.

But I didn't dodge.

My hand shot up like lightning, the Dragon's Tooth meeting his cursed blade in a perfect parry.

The impact sent a shockwave through the cavern, dust shaking loose from the ceiling.

The knight's eyes widened slightly behind his helmet, surprised at my quick reaction. He pressed the blade down to test my resistance.

His strength was monstrous, but my grip was unshakeable.

I had reinforced my arm muscles with my mana so it could take forces far beyond what my youthful body should've allowed.

"You're strong," the knight muttered as he pulled back. "That strength... it doesn't match your size."

I smirked. "You have no idea. I've been training hard."

With a grunt, he came again, this time faster than before.

His blade carved through the air in a flurry of strikes aimed at my limbs, my torso and my neck. But every single slash was deflected and parried by the Dragon's Tooth.

The knight's movements grew sharper. He feinted left, then pivoted into a brutal horizontal slash meant to cleave me in half—but I leaned back just enough, letting the blade whistle past my chest before countering with a swift upward strike.

He barely managed to block my blade, the force sending him skidding backward.

His breathing was heavier now, his stance tightening. "You're matching my speed," he said, voice at edge. "How interesting. But you can't defeat me. I'm a seasoned knight with skills beyond your comprehension."

I didn't respond. My golden eyes were tracking his every motion.

Then, he made his move.

Mid-swing, his left hand shot forward as he reached for my wrist in an attempt to corrupt me. The moment his ringed fingers brushed my skin, a blinding light erupted between us.

A volt of golden energy repelled his touch, sending him staggering back with a pained hiss. He groaned in pains as he stared at his hand.

His gauntlet was smoked, and his fingers twitching in pain.

I smiled. "I knew you'd try to touch me. That ring of yours—it corrupts through physical contact, doesn't it?"

I raised my palm, flexing my fingers. "But not today. I casted a repulsion spell. The moment you tried to infect me, it bit you instead."

I could see the pent-up rage and frustration building up in his eyes. The knight hissed beneath his helmet, his dark aura pulsing uncontrollably.

"You… clever brat…"

I raised the Dragon's Tooth once more and took a step forward, my own energy flaring with golden light swirling around me. "I told you. The ring made a mistake when it chose to fight me," I said. "You cannot beat me. I'm stronger than you."

The knight growled, his sword rising again. "Then let's see if your clever tricks can keep you alive. I'm going all out."

Before the knight could move, I surged forward in a flash, the air snapping with pressure behind me.

My form split into ten identical clones, each wielding the Dragon's Tooth. They struck from all angles—high, low, front, and back slashes.

The knight reeled back, his eyes darting frantically between the clones. "What?! There's ten of you?"

He raised his sword, slashing wildly, trying to defend himself. But the assault came too fast, too relentless.

We were overwhelming him with our numbers, sparing him no time for rest.

A cut opened on his shoulder, then another on his thigh. His armor groaned under the assault, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"This isn't fair!" he roared, parrying desperately.

I stood among my clones, all speaking in unison. "You intended to massacre thousands of lives to feed that cursed ring. How is that fair?"

The knight howled and pushed back, fighting harder, his blade whirling like a hurricane.

He managed to strike down two clones, but the remaining ones pressed in, faster and more aggressive.

One clone slipped past his guard, and in desperation, he grabbed it by the throat.

The ring flared into life, dark tendrils latching onto the clones neck as corruption surged into it's entire body.

The cursed energy tried to take root in the clone's form, wrapping around the chest and creeping toward the head.

But before it could reach—

The clone grinned and kicked the knight square in the face, the force cracking his helmet and sending him flying backward.

The impact sent him flying, his body crashing against the cavern wall with a sickening crunch.

Blood sprayed from his mouth as he slumped forward, coughing violently.

His eyes, wide with shock, locked onto the clone which was completely unharmed, the corruption fading as if it had never happened.

"I—I don't understand," he wheezed. "I held you. Why couldn't I corrupt you?"

I stepped forward, the last of my clones fading behind me like mist in the wind.

"That was a clone," I said simply. "It only obeys my will—and no one else's. This Fight is over. I won."

The Knight's breathing was ragged, his body trembling with fury radiating from every inch of his armor

His fingers twitched, his grip tightening on his sword as his aura grew unstable.

Then, his voice erupted in a guttural scream. "I'll kill you," he seethed, his words loud with madness. "I'll fucking kill you!"

Dark energy exploded from the ring, transforming his body in grotesque ways.

His armor cracked as his limbs stretched, muscles bulging unnaturally.

His helmet split open as his jaw elongated, eyes turning a molten red. His armor tore apart as blackened, spiked flesh burst through. He roared in agony and rage as he mutated, growing larger, deformed and monstrous.

But I didn't wait for the transformation to finish.

"I won't let you," I muttered sharply.

I vanished in a flash of golden light and closed the distance between us. The Dragon's Tooth came down in a clean arc.

There was a slicing sound.

The knight's ringed hand flew through the air, landing on the stone floor with a sickening thud.

The knight screamed—an agonized, soul-tearing scream that shook the cavern walls.

He collapsed to his knees, clutching the bleeding stump where his hand had been. His breaths was shallow and full of panic.

The ring lay on the ground, still pulsing with dark energy—but now that it was severed from its host, its influence was fading.

The Knight's body began collapsing in on itself. Without the ring, the transformation could not be completed, hence it failed.

Using my mind, I pulled out the ring from the severed hand as I summoned the infinity vault.

Without touching the ring again, I guided it into the vault, sealing it away where its corruption could no longer spread.

The moment it vanished into the vault, the air lightened.

The knight let out a strangled cry, his remaining hand clawing at the air as if he could pull the ring back.

"No—no, please!" His voice was raw and broken. "Give it back! Without it, I'm nothing! I need it!"

He collapsed forward, his armored knees scraping against the stone. "I can't live without it!"

I looked down at him with pity in my eyes. The ring had reduced him to a broken shell.

"You were a knight once," I said. "An honorable man. You don't need a cursed ring to be somebody."

His shoulders shook, and then—like a child—he began to sob.

"No, no, you don't understand… I'm scared… I can't be alone again… the silence… the emptiness…"

Deep, heaving cries wracked his body, his helmet clanking against the ground as he curled in on himself.

Before I could say more, heavy footsteps approached. Dwayne stood beside me, his greatsword resting against his broad shoulder.

"Well done, Master," he rumbled. "We were waiting for you to finish."

I turned and was taken aback.

The cavern floor was littered with the corpses of the mutated wolves, not a single one left alive.

Every single mutated wolf, every last one, had been slaughtered. Heads separated from bodies. Limbs shattered. Not a single beast had escaped.

Dwayne, Rust, and Vibranium stood amidst the carnage, their weapons still dripping with the blood of the wolves.

I smirked and slapped Dwayne's shoulder. "Good job, Dwayne." Then, nodding at the others, I added, "All of you. Impressive as always."

Vibranium twirled his spear before resting it against his shoulder. "So," he said, tilting his head toward the weeping knight. "What should we do with him?"

I exhaled as I considered my options. The man was broken, but not beyond saving.

"I'll take him to see a doctor," I decided. Then, turning to Dwayne, I added, "Here's an assignment for you. I want you to find out which king he served. What kingdom he belonged to before he was cast out. If he was once noble, I want to know what made him fall."

Dwayne gave a firm nod. "Understood, my lord. I'll track down every record if I have to."

"Good," I said quietly. I looked once more at the broken knight.

"Let's go home."

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