pjbooks Chapter 88 The Golden Trident
Chapter 88 The Golden Trident
The light deep within the temple emanated from a slowly opening golden gate.
Behind the door was not a mountain of gold and silver, but a solitary starry sky. A dazzling galaxy flowed beneath your feet, and above the dome, the twelve constellations slowly rotated, radiating a soft light.
In the very center of the treasure vault stood a hundred-meter-tall statue of Poseidon, the god of the sea, holding a trident and majestically overlooking the intruders.
The statue, sculpted from an unknown azure crystal, was incredibly lifelike, every muscle radiating power. But the weapon in his hand was the true focal point of the entire space.
It was a trident made entirely of gold.
It emitted no light, yet it seemed to devour all the light around it, concentrating the brilliance of the entire starry treasury onto its blade. Just looking at it, one could feel a terrifying power originating from ancient times, enough to tear apart the ocean.
"【The Golden Trident】..."
Arthur uttered these words, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
It's at least an S-rank legendary weapon! A symbol of the authority of Poseidon, the god of the sea!
The value of this thing is beyond monetary measure.
Once they obtain it, the Europa Alliance will truly possess the power to rival the White Eagle Empire, and even the mysteriously rising China.
"Charge!"
"The treasure is ours!"
The immense temptation drove the knights to utter madness. Roaring, they surged toward the statue, vying to seize the legendary artifact.
Arthur did not act rashly.
His reason told him that things were never that simple.
Sure enough, the moment the first knight stepped into the hundred-meter radius of the statue, a strange change occurred.
"Buzz—"
An invisible force field spread out from the statue, and all the knights who rushed into the area, whether they were heavily armored warriors or mages chanting spells, were instantly frozen in place, unable to move.
Immediately afterwards, a majestic, vast, and emotionless will descended upon the treasure vault.
"Mortals who covet the authority of God shall be punished by God."
The sound wasn't loud, but it resonated deep within everyone's soul. The knights who were frozen in place had their armor deformed and shattered at a visible speed by an invisible force, and they let out painful howls.
"Back off!" Arthur shouted sternly.
However, it was too late. The dozen or so knights at the forefront, along with their prized A-grade equipment, were crushed into dust by that terrifying pressure, leaving not even a trace of flesh or blood behind.
This bloody scene was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing everyone's fervor.
The surviving knights scrambled back behind the golden gate, staring in horror at the still calm and unmoving statue.
"Those who blaspheme against divine authority shall die."
That will resounded once more, this time filled with a warning.
The treasure vault fell into dead silence.
"Sir, should we...should we continue?" an adjutant asked in a trembling voice.
Arthur didn't answer. He simply stared intently at the golden trident, his eyes flashing with a complex light. Give up? Impossible. He had staked the future of the entire Europa Union to find this place.
"You want my weapon?"
That will seemed to sense Arthur's persistence, and this time, its voice resounded directly in his mind.
Arthur raised his head, looked directly into the eyes of the idol, and replied in a deep voice, "I want to lead my people to regain their glory. For this, I need your strength."
"Very good." The will of the deity seemed satisfied with this answer. "To gain my approval, you must pass three tests: strength, wisdom, and courage."
As soon as he finished speaking, three paths paved with starlight appeared in front of the statue, each leading to a different platform.
"The first test: strength."
On the first platform, a gigantic Cyclops slowly rose to its feet, wielding a massive stone club, and let out a deafening roar.
"Defeat it, and you will be eligible to continue the challenge."
"Sir!" the adjutants exclaimed with worry, "This is too dangerous!"
"Danger and opportunity go hand in hand." Arthur removed the silver cloak that symbolized his status from his back and handed it to his adjutant. "You wait for me here."
Having said that, he drew his knight's sword from his waist and set off alone on the path of starlight.
The Cyclops's strength was indeed terrifying; each swing of his club was enough to pulverize an A-rank Tank-class Awakened. But Arthur's combat skills were honed through countless life-or-death battles.
He never confronted the giants head-on, but instead used his far superior agility to weave and dodge among the massive stone clubs like a dancer on a knife's edge. His knight's sword always struck the giants' weakest joints with pinpoint accuracy.
More importantly, his equipment was too good.
【Saint George's Guardian】, a legendary chest armor, passively reduces physical impact by 50%. The giant's stone club grazed his body, only causing him to sway slightly.
【Hermes' Whisper】, a legendary boot that grants him brief airtime and the ability to dash twice.
The entire battle was less of a challenge and more of a dazzling showcase of personal equipment.
Ten minutes later, the enormous Cyclops collapsed to the ground and vanished into starlight.
"The second test is wisdom."
On the second platform, a giant chessboard appeared. On the opposite side of the chessboard, a phantom mage made of light and shadow gestured "please" to Arthur.
This is an endgame. The chessboard may seem simple, but it contains thousands of variations; one wrong move and the whole game is lost.
Arthur sat quietly in front of the chessboard for half an hour.
He didn't rush to make a move, but instead mentally rehearsed the entire game hundreds of times. As the supreme commander of the Europa Alliance, his strategic vision and tactics were already top-notch.
"Smack."
He placed a seemingly insignificant piece.
The mage's phantom paused for three seconds before its entire body turned into specks of light and vanished into the air.
The game is broken.
"The third test is courage."
Arthur arrived at the last platform. It was empty, except for the will of Poseidon, the god of the sea, which descended once more.
"Kneel down."
The authoritative voice carried an undeniable command.
Without hesitation, Arthur knelt on one knee and performed a standard knightly salute.
"Mortal Arthur Pendragon, you possess great power and wisdom to match it. Now, show me your courage." Poseidon's will appeared before Arthur as a phantom. "Swear that you and your people will forever be loyal to me, and that you will worship me as the only god. I will grant you supreme authority, and your glory will be equal to my glory."
coming.
Arthur sneered inwardly. The gifts of the gods are never free. The so-called trials, in their ultimate purpose, are simply to find a suitable proxy, an obedient servant.
He raised his head, his eyes filled with "devoutness and fanaticism".
"I, Arthur Pendragon, with my blood and my soul, swear an oath to the great sea god Poseidon. From this day forward, I will be your mortal follower, and your will will be the target of my sword. Europa will build the most magnificent temple for you, and my people will sing your name day and night!"
These words were spoken with great passion and fervor, so powerful that even the knights far behind the gate were filled with fervor.
"Very good." Poseidon's phantom nodded in satisfaction.
With a wave of his hand, the golden trident that was stuck in the statue's hand hummed and automatically detached from the statue's hand, slowly flying towards Arthur.
S-rank legendary weapons are within your grasp!
Arthur reached out his hand, his eyes filled with undisguised longing.
His fingertips were about to touch the shaft of the trident.
However, in that instant, all the "piety and fanaticism" in his eyes transformed into a chilling killing intent.
The moment he grasped the trident, without the slightest hesitation, he twisted his wrist sharply and, with a standard throwing motion, flung the divine weapon away!
His target was not an empty space, but the sea god Poseidon, whom he had just sworn allegiance to—that hundred-meter-tall crystal statue!
"You dare!"
Poseidon's will roared in shock and fury. He hadn't expected this mortal to dare betray him at the last moment!
The golden trident transformed into a streak of light, carrying all of Arthur's power and the artifact's own power to tear through space, and precisely pierced the heart of the crystal statue!
"Click—"
A crisp cracking sound echoed throughout the entire treasure vault.
Centered on the point where the trident pierced the statue, spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread across the entire statue!
The phantom of Poseidon's will let out a resentful roar, twisted violently a few times, and finally, along with the collapse of the statue, turned into countless points of light and disappeared.
"Heh, another false god, just like that Garden of Eden... exactly the same."
Arthur gripped the warm trident and let out a long breath.
really……
Destroying the vessel will temporarily sever his connection with this secret realm.
"Loyalty? That doesn't exist. I'm only loyal to myself."