god of tomorrow

"I knew it, this guy wasn't a pauper."

Gawain looked up at the swirling blood-red curtain and roughly counted the items: withered black thorns, a dark red cloak, a nightmare warhorse, a knight's greatsword, and that tattered armor. The skeleton knight was quite wealthy, a typical rich tycoon.

And that doesn't even include the castle's property certificate and the five thousand henchmen!

"No wonder I couldn't find the treasure; it turned out you had it all on you..."

Gao Wen muttered to himself, telling the AI ​​assistant not to rush. He was no longer in a hurry; the situation had changed, and he was preparing to lie down and watch for a while.

The cloak on his head was clearly meant to prevent him from escaping; rushing out now would only expose his trump card prematurely, which would be pointless.

Who is the hunter and who will be on the menu is still uncertain. We should wait and see, concentrate our limited opportunities, and wait for the best moment to strike decisively.

boom!

The shadowy figure flew backward like a cannonball. The skeleton knight returned, striking the resting Nightmare Warhorse precisely.

The man and his horse rolled around on the ground several times like gourds, looking quite disheveled.

"Hehehehehe————"

A somewhat familiar laugh grew louder as it approached. Gawain adjusted himself into a comfortable position, leaning against the thorny black prison and gazing out.

The soul flames burned fiercely!

At the gap in the ruins in front of the altar, a skeletal chariot pulled by a bone ox drove past the pillar. The chariot was covered with tattered banners and hung with strings of skulls burning with soul fire.

Atop the chariot stood an equally tall knight, clad in tattered armor, wielding a spear, his soul fire blazing brightly, its illumination far surpassing that of ordinary skeleton soldiers.

The newcomer was none other than the Skeleton Knight's nemesis, another Skeleton Knight, whom he had encountered on the battlefield and had chased all the way here.

Gawain watched silently. To distinguish himself, and because this guy was riding an oxcart, with such a grand display... let's call him the Bull Rider.

"Get out of here! This is not the time for nonsense. I have captured the sinner who sacrificed himself to the underworld, and I am about to judge him and offer him to the Lord of Death." The skeleton knight stood up, gripping his greatsword, and shouted.

Upon hearing the title of the Lord of Death, the Minotaur Knight paused noticeably, his soul flame flickering dazedly, as if he were pondering something.

"Hehehehehe————"

The next second, hearty laughter rang out again.

My mind is blank, I can't think of anything. So I might as well give myself a break, stop thinking about anything, and just enjoy the present moment.

This bull-headed knight was completely lacking in intelligence; he just kept laughing, a total brainless idiot who only knew how to fight and kill, and he launched a charge while riding his bone bull chariot.

"Bastard! Bastard—"

Seeing the Minotaur Rider recklessly rampaging through the altar area, the Skeleton Rider was enraged. He raised one hand, and withered black thorns sprouted wildly as if summoned. Hundreds of thorny vines, like giant black pythons, shot out from all directions, transforming into black chains that wrapped around the Minotaur chariot, imprisoning it in place and rendering it unable to move.

But for some reason, or perhaps because it was impossible, the withered black thorns only entangled the bone bull and the chariot, preventing them from getting close to the bull-headed knight.

As the skeleton knight cast his spell, he leaped onto the chariot, sword in hand, and swung his greatsword, attempting to knock the minotaur knight off the chariot.

This sword strike was devoid of any fancy movements, filled with rage, sweeping fiercely from right to left. Wherever the heavy blade passed, it tore through the air with a sharp, explosive sound.

The Minotaur Knight neither dodged nor evaded, gripping his spear tightly with both hands, and thrust it forward with a burst of laughter.

clang!

The clang of metal against metal was deafening, and sparks flew as the two powerful forces canceled each other out, resulting in a stalemate.

Both knights were highly skilled in martial arts, with ruthless moves and rich combat experience. Every strike they made was powerful and unstoppable.

For a time, the two fought fiercely, and the entire altar area became their battlefield, with flying stones and death energy and soul fire intertwining to form a dappled curtain of light and shadow.

"Wonderful!"

Gao Wen was happy to have some peace and quiet, and kept shouting that the fight was good. He shone his flashlight east and west, waiting for both sides to be badly injured and for both sides to have their brains knocked out.

Unfortunately, there were no sunflower seeds or soda.

They fought for dozens of rounds, exchanging blows with both sides, each move delivered with full force.

Ultimately, the Skeleton Knight was the first to fall into a disadvantageous position.

Admittedly, the Minotaur Knight is brainless and fights purely on instinct, but he has the advantage of being fuel-efficient, driving at breakneck speed with plenty of stamina. Unlike the Skeleton Knight, who fears that sinners sacrificing to the underworld might desecrate the altar and statues, he has to repeatedly activate his skills, which not only consumes a lot of mana but also makes him slower than usual.

clang!

After a brief clash of metal, the Minotaur swept his nemesis off his chariot, and like a victor, raised his spear high and roared.

In an instant, a violent black shockwave emanated from his chest, sweeping across the entire area and pouring forth recklessly.

The shockwave swept down, and wherever it passed, the indestructible, tightly bound withered black thorns all turned into frostbitten eggplants, first wilting, then withering and breaking, freeing the imprisoned ox bone chariot.

Gawain: "..."

So why was the Thorn Black Prison not broken? Is it necessary to treat it differently?

"Bastard, I should have killed you long ago!"

The Skeleton Knight snorted coldly and summoned a blood-red curtain from afar, which descended upon the Minotaur Knight and the Minotaur Chariot.

Faced with this overwhelming crimson onslaught, the Minotaur Knight acted decisively, severing his shackles with his spear, unsealing the Bone Bull, and then leaping off his chariot.

Immediately afterwards, strings of burning soul-fire skulls floated in mid-air, their mouths wide open, emitting shrill screams, the sound waves turning into tangible ripples that violently struck the blood-red curtain.

It wasn't over yet. The tattered banners on the chariots began to dance with the ripples, spreading out circles of black light that fiercely intertwined with the blood-red barrier of the dark red cloak.

Clearly, this chariot is also a powerful weapon.

Chaos reigned on the field, and the fighting intensified.

The battlefield was immediately divided into three parts: knights vs. knights, mounts vs. mounts, and magical artifacts vs. magical artifacts, and the fighting was incredibly intense.

"This scoundrel seems, perhaps, possibly... to have a tiny bit of chivalry."

Gawain clicked his tongue inwardly, a wave of fear washing over him. In the previous battle, the Skeleton Knight had gone easy on him; not to mention anything else, the dark red cloak alone was enough to give him a run for his money.

He wasn't lying; he intended to capture them alive from the very beginning.

Everything has its peak and then declines; battles often end at their climax.

Although the two knights' magical artifacts were quite powerful, their durability was truly worrisome. After a fierce standoff and tug-of-war, they both fell and crashed into the altar.

Right next to Gao Wen, on the left and right, it's a very satisfying sight for someone with OCD.

Almost simultaneously, Ferrari and Lamborghini collided head-on, both accelerating in a straight line, determined to see which could withstand the impact.

Both were destroyed in a car accident; with a loud bang, their souls were ejected from their skulls.

In the final battle, the skeleton knight gradually weakened, but he was smart. While parrying with his sword, he led the minotaur knight to the altar and finished his last few incantations.

Darkness returns, the magic circle activates, and the sacrificial ritual begins.

It's finally my turn to appear!

Inside the dark cell, Gao Wen turned off the flashlight, stood up, gripped a baseball bat, and tensed all his muscles.

The newbie buff card that was secretly withheld by the AI ​​assistant has been credited to my account. My character panel has been refreshed, and my speed and strength have been increased by 100 points.

Speed: 262 (S+)

Strength: 260 (S+)

boom!

The thorny black prison shattered instantly, turning to dust.

Chapter 15 I've Become a Mage (Thanks to 'Old Wang Who Doesn't Visit' for the generous donation)

clang!

Clang! Clang—

The Minotaur Knight laughed wildly, swinging his spear down again and again, disregarding any techniques or rules, driven by instinct, driving the skeleton knight into the altar's magic circle like an iron hammer.

Because they were so clueless, they had no idea they had fallen into a trap.

“My dearest friend, I can forgive you for forgetting your faith, for you were once as faithful as I was. Forgetting is not your fault; you did your best…”

The skeleton knight retreated step by step, struggling to parry with his sword in both hands. His words were filled with a deep sense of desolation and helplessness, echoing through the ages: "But you should not desecrate this place. Your current actions have disgraced your former glory. Forgive me, I can no longer let you continue down this wrong path! Return, sleep, I will walk the road ahead. I assure you, your beliefs will always accompany me."

These words seemed to possess an immense magical power, reminding the Minotaur Knight of something. He stopped attacking and stood there, stunned.

"Sleep now. Everything will be alright once the sacrifice is complete."

The skeleton knight did not seize the opportunity to attack. He gently patted his old friend's shoulder, the soul fire in his eyes filled with endless sorrow and farewell. He passed by him and walked out of the magic circle step by step.

He rested his hands on his sword, the tip touching the ground, glanced one last time at the Minotaur Knight, then raised the knight's greatsword and slammed it into the ground.

boom!

A deafening roar, like a thunderclap.

What's that noise? Where did it explode again?

The skeleton knight's soulfire jerked, instantly waking him from his sorrowful reverie, and he looked on in horror.

Apart from the shattered, black prison of thorns, there was nothing else to be seen.

A fierce wind howled, and something, as fast as a ghost, swept past him, stirring up a gust of wind.

That sinner, he broke out?

A sense of absurdity welled up in the Skeleton Knight's heart. Impossible, he shouldn't have this ability... Could it have all been an act all along?

No, it's chaos magic!

In a flash, the skeleton knight had no time to think; his battle instincts honed over years of fighting took over his body. He whirled around, his greatsword held horizontally in front of his chest, assuming a defensive stance.

He displayed exceptional combat skills, making the most correct judgment in an instant. Unfortunately, Gawain's side opened up a gap.

boom!

The baseball bat swept across, striking the knight's greatsword squarely. The immense force pressed the greatsword against the skeleton knight's breastplate, sending both man and sword crashing into the magic circle.

This strike was incredibly powerful!

Another shocking crack appeared on the greatsword that had accompanied the knight in battle for many years.

As it turns out, everything has its limits, and the principle of using softness to overcome hardness is no exception. When faced with something stronger than softness, the so-called softness can no longer be used.

Gawain seized the precise moment, shattering the shackles the moment the Skeleton Knight was closest to success and least vigilant. Breaking free, he turned the tables, transforming from sacrifice to giver, and then turning giver into sacrifice, completing a complete reversal of fortune just a second before the sacrificial ritual began.

The inspiration VanVleet gave him before was very risky, but he'll still dare to do it next time.