Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 467 Acquiring the First Legendary Battle Banner
The Butcher King Agrim's onslaught was like a relentless torrent of lava, each axe blow carrying the power to crush mountains and the fury to burn souls. Hilder struggled to hold on after "Echoes of the Mountains," her divine strength dwarfed by such ferocious attacks.

The crimson force field [Furnace Barrier] on the shield's surface had dimmed considerably after enduring dozens of blows powerful enough to cleave a city wall. Spiderweb-like cracks had even appeared at the edges of the force field, and it emitted a low, strained hum. Each block caused Hilde's arm to tremble violently, as if her bones were about to shatter.

However, the Butcher King's relentless attack came at a price. To maintain this devastating offensive, he completely abandoned dodging and withstood the continuous attacks launched from the flanks by Su Li and more than a dozen Chosen Knights.

This was the combat power of a chosen one, relentlessly bombarding him. Su Li's spear tip, formed from the bloodline of a red dragon, left deep white dents on the dark gold heavy armor, emitting a piercing scraping sound; Orstein's chosen great hammer pounded against his spiked shield and shoulder armor like a battering ram, each impact producing a dull thud and sparks, causing the Butcher King's body to sway slightly. The other chosen knights bombarded him with various kinds of divine power.

Under such relentless attacks, even a true legendary-level being would be unable to withstand it, let alone a legendary-level mirror image like him.

"Now! Hilder, [Echo of the Anvil]!" Su Li keenly noticed that the Butcher King's movements faltered for a moment after he withstood a powerful hammer blow from Orstein! He shouted sharply!
Hilde's golden eyes flashed with a resolute light! She ceased her passive defense and instead poured the power of the blazing sun into "Echoes of the Mountains" without reservation! At the core of the shield, the massive amount of shock energy that had been absorbed and stored was instantly detonated!

"Buzz—Boom!!!"

A deep, earth-shaking hum erupted from the shield's core! Immediately afterward, a visible, extremely concentrated shockwave, like an invisible giant hammer, exploded outwards from Hilde in all directions! This was the full power of [Echo of the Anvil]!

The shockwave struck Butcher King precisely as he was about to swing his axe down again!

"Ugh!" Agrim's massive body stiffened abruptly, as if struck head-on by an invisible battering ram! His unparalleled sense of balance and ferocious offensive were abruptly interrupted! He staggered backward with heavy steps, and for the first time, the runic greatsword in his hand showed signs of instability! The dark red runes on his legendary heavy armor also flickered violently, clearly resisting the sudden and fierce impact originating from his own attack power!
This momentary opening was the decisive opportunity for Su Li and Erstein!

"For glory!" Su Li roared, his crimson dragon bloodline erupting completely, boiling like burning lava, all of it pouring into the Spear of Oath! The crimson light at the tip of the spear was no longer a beam, but transformed into a crimson thread compressed to its limit, seemingly capable of piercing through time and space! With speed beyond his limits, in the instant the Butcher King lost his balance and his defenses were wide open, he thrust the spear fiercely into the center of the dark gold heavy armor's chest, into the core area where the runes shone brightest!

At the same time, Orstein's Chosen Hammer, with the will to crush everything, slashed through the air, its target aimed directly at the Butcher King's head, which was slightly raised by the shockwave!

"Pfft——!"

"boom!!!"

Two deadly attacks struck almost simultaneously!
Su Li's spear tip pierced the shimmering runes at the core of Agrim's breastplate with unparalleled precision! The raging red dragon's power, like molten steel, instantly poured into it! Meanwhile, Orstein's giant hammer slammed into the Butcher King's unprotected temple, producing a chilling, muffled cracking sound!
"Uhhhhhh-!!!"

King Agrim the Butcher unleashed a roar far more agonizing and tearing than before! This roar contained not merely rage, but also the excruciating pain of having one's very essence forcibly ripped apart! His massive body, as if its spine had been ripped out, violently leaned backward, the runic greataxe flying from his grasp, spinning and embedding itself in the scorched earth in the distance. The spiked round shield in his left hand also slid limply to the ground.

He fell heavily to his knees, his knees shattering the rocks. Su Li's spear pierced through his heavy armor, leaving a gaping hole the size of a bowl from which raging crimson energy mixed with fragments of dark gold runes and golden dust, erupting wildly like a furnace exploding! The side of his head caved in deeply, and golden dust also seeped out from the cracks in his skull.

The forces that constitute his existence are rapidly collapsing.

He struggled to lift his head, his crimson eyes, once burning with endless rage, now flickered like a candle in the wind. He stared intently at the spear piercing his chest, then slowly moved to the leaf emitting a soft silver-green light on Su Li's chest, finally settling on the "Echoes of the Mountains" shield in Hilder's hand, a shield riddled with cracks yet still radiating an indomitable light.

The rage vanished as quickly as the tide receded, replaced by a bottomless bewilderment, and... a weariness that pierced through the dust of ages.

“Silver Leaf… Shield…” His voice became unusually hoarse and low, like two rough grinding stones rubbing against each other. “Betrayal… Revenge…” He murmured these words, but his tone was full of confusion and… emptiness.

His massive body trembled violently, and more and more golden dust dissipated. He looked down at his collapsing hands, at the golden specks of light that vanished like quicksand.

“…So…I was just…an echo…” For the first time, Agrim’s voice lacked rage, replaced by a profound emptiness and…unspeakable sorrow born from the realization of the truth. “This endless slaughter…this deep-seated hatred…is all just…frozen…memories…”

His gaze seemed to pierce through the smoke-filled battlefield, seeing the enemies and compatriots who had long since turned to dust, and the furnaces and fortresses that had long since been extinguished in real history.

“…the pride of the dwarves…” he murmured, a hint of reminiscence in his broken voice. “Not just…the warhammer and…the fury…” He struggled to raise a hand, as if trying to touch something nonexistent. “And…the songs echoing…deep in the mountains…by the hearth…the exquisitely carved…runes…in the ancestral halls…the epics…sung…”

A low, hoarse song, far longer and more complex than the one Baldek had hummed before, filled with the rough rhythm and historical weight unique to dwarves, rose intermittently from his crumbling chest:
The anvil is crackling, the furnace is burning.

The ancestor's beard fluttered in the wind.

Hatred is etched in stone, vows will never fade.
Blood debts are as high as mountains, as high as mountains...

……

The murals in the Golden Beard Hall are magnificent.

The precious gems of the Silverbeard Mine

The dwarves' craftsmanship never grows old.
Under the carving knife, the legend will never fade...

……

The war song is fierce, as fierce as fire.
The lament is long, as long as a wail.
Son of the mountains, where does your soul rest?

In the echo... there is... an eternal... prison...

The singing grew fainter and fainter, eventually being completely drowned out by the eternal sounds of battle on the battlefield.

Agrim Ironfist, the Butcher King whose name was vengeance, had his eyes completely dimmed, leaving only endless weariness and relief. His final gaze swept over Su Li, over Gerson Grayrock and his dwarven warriors, finally settling on the distant void. “…Thank you…stranger…” His broken voice was barely audible, yet it resonated clearly into the depths of everyone’s soul. “…To end…this…echo of hatred…let…the mountains…return…to…silence…”

The moment his words fell, the last speck of golden dust that made up his massive body suddenly erupted into a brief but intense burst of dark red light, like the final glow of a dying furnace! At the center of the light, countless fine particles of runic energy and an even more concentrated dwarven essence of will flickered!
Buzz—!

A deep hum resounded, and the dark red light suddenly collapsed! Then, the light went out, and what fell like raindrops were at least 40 legendary forging essences, more dazzling and numerous than when Baldek had dissipated.

“…Let wealth…belong…to the living…” Agrim’s last words vanished completely in the wind. His imposing figure, which had once struck fear into the hearts of countless enemies, along with the phantom of his massive runic axe and spiked shield, turned into specks of golden dust, silently merging into the background smoke of this eternal battlefield, leaving no trace.

In the same spot, besides the dazzling pile of legendary forging essence, there was another item standing proudly amidst the gradually dissipating energy dust—a huge battle banner!

The flagpole, made of some dark, metallic-sheen, unknown hardwood, was deeply embedded in the charred rock, motionless. The flag itself was not cloth, but a strange material that shimmered with a dark gold luster and was as tough as a sheet of molten metal.

The banner's background is a deep, dark black, symbolizing the dwarves' unwavering will and the mineral veins deep within the mountains. At the banner's center, in the purest, fiery red-gold lines, as if still burning lava, is outlined a colossal, roaring face of a dwarven ancestor! The face is wide-open in fury, its thick beard flying upwards like burning flames, filled with supreme majesty and an inextinguishable rage!

Surrounding this majestic ancestral face, the edges and background of the banner are covered with ancient and intricate dwarven runes.

These runes were not static, but rather flowed slowly across the banner's surface like magma, flickering and radiating immense heat and an indomitable fighting spirit! The entire banner moved without wind, fluttering and rustling, the thin, metallic material rubbing and colliding with each other, producing a clanging sound like swords clashing. The flowing runes and the burning ancestral face on the banner made it seem like an inextinguishable, blazing flame!

“By the Ancestors…” Gerson Grayrock’s voice was filled with unprecedented reverence, even drowning out his gasps for breath from his injuries. He almost staggered to the battle banner, his hands, covered in blood and dust, trembling, yet he dared not easily touch the banner that seemed to have a life of its own. “It is…it is ‘Kardrin’s Blazing Fire’! The legendary…Kharak Kadrin’s…Final Banner!”

All eyes were drawn to the suddenly appearing, imposing battle banner. Its aura was far greater and more intense than the "Echoes of the Mountains" shield, carrying a resolute will to lead armies and incinerate all enemies in the world!

"Damn long-eared dwarves! How much glory did they steal from us dwarves in the War of the Longbeard! No wonder this Butcher King's illusion is so powerful, able to withstand attacks from over a dozen Chosen Knights. The elves used this legendary battle banner to support their illusion!"

"A legendary battle banner?" Su Li and all the chosen knights exclaimed in surprise.

This is the first legendary banner our territory has ever acquired!

Each of these battle flags has a glorious history, with remarkable achievements and a rich legacy.

Before Su Li could ask, Gerson proudly introduced, "[Legendary Battle Banner - Kadrin Blaze], this battle banner is not a physical object, but a legendary creation formed from the deepest fighting spirit of Butcher King Agrim Ironfist, his grief over the fall of his homeland, and his last and most glorious will to resist before the fall of Karak Kadrin Fortress."

It symbolizes the battle banner raised by the last surviving dwarven fortress at the end of the War of the Longbeard, when it faced the overwhelming force of the high elves and was isolated and without support. This banner likely included Agrim himself or one of his ancestors. In that moment of despair, it carried the unwavering will of all the defenders, witnessing the dwarves' most tragic sacrifice and most fervent rage. Its very existence is a frozen epic of destruction and resilience.

"The first of the abilities inscribed upon it is the Wrath of the Ancestors: When the 'Kadrin's Blazing Fire' is raised high or planted deep in the earth, the runes flowing on the banner and the burning faces of the ancestors emanate a powerful field of spirit and energy. This field greatly inspires the morale of nearby allies, dispels negative emotions such as fear and hesitation, and awakens the dormant potential within their bloodlines. Allies within the banner's radiance (especially dwarves) will receive significant increases in strength, stamina, and pain tolerance. This is not a simple magical buff, but rather a collective will of the dwarven mountain range, stemming from a resonance of bloodlines. At the same time, the intense heat emanating from the banner itself will have a mental deterrent effect on enemies."

"【Forge Barrier - Array】This battle banner inherits the symbolic meaning of the fortress bulwark of Karak Cadrin Fortress. When allied forces form a tight formation (such as a shield wall or phalanx) around the banner for defense, the runic field flowing from the banner resonates with the entire defensive formation. This resonance significantly enhances the overall defensive strength of the formation, making the line more resilient and difficult to break through, as if encasing the entire army in an invisible forge barrier. Its deflection and resistance effects against ranged attacks (arrows, catapults, and some magical missiles) are particularly significant. At the same time, the banner itself possesses extremely strong physical and magical defense, making it difficult to destroy."

"【Embers of the End - Vengeance】This is the core and most tragic ability of "Kadrin's Blaze," embodying the suicidal will of the defenders when the fortress fell. When friendly forces around the banner suffer heavy casualties, or when the banner holder (or designated core) is under mortal threat and their will is pushed to its limit, this ability can be actively activated (or automatically triggered when a critical point is reached). The burning ancestral faces on the banner will erupt with a blinding crimson-gold light like a supernova! Within the banner's coverage area, the last vestiges of fighting spirit and undying rage of all fallen or critically wounded friendly forces will be instantly absorbed and ignited by the banner!"

"Revenge Strike: The absorbed energy will erupt from the banner in all directions into a devastating crimson-gold shockwave, a mixture of pure spiritual fury and materialized fire energy! This shockwave ignores friend and foe (because allies have been almost entirely wiped out, leaving only the elite of the elite), dealing massive spiritual shock (fear, confusion) and real fire/impact damage to all enemies within range. The damage intensity is directly related to the amount of fighting spirit absorbed from the allies."

"Blessing of Embers: As the vengeful surge erupts, the banner bestows its last vestige of pure protective will upon surviving allies within its range. These survivors gain a brief but powerful buff of damage reduction and attack power ("Ember's Valor"), as if inheriting the final will of their fallen comrades for a desperate counterattack. Once activated, the banner itself will temporarily dim, requiring a considerable amount of time (or special means) to regain its power. This is a truly do-or-die, life-or-death ability."

Gerson Grayrock gazed at the burning battle flag, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions: a longing for past glory, a profound sorrow for the devastating fall, and a heavy sense of responsibility. "'The Blazing Fire of Cadlin'...it's more than just a flag, Big Guy. It's the final cry of our lost homeland, the undying flame of countless heroic souls...and the spark that guides us to reclaim our glory!"

He turned to Su Li, his voice heavy and firm: "Take it! Only a leader recognized by the will of the mountains, who dares to face the deepest despair and hatred, is qualified to raise this 'fire of calamity'!"

Su Li gazed at the battle flag that burned fiercely, as if countless heroic souls roared within it, feeling the intense fighting spirit and heavy history emanating from it. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stretched out his hand, enveloped in the red dragon's battle aura, firmly grasping the dark flagpole planted in the earth.

The moment he touched it, a torrent of will far more powerful, more fervent, and more tragic than the "echoes of the mountains" surged into his body along the flagpole! It was not just power, but a memory stained with flames and blood, a heavy will that needed to be defended with one's life!

The "Kadrin's Blazing Flame" was raised! Its crimson-gold light instantly illuminated Su Li's resolute face and the battle-ready eyes of the surrounding warriors. This legendary battle banner had finally found its new standard-bearer in this era!
Hilde's spirited face shone even brighter in the light. She slammed "Echoes of the Mountains" heavily on the ground, producing a dull thud. Her golden eyes swept over the troops who had just finished their fierce battle and were now quickly resting. Her voice was clear and bright: "My lord, we must hurry. The existence of Mhava is ultimately a threat! Every time we defeat a mirror image, at the end of the three paths at the valley entrance, a portion of the corresponding legend's remains will appear! These corpses are as dazzling as torches in the darkness to the undead; they will surely sense them. We cannot let them succeed."

Her words struck like a warning bell. Gerson Grayrock looked up sharply, his eyes bloodshot: "That's right! Those bone fragments will never miss the chance to desecrate Lord Agrim's remains! Quick! The valley path!"

Su Li gripped the burning battle flag tightly, feeling the heavy will and burning fighting spirit contained within it, and ordered in a deep voice: "Target: Valley entrance! Full speed ahead! Chosen Knights, lead the way!"

The group once again transformed into a streak of arrows, bathed in the crimson-gold light of "Kadrin's Blazing Fire," and braving the icy, hate-filled gazes of the omnipresent dwarven phantoms, rushing towards the valley entrance at the edge of the battlefield. The elven phantoms along the way continued to ignore them, but the dwarven phantoms' hostility intensified. Small dwarven patrols even began to break away from the main battlefield to attack them, but these were quickly routed or forced back by Hilder wielding "Echoes of the Mountains" and the Chosen Knights guided by Su Li's battle banner.

They traversed the illusion of a burning forest, trodden across scorched earth stained with black blood, and circled the wreckage of destroyed dwarven war machines that stood like giant tombstones. The outline of the valley entrance gradually became clear amidst the billowing smoke—three narrow, deep natural paths flanked by massive boulders, with a secluded and beautiful scene of clear water and lush mountains in the distance. At first, Su Li thought the scenery here was breathtaking, possessing the elegance and beauty of elves.

But now, all he could feel was the stench of corpses. And the strange sights at the entrances to two of the paths made their hearts sink!
Thick, inky negative energy gathered and churned there, forming a nauseatingly profane domain! The air was thick with the stench of sulfur, corpses, and the acrid smell of profane magic. The ground was covered with a filthy black runic array, and at the core of the array was a massive, makeshift altar constructed of solidified obsidian and bones!
Above the altar, a colossal dwarven head, covered in a dark golden beard and with glaring, angry eyes, hovered in mid-air! It was the head of the Butcher King Agrim! At this moment, it was tightly bound and restrained by countless ghastly green chains made of pure necromantic energy. The skin and beard on the surface of the head were being corroded by the tainted energy, turning an ominous, decaying gray. In the empty sockets of the head, the indomitable fighting spirit that had once been replaced by forcibly injected, eerie green necromantic fire!

Mhawa's withered figure stood before the altar! He held the Dark Axe high, the eerie green soulfire in his eye sockets burning brighter than ever before, chanting blasphemous and piercing death incantations! From the tip of the axe, a filthy, ghastly green beam of light, mixed with sulfur and fragments of corpses, relentlessly bombarded Agrim's head! The filthy figure of the legendary embryonic dwarf warrior stood before Mhawa like the most loyal guardian, wielding a filthy runic warhammer, radiating a chilling aura of threat.

"Stop! Blasphemer!" Gerson Grayrock roared like a wounded lion, filled with deep-seated hatred and grief! He saw the head that belonged to the legendary Butcher King, being defiled!
(End of this chapter)