Chapter 314: The Crimson Knight [II]
"No way..."
Marcus couldn’t help muttering under his breath, a flicker of jealousy rising before he could suppress it.
As the crimson knight rode her Flame Charger up the hill, her figure became clearer with every step forward. She was tall and graceful, her posture straight and unyielding, like a lotus standing proudly above still water, elegant and composed, impossible to overlook and even harder to dismiss.
Her presence alone carried a quiet authority, and combined with that violet-red armor, the effect was nothing short of striking.
Even with her face hidden behind a bronze mask, there was no doubt she was beautiful. If anything, the concealment only deepened the impression she gave, adding a layer of mystery that made it difficult to look away.
She dismounted and approached Marcus’s group, each step measured and fluid. With every movement, her presence seemed to grow stronger, her poise and elegance blending with that vivid crimson aura until it felt almost overwhelming, like a pressure settling over the space between them.
"No way..."
Marcus muttered again, this time with more feeling, his brows tightening.
"There’s actually a female knight who can compare to Chloe?"
As she drew closer, the full weight of her presence became impossible to ignore.
Her figure was slender yet perfectly balanced, every line of her body flowing naturally into the next. She moved with an effortless grace, her steps light but steady. Her skin was pale and smooth, her long black hair falling neatly behind her, and her bearing carried a quiet refinement that set her apart from anyone else on the field.
She felt distant, almost untouchable, like a crimson cloud hanging at the edge of the sky, something beautiful enough to admire but impossible to reach.
The violet-red armor only enhanced that impression, accentuating her form without diminishing her strength. There was a warmth to her presence, a subtle intensity that carried both passion and danger, something instinctively appealing and difficult to resist.
Even Marcus, who had seen more than his fair share of beautiful women, found himself momentarily drawn in. He had to admit, at least to himself, that she was remarkable.
Compared to Chloe, who carried a bright, spirited charm, this crimson knight lacked nothing. If anything, the armor and the quiet intensity she radiated gave her an edge that struck Marcus even more deeply.
The only flaw, if it could even be called that, was the bronze mask covering her face. It left too much to the imagination, stirring a curiosity that was hard to ignore. For a brief, irrational moment, Marcus found himself wondering what kind of face could possibly match the perfection of her figure and presence.
Looking at her, he could only think that the world had been overly generous in creating someone like this.
Then she spoke.
"They’ve been killed?"
Her voice was calm, direct, and without hesitation. The question wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular, yet it carried an unmistakable expectation of an answer.
Marcus’s expression shifted immediately.
’Who’s she talking to?’
Just like that, his admiration took a hit. No manners at all.
’Girls these days...’
He said nothing, and neither did anyone else in his group. The silence stretched just long enough to feel deliberate.
Then something caught his eye.
His gaze drifted to the emblem on her arm, and in that instant, his thoughts froze and his pupils shrank.
’Wait... no way. That symbol...’
For a moment, Marcus couldn’t even process it. His mind stalled, then surged forward all at once.
’That can’t be right.’
But the more he looked, the more certain he became; Three leaves.
’Threeleaf Clan.’
His old rival.
The emblem was unmistakable, a design of three leaves. In the Threeleaf Clan, each division used a different color variation, and the one on her arm was made up of three red leaves.
That meant only one thing; she belonged to the Redleaf Chapter. And there was only one person who could be leading them.
Marcus’s expression stiffened as the realization settled in.
’Threeleaf FlyingCloud.’
He glanced past her, his eyes sweeping over the players behind her. Sure enough, the female members bore the same red three-leaf emblem, while others displayed different colors.
There was no mistake.
The woman standing in front of him, this striking, almost unreal figure, was the very same opponent he had clashed with countless times before.
One of his greatest enemies.
And someone they had once half-jokingly suspected might actually be a guy.
Back in the previous game, the Redleaf Chapter had been the weakest division of the Threeleaf Clan in terms of raw strength. But that didn’t mean they were harmless. Quite the opposite. An all-female group with high coordination and aggressive playstyles could be terrifying in the right circumstances.
And their leader had been the most dangerous of them all.
Threeleaf FlyingCloud had always played a knight. Her equipment and level were never the main issue. It was her skill. Her control, her timing, her decision-making in combat. Those were what made her stand out.
During the large-scale wars between IronWing and Threeleaf, Marcus had fought her many times.
One-on-one, he held a slight edge, but she rarely fought alone.
Together with ThreeleafAxe69, she had taken him down more times than he cared to admit. More than ten, easily. She had been one of the few players who could consistently pressure him.
If the Redleaf Chapter hadn’t strictly excluded male players, they might have genuinely believed she was one.
Tactical Drunkard and Invincible Strong certainly thought so. After being killed by her several times, they had taken to calling her "that dude" behind her back, half out of frustration, half out of disbelief.
Marcus activated Insight discreetly, just to be sure.
—
Threeleaf FlyingCloud. Level 29. Class: Knight.
—
He confirmed it. Still the same class, and still just as dangerous. But now... She looked far more striking than he had ever imagined.
Marcus felt a strange tension settle in his chest.
’This is insane.’
A faint unease crept up on him, his heartbeat picking up slightly. Because there was one particular memory he couldn’t ignore.
Before quitting the previous game, he had once been in a foul mood. By pure coincidence, he had run into Threeleaf FlyingCloud. And instead of letting it go, he had chased her down and killed her over fifty times in a row.
At the time, he hadn’t cared whether she was a female player or not.
Later, rumors spread that she had been so upset she cried and stopped playing for several days. The story had circulated widely, and Marcus had earned himself a rather colorful reputation because of it.
Some called him a merciless woman beater. Others, less politely, labeled him a complete psychopath.
Tactical Drunkard and Invincible Strong, of course, had their own version.
"The man who made that dude cry."
Marcus felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. Looking at her now, it was hard to reconcile that memory with the person standing in front of him. It felt unreal.
Fortunately, there was one saving grace; she hadn’t recognized him.
In the old game, everything had been controlled through a mouse and keyboard. Identities rarely carried over beyond character names and guild affiliations. Even though IronWing and Threeleaf had been bitter rivals, that rivalry had existed entirely within the game.
They had never met in person.
Marcus only recognized her now because of prior knowledge, and because the emblem gave it away. In this new game, he hadn’t rebuilt IronWing. He had chosen a completely different path.
So to her, he was just another player. That meant he still had time to leave.
Before anything unexpected could happen, Marcus made his decision.
He wasn’t interested in reopening old grudges. IronWing and Threeleaf had been competitors, nothing more. There was no need to stir up unnecessary trouble.
Without a word, he prepared to use a Town Portal Scroll and return to the city, avoiding any further interaction with her group.
But just as he was about to act, two familiar idiots ruined everything. Tactical Drunkard and Invincible Strong had also noticed the red leaf emblem.
And unlike Marcus, they had no sense of restraint.
"No way, Stone, that du—"
Tactical Drunkard’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Threeleaf FlyingCloud, his voice rising before he could stop himself.