I, Guinevere, am going to crush you, you curry stick, today!

"The Fisherman King?"

“A useless person who is incapable of protecting his people is no longer worthy of this title.” After a bitter laugh, his voice lowered, and after a moment, he sighed softly again: “The seal on that monster is about to be broken, and I no longer have the ability to defeat it again.”

“Young knight, you are stronger and braver than anyone I have ever met, which is why I make this request to you… because I believe you may be injured, but you will not lose your life.”

"I want to ask you... to protect those civilians who shouldn't be hurt. Since the reappearance of the monsters is inevitable, at least, don't involve innocent civilians." The old man swallowed, and perhaps because he hadn't spoken for a long time, his voice was even more hoarse, and one had to listen very carefully to understand what he was saying.

After a while.

Gawain gripped the longsword at his waist. The wind billowed his green cloak, and he looked up at the sky, at the dark mist still entangled with a dazzling light. His eyes flickered, as if he was hesitating.

"I promise you."

That was his final statement.

……

when!

Two longswords, seemingly identical from tip to hilt, clashed again in mid-air. Feeling the powerful force coming from the other side, Guinevere suddenly let go, allowing her sword to slip from her grasp. Under the influence of the force of the clash, it spun rapidly several times. A flash of white light appeared before her eyes, and the Sword of the God of War, like a surging tide, rushed towards her!

The sword spun and she spun, her slender figure dancing in the wind like a leaf, rising and falling amidst one after another towering wave, yet she was never torn apart. At one point, she reached out and grasped the longsword that had stopped spinning. With a swift movement, she exchanged four sword strikes with Nuada. The next moment, she and her sword were thrown backward!

He fell to the ground and bounced up, tumbling several times in a disheveled manner. Finally, covered in dust, he struggled to his feet, looked up, and saw that the cracked longsword had once again been firmly embedded in the square rock, as if it had never been pulled out.

The eleventh time.

The girl secretly calculated in her mind.

I lasted five seconds longer than last time—this is a rough estimate based on my physical sensations; it might be slightly off, but not by much. In any case, after ten failed attempts, it seems I've finally found a trick…

P.S.: This part is longer than I originally thought; it feels like I'll never finish writing it... But that's a common occurrence, alas (dead eyes).

Chapter 134 The Beasts of the Divine Age (Part 2)

Although she had been defeated in just a few rounds in all her battles so far, with the longest she had lasted only about fifteen seconds, after the same situation had been repeated eleven times, Guinevere had begun to understand the current situation.

At first, she thought that this small world and the entire trial were all the work of Fafnir, but she didn't understand his purpose. Until just now, a flash of inspiration struck her, and she suddenly remembered the words the dragon had said: "You are lucky. Through a series of coincidences, you have gained the sword's approval. Now all you need is an opportunity."

"I'll give you this opportunity; as for whether you can seize it..."

"It all depends on your skills."

According to Fafnir, the sword in the stone, which Merlin obtained from an unknown source and modified, was originally one of the four great treasures of the Danu tribe, the sword of light wielded by "Silver Arm" Nuada, also known as the invincible sword. It is said that its appearance is like a blazing torch, "illuminating the night like the light of a firefly," and once unsheathed, it is destined to seize the glory of victory.

In a war long ago, Nuada and his two wives were killed by the Eye of Balor, and the Sword of Light vanished without a trace. Most people believed that it, along with three other treasures, was taken by the Danu gods to "another world," a true paradise without disease or death.

Even now, looking at the longsword stuck in the stone, its surface covered in cracks, she still felt a sense of disbelief. This sword had witnessed the rise and fall of a war god; if it possessed self-awareness, its vision should be incredibly lofty. Compared to the god-king of that time, how could she possibly be recognized by him…

"Perhaps... the test itself is the answer."

The person before her did not intend to take her life; otherwise, he would not have stopped attacking more than ten times when her weapon was about to leave her hand, and each time he accurately knocked the sword back onto the original boulder.

This seems to be a hint.

Because of the sword's recognition, she was able to pull it out of the stone, but that alone was far from enough.

Even though it is broken and battered, the divine sword still has its own pride. She is not yet truly worthy to be the master of this sword.

So with Fafnir's help—even if he didn't know exactly how he used it—he was now facing a test from the divine sword.

That's why "Nuada" came into being. In Guinevere's memory, the story of Fafnir and Siegfried was only a few decades earlier than this moment. Of course, the Fifth Son lived in a time far earlier than the dragon, but it didn't seem like a time when such a realistic fake war god could be created.

Not to mention that Fafnir herself had just been brutally beaten by the other party before entering this place. Thinking about it this way, the existence of the God of War in front of her was more like the origin of the divine sword itself—she had no doubt that this relic from the Age of Gods could do such a thing—and if this guess was true, then maintaining the God of War's strength and other aspects at the same level as her was undoubtedly for the purpose of verifying her swordsmanship skills.

But Guinevere had a nagging feeling that the truth was more complex than that. She looked at the silent God of War opposite her, and for the twelfth time reached out and grasped the sword in the stone. The hilt still retained some of the warmth of her skin, and there was a faint, strange feeling, as if her arm was extending from it.

It was as if what I was holding was not a sword or an external object, but a part of my own body, connected by blood and feeling something in my heart.

Another gust of wind blew, lifting a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead with sweat. The wind felt warm and humid, as if it would rain soon. The girl took a deep breath and felt a cool sensation in her lungs, which gradually calmed down her body, which was hot from the intense exercise.

Nuada's sword is like water.

And her sword—the swordsmanship she learned from the King of Scotland—is the wind.

Water has no fixed shape and is constantly flowing, as is the wind. When I first started learning swordsmanship, I heard Leo Dogland say, "In many people's eyes, I am best at dual swords, but what I am going to teach you today is not dual swords."

"Do you remember the question I asked you? Long ago, the person who taught me these dual swords asked me the same question. 'What kind of swordsmanship do you aspire to?' I answered, 'It should be like the wind, unpredictable, leaving no opening in defense, and leaving the enemy defenseless in attack.'"

"This is my answer. After hearing it, that person spent seven days teaching me a dual-sword technique that I had never seen before, and even heard of. I was thinking that if your answer, Fina, was the same as mine, then I could confidently pass this sword technique on to you. With your talent, you would surely be able to take it to the next level and reach a height that your dull-witted father could never attain..."

“However…” In my memory, the tall, thin middle-aged man with rough hands covered in calluses and wounds smiled: “Your answer was ‘I don’t know.’ Haha… That’s fine. Your swordsmanship, the path you’re taking, is different from mine. That’s a good thing. So although I promised to teach you swordsmanship, I won’t teach you any complete sword techniques.”

“You are different from your brother. Pat’s talent is not outstanding, but his personality is too sharp and outspoken. So I passed on the royal swordsmanship to him, hoping that he can focus on this path. As for you, Fina, I don’t want to limit your potential too early. So I will tell you about every swordsmanship I have learned and seen, so that you can see and experience it for yourself.”

"And after that, you will come into contact with all sorts of people and witness all kinds of different sword techniques. All of this will become your accumulation, until one day, at some moment, the opportunity arrives, and at that time—"

I want to hear your answer again.

With a hum, the longsword left the boulder, trembling incessantly. Guinevere's gaze darkened, her thoughts returning from memory to reality, and her heart calmed down, like a still lake, clearly reflecting everything around her.

She didn't speak, but perhaps there was no need for words at this moment. The girl simply let go, the hilt of the sword fell and was caught again, and the sword was now held upright. A cold light flashed on the blade, like a silent signal. The war god opposite her suddenly took a big step forward, and in one step, he was already in front of her!

Pong!

The two swords clashed, separated, and struck again. The sound of metal clashing had barely rang out when Guinevere took two steps back and thrust her sword forward once more. Nuada swept it away with a backhand motion; it was with the same sweep that she had knocked her weapon away in the seventh battle. This time, however, the outcome was completely different.

With a flick of her wrist, the girl's longsword, following the opponent's force, drew an arc in the air, its cold light flashing, and pierced straight at the war god's exposed right chest!

Nuada simply stepped back, causing the sword to miss its mark. But Guinevere was not surprised but delighted. This was the first time in the entire battle that her opponent had been forced to retreat rather than taking the initiative, and the significance of this was self-evident.

She immediately slammed her sword hilt forward, and Nuada parried with his sword. Although it was a defensive move, after the parry, there were at least three ways to counterattack. Her mind raced, and the girl watched as her sword hilt struck the back of her opponent's sword heavily, then was cleverly guided to the side. Immediately afterward, her sword flashed and slashed upward from below.

A chilling arc of light entered her eyes, but in Guinevere's mind, the impending sword strike was more like a rapidly spinning vortex. Even if she dodged the first blow, a second and a third strike would follow immediately, like a raging torrent, each wave stronger than the last, until it would finally overwhelm her opponent.

Just like the despair and helplessness that surges from the bottom of a person's heart when facing a raging storm, she had experienced this feeling many times before. That's why the girl simply steeled her heart and, instead of dodging or avoiding it, took the initiative to meet it head-on.

Even the most turbulent tides cannot break another current.

This was the solution she finally found to break the deadlock.

With a single swing of her sword, sparks flew and, amidst the flickering light, figures clashed and swords overlapped. If there were a third swordsman present, they would likely be astonished to discover that, although she was clearly still extremely inexperienced compared to the God of War, like a wobbly fawn that had just learned to stand, a similar vortex was gradually emerging as the girl swung her sword, threatening to engulf her opponent!

……

"Finally, I've got it."

Endless gray mist spread, obscuring the sky and earth. Within this space, there was no color other than gray. Amidst the vastness, a distant dragon's roar resounded.

"But that alone is not enough to defeat the phantom of the God of War. Only a god can kill a god, even if it is just a phantom that has long since disappeared... Ha, I hope it's not too late."

The sound then subsided.

All that remained was a thick, swirling gray fog, like an endless ocean.

……

Gawain tucked the holy sword into his belt and stood up. He glanced one last time at the old man sitting against the wall and the blue-haired woman with her eyes covered by a white cloth: "Are you two staying here?"

Perez nodded: "Right now, I'm just a burden to you. Besides, Elaine is in this state..." He reached out and stroked her wavy hair, and smiled bitterly: "Besides, that little girl risked her own life to save me. Logically speaking, even if I can't help, I should stay here."

“But if…” Gawain hesitated.

Fisherman King naturally knew what he wanted to say, and also turned his gaze to the sky: "If it really is that worst ending... in the little girl's words, it is also fate."

Under their watchful eyes, the churning mist in the air gradually solidified into a huge black cocoon, three or four meters long and wide, with a faint light shining through it. Moreover, it seemed to be alive, rhythmically expanding and contracting. Even from a distance of over a hundred meters, the two seemed to be able to hear the thumping sounds coming from within.

"Ok."

Gao Wen didn't try to persuade him any further. He actually wanted to stay in case of unforeseen circumstances, partly because he was worried about the girl who was like a younger sister to him. But there were priorities. If he didn't know, it wouldn't matter, but now that he had learned of the potential disaster from the old man, he couldn't ignore it.

He gave them one last piece of advice: "If you two stay here, please be careful. I will be back as soon as possible."

"You too. That creature wasn't an ordinary sea beast. It wreaked havoc on the seas and slaughtered countless people. Many warriors from the Empire and the British Isles tried to defeat it, but they all failed... Even with the power of the Trident of the Sea God, I could only forcibly seal that sea beast away. Thirty years have passed, and it should have become somewhat weaker, but it's still not an opponent that ordinary people can defeat..."

“I will keep an eye on it.” Nodding, Gawain then asked, “If you may, could you briefly describe the characteristics and fighting style of that sea monster? My mother is very fond of these kinds of rumors, and perhaps I have heard some information about it from her.”

"can."

The old man looked rather haggard, but still forced himself to answer, "That creature's body is incredibly tough; even the Trident of Poseidon couldn't inflict a wound on it... It's enormous and can summon storms and tornadoes with its roar... I don't know its name, but while fighting it, I vaguely sensed something... Its power seems somewhat similar to the Trident of Poseidon..."

……

"She's heading south with the Scepter of the Sea God; it seems she intends to completely abandon this broken body. Since you say this is also part of 'fate,' then what happens next should be within your expectations, right?"

"You can say that."

Nimiao glanced at the female magician with a half-smile: "Let me remind you, the sealed sea beast is not something that people can deal with now. If things go wrong, all your efforts so far will be in vain."

"Does this mean that you obtained information about that sea monster from thirty years ago from the memories of Goddess Niman?" Merlin asked instead of answering.

Nimiao didn't speak, as if she had tacitly agreed.

The female magician nodded in sudden realization: "I see. Although I had suspected it for a while—the power of that sea beast in that earth-shattering battle thirty years ago was quite similar to the Trident of the Sea God—now that I think about it, it's strong evidence. So…"

"Was that sea beast actually a mythical species from the Age of Gods?"

“Long ago, it was generally known as the Wave Beast.” Nimiao let out a soft breath, and as if she had thought of something, her expression changed slightly. “I saw in Niman’s memories… the Danu God Clan fighting against several Wave Beasts. Even in the distant age of gods, this sea beast was considered a very troublesome existence… Even Dagda’s staff and Lu.G’s sword could only cause it minor damage. Only treasures at the level of the Four Great Treasures could truly cripple and kill this sea beast.”

"But they should have perished long ago. Even mythical creatures like dragons and griffins have left for the inner sea of ​​the star. I don't think a powerful being like the Wave Beast can remain unscathed in the surface world. And whatever the reason it survives, thirty years ago, the Fisherman King used the power of the Trident of the Sea God to temporarily seal this sea beast. It can only be sealed once. Once it breaks free, I can't think of anything in this world that can completely defeat it."

As she spoke, the little girl's face darkened, and her eyes held a seriousness that did not match her appearance.

Merlin simply smiled and said, "That's not necessarily true."

P.S.: I finally finished writing this chapter from 8:30 PM to 3 AM, after an incredibly difficult struggle. I even forgot to eat the takeout I ordered. I'm debating whether to eat first and then go to sleep or eat this takeout for breakfast after I wake up... Waaah, I'm so sleepy, so cold, so hungry, and so tired...

Chapter 135 The Invincible Divine Sword

The sound of waves crashing on the shore came in waves from outside, only highlighting the eerie silence inside the cave.

This is a naturally formed cave, the air filled with the distinctive briny smell of the ocean. In the shadows, stalagmites hang precariously, intertwining like the sharp teeth of a ferocious beast. Silent water flows, faintly reflecting the figures of several people, some standing, some sitting, on its surface.

There were three people, all wearing dark blue robes that were almost black. Two of them had simpler robes, no hoods, and white cloths covering their eyes. The right sleeves were completely cut off, and on their exposed arms, near the shoulder, there was a trident pattern about two fingers long.

The third person was a typical priest. Although his robes were generally similar to the other two, the details were much more intricate. He wore a hood that completely covered his face and sat cross-legged on a large rock deep in the cave, his hands seemingly holding something. From a distance, only a cloud of mist could be seen.

"The seal is unstable."

"reason."

"Poseidon's Trident".

"King Perez".

"uncertain."

The two people with their eyes covered by white cloth took turns speaking. As soon as the first person finished speaking, the second person immediately followed. There was no pause between the two sentences, and their voices were almost identical. At first glance, it sounded as if the same person was talking non-stop.

The person sitting on the rock did not speak, but listened quietly. The expression hidden under the hood remained unchanged. If it weren't for the fact that he was still breathing, one would almost doubt that this was not a real person, but a lifelike statue.

“This power.”

"Relic resonance".

"The Sea Within the Stars".

"Merlin."

"To this day, we have protected it."

"Thirty years."

Wow!

Another wave crashed onto the shore, and the dampness in the wind seemed to grow stronger, carrying a hint of restlessness.

It was as if a massive storm was about to break.

It was already late at night, with only a few hours left until sunrise. The strange phenomena caused by the Radiant Tower did not affect this side. Starlight still flickered, white gulls flew low, and a bright moon fell into the sea.

Softly, footsteps sounded.

With one step, the water rippled and spread out in circles. Then came a crystal-clear blue scepter, with drops of blood running down its shaft, falling into the turbulent seawater, quickly spreading, fading, and disappearing without a trace.

The misty vapor in his palms churned incessantly. The hooded man raised his eyebrows slightly and looked toward the figure that had suddenly appeared outside the cave—a headless, blood-stained, and mangled body.

If a timid person were to see this, they would probably burst into tears immediately, but the man, looking through his hood, remained unwavering in his gaze, sitting there steadily. On the other hand, the two men with white blindfolds, who had been leaning against the smaller rocks on either side of the cave, silently stood up.

"The Scepter of Neptune".

"Not Fisher."

"You are."