Challenge and Trial

Afterward, Duanmu Huai fused the Ancient Amplifier and Ancient Automaton with Sky City. This allowed them to automatically produce a certain number of (Creations) and (Mechanical Soldiers) in Sky City each day. Of course, summoning these Creations still consumed Psychic Power, but at least for now, he was effectively carrying around a large troop-production base. That was enough for Duanmu Huai.

Still, Duanmu Huai had a small question.

It was about that legend.

He remembered that, when he had climbed the mountain, the Knights traveling with him had told him that Bartonia's guardian deity, the Green Knight, had once gone to Sky City under the Lady of the Lake's guidance. Duanmu Huai had also asked Mia, who confirmed that a player had indeed come to challenge Sky City several centuries ago. Unfortunately, he had failed to clear the final stage and had only received a set of armor and weapons as a consolation prize...

Well, that was some consolation prize. Who would have thought the Green Knight's armor and weapons had been obtained that way? If the people of Bartonia learned the truth, who knew what they would say.

Still, Duanmu Huai could understand. The final boss was genuinely disgusting. He had no idea what kind of twisted circuitry the person who designed that stage had in their brain. It looked like they had never intended for anyone to clear it. If there were enough people, it might have been manageable, but Mia had said there seemed to be restrictions on both party size and strength level. How the hell was anyone supposed to beat that?

Wasn't bringing a five-man party into a twenty-five-man raid just asking for death?

The Green Knight had done pretty well just making it back alive.

In fact, Duanmu Huai suspected that Sky City's designer had never intended for anyone to clear it, just like those businesses that claimed the grand prize was a Ferrari—because even if you won, they would only give you a Ferrari... model.

Capitalists were all the same across the universe.

Still, Duanmu Huai had another question.

That was... how did the Lady of the Lake know about Sky City?

According to the legend, the Green Knight had gone to Sky City for a trial under the Lady of the Lake's guidance. That meant she knew Sky City existed. So the question was, was the Lady of the Lake a survivor of the Civilization that had created Sky City? Or did she merely know such a thing existed without knowing what it actually was?

Duanmu Huai thought it was probably the latter. After all, the Lady of the Lake was a god. It was not strange for her to discover an amusement park hidden on her own turf. It was quite possible that she had gone inside herself, gotten blown to hell, and fled in a panic. Then she had no choice but to find someone else to clear it for her, calling it a trial...

After all, present-day Bartonia showed no trace whatsoever of any connection to Sky City. Even its architectural style was completely different. If the Lady of the Lake truly was a survivor of the Civilization that had created Sky City, then at the very least, her temples and architecture should have resembled Sky City's. Yet Duanmu Huai had not seen any buildings in Sky City that resembled Bartonian architecture, so that possibility could more or less be ruled out.

Of course, these were only guesses, and Duanmu Huai did not dwell on them. Right now, he was speeding across the grasslands on his motorcycle. Having a vehicle felt great, especially now that he no longer had to ride Bus Number Eleven. Duanmu Huai felt absolutely refreshed.

And with this vehicle, he could consider traveling to places that had once been too far away in search of Holy Relics...

"Screeeech—!!"

Just as Duanmu Huai was considering where to look for Holy Relics next, a flash of light suddenly crossed his vision, and he slammed on the motorcycle's brakes. Then he raised his head and looked ahead—at the entrance to the forest path, a figure stood in his way, blocking the road.

Duanmu Huai did not know him, but that green helmet, green armor, green longsword, and green warhorse... wasn't that the legendary Bartonian guardian Heroic Spirit, the Green Knight? The one who proved that love was a light so green it made you panic?

What was this guy blocking his path for? Robbery?

As Duanmu Huai stared at him in confusion, the Green Knight drew his sword, placed it against his chest, and then pointed it at Duanmu Huai from afar. At the same time, a system notification appeared before Duanmu Huai.

Special timed mission "Challenge" activated

Mission Objective: Defeat the Green Knight

Bartonia's guardian Heroic Spirit, the Green Knight, has challenged you. Now is the time to prove your strength to him!

Oh? Looking for a fight?

Seeing this, Duanmu Huai raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Green Knight's head.

The words LV40 (Hero) stood out clearly, green enough to pierce the heart. It was enough to bring tears to one's eyes. Who knew how many times he had been cheated on for even the marker above his head to be green?

"Waiting for a stroke of Luck, and a collision—what a wondrous encounter. Beyond the mountaintop ahead and layers of white clouds, the green light awaits..."

Humming as he sang, Duanmu Huai looked at the Green Knight, the corners of his mouth curling slightly upward.

In that case, let's see just how powerful you, Bartonia's guardian Heroic Spirit, really are!

My turn, draw...!

I summon three Analyzing Creations and three Ancient Creations! Then I summon one Mysterious Creation and one Splendid Creation! Summon five Large Mechanical Soldiers!

As Duanmu Huai extended his right hand, a flash of light appeared. Five Ancient Creations hovering in the air and three tall, heavy Large Mechanical Soldiers appeared before him.

The Analyzing Creations and Ancient Creations cost 1 each, reduced to 0 under the effect of Warp Armor. The Splendid Creation cost 5, reduced to 2, while the Mysterious Creation and Large Mechanical Soldiers cost 3, reduced to 1. Altogether, the thirteen summons consumed only 80 Warp Space Heat.

Duanmu Huai's Intelligence was now 12, giving him a Warp Space Heat limit of 120. Combined with the Gene-Seed Primarch's Warp Space Affinity trait, which increased maximum Heat and resistance by 10 per level, Duanmu Huai was currently level 23. That meant his maximum Warp Space Heat was 120 + 230 = 350.

Even including Okegis's 30 points of Warp Space Heat, Duanmu Huai was maintaining 110 points of Warp Space consumption. That was not even half!

Yep, Warp Armor really was the best!

"...!"

Seeing the Creations and Mechanical Soldiers Duanmu Huai had summoned, the Green Knight's body trembled, and he hurriedly pulled his warhorse back half a step. It seemed he had been beaten quite badly back then. Had that left him traumatized?

But Duanmu Huai did not care. The mission only said it was a Challenge; it never said it had to be a duel. He was a Summoner—did the Green Knight really have the nerve to demand a one-on-one fight?

Besides, even a duel would be no problem.

Were we ganging up on you alone? Or were you taking on all of us?

Wasn't it the same either way?

"Attack!"

At Duanmu Huai's command, the Mechanical Soldiers beside him immediately charged toward the Green Knight. At the same time, the Creations in the air began firing beams at the Green Knight with a barrage of pew pew pews, looking ready to wipe him out completely.

Faced with Duanmu Huai's assault, the Green Knight could only spur his horse and charge straight at him. Of course, this was an endless grassland. If he could not win, he could always run. But who was the Green Knight? He was Bartonia's guardian Heroic Spirit and the symbol of chivalry. He had been the one to Challenge Duanmu Huai first. If he ran away now, his knightly spirit would be gone for good.

Thus, the Green Knight charged forward and clashed with the Large Mechanical Soldiers.

It had to be admitted that the Green Knight's attack power was truly astonishing. Duanmu Huai took a look at his stats during the battle: 60 attack and 50 defense. In Soul Card terms, that was 6 attack and 5 defense. Though it did not compare to Okegis's 7 attack and 7 defense, those were Okegis's awakened stats. The Green Knight was only in his normal state right now. If he underwent some kind of explosive awakening as well, he would only become even stronger.

However, explosive awakening was not necessarily a good thing, because the stats after awakening were fixed. Okegis's attack and defense could only be locked at 7. But the Green Knight was different. If he continued to level up—assuming he even could—and raised his attack power to 70 or 80, his attack and defense after explosive awakening would be even higher.

Unfortunately, Soul Cards could not grow, because they were merely reflections of souls within Warp Space. They had no past, present, or future, and they could not gain experience by fighting monsters.

Against the Green Knight's attacks, the Large Mechanical Soldiers, with only 3 defense, were naturally no match for him. He was also mounted, and his mobility far surpassed anything the Large Mechanical Soldiers could match. However, Duanmu Huai had summoned the Mysterious Creation, which possessed the Protection trait. It could turn its own defense into a barrier to block enemy attacks. Although it still could not withstand a single strike from the Green Knight, it at least bought them the time of one strike.

But clearly, the Green Knight's strength as a guardian Heroic Spirit was no joke. Even while surrounded by Creations and Mechanical Soldiers, he easily broke through their encirclement. With several swings of his sword, he smashed the Large Mechanical Soldiers apart. Then the Green Knight leaped into the air on horseback and flicked his longsword. In the next instant, the army of Creations floating overhead exploded as well. Within moments, the entire battlefield had been swept clean by the Green Knight.

All right, that was not unexpected.

Duanmu Huai was not surprised that the Green Knight could fight so well. He had never expected those units to take down the Green Knight. The reason he had summoned them was because... the true star was up next!

Activate Mobile Armor!

Just as the Green Knight destroyed the Creations before him and charged toward Duanmu Huai, Duanmu Huai's entire body shuddered. Then his Power Armor changed once again. Dazzling violet light emerged, and the entire suit expanded by a full size!

Then Duanmu Huai gripped his Warhammer and charged to meet the Green Knight!