Hate me, Miss Witch!

The other party was still dressed in coarse cloth and appeared to be of a tender and inexperienced age, about the same as when Shiayar first saw Silvia in the Echo of History.

But contrary to the difficulty level of a beginner's mission, Shiayar could sense an extremely powerful self-confidence in every word and action of this silver-haired knight.

This was a born king, as if he was destined to be the template of the "King of Ideals" from the moment of his birth. Even though he was still young and had just received the recognition of the Sword in the Stone, his pride was already hard to conceal.

No wonder Shiayar's performance just now had not garnered much Favourability, only barely crossing the threshold from 'stranger' to 'acquaintance.'

However, the greater the storm, the more precious the fish, Shiayar thought. And the harder the task, the richer the reward.

At this moment, he felt himself getting excited as well. He liked these kinds of challenges.

And most importantly, this Echo of History was different from the one with the Ancient Dukedom Azure Garden. In this Echo of History, Shiayar had completely figured out that he did not have the same concerns of being sought out as Silvia might.

That is to say, he could fully display his capabilities.

If one round of Favourability isn't enough, then I'll grind for it a hundred times, a thousand times, he resolved. Although the historical details of the Ancient Era are difficult to verify, the rise to power of that Knight King is still traceable. With the advantage of foreknowledge, I will make every major node in this Echo of History bear the fame of Cain and Daybreak. When necessary, I can even play the prophet or the oracle to gain trust.

With the advantage of information, Shiayar had already concocted many different strategies.

Moreover, it seems I have acquired some kind of undying body in a sense...

Shiayar touched his robe. Just a moment ago, in the heart of the monster tide, he had detonated all the Explosive Clay prepared in the Sparkling Space Pocket in one go. That single detonation was almost on par with the original "Art is an Explosion!"

Given the range of the explosion, even using Flash wouldn't allow escape from the center; after all, Flash has a cooldown and maximum distance limitations. In fact, Shiayar didn't even try to dodge. He took the full force of the blast that exhausted all the Explosive Clay directly at the center of the explosion.

He wanted to test whether the super-high temperature and shock from the explosion could truly kill him. Of course, before doing so, Shiayar had taken off his black Daybreak cloak with crimson clouds. That was a piece painstakingly tailored by Silver and Crimson. There was only one, and it would be a loss of style if it were destroyed in the explosion.

And the result proved it.

Explosive Clay couldn't kill Shiayar.

Although, at the moment of detonation, the super-high temperature sublimated most of his physical body into ashes and powder, Shiayar distinctly felt that the ashes and powder still transmitted sensation as parts of his body.

Then, with a mere thought from him, the ashes and powder instantly re-aggregated and grew back into flesh and blood.

Absurd, he thought. This is no longer mere high-speed self-healing or High-Speed Regeneration. This is a conceptual kind of immortality. Solely from the perspective of sheer power and destructiveness, the recent Explosive Clay reached Legendary level. If even this can't truly kill me... does that mean to kill me, one would have to rely on a Throne?

Shiayar watched as the silver-haired knight bid him farewell, then stood up and walked towards the town and into the midst of the terrified refugees.

It had to be said, this young Knight King truly deserved the title "King of Ideals." In an incredibly short span of time, he swiftly gained the trust of the refugees. Even the surrounding knights, who knew he had pulled the Sword in the Stone and harbored dissatisfaction, acknowledged him after a brief exchange of blows. Some even swore on the spot to become his attendant knights, following this new king who had pulled out the Sword in the Stone.

Soon, orders were given. The refugees assembled and began to move towards regions less infested with Abyss Demons, while the knights patrolled nearby, on guard against any further Abyss Demon attacks.

I wonder if among these people are the future Knights of the Round Table or ancestors of the 8 Great Oath-Sworn Families... Shiayar looked thoughtfully at the people beginning to migrate.

He was definitely going to unlock the 4th Soul Pact, not just to gain another slot for a Pet Beast contract but also to uncover the deeper truth. The Echo of History he had traversed had become real. Then there were the peculiarities of the 4th Soul Pact and the undying body that had mysteriously triggered within him. Too many anomalies were occurring.

If he didn't fully understand all these truths, Shiayar would not be at ease. He was not the kind of person to sit idly by when he sensed something was amiss.

A Throne Level existence... I do know Silvia in reality, but my dear wife definitely wouldn't be willing to lay a hand on me. Moreover, the secret of this undying body should not be known to others, at least not until I figure it out for myself. That being said, if I want to experience true death, it seems I can only ask Artorigus for help.

Watching the silver-haired knight's slender figure receding into the distance, Shiayar nodded.

That is the future Knight King, he thought. At least starting at Throne Level, perhaps even stronger than Silvia.