Kang Oh leapt into the monsters' formation and grinned. He held Fire Bombs, transparent spheres containing fire, in both hands.

"I have a present for you!" Kang Oh threw a Fire Bomb.

Roar!

The scarlet flames spread everywhere. Bone Bomb had already caused a mess; the Fire Bombs only made it worse, turning the battlefield into complete chaos.

[Proficiency in Throw Projectile has reached 100%.]

[Throw Projectile has risen to intermediate-rank.]

[Intermediate-Rank Throw Projectile increases the maximum speed that projectiles can reach when thrown. It further increases their power as well.]

What good news.

"Here's one more!" Kang Oh smiled cheerfully and threw another Fire Bomb at the front. He was clearly celebrating his skill upgrade.

Roar!

The Fire Bomb's flames surged. Its flames were much stronger than before. Throw Projectile had reached intermediate-rank, further increasing the projectile's power.

Now that his hands were free, Kang Oh drew Blood from his waist. Then, he aimed for a White Knight's neck with the snow-white blade, which emanated red light as dark and deep as blood.

The White Knight, its armor slightly singed by the flames, deflected Blood with its spear shaft.

Kang Oh had expected that. He opened up his free hand.

Darkness Chain!

Blocking both Blood and the Darkness Chain was impossible for the White Knight. The black chain wrapped around its right ankle.

"Huahp." Kang Oh quickly pulled the chain.

The White Knight lost its balance and fell to the floor. It was completely defenseless, and Kang Oh wouldn't waste such a golden opportunity. He stomped on its chest, and swung his blade five times in the span of a single breath.

Swish, swish, slash, swish, slash!

He precisely swung his blade, hitting the White Knight's joints.

Bam, bam, bam!

Red shards of light burst from its body, which were promptly absorbed by Blood.

Whoosh.

As if it were unwilling to watch the one-sided beat down, a Red Knight swung its mace at Kang Oh.

'Too easy.' Kang Oh held his blade askew and parried the Red Knight's attack. The mace turned in a strange angle, as if it had slipped.

This is what the skill 'Sword Parry' did. Although he hadn't learned it, Kang Oh could replicate its effect.

Thus...

'An opening.' Kang Oh swung upwards with Blood.

Slash!

He cleaved an upward, vertical line, slicing through the joint that connected the Red Knight's left arm and shoulder.

Red shards of light exploded out, and Slash's new effect caused it to bleed as well. Shards of light steadily spilled from its shoulder. Of course, those shards of light were a delicious treat for Demon Sword Blood.

Then, the White Knight writhed underneath Kang Oh's foot, causing him to lose balance. Another White Knight thrust its spear at him. Energy as white as milk covered the spear in its entirety.

White Meteor!

The spear, which was enveloped in white energy, truly looked like a white meteor.

Kang Oh responded calmly. He opened his hand, grabbed the Red Knight's wrist, and pulled.

Bam!

The Red Knight was the best shield he could hope for. After all, it had blocked the White Knight's spear for him.

He then pushed the Red Knight away, causing the White and Red Knights to collide and fall to the floor.

'Let's take care of this one first.'

The White Knight he'd stomped on was in the process of standing up. Kang Oh mercilessly swung downwards, which was accompanied by a blood red wave.

Darkness Strike!

Boom!

It reeled from the shock, feeling the force travel from the top of his head all the way down to its feet.

Kang Oh didn't let up and continued his assault. He sliced at the joints that connected the breastplate, the arms, and the legs together. Eventually, the White Knight's armor split back into its individual pieces.

[You have defeated a White Knight.]

[Demon Sword Blood has leveled up.]

[Demon Sword Blood is now level 19.]

'Will it get a new special ability at level 20?'

When Demon Sword Blood reached level 10, it gained the Blood Bomb ability. Thus, Kang Oh assumed that it would gain another ability at level 20.

'We'll see.' Kang Oh turned around. Several Red and White Knights were charging at him.

Blood Bomb!

Blood red energy exploded from his body, sweeping through any nearby enemies. When it subsided, none were left unscathed.

Then, the Black Knight confronted him. Its blade was as dark as Ubist.

Kang Oh and the Black Knight simultaneously swung their swords.

Clang!

The Black Knight's sword was pushed aside. Kang Oh seized the opportunity and relentlessly attacked it.

Meanwhile, the Blue Knights simultaneously shot their arrows, descending upon Sephiro like a rain shower. Sephiro rolled on the floor, dodging the arrows.

The Blue Knights drew their bowstrings again, and began forming their blue arrows. However, Sephiro had already drawn and fired an arrow of his own.

Ting.

The arrow flew high up into the air, forming six magic circles nearby.

Buster Shot!

This was his finishing move, one that unleashed a hundred arrows at once! However, class changing into a Giant Hunter had changed it a little. The relatively small arrows were replaced by the long, thick arrows that the Giant Hunter used!

Bam, bam, bam!

The giant arrows rained down on the Blue Knights, turning them into porcupines as they fell to the floor. He'd killed all of them at once.

"I've earned my keep." Sephiro grinned.

Eder summoned a giant bone scythe in the air and swung it to the side, as if he were cutting grass.

Swish!

The bone scythe caught six White and Red Knights, causing them to fall to the floor. Then, Eder opened his hand. Bones rose from the floor, wrapping around the Red and White Knights.

"Explode."

Bone Bomb!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

He blew up the bones one after another. However, he hadn't yet killed all of the Red and White Knights.

Eder summoned several clumps of bone, about 2 meters in length and width, and threw them at the survivors.

Bam, bam, bam!

He raised his free hand and clenched it.

Bone Bomb!

Boom!

The armors were reduced to ash!

Lich Eder. The bone magic he used was akin to a calamity.

Through Sephiro and Eder's efforts, the number of Ghost-Possessed Armors were quickly cut down. Plus, Kang Oh overpowered their commander, the Black Knight.

It was only natural. The Black Knight wasn't a boss, nor was it a named monster. There was no way a normal monster could contend with Kang Oh.

"Let's end this." Kang Oh unleashed his final attack.

Tempest Tiger!

The golden aura pounced on the Black Knight's cracked, dented armor.

Boom!

The Black Knight died before the whirlwind even came.

"Done."

Kang Oh's party continuously attacked the remaining Ghost-Possessed Armors, and annihilated them soon after.

* * *

Kang Oh's party had finally reached the end of the dungeon.

There was a small sprout that stuck its 'head' out of the dirt floor. On one side, there was a door that presumably led outside the dungeon. But what should've been there wasn't.

"This is the end of the dungeon, but... I don't see the dungeon master," Sephiro said.

Like he said, the dungeon master, or boss, was nowhere to be found.

"Indeed. Do you think there's a hidden area somewhere?" Eder stared at Kang Oh.

"No. My Hyper Intuition didn't react on the way here," Kang Oh said.

"Mm, then what happened?" Eder tilted his head.

In order to progress to the next dungeon, an item bearing the previous dungeon master's name was required. However, they didn't see the dungeon master anywhere.

"The dungeon's name is Mandra's Helix, so there should be something here called Mandra." Sephiro carefully examined his surroundings once more, but he didn't find anything new.

Then...

"Mandra. Mandra, huh... I've heard that name before," Eder furrowed his brow and muttered. Then, he hit his palm with his fist. "Ah!"

"What? Do you know something?" Kang Oh asked.

"A Mandra Tree!" Eder yelled.

"A Mandra Tree?"

"Yes. It's a tree that grows very slowly. It can take up to 100 years to fully grow! And when it's fully grown, it only leaves behind a single piece of fruit. It's quite the mysterious tree!"

"You don't think... that this is a Mandra tree, do you?" Kang Oh pointed at the sprout.

"It probably is."

"Then do we need to bring this sprout with us?" Sephiro asked.

"Probably not."

"I doubt it."

As soon as Eder said his piece, Kang Oh stated his opinion.

"Why?"

"Ratia told us that the key to the fourth dungeon was patience."

"Yes."

"The key that opens the next door isn't the sprout or even the tree, but the fruit that the tree bears. Only then does it match Ratia's description."

They say that patience is the art of hoping.

"What? There's no way that's right. A Mandra tree takes 100 years to grow," Sephiro said. 'So you want us to wait 100 years for this thing to grow?'

"There's a way to reduce the time it takes to grow. We'll use that method," Kang Oh said.

"Mm."

"We'll give it fertilizer and plant growth enhancers. Wouldn't that make it grow faster?" Kang Oh said.

"It sounds like a good idea," Sephiro agreed.

"Then let's return to Saharamant, set up a magic circle, and return to Altein."

None of them had fertilizer or plant growth enhancer on them. Thus, they needed to return to Altein and buy it.

"Understood."

"Alright."

Sometime later...

Eder set up the transfer magic circle in the corner of Saharamant.

"It's done," Eder said.

The magic circle radiated dim light, indicating that it was working properly.

"You set it up properly, right?"

"Yes."

Kang Oh's party entered the magic circle.

"To Altein!"

* * *

They returned to the sight of bustling crowds, a giant intercity transfer gate, and the Holiseum, which could be seen from afar. The magic circle had worked properly. Kang Oh's party had safely returned to Altein.

"Mr. Kang Oh, I'll get going first. I'd like to leave the egg with the Tamer Guild," Sephiro said.

The mutant wyvern egg that he'd bought from Kang Oh! He would need a Tamer's help to hatch it.

"I need to buy the fertilizer and the plant growth enhancer, so let's end it here for today," Kang Oh said.

"Alright, then if you'll excuse me." Sephiro disappeared into the crowd.

"I'll be going too." Eder was trying to weasel himself out of this.

"Where do you think you're going!? You have to come with me and buy the fertilizer and growth enhancer."

"Ugh."

"You don't want to come? Then you can stay out of the picnic then."

"N-No, that's not what I said. I want to go with you. That includes the picnic too!" Eder quickly said.

"Follow me." Kang Oh strode forward, and Eder followed close behind.

"So where are we going exactly?"

"The Tower."

"The Tower? You said you were buying fertilizer and plant growth enhancers, so why are you going there?"

"I heard the Tower produces a magic fertilizer that causes plants to go extremely quickly."

"I see."

Thus, Kang Oh and Eder headed for the Mage's Tower.