Archer's Adventure Manual

Chapter 185 Knight's Dream

Led by this "butler," Captain Lake entered a hidden basement in the castle. Before he had even fully entered, Lake could smell a pungent stench of blood.

With his hands and feet bound, Lake saw scattered fragments of various creatures on the ground, such as kobold scales, fish-man scales, and bird feathers or beaks.

"What... are you doing?" Lake asked, his eyes wide.

As the commander of a legion in Plassen, he had naturally seen all sorts of storms and waves. In the current situation, he felt that this guy was very likely performing some kind of evil ritual.

These rituals usually have their own purpose, so what is the purpose of this guy in front of me?

Reflecting on Lake's experience, he couldn't help but slowly say, "You bastard, did you stitch the monsters' tissues together onto those adventurers? What you did was undoubtedly a violation of world ethics."

The butler chuckled. "Oh, don't say that. As far as I know, there are many people in the kingdom like you who appear to be very upright and kind on the surface, but do terrible things behind the scenes."

"I think they're not much better than me, and you'll soon realize that everything I'm doing is meaningful for life."

Soon, Lake was taken to a bloody and filthy dungeon, where many people and creatures were imprisoned.

Among them were many adventurers and some ordinary people. The variety of creatures was vast, ranging from small birds to large fish and giant bears.

The appearance or loss of even one of these creatures would have an immeasurable impact on a region, and I never expected so many to appear here...

Lake's heart sank down, not only because he saw the shocking scenes before him, but more importantly, because he discovered that hair was slowly growing on his arms!

This... how is this possible? It's easy to see that these hairs aren't his own, but rather those of some kind of wild animal. This means that the guy in front of him has already started to tamper with him!

Lake silently mobilized the holy light power within his body. As the leader of the legion, his belief power was extremely strong, which also meant that his body could not be invaded by any filth.

After he did this, the hair growth on his arm gradually stopped, and it seemed to have been temporarily suppressed.

The dungeon doors were opened, and a somewhat dejected-looking child ran over happily. "Uncle, you're here!"

""

The butler smiled slightly. "Yes, I've brought you a new friend. His name is Lake."

"Hello, Uncle Lake!" the child greeted politely.

Lake frowned. He didn't understand why there was a child being held in the dungeon... Could it be...?

Lake didn't dare to think about it too much. Who knew what was going on in the head of someone so twisted and insane?

The butler straightened his elegant attire and spoke calmly, "First, please allow me to introduce myself. You may call me the Creator of the New World. I will be the pioneer leading humanity towards evolution, bringing about earth-shattering changes to the kingdom."

"Commander Lake, I know you are a very intelligent person, and now such an opportunity is presented to you. I think you, being so smart, will not refuse!"

Having said that, the "Butler Creator" removed his seemingly gentlemanly outer garment, revealing his body, which was...an indescribable body.

It was a body whose state was difficult to describe, and many monstrous structures could be seen mixed together on that body.

His body was in a completely irregular state, but he managed to maintain his balance while standing there.

Lake was also shocked by what he saw. Could this guy really be described as human?

In his view, this had transcended the realm of humanity; this guy was a complete monster.

The Creator pointed to a very lively child nearby and earnestly explained, "Do you see this lively child?"

Lake, puzzled, remained silent, simply staring intently at the Creator.

The Creator chuckled and shook his head. "Don't be so tense, relax, my friend. I just want to tell you a story that might seem insignificant to others."

"This is the child of one of my followers. It was the last thing his deceased wife left him in this world, and he wanted to do everything he could to protect the child."

"During this time, he constantly used all sorts of strange alchemical potions and all sorts of seemingly unreliable alchemical techniques in an attempt to snatch the child back from the clutches of death."

"But this requires a great deal of wealth, a huge amount of wealth! So he kept working hard to earn money and then used it to buy a lot of potions and magical techniques."

"However, when he actually made more money than he could spend, he found that he still couldn't seem to find a way to truly cure his child... those alchemical techniques could only maintain his vital signs."

"Fortunately, he met me, and I can give him what he desires most... that is to break free from the shackles of this weak human body and allow the powerful physiques of those monsters to be sewn onto human bodies."

At this moment, the Creator picked up the child beside him. The child looked at everything innocently and even playfully poked the Creator's nose with his hand, but the Creator did not care at all.

Rayleigh stared intently at the scene, then said coldly, "So, what did you do to him?"

"I restored his health so he can enjoy the same fresh air as other children!"

Lake scoffed, "But you've fused with a monster's organization, so is he even human?"

The Creator looked at Lake with a puzzled expression. "Sir, if you were faced with a life-or-death situation, would your first thought be a rational discussion between humans and monsters?"

"I think survival is the primary need at this time. If it weren't for me, this lovely little guy wouldn't be here, and his father would have spent his whole life unable to escape that shadow."

Lake scoffed, "Stop trying to glorify yourself. A monster is a monster. You evil god, you want to transform all of humanity? That's utterly impossible."

"I am just the commander of a legion in Plassen. Even if you kill me, with your current manpower, you will not be able to resist the encirclement and annihilation from the kingdom."

The Creator nodded in agreement, "That's why I brought you here. I believe you are a wise person and know what the right thing to do is..."

"I would never associate with an evil fellow like you. Even if I give my life, I will die an honorable death on the battlefield!" Lake said firmly, his eyes leaving no room for doubt.

The Creator chuckled. "Yes, you could give up your life and leave, but let me think, how many people will your legion have? Hmm... I think each of them is excellent material, and many have great potential."

Lake glared. "What do you want to do? My vice commander, Roth, is very vigilant. It will be very difficult for you to attack our legion. Our legion is powerful enough to kill everyone in this castle."

"Yes, I admit that the second half of what you said is correct, but what you said earlier, that Vice Commander Roth also seems to..."

Not that alert.

Without waiting for Lake's response, the Creator casually summoned an adventurer and made him lie down on a damp spot in the dungeon.

"Mr. Lake, I will demonstrate to you how the next artwork is sculpted. I hope you will consider this matter carefully, as your decision concerns many people."

Loran returned to the inn where the legion was resting without stopping. It was already quite late, and the setting sun cast its rays on the ground. The residents of Rockfall Town were also finishing up their work and preparing to end their busy day.

The soldiers of the legion were in high spirits, chatting amongst themselves. A bonfire was lit in front of the inn, with a large iron pot on top, cooking fresh meat.

Loran could smell the rich aroma of meat from afar. He quietly mingled into the legion's ranks and joined the soldiers' bonfire feast.

The drunken soldiers, caught up in their own world, paid no attention to the fact that their leader had not yet returned from the castle. All they knew was that they were happy and free at that moment.

"Hey bro, wanna have a drink? You seem to be an adventurer, you should be able to hold your liquor." A drunken guy handed Loran a drink and asked with a smile.

Loran smiled slightly, accepted the glass, and pretended to drink it. The soldier laughed heartily and continued chatting and joking with the people next to him.

Loran looked at the glass in his hand, examined the ale inside carefully, and frowned. This ale seemed a little different.

Looking around, Lorraine spotted the wagon carrying the beer and an old acquaintance, Mr. Mark Warren.

It's important to know that the day of the monster attack was Mr. Mark's wedding day. If Lorraine were to guess who harbored the greatest hatred for the monster, Mark would naturally be among the most intense.

Loran has now figured out the motives behind the actions of the Warren nobles; they were acting out of desperation, just like the three mages.

They have been controlled by the monster, and their actions are beyond their control. Trapped in this situation, they can only obey the existing rules.

However, Loran now wields a scythe that can break the rules of cause and effect.

Loran, holding the beer, walked over to Mark's side as if it were perfectly natural.

At that moment, Mark was chatting with the deputy commander, Roth, about all sorts of things.

"I followed our commander through many places back then. The most dangerous time, I remember, was in a cave with many giant ghost bats. If it weren't for Commander Lake, our entire legion would probably be in danger."

Mark asked with considerable curiosity, "Oh? Did Captain Lake unleash his powerful strength at the crucial moment and defeat those bats?"

'

Roth shook his head and sighed, "No, it wasn't because of strength, it was because of decision-making, the judgment and decisiveness to make the right choice in an extremely dangerous situation. Any wrong decision would have pushed our legion into the abyss, but he did it... We survived and gained enough fame."

"To be honest, my strength is not much weaker than Captain Lake's. Perhaps that's why Captain Lake is the captain, while I'm just a vice-captain."

Mark's lips curled up slightly. "Lotte, that's why you deserve to be admired. You have strength, yet you remain humble, which is exactly what a knight should do."

"When I was young, my father had high expectations for me. He hired many teachers to train me in the qualities of a knight. I learned a lot from this, and I learned many good qualities, including these."

"Through training and gradual exploration, I gradually discovered that I longed to become a knight, possessing the means to strike with powerful blows, as well as the spirit of humility and tolerance. Lothar, so you are also someone I greatly admire. You have embodied the spirit of knighthood."

Lothar became interested as well. "So, you've become a glorious knight?"

Mark shook his head helplessly. "No, I ended up becoming a merchant, dealing with other nobles, buying and selling goods, and making enough money."

Rott was taken aback. "But...why is that?"

"It's my father, because my father was also a businessman, so I inherited his will."

"Just because of that? Why can't you become a knight as you wish? That's what you want!" Roth asked, puzzled.

Mark hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, "My father passed away before I even had my coming-of-age ceremony. We are just a branch of the family, and if we want to keep the family running, I need to take up the mantle."

"So I left knightly training early to support my father's business. I believe a true knight doesn't run away from difficulties, but faces them head-on!"

Upon hearing Mark's words, Roth couldn't help but show his appreciation. He raised his glass, "Mr. Mark, I toast to you!"

"It is an honor."

As the glasses clinked, Mark drank the ale. Images of his wedding day flashed through his mind—himself and his wife walking hand in hand down the aisle... but the nightmarish scene that followed was forgotten.

"I longed to be a knight, to protect those I wanted to protect, but I failed in the end..." These words echoed in Mark's heart, and a tear almost imperceptibly welled up in his eye, but he controlled it well.

For some reason, he would always recall tearful scenes after drinking alcohol. After a brief, blurry memory, he would become as strong as before. That is what makes a true knight.

At this moment, Loran came to the side. He had overheard the entire conversation between the two. He raised his wine glass and said respectfully, "Mr. Mark, we had a brief meeting at the antique shop before, do you remember?"

""