Vortigern Is All He Sees / I Didn't Lose

"I was never loyal to King Arthur, nor to King Uther, but to my own principles. Since I promised King Uther that I would see his descendants safely ascend the throne, I was prepared to give everything to fulfill that promise—"

Anyway, this was a simulation. His life was cheap; if he died, he died. Once the simulation ended, he could find a chance to use Heroic Spirit Summoning to bring Morgan out and continue being intimate with her.

Bai Ming then saw the two kings across from him setting up camp and said, "Pass down my orders. Set up camp on the spot. I want to see what medicine they're selling."

Though you did not know what scheme Vortigern was plotting, that did not stop you from making things difficult for him.

It was now the fifth century AD, when Britain's Age of Gods had not yet ended. For China, this was the era of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties. This meant that Buddhism and Daoism, with their worship of gods and Buddhas, had already begun to merge and develop. It also meant you could pull off something huge on British soil.

You first muttered a few words about this disciple being ashamed, then solemnly began making things difficult for Vortigern.

You closed your eyes and visualized the appearances of the Three Pure Ones.

You formed hand seals and chanted an incantation, mobilizing your Thought Key Patterns and casting the Primal Calming Divine Curse.

"Primal calm, proclaim to all spirits..."

Suddenly, the peaceful sky churned with wind and clouds.

Far away on Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi Tianzun looked through endless space at you, confusion appearing on his face.

After making a simple calculation, Yuanshi Tianzun came to a sudden realization and looked toward Vortigern thoughtfully. He considered crossing realms to bully a junior, but ultimately abandoned the idea.

Under your Daoist incantation, the mountains, rivers, land, and all the "divine spirits" across Wales turned their gazes toward Vortigern.

Being stared at so directly, Vortigern looked at the fairies who had suddenly appeared—visible only to him—and at Yuanshi Tianzun in the heavens, falling into deep thought.

Vortigern realized that the reason his foolish younger brother trusted you so much might simply be because there was something wrong with your head.

Who started a clash between two armies by immediately throwing out an ultimate move and calling upon the supreme god of an entire pantheon?

Unwilling though he was, Vortigern had no choice but to withdraw his army.

Yuanshi Tianzun warned you not to keep borrowing his banner. Only becoming strong yourself was true strength. After telling you to stop doing this in the future, he casually tossed a spiritual treasure he had refined into your sea of consciousness, and you fainted.

You obtained a battle halberd forged from the Power of the Star of Destruction and Jade Purity Divine Lightning.

After you fainted, Mordred took command of the army. Seeing the King of a Hundred Knights and the King of England retreat without fighting, she began loudly spreading word of how you had scared off both kings without losing a single soldier, then led the army back to the capital in triumph.

Before Morgan had even reached Camelot, she saw the strange celestial phenomenon and the scene of purple lightning falling from the sky. She immediately turned her horse around and raced back toward you.

But Morgan had not ridden far before she saw Mordred carrying you on her back, happily shouting at the top of her lungs, along with the army endlessly praising your divine might.

Morgan tried to figure out what had happened, but her mind quickly shut down. Unable to understand it, she took command of the army and continued toward Camelot.

Bai Ming: Wait, if I fainted, how do I still know this?

System: Negative conditions are borne by the energy-formed body that dies in your place.

When you awoke again, you were already in the royal court. Opening your eyes, you saw neither Morgan's beautiful face nor Artoria's delicate one, but Merlin's annoyingly smug grin.

You seized the chance to punch Merlin. Merlin pretended to be knocked down and fell with the blow. You could tell Merlin was having fun, so you pretended to roll off the bed by accident and drove an elbow into Merlin, who was lying on the floor playing dead.

The noisy commotion drew in Morgan and Artoria, who had been talking outside.

After seeing Bai Ming awake, Artoria said, "I have decided to lead the expedition personally. This time, Duke Joslyn will remain behind to guard Camelot."

Artoria's gaze was extremely resolute. Bai Ming therefore looked at Morgan. Morgan must have said something to Artoria. Bai Ming looked at Morgan, but Morgan merely said coldly, "Since you're awake, I'll take Duke Joslyn back first."

As she spoke, she even used the heel of her shoe to give Merlin another kick on Bai Ming's behalf.

After the two left the royal court and rode back to Bai Ming's fief, Morgan directly dragged Bai Ming into a room and sealed the entire room with magecraft.

Morgan rather forcefully pulled Bai Ming down onto the bed, turned over and pressed herself atop him. Her eyes were sultry, and her pale fingers tapped against Bai Ming's chest as she said, word by word, "Now, tell me all your secrets."

His Eyes Held Only Vortigern

You could tell that this time, you had truly made Morgan anxious.

When some people faced sharply increasing pressure, their desire for sex also rose sharply. Morgan pinned you, who had only just awakened and had not yet fully recovered, onto the bed and fiercely took what she wanted.

In the midst of it, you even heard Morgan ask in a slightly broken voice, demanding that you confess every secret you had to her.

It had been more than ten years, nearly twenty. Morgan did not believe you failed to know that she no longer intended to take revenge on you. She merely wanted to find a chance to burn King Uther's grave to ashes, yet you had always been on guard against her.

She did not know what you were guarding against.

You confessed everything to Morgan, including your concerns about Morgan's magecraft.

Vortigern's magecraft bore an extreme resemblance to Morgan's. That was also why you had repeatedly dragged Morgan, who did not want to go to the battlefield, straight onto the battlefield.

Morgan's expression was extremely complicated. In the end, she merely covered her face and called you an idiot, then asked whether she should thank you for not stabbing her with a sword while the two of you were deeply engaged.

You said it was not too late to thank you now. Morgan ignored you and merely began contemplating matters concerning Vortigern.

According to your description, Vortigern should have successfully occupied Camelot, after which King Arthur would ascend the throne and launch an expedition against Vortigern. But because of your influence, White Chalk City Camelot had not fallen. Instead, Vortigern had been driven out. You were simply a massive stumbling block in Vortigern's plan.

Morgan understood why Vortigern had gone so far as to bring so many kings to make trouble for King Arthur. The root cause was to get rid of you. But he had not expected you to be hiding secrets, causing Vortigern's previous plan to fail completely.

After a dizzying battle with you, after trying all eighteen styles of martial arts, Morgan let out a refreshed breath, as though all her resentment had been expelled alongside her sweat.

She lay beside you.

"What do you think Vortigern will do next?"

Bai Ming said, "I don't know, but I think he and I still have another battle ahead of us."

Morgan said, "So you still intend to go on an expedition. Your weapon is completely unsuitable for battles involving overly powerful mysteries. Besides, your support of Arthur's ascension has already fulfilled your agreement with that old thing—no, that dead thing, Uther."

Bai Ming shook his head and said, "They have yet to force out my Daoist arts, much less reveal how much favor I have received from my patriarch."

Morgan did not want to bring up the matter again, so she changed the subject in a deliberately cold tone. "You told me before that you were not skilled at magecraft. You deceived me."

Bai Ming did not care in the slightest. "Magecraft and Daoist arts are entirely different concepts. I did not deceive you, did I? They are completely different systems."

During your recovery, Artoria began gathering her army, while Gawain began traveling alone.

Rumor had it that your eldest son, Gawain, had gained the favor of a Lady of the Lake and received a holy sword from the lake named Calentin, which contained an artificial sun.

During this time, you were hardly summoned to do anything. Thus, aside from practicing martial arts and rubbing noses with Morgan, you trained Mordred and Gareth. Artoria's Sword in the Stone broke during a duel, and she replaced it with the Star Holy Sword, Excalibur, which Merlin had obtained from the Lady of the Lake.

Artoria also obtained the Holy Lance.

The Knights of the Round Table were established.

The timeline seemed to have been completely thrown into chaos because of you, but you did not care in the slightest.

Because from the very beginning, you had come here for the thrill of battle and the pursuit of pleasure.

According to Merlin, Vortigern, who had yet to meet Artoria, had angered her. If Merlin had not kept stopping her, she would have gone to deliver herself to Vortigern a year ago just to show him what she could do. Your eldest son Gawain accompanied Artoria on the expedition as her guard.

To Morgan's surprise, you did not ask to join the battle.

Morgan worried that something might be wrong with your body, but after examining you, she found you robust and perfectly fine.

You explained to Morgan that it was because of Artoria.

"I don't know what Merlin, that guy who is busy building the Knights of the Round Table but chases after women's asses whenever he is offline, told Lily. Before leaving on the expedition, she told me she wanted to establish an ideal land."

Bai Ming's words plunged Morgan into silence.

Bai Ming continued, "Morgan, leave Camelot from today onward. I have nearly finished analyzing your magecraft. I understand Vortigern. White Chalk City Camelot will become the new battlefield... no, all of Britain will become a battlefield."

In the original course of events, Camelot was where Low King Vortigern would be defeated. But Vortigern would ultimately manifest as the will of the island, the island's avatar.

That king of a weak tribe who drank dragon blood had ceased to be human long ago.

After some discussion, you forcefully made Morgan leave Camelot with Mordred and Gareth. Just as you had said, Vortigern manifested as the will of the island, the island's avatar, and directly arrived at White Chalk City, the very center of Britain's Age of Gods.

Most of the troops and elite knights had been taken away by Artoria. Only a small number of defenders remained. You, Eufis, and Brastias returned to the same battlefield after more than ten years.

You could not help sighing with emotion, but reality did not allow you to linger over it.

You ordered Eufis and Brastias to gather the soldiers and strike the enemy from both flanks, prioritizing the preservation of their forces, while you remained behind to cover their retreat.

Though you had not appeared for a long time, your legends still circulated among the army. When you rode forth, the soldiers who had already lost the will to resist seemed to find a pillar to rely upon. You ordered them to retreat while you alone faced Vortigern.

Word of Vortigern's surprise attack on Camelot quickly reached Artoria, who was away on expedition. But Vortigern would certainly devise a way to hold Artoria back in order to first cut off one of her arms. Thus, no matter how anxious Artoria was, she could not break free for the moment.

Bai Ming summoned the Pojun Divine Lightning Halberd from his sea of consciousness and galloped forward. Lightning flickered everywhere he passed. He swept his halberd sideways, and lightning collided with a pitch-black shadow before both vanished into nothingness.

Vortigern's attack against the soldiers was scattered by that single strike.

The aged man looked at Bai Ming and spoke. "Joscelin Brando, the first time I saw you on the battlefield, I wanted to ask: why resist? Why deny it? Britain must be destroyed. You must be exterminated. If this island is to be defiled by humanity, then I shall return it to its primordial state with my own hands!"

Bai Ming did not answer. He merely gripped his halberd, rode toward Vortigern, and swung. Forty-eight bolts of lightning surged forth, colliding with Vortigern's black shadow like a raging storm. Vortigern erupted with speed no old man could possibly possess and charged at Bai Ming. Bai Ming leaped from his horse, swung his halberd against Vortigern's sword, then kicked Vortigern in the face and sent him flying.

Pitch-black shadows covered the sky, and Camelot darkened.

At that moment, all sounds fell silent, and his eyes held only Vortigern.

I Didn't Lose

In the blink of an eye, Vortigern and Bai Ming had exchanged dozens of blows.

Only then did Vortigern fully confirm his suspicions.

Magecraft that did not belong to Britain. Weapons that did not belong to Britain.

Even some of his tactics and fighting methods did not belong to Britain.

This man was completely an outsider to Britain.

That bastard Uther!

What the hell had Uther been thinking?!

After another collision between shadow and lightning, Vortigern said with faint anger, "You truly do not belong here, Joslin. You are not Roman either. After last time, I searched through all relevant books, but there are no records of that supreme being in Roman or British documents."

"I never said I was."

Lightning tore through the darkness.

Darkness swallowed the lightning.

Lightning and shadow vanished without a trace.

The battle halberd and sword collided, and Vortigern and Bai Ming each took a punch from the other.

The two staggered back dozens of steps. Vortigern said, "I had thought your son's power came from the same place, so I created the Veil of Night. But it seems I planned wrongly."

"Tch... as expected of the White Dragon..."

Bai Ming's hands trembled slightly from taking Vortigern's attack head-on.

Vortigern said, "At this point, do you still believe this is merely a struggle between the White Dragon and the Red Dragon? This is the struggle of all Britain!"

Bai Ming sneered. "You are just a pathetic old fool who fused yourself with this island and cannot accept development and change. You are nothing more than an old thing throwing a tantrum because you could not obtain the throne and could not do what you wanted."

"Think whatever you wish. Still, I am quite curious. What did Uther give you to make you so loyal to him? Whatever he can give you, I can give you as well."

Vortigern's hands were trembling too. He had not expected Bai Ming's strength to be so immense. If they continued fighting, it might take a very long time.

If that incarnation of the Red Dragon arrived, he would be ended by the inevitable tide of Britain's Age of Gods coming to an end.

Hearing this, Bai Ming burst into laughter, swung his battle halberd, and charged forward. "To me, all of this is merely a real game, so there is only one outcome!"

Lightning burst forth as shadows gathered.

A sharp, forceful clash of metal rang out. The battle halberd pressed heavily upon Vortigern's sword with such force that Vortigern's knees bent slightly.

"Either you die—"

Vortigern's black shadow enveloped Bai Ming, while endless lightning appeared all around Bai Ming, crackling loudly. Bai Ming roared, "—or you die!"

His black eyes seemed even darker than Vortigern's shadows, but unlike Vortigern's dark, lifeless shadow, Bai Ming's darkness was madness.

Vortigern did not know why this human was so insane, nor did he know what the real game this human spoke of meant.

Sword and halberd collided without pause.

Sparks flew everywhere as shadows and lightning shot through the air and crashed together.

The city, black as the underworld, flickered between light and darkness like a night of raging thunderstorms.

Vortigern thought, This truly is a troublesome madman. Perhaps I should have gone straight after the Red Dragon from the beginning instead of constantly trying to eliminate her support. I only ended up being too clever for my own good.

Fortunately, this man was still human. His stamina would eventually run out. All Vortigern needed to do was increase the frequency of his attacks and wear him down.

Thus, Vortigern stopped meeting Bai Ming head-on. Instead, he tried to open the distance and use magecraft to wear Bai Ming down.

Bai Ming was furious. He immediately let out a thunderous roar, so loud that even the knights who had already withdrawn from Camelot heard it clearly:

"Your old man came here to enjoy fighting you, Vortigern, you old bastard! The way you keep dodging around makes you look like a horny nun begging to get fucked while still pretending to be pure!"