Chapter 662: Chapter 662- Gathering of the Strongest (2)
Reinhardt’s eyes shifted again. They landed on Cassian Nightfall, leader of Night Ravens.
They were like Ghosts. Their presence was so faint that most people would not even notice them standing there.
One look at the gathering and anyone could tell.
Solaris, Nocturnium, Aetherion, Vesperia, Drakmore, Paradoxis. The Six Great Kingdoms had sent their finest.
Their strongest heroes along with their knight orders.
And this was only the beginning.
In the upcoming days even more would arrive.
Humanity did not have just this small number of Heroes.
Of course, other than the level 10 Heroes, there were also quite a few famous level 9 Extreme Knights from the various kingdoms.
Solaris did not hold back either.
Other than Reinhardt’s own Temple of Light knight order, the other Six Great Orders were also participating in the upcoming expedition.
Leona along with her Order of Lunar Veil had already arrived at the scene.
Reinhardt marveled at the scene.
It was not only him. Even the knights following behind him were the same.
The scene before them where all this power converged was not a scene that could be witnessed in one’s lifetime.
At this moment, the fortress had transformed completely.
This was no longer a mere military camp.
No, it had become the center of humanity’s power.
.
Inside the central fortress hall, the commanders of the most powerful knight orders gathered together.
The atmosphere was naturally supercharged.
Every person present was a Hero. Or at least a knight capable of shaking battlefields.
Their aura alone shook the atmosphere.
Reinhardt, Erza, Mordred, Achilles, Leona and others sat around a table.
Maps of the Tainted Lands were spread across the table.
Danger zones, known demon nests, dungeons, labyrinths. All the information humanity had on the Tainted Lands was laid on the table.
At this moment, a basic plan for the future expedition was slowly being formed.
"So?"
Mordred crossed his arms.
His kohl-like eyes landed on Reinhardt.
"You’re the one who pushed this entire thing forward. You must already have a plan, right?"
The others turned toward Reinhardt.
Even the arrogant commanders listened seriously.
Because the Divine Paladin was a man who had earned their respect.
Reinhardt nodded calmly and spoke.
"We proceed in phases. First, we map out the place properly and establish supply routes."
"These maps are already old and cannot be relied on. We need to move forward with the fact that all the previous information is useless. There might be significant changes in the Tainted Lands by now."
"As such, after we gain and record new information, we then create purification zones using branches from the World Tree. These places will serve as our base and camp when we proceed forward."
"I don’t need to tell you how important pure mana is. Maintaining and defending these camps are necessary for our victory."
"Large-scale advances are impossible at the moment. The corruption is still too dense and the World Tree is in its growth phase. Which is why we use its branches to purify zones for our use."
"Once we secure some territory, we advance step by step."
As the people present here were all people with long-established reputation, they could all be trusted.
Reinhardt told them his plans and everything that they needed to know.
While his plans were not overly brilliant or strategic, they had their own uniqueness. Something that only he could do.
Every commander understood that. Their respect for the Divine Paladin increased even further.
Reinhardt stood up and looked out of the window. Into the dark lands where not even a ray of sunlight could penetrate.
The previous Allied Knight Order had failed because they advanced too greedily.
This time Reinhardt would not make the same mistake.
He would slowly stab into the heart of the darkness.
Like driving a spear deeper and deeper.
.
.
In the vast training grounds outside the fortress, battle cries, clash of skill and metal rang continuously.
Everywhere you gaze, you can see knights clashing and giving their all.
The recruitment test for the Dawnbringers had officially begun.
The enormous square was overflowing with knights from every kingdom.
Thousands upon thousands of knights fought in batches.
In each batch, there would be multiple level 7 and 6 knights.
And facing them all were level 8 Elite Knights.
The rules were simple.
As long as a knight displayed enough strength, talent, or potential, they passed.
If not, they were sent home packing the very same day.
Watching the training grounds from elevated platforms were the Heroes.
Aside from the instructing Elite Knights, the final call lay with them.
They were the ones who decided who got to join humanity’s future spear.
"I must say, this is the best way to weed out the unfit."
Spoke the giant-like man, Sigurd Gallowstone.
The other commanders nodded at that comment.
Initially, some commanders proposed a simpler method.
Since the Tainted Lands were no place for the weak, only allow Level 7 and above to join the Allied Knight Order.
But the idea was quickly rejected.
There were multiple reasons for that.
Level 7 alone was not an indication of strength.
Because levels alone did not determine combat power.
It needs mentioning that among level 7, there were many who were overly reliant on their skills. They reached the level they were in through luck and factors.
They had not mastered the Transcendent States. They could not be called True knights.
What’s more, it was an established fact that a Level 6 genius True Knight could easily defeat an average Level 7.
Especially knights from smaller nations.
Unlike the Six Great Kingdoms with their solid foundation, many smaller kingdoms lacked proper training methods and resources.
Their levels did not always reflect their true combat ability.
Thus this approach was rejected.
There were other proposals like selecting knights based on their Status.
Only those whose stats were at least Intermediate (High) should be allowed to join.
But that idea also failed. It had similar problems just like the first approach.
Indeed, an Altar could display a knight’s status. What better indication of strength than stats.
However, status and Altar do not show one’s potential.
It simply showed one’s current physical value.
Some knights possessed explosive growth.
Others had unique talents impossible to measure with mere numbers.
And so in the end, the approach of combat trials was adopted.
Only the Combat Trial with real battles, real pressure and real danger could accurately measure the vessel of each knight.
For this test, Level 8 Elite Knights acted as the gatekeepers.
This was universally accepted.
Because reaching Level 8 itself was a watershed.
This realm was not for the corrupted, untalented or the cowardly.
Such individuals could never become Elite Knights.
At this point, simple training no longer mattered.
Only people who had accomplished great deeds big enough to leave their contribution in the world were recognized by the Altar. Thus they could reach the next level.
Thus the recruitment battles primarily existed to judge Level 7 knights and below.
To filter the worthy from the unworthy.
The brimming training grounds were not the only shocking sight within the fortress.
If one looked carefully, they would be able to notice massive steel cages spread throughout the grounds.
The bars were layered with runes. Thick chains as big as an adult’s thigh restrained the prisoners inside.
And those prisoners were none other than demons.
Given their wildly surging demonic power and hate-filled eyes that glared at the knights, one could tell that inside those not only low-ranking demons were present. But even some mid-ranking were inside.
Those knights who had recently reached level 6 turned pale after being showered by the demons’ intense malevolence.
Why were demons here?
The reason was simple.
They had been captured personally by Reinhardt and the other Heroes.
Their purpose was to evaluate the knights.
A knight’s true nature only appeared before death and fear.
These demons would be unleashed against candidates during the second phase of testing.
If a knight froze in terror or broke mentally, they failed instantly.
Fear itself was weakness.
The Dawnbringers had no need for cowards.
Ironically, the demons that once terrorized the nation of Velkris caused mayhem whenever they appeared near the borders.
Had now become little more than household pets.
Or punching bags, to be more precise.
Targets for humanity’s strongest.
As for whether the demons schemed to cause trouble, nobody cared.
One needs to know who resided in this place.
This fortress currently housed more Heroes than anywhere else in the world.
If there was a safest place in existence in all of Valdonia, it was here.
So forget about mid-ranking demons. Even a Heavenly King if captured would not make a peep.
Aside from training the knights, the captured demons served another purpose as well.
To expose traitors.
The creation of the Allied Knight Order, a movement so massive, could never escape demon eyes.
There were undoubtedly infiltrators among the gathered knights.
Corrupted humans. Demonic humans who had already sold their souls.
