Chapter 104: I’m Activated!
Chapter 106: I’m Activated!
Yonglan stared intently at the Knight Mech on the screen.
It was a masterpiece of Steel Artifice, an ultimate combat technique passed down by the Royal Knights from the Primal King. To be honest, it was undeniably cool. This casually summoned giant mech was perfectly to his taste.
Although it was a unique Steel Artifice, Yonglan wondered if it could be replicated using Forging Artifice. He fell into thought. Achieving this in reality would be pure fantasy, but it was quite possible within Sams. He could try researching it once Enesyin could summon Knight Mechs in the future.
“Pfft… truly magnificent,” Aseran murmured, gazing up at the towering Golem with slightly narrowed eyes.
Knight Mechs were a special combat technique exclusively inheritable by those with Royal Knight bloodlines. The reason people cheered so wildly for Ham was because he was a Hero-Tier Knight capable of summoning one. The presence of a Knight Mech completely set Knights apart from Artificers of the same Tier.
A Knight Mech was no mere clumsy coffin of metal; it was a complete combat weapon, seamlessly integrated with the Royal Knight’s senses, like a second body. The Golem’s armor would ascend with the summoner’s strength, exponentially amplifying the Royal Knight’s power. The weapons they wielded were amplification devices that only affected themselves, effectively magnifying Spirit Matter output. Furthermore, the Knight Golem’s armor could project a complete defensive barrier, rendering the Royal Knight invulnerable to any assault until their Spirit Matter was depleted.
Objectively speaking, Knight Mechs were incredible. These art pieces, embodying both offense and defense, showcased the pure beauty of Stats and mechanics.
“But have you perhaps forgotten something?” Aseran asked, tilting her head with a smile as she faced the Golem that could crush her with a single step. “Though the Sword of Blazing Sun is now a thing of the past, I am, after all, still of Knight blood. Summoning the Knight Mech Artifice, even though I’ve never tried it before, shouldn’t be too difficult.”
With that, the Dragon Princess plunged her dragonflame-wreathed spear into the ground.
“Creeeak…”
Cracks, as if tearing through space, appeared in an instant, enveloping the Dragon Princess in flowing light that filled the sky. Then, another Knight Mech emerged from the light and stepped onto the ground.
Compared to Ham’s mech, Aseran’s was more slender and refined. Its jade-white frame was adorned with occasional brilliant gold patterns, complemented by shimmering scale skirts. Wielding her sword-spear, Aseran’s voice vibrated through the air, audible to observers even without the drone feed.
“What’s wrong? Do you think I’m not qualified to summon a Knight Mech? I’m sorry, but it seems my ancestors didn’t think I’d lost my knightly status.”
Ham responded with a cold laugh, “Hmph, I thought you had forgotten the knightly blood flowing through your veins. It seems you haven’t fallen completely. I have no desire to bully the weak.” The Great Knight of Starlight Dwelling was not surprised. It would have been truly disappointing if Aseran had been truly incapable of summoning a mech and was easily defeated by him.
During exchanges between Royal Knights, they sometimes summoned Knight Mechs to spar. In terms of experience, Ham was the more seasoned one. The unique trait of Royal Knights: fighting and then growing larger!
Once Aseran had her mech stabilized, Ham slammed his lance heavily against his shield, emitting a deep, resonant clang.
*Dong!*
With this as the declaration of battle, Ham formally launched his assault on the Dragon Princess. Despite standing over a hundred meters tall, the Knight Mech moved with astonishing speed. Before the ear-splitting sound of displaced air could even register, Ham’s elbow strike landed squarely on Aseran’s arm armor.
“Don’t be so hasty, I still have things to say… But never mind, I’ll say them after I’ve slain you,” Aseran roared with laughter, then engaged Ham’s Knight Mech in a fierce exchange of blows.
Even when piloting Knight Mechs, the actual combat didn’t change much. The struggles and clashes remained the same; it was simply that the Stats were amplified manifold. However, these amplified Stats completely altered the nature of the engagement.
*Boom, boom, boom!*
The residual shockwaves from each collision of the two Golems tore through the void, emitting terrifying, sharp howls. Storms split the earth and pierced the Cloud Layer, each shockwave emanating from their clashes as tangible as solid matter, spreading outwards in waves.
Both the Imperial fleet and the Holy Army at Chang had to deploy Artifice barriers to defend against the impact. The area occupied by the two Knight Mechs became an absolute Forbidden Zone. Fortresses, warships, or legions alike could not withstand the aftermath of this battle. To dare step foot there would likely result in instant annihilation with a single stomp.
“It’s… like a myth,” Yonglan admitted, acknowledging that the knightly duel taking place outside Chang had reached a scale comparable to battles within Sams.
Everyone held their breath, watching the spectacle. The Unified Empire’s Royal Guard maintained their composure; they were unconditionally obedient and trusting of their liege, standing in neat formation, eyes fixed on the unfolding scene. The Holy Army at Chang, however, showed concern. They believed Ham’s ability to suppress the Dragon Princess hinged on his advantage with the Knight Mech. Now that Aseran had also summoned one, and having been taught by the same master, they feared their techniques might not be effective!
“Can Lord Ham win? He doesn’t seem to have the upper hand…”
“He even appears to be at a disadvantage…”
The Monks of the Holy Army observed the battlefield. Aseran was channeling brilliant golden Dragonflame onto her sword-spear. The colossal torch emitted terrifying light and heat, constantly striking at Ham, forcing him to retreat. It didn’t look good.
“Nonsense! What rubbish are you spouting! Lord Ham is merely waiting for his family’s Artifice to activate!” The other Knights of the Starlight Dwelling clan immediately retorted loudly. Some even grabbed a Monk by the collar, shouting, “Once Lord Ham uses Starlight Dwelling, everything will be alright! Starlight Dwelling is absolutely invincible in duels of the same Tier!”
The Royal Knights were not just raging in vain; they genuinely believed this. The family names of all Knight Families originated from the merits or great deeds of their ancestors, and they possessed Artifices passed down through generations. The family name, Starlight Dwelling, represented an ancient raid by an ancestral Knight who, during an incredibly long pursuit, annihilated a massive army of Fiend Kin. The inherited Artifice from this feat was Starlight Dwelling itself. It was a secret technique capable of rapidly cycling and transforming Spirit Matter Arts, truly deserving of the title “invincible in the same Tier.”
*Clang!*
Finally, Ham halted his retreat, blocking Aseran’s attack with a thrust of his spear. He then shouted, “Enough! This foolishness ends now!”
“I’ve already activated it!”
