Chapter 329: 328 Platinum Knight
It was a sight one couldn’t help but want to turn away from.
The person who emerged from behind the young man was wearing a cheongsam that was not only distinctive but also eye-catching. The garment was silver-white, embroidered with golden threads forming a five-clawed dragon soaring towards the sky—an artifact that looked like a rare piece of art. Had it been worn by a beautiful woman, it would have elevated her charm by several degrees.
However, at this moment, the wearer of this exquisite cheongsam was not a young and beautiful woman but an old woman with a face full of wrinkles. Her feet, exposed outside the cheongsam, were gnarled and wrinkled like burdock roots or dried sweet potatoes, which were very unsuitable for the outfit she was wearing, making one want to frown.
Even Shalltear, who was almost in a frenzied state, seemed to have this feeling, causing her attention to become slightly distracted.
On the other hand, Reiger, despite also frowning, didn’t shift his gaze away.
For he knew that this was the most superior treasure in this world and in all the worlds he had visited so far.
For this reason, Reiger subconsciously—really just subconsciously—took a slight step forward.
The reason he did this was merely to get a clearer look at the cheongsam.
But to others, Reiger’s act of staring intently at the cheongsam and stepping forward seemed as though he was preparing to attack the owner of the cheongsam or to prevent what the other was about to do.
Consequently, a figure abruptly appeared behind Reiger.
"...!"
Reiger’s eyes narrowed sharply, and he turned around swiftly, swinging out a cut at an extreme speed towards the figure behind him.
This cut, however, met with a beautifully crafted, platinum great sword that was also swung towards Reiger.
"Clang——"
The dark katana collided with the platinum great sword, generating a loud and waves-like metallic sound upon contact.
The blast of wind that followed caused both Reiger and the being holding the platinum great sword to be knocked back by each other’s force, separating them.
The sudden commotion on Reiger’s part naturally captured Shalltear’s attention.
"What?"
Attracted, Shalltear couldn’t help but look in Reiger’s direction.
But this act was undoubtedly a mistake.
In Shalltear’s mind, perhaps Reiger was the more worthy opponent to be wary of, the more important to treat seriously, so she paid more attention to every movement there.
However, to the one about to attack her, this was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity.
"Now is the time!"
Accompanying the youth’s command once more, the old lady in the cheongsam formed an enigmatic hand gesture, causing her cheongsam to gradually radiate light.
The light gathered atop the five-clawed dragon on the cheongsam, enabling the dragon to break free and soar towards Shalltear, roaring as it flew.
"————"
Shalltear only then realized, but it was already too late.
The five-clawed dragon struck Shalltear, causing her to widen her eyes and emit a scream like a death cry mixed with a cry of agony.
This scene was also witnessed by Reiger, who had been knocked back by the platinum great sword.
However, compared to Shalltear’s situation, he was now more concerned about the being that appeared before him.
It was a figure clad entirely in platinum armor, a mysterious emblem on the chest of the armor, with weapons floating around the armored warrior.
There were four weapons floating around the warrior, including a platinum broad-blade great sword, a platinum wide-blade spear, a platinum katana, and a platinum handle-less hammer, each presenting a platinum hue and both imposing and exquisite in design.
The opponent seemed able to control these four beautifully crafted weapons remotely, just like Rom could manipulate shadow swords, causing these weapons to hover and rotate around him.
A mysterious platinum knight exuding an indescribable aura.
This was the true identity of the figure that had suddenly appeared behind Reiger and had launched an attack on him.
Unfortunately, Reiger recognized this platinum knight.
"Is it you?"
Immediately, Reiger displayed a surprised expression.
This reaction, caught in the eyes of the platinum knight, also seemed to surprise him.
"...Do you know me?"
The voice from the knight seemed distant and distorted, as if carried from afar.
"Sort of," Reiger did not deny but narrowed his eyes and said, "That’s not important. What I want to know is, what do you mean by this?"
Reiger was naturally referring to the knight’s action of attacking him.
Upon this, the platinum knight seriously observed and sized up Reiger for a while before speaking.
"That is a very dangerous being, and since someone is prepared to handle her, I naturally won’t just watch idly as someone else intercepts."
This seemed to be the reason for the knight’s sudden appearance behind Reiger and the attack on him.
Reiger felt relieved internally, but his expression remained calm.
"So, you are to be my next opponent, huh?"
Reiger did not explain his actions, just stared at the platinum knight controlling the four weapons before him and smiled faintly.
The platinum knight did not immediately respond to Reiger’s question. He too was staring at him, continuing to observe his demeanor.
After a while, the platinum knight suddenly asked.
"Are you a player?"
At this utterance, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
If Ainz were here, hearing this, he definitely would be greatly surprised, right?
The knight’s tone, his inquiry, clearly indicated knowledge of "YGGDRASIL" and even the involvement of "YGGDRASIL" players in this world.
Reiger hadn’t expected the other party to suddenly say such words to him.
However, he merely looked at him with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
"So, in your eyes, I very much resemble a player?"
Reiger’s words seemed to add weight to the frozen air around them.
It couldn’t be helped.
Whether he admitted he was a player or not, the moment he spoke those words, he had essentially told others that he was aware of the existence of "YGGDRASIL" and knew about the existence of players.
This undoubtedly made the Platinum Knight even more suspicious of his identity.
"At the very least, the humans of this world do not possess the kind of strength that you have," the Platinum Knight said in a somewhat distorted voice, "In the hundreds of years gone by, there have been few across all races worldwide who have reached your level of power, much less humans. No human has ever reached such a realm."
"Only one group of beings is an exception."
"That would be the six great gods who established the Slane Theocracy."
The implication in the Platinum Knight’s words was simple; he believed that Reiger’s strength was absolutely not something this world’s indigenous humans could possess.
Not to mention humans, even among the dragons known as the strongest race, there were few who possessed his level of strength.
It was impossible for humans to give birth to a being with such strength.
That’s what the Platinum Knight meant to say.
But this only made Reiger’s expression turn even more into a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
"You are mistaken, aren’t you?" Reiger said. "Among the legendary thirteen heroes, there should have been humans who reached this realm, shouldn’t there?"
The Platinum Knight suddenly fell silent.
After a while, he finally spoke.
"They were not as strong as you."
The Platinum Knight seemed to intentionally want to shift the conversation, steering it in another direction.
"A person with your level of strength, if used for evil, would inevitably bring severe calamity to this world."
Reiger, of course, understood what that meant.
"So, you are trying to confirm if I pose any danger?"
The slightly indifferent tone of Reiger’s words did not change the Platinum Knight’s expression.
"You are human, which is perhaps the silver lining," the Platinum Knight said serenely. "For this world, players from ’YGGDRASIL’ are indeed a very dangerous and unstable factor."
"I only hope that you will think it over, and not choose the wrong path."
"Otherwise..."
The words of the Platinum Knight made Reiger laugh again.
"Otherwise, what?"
This affirmation was met with a defiant response.
"Otherwise, I will have no choice but to elimate you."
In these words, there was no overconfidence or deliberate provocation and threat, only a calm yet extraordinarily resolute determination.
Upon hearing these words, this time, it was Reiger who fell into silence.
Just when the Platinum Knight thought his warning had worked, suddenly, Reiger moved.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, Reiger’s whole body burst into a phenomenon of thunder and lightning, turning him into a lightning bolt that rushed towards the Platinum Knight.
"What...!?"
Underneath the Platinum Knight’s helmet, if there were eyes, they would now surely have shrunk to the size of pinpoints.
The distance between Reiger and the Platinum Knight was not far, only about a dozen meters or so.
At such a distance, before the force and speed of the ’Breath of Lightning,’ not even a second was needed—everything would be annihilated.
"Breath of Lightning First Form———"
Lightning flashed by, and before the Platinum Knight could react, like a lightning strike, it landed upon him.
"Thunderclap Flash!"
The sudden lightning transformed into a blade light, and before the Platinum Knight could react, it heavily struck his chest.
"Clang——"
In the astounding sound of metal striking, the Platinum Knight was cut by the flash of lightning and sent flying, smashing through trees and stirring up clouds of dust, finally crashing into a cliff and shattering it.
"Ggh...!"
The Platinum Knight, embedded in the stone wall, emitted a sound of either pain or agitation, struggled forcefully, not minding the cracked stone wall, and walked out from the cliff face.
He seemed to be unharmed.
But now, on his dazzling Platinum armor, there was a lightning-shaped scar at the location of his chest.
"Boom!"
The sound of thunder continued, allowing the lightning to streak through the forest, coming again to the face of the Platinum Knight.
"Thunderclap Flash - Six-Fold!"
In the next moment, the lightning refracted around the Knight, slashing at him blade by blade.