Galahad was the son of Lancelot and Elaine. Lancelot was the epitome of male beauty in the old Welsh era, while Elaine… wasn't the pinnacle of female beauty, but she was definitely up there.
What happened when two pretty people gave birth to a child? Well, putting aside the various other factors that go into genetics that is.
It was likely that their child would be extremely good looking as well, and this showed in Galahad. He had his father's dark black hair and his mother's hazel eyes. His face was well lined for a boy who should have chubby cheeks. He was taller than most kids his age, standing at 5 foot 0.
There was, shockingly, no flab on his body and he looked as toned as an a.d.u.l.t.
Still, one could just tell his age and personality by how raucous and immature he was.
"Hehehe, look at how strong I am! I'm the best Knight of the Round Table hahaha!!"
The lad's eyes curled into crescent moons as he relished in his battle prowess. He wasn't arrogant per se, but mostly just narcissistic. He was just like the old Draco, but much worse.
How could the other Knights allow this pipsqueak to mouth off?
Sir Bedivere, a tall and lanky knight with average features scoffed and looked away.
"I imagine you would not be so effective were you not on your mount. Your height is barely enough to reach these monsters' jaws, which is exactly where they'd love to put you."
Galahad's uproarious laughter was cut off as he choked on it. His face became aghast as Bedivere had, as usual, hit him in his weak spot.
"Hmph. That may be so, but I won't stay short or young forever. If at this age I am on par with you, then I wonder what will happen when I grow up, heh heh."
Galahad poked at Bedivere's biggest insecurity, which was the fact that he was the oldest of the Knights of Camelot but not one of the strongest.
"Enough. Let us finish our task so that we can return to Camelot. Mordred is causing trouble again."
King Arthur waved his hand and silenced the two before they could enter into a true argument. He raised his spear to the sky, a gesture to which all his Knights mimicked with practiced ease, showing their discipline despite their differing personalities.
"Lances at the ready!"
The High Rank Dragons roared as they rose up into the sky, getting ready to make another dexterous dive.
"Lances at the fore!"
These mythological spears were placed in an offensive position as the Knights' eyes glinted with seriousness and bravery.
The Rank 4 monsters felt the threat of death on them. They couldn't leave this spot since they had to defend the lake at all costs, whether they died or not. This wasn't really their own will, but the effect of the parasites in them. Whatever independence they had was long gone.
"Joust!"
The Knights fell from the skies like meteors of blazing light. Despite the sun being high in the sky, the trails these 12 men left behind were very visible, almost scattering the light of the sun itself, sending the area into temporary darkness.
Like an atomic bomb's explosion, a huge mushroom cloud of dirt erupted where the two parties collided, signaling how hellish the level of combat could be to the environment at the higher Ranks.
It was the shockwave of this collision that broke the straw on the camel's back. Many of the Wood Monster Army were vaporized by the sheer heat and force, ending their lives before they could be healed. It was even worse for the Rank 1 parasitic monsters, as their already dwindling numbers were wiped to nothing.
Draco frowned and blinked away, heading close to the site of the collision. Since he had teleported to an area that had been already hit by the shockwave from an area that was yet to be hit by the shockwave, he was unscathed.
Since his Wood Monster Army was mostly destroyed, leaving the Dryads and some Shamblers alive, he decided to unsummon them. Their duration was almost up and their utility had been greatly lowered.
Draco had the Knights of the Round Table, who were much stronger and much more efficient, so there was no need to take stragglers along.
When the dust settled after more than 3 minutes, it was revealed that the Rank 4 monsters who had been defending the lake had been turned to ash. The lake itself had been destroyed totally, leaving a gaping hole in the earth that led deeper into the recesses.
The Knights were dismounted and chatting among themselves, not a single bit of strain or damage on them. Truly, these 12 men deserved their legendary reputation from all the mythologies and media they featured in.
Since the duration for their summoning was left with less than 2 minutes, Draco walked up to them to see what benefits he could glean from these rare entities.
"Hello, my name is Draco. I am your summoner and a swordsman by profession."
Draco introduced himself with a cordial smile and slightly bowed to King Arthur. After all, the fellow was a real king, not like those washouts who managed kingdoms in this world.
"Ho there, Swordsman Draco! What a fine fellow you are and truly skillful! We saw your battle from the skies and were impressed by it. If you weren't realm-locked to this world, we'd invite you to Camelot as a Knight!"
King Arthur laughed as he patted Draco's shoulder.
"You are truly skillful, I am impressed."
Lancelot also made this comment while eyeing Draco, noticing that the fellow's beauty was slightly superior to his own, which was something Lancelot rarely encountered.
"You would make a great Knight and a fine Brother-In-Arms!"
Gawain spoke with vigor and conviction, making the listener feel like his words were true and honest, irrespective of the circ.u.mstances.
"Eh, so-so. When I reach your age, I'll surpass you, just like these other old farts."
Galahad commented idly, sizing up Draco as if he were an obstacle he had to overcome.
Draco smiled at their comments, although he swore to set a trap for Galahad by making him meet Maria and her cougar friends while weakened. That would teach this boy a lesson.
"I would like to speak to His Majesty in private, if you fine fellows do not have qualms."
The other Knights shared a look and shrugged.
"Not a problem."
They left the vicinity as they mounted their Dragons and flew into a space crack that led into the world of Ancient Britain, precisely Camelot.
Draco turned to Arthur and sighed. He decided to do something out of character for once.
"Your Majesty, I would investigate the relationship between your Knight Lancelot and your wife, Guinevere. You might find some clues that would not sit well with you."
Draco spoke candidly as he looked right into the blue eyes of Arthur, who was staring back in confusion.
"My wife and Lancelot…? Hm… I doubt anything strange could be going on between them, but I'll investigate and see."
King Arthur nodded lightly and jumped onto his Dragon before giving some parting words to Draco.
"Should your suspicions prove to be true, I shall not forget your contribution."
The dashing King flew off into the sky, his form disappearing as he entered the space crack to Camelot.
The moment the space crack closed, the Guinevere's Necklace trembled so strongly that Draco had to take it off and hold it tightly. It vibrated so hard and so fast that it hurt the eyes to see, but Draco was immune to such issues of the eye.
The Necklace started to crack slowly, as its vibrating increased in tempo. Draco watched this with a nonchalant expression, having long expected this.
It was the case where he had directly disrupted the time continuum of the lore behind the Necklace, so it would naturally affect the value and existence of the item in question.
Draco could have kept his dog mouth shut and waved King Arthur away, allowing him to be summoned later as the Necklace soon reached Legendary Rank.
However, Draco felt kinship with Arthur, and it was not due to mutual respect, but because they were both shattered by the same tragedy.
King Arthur was known as the greatest Knight and greatest King in the world, his legend being the most widespread even to this day. He was one of the mythological characters who featured in various media repeatedly, and more often than not, those media involving him were always popular.
However, that was to the younger generation. To the older generation and a.d.u.l.ts especially, King Arthur was especially remembered as history's biggest cuckold.
Draco was even lucky, because his version of this tragedy was only a misunderstanding. King Arthur's cuckoldry was a real fact that was immutable.
Draco was also lucky that his own tragedy mostly garnered support and sympathy, unceasing hatred thrown against Eva worldwide in the previous timeline. King Arthur's garnered some sympathy, but most just laughed about it.
Worst of all, Draco's own tragedy was well-known, but would be forgotten in time. King Arthur lived more than a thousand years ago in real time and was still remembered as the world's biggest cuck.
Thinking along those lines, Draco would have to be less than a rat to watch the fellow fly away while knowing this. What if he was the one in King Arthur's shoes? How would it feel to face this tragedy?
As such, when the Guinevere's Necklace shattered in his hands, Draco shook his hand and tossed the shards away. It was sad to lose an Epic item, but he would be getting two Legendary Treasure Chests after completing this Unique Quest.
Giving up a Ferrari Enzo for two Bugatti Veyrons was somewhat painful, but the pain was mitigated by the eventual gain.
Just as Draco planned to dive into the chasm, he noticed that the Worldly Energy around him became chaotic. The atmosphere trembled and shook, making Draco struggle to remain on two feet.
Even Qiong Qi at the back began to panic as he felt the world come to an end.
"F.U.C.K, THIS LION KING HASN'T EATEN ENOUGH PORK YET! HOW CAN I DIE LIKE THIS?!"
He screamed out as he fell to the ground and braced himself for the end but… it never came.
When Qiong Qi opened his eyes, he noticed that he was alive and well. More importantly, there was a strange medallion in Draco's palms that attracted him so strongly that he almost lost his mind.
Draco inspected the new item that appeared in his hands just now.
｢Seal of Camelot – Medallion
Rank: Legendary
Passive 1 – Sword of Promised Victory: Damage dealt by one-handed swords are boosted by a factor of 10.
Passive 2 – Isle of Avalon: You take no penalties from death and drop no items, regardless of circ.u.mstance.
Active 1 – Camelot's Might: Summon the full army of Camelot right before the catastrophic Battle of Camlann. Duration 1 hour. Cooldown: 7 days.
Description: As King Arthur bled out on the Isle of Avalon, his last wish was to thank the noble swordsman who enlightened him on the treachery of his friend and wife. He divided a wisp of his soul into the Seal of Camelot, allowing that Swordsman to possess his greatest strength, his army and the right to share in his blessing of eternal life on Avalon.
Note: This item is soul bound. No one other than player Draco can wield it.｣
Draco stared at the Medallion in his hand with an inscrutable expression. He saw that it was shaped like a typical circular medal, with the motifs of the Lion of Britain adorning it. The Medallion was thick and made purely of Fae Gold, a metal that was above Legendary Rank at the least, Draco suspected.
He placed the medallion on his chest, allowing it to fuse with his armor and bloodline. Since Arthur had no relation to Dragons, devils or demons, no extra benefits were acquired.
Qiong Qi rushed to Draco's side and stared at the Lion's carving that had replaced the Dragon's head on his armor. Putting aside his own inexplicable kinship and reverence for the Lion of Britain, he truly felt that Draco looked like a King.
It was the air and aesthetic of him was a lot more noble now, enough so that Qiong Qi felt respect.
Of course, if between two best friends, one became a Royal suddenly, there would be a period of slight awkwardness before everything returned to normal.
Case in point…
"Whew! Brother Draco is looking like a steak! My Lord, this Cat Daddy is impressed. Damn, Brother Draco, you have to look after me from now on. F.u.c.k, don't give me that look, do you remember how I had to b.r.e.a.s.tfeed you during those rainy nights in the jungle?!"
Qiong Qi smacked Draco's armor lightly, his face curled up into a look of shameless solicitation.
Draco looked at Qiong Qi with disdain, wondering how this Lion could have dignity that was so low it went into the negatives. Trying to cling to his thigh like this with such false yet righteous words… if not Qiong Qi, then who could do this and still live with pride?
"Let's go down, Brother Qiong. We are only half done with our task."
Draco spoke seriously as he gazed down the chasm that led into the source of the parasitic invasion of the Four Point Valley. He took a light step forward and fell down the shaft with his arms crossed.
Qiong Qi's playful expression suddenly shifted to seriousness when he heard Draco's reminder. He leapt down after Draco, his form blurring as he fell down at extremely fast speeds.
The two of them crossed almost 3 miles of space as they fell in the darkness, the floor lighting up as they noticed that it was filled with stalactites and stalagmites that were glowing in a pale blue color.
Draco blinked to the earth when it was in sight, landing on his two feet very adeptly and skillfully.
Qiong Qi hit the ground with a thump and was about to smile when he noticed that the angle of his paws weren't good.
As such, he slipped and had his large head pierce the earth due to the force of his fall. A damage indicator of -1 popped up above his head as he struggled to pull himself out.
When he managed to, he sprung to his feet and looked around to see if anyone was watching. When he saw Draco looking at him strangely, he was startled, but laughed merrily.
"Haha, I was checking under the earth to see if there are any monsters hidden there. My investigations show that we are good to go!"
No matter how long Draco spent with Qiong Qi, he would never get used to the almost titanium level of thick skin he had.
Draco didn't make a comment, but rather began walking along the passageway before them, Qiong Qi falling into step beside him.
Man and Lion traversed the various tunnels and pathways silently, their footsteps the only sound echoing in the area. They walked and walked for hours on end, the path having no branches or exits apart from straight, straight and more straight.
In the silence of the tunnels, which was sequestered from the surface world, these two could not tell how much time passed as they moved forward. Since they both had humongous physical and mental stamina, they were able to walk on and on silently without feeling any difficulties.
Eventually though, they entered into a huge rectangular cavern that was extremely well lit compared to the tunnels.
When they entered it, Draco and Qiong Qi froze as their expressions went through multiple changes.
Qiong Qi's legs began to tremble as he stepped back in fear, his whole body shaking like he was vibrating. It was a comical sight, but anyone in the cavern with him would not find it funny at this particular time.
Draco fell onto his bum as his breathing became heavy and his mind filled with fear. Despite all his coolness and willpower, what he saw in front of him scared him no better than a child in a haunted house.
It wasn't a huge monster, it wasn't some hidden trap or life-threatening secret.
In fact, Draco and Qiong Qi knew that what they saw could not hurt them in anyway, but they still trembled and shuddered like mice before a cat.
In front of them was a crystal embryo that contained a little girl inside. She looked to be about 3 to 4 years old, being so tiny and cute that one's heart would melt at the sight of her.
She released no aura of oppression and rather seemed to have this ambient energy that made one feel calm and very collected. It was a pleasant felling to be near her, much less to see her.
So why were these two fellows so scared that they looked like they wanted to run, but could not muster the will to do so?
Qiong Qi was a Rank 7 World Boss. He was not omnipotent, but there were very few entities that could make him suffer in this world.
Draco was an old monster from a decaying timeline that had acquired items and skills that made him next to invincible within his Rank. Even if he could die in this situation, he would lose nothing with the recent acquisition of the Seal of Camelot.
He could quite literally be the world's craziest kamikaze fighter and die multiple times without fear. Of course, he would still feel the pain of death, so it was not going to happen.
However, when Draco's Eyes of Caelo identified the girl while Qiong Qi's own Rank allowed him to see exactly what the entity inside the embryo was, their hearts almost stopped.
This was why they were so fearful that they lost all composure.
｢Name: Goddess of Origin – Rankless Origin God
Level: Incalculable
HP: Incalculable/Incalculable｣