While everything finds a shape in light, Leon observed his surroundings, wondering what he will fight this time. First it gained some kind of temple shape.

'Huh, am I going to fight with a priest?' Leon tried to predict. But when the familiar scene of dead soldiers, and beyond them a heavily wounded knight looking man gained shape in the temple, Leon moved this thought to bin. After a few seconds of observing, Leon understood that this wounded man killed all of these soldiers. There were 500 soldier corpses in here. At least this is what Leon guessed. But it can't be said that soldiers died without doing anything. They really must have gotten close to kill the knight looking man by cutting his right arm and the swords cut everywhere on his body. Heck, there were even swords of soldiers that were still stuck at his back. This knight is a one-man army.

'How the hell this man is still alive?' Leon thought while gulping. He is sure nobody normally can get out alive from a fight like this. But this man, let alone being alive, on top of that he was going to fight even with Leon. Within a few seconds, when the light finished its job, the knight opened his eyes and took a deep breath while blood dripped from his body. Directly looked at Leon while taking his position.

'Oh boy, this is not really good,' Leon thought while the knight pointed his sword at him. But the thought of having a battle against this knight fueled Leon's love of fighting.

"Let's decide the end of this fight, knight!" Leon shouted as he gained pace with each step. As their swords clashed with each other. Knowing even making one mistake in this fight could lead to his death, Leon focused on the battle. Even though the knight was wounded, tired, and at a disadvantage, after a few sword strikes, pushed back Leon with his swordsmanship. Clearly he was better at using sword than Leon.

"F-fuck, you are really tough, aren't you?" Leon asked while dodging some strikes. Somersaulting back, Leon put a distance between them, trying to find how to win against this monster. Well, the best thing Leon came up with was striking at his weaknesses, such as attacking from his right. Simple but useful tactic. To try this, Leon started running towards the knight to close the distance.

In midway, "Activate [PARALYZING STRIKES]" Leon commanded the system.

[-20 MP]

[ACTIVATED, REMAINING TIME SECONDS]

Clashing with each other again, putting the knight in a hard situation, Leon attacks from his right. Leon opens new wounds on him while focusing all of his thoughts to end this fight. But even though Leon attacks his weaknesses, the knight still counters most of his attacks. Had he been in good shape, Leon wouldn't have been able to hold out for a second. Leon knew that too, that's why he thanked these soldiers for making his job easier. Honor? Leon didn't care about that. Winning is winning in the end. Whatever path he uses, whatever weapon or technique he uses, if they lead him to his victory, Leon would use it. But this doesn't mean Leon has no respect for his enemies. He deeply respects them because, with their spilled blood, he came to this point.

With Leon's attacks, the knight got more and more slower because of the effects of [PARALYZING STRIKES].

*CLANG*

*CLANG*

*CLANG*

In the temple's silent corridor, swords resounded. But among these resounds, while one of them more and more strongly resounds, the other one fades away within silence.

[(PARALYZING STRIKES) DEACTIVATED, REMAINING TIME SECONDS]

Completing its mission, [PARALYZING STRIKES] deactivates itself.

After some swords clash, and dodging the knight's slow attacks, taking advantage of the openings, Leon sends him to fall on his back. While the knight's body trembles from the effects of [PARALYZING STRIKES], surprisingly he finds power to stand up for a few seconds only to fall kneel. As Leon comes towards him with his slow steps to take his life away, the knight looks at Leon with emotionless eyes.

"I know you don't understand me, nor do you have your consciousness. But I want you to know that you put up a good fight against me..." looking at soldier corpses "and against these soldiers." Leon says, completing his sentence with a sad tone.

"You are a real warrior," Leon says while raising his sword to end this fight.

But the knight, not wanting to let his life end like this, to fight until the very end makes his last move while his sword gets covered in light. Charging within a second, he sends Leon a sharp light wave which wounds Leon heavily and sends him flying to crash into the temple's pillar. Not expecting this last sudden attack, Leon can't prepare himself against it. As Leon hits his head to the pillar of the temple, from the impact, he faints. Last thing he sees, the scene of the knight's death while coughing blood from pushing his limits too far.

'Now, that's a death befitting a knight....' Leon thinks as his consciousness fades away.

....

....

....

....

[TRIAL 9 HAS BEEN COMPLETED]

[YOU'VE GAINED 1000 EXP] [LEVEL: 7 (1360/4000)]

[(THE LAST LETTER OF THE FALLEN KNIGHT) HAS BEEN ADDED TO PLAYER'S INVENTORY]

While regaining his consciousness, Leon meets with these familiar panels. Reading them, Leon gets up in surprise.

"1000 EXP!!! That exceeds 2 times what I earned before!" Leon says in disbelief.

'Well, actually thinking about that knight's power, it's normal. If his weakened state gives this much, I wonder how much he would have given if he was in good health,' Leon thought to himself.

"Hmm, what is this?"

Realizing the new thing in his inventory, Leon gets it out of there. An envelope with a few drops of blood on it appears in his hand.

"The last letter of the fallen knight?" Leon says, wondering what is written inside.

Opening the envelope, a letter with a date on it greets Leon.

"12th Day of Taurus Moon 1105..."

-CHAPTER 8 END-