I returned to my residence at 8:30, and everyone had already logged into the game.
After logging in, I still appeared on the Wild Horse Plains. I needed 100 golden emblems and had already collected 8. At the current rate of 2-3 per hour, it would take about 40 more hours to complete the quest. I wonder what kind of surprise the quest reward would be for all this effort. Could it be purple equipment, which hasn't appeared on the entire server yet?
A small squad of cavalry scouts was approaching from not too far away. Just as I was about to go over, something suddenly clicked in my mind. These scout teams always mysteriously disappeared on the plains, and then another team would emerge, but none of them ever entered the main camp of the Golden Cavalry Regiment. Could there be other camps outside those tall wooden walls?
I followed behind the cavalry scouts from a distance. Ten minutes later, they rounded the right side of the Golden Cavalry Regiment's main camp and disappeared in front of a pine forest. When I hurried over, a quiet path appeared before me, with traces of horse hooves left on the lush green grass.
This must be it, their other encampment!
Waving my sword to push aside the pine needles in the woods, I walked for nearly five minutes. The view ahead began to widen, and the towering trees became fewer. There were also many signs of felling, with glaring white cross-sections. Wisps of cooking smoke were clearly rising from an open area ahead.
Cutting through a thicket, several huge tents appeared before me. Clearly, this was the Golden Knights Order's unit stationed outside. There were no tall fences here, just a simple arrangement of sharp wooden stakes. It seemed that due to its hidden location, they never expected anyone to find it.
If they deployed troops from here, it could very likely inflict a fatal blow on the enemy. No wonder the Flying Knights suffered such a crushing defeat.
Wait! It seems that all the elite forces are stationed here!
It was then that I noticed all the guards by the camp were Golden Knights, while Silver Emblem Knights were stationed on the periphery. This seemed quite advantageous for me to complete my quest, at least I wouldn't have to search everywhere for Golden Knights.
I quietly used a gap in the low fence to Stealth into the cavalry camp. There weren't many troops inside, and the patrols consisted only of groups of three to five Golden Knights, which conveniently made it easier for me to farm quest items. I could probably take down five Golden Knights or fewer safely by only using one medium potion.
Having made up my mind, I immediately used my talent, Stealth, on the path the Golden Knights were sure to take. Five Golden Knights slowly approached. I could almost hear my own breathing. I had just calculated it, but actually doing it was completely different. Besides, my math wasn't good; I had miserably failed advanced algebra. When I was in school, I often had to drag Xin Yu to study with me to tutor me in math.
Shaking my head, I cursed myself under my breath, "Damn it, you're such a masochist, why are you still thinking about her!"
The Golden Knights had already detected the enemy lurking in the darkness five yards from me. Unfortunately, the five-yard distance prevented them from using Charge, which was exactly the effect I wanted. The damage caused by a knight's Charge was not to be underestimated, especially for Golden Knights. If five of them charged at once, one-third of my health would be gone.
With a series of "clangs," the knights' greatswords continuously struck me. Fortunately, my defense was high enough not to be fatal, but it took me about ten attacks to take down each knight. Potions were consumed quickly, but the Golden Knights were also quite generous, dropping a medium potion almost every two kills. There were also magic potions, which allowed me to continue leveling like this. There was also a fair amount of equipment. The drop rate when fighting Silver Emblem Knights earlier was already much higher than ordinary monsters, and the drop rate for these Golden Knights didn't seem to be any worse.
Six or seven minutes later, all five Golden Knights fell, dropping three golden emblems and a green leather bracer that added 11 Agility and 8 Stamina, requiring level 25. Xin Yu was already level 24, so she would be able to use it soon. I could already imagine her brilliant smile and captivating voice... Including the time to kill and lure monsters, I could probably deal with five Golden Knights and get three emblems every ten minutes. That would be 18 an hour. At this rate, I should be able to complete this very difficult quest by noon!
...Two hours later, I already had 74 golden emblems in my bag, and it was only half past ten. It seemed I was completing it a little faster than expected.
The Golden Knights in the camp were becoming fewer and fewer. Unconsciously, I had already pushed deep into the camp's heart. A tent that looked larger than the others was before me, guarded by dozens of Golden Knights. Several bonfires were flickering, emitting wisps of blue smoke.
It seemed the person in this tent was the highest commander of this camp!
I was about to go forward and lure away the Golden Knights, but I didn't expect the tent door to suddenly be pulled open, followed by a majestic shout: "Enemy attack!"
I was stunned. Did the so-called enemy attack refer to me?
Well, they could sense my presence from inside the tent. Could it be that I emitted some kind of killing intent?
The situation left me no time to think. Dozens of Golden Knights quickly surrounded me, and the general-like figure who had just emerged from the tent waved his hand. All the knights solemnly reined in their warhorses. Dozens of longswords gleamed coldly, and I found myself breaking out in a cold sweat without even realizing it.
"Who are you? How dare you raid the Golden Knights Order's main camp at night!" the general demanded sternly.
Another dialogue came. I thought for a moment and said righteously, "I am a Royal Swordsman, entrusted by Captain Roger to come and eliminate the kingdom's rebels!"
As I said it, even I wanted to laugh.
A Golden Knight brandished his sword and said, "General Lin He, no need to waste words with him. Let's all chop him up together. Royal Swordsman, my foot!"
Lin He sneered, "Hmph, rebels? We are indeed rebels in your eyes, but so what? Didn't the Flying Knights, hailed as the kingdom's elite, get utterly defeated by us? The king wants to kill Commander Dack. How could us brothers, who have faced life and death together, stand by and do nothing? Three years ago, if Commander Dack hadn't led the Golden Knights army back to the capital to defend the king, that old fool would have been burned at the stake long ago. Can the so-called Holy Church truly resist the power of the undead?"
I took a deep breath: "No matter what, rebelling against the country and its people violates a knight's loyalty. You have forgotten the country and its citizens. What right do you still have to call yourselves knights?"