The wyverns wailed in agony. Their once-proud vitality had now become the source of their suffering, plunging them into a profound and constant pain, corrupting their senses.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the black flames gradually subsided. The wyverns' bodies miraculously remained intact, showing no signs of burns. However, anyone who saw them now would subconsciously think of 'death.'
Their 'lives' had been completely and utterly 'corrupted'.
"So... so powerful..."
Fear filled Karl's eyes.
In an instant, Arkhan had annihilated more than a dozen wyverns, a feat even the mightiest knights could not accomplish. Only the power of the gods could create such an incredible outcome.
After a while...
Arkhan and Karl collected the bodies of the fallen knights together, and hardly any of them were intact. Those lucky enough had only lost an arm or a leg, while those less fortunate were nothing but a pile of meat, their original appearance indistinguishable.
"They were loyal warriors, sacrificing themselves to protect others. For a knight, this is the highest honor..." Karl said in a low voice.
Arkhan clenched his fist.
This was the first time so many people had died in front of him, and he felt not only anger but also deep sorrow. Despite possessing the Abyss Flower, he couldn't bring these dead people back to life. The Abyss Flower had miraculous regenerative abilities, capable of healing someone as long as they could still breathe, even if their heart was destroyed. However, it was utterly useless for those who were already dead.
"Take them back. The remains of heroes should not be buried in the wilderness." Arkhan said calmly.
Karl nodded, but suddenly a noisy crowd approached.
"It's this way!"
People carrying torches emerged from the jungle, led by the young knight who had gone to fetch reinforcements earlier. When he saw Karl, his previously anxious face was instantly overwhelmed by immense joy. He completely ignored Arkhan and rushed straight to Karl.
"Uncle Karl, I'm back! I've brought reinforcements! Don't worry, with us here, you'll be fine!"
Karl opened his mouth, looking somewhat stunned. But then, a glimmer of relief appeared in his world-weary eyes as he patted the young man's head.
"It's okay, Dain. Lord God has already saved me."
"Lord God?"
The young knight was taken aback and only now noticed the black-haired youth standing beside Karl.
"Oh! Did you save Uncle Karl? Thank you very much! I'll forever remember this favor! If you ever need anything, just let me know! Even though I'm just a rookie, I'll do my best, wagering my honor as a knight!"
Dain solemnly performed the knight's salute, his somewhat inexperienced face filled with seriousness.
"It was nothing serious..." Arkhan smiled and suddenly noticed blood seeping from Dain's boot.
Karl had also noticed this and furrowed his brow. "Dain, your foot..."
"Oh... this? When I was running, I stepped on a stone and it pierced my foot. But it's okay, I'm a knight, so a little injury like this doesn't matter."
As if to prove his point, he patted his chest plate twice, a slightly silly smile on his face.
"You're quite something, kid..." Karl said, moved and worried at the same time. He sighed, not sure how to express his emotions.
"You're not just a rookie. You possess a heart that wants to save others, and that alone makes you a qualified knight." Arkhan said, patting Dain's shoulder.
A warm white light gathered in Arkhan's hand and flowed into Dain's body. The young knight immediately felt the pain in his foot subside, and he seemed to undergo some changes. His entire body felt like it was filled with inexhaustible strength.
He turned slightly, feeling a bit anxious, and saw Karl smiling at him. Gradually, his uneasy heart began to settle.
"Such a powerful life energy..." A deep, heavy voice suddenly sounded in Arkhan's ear. "Are you an ancient fairy from the Age of Gods?"
He turned his head and saw a tall knight stepping out of the crowd. Despite his somewhat aged appearance, he still exuded a lion-like aura. Both his armor and weapons were much more exquisite than those of the people around him.
"This is Sir Ector, the most powerful knight in Tintagel." Dain introduced proudly from the side.
Arkhan shook his head and smiled, "You've got it wrong; I'm not some fairy. Just an ordinary—"
His voice abruptly stopped as he looked somewhat bewildered at the small head poking out from behind Ector.
Golden hair, eyes the color of sacred azure, and a delicately beautiful face reminiscent of a fairy, albeit with a hint of innocence and youth missing from the image he had in his memory.
"Just an ordinary passerby..." Arkhan continued his words and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Artoria Pendragon.
He never expected to meet her in a situation like this.
At this moment, Artoria was still far from the majestic King of Knights he remembered, but she had already started to show glimpses of that charisma.
Facing Arkhan's gaze, she didn't shy away like most girls would. Instead, she walked confidently towards him, pointing at the wyvern pinned to the tree, and looked at Arkhan seriously.
"Did you kill this wyvern all by yourself?"
Arkhan raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly.
"Not only that." Karl stepped forward, a weathered face now showing a proud expression, "Besides this one, there were more than ten others, all taken down by the Lord God himself."
"Karl, your look..." Ector said with a surprised face as he couldn't help but recall what Karl looked like when they first met twenty years ago.
"Quite miraculous, isn't it? I feel like I could punch a dragon to death right now! Guhahaha!" Karl laughed heartily, "This is the gift bestowed upon me by the Lord God."
The townsfolk who followed along were holding torches and had found the corpses of the wyverns. The eerie way of their deaths filled them with fear. Combined with the miracle that had occurred with Karl's appearance and his narration, the people's gazes toward Arkhan were filled with deep reverence. Some even knelt on the ground, trembling.
At this time, the Age of Gods in Britain had not completely ended yet. Although the gods hadn't appeared in a long time, legends about them still circulated among the people.
"Are you really a god?" Artoria looked at Arkhan curiously.
Arkhan shot Karl a glare, then turned to Artoria with a sigh, "Don't listen to his nonsense. I'm just a slightly special ordinary human."
"I see..." Artoria nodded and extended her hand to Arkhan. "You're probably not from Tintagel, right? If you don't mind, you can stay at my place for a while."
Arkhan gazed into those clear, lake-like azure eyes, a faint smile curling his lips, as he shook Artoria's hand.
"Then, I accept your offer. Thank you."