MMB Chapter 93 The Sacrifice of the Knights: Offerings to Gods
Chapter 93 The Sacrifice of the Knights: Offerings to Gods
Atlantis, the central temple.
The celestial treasure trove that once imprisoned the "gods" has now become Arthur Pendragon's private palace.
He sat high on the pedestal that once belonged to the statue of Poseidon, holding a golden trident, looking down at the group of knights below who had just undergone an upgrade in equipment and whose strength had increased dramatically. Every face was filled with fanatical worship of power, their gazes fixed on Arthur, like believers looking up at the one true god.
However, not everyone was blinded by this fervor.
Behind the crowd, an elderly man with white hair and beard leaned on a simple two-handed greatsword, his brows furrowed.
His codename was William. He was one of the few remaining veterans of the Europa League and Arthur's former squad leader.
His order of knights was known for its adherence to tradition and honor.
"Arthur".
William's voice drowned out the surrounding chatter.
He stepped out of the crowd, walked up the stone steps, and walked to the base, looking up at his former most proud student.
"Knight Commander William." Arthur's tone was flat, revealing no emotion.
"You salvaged a city from the seabed, triggered a tsunami that affected half the planet, and confronted the White Eagle Empire's fleet head-on, leading to a military conflict between us!" William's voice was deep. "And then you tell me it's all 'a gift from God'?"
He pointed to the "divine armor" emanating an eerie blue light from the knights around him, making no attempt to hide his disgust: "All I see is cursed power and a bunch of madmen whose minds have been blinded by that power. You know better than any of us what this 'god' you speak of truly is."
These words instantly cooled the atmosphere at the scene.
The knights, who had just been immersed in the joy of their sudden increase in power, looked at each other in bewilderment. Many of them subconsciously glanced at the armor they couldn't remove, and the fervor in their eyes faded, replaced by a hint of unease.
"William, you're getting old." Arthur tapped his trident lightly on the stone, making a crisp sound. "Your thinking is still stuck in the old days, when you had to eke out a living under the wings of the White Eagle Empire. Open your eyes and see, this is a new era. Power is the only passport."
"So you chose to sell your soul for power that doesn't belong to you?" William's voice suddenly rose. "We are knights, not servants of evil gods! We protect the people of Europe, not the ambitions of some unknown evil god descending to earth!"
"Shut up!" Arthur suddenly stood up, and a terrifying pressure erupted from his body, sweeping across the entire area.
The weaker knights even lost their footing and fell to their knees on the spot.
William, relying on his formidable strength, withstood the pressure, but the greatsword in his hand was buzzing.
"Servants?" A twisted smile spread across Arthur's face. "Who are you calling servants? Soon, I will be a god. And you, William, and all you old fogies bound by so-called 'glory,' will be stumbling blocks to the new era."
He stepped down from the pedestal and approached William step by step.
"I'm giving you one last chance. Kneel down and swear allegiance to me and to the new gods."
William looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face before him, his eyes filled with disappointment and sorrow.
He slowly raised the greatsword in his hand, the tip pointing at Arthur's heart.
"My sword will only slay dragons and tyrants."
"Very good." Arthur nodded, his smile vanishing completely, replaced by a cold indifference.
He didn't make a move; he simply raised the golden trident in his hand.
"Anyone who defies divine authority is a heretic."
His voice echoed within the temple.
"Heretics shall offer their flesh and soul as sacrifices before the throne of God, so as to demonstrate the vastness of God's grace."
As soon as he finished speaking, the armor of William and the dozen or so old knights who followed him suddenly lit up with strange blood-red patterns.
What were originally decorative patterns on the equipment now seemed to come alive, transforming into chains that bound them tightly.
"This is... the mark of God!"
"Arthur! What do you think you're doing?!"
The knights roared in terror as they struggled, only to find their power being frantically drained and flowing along the blood-red chains toward the golden trident in Arthur's hand.
"ah--!"
A knight let out a piercing scream as his body visibly withered away, his skin lost its luster, his flesh melted away, and finally only a skeleton encased in armor remained before he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Then came the second, the third...
Inside the temple, screams of agony rose and fell.
The knights who had just been worshipping Arthur now watched in horror at this hellish scene, retreating in disbelief. They finally understood the true purpose of the small inscription "Mark of God."
This is not a blessing, nor even a curse.
This is a death warrant.
It is a brand that the breeder puts on the livestock.
William stood rooted to the spot, neither screaming nor begging for mercy. He simply stared intently at Arthur with his cloudy yet still sharp eyes.
He watched as his body was drained, watched as his life force was devoured by that evil trident. In his final moments, he mustered all his strength to utter a few words.
"You'll...regret it..."
boom.
The old knight's body turned to ashes, leaving only his two-handed greatsword stuck in the ground, clanging loudly.
More than a dozen of Europe's most loyal veterans were sacrificed alive in full view of the public.
Arthur slowly closed his eyes, feeling the immense power surging into his body from the trident.
The devoured souls and life force instantly increased his fusion with this divine artifact by a significant margin.
He could even sense that Poseidon's sealed will was casting an approving glance at him from another dimension.
He opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the knights below who were frozen in fear, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face.
Fear is a more effective tool of domination than worship.
"Is there anyone else who objects to God's gifts?"
No one dared to speak.
The entire temple was deathly silent.
"Very good." Arthur walked back to the pedestal and sat down again, as if nothing had happened. "Clean up and prepare to set sail. Our first stop is China."
He turned his gaze to the distant East.
The White Eagle Empire is already an old dog with its teeth pulled; it's nothing to fear.
Now, the only thing that could pose a threat to him, and the only thing that could interest him, is that ancient Eastern country, which is also full of mysteries.
Especially... that spiral disc that made him feel uneasy from the mural.
He wants to get his hands on it.
Then, crush it together with its owner.
Arthur's insane actions were quickly spread throughout the intelligence networks of major powers around the world through certain special channels.
The Pentagon, the White Eagle Empire.
"He's gone mad! He sacrificed his own knight commander!" General Richard looked at the intelligence report, his hands and feet turning cold.
For the first time, he was grateful that he had chosen to retreat in Bermuda. There was no chance of winning against a heartless madman.
Huaxia, Longwei Base.
Li Tianshan threw the report in his hand on the table and remained silent for a long time.
"A hero will eventually become a tyrant." He looked at Xiao Qianyu beside him. "Not everyone in the Europa Alliance agrees with his actions. Go and contact our 'insider' in Europe. Tell them we need more important intelligence."