After nearly an hour of walking under the merciless sun, Igor and the hunters finally reached their destination.
Before him lay the Ruined Citadel. A sprawling, crumbling fortress of ancient stone, its shattered buildings standing like the skeletal remains of a long-forgotten age.
The air was heavy with decay and something else. Something unnerving.
Surprisingly, twisted vegetation had taken root among the ruins, sprouting in eerie patches of gnarled trees and creeping vines. They looked alive in the worst possible way.
But the hunters weren't here for trees.
Their prey lurked within the ruins.
At Blaze's silent signal, the group shifted, lowering themselves into prone positions—moving like shadows, careful not to make a sound.
Igor followed them from behind, gripping his wooden weapon tightly.
His heart pounded.
It was one thing to swing a weapon, another thing entirely to fight for real.
He had no prior experience. No memories to guide him.
And yet, there was no turning back.
He had to be a man.
And when the time came he had to the one to strike first.
"Hush!"
At Blaze's sharp signal, everyone froze.
A second later, he motioned for them to take cover.
Igor moved fast, pressing himself against a broken wall. Barefoot was right beside him, his burly form crouched low.
The rest of the hunters had scattered, each finding their own hiding spots like a silent, well-practiced maneuver.
Barefoot flashed Igor a grin, then pointed ahead with his thick, calloused finger.
Igor followed his gaze and his blood ran cold.
Lying lazily in the shadows of the ruins were figures clad in knight's armor.
But something was terribly wrong.
Their bodies... Were rotten. Decayed. Twisted in unnatural ways.
Flesh hung from exposed bone. Their helmets sat crooked on their disfigured heads. Yet somehow, they still moved, shifting slightly, as if in restless slumber.
Undead.
Igor's heart pounded.
He knew, without a doubt—these were not humans.
They were Undead Knights.
"Who is going to defeat them?"
Igor barely had time to finish the thought before his eyes turned to Blaze.
The leader stood ready, his rusty broadsword gripped tightly. His expression was calm and focused.
Then something unnatural happened.
FWOOSH!
Blazing fire erupted around the sword.
Igor's eyes widened in shock.
Only now did he truly realize: this was not an ordinary world.
This was a supernatural world. A Lost Summoner's World.
His thoughts snapped back to the present as Blaze crept closer to the death knights.
Then he struck.
WHIRR...
A deep, guttural roar rumbled from the Death Soldiers as Blaze's flames consumed them.
They twitched, flailed and burned. Their rotting flesh blackened, charred, then crumbled to ash.
"So strong!"
Igor watched in silent awe.
Blaze wasn't just fighting. He was practically dominating.
Just like a true hunter.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The eerie sound of armor shifting made Igor's breath hitch.
From the darkest corners of the ruins, more Death Knights stirred.
They did not step into the sun, lurking just beyond the light's reach. Most likely that was their weakness.
"Attack!"
With Blaze's command, everyone rushed to his aid with a primal battle cry.
"Let's go, Igor!"
Barefoot called out before charging into the fray.
Igor nodded and sprinted onto the battlefield.
Just as he did, a Undead Knight swung its decayed sword at Barefoot—a weapon that could severely injure a human.
But Barefoot only grinned in response.
SWOOSH!
He swung his stone axe right at the creature's head.
Bang!
The Undead Knight's skull twisted, but it did not fall.
Without missing a beat, Barefoot spun on his palm, using the momentum to launch a powerful kick at the creature's chest.
KACHA! KACHA!
The sickening crunch of breaking bones echoed as the monster's chest caved in.
Yet—the Undead Knight was still alive.
Even after getting crushed into a mangled mess, it let out a guttural growl.
So how are they going to kill them?
Igor watched as Barefoot dragged the struggling creature under the sunlight.
Sizzle, sizzle!
The Undead Knight's flesh began to burn and crackle, its body disintegrating under the harsh rays of the sun.
At that moment, Igor understood.
That's how you kill them.
Just then, Igor felt a creepy sensation from behind.
He turned and saw a Undead Knight approaching, its bloody grin exposing rotten teeth.
Igor tightened his grip on the wooden bat, his heart pounding in his chest. But he forced himself to stay calm.
This was the moment.
Some reflexive memories kicked in as he ducked low, slipping past the incoming attack like a slippery insect.
Bang!
Dodging the predictable strike, he spun around and slammed the wooden bat into the Undead Knight's shoulder, sending it stumbling backward.
The Undead Knight lost its balance and was about to fall, but it steadied itself using its sword.
BANG!
Just as it turned back to Igor, another solid blow from the wooden bat landed heavily on its rotten face.
It fell to the ground with a metallic clanking sound as its armor rattled.
Igor looked down at the creature, realizing it wasn't as scary as before.
Without hesitation, he delivered several more strikes.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Its mouth twisted unnaturally, staining the wooden bat with thick, black blood.
Following Barefoot and the others, Igor helped drag the Death Knight into the sunlight, knowing it was the most fatal weapon against them.
He watched with satisfaction as the undead creature sizzled and began to evaporate.
But just as he was about to collect the weapon and armor it left behind, they vanished into thin air.
Igor was speechless.
And it wasn't specific for him. It was happening to all the Undead Knights. Their tough armor and weapons disintegrated along with them.
No wonder the hunters lacked proper equipment. Weapons must be incredibly hard to come by.
Igor tightened his grip on his wooden bat, realizing it was the only thing he had.
"Don't worry, Calamity," Osama placed his long hand on Igor's shoulder as if comforting him.
"Maybe this time, we'll be able to find a weapon for you. Now, let's move ahead."
"Right..." Igor nodded, half-believing his words.