Chapter Fifty-Six: The Golden Stronghold

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Returning home at half past eight, everyone was already immersed in the game. Upon logging in, I found myself once again on the Wild Horse Plains. I had already collected eight of the required one hundred Golden Badges; at the current rate of two or three per hour, it would take roughly forty more hours to finish the quest. Spending so much effort, I wondered what kind of surprise the reward would bring—could it be a purple equipment that had yet to appear across the entire server?

Not far from me, a small squad of cavalry scouts approached. I was about to head over when a sudden thought crossed my mind. Every time these scout squads entered the plains, they vanished without a trace, only for another group to emerge elsewhere. No squad ever entered the main camp of the Golden Cavalry. Could it be that there are other camps hidden beyond those tall wooden fences?

I followed the cavalry scouts from a distance. Ten minutes later, they skirted the right side of the Golden Cavalry camp and disappeared before a grove of pine trees. When I caught up, a quiet little path appeared before me, the green grass marked by fresh hoof prints.

This must be it—their alternate camp!

Wielding my sword, I brushed aside the pine needles and walked ahead for nearly five minutes. The view began to open up, the towering trees grew sparse, and there were evident signs of logging; the pale cross-sections glared brightly. Ahead, wisps of smoke curled upward from the open field.

Cutting through a cluster of shrubs, several massive tents came into sight. Clearly, this was the outpost of the Golden Cavalry. There were no tall barricades here; only sharp wooden stakes arranged in a simple manner. It seemed their secrecy made them believe no one would ever find this place.

If an assault were launched here, it could inflict a deadly blow upon the enemy. No wonder the Pegasus Cavalry suffered such a devastating defeat.

Wait—those stationed here appeared to be elite forces!

Only now did I realize that the guards beside the camp were all Golden Knights, with Silver Badge Knights encamped around the perimeter. This was highly advantageous for my quest; at least I wouldn't have to scour the map for Golden Knights.

Stealthily slipping through a gap in the low fence, I infiltrated the cavalry camp. The troops were not numerous; patrols consisted of small groups of Golden Knights, which suited my needs for quest items. Against five or fewer Golden Knights, I would need only a single medium potion to safely dispatch them.

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Having made up my mind, I immediately used my innate stealth, lying in wait along the path the Golden Knights always took. Five of them approached slowly. I could almost hear my own breathing; calculations aside, the real thing was entirely different. Besides, my math was never great—my higher algebra grades were disastrous, and back in school, I often dragged Xiaoyu to study sessions to help me.

Shaking my head, I cursed myself silently: "Damn, why am I still thinking about her!"

The Golden Knights spotted the lurking enemy just five yards away from me. Fortunately, this distance prevented them from using their charge attack, which was exactly what I wanted. The damage from a knight’s charge was not to be underestimated; if all five charged at once, a third of my health would be gone.

A series of clangs rang out as their greatswords struck me repeatedly. Thankfully, my defense was high enough to withstand the blows. Each knight took about ten attacks to defeat, and my potions depleted rapidly. But the Golden Knights were generous; nearly every two dropped a medium potion, sometimes even a mana potion, allowing me to keep fighting without pause. The equipment drops were plentiful as well; the drop rate from Silver Armor Knights had already surpassed that of ordinary monsters, and it seemed the Golden Knights would be no less rewarding.

After six or seven minutes, all five Golden Knights lay defeated. I obtained three Golden Badges and a green leather bracer, which granted eleven points of agility and eight points of stamina, requiring level twenty-five. Xin Yu was already level twenty-four; soon she would be able to use it. I could already picture her radiant smile and enchanting voice...

Considering both the time spent luring monsters and killing them, I could handle five Golden Knights every ten minutes, yielding three badges each time. That meant about eighteen per hour; by midday, I would likely complete this formidable quest!

...

Two hours later, my inventory held seventy-four Golden Badges, and it was only half past ten. The progress was a bit faster than I had anticipated.

The number of Golden Knights in the camp was dwindling. Unnoticed, I had penetrated deep into the heart of the camp. A tent larger than the others stood before me, guarded by dozens of Golden Knights. Several campfires flickered, sending up bluish smoke.

It seemed the person inside this tent was the commander of the camp!

I was about to lure the Golden Knights away when the tent’s door suddenly swung open, accompanied by a commanding shout: "Enemy attack!"

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I was stunned—was the so-called enemy attack referring to me?

Impressive. Even inside the tent, they could sense my presence. Had I inadvertently revealed my killing intent?

There was no time to think. Dozens of Golden Knights quickly surrounded me, and the general who emerged from the tent waved his hand, instantly silencing all the knights. The warhorses stood motionless, dozens of swords glinting coldly. Without realizing it, I was drenched in cold sweat.

"Who are you? How dare you launch a night raid on the Golden Cavalry camp!" the general demanded.

Dialogue again. I thought briefly before replying with righteous indignation: "I am a kingdom swordsman, entrusted by Captain Roger to eradicate the kingdom’s rebels!"

The words escaped my lips, and even I nearly laughed.

A Golden Knight brandished his sword and said, "General Lin He, there's no need to waste words with him. Let’s cut him down together! Kingdom swordsman, my foot!"

Lin He sneered, "Rebels? Indeed, in your eyes we are rebels. But so what? The Pegasus Cavalry claimed to be the kingdom’s elite, yet they were crushed by us in a single blow. The king wants to kill Commander Dark, and how could we brothers who fought side by side stand by idly? Three years ago, if Commander Dark hadn’t led the Golden Cavalry back to defend the capital, that old fool would have been burned at the stake. Does the so-called Holy Church really have the power to resist the undead?"

I drew a deep breath. "No matter what, betraying the kingdom and its people violates the knight’s oath of loyalty. If you’ve forgotten your duty to the kingdom and its citizens, how can you still call yourselves knights?"