Chapter 549 – Unique Knight.

Robert stood over his fallen opponent, chest rising and falling as he struggled to steady his breath. The golden knight’s armor flickered weakly, its once radiant glow now dull. It was over. The final challenger had yielded.

For a moment, Robert simply stood there, trying to process what had just happened. Then, the world around him began to shift. The arena trembled, the walls rippling like water, and the golden knight faded into shimmering fireflies of light. The oppressive weight of the trial lifted, leaving only a vast throne room before him.

“Congratulations, Champion. You are now worthy to join me at the table. Come.”

Robert was still taken aback by the sudden shift in tone. Just moments ago, he had been battling armored men as if his life depended on it, and now he was right back where it all began, the lord’s throne room. The armored man pointed to a door that had been closed before but now slid open. Without a word, he stepped through it, clearly expecting Robert to follow.

‘Is it really over?’

The lord was gone, and he hesitated. The memories of his past failures were fragmented, but the deaths he had endured had affected his psyche. He worried that another secret opponent would reveal himself once he stepped through the door. Nevertheless, he had to gather his courage and move forward. His weapons were gone, and he was dressed in casual clothes instead. This was probably the end of the trial.

Robert took a deep breath and stepped through the door. As he crossed the threshold, he felt a strange sensation as if he were shedding the weight of the trial itself. The air was lighter here, the ever-present pressure of combat gone. The chamber he entered was vast, its ceiling stretching high above, lined with glowing runes that pulsed in a rhythmic pattern. At the center of the room stood a massive circular table, and at its head sat the armored figure, the man people referred to as the rune lord.

‘Those are… the opponents I faced?’

The Rune Lord wasn’t alone. Around the round table sat many knights, the same men he had faced in battle during the trial. There was the knight wearing black he faced in the first part of the joust, the silver one and even the golden one he had just defeated a few moments ago. They were all wearing their armor and sitting there with a few others. Then right in front there was one chair, seemingly the one that now belonged to him.

‘Is this how it ends? Do I just need to sit down?’

Robert took slow, measured steps toward the empty seat, his heart pounding despite the calm atmosphere. The knights around the table observed him in silence, their expressions hidden by their helmets. It was as if they were judging him not only for his performance in the trial but for the choice he was about to make.

“Sit, my Champion, my Arch Knight.”

The Rune Lord commanded. Robert hesitated for only a moment longer before lowering himself into the chair. The instant he did, a pulse of energy surged through his body. His vision blurred, and his entire being felt as though it was being rewritten. For a fleeting moment, he thought he was about to be thrown into another battle, but instead, knowledge flooded his mind. Complex runic structures, battle techniques, the very foundation of the power he had just gained

He gasped, gripping the armrests as a blue glow surrounded him. The knights around the table remained silent, watching as his body absorbed the knowledge. His vision swam with patterns and symbols, his Runic Mana Perception surging to new heights. He could see the flow of energy around the runes in the chamber as if the very fabric of the world had been laid bare before his eyes.

Then, as quickly as it had come, the sensation faded. Robert exhaled sharply, his body drenched in sweat, as everything went dark and the scenery shifted again. His ears started ringing and he found himself unable to move but suddenly, he heard a voice call out to him. It was a soft and familiar voice, one that cut through the darkness like a guiding light.

“Robert… Robert, wake up!”

His vision slowly returned, the blurred outlines of a room forming before him. The dim glow of rune-infused lamps flickered above, and Lucille’s worried face hovered over him. His brother stood to the side, arms crossed, as if he already knew there was no need to cast the memory recovery spell on him anymore. His body felt sluggish, as though he had been submerged in water and was only now rising to the surface.

“Bear with it.”

“Huh?”

Roland spoke, and in an instant, he understood what he meant. He had passed the trial and returned to the real world. His ascension trial was complete, and now it was time to receive his rewards.

A tingling sensation spread through his body before it turned into searing pain, as if he were on fire. The agony was immense, like a thousand needles piercing his muscles at once and tearing him apart. Tier 3 class holders were known to undergo a transformation, and depending on the rarity of their class, the pain could be magnified.

System messages flashed left and right, notifying him that strange passives were altering his body from within. The pain was immense, but after a few moments, it began to subside, replaced by a warm, comforting sensation. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out his brother holding out a gauntlet-covered hand over him, using a runic spell to ease the pain. Thanks to his newly acquired skill, he could clearly see the runes in action. The complexity of the runes compared to those in the ascension trial was on an entirely new level.

“This should help, and once the nervous system gets enhanced, you should be in the clear.”

Even with the help of the spell, the process was quite uncomfortable. However, just like his brother had proclaimed, once the next system message appeared, it started getting better, and he was even able to move his body around.

“Does it still hurt? Maybe you should lie down.”

Lucille asked him, worry written all over her expression.

“No, I… I’m fine now…”

Robert exhaled as the last remnants of pain faded from his body, leaving behind a newfound strength he had never experienced before. Every fiber of his being pulsed with vitality, his senses sharper, his muscles denser, his very bones feeling unbreakable. He clenched his fists, watching as the veins on his hands glowed faintly with residual energy. The transformation was complete, and he was no longer just a knight but something beyond, something more. Lucille knelt beside him, her hands still gripping his shoulders.

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“Robert, are you sure?”

He nodded slowly, still adjusting to the overwhelming sensation coursing through him.

“I… I think so. I actually… feel great!”

His voice came out steadier than he expected, filled with a power that hadn’t been there before. The body he had once known had been transformed into something more, and it had something to do with the strange new class he had received – Rune Arch-Knight, something he had never heard of before.

Lucille smiled at him and reached out her hand to help him up from the chair. Robert smiled back and reached out eagerly, but before their hands could touch, he felt his wrist being grasped by his brother.

“That’s not a good idea. You’re probably not used to your new strength. If you’re not careful, you might crush Lucille’s hand.”

Robert froze mid-motion, staring at Roland in shock. The weight of his brother’s words settled in his mind, and he slowly withdrew his hand. The last thing he wanted was to hurt the woman he loved. Lucille was still a tier-2 class holder, while he had surpassed that level, but he wasn’t sure if Roland was exaggerating. He felt like he could control his strength if he focused.

“Don’t believe me? How about we try this, then?”

Noticing Robert’s hesitation, Roland grabbed a lone mug from one of the nearby tables. Roland held the mug out to Robert, a slight smirk playing on his lips. The cup was unassuming, plain ceramic, but Robert knew his brother well enough to understand that this was a test. A simple, yet necessary, test.

“Take it.”

Roland said, his voice calm but firm.

“Hold it like you normally would.”

Robert hesitated for a moment before reaching out. His fingers wrapped around the mug’s handle with practiced ease, but the moment he tried to lift it, a crack echoed through the room. The handle shattered in his grasp, and the mug tumbled to the floor, breaking into pieces and spilling some tea on the floor. Lucille gasped, stepping back in surprise. Roland, however, only chuckled, shaking his head as he crossed his arms.

“Told you. You’re stronger than you think. Your body has changed, but your mind hasn’t caught up yet. It’s going to take time before you can move like you used to.”

Robert flexed his fingers, staring at the shards of ceramic on the ground. He hadn’t even exerted much force, yet the handle had crumbled in his grip. The realization settled in that his body was no longer the same, and he would have to relearn how to control it. Lucille knelt to clean up the shattered pieces and asked.