Crouching, I focused my night-enhanced vision on the darkened sky, piercing the gloom and taking notice of a massive concealed silhouette looming within the ashen forest.

A mounted horseman.

The silhouette gradually revealed itself in more detail. The creature towered at least three meters, appearing humanoid yet unnaturally elongated, giving it a distorted, almost spectral appearance. Its body was encased in jagged black armor that seemed grown rather than forged, as if it had been sculpted from a fusion of gnarled wood and volcanic rock. Moss, lichen, and faintly glowing veins of sap threaded across its limbs.

Its shoulders were broad and spiked, resembling twisted branches clawing toward the sky, and one gauntleted hand gripped a mighty spear seemingly forged from the same gnarled, monstrous material as its body, while the other gripped a giant round shield twice its size.

The faceplate — or whatever could be called a face — was a hollow void framed by bark-like ridges, regarding the survivors with a cold, insect-like indifference. For that matter, the horseman hadn't moved from its initial position, choosing only to observe from a measured distance atop its corrupted steed. Thick, blackened drool dripped from the horse's mouth, splattering onto the ground below.

What unsettled me most were the fresh wounds across the horse's body. Its flesh seemed to rot even as it moved, and writhing worms slithered in and out of the gashes.

I clicked my tongue bitterly.

「 Sentinels 」

These monsters were field bosses and one of the deadliest foes a player could face in Shatterverse. Thankfully, they were considered optional bosses. Even so, these monstrosities were so ridiculously powerful that it was advised against attempting them, only the highest-ranked or fully coordinated parties stood a chance.

For this reason, the players globally nicknamed them "Newbie Killers." It got to the point where I began to wonder if the developers had designed them as some kind of cruel joke.

But this was no longer a game.

If you were struck, you would feel pain. If you were cut, you would bleed. And if one of your critical organs or heart was pierced or crushed, you would die. That was all there was.

Nevertheless, encountering a Field Boss in such a short span was nothing short of misfortune.

This is just... too much! What are we, humans, supposed to do against such a monstrosity?!

A desperate thought emerged.

'Can't I just run away?'

Night had already fallen, shrouding the surroundings in darkness. The absolute worst time to get caught by monsters. First, all the survivors were defenseless, and Grant, the strongest among us, couldn't stall for time even if he suffered himself in a heroic manner. Second, with everything cloaked in darkness, running wasn't even an option.

At least, not for them.

With my night-enhanced vision, I could see and move through this place safely. But I couldn't make a reckless decision that might get me killed in a single misstep.

Just because I could see in the dark didn't mean the monsters suddenly went blind.

But what was that Sentinel doing? It was just... standing there.

Squirting my eyes, the ghostly horse seemed to be trembling. From its orifices, something began to crawl out and fall to the ground. At first, it looked like blood, but the fallen masses soon twisted into unnatural forms: grotesque, fresh-looking creatures, each roughly the size of a small cube. They convulsed violently, sprouting gnarling teeth all over their writhing bodies.

'What the hell...'

I recoiled in horror, an overwhelming urge rising in me to empty my already hollow stomach.

Moments later, the black larvae completed their gruesome transformation and began slithering toward us. Struggling to regain my composure, I slowly started to retreat toward the back. Unaware of the danger, the survivors didn't notice the tiny terrors crawling up their bodies until it was far too late.

Screams erupted almost instantly.

The survivors' panic was immediate and visceral as the black larvae clung to their skin, burrowing and biting with horrifying efficiency. Some thrashed desperately, clawing at themselves, but it only made the creatures gnash deeper into their flesh.

"Ack!"

One of the larvae leapt and latched onto a survivor's face. In an instant, it bored into his skull, killing him on the spot. His body went limp, collapsing heavily onto Choi Minho.

Across from him, Margaret stood frozen whether out of fear or selfish hesitation, I couldn't tell.

I barked at her.

"Why are you just standing there?! Stay away from him!"

"Ah!" she gasped.

But Minho's muffled cry broke through, beneath the corpse.

"Are you crazy? Don't back away...! Help me!"

Normally, I would've liked to help, but my hands were already full. The corpses were rising one after another. Apparently, the larvae could seize control of their victims' bodies and use them as parasitic vessels to infect the living.

It was bizarre.

Could Sentinels really do something like this? That sort of ability had never existed in the game.

But then again, what was the use in comparing a fictional system to this grim reality?

'Fu*k me. This is probably because of that accursed trait!'

One of the parasitic humans lunged at me with alarming speed, its newly warped right arm stretching forward in a murderous thrust. With a quick sidestep, I narrowly avoided the strike.

But the assault didn't end there. Another corpse, already twisted into a monster, charged in from the side. I met it head-on, driving a straight punch into its face. The blow landed clean, but the force was disappointingly lacking. The infected only staggered back two steps.

Honestly speaking, combat was never my strong suit, if it could even be considered a suit at all. I'd never been in a fistfight, never hit the gym, never even thrown a proper punch outside of a video game. The fact that I managed to land a solid blow at all was surprising. Of course, the power behind it was pathetic.

And let's be real, my opponent wasn't just some bar brawler. This was a transformed human, reanimated by a corrupted beast, and not just any beast: a supposed Field Boss ripped straight out of a Souls-like video game!

'Give me a break!'

Realizing the situation, I slowly backed away. That didn't stop the monsters from advancing. My eyes darted frantically across the scene, torn bodies littered the ground and streaks of blood were soaking into the soil. A few survivors had broken free and were now sprinting away.

'Idiots.'

Just where did they think they were going? Running blindly at night was as good as suicide. Even if they somehow escaped the Sentinel, what were the chances they wouldn't stumble straight into another something else?

The situation among the survivors was also as dire. Out of twelve, only three were still standing. Margaret darted frantically, struggling to avoid the snapping jaws around her. Ezra fought desperately, tearing the larva from his body before they could burrow in. Choi Minho had his hands locked around the throat of a mutated figure, strangling it with grim resolve. As for Grant, he was nowhere to be found. Most likely, he had already fled.

Meanwhile, the swarm of living corpses and larvae had advanced to a point that was becoming dangerously concerning. Damn my luck, there wasn't a single thing I could use as a weapon!

No choice, huh?

If running was off the table, then fighting was all that remained. If I was going to die anyway, then I'd die swinging.

Clenching my fists, I lifted them into a shaky defensive stance, bracing for the inevitable bloodbath.

'Suck my dick, you rotten bastards!'

Two mutated zombies lunged toward me with a sudden burst of speed.

...Shit, they could move that fast?!

Before I even had the chance to throw a punch, something slammed into the head of one larva, snapping its momentum and sending it sprawling. A heartbeat later, a brutal kick crashed into the second, knocking it off balance.

'W-What…'

My eyes inadvertently blinked. Standing in front of me was the broad-shouldered man wielding a heavy tree branch strained with blood. His expression was incredibly grim and serious, driven by survival instincts and cunning.

Grant? I thought he had ran away. Why did he come back?

"Hey! Catch!"

Quickly turning his head, Grant reached for something inside his pocket and threw it my way. Then, in a moment's breath, he sprinted off to feed off the monsters chasing Margaret.

Reflexively, I snatched the object out of the air and glanced down. My eyes lit up in an instant.

A knife… it's a knife! Updates are released by Nove1Fire.net

The relief was overwhelming, so much that dropping to my knees and crying almost seemed tempting.

It wasn't a combat blade, though. Specifically, a paring knife. Hardly suited for excessive violence, instead being a blade meant for peering fruits and vegetables. Nevertheless, a small weapon was still a weapon.

Kuk! Kuk!

The grisly sound of bones snapping pulled my gaze back. The zombies Grant had battered aside were already twitching, their mangled limbs and bones producing a 'creaking' sound as they forced themselves upright.

'Like hell you are!'

Clutching the knife tight, I steadied my breathing. Lowering my center of gravity, I gathered strength in my legs then propelled me forward with every ounce of desperation I could muster.

The paring knife drove into the nearest corpse's chest with a dull thuk. Not exactly where I wanted it, but close enough. I twisted, forcing the blade to grind against bone.

"Ghh… dammit!"

Yanking it free, I drove the knife again, this time at its neck. The blade slid in only halfway before sticking fast. Stabbing a body wasn't anything like in movies, especially when the blade was dull and small in size. The thing barely faltered, its claws raking for my skin as it thrashed against me.

"Die! Die! Just die already, please!"

With a ragged scream, I ripped the blade free and brought it down again, this time straight into its eye socket. Resistance met me for a moment, then gave way with a wet snap.

The creature spasmed once. Then, at last, its body went slack, collapsing in a limp heap.

I rolled away from the demon and collapsed onto the ground.

A moment later, a strange yet beautiful voice rang in the air.

[You have slain a dormant fiend: Hollow Knight's Seedling.]