Facing the Iron Maiden charging directly at him, the Knight Commander dodged the sickle's attack with agile footwork. As he closed in, he swung his sword, intending to cleave open the iron monstrosity.
But before the Knight Commander could strike, the opponent opened itself first.
The iron armor on the Iron Maiden's front split open like two doors, and tentacles made of barbed chains shot out.
At such close range, even with the Knight Commander's full effort to evade, it was too late. Being pierced by spikes was a minor issue; the more significant problem was that these chains had firmly restrained his movements and were rapidly pulling him back into the Iron Maiden.
The Knight Commander tried to resist, but his strength was insufficient to break free from the chains. He could only be pulled inside.
The iron doors closed, and the Iron Maiden's body swayed slightly, as if the Knight Commander trapped inside was struggling. However, the shaking did not last long. Soon, the movement stopped, and all returned to tranquility. The Iron Maiden retreated to its original position, leaving only a long bloodstain on the ground.
But just as everyone believed the Knight Commander was undoubtedly dead.
*Splat!*
The Knight Commander's sword pierced the Iron Maiden from the inside. Then, it violently carved out a large hole, and the Knight Commander, covered in blood, slowly emerged from within the Iron Maiden, sword in hand.
At this point, the Knight Commander was covered in blood holes, large and small, at least twenty or more visible. Blood poured out as if it were free.
For an ordinary person, injuries of this magnitude would have meant death many times over. But the Knight Commander was a puppet, technically already dead.
As is well known, the dead cannot die.
Relying on this characteristic, the Knight Commander successfully destroyed the Iron Maiden from within. However, his damaged body and significant blood loss caused his strength to plummet.
Fortunately, the Knight Commander was not foolish and quickly administered emergency first aid to himself.
For a puppet, many things a normal person would worry about were non-issues for him.
Excessive blood loss meant he could absorb others' blood. The blood holes on his body could be repaired with flesh from others.
The two slain snake-men became the Knight Commander's materials for repairing his body.
Under the Knight Commander's operations, not only was his damaged body quickly restored, but he also fashioned a suit of snake-skin armor for himself.
On the journey that followed, the Knight Commander still encountered many Iron Maidens that launched surprise attacks. However, these mechanical constructs lacked human thought and attacked entirely according to pre-set programs. Once their patterns were understood, and with caution towards their disgusting internal chains, defeating them was relatively easy.
As the Knight Commander battled his way through, eliminating the Iron Maidens that blocked his path, he finally arrived before a certain building.
Pushing open the door, the large cross hanging on the wall and the interior decor made it clear that this was likely a church.
Just as the Knight Commander was preparing to explore the church further, a wall of greyish-white flames formed before him. A cultivator clad in armor slowly rose from a nearby position, looking at the Knight Commander and saying, "This is not a place you should be. For your own life, turn back now."
Sometimes, people are just perverse. The more they are told not to enter, the more some people feel compelled to do so. The Knight Commander was one such person. Disregarding the cultivator's warning, he dispersed the flames before him with his sword and strode into the church.
The moment the Knight Commander's foot crossed the threshold, the church doors slammed shut behind him.
The cultivator looked at the Knight Commander with a mixture of helplessness and pity, shaking his head. "I warned you. Do not enter. Do not enter. But you insisted on not listening."
After speaking, the cultivator began to moan in pain. His body underwent a visible transformation. His armor shed, revealing layers of fat beneath. This fat swelled at an astonishing rate, as if inflated, quickly tearing through both the armor and the cultivator's robes.
Who would have thought that the cultivator, who seemed perfectly normal just moments before, would transform into a man nearly two and a half meters tall and over three meters wide?
Of course, this was not the main point. The key was his skin, which was sewn together from pieces of human skin. The stitching was crude, lacking any attempt at beautification, and looked utterly hideous.
However, despite his flabby physique, his movements were incredibly agile.
With a sudden burst of strength, the cultivator shot forward like a cannonball, charging directly at the Knight Commander.
Faced with such a colossal opponent, the Knight Commander dared not confront him directly and quickly dodged to the side.
This mass of fat slammed into the church doors behind the Knight Commander. The doors did not break open, but the entire church shook violently. The cultivator, using this momentum, bounced back like a rubber ball and crashed heavily onto the lectern.
His massive body directly smashed a huge hole in the platform. As he crawled out of the hole, a giant cleaver appeared in his hand, its blade emitting a chilling glint that was truly terrifying.
Without any further words, the cultivator who emerged swung the cleaver at the Knight Commander.
*Bang!*
The cleaver collided with the Knight Commander's sword. In a single exchange, the Knight Commander was sent flying, crashing heavily against the wall.
It was unavoidable. In terms of weaponry, the Knight Commander's Runic Knight Sword was indeed formidable, but the cleaver used by the cultivator was equally exceptional. On the weapon front, they were evenly matched. However, in all other aspects, the cultivator completely overwhelmed the Knight Commander. If nothing else, his sheer size and the amount of fat on his body generated astonishing power.
After being knocked away several times, the Knight Commander no longer dared to engage the cultivator rashly. Even when the Knight Commander seized an opportunity and landed a few sword strikes, the cultivator's thick skin and abundant fat rendered them utterly insignificant.
And what about the Knight Commander?
Even as an undead puppet, his body had its limits. If he continued to fight so recklessly, his body would likely collapse from the strain.
The cultivator was well aware of the current situation. Although his opponent seemed peculiar, under such intense assault, he could not last much longer.
The pace of the entire battle was firmly controlled by the cultivator. As time wore on, the cultivator, like a tireless machine, maintained his high-intensity offensive rhythm. Conversely, the Knight Commander's body began to falter. His right arm, holding the sword, had become paralyzed from the high-impact collisions, forcing the Knight Commander to wield his sword with his left hand.
This, however, made the already disadvantageous situation even worse for the Knight Commander. Defeat was only a matter of time.
Amidst the clashing of blade and sword, a cruel smile spread across the cultivator's face, plump with fat. He was eager to skin his opponent and sew the hide onto himself.