A total of around forty or so Expert Rank warriors from the Monarch's army surged forward toward Max's position, their murderous auras pressing heavily against the air, causing visible distortions.
Yet despite the numbers, Max quickly noticed something important—their strength, while formidable, wasn't the peak. Among them, a handful were at the 7th, 8th, and 9th levels of the Expert Rank, while the rest hovered at the lower end, sitting at the early stages like Level 1 and Level 2.
These weren't the true monsters of the Monarch's forces—they were the vanguard, meant to overwhelm through numbers rather than absolute dominance.
The moment the attackers crossed the critical distance, Klaus moved with frightening precision. His dark armor gleamed under the flashing lights of battle, and with a sudden surge, black flames erupted from his body like a living inferno.
