Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Lancelot stood with his arms crossed, watching for a while as the three men gradually fell into a disadvantage, the poisonous fog in the air growing thicker.

It seemed to be spreading towards the surroundings.

He sighed, cracking his neck with a snap. "Forget it, Baqi, call those guys back. They don't stand a chance."

Baqi's face was grim, appearing calm, but his tightly clenched fists betrayed his inner turmoil.

These three knights were the original force of the Fifth Outpost, his direct subordinates. The fact that they had ended up like this on their first mission was hard for him to accept.

Three Seventh-level knights against an Eighth-level beast, and yet they were at a disadvantage. Even considering the beast's special nature, they were still losing in the eyes of the many who had come to support the outpost.

If Lancelot could defeat the beast as the outpost's guard knight squad, perhaps some dignity could be salvaged.

"Do you have a plan, Lance? This thing isn't easy to handle. Though it's only Eighth-level, its characteristics make even Ninth-level professionals wary."

Lancelot said nothing, stepping back twice and drawing his sword to perform a graceful flourish in the air.

Then he began running towards the edge of the platform.

Treading on the edge of the platform, Lancelot leaped into the air, and just as he was about to fall, massive wings burst out from the gaps in his armor.

'Phantom Magic Wings,' an equipment designed by the Congress of Magic a century ago specifically for knights, installed on their armor to provide excellent flight capabilities.

Powered either by the knight's own aura or by crystals, using one's own power undoubtedly offered greater maneuverability.

This equipment was no longer rare; virtually all knights above Sixth-level now had a set.

Unlike standardized magic wings, Lancelot's wings were custom-made, personally crafted by William, consisting of two pairs.

When spread, the four large wings were more than twice the size of the knight's body.

The massive wings flapped, swiftly propelling the knight forward.

Baqi hurriedly shouted to the mage behind him, acting as a liaison: "Tell those three to retreat! Now!"

"Y-Yes!" The young mage was startled and quickly used mind magic to contact the people in the air.

"That damn lunatic!" Baqi muttered through gritted teeth, as if just seeing Lancelot's move brought back unpleasant memories.

"Understand the president," Lennart climbed onto the platform, bloodied, shading his eyes to watch Lancelot's figure heading into the sun.

"That guy has been acting differently lately, barely moving from his den for a month or two." Leon Rist also climbed up, adding to the conversation.

The twin brothers always spoke in unison, making them easily distinguishable even when their faces were covered.

"If we don't let him vent soon, I'm going to start getting scared."

"A mad Lancelot is something anyone would fear!"

Unaware of the underground group's comments, Lancelot didn't care. He flew into the sky, lowering his metal visor to shield his icy blue eyes.

If Lorant saw these eyes, he wouldn't believe they belonged to the Lancelot he knew.

Those eyes lacked any warmth, radiating a coldness so inhuman it was chilling.

Gripping his massive knight's sword tightly, flames ignited along the blade in the next second.

The bright red flames burned fiercely, scorching the surrounding air with terrifying heat.

Lancelot seemed oblivious to the three knights ahead who hadn't yet retreated, swinging his sword without hesitation.

The unique sword aura of a knight intertwined with the mage's flames, cleaving the poisonous fog in the air with one strike.

The red poisonous fog, intangible, was forcibly severed by the sword aura, the cracks catching fire and instantly burning away all the toxic mist in the air.

The three knights who failed to retreat in time narrowly escaped being caught in the blast. The slowest one had his wings singed by the flames, leaving half of them charred upon landing.

"That bastard!" Baqi glared at Lancelot, furious. "Years after graduation, and he hasn't improved a bit! Whenever he fights, there can't be a single person around!"

"He's more beast than the beast itself!"

"Well, who can deny it?" Lennart shuddered. "The eldest always goes all out. If we're not careful, we might really get killed by him."

"Only us, maybe. Anyone else would have been martyred long ago..."

"This guy..." Baqi shook his head helplessly.

Despite Lancelot's constant smile, which made him seem approachable,

Baqi, who had known him since their student days, understood him well.

This man's arrogance seeped from his bones.

Born a god's favorite, blessed with exceptional talent, superior lineage, and a face kissed by the goddess—each of these attributes alone was enough to make others envious.

But when all these treasures converged in one person, envy turned to admiration.

People envy those slightly better than themselves, believing they could achieve the same given similar circumstances. But when faced with someone far superior, the gap becomes too vast for envy.

Such individuals are almost from another world, leaving only admiration.

Baqi sighed, knowing Lancelot's true nature beneath the facade.

No one would envy a deity from a mythological tale.

Yet few deities would bother to look down at the ants on the ground.

Growing up in an environment of unparalleled superiority naturally imbued Lancelot with a cold arrogance deep in his bones.

This arrogance was a cold and haughty demeanor that needed no disguise.

This was evident in his fighting style, which was characterized by grand, domineering moves. During battles, he never cared whether there were teammates around or if his actions might harm them.

There was no mention of teamwork.

For him, as long as he could slay the monsters opposite him, any accidental injuries to those nearby were simply because they were not competent enough.

It was their own problem.

So as soon as he saw Lancelot charge forward, Baqi quickly called back his men.

He did not expect Lancelot to have changed his ways in just two short years.