Although the color of this light was the same as the Purifying Light, its power did not exhibit the superior oppressive force of the Sun God Kukulkan.
All players hit by the purple beam instinctively rushed out of its range, but after leaving, they found that some of the purple light still clung to them.
This purple light randomly selected one piece of their equipment, completely integrated into it, turning it entirely silver, and then—
It exploded directly into a shower of flying silver coins!
[You have been attacked by Prince Allen of the Silver Fortress with 'Light of Purification'—]
[Resistance check failed. 1 random item you currently have equipped has been forcibly decomposed into 'Valuable Silver Coin' * N.]
Having failed at the first hurdle, players watched in disbelief as their equipment was brutally decomposed. Some unlucky individuals even had their trusty weapons chosen for decomposition, instantly looking utterly furious.
Not only did this initial encounter fail to cause any actual impact on the enemy, but they also suffered significant direct losses!
Of the five players, not a single one resisted successfully; all lost a piece of equipment.
But equipment is ultimately an external possession. Players who had been 'argent-mancied' wouldn't easily lose their minds over it. Their immediate reaction was to... run!
The players decisively turned back, heading straight for their horses tethered nearby!
Although the 'Burning the Silver Fortress' side quest was certainly a failure, the discovery that Prince Allen himself had led an expedition might yield more rewards than the side quest itself.
"Pursue!"
At Prince Allen's command, a small squad of Raider cavalry galloped directly towards the players' location.
Prince Allen's cavalry units were generally heavy armored units, meaning heavy cavalry. Due to the death of the Twin Sword Knight, the number of warhorses in the fortress was insufficient to equip the remaining Raiders.
This led to the Silver Army, despite gathering all remaining forces and still having sufficient combat power, having its mobility severely curtailed. The cavalry squad currently pursuing the Britannia faction players was the only one left. Therefore, players on the Silver Army's side who failed the 'Burning the Camp' mission and returned with the remnants of the army were not allocated warhorses.
In the Prince's eyes, there was no difference between these players. He viewed the player group as a collective 'foreign mercenary,' so one person's mistake implicated the entire group.
Repeated failures had already caused the weight of these foreign mercenaries within the army to drop significantly. After all, the Twin Sword Knight, who was supposed to take the blame, was already dead, so the Prince could only vent his anger elsewhere.
Prince Allen, who already didn't trust them much, was now thoroughly disappointed. Not completely expelling them from the army was already an immense act of mercy.
However, the heavy cavalry in pursuit were not fast, and the fleeing Britannia players were also equally matched.
Just as some advanced vehicles require high-level driving skills, warhorses also require a certain level of riding technique. These players, who had borrowed horses, were actually relying on their digitized, generally superhuman strength and agility to cling to the horses' backs, bouncing along. In terms of skill, they truly had none, as horseback riding is indeed a relatively aristocratic or region-specific hobby.
The terrible riding skills, combined with the heavy cavalry, meant that the speed of both the fleeing and pursuing parties remained evenly matched, with the gap between them hardly narrowing.
Finally, after a war eagle caught up with the cavalry squad and circled twice in front of the cavalry captain, the cavalry squad stopped their pursuit, pausing in place to rest and await the Prince's main army. This gave the Britannia players a chance to escape.
Prince Allen looked at the direction of the Knights of the Round Table's camp, which was completely covered by the night, wondering what he was thinking... "Prince Allen personally leads an expedition!?"
Arthur, upon receiving this news from the players who had successfully escaped, was astonished beyond measure.
Because even with his relatively limited knowledge of army warfare, he knew how reckless and unplanned it was to actively lead an army out for battle when there was a fortress available for defense, rather than relying on it for a defensive war.
It felt more like a decision made in a fit of pique, rather than a well-thought-out action.
Since he had no real face-to-face acquaintance or understanding of Allen, Arthur had no idea what Allen's true personality was like. However, these players, who had clearly fled for their lives, should not be using such a lie, which could be proven false with time, to deceive him.
Adopting the attitude of 'better safe than sorry,' with Arthur at the core, the soldiers throughout the camp began to stir again.
And this time, having experienced a glorious victory during the day and having just eaten their fill, although their bodies inevitably felt various fatigues and aches, the soldiers, generally in good spirits, immediately responded. The morale that had been temporarily suppressed by rest was reinvigorated.
Although in terms of troop numbers, the Knights of the Round Table were still inferior to the Silver Knights, the boost in confidence and morale brought by a glorious victory at least temporarily molded the Britannia soldiers into strong individuals mentally, making them not only unafraid of the impending enemy night raid but even more expectant.
"...Huh? He led an army over?"
But the most surprised to hear this news was Cheng Mouren, who was feeding weeds to the Minotaur.
It was precisely because he knew that this original third act would start in the throne room of the Silver Fortress that he was even more confused by the Prince personally leading an expedition.
However, considering the existence of players as a special variable, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible for the Prince, who should have been holed up in the fortress, to actively venture out.
As Aoko, a general in the current Knights of the Round Table, Cheng Tian naturally had the right to know more.
The players who had failed the 'Burning the Fortress' side quest but had discovered Prince Allen's expedition in advance, in order to prove themselves, also revealed many situations they had observed and encountered on site. And Cheng Tian naturally learned of their experiences.
Upon hearing that they were enveloped by purple light and their equipment was forcibly decomposed, Cheng Tian couldn't help but scratch his brow, trying hard to recall, then repeatedly confirmed that Allen's ability was definitely not the original. Moreover, the description felt somewhat familiar.
It wasn't until a sudden burning sensation in his brow, and Cheng Tian felt something trying to summon him, that he suddenly realized what was happening.
This Prince Allen actually had a fragment of the Sun God's gemstone on him!?
And Prince Allen himself, who was originally furious and determined to personally defeat the Knights of the Round Table, also suddenly trembled all over after entering a certain range, looking towards the brightly lit camp of the Knights of the Round Table.