The Awakening Of The Last Knight.

Chapter 3, The Blue Armored Knight.

The University Stadium was in ruins, screams echoed through the air as people fled in every direction, some trampling over others in their panic, while a few unfortunate souls lay trapped beneath rubble or the gnashing teeth of the ghouls. Ali sprinted back into the fray, his sword flashing as he cut down one grotesque creature after another. But no matter how many he killed more seemed to pour in from the shadows, their guttural snarls filling the air.

They took bizarre shapes and forms, one had 4 arms, other had five tails, and their shark like teeth and crimson red eyes made them even more hideous and terrifying.

Then he saw her, a little girl, no older than six, kneeling beside the lifeless body of her mother, her tiny frame shaking with sobs. Without hesitation, Ali scooped her up with one arm, his grip tightening on his sword with the other.

"Hold on tight!" he shouted over the chaos as four ghouls lunged at them.

Swinging with desperate precision, he carved through the monsters, but the added weight of the child slowed him down. His arms burned with exertion, and he knew he couldn’t keep this up.

Spotting a family frantically loading into a car in the parking lot, Ali bolted toward them. He shoved the girl into the arms of a wide-eyed woman.

"Get her out of here now!" he ordered.

The engine roared to life, but a ghoul, faster than the rest, scrambled toward the vehicle. Ali intercepted it, cleaving its skull just as the car screeched away.

Panting, he allowed himself a single breath, before a sharp pain exploded across his back. He stumbled forward, the armor absorbing most of the blow, but the force still sent him crashing to the ground.

Rolling onto his back, Ali’s blood ran cold.

Surrounding him were figures with glowing red eyes, they looked like humans but something was wrong, . One grinned, his tongue stretching out like a lizard’s, flicking grotesquely. Another had rows of jagged, shark-like teeth. Then Ali realized what they were, they were shape shifters.

Ali barely had time to react before they attacked. These weren’t mindless beasts, they fought with strategy, dodging his swings, striking with crude weapons. He cut two down, their inhuman shrieks piercing the air, but they outnumbered him.

He found himself in the same situation he was before the system gave him another chance "was it all pointless?" He asked himself. "Did I fight hard and act brave for nothing?"

Negative thoughts sneaked to his mind, he looked around and noticed that the number of the Ghouls are growing. After everything he's done there's still no difference and he couldn't change their fate.

A club smashed into his ribs, and he gasped as his knees buckled.

They forced him down, their breath hot and rancid. The one with the elongated tongue leaned in, jaws unhinging.

Without warning, a violent gust of wind slammed into them, hurling the creatures backward like leaves in a storm. Ali blinked in shock, his sword still clenched in his trembling hands.

"What the hell was that?" He asked himself.

The air crackled with energy, and for the first time since the massacre began, he dared to hope.

"Are you ok?" A firm, deep voice asked. He looked up, and a guy wearing blue armor and holding a huge fan was looking down at him. The armored man held out his hand, and Ali took it. The guy helped him up to his feet and said, "I saw you fighting them. You've fought well, but those shapeshifters are above your level. You're just an amateur, and you're injured. Fall back and let us handle it."

Ali didn’t know what to do, so he just nodded. He wanted to ask the armored guy who he was, but the man didn’t give him a chance—he launched at one of the biggest ghouls and struck it with his fan, sending it flying until it hit the wall. Then, he used his huge fan to blow the smaller ones away, causing a strong wind.

Ali was speechless. Then it hit him, the spiky black hair, the blue armor, and the fan. He realized who this guy was, he was one of the famous knights of Askalan.

Ali wanted to join the knight and keep fighting, but his ribs hurt. Then, suddenly, he saw the screen again:

[You've defeated many ghouls and successfully leveled up to Level 2.]

After that, he felt the pain in his ribs slowly fade. So he picked up his sword and launched toward a group of ghouls who were attacking the knight from behind. He felt himself moving a little faster and lighter than before, in a flash, he cut them all down.

The knight turned to him and said, "Didn’t I tell you to stay back?"

"I’m fine. In fact, I fight even better now. Let’s work together and take them all down," Ali replied.

The knight didn’t respond. Instead, he jumped high and struck the air with his fan, sending a winged ghoul crashing into a building. Then he said, "If you slow me down, I’ll leave you behind. So you better keep up."

Ali followed behind the knight, and together, they cut down all the ghouls in the university stadium.

After an hour, Ali was kneeling down and panting. They had successfully taken down all the ghouls in the area. Then, the knight got a call from one of the other knights, informing him that they had managed to eliminate all the ghouls at the seashore and were now searching the city for any stragglers. The knight reported that he had also cleared the university ghouls with the help of a mysterious guy in a white armor. His friend told him to bring Ali along because they needed to question him.

The knight turned to Ali and said, "You need to come with me."

Ali was exhausted, he had no energy to argue with the Knight, suddenly the screen appeared.

[ Congratulations on completing your first mission, you've leveled up to Level 4.]

Then other messages from the system appeared .

[You've unlocked a new ability: Stealth moves]

[ You've earned 100 Durability points.]

[ You've earned a new title, The Master of Durability.]

[You've gained 100 experience points.]