The ultimate weapon of the kingdom - V1C1
—Vol 1: The Kingdom’s Ultimate Weapon, Into the Knight Academy as an Inferior Student
Chapter 1:
[Nameless No. 1]
There has
been a frenzy over mysterious disappearances in the rural area of the Kingdom
of Adia.
It is said
that near the abandoned village that was devastated by a monster disaster, a
series of missing persons cases have occurred frequently.
My mission this
time is to investigate the abandoned underground space of the church, which is
suspected to be the hiding place of the culprit.
As I walked
through the dark corridor of the abandoned underground church, I felt someone’s
presence.
I drew my
sword from its sheath and remained alert.
At the end of
the corridor, there was a large altar.
A thin man
was observing me from atop the altar.
He had a bald
head, pale skin, and appeared lifeless.
However, the
glowing red eyes he possessed showed a malevolent life.
There is no
doubt, he is the feared “Undead King, Gnome.”
Originally,
he was an unfortunate alchemist who became obsessed with research and violated
prohibitions.
The number of
victims who fell into his hands has reached thousands.
He has been
missing for over fifty years and was believed to be dead.
“So, you’re
the one standing in the way of my righteousness... judging by your appearance,
you’re a knight, aren’t you?”
Gnome smiled
as he looked at me.
I didn’t
answer and approached him.
“Hah, all
alone? And without the Dragon Crest, too.”
Gnome mocked
me with those words.
The Dragon
Crest is a metal badge given to high-ranking knights, and they are required to
wear it on their chests wherever they are assigned.
There are
three types: “Bronze Dragon Crest,” “Silver Dragon Crest,” and “Gold Dragon
Crest.”
Especially the “Gold Dragon Crest” is only given to the ten strongest knights in the Kingdom.
I don't have any association with such matters.
I have never been bestowed even with the “Bronze Dragon Crest.”
And I am certain I will never receive it.
“You brat...
let me tell you, I have killed the holder of the ‘Gold Dragon Crest.’ And if
it’s an ordinary knight, the number is countless. You must have thought this
would be an easy investigation, but how unfortunate for you to clash with me,
haha. There is no one in this country who can judge me. If you want to kill me,
you should have brought at least five current holders of the ‘Gold Dragon Crest’ here.”
Ignoring
Gnome’s words, I kicked the ground and leaped towards him.
Gnome furrowed his brow, puzzled.
He couldn’t
understand my intentions, it seemed.
“So, you’re
going to choose death by launching a suicidal attack, thinking you can’t
escape. Fine, then die bravely. This power is too excessive to be used on you,
but I’ll show you. Come forth, Undead Dragon!”
A massive
magic circle unfolded, and from there, a huge dragon appeared.
The dragon’s
flesh was rotting, its eyes were absent, and its eye sockets gaped.
I knew this
Undead Dragon.
It was a
dragon forcibly resurrected from death.
Lacking
intelligence when alive, it had now become a puppet obedient to its master,
Gnome.
Moreover, its
physical strength and vitality surpassed its living state.
No matter how
damaged its body was, it could still launch itself at enemies.
Especially
this Undead Dragon was enormous.
It was nearly
fifty meters long.
It was a
noble dragon that had reached a thousand years of age.
Dragons are
known for their exceptional longevity, and their age is closely tied to their
size, intelligence, and mana capabilities.
That’s why
the dragon hierarchy is divided by age.
“Be the prey,
brat. Your soul will wander within the Undead Dragon’s body for eternity, never
to be saved, and you will suffer endlessly.”
I kicked the
ground and leaped, pointing my sword towards the head of the Undead Dragon.
I channeled
Mana into my arm.
A beam of
shimmering black aura gathered in both of my arms.
I utilized
this power to strengthen my body.
This
technique is known as [Stromon].
“A Mana so
dense that it’s clearly visible...? And such malevolent Mana, something I’ve
never seen before!”
With a swift
strike of my sword, the body of the Undead shattered into pieces.
Toxic blood
turned green and scattered in the air.
Decayed
flesh, shattered bones, and crushed organs collapsed onto the floor, spreading
out.
It turns out
I didn’t need to use this much Mana just for “Stromon.”
Perhaps I
overestimated my opponent...
“It’s ...
It’s impossible! ! There shouldn’t be anyone in this country who can
single-handedly defeat my greatest masterpiece...!”
As soon as I
landed, I struck Gnome with a swift attack.
With great force, I propelled the upper half of Gnome's body into the wall of the underground church.
The impact was devastating, shattering his back and fracturing his skull.
Yet, despite the severity of the blow, Gnome clung to life, collapsing onto the floor below.
His furious gaze pierced through me, his eyes burning red with anger.
The Gnomes possessed a penchant for manipulating their own bodies through alchemical means, seeking an elusive form of immortality.
It seems this
Gnome falls into that category as well.
Yet, his time was running out, and survival seemed improbable for someone like him in this realm.
However, I knew of three other individuals, besides myself, who possessed the same extraordinary power.
“It’s
impossible... There’s no way someone like this exists in the Kingdom of Adia!
Who are you really?”
Gnome
shouted.
With a
crushed body, he desperately crawled on the ground and looked up at me.
There was no
need to answer.
I had no
intention to answer.
Unnecessary
conversation was not recommended.
However, in
front of a dying opponent, my mouth opened instinctively.
“I have no
name. I am simply referred to as [Nameless No.1]—Ein.”
Gnome’s eyes
widened at my words.
“Ein? So, the
legends were true...! The Knight of Shadows, the kingdom’s ultimate weapon...
the ‘Phantom Dragon Knight’! The four hidden knights, created by the Church’s
dark faction, their existence concealed...!”
I approached
Gnome and raised my sword.
Of course, it
was to deliver the finishing blow.
“Ku...
kuku... So, the ‘Phantom Dragon Knight’ truly existed. The kingdom has fallen
indeed. You, too, are an empty being. Nameless, devoid of love, sacrificing
everything without receiving honor. And so, you die without knowing the joys of
being human, as a weapon of the kingdom.”
The
descending sword halted midway.
I couldn’t
comprehend why it stopped, even within myself.
My gaze met
Gnome’s directly.
I swiftly
brought down the sword.
Gnome’s head
exploded, and brain matter sprayed in the air.
I sheathed my
sword, covered in the splattered blood.
“Nameless,
devoid of love, without honor...”
I
contemplated Gnome’s words.
It was
something I had never thought about before.
I had been
taught that anything unnecessary for the mission was irrelevant to me.
“Do I truly
have nothing...?”
I didn’t
understand why that was a problem.
However, I
could feel a vague sense of unease budding within me, gradually spreading.