The rusted knights continued advancing across the ruined courtyard without slowing down.

Their movements was perfectly coordinated while rows shifted naturally around broken pillars and scattered debris, and even from this distance the pressure coming from them already felt far different from ordinary undead monsters.

Varok’s expression hardened immediately.

"You," he said while looking toward the giant Velhari. "Frontline. Hold the shield units in place before they surround us."

The giant grinned slightly before rolling his shoulders once.

"What about the smaller ones?"

Varok’s golden eyes shifted toward the shorter Velhari standing nearby. "Circle the right side. Target archers first if possible. Do not overextend."

The shorter Velhari nodded once before quietly moving away without another word.

Zich watched the exchange calmly.

Varok responded almost instantly after seeing the enemy formation, and more importantly, he gave orders without panicking. The Velhari leader clearly understood battlefield coordination far better than most arrogant fighters Zich had encountered before.

Jayden frowned after hearing the commands.

"We are not your subordinates," he said coldly while stepping forward slightly. "Humans do not need Velhari leadership to handle monsters."

Helen immediately looked toward him with visible irritation.

"This is really not the time for pride," she cut in. "We are surrounded inside a gold realm."

Jayden’s jaw tightened slightly afterward.

Zich said nothing.

Arguing over authority while armored undead soldiers marched toward them from every direction sounded unbelievably stupid to him, especially when none of them even understood the realm fully yet.

The knights suddenly accelerated.

BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!

Heavy armored footsteps shook the cracked courtyard while the front rows raised enormous rusted shields together. Behind them, spear wielders lowered long weapons through the gaps while another line farther back slowly raised old black bows already fitted with arrows.

Varok’s eyes narrowed sharply.

"Formation combat," he muttered.

The arrows launched first.

FWHHHT!!!

Dozens of rusted arrows tore through the air toward the group. The giant Velhari reacted immediately afterward, stepping forward while raising both massive arms before several arrows slammed directly into his armor.

CLANG!!! CLANG!!! CLANG!!!

The impact forced him backward nearly half a meter.

Helen quickly raised flames around herself while Jayden slashed two incoming arrows apart midair. Zich stepped sideways calmly, allowing one projectile to pass within centimeters of his shoulder before embedding itself into the stone behind him.

The shield knights closed distance almost immediately afterward.

Spear tips shot forward between the shield gaps with frightening coordination while the rear archers continued preparing another volley simultaneously. Anyone attempting to rush carelessly toward the backline would immediately enter spear range first.

Zich’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The formation looked extremely disciplined.

One Velhari attempted forcing through the shield wall aggressively, only for three spears to thrust toward different angles instantly. The giant blocked two while the third sliced across his forearm armor hard enough to leave sparks flying.

"These things are thinking," Helen said while taking a quick step backward.

Zich quietly observed the battlefield.

Shield knights protected the archers completely.

Spear users punished frontal aggression.

Whenever one knight shifted position, another immediately moved to close the gap without hesitation.

This was not random undead behavior.

Even worse, after Varok shattered one shield knight apart using his spear, two nearby knights instantly repositioned themselves to cover the opening before anyone could exploit it properly.

Battlefield intelligence.

Zich frowned slightly after realizing it.

A gold grade realm truly was different.

The second arrow volley launched.

FWHHHT!!!

This time the archers aimed lower.

Several arrows slammed into the stone floor around them while spear knights advanced simultaneously behind the shield wall, forcing the group backward toward the center of the courtyard little by little.

"Annoying," Zich muttered.

Without hesitation, he raised one hand slightly.

"Slimy."

A familiar blue slime appeared beside him with a soft bounce.

The giant Velhari glanced sideways briefly before snorting loudly.

"You brought that tiny thing into a gold realm?"

Slimy’s body trembled immediately afterward.

Small poison bubbles appeared across its surface while its round eyes locked directly onto the giant Velhari with obvious hostility. Zich calmly tapped the slime once before it could react badly.

"Focus on the knights," he said.

Slimy bounced once obediently.

Right as another shield knight advanced closer, Slimy suddenly spat a concentrated stream of poison directly toward the creature’s lower leg.

PSHHHH!!!

The green liquid struck the knee joint precisely.

Smoke exploded outward immediately afterward while the rusted armor began melting apart around the connection point. The knight staggered visibly as one leg suddenly lost stability.

Several eyes shifted toward Slimy instantly.

"That poison..." Helen muttered.

The slowed knight attempted raising its shield again, but its movement had already become uneven. Zich noticed the opening immediately and looked toward Helen briefly.

She understood almost instantly.

Fire gathered around her right hand before shooting forward in a compressed burst.

BOOOOM!!!

Flames crashed directly into the exposed section of melted armor. The knight’s damaged leg collapsed entirely afterward while the fire spread upward through the cracked joints beneath the shield.

The undead creature dropped heavily onto one knee.

Varok reacted immediately afterward and thrust his spear through the exposed visor opening before the knight could recover.

CRACK!!!

The helmet exploded apart while black energy leaked outward from inside the armor.

The entire knight collapsed.

Silence lasted for barely half a second.

A massive golden system panel suddenly appeared above the battlefield.

[First Blood Recorded]

[Temporary Kill Mark Applied: Helen Magnus]

Helen blinked once after seeing her name appear.

"The realm tracks kills?"

Jayden’s expression darkened slightly.

He had noticed it too.

Zich created the opening.

Helen capitalized on it.

Even if Varok delivered the finishing strike physically, the realm still recognized Helen as the primary contributor.

Jayden’s eyes shifted briefly toward Zich afterward.

Once again, the white haired summoner quietly produced the most useful move without trying to draw attention toward himself. That irritated him far more than loud arrogance would have.

Meanwhile, the fallen knight’s body slowly dissolved into black particles.

Right as the corpse disappeared completely, another notification suddenly appeared directly before Zich alone.

[Ding! Lucky Handband effect activated.]

[Skill Drop Detected.]