Chimeras and Dead Apostles

"We won! We won!"

Guinevere exclaimed with excitement as she hugged Artoria, jumping for joy like a little girl.

"Um, we won..." Artoria replied, her expression slightly dazed.

To be honest, she had been startled when she first saw the army of Ganna.

There were so many of them, a staggering eight thousand soldiers, and their battle line extended over sixty meters.

In comparison, their own army consisted of just three hundred knights, nearly thirty times fewer. It was as if a drop of water fell into a lake, barely making a ripple.

She even suggested to her teacher that they should temporarily retreat. But her teacher just smiled and gave a lecture:

"Never underestimate these knights who have walked back from the path of death, Lily. Their potential is far beyond your imagination. I believe they can bring victory for me."

"I said before the battle that this would be their glorious moment as true knights, so I wouldn't interfere with them. If I order them to retreat now, it would not only be breaking my word but, more importantly, my lack of trust would chill the hearts and lower their morale."

"As a king, the most important thing is to trust your own people. If you can't even trust them, what right do you have to call yourself a king?"

In fact, her teacher's words proved to be right.

These three hundred knights did not disappoint their hopes. Even when facing an enemy many times their number, they decimated the opposing forces without mercy, scattering them in disarray.

It was an almost perfect victory that would shake the entire Britain!

Watching the figure in silver armor in the distance, Artoria sighed in her heart. She had thought she would grow stronger after the trial of Excalibur, but she realized that there was still a significant gap between her and her teacher on the path of a king.

There was much she could learn from her teacher's example.

"Trust your own people..." Artoria whispered softly, a thoughtful look in her azure eyes.

Arkhan, looking at the chaotic battlefield in the distance, curved a slight smile on his lips. He was well aware that after this battle, his position in Camelot would be unshakable.

Three hundred knights had routed an army of eight thousand, a battle that would be recorded in history.

After this battle, his reputation would spread throughout Camelot, and the nobles of Camelot would understand that this new king wasn't as easy to control as they had imagined.

He wasn't an inexperienced commander; he had a powerful group of knights capable of taking on thirty enemies each.

After this battle, Camelot's status would return to what it used to be. Those kings who had once looked down on them would be shocked to discover that this British lion had awakened and was baring its fierce teeth!

After this battle, the fifteen-year shadow hanging over Camelot would finally disperse. The people's morale would be uplifted once again, and this nation would regain its vitality.

This was Arkhan's goal, from declaring war on Ganna to designing the path of trial and rerouting to Lucanmont. He had planned for two whole months, all leading up to this day.

Arkhan had no interest in playing the courtly games of intrigue with those self-important nobles. He wanted to crush their ambitions directly with the might and strength of his forces, making them realize that their scheming and tricks were utterly useless.

Arkhan also had no time to allow Camelot to slowly recover from the failure of its past wars. If they had sunk into silence due to their previous defeat, then now, he would awaken them with a splendid victory!

Arkhan had never entertained the thought of borrowing troops from the Duke of Lucanmont from the beginning.

Though defeating eight thousand with three thousand was still a remarkable achievement, those who were privy to the situation knew that the difference in strength between both sides was not significant.

Since he aimed for the perfect outcome, Arkhan had to resort to the most extreme measure.

So, he chose to develop this knight order of three hundred, transforming them with the Abyss Flower, tempering their willpower and spirit through trial, and fostering their unity.

The entire process resembled forging iron; only through thousands of trials and refinements could they achieve a complete transformation.

The final result did not surprise him.

Three hundred were victorious against eight thousand with zero casualties, annihilating thousands of foes. His knight order had delivered an impeccable victory!

'Soon, I can complete the System's quest and get the Tenth Divine Key.'

The Tenth Divine Key—the Key of Domination, Xuanyuan Sword, was a mass-produced Divine Key crafted from the core of the 'Herrscher of Legion'.

Each Key of Domination could transform into a corresponding weapon form based on the wielder's will, containing the elemental powers of the other six Herrschers like lightning, flame, and ice.

While its power couldn't match that of the genuine Herrscher, it was not to be underestimated.

Arkhan had long coveted the Key of Domination, and, to some extent, it was the most crucial Divine Key he needed at the moment!

This Divine Key would be the key to defeating Vortigern and unifying Britain!

"Hmm?"

As if sensing something, Arkhan suddenly looked up at the sky.

Guinevere and Artoria, without any prior arrangement, also gazed upward.

The formerly clear sky had been entirely concealed by heavy dark clouds at some point. Sunlight was blocked outside, casting the land into darkness, as though it had prematurely entered the night.

A blood-red circular moon hung silently on the horizon, resembling an eye overseeing the land, exuding an inexplicable eeriness and horror.

"That is..." Arkhan furrowed his brows slightly.

Lamorak also noticed the changes around them. A hint of unease suddenly welled up within him. He pulled on the reins of his horse and shouted, "Cease pursuit and assemble!"

The other knights immediately abandoned their pursuit of the fleeing enemies, gathering around Lamorak, organizing their formation vigilantly, and surveying the surroundings.

*Whoosh—!*

A fierce wind howled, lifting a vast expanse of leaves as if it were the harbinger of a storm.

Lamorak wrinkled his nose, his face taking on a somewhat solemn expression.

He could smell the scent of beasts.

*Rumble!*

The great plains quaked, with thick smoke billowing in the distance. Over a hundred creatures that resembled lions in some way were madly rushing in their direction!

"Hihihihi!"

A creepy laughter echoed from above as hundreds of figures, cloaked in black robes, descended from the sky. Their eyes were crimson red, and their fangs were bared.

"Chimeras and Dead Apostles..." Arkhan furrowed his brow. "How did they come together?"

On one side, there were the phantasmal species of old, lost in the annals of history, while on the other, there were vampires that preyed on humans. Regardless of how one looked at it, the two were worlds apart, and yet, they were inexplicably joining forces at this critical juncture.

The Dead Apostles still had True Ancestors among them and possessed sound minds. They could still obey commands to some extent.

However, Chimeras had vanished for over a century, and yet, out of nowhere, so many of them had suddenly appeared. Not only that, but they were only showing clear hostility towards Camelot's side.

Thinking back to the Mountain Giants and Chimeras that had appeared in Lucanmont before, a daring idea began to take shape in Arkhan's mind.

Someone had awakened these ancient phantasmal species on purpose and was manipulating them to launch attacks on Camelot!