Murphy focused, listening intently to the strange noise outside the stables.
Huh?
’Is that the sound of hooves?’
’And it sounds like they’re on the stable corridor.’
It was extrely faint, but after tending to horses for six years, Murphy was all too familiar with the sound.
But this was the dead of night.
Whether the horses in the stalls were asleep or awake, they should all be tied up securely right now. There was no way one would be out in the corridor.
Most importantly, the sound of hooves on the stone path could never be this light.
’Could it be a Supernatural Power?’
The thought made Murphy’s heart tighten. He subconsciously gripped the Knight’s Sword in his hand, but the familiar texture of the hilt offered no sense of security. Instead, his vigilance sharpened.
’Just as I thought. Option Two requires to give it my all.’
’A regular follower wouldn’t be enough to make fight for my life.’
’A Knight, on the other hand, would be too powerful and just crush outright.’
More importantly, he couldn’t think of any follower or Knight with whom he had such a deep grudge that it would lead to a midnight assassination attempt.
The ones who hated him most were probably Leo and Sylvan, but they had already gone to the southern provinces and weren’t here.
’Even if they ca back, their biggest enemy should be Kelvin. It’s unlikely they’d co after first...’
’Then again,’ Murphy couldn’t be sure how those nobles’ minds worked.
’But Kelvin and Leo can’t possibly be horses, right?’
The sa went for Lawson. He was at the Black Wood Forest Outpost. If he wanted to make a move, he wouldn’t have waited until now, and he certainly wasn’t a horse either.
’But a Supernatural Power... that’s just too absurd!’
’Where did it even co from?’
’This is a stable... just an ordinary stable...’
Murphy’s mind raced, and an image of a beautiful young girl in a dark green velvet dress surfaced in his mory.
That girl seed to have entered the stables five years ago.
And as it happened, that girl was known as a Witch and also wielded Supernatural Power.
’Could it be...?’
Just then, Murphy’s nostrils flared. He suddenly caught the scent of blood, and a faint sound of... chewing hay?
’No, that’s the sound of chewing flesh!’
’When did that start?!’
’And where did the at co from?!’
Raw at was never stored in the stables, and no one would be eating here in the middle of the night.
The realization made the hairs on Murphy’s body stand on end, and he gripped his Knight’s Sword even tighter.
The chewing was deliberate and slow, carrying the texture of tearing fibers and grinding cartilage.
It wasn’t loud, but it was unnervingly strange, as if a person were eating.
About ten minutes passed.
A satisfied snort echoed out.
Imdiately after, the sound of hooves started again—light and eerie, as if so creature were moving slowly through the darkness, searching for its next prey.
Most importantly, the sound was gradually approaching Murphy’s quarters.
’No! I can’t just sit here and wait to die!’
’Since I chose Option Two, it ans I can’t just rely on luck and hope the monster outside doesn’t co for .’
It was better to seize the initiative and strike first than to passively wait for danger to arrive.
Murphy stood up silently, his right hand clutching the Knight’s Sword, his left hand on the handle of the wooden door.
Moonlight spilled in from the window, casting a long, narrow sliver of light on the floor in front of the door.
Murphy took a deep breath, yanked the door open, and stepped unhesitatingly into the dark corridor.
The stable corridor was a straight passage flanked by stalls, offering nowhere to hide.
Murphy imdiately looked in the direction the sound had co from.
There, under the moonlight, stood a horse made entirely of black shadow in the middle of the corridor.
It was enormous and had no physical form; its entire body seed woven from the purest darkness, with only its eyes glowing an eerie red.
More frighteningly, the Shadow Horse’s outline was constantly twisting and shifting, as if it could change shape or dissipate at any mont.
Murphy suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity. The aura emanating from the Shadow Horse was remarkably similar to Sylvan’s!
That gloomy and oppressive feeling was exactly the sa as Sylvan’s disposition back when he was in the castle.
To be precise, it was exactly like Sylvan after he was cursed!
’Could it be Sylvan?’
The mont the thought crossed Murphy’s mind, the Shadow Horse charged at him.
At this point, he no longer cared about making a commotion. As long as he could hold out until he received the reward for Option Two, he didn’t care if he had to leave the Baron’s Castle!
The Shadow Horse reared up and brought its forehooves crashing down. Though it made no sound as it cut through the air, Murphy’s perception warned him of the danger, and he instantly sidestepped.
CRACK!
Just as he expected, spiderweb cracks appeared on the stone floor where the hooves had landed.
This ant that although the horse was made of shadow and seed intangible, it possessed the full strength of a real horse.
In the instant he dodged, Murphy also took the opportunity to swing his sword at the horse’s neck, but the blade passed through the shadow as if cutting through mist.
A flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
’How is this possible? I can’t hit it!’
’Then how am I supposed to fight?’
’Do I just have to endure it?’
’Wait for an opening?’
’No!’
’It is having an effect!’
Murphy keenly noticed that the part his blade had passed through seed to shrink slightly. The change was minuscule, but it was definitely weakening.
The Shadow Horse charged again. Murphy had already changed his strategy; he no longer aid for a fatal blow, instead constantly slashing at the Shadow Horse’s body with his blade.
With every swing, the Shadow Horse’s form shrank slightly. The change was minuscule, but it was definitely weakening.
But Murphy didn’t dare lower his guard.
The Shadow Horse was incredibly fast. A normal person, or even a regular Knight’s Attendant, would have been struck by its attacks long ago.
And given the power the Shadow Horse displayed, any single blow would be enough to cause serious injury.
Fortunately, his Cultivation of [Breathing and Guiding] had led to an all-around improvent in his attributes, not only granting him powerful reflexes but also superhuman flexibility. This was what allowed him to repeatedly dodge attacks at the critical mont and seize the openings to counterattack.
At this rate, he would only need to use half his stamina to completely wear down the Shadow Horse’s body.
This didn’t align with the condition for Option Two’s reward, which required him to "give it his all."
’So, there must be other, hidden dangers.’
NEIGH!
The Shadow Horse whinnied. It seed to realize it couldn’t let the battle of attrition continue, and its entire body began to twist violently.
Its whole body lted into a flowing shadow, sinking rapidly into the ground and shooting toward Murphy like a black arrow.
The instant it neared Murphy’s feet, the shadow abruptly coalesced.
Murphy’s pupils contracted. The Shadow Horse had leaped vertically out of the ground, its forehooves glowing with an eerie light as they kicked viciously toward his chest!
The attack was too fast and too fierce. Even with his enhanced reflexes, Murphy couldn’t dodge it completely. He could only manage to bring his Longsword up horizontally in front of him in an attempt to block.
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