Chapter 188. Invasion of Paradise (4)
After defeating more than twenty Contractors bound to ‘Knight of the Cart’ Lancelot and using the power of Arondight, another group appeared.
This time, more than twenty Contractors bound to ‘Knight of the Golden Tongue’ Gawain, all wielding the power of Galatine.
“This is getting seriously annoying!”
“They even look alike! Did they do that on purpose? I can’t tell these guys apart!”
Lee Jukheon and Lee Sion complained, and Kang Yujin was starting to feel irritated too.
Were Lee Hyeonje and the others invading from the opposite side of the island dealing with the same thing?
“I think this path should take us through! Let’s break straight ahead!”
Seok Taejun shouted as he raised his spear.
In the past, Seok Taejun had used a Durandal Replica modified into a spear.
Now, however, he wielded a spear called the ‘Liquan Divine Spear,’ which he had obtained through an Event.
It was said to have been wielded by the famous Chinese general Yue Fei, with a legend claiming that a serpent inside a cave had transformed into the spear.
“Haaap!”
Using that spear, Seok Taejun brought down the fairly capable ‘Gawain candidates’ and opened a path.
Seok Taejun has definitely gotten much stronger too.
Not only Lee Jukheon and Joo Minha.
Seok Taejun’s skills had improved dramatically as well.
Kang Yujin ran down the path he had opened.
“That looks like the palace entrance!”
Lightning flashed in the direction Seok Taejun pointed.
It was the lightning from Lee Hyeonje’s Skill, [Forbidden Thunder].
“Lee Hyeonje!”
“Looks like we arrived at almost the same time.”
Lee Hyeonje was defeating enemies alongside his lieutenant, Seo Youngmi.
And beside them...
Cheon Sangwoon was there too.
“Cheon Sangwoon, is your body really all right?”
“Of course.”
As he answered, Cheon Sangwoon casually flicked his empty right sleeve.
A dazzling blade of sword qi shot from its end.
“I met someone in China who used sword qi like that.”
The realm of producing sword qi without a sword.
The Sword Venerable in China had demonstrated it.
“Really?”
Cheon Sangwoon raised an eyebrow.
“I spent all that time unconscious doing image training inside my mind, and this is what I gained.”
“That person must have been quite the master too.”
“Yeah. He died recently.”
"..."
Cheon Sangwoon gave Kang Yujin a look that seemed to say, What exactly am I supposed to take from that?
Lee Hyeonje sighed beside him and shook his head.
“Don’t mind him. He probably said it without thinking.”
“Right...”
“Let’s just go inside.”
After cleaning up the remaining small fry, the group entered the palace.
Rather than luxurious, its interior had a solemn atmosphere.
“There’s a strong Christian feel to this place.”
“The legends of King Arthur themselves have strong Christian elements.”
Joo Minha looked around as she explained.
“Though Avalon itself is more Celtic than Christian... perhaps this palace was built later by Round.”
“Wait.”
Kang Yujin suddenly frowned.
“Then does that mean this island is being maintained continuously?”
“You said this entire thing is probably a Constellation Armament, right?”
“When I rode the Nautilus before, they told me that furniture and other objects had to be loaded and unloaded every time the Constellation Armament was manifested.”
Seok Taejun tilted his head.
“Then if this palace wasn’t originally part of Avalon and was built afterward... huh? How does that work?”
Joo Minha answered in a cold voice.
“It would mean that the Constellation Armament has remained manifested continuously ever since this palace was constructed.”
"..."
That was difficult to accept.
If so...
the Contractor maintaining Avalon had kept the entire island manifested ever since the palace was built.
Without resting.
Without even sleeping.
“This organization... gives me the creeps.”
Lee Jukheon frowned.
“It was already weird how the next person immediately inherits the codename whenever someone dies.”
“Using multiple Contractors bound to the same Constellation almost like disposable replacements...”
Lee Hyeonje nodded.
“That definitely isn’t normal.”
“They all looked perfectly sane on the outside, but in that sense, there’s something fanatical about them.”
“Fanatical...”
The word immediately brought Ha Mina and the Church of the Morning Star to mind.
And Sama Yun of the White Banner Order as well.
But Round felt different from both of them.
“I can sort of understand why they want to fight us for actual combat experience.”
Kang Yujin continued walking as he spoke.
Asmodeus had done something similar.
So that part, at least, was somewhat understandable.
“But after becoming stronger through that... what are they actually trying to do?”
“The first Gawain mentioned something about a final battle.”
Joo Minha, who had fought the first Gawain alongside Kang Yujin, answered.
“He may have been referring to the final war against Pandemonium.”
“So that’s probably it...”
“If so, then these people are incredibly self-righteous.”
Lee Hyeonje joined the conversation.
“Wanting to fight Pandemonium itself could be called righteous.”
“But invading another country out of nowhere just to gain combat experience for that purpose is completely self-centered.”
“I agree, Lord Lee Hyeonje.”
Seo Youngmi nodded.
“They seemed to treat us like monsters placed here solely for them to gain experience.”
“Exactly.”
“They seem to believe they’re the only true warriors.”
“Perhaps...”
Before Lee Hyeonje could finish...
a voice came from deeper inside the palace.
“Would that really be wrong?”
"...!"
A young man in armor, perhaps in his early twenties, appeared with several Contractors behind him.
“Pleasure to meet you, Contractors of Korea.”
“Who are you?”
He clearly wasn’t on the same level as the miscellaneous fighters they had encountered outside.
“My codename is Galahad.”
“I am contracted to Sir Galahad, the greatest Knight of the Round Table.”
Kang Yujin tilted his head.
“I think Gawain said his Constellation was the strongest too.”
“The Lancelot I fought said the same thing.”
“I am contracted to Sir Galahad, the greatest Knight of the Round Table!”
Apparently irritated that Kang Yujin and Lee Jukheon had ruined his introduction, Galahad frowned and repeated himself.
“Sir Galahad is the ‘Perfect Knight’ who completed the Quest for the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend.”
“A noble knight beyond the reach of any other.”
“There’s nothing wrong with taking pride in your Constellation.”
Lee Hyeonje frowned.
“So, is the great Contractor of the great Galahad here to stop us?”
“Of course.”
Galahad nodded and drew the sword at his waist.
“So that’s your Constellation Armament?”
