****
Once I turned things upside down properly, no one in the unit bothered me afterward.
Even the prideful knights slunk away from me, so the regular soldiers and maids went without saying, and some were even scared because they had no idea what I was thinking.
It was only natural since the Dalton incident had exposed the fact that I'd been hiding my true nature until now.
The surprising part was that Billyum, the vice-captain of the knightly order, treated me noticeably more favorably despite his subordinates rotting away in the underground dungeon.
But once I learned through All-Seeing Eyes that his motives were rooted in 'curiosity and caution,' I saw no need to indulge his interest.
Thanks to Captain Otis the Earl's negligence and the subordinates' wariness toward me, I could focus on the game without any interference.
In the end, I successfully reached level 120.
With this, all that remained for the fifth stage of the serendipity quest was the next task, and clearing it would unlock the sixth floor of the Magic Tower.
Naturally, the remaining task in the serendipity quest meant a bloody battle with a named monster.
[Fallen Knight Zenith]
Unusually, this enemy wasn't a monster but a middle-aged knight in human form.
He wielded a half-sword in one hand, equipped with a round shield and half-plate armor—a traditional knight setup that contrasted with tank Arcia's gear, favoring light close-range dealer armament.
"I was thinking I needed real combat experience against a knight who wields aura. Perfect timing."
"Sorry, but you'll have to die."
It was only natural to fear the Vanguard system that turned humans into combat weapons, but in truth, knights were never to be taken lightly even without such special gear.
Aura alone boosted attack and defense power, transforming humans into near-superhumans.
No matter how much the era had advanced soldiers' combat prowess, they couldn't match a knight unleashing aura in torrents.
Stand dazed against one, and your neck could be severed in an instant—that was a knight for you.
"Arcia, focus on defense. I'll handle the damage dealing."
"Understood."
While Arcia assumed a defensive stance, I quickly began casting a spell.
"Then let's get to it."
With an arrogant declaration, Fallen Knight Zenith approached.
Despite his relaxed appearance, the atmosphere was utterly murderous, as an intangible energy poured from his entire body, shimmering like heat haze.
Soon, that energy coalesced, concentrating on his sword, and moments later, it ignited into flickering flames, exuding a terrifying presence.
Aura Fire, the trademark of a high-rank knight—an Aura Expert.
Just like with the Demi-Lich before, this quest monster possessed a realm one step higher than me and Arcia.
-Pop!
I calmly continued casting while closely observing his every move.
The Fallen Knight held his sword horizontally, then stomped the ground with a thud.
In the next instant, he was right in front of us, as if teleporting.
My eyes widened, and Arcia hurriedly swung her shield.
-Kwang!
This was it.
The terrifying aspect of knights.
They could execute moves that seemed straight out of a comic in real life.
The first clash seemed to test Arcia's defense, as he straightforwardly struck her shield with Aura Fire.
"......"
But did it feel tougher than expected?
The Fallen Knight furrowed his brow, using the rebound of his bounced sword to target me behind her.
A spinning slash utilizing the shield's recoil perfectly.
The attack connected so fluidly and swiftly that it was hard to follow with the eyes.
Yet, trusting Arcia's defensive capabilities, I unleashed the completed spell.
-Bang!
As planned, Arcia successfully blocked that attack too.
"Fire Sword!"
The 4th Circle spell reminiscent of sword arts, Fire Sword, manifested and surged toward the Fallen Knight.
Fire Sword wildly slashed at the enemy for 5 seconds.
It was perfect for drawing the knight's attention.
"Hup!"
-Pang! Paang!
But was the title of high-rank knight—Aura Expert—for naught?
He nearly perfectly neutralized my spell.
'This battle's going to drag on.'
Of course, it wasn't zero damage, but compared to his total HP, the harm was negligible.
Clicking my tongue, I began casting again, while Arcia steadfastly guarded my front.
-Kwaaang! Bang! Bang!
What followed was a fierce struggle between the blocker and the breaker.
Fallen Knight Zenith, striking like a snake at any opening, and Arcia, intercepting every attack to protect her master, me.
I etched their movements clearly in my eyes while continually disrupting the balance with my spells.
"This is......"
With my magic added to the intense exchange, the tide inevitably turned in our favor.
Arcia's defense, ironclad enough to allow no gaps, flustered the Fallen Knight for the first time.
-Pit!
Of course, we couldn't afford complacency despite the advantage.
His agile strikes occasionally grazed my cheek or shoulder—not lethal, but still.
It stung a bit, but nothing to fuss over.
So, I cycled through spells, pondering effective attacks and analyzing his patterns.
"Kuh!"
As a result, effective hits landing on him gradually increased.
-Pit!
The sword's trajectory, barely visible at first, started coming into view bit by bit.
"Die."
And the moment Arcia's defense was pierced for the first time.
I lightly ducked to evade the sword aimed at my neck.
Facing a slow mage in free status without landing a hit, his expression hardened more than ever.
-Bang!
Arcia, with a furious glare, swung her shield to repel the Fallen Knight, resetting the situation.
"Ha, am I just a stepping stone?"
His tone dripped with absurdity.
The moment his attack pierced Arcia but failed to reach me, his momentum had utterly crumbled.
Moreover, the intense battle lasting about 30 minutes made me feel my own growth.
Hunting tens of thousands of monsters with a body synced to reality hadn't been in vain.
[You have subjugated the named monster Fallen Knight Zenith.]
[You have cleared stage 5 of the serendipity quest.]
***
-Sixth floor of Manuel Lucas's Magic Tower.
From the 5th Circle onward, it was the realm of high-rank mages.
Policies varied by nation, but in the Reinhartz Kingdom, they were unconditionally granted the title of Baron or higher, with opportunities to join the Royal Magic Corps.
Considering it had only been 20 days since gaining the serendipity, it was tremendous progress.
"No matter how many times I see it, it's an impressive sight."
I smacked my lips while gazing at the noticeably more ornate treasure chest.
Touching it brought a longer message than before.
[You have acquired 2 trillion roots.]
[The amount is too large for account transfer or online currency receipt.]
[An account will be created at Elisian Union Bank.]
[The terminal will be installed with Union Bank online services.]
[Account and password will be auto-saved.]
Receiving deposits into domestic bank accounts could trigger tax audits and issues, so I'd taken the money as online currency until now.
But apparently, even online currency had limits beyond trillions.
Thus, they provided an account at the Union Bank, where anonymity was thoroughly guaranteed, in lieu of physical assets.
The Union Bank belonged to the Elisian Federation—composed of elves, dwarves, and other non-humans on the Prota Continent—with nearly all transactions, from account opening, handled remotely, making it popular for slush funds.
Its main clients were nobles and merchants diverting funds for tax evasion.
Thus, despite few customers, it boasted the world's highest deposit holdings—an odd bank.
From a nation's perspective, it was a thorn in the side, yet it thrived due to tacit approval from nobles worldwide and the banker's special background.
'A Union Bank account should be fine.'
If anything, I regretted why this option wasn't available from the start.
Unconcerned, I checked the next rewards.
[You have acquired the Eastro Staff.]
[You have acquired the Eastro Robe.]
[You have acquired the Eastro Armor.]
[You have acquired the Eastro Shield.]
[You have acquired the Eastro Shortsword.]
[You have acquired the Eastro Arming Sword.]
......
This time's rewards were none other than equipment.
But the continuous messages left me speechless.
[You have acquired the Eastro Halberd.]
[Eastro equipment will be transmitted to reality. Please check your inventory after logging out.]
A total of 13 pieces of equipment as rewards.
The only mage-exclusive gear for me was the robe and staff; the rest were all for others.
'For Arcia?'
Shortsword, arming sword, bastard sword, two-handed sword, saber, spear, halberd.
A variety of weapons, as if to pick and choose to taste.
'Well, more equipment is always better. Besides, Grand Duke Lucas wouldn't give ordinary cold weapons.'
No detailed descriptions attached, but I speculated they might operate on the same mechanisms as Vanguard gear.
Arcia's current equipment was plenty good, but that held true within Chronicle Online, set in a medieval era.
In reality, overrun by Vanguards, plain cold weapons offered no help.
And wasn't Grand Duke Lucas the creator of Vanguard gear?
Expectations ran high all around.
[The 5th Circle is being generated.]
With the circle forming next, and after mastering spells for a good while, I logged out to check the rewards in reality.