The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World

Chapter 697- The Man Not Chosen By the Gods (5)

The ground beneath his feet melted into a glass like deformation. His body was pushed back inch by inch as he forced himself to hold position, blade embedded into the earth for stability.

For a brief instant, the entire battlefield seemed to hold its breath.

The dragon’s breath roared like the judgment of the world itself, pressing against him with a force that threatened to erase everything behind him. His arms trembled. His knees nearly buckled. Yet he did not retreat.

Reinhardt watched his other self give it his all. He knew exactly what would happen if he moved even a single step. The beam would pass through him and claim the lives of his allies.

The scales of the dragon flared with violent light. The beast poured everything it had into the breath. The blast grew denser, hotter, and more merciless by the second.

A pungent smell filled the air as his skin and body were cooked by the superheated breath attack. Yet despite suffering the near fatal attack, he still endured the full brunt of it, making sure the breath never reached his allies.

The allies behind him shouted something, perhaps calling his name, perhaps urging him to retreat. But the roar of the beam drowned out everything else.

Facing him, the dragon’s eyes widened slightly. Perhaps even it did not expect such stubborn resistance.

The beam intensified once more, its force becoming even more terrifying as the beast forced the last remnants of its life into the attack.

The battlefield groaned under the strain. A portion of the sky seemed to twist. Mountains in the far distance fractured under the aftershock alone.

Reinhardt’s other self let out a roar that was half defiance and half agony. In that moment, he became an impenetrable wall that shielded the people he had sworn to protect.

BOOM...

With a final burst, everything was swallowed by the light.

When vision cleared once again, the battle was already decided.

The corpse of the majestic dragon lay motionless upon the broken earth, its enormous body resembling a fallen mountain.

On top of it stood a handsome warrior, pride and arrogance etched on his face.

For a brief moment, nobody knew how to respond. Then cheers erupted everywhere.

"We won!"

"The Dragon Lord has fallen!"

"Hahaha! We survived!"

The exhausted soldiers laughed, cried, and shouted in excitement. Reinhardt’s gaze followed the direction of their attention.

Almost all of them had gathered around the other warrior. The man stood atop the dragon’s corpse, bathed in the setting sunlight. His armor was damaged, his breathing heavy, yet the image he presented was undeniably glorious.

The warrior who slew the Dragon Lord. The hero who delivered the final blow. The scene was so dramatic that it naturally drew everyone’s eyes.

"As expected of him."

"Amazing! Sir Godfrey is simply too amazing."

Countless voices praised him. Some even began chanting his name. The excitement spread like wildfire.

Meanwhile, the man who had given everything to protect the backline with his life stood against a shattered boulder several hundred meters away, seemingly forgotten.

His armor had been almost completely ruined. Large portions of it were blackened from the dragon’s breath. His exposed skin was covered in burns. Some wounds were so severe that even flesh could be seen beneath the torn armor.

His condition was severe, a telltale sign of just how powerful the last attack had been. Yet even such an attack could not manage to take his tenacious life.

Compared to the other warrior, very few approached him. Most were simply too excited. Not everyone had seen Reinhardt’s other self’s self sacrificing move. Most of them were busy running away.

What’s more, the breath had drowned most of their vision. As such, others had not even seen what happened during the final moments of the battle.

To them, the image burned into their minds was simple. The other warrior stood atop the dragon. Therefore, he was the hero.

Only a handful of soldiers came over.

"My lord, your injuries..."

"Please sit still."

"We’ll bring someone to heal you."

"It’s fine." Reinhardt’s other self shook his head. "Let them celebrate."

"But..."

"No buts. This is a great victory for the Empire. Slaying a Dragon Lord holds a lot of significance. Let them celebrate."

His voice was calm. There was no bitterness or disappointment. Only a smile on his tired face. His gaze landed on the celebrating army.

"Everyone survived. They can go back to their families again. That alone is enough."

The soldier opened his mouth but could not find any words.

Meanwhile, the cheers around the dragon only grew louder. Songs of victory had already begun. The other warrior was being lifted onto shoulders and praised as the hero of the century.

Throughout all of it, Reinhardt’s other self, who had been given emergency treatment, simply stood by the sidelines.

Both of them had given their best. Both of them had fought the dragon until they bled. In fact, if contributions were compared, the former’s contribution easily surpassed the latter. Yet despite all that, there was not the slightest jealousy in his eyes.

If anything, he looked relieved. Relieved that someone had defeated the dragon. Relieved that the soldiers survived. Relieved that the battle was finally over.

Watching this scene, the present day Reinhardt felt a strange emotion stir within his chest. He had seen everything.

When the light swallowed everything, the dragon’s attack ended. A brief moment of vulnerability appeared in its stance.

The warrior named Godfrey did not let go of such an opportunity. He lunged forward, gathered everything into a single decisive strike, and attacked when the dragon was exhausted.

The blow landed on the gash that had been opened by Reinhardt’s other self, thus slaying the dragon. To say that Reinhardt was the one who defeated the dragon would not be an exaggeration.

That said, saying it was meaningless since the outcome was already decided. The other warrior had chosen to press the attack while his other self chose to protect. That was all there was to it.

Looking at the man who looked just like him, Reinhardt sighed. That attitude, one that neither sought glory nor acknowledgement, reminded him of his past life. A man who constantly wanted to do good, though his misfortune caused all his efforts to backfire.

The memory lingered on the image of that battered warrior sitting alone amid the ruins while celebrations echoed in the distance for a while before shifting once again.

.

The familiar hall reappeared in Reinhardt’s vision.

The Seven Gods stood high up in the air on invisible pedestals, their figures covered in divine energy. Beneath them stood the five Arcanists. And below the Arcanists, thousands of warriors gathered uniformly.

Tension, anticipation, and excitement filled the hall. Everything they had done, all the glory and results they had achieved, was for this moment.

Reinhardt’s gaze swept across the crowd, spotting his other self. He could see some slight nervousness and anticipation in the latter’s eyes. It was clear to him that his other self was looking forward to what came next.

Becoming an Arcanist.

Being chosen by the Seven Gods.

Receiving the class of Divine Paladin.

These were the dreams that fueled his other self. The vision allowed him to understand that much.

"Who do you think will be selected?"

"Isn’t it obvious?"

"Sir Godfrey without question."

"Sir Xerxes too."

"Those two are monsters."

"They’ve accumulated enough achievements to shake the entirety of Valdonia."

The warriors discussed excitedly. Occasionally, someone also mentioned other names besides the two.

"Sir Reinhardt also has a chance. Many warriors respect him."

"Sir Bertrand is also one of the contenders."

That’s right, even in this life, his other self’s name was Reinhardt. That being said, very few believed Reinhardt would be chosen. After all, both Sir Xerxes and Sir Godfrey’s achievements were simply too dazzling.

Especially Sir Godfrey. The feat of slaying a Dragon Lord was spoken of reverently by all warriors.

At this moment, a wave of divine energy swept through the crowd, silencing everyone in the hall.

Above, the Seven Gods exchanged glances. Then they nodded to the five below.

The Arcanists immediately understood, and the red-haired woman, the one who resembled the Queen, stepped forward.

"By the will of the Seven Gods. After reviewing the merits, accomplishments, and sacrifices made during the Third Epoch War, we hereby announce the selection of the next Arcanists."

At those words, countless hearts skipped a beat. Reinhardt’s other self was no exception. The woman opened the golden scroll in her hands. Then she announced the first name.

"Sir Xerxes Valerian. Please step forward."

The hall instantly erupted in cheers. A tall warrior stepped forward from the crowd. His face was filled with pride. The crimson haired woman looked at him.

"Sir Xerxes Valerian. From this day onward, you are appointed as the Sixth Arcanist and Wielder of Supreme Golden Scale. By the decree of the Seven Gods, you shall henceforth bear the class... Sky Champion."