Chapter 522: Chapter 495: Flame Battle Array

Ronin and Ridder battled from the sky to the ground and back, the fight lasting for quite some time.

Beyond their contest of Combat Skills, they also clashed in every facet of close-quarters combat.

Overall, while Ridder’s combat experience was still superior, Ronin had firmly gained the upper hand. He was bolstered by the enhancement of two types of Extreme Elemental Power and had invested over twenty thousand Attribute Points, giving him far greater Power.

If the two were to unleash their strongest attacks against each other, Ronin would likely emerge victorious.

"It’s been a long time coming!"

As Ronin and Ridder headed back toward Mist City side by side, Ronin couldn’t help but remark, "Ever since I summoned you, you’ve always had me outmatched. Today, I’ve finally managed to turn the tables!"

Ridder also sighed wistfully. "I knew this day would come. I may not understand the specifics of how you increase your power, but your combat sense and talent are the greatest I’ve ever witnessed. As the power gap between us closed, it was only a matter of time before you surpassed me!"

Power could be increased by allocating points, but combat intuition and technique could only be honed through dedicated practice.

Through countless sparring sessions, Ronin’s skill had reached an exceptionally high level.

"Ridder, when we get back, keep the news of you reaching the Legendary Realm a secret for now. You can, however, begin teaching your Flame Battle Array to the Knight Order so they can master it as soon as possible."

Ronin instructed, "In your past life, your Flame Expedition Army set out from the Orland Continent to fight the Demon God on the Crescent Continent. I suspect you’ll face a similar situation in this life. We need to build a more powerful army as soon as possible so we’ll be prepared for what’s to come."

Ridder couldn’t agree more.

Although their current enemies were the Tricia Kingdom and the Holy Storm Organization, in the long run, their ultimate foe was the Demon God on the Crescent Continent, who had yet to be truly eradicated.

Now that Ronin was in the Legendary Realm, he was fated to be drawn into this conflict. He would either be assimilated by the Demon God and become one of its minions, or he would have to fight back for a chance at survival.

Ronin had obviously chosen the latter.

Ridder explained, "The Flame Battle Array requires squads of three. While their individual Levels don’t have to be identical, they must all be within the same Great Tier."

Each Great Tier encompasses three ranks, such as Basic Level, Intermediate, and Advanced Level.

"In that case, many of the Knights in my territory meet the requirements to learn this Array."

"Exactly!"

Ridder said with a smile, "Once they’ve mastered it, the combat power of your forces will skyrocket, even without increasing the number of Knights! Advanced Level Knights will be able to briefly wield the power of a Bronze Knight, and a Bronze Knight can briefly attain Silver Level power."

Simply put, it allows the Knights to fight above their rank.

"What do you need from me?" Ronin asked.

Ridder said, "Mastering this Array requires a great deal of training, but it also necessitates certain potions to condition their bodies. This will help them build synergy more easily."

Ronin felt a headache coming on. "Are the ingredients special?"

"Not at all. They’re all common Magic Potions, much less rare than the Enhancement Potions and Awakening Potions Elron developed. However, purchasing them in large quantities will require significant funding."

"Haha, is that all?"

Ronin couldn’t help but laugh. If it was just a matter of money, it wasn’t a problem at all.

"I’ll let Blanche and Chahar know. Just go to either of them for whatever you need."

’This is an investment in our defense. In these chaotic times, it’s an expense we can’t afford to skimp on.’

"Thank you for your support, my lord!"

Ridder said gratefully, "Once I have all the supplies, give me six months. I can absolutely train the first batch of Array squads!"

"Go all out!" Ronin said, encouragingly.

"Also, once Harmon gathers intelligence on Flame Wings and Serdil’s true strength, we’ll see if we have an opportunity for a decapitation strike."

Judging from the recent battle at Mist City, Flame Wings and Serdil had clearly marked Ronin for death.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent Aluba with so many men to ambush him, even sacrificing strongholds like Watchtower Castle as cannon fodder.

’For them to have planned all this so carefully, yet not appear themselves... there could only be two reasons.’

’Either they thought Aluba and his men were enough to take care of me and didn’t need to get involved personally...’

’...or they weren’t confident they could kill me and were afraid of ending up like Mephisto, so they stayed away from the battlefield.’

Ronin felt the latter was more likely.

Therefore, now that both he and Ridder had reached the Legendary Realm, he planned to first launch a decapitation strike against those two. This would prevent the enemy’s influence from expanding. Afterward, he would temper his army while steadily advancing toward Giant Dragon City.

"I understand!"

Ridder thought for a moment, then added, "If we’re going for a decapitation strike, we must be thoroughly prepared, since it will be on enemy turf. I suggest that your grandfather, Lord Lurans, as well as Simon, Macken, Petro, Placido, and Melonika, should all be part of the plan."

Ronin mused for a moment. ’They are all trustworthy people. Whether we end up needing them for this or not, increasing our side’s overall strength is always a good thing.’

’However, Simon already has a lot on his plate. I don’t want to pull him away from his duties lightly.’

"You go prepare the potions you need. I’ll take care of gathering these people."

The next day, Ridder had his Vice Leader go collect the necessary ingredients, while he and Macken began organizing the Knight Order—and indeed all Knights under Ronin’s command—into three-person squads to prepare for Array practice.

Meanwhile, Ronin first visited Watchtower Castle to order Placido to Mist City for the training. Afterward, he traveled to Wushan Castle to inform Lurans of the plan.

Lurans had previously mentioned his desire to fight on the battlefield and carve out territory for the Wushan Clan’s future Kingdom. Naturally, he was extremely supportive and agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

He even asked if Ronin could teach the Flame Battle Array to the Knight Order of Wushan Territory as well.

Ronin readily agreed to this.

Finally, he took a trip to Wubei Territory to see what Simon thought.

Although Simon was a Silver Moon Knight, he was currently completely absorbed in the industrialization blueprints Ronin had drawn up and had little interest in combat.

Moreover, he had spent the last two months making preparations to begin construction on a railway. If he left now, the entire project—personnel and schedule included—would be put on hold, wasting a great deal of time.

For that reason, Ronin didn’t insist on Simon joining the training.

Time flies when you’re busy.

Before he knew it, the fifteenth of December arrived, and with it, the end of the truce.

The Tricia Kingdom sent no one to extend the truce, nor were there any signs of a large-scale attack on Mist City.

According to intelligence from Harmon, the newly crowned King Tyrone had simply stationed a large number of troops in Moer County, a major city a hundred miles south of Mist City, and assumed a defensive posture.

Since the enemy had no intention of attacking, Ronin didn’t launch an offensive of his own.

The weather was one reason; after all, the land was frozen solid, making it unsuitable for a large-scale military campaign.

On the other hand, the New Year festival was only a little over ten days away, and he saw no reason to start a war during what was a festive time for the players.

Moreover, Harmon’s intelligence also contained another crucial piece of information—

The founder of Holy Storm, Flame Divine Envoy Flame Wings, had recently displayed his "Divine Power" to attract more followers. His strength was suspected to be at the Legendary Realm.

Likewise, the strength of the Storm Divine Envoy, Serdil, was also formidable.

This information had its pros and cons for Ronin.

The good news was that he had found the target he needed to kill to complete his King of Slaughter achievement.

The bad news was that the decapitation plan would likely have to be put on hold. With the enemy having a Legendary expert of their own, launching such a strike in their home base was simply too risky.

「Year’s End.」

In previous years, the weather in Golden Feather City had always been bright and sunny during the New Year festival, but this year, the sky was filled with dark, overcast clouds.

A convoy of luxurious carriages slowly drove into Golden Feather Palace. The imposing Knight leading the procession raised his head to look at the sky, his expression dazed.

"It’s actually snowing."

Garrett raised his head, his parted hair revealing a faint golden mark upon his forehead.

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