The Ghost Knight had already sensed the commotion here. It silently turned its horse around, pointed its lance, and the air, wrapped in a layer of icy mist under the night, rushed towards both sides, forming a vacuum zone. Brand immediately shoved Hu Que aside and rolled to the other side himself. Boom, boom, boom! Three loud explosions resounded, and the vacuum zone moved forward, causing the tall trees blocking its path to burst one by one—as if an invisible blade had sliced through them, wood chips flying everywhere.

The Ghost Knight lowered its hand, and a path over ten feet wide appeared in the forest, with nothing blocking the way between it and Brand.

Spectral Lance.

What the hell, do you have to use a major move right off the bat? Brand couldn't help but curse, wiping a cold sweat off his forehead, thinking thank goodness he was knowledgeable. He had sensed something amiss the moment the Ghost Knight raised its right hand. The Spectral Lance had defensive breaking properties and, like his White Crow Sword, came with an ability to increase attack range. Had they not dodged in time, he and Hu Que would probably be nothing but cold bodies by now, attracting monsters would be just a joke.

Hu Que was equally nervous; he'd only heard legends about the Ghost Knight's terror, but facing it in reality, he realized its difficulty far exceeded his imagination. He spat involuntarily, thinking how the world was changing so fast that at his middle age, he still had to fight like a rookie. He couldn't help but glance at Brand, seeing the young man look resolute as if unmoved by the Ghost Knight's fierce attacks, making him draw a sharp breath.

"We can't beat it." Hu Que, an experienced veteran mercenary, assessed the situation instantly and shouted to Brand from his position.

But Brand simply gestured for him to be quiet.

He raised his Short Bow—the young man could now clearly see the terrifying undead—it looked like a classical knight stepping out from Vorn's modern master's illustrations, wearing Gothic Plate Armor, enveloped entirely in a layer of faint phosphorescence. Even the steed wasn't spared, though it wasn't a horse but an Evil Spirit. The lance in the knight's hand appeared as a long Silver Shuttle, gripped tightly in the middle, with the long pointed end aimed at the ground, seeming to extend a transparent silver line from its tip.

It was the Soul Element swirling around the lance causing the visual error.

Upon reaching Gold Rank, whether warriors, mages, knights, or other professions, they begin to manifest elemental powers more or less.

Hu Que scrambled up, attempting to stop Brand's next move, trying to pull him back. To the Mercenary Captain, this Lord or Summoner's actions seemed insane; they were nowhere near capable of battling that monster. The strength displayed by the Ghost Knight had already far surpassed his understanding of usual Lower Gold level beings.

But Brand ignored his shouts, the young man nocked a silver arrow, aimed briefly, then released the string.

The Ice Split Arrow traced a stunning arc over the Ghost Knight's head, exploding behind it with a bang, but the silver ice mist only slightly grazed the monster's left shoulder, leaving a white frost there. Brand couldn't help but blush, coughing to hide his embarrassment—he had forgotten that he only had basic Weapon Mastery now, no longer the Expert Level warrior he once was with over Level 40 Bow Skill. Still, the exploding Ice Arrow slowed the Ghost Knight's movements slightly, though very limited, causing its second lance swing to miss, a strip of silver light swiping over their heads. Hu Que turned back—seeing the forest canopy behind them instantly disappear without a trace, leaving only bare stumps.

He opened his mouth, almost unable to breathe. The Rubis Mercenaries were known for their prowess, but this fight was beyond his experience; was this thing a walking cannon?

Three seconds.

Noticing that Hu Que didn't criticize his archery, Brand breathed a sigh of relief while silently counting in his mind, nocking another arrow on the Short Bow. The Spectral Lance heavily consumed Soul Fire, and after two consecutive uses, the Ghost Knight would enter a cooldown period. He wasn't fighting this type of undead for the first time, hence he remained calm. He held the Short Bow firmly, extending his aiming time this round. To Hu Que, this action seemed suicidal, but Brand stayed stone still, half-kneeling on the ground—immobilized.

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