Chapter 207 – Monster Knight.

‘This is a lot bigger than I expected.’

Rusty thought to himself as he stepped into the so-called boss chamber. It looked nothing like the other spaces in this void gate, yet it still reminded him of the dungeons in his world. The structures were similar, and the traps and swarms of monsters gave him the same feeling. There were slight differences since they could not retrace their steps to find an exit. Instead, they were forced to search for an exit gate that would appear somewhere within the chamber.

“I don’t see anything resembling an exit gate, Gwen. Are you sure we are in the right place?”

He called out to his summoner while she looked across the large cavern. The ceiling vanished into the darkness above, and the walls were lined with many more pulsating red crystals than the other tunnels, which made the entire place glow brightly. He lacked a sense of smell, yet he could still tell from the reactions of his allies that the air was stale. The mana was thick and pooled in several places, which suggested the presence of hidden traps.

“Are you sure, Rusty? Could there be any doors or openings?”

“Now that you mention it, there is a large gate behind that thing.”

“T-that thing is a… oh no…”

Gwen hesitated to step any farther once she heard Rusty speak. Her eyes followed the line of his halberd to a lone creature. It sat in a chair with its legs spread, its pointed chin resting on its hand as it watched their movements.

‘That should be the boss, right? Let us see.’

Just as the description had stated, their next opponent was a heavily armored monster. It wore a full suit of armor, yet several pieces did not match, as if the set had been salvaged during battle rather than crafted by a blacksmith to fit the creature’s strange frame. Like the other hobgoblins, its arms were unusually long, but now that this monster was taller, the proportions did not appear as mismatched as they did on the regular hobgoblins.

“Why would it be a Hobgoblin Knight…?”

Gwen commented while she and Astrella looked afraid. Rusty examined the monster’s description and saw that it was a regular D rank creature, one that was technically above his own rank. For these young summoners, monsters at this level were quite dangerous, but to him it was simply another chance to test his steel.

“Do not worry, Gwen. Leave it to me.”

“R Rusty, wait.”

The armored creature had already begun to rise from its stone seat. The Red Hobgoblin Knight stood slowly, metal scraping against metal. Its helmet was crude and dented. It covered most of its head but left the creature’s crooked jaw exposed, which allowed them to see the monster’s unsettling grin.

“We should not underestimate it. Let Airy give you a few buffs first.”

As Astrella instructed Airy to raise Rusty’s stats, Syber summoned both of his tigers and watched the creature carefully. The young man swallowed hard, clearly intimidated by the dense mana that surrounded the monster. Even so, he seemed to have a plan of his own and called out to the other two girls.

“Keep it busy. I will circle around and strike when I see an opening.”

He stepped to the side with both of his summoned tigers trotting close behind him. The two girls nodded, since the idea sounded reasonable. One iron living armor remained behind to protect both Gwen and Astrella. Rusty advanced with long, confident strides, shield in his left hand and halberd in his right.

His opponent did the same, and the two mirrored each other. The Red Hobgoblin Knight carried a spiked rectangular shield with dried blood staining its surface. In its right hand, it held a poleaxe that matched the length of Rusty’s weapon, though not its quality. The blade was chipped in several places and looked as if it could break during a prolonged fight.

The battle began immediately. Rusty charged forward with his shield raised and his halberd thrusting out just as it had many times before against the other hobgoblins.

The difference between this monster and the others became clear. Even though it wore heavy armor, its movements were far more refined. Where Rusty had previously disemboweled his opponents with ease, this time his strikes either missed or were blocked by the creature’s shield.

Sparks flew in every direction as the two armored beings clashed. The crystals along the cavern walls trembled with each impact. Rusty drove his halberd forward once more, this time dipping low and angling for the knight’s exposed side. The Red Hobgoblin Knight twisted with uncanny dexterity. Its poleaxe swept downward and intercepted Rusty’s weapon, forcing him back a step. The shock rattled through his metallic joints as he caught himself before he could fall.

‘Strong, probably stronger than that adventurer…’

The knight suddenly surged forward. Its shield slammed into Rusty with brutal force. The living armor dug his boots into the stone, carving deep grooves as he was pushed backward.

“Rusty!”

Gwen cried out when she saw her summoned monster being forced back, but Rusty did not seem bothered.

“I am fine… more than fine, this is fun!”

Stolen novel; please report.

He called back with a tone that sounded more amused than bothered.

“What?”

“What is wrong, Gwen? Is Rusty in trouble?”

Astrella asked as she watched their strongest fighter being overwhelmed.

“No… he is having fun…”

“Fun?”

The green-haired girl stared as Rusty rose again, surrounded by a faint haze of gray energy. He pushed off the ground with a rapid step. The hobgoblin knight braced for impact, and their shields crashed together, but this time the red creature was the one sent skipping back several paces.