NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 55: Death Knight
As the system notification appeared, Adam's mind sharpened.
It was only a matter of time before the Stream Hunters from the undead faction arrived.
The countdown to chaos had begun!
He exhaled sharply, adjusting his grip on his sword.
'Kristoff and the others should've seen the notification and started their attack on the other undead settlement...'
If everything went according to plan, the undead faction would be forced to split their forces.
That would buy him time and make things easier to deal with...
But time was a fragile thing, easily shattered under the weight of unexpected interference.
Leila suddenly tensed beside him.
Her usually calm expression shifted as she turned toward the massive door leading to the outside.
"There's danger coming."
She said, her voice carrying an eerie certainty.
Adam followed her gaze, his brows furrowing.
'Fate must have whispered to her again.'
His mind immediately pieced together the possibilities.
The only entity powerful enough to exude such a presence in this settlement was...
The Death Knight.
A formidable opponent.
One that, in his past life, had been an insurmountable wall.
Without holy energy, he had never been able to kill one before. But this time...
Adam took a breath, adjusting his strategy.
"Free the orc prisoners and lead them out."
He instructed.
"If the Stream Hunters arrive and it becomes too much to handle, message me through the system."
Leila blinked, taken aback.
"Ah? I thought I was going to help you seal the Death Knight."
Adam glanced at her.
"I have a better idea."
The moment he spoke, her pupils dilated slightly.
Her gaze turned distant, unfocused, as if something had whispered to her.
And then her expression changed into one of hesitation
"No way are you…"
She trailed off, realization dawning.
"Go quickly before the area gets surrounded."
Leila hesitated for only a moment before nodding.
She turned on her heel and hurried toward the chambers where the orc prisoners were kept.
Adam didn't wait to see her go.
His focus shifted forward.
A heavy, oppressive aura flooded the area.
Necrotic energy thickened the air, seeping into the cracks of the room like an invisible mist.
It was suffocating... foul and unnatural, pressing against his skin like unseen hands trying to choke the life out of him.
Then, the sound of metal scraping against stone echoed through the halls.
The Death Knight was near.
Adam clenched his jaw.
'In my last life, I couldn't kill a Death Knight because I lacked holy energy.'
But this time, things were different.
He opened his system interface.
[Gold: 16,332]
An amount that once would have made him hesitate to spend in his last life.
However, right now, he didn't worry about wasting it anymore...
As he knew that the more entertained his viewer's were, the more gold and gifts they'd give him back in return.
He flicked his eyes toward the system chat.
[Nalyd says he'd send good gifts if the streamer kills what he thinks he can't kill]
[real777 says they already sent gifts and is waiting for the streamer to check them]
[AmethystRose12 contemplates, looking at their wallet...]
[Pb_jelly says they're willing to give out their own soul core!]
[Prankster of Kingdoms is glad that he has fellow rich viewers]
[Frog Eater] : Hmph... I'll be rich soon too!
Adam glanced towards the chat.
Seeing as to how they were quite eager for him to kill the Death Knight, Adam didn't mind fulfilling their wish.
After all, he was also quite eager to obtain that item that a Death Knight would drop...
A Death Tattoo.
It was a D-tier item that would appear as a mark on his body.
It would trigger his senses whenever an approaching danger comes in!
'It's not obtainable in the system store, and nobody would ever think of selling such a good D-tier item...'
Sensing the necrotic energy get even thicker, Adam immediately opened the system store as he bought the items he would need!
He navigated through the store before quickly finding what he needed.
[System Store]
[Holy Weapons]
├── Blessed Shortsword (150 Gold) – A sturdy blade inscribed with minor holy runes. Glows faintly in the presence of undead and demons.
├── Sanctified Dagger (300 Gold) – A consecrated dagger coated with purified silver. Inflicts searing pain upon dark-aligned creatures.
├── Anointed Waraxe (750 Gold) – A two-handed axe blessed by clerics, dealing increased damage against entities of corruption. Emits a low hum when near necrotic energy.
├── Lance of Radiance (1,200 Gold) – A spear forged in sacred fire, granting the wielder enhanced reflexes. Its strikes burn away curses and malevolent magic.
└── Divine Edge (3,200 Gold) – A sword imbued with holy energy. When mana is flowed into it, the blade exudes a radiant light capable of cutting through dark-aligned entities.
Without hesitation, Adam selected the Divine Edge and confirmed the purchase.
A flash of golden light filled the system interface, and the sword materialized in his hand.
The hilt felt warm against his grip... almost as if it pulsed with life.
He wasn't done.
Adam quickly scrolled to the consumables section.
[System Store – Consumables]
├── [Holy Water Elixir (450 Gold)] – A blessed liquid that, when consumed, allows the body to naturally repel necrotic energy for fifteen minutes.
├── [Purification Talisman (600 Gold)] – A single-use charm that dispels weak undead curses upon activation.
└── [Sacred Veil Potion (1,200 Gold)] – Temporarily coats the user in a barrier of divine energy, reducing incoming dark magic damage by 40%.
Adam purchased the Holy Water Elixir.
A small vial appeared in his inventory. He pulled it out, uncorked it, and downed the contents in one gulp.
The effect was immediate.
A faint golden glow radiated from his skin, and the suffocating necrotic energy in the air no longer clung to him as harshly.
[Holy Water Elixir Activated: 15:00]
His preparations were complete.
Adam gripped the Divine Edge, turning toward the approaching presence.
The sound of armored boots grew louder.
A shadow fell over the corridor.
Then...
A figure emerged from the darkness.
A towering knight clad in decayed armor.
Its helmet was twisted, its visor revealing nothing but a hollow void.
A greatsword rested on its shoulder, its edge corroded yet deadly.
Faint whispers of tormented souls leaked from its very being.
Its soulless eyes locked onto Adam.
The temperature dropped.