Golden Mage - Chapter 86
Volume 3, Episode 26
Golden Knight possessed formidable strength that could rival the top 10 Grand Masters of the continent. The power emanating from Ora imbued in the Golden Sword was similar to that of a Grand Master, and the strength derived from his massive build surpassed even that of the Grand Masters.
However, the Holy Knights facing off against the Golden Knight were not to be underestimated either. Led by Viscount Nigram, who had reached the highest Master level, five Master-level Holy Knights were supporting him. Additionally, 100 Holy Knights were channeling auxiliary magic to constantly supply them with divine power.
The advantage of the Holy Knights lay in their ability to transfer divine power to others. Since the power they received was not personally cultivated but bestowed by the gods, it remained consistent in nature. This allowed them to transfer divine power to others without any difficulty.
Their battle seemed never-ending. The Golden Knight swung the Golden Sword brilliantly, consistently pressuring the Holy Knights, while the Holy Knights tirelessly blocked the relentless attacks of the Golden Knight.
Bang! Clang! Bang!
Ora Blade and divine power clashed, triggering a chain explosion in mid-air.
In the eyes of the priests who appeared from a distance, they could only see the golden remnants of the Golden Knight merging with the white waves of divine power emitted by the Holy Knights. Their confrontation showcased an astonishing level of power.
El watched the battle from a distance.
He could command the Golden Knight to kill them all instantly, making the battle much simpler, but El didn’t want to kill the figures of the Sacred Kingdom if he could avoid it. If he killed them, he might cross a river that could never be turned back.
What El wanted was to change the mindset of the Sacred Kingdom, and that was all. After about 30 minutes of the battle, the expressions of the Holy Knights started to show signs of fatigue.
In contrast, the Golden Knight remained as formidable as ever. The Shield Magic overlaid on his Magic Metal provided him with the ultimate defense, leaving the Golden Knight unscathed.
Moreover, hundreds of Mana Stones within the Golden Knight’s body were continuously activated, ensuring his power remained constant. With the Mana Absorption Device activated, mana was endlessly replenished, making the outcome of the battle virtually predetermined from the beginning.
“Heck! Heck!”
Viscount Nigram, who stood at the forefront, gasped for breath as he looked at the unchanged Golden Knight with astonishment.
“Huh, he’s a monster.”
On the other hand, Viscount Nigram had wounds all over his body caused by the aftermath of Ora. Although they were not direct wounds from the Golden Knight, they were injuries sustained from the backlash of Ora. Despite using divine power to heal them, the wounds caused by Ora were not easily healed.
“If it weren’t for the Duke, how could we stop that monster? He’s indeed worthy of facing a Grand Master….”
As he looked around, Viscount Nigram noticed the 100 Holy Knights who were supporting him with tired expressions. They were fatigued from channeling divine power to others. Despite facing the divine power of 100 Holy Knights, the Golden Knight was still as intact as ever, which left Viscount Nigram in awe.
“I can’t give up like this. Until I’m killed, I won’t let anyone pass this place.”
Struggling to hold his war hammer, Viscount Nigram gathered his last bit of strength. At that moment, a resonating voice filled with divine power echoed in his ears.
“Halt!”
Familiar with the voice, Viscount Nigram stopped in his tracks, trembling. He then turned to the source of the voice and, upon recognizing the speaker, confirmed their identity.
“H-Holy… Holy Pontiff….”
El didn’t miss the words spoken by Viscount Nigram. From a distance, he looked at the nine figures that had appeared in the far distance, focusing on one in the middle.
“That person is the Holy Pontiff.”
As El stared at the Holy Pontiff, the Holy Pontiff also felt his gaze and looked back at him. Their eyes met in the air for a moment. The Holy Pontiff then glanced at the surrounding Sacred Knights, who had expressions of exhaustion.
“Did you see? This is the determination of those who follow the will of the gods! We must abandon ourselves completely to follow the gods’ will! How can we fear death?”
Upon hearing the Holy Pontiff’s words, all the Sacred Knights fell to one knee and offered prayers.
“We exist solely to follow the gods’ will. From the moment we believe in the gods, our lives belong solely to them.”
El’s expression turned cold as he witnessed the sight of the devoted Sacred Knights and the Holy Pontiff’s fervent declaration.
“That’s not it. The woman you consider the Saint is someone I love. We have loved each other for years. But suddenly, you want to take her away just because a divine order came? Did you think I would obediently comply with it?”
El pointed at the exhausted Holy Knights.
“I fought them without fully subduing them because I wanted to talk to you. I thought that since you are the ruler of the Sacred Kingdom and called the representative of the gods, you would understand and listen to me. That’s why I didn’t kill anyone and only subdued them. If I had harbored malicious intentions, I wouldn’t have spared Volak Vice-Governor or the Radiant Knights and would have never let the Silver Cross Knights go peacefully.”
From the beginning, he hadn’t killed the figures of the Sacred Kingdom to engage in conversation with them. He believed that as a leader of a country and the representative of the gods, the Holy Pontiff would understand his intentions and listen to him.
But the Holy Pontiff shattered El’s expectations. He fumed with anger, and sparks of rage shot from his eyes.
“To follow the gods’ words, we must abandon everything, including our lives! How could we fear death!”
As the Holy Pontiff shouted, hundreds of Sacred Knights rushed forward. Master-level Holy Knights who reached the top of their ranks stepped forward and tried to deflect the golden arrows with their weapons. However, they couldn’t retreat easily, and more than twenty of them were pierced by the golden arrows and fell.
In an instant, more than 40 Holy Knights were lying on the ground, and the Holy Pontiff couldn’t utter a word.