NOVPUB
Chapter 407 - 407: Qin Ming’s Hundred-Man Squad
[World: Round Table Knights – Act II]
[Mission Difficulty: C Rank]
[Number of Participants: 100]
[Main Mission: Personally kill one BOSS-level character]
[Mission Reward: 5,000 points, 5 free attribute points]
[Mission Failure Penalty: 1,000 points]
[Optional Mission: Personally kill a protagonist or a storyline BOSS]
[Optional Reward: 10,000 points, 10 free attribute points]
[Optional Mission Failure Penalty: None]
[World Description: After the death of the Evil Duke's knight, war officially breaks out between the Round Table Knights and the Evil Duke. King Arthur, who has formed an army, formally declares war on the Evil Duke...]
[Note: This world is in Slaughter Mode]
Qin Ming slowly opened his eyes. Wearing the NESTS battle suit, and with Kasumi Todoh by his side, his eyebrows furrowed sharply.
The Round Table Knights world—he had been here once before, and walked away with quite a few valuable items.
Now, he was back. And not only that—it was a direct continuation of the storyline from his last visit.
It had been over a year since he'd helped the villagers fend off the Evil Duke's invading army.
In that time, the Round Table Knights, who had once scraped by with barely twenty guerrilla fighters, had grown into a true military force.
King Arthur now had territory, an army, and even his own weapons factory.
What had once been a one-sided beatdown had now become a fair and open war.
And this time, Qin Ming had chosen to align with King Arthur's side!
Thanks to the effects of his title and the power of the Golden Seal, he had already secured a sizable rank upon entering.
He was now a centurion under King Arthur's command!
Standing up and scanning the surrounding army camp, Qin Ming's brows drew tighter.
A full one hundred adventurers had entered this world—and the fact that it was a Slaughter Mode scenario made things especially tricky.
What's more, the faction title missions this time were quite unique.
[Title Mission 1: Knight of Honor]
[Objective: Find a way to become a member of the Round Table Knights]
[Reward: Blue Title – "Round Table Knight" (Begin the world with a noble status, not as a commoner)]
[Title Description: I am one of the Round Table Knights! A general under King Arthur! A loyal companion of the King of Knights! ...Wait, Artoria? No, not that King Arthur!]
[Title Mission 2: Companion]
[Objective: Raise King Arthur's favorability rating to 600 or above]
[Reward: Blue Title – "Companion Knight" (In each world, summon Round Table Knights to assist in battle. There's a chance to summon King Arthur or one of the other two protagonists)]
[Title Description: Sleeping side-by-side! Feet to feet! Such is the depth of my bond with King Arthur!]
[Title Mission 3: Legend of the Sword in the Stone]
[Objective: Seize the Sword in the Stone]
[Reward: Silver Title – "Chosen One" (Begin the world as a member of the protagonist faction)]
[Title Description: He who draws the sword becomes King! He who draws it later serves the King! Today, I am King Arthur!]
Two blue titles and one silver—standard title mission structure.
But this time, both the effects and the mission objectives were very distinct—especially the last one.
Seizing the Sword in the Stone? Becoming the new King Arthur? That was not going to be easy by any stretch.
Rubbing his chin, Qin Ming quickly turned away from the title missions and looked toward the faction's exchange shop.
The low-level goods didn't catch his eye, so he went straight to the high-end items.
When he saw what King Arthur's faction had on offer, his eyes lit up.
He had been wondering how to complete the title missions—and unexpectedly, the solution was right here in the exchange list!
[Item: Round Table Knight Certificate] 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
[Category: Special Consumable (Ordinary Silver Quality)]
[Effect: Grants the identity of a standard Round Table Knight upon use]
[Description: I am one of the Round Table Knights! This is my ID!]
[Exchange Cost: 10,000 Contribution Points]
An item that could directly make you a Round Table Knight—definitely a good find!
And beneath it, there was even a full set of matching equipment:
A dull silver-grade Round Table Knight armor set, a greatsword, helmet, and boots.
The shop actually offered a complete set of Round Table Knight gear!
As long as you had enough contribution points, you could instantly transform—fully geared up and holding the proper identification—into a high-ranking member of the faction. A one-step leap to the top.
And as for how to earn those contribution points? That was simple: kill!
Looking at the dazzling list of exchangeable goods, Qin Ming was suddenly brimming with energy. He stood up, clapped his hands forcefully, and shouted:
"Squad, assemble!"
At his shout, the surrounding soldiers scrambled to gather. In moments, they had lined up in formation.
Standing at the front, Qin Ming looked up at the army before him, and the excited smile on his face suddenly froze.
Because he realized that his hundred-man squad was a little lacking in quality.
There was no armor, no weapons—some of the soldiers were even wearing just cloth tunics and carrying pitchforks.
Though those wielding such weapons claimed to be the "Fork-Wielding Gods of War," the nemesis of monster hunters...
The problem was, a pitchfork might work on a monster, but against a knight? Did they really think a knight's plate armor was just for decoration?
Rubbing his chin and looking at the ragtag squad before him, Qin Ming's expression became troubled.
After a long pause, he suddenly clapped his hands.
"It looks like I'm going to have to be a warlord again! Hey, someone! Gather up all the weapons! Bring them here! I'll arm a small elite squad!"
Once famous throughout the Metal Slug world for winning several battles and even appearing on TV, General MacArthur—the five-star emperor—was back in action!
He quickly sorted through the pile of tattered gear, picking out some items that were recognized by the system, ones that displayed attributes, and fused them rapidly.
Then, he selected some of the strongest, more robust-looking soldiers from the hundred-man squad.
In an instant, Qin Ming had his own elite personal guard!
There were ten of them, dressed in basic leather armor and wielding iron pitchforks. The appearance was still lacking, but it was an improvement.
Among the group, only two soldiers looked properly armored, and even then, their gear had been pieced together. One carried a broken two-handed sword, while the other wielded a sword and shield.
Looking at his newly-formed ten-man elite squad, Qin Ming turned and glanced at the rest of the group, now devoid of even pitchforks, and nodded in satisfaction. He quickly packed up the camp and prepared to lead his soldiers into battle.
Their goal this time—become King Arthur!
On the road, the sound of footsteps could be heard as a thirty-person supply convoy steadily moved forward, hauling carts filled with grain.
Leading the group, a burly man riding a tall warhorse scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes, constantly looking around.
He wore heavy armor, a horned helmet, and had an iron shield and a spiked mace hanging at his side. He was a standard heavy-armored knight.
Above his head, his name was displayed: Horned Knight.
The Horned Knight was a high-ranking soldier under the Evil Duke, essentially a military officer or centurion.
Dressed in full plate armor, completely sealed off, they liked to charge to the front lines. Their status had risen beyond that of a common soldier, becoming one of the lowest-tier knights in the empire.
This particular Horned Knight had been tasked with leading a convoy to transport supplies to nearby towns and forts.
After all, every town and fortress was a battleground between the Evil Duke's forces and King Arthur's, and supplies couldn't be cut off, or else things could go badly.
As the Horned Knight led the convoy through the path ahead, constantly scanning the surroundings with vigilance, a voice suddenly came from behind the convoy.
A man lying on the grain cart, wearing a tight-fitting outfit, leisurely spoke while crossing his legs.
"Hey, Captain, you don't need to be so nervous. There aren't any regular troops around here."
Upon hearing his deputy's words, the Horned Knight furrowed his brow.
"But there are plenty of guerrilla forces."
"Those mud-slogging militia groups? With their combat strength, how could they be a match for our regular army?"
"Better safe than sorry. You keep an eye out. If the supplies are compromised, it's our heads on the line."
"Right, right! I'll keep an eye on things!"
Despite the verbal agreement, the man lying on the cart didn't get up at all, content with lounging in the sun. Clearly, he only gave lip service to his orders.
Faced with the deputy's disobedience, the Horned Knight felt helpless. After all, the man wasn't of lower rank; he too was a low-level knight, and the Horned Knight had no authority over him.
The deputy was a Swift Knight, a type of knight skilled with fast swords and agility.
One was impregnable, the other swift as the wind, both formidable in their own right.
The two of them commanded a group of thirty soldiers, including twenty regular swordmen and ten heavy-armored swordmen.
With two mini-BOSS-level combatants leading ten elite fighters, and no regular troops in sight, it wasn't surprising that the deputy was so lackadaisical.
As the convoy continued forward, several sharp whistles of wind suddenly rang out from the trees.
Upon hearing the sound, the soldiers surrounding the grain cart reacted swiftly, immediately seeking cover.
The captain, riding his warhorse, raised his shield and aimed it toward the distant woods.
The deputy, still lounging on the grain cart, rolled off and dove behind the cart, drawing his swift sword.
Under everyone's tense gaze, figures began to emerge from the trees—revealing the assailants.
A shout rang out, and a hundred-strong group of attackers surged from the forest, charging toward them with various weapons in hand.
Pitchforks! Hoes! Sickles! Even wooden sticks!
Looking at the assailants, who looked more like refugees—no, they were basically a bunch of refugees—Qin Ming, who was leading the charge with a pitchfork in hand, felt oddly excited.
He ran at the front of the charge, swinging his weapon and shouting as he charged forward.
As he reached the front of the convoy and was about to shout a pre-battle slogan, he suddenly froze.
He turned around and realized, to his surprise, that the hundred-man squad, which had been running alongside him, was now falling behind. They had slowed to a crawl and were standing a good thirty meters behind him, still holding their pitchforks and watching him.
Meanwhile, his carefully assembled ten-man elite squad was standing proudly at the front of the crowd, showing true courage!
(End of Chapter)
