Crusader Remnants

Even though an hour had passed since leaving the temple, Li Ye still felt a dreamlike, floating sensation.

'Damn, this is the Holy Grail!'

Li Ye shouted inwardly. If not for the sandstorm and Nitocris's presence around him, Li Ye would have definitely burst into laughter.

After obtaining the Holy Grail from King Ozymandias, Ozymandias seemed to lose interest in Li Ye and casually gave him an order:

"There seems to be an anomaly within my domain. Go and investigate with Nitocris; I am weary."

Li Ye, with no time to say anything, was directly kicked out.

After reluctantly acquiring some clothes and supplies from the residents of the Holy City, Li Ye returned to the desert.

Nitocris, who had come out with him, accompanied him all the way due to Ozymandias's command.

Li Ye already had a general idea about the anomaly Ozymandias mentioned.

The only existence currently in the desert not under Ozymandias's control was likely the Atlas Institute.

Therefore, Li Ye's destination was clear—

To head towards the center of the so-called desert.

Originally, Li Ye had no idea how to approach the two trials King Hassan had spoken of, but now he had some leads.

The king symbolizing the land of the dead was likely Nitocris, but Li Ye still didn't understand the specifics of the trial and could only proceed cautiously.

However, the location of the Atlas Institute, which King Hassan called a treasure trove of knowledge, was too vague.

But now that he had the Holy Grail, Li Ye had a bold idea.

"Miss Nitocris, how do you use this Holy Grail?" Li Ye asked with a serious expression.

To be honest, Li Ye hadn't figured out how to use the Holy Grail at all. It had been over an hour since he obtained it, and Li Ye had been pondering it non-stop.

But he had achieved nothing. He had tried dripping blood, reciting incantations, and everything else, but the Holy Grail remained unresponsive.

This led Li Ye into self-doubt. Even recalling the commotion when Ozymandias took out the Holy Grail didn't help him analyze anything.

As a result, Li Ye had been carrying the Holy Grail without accomplishing anything on their journey.

In Li Ye's own opinion, this was like occupying a toilet without using it—a complete waste!

"What?"

Nitocris seemed to have heard an incredible question, her rabbit-ear-like decorations standing tall on her head: "You've been holding the Holy Grail without knowing how to use it?"

Hearing Nitocris's pure, unadorned question, Li Ye forced a smile that couldn't be seen: "Ah, yes. I don't really understand. How do I use it?"

Even with Nitocris's temperament, she couldn't help but be shocked at this moment.

Subsequently, Nitocris comprehensively explained the knowledge related to magecraft and the usage of the Holy Grail to Li Ye.

"Oh—"

Li Ye nodded in sudden realization, not daring to tell Nitocris that he hadn't understood much. He casually tucked the Holy Grail back into his embrace and silently tried to communicate with it according to Nitocris's method.

Time flew by, and Li Ye and Nitocris seemed on the verge of getting lost in the sandstorm.

The sandstorm around them intensified, the air roaring and growling, as if trying to completely tear apart Li Ye's eardrums!

"So, Miss Nitocris, can't this sandstorm be stopped first?" Li Ye shouted loudly over the storm.

"The sandstorm is King Ozymandias's will; it cannot be stopped!"

Nitocris's answer was as expected.

This left Li Ye helpless, and he could only continue to push forward against the sandstorm.

The yellow sand stretched endlessly.

Li Ye had no idea how vast this desert was, but he was certain that it was absolutely barren.

Not even a single oasis had appeared.

It was as if only the Holy City in the entire desert allowed life to exist.

After a long while, Li Ye could feel the sandstorm around them weakening significantly.

Before he could even ask Nitocris what was happening, Li Ye noticed an unusual aura on the sand dunes—

"Refugees?" Li Ye couldn't sense any significant magical fluctuations from these figures. They were undoubtedly ordinary people.

To Li Ye's surprise, someone had managed to survive this hellish sandstorm and hadn't encountered the Sphinx yet.

What's more, these ordinary people gave Li Ye a sense of frenzied killing intent.

"Heretics! Fresh meat and water!!"

Now that the sandstorm had weakened, Li Ye could clearly hear what those figures were muttering—a craving for food, an anticipation of destroying life.

Heretics? Where is the food?

Li Ye didn't think much of it, his gaze, slightly chilled, swept over the dozen or so figures. The exposed skin showed their current dire physical condition.

Each of them was as thin as a rake, yet possessed an unexpected resilience.

What bothered Li Ye the most was the desperate look in these people's eyes, similar to the refugees he'd encountered in the desolate mountains.

But fiercer!

Their gazes, as ferocious as a hound hunting, were locked onto Li Ye.

"We can talk about anything—" Adhering to his past dealings with the Hassans, Li Ye raised his hands and shouted, intending to converse with this group first.

If he knocked them out in this sandstorm, Li Ye had no idea who would clean up the mess.

But Li Ye's wish for a response was unmet, replaced instead by a charge accompanied by roars!

'Are they completely insane—'

Li Ye clicked his tongue subconsciously.

The situation no longer allowed for conversation; there would only be room for talk after a forceful suppression.

"Can't you just talk properly!" Li Ye strode forward, and in the blink of an eye, he was confronting the frenzied refugees!

Bang!

With a series of dull thuds, Li Ye mercilessly punched the refugees in the abdomen!

As he made contact, Li Ye's eyes flickered: 'Strange feel.'

These refugees' bodies weren't as fragile as they looked; they were surprisingly tough!

But to Li Ye at this moment, it made no difference.

Before long, the refugees collapsed to the ground, letting the sand and wind engulf them.

Li Ye didn't just leave them to be buried by the sandstorm. After dragging them all together, he said, "Miss Nitocris, I'll trouble you!"

Nitocris, who had been standing by like an observer, waved the Staff of Vance. Magic flowed like water through the surroundings, expelling the sandstorm within a five-meter radius.

"Can we talk properly now?" Li Ye asked, gripping one of the refugees by the neck, his brow furrowed.

He noticed that these people seemed to have undergone high-intensity training, even possessing magical reinforcement. He hadn't paid much attention before, but now it gave him a familiar feeling.

It was almost like... Crusaders.

'Crusaders?'

Li Ye's gaze turned cold. For the past three days, besides Lancelot training him, Gawain and Agravain had been stationed at Camelot, while Mordred and Tristan were out eliminating remnants of the Crusaders.

He hadn't expected them to end up as refugees in Ozymandias's territory.

And why weren't these Crusaders acting so crazed?

They'd shed their Crusader armor, donned these tattered clothes to pose as refugees, and most importantly, this behavior was unlike the Crusaders Li Ye knew.

'Someone influential guiding them from behind?'

Li Ye punched another one in the abdomen. The immense force made the Crusader spew bitter water, as if expelling the last bit of moisture from his body.

"Speak, where did you come from?" Li Ye's gaze swept over the other motionless Crusaders. Crimson arcs of electricity danced on his fingertips, and the stray arcs that fell left small pits in the yellow sand!