Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight

Lancelot had never heard the name before, but seeing Alaric's solemn expression, he knew it was not to be taken lightly.

"That's right," Alaric continued.

"After fighting our king, the Sun King left unscathed. He then triggered a series of events in the western lands, transferring the divine land to this very place!"

Alaric described the desert he had seen to Lancelot.

"Do you need me to accompany you?"

Lancelot asked.

Alaric shook his head.

"This is a mission the king entrusted me; it wouldn't be right to trouble you. Besides, I want to focus on honing my abilities."

"In that case, you should work on your magical energy control. Swordsmanship isn't something mastered overnight," Lancelot advised, analyzing Alaric's current state.

It wasn't hard to see Alaric's potential. With the boost from the dragon's heart, his magical energy was at least at a B level, but his other attributes lagged behind, barely reaching the level of a third-rate servant.

From Lancelot's experience, the fastest path for Alaric to improve was through better control of magical energy. Other attributes and techniques could only be perfected with time and practice.

Hearing this, Alaric looked intrigued.

"Magical energy control? What do you mean?"

Having recently undergone the dragon blood transformation, Alaric had improved through battle after battle, but his progress was limited. This chance for guidance from a hero of Lancelot's caliber was unparalleled.

"For us knights, magical energy control enhances our physical strength and boosts our magic. Although the dragon blood amplifies your power, your body is still far behind those of us who have trained for years. Moreover, your use of magical energy to enhance your body is too simplistic; it doesn't yield the best results."

"And what about Mana Burst?"

Alaric asked.

"I once tried to mimic the Mana Burst our king used against the Sun King, expelling half of my magical energy in one burst. The power was immense, but the strain on me was too much, even causing my weapon to break."

Compared to his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, which couldn't be improved, Alaric was more focused on Mana Burst, as it was his only method for creating a small-scale area attack.

The limitations of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception made it challenging for Alaric in battles involving multiple enemies, making coverage and firepower even more essential.

"Oh? So you tried to mimic our king's battle and used Mana Burst against your opponent?"

Lancelot stroked his chin, looking at Alaric with interest.

"That's right."

"It seems you have natural talent, but Mana Burst has far more potential than that."

"How about this: rather than just talking, why don't we spar again? This time, Sir Alaric, I want you to go all out."

"Agreed!"

Without hesitation, Alaric distanced himself from Lancelot and readied his sword.

Lancelot drew his sword and announced loudly, "Combat is always the best way to improve. Don't hold back!"

With that, the conversation ended. Outside the pure white utopia of Camelot, in the closest place to the Lion King's realm, the newborn Red Dragon bared its fangs for the first time.

Screech—!

Crimson's magical energy swirled around Alaric, and the might of the Red Dragon rose. His golden, slit-pupil eyes made even the prepared Lancelot pause for a moment.

The overwhelming surge of magical energy, combined with the dragon's heart's fierce pulse, loudly proclaimed the Red Dragon's presence.

From the distant Tower of the End, the pure white king on the throne lowered her gaze.

Boom!

With a dull thud, Alaric vanished from his original position.

If Alaric's approaching figure was like red lightning, Lancelot's response was a shadow in silence.

The strength Lancelot had honed over the years was beyond the reach of any normal person.

In the instant their swords clashed, the blade's afterimage tore through the air, creating a wind force strong enough to split mountains and crack stones.

'Magical energy control.'

'The art of swordsmanship.'

'The harmony of body and blade.'

'None of it is enough!'

Alarics' bloodshot eyes locked onto each strike Lancelot made, and even when his vision couldn't keep up, he relied on instinct to track him!

In mere seconds, the merging of his consciousness and instincts placed such intense pressure on Alaric that he had to give his all just to keep up with Lancelot's sword!

Suddenly, a spray of blood erupted as Alaric retreated, his right shoulder bone exposed, slashed by Lancelot due to a moment of carelessness.

Yet, Alaric paid no mind to his injury. As soon as he created some distance, he gathered every bit of magical energy and unleashed his maximum output at Lancelot!

Boom!!

With no reservations, he released all his magical energy in an all-out assault!

The crimson torrent was instantly split by a flash of white light, rushing past Lancelot and carving deep trenches into the ground.

Yet Lancelot stood unscathed, as if, aside from the first step he took to meet the attack, Alaric hadn't forced him to move an inch.

"As expected of Sir Lancelot…"

Alaric felt his hand go light, realizing the sword he received from the Enforcement Knights had crumbled to dust under his Mana Burst.

This Mana Burst far surpassed the one he used in the temple; it was his strongest attack to date, but it still couldn't faze Lancelot.

The gap between them was so vast that Alaric couldn't even comprehend it.

"Sir Alaric, your potential is immense. Given time, you could rise to the pinnacle, maybe even qualify for the Round Table," Lancelot praised.

Just yesterday, they had sparred, and though Alaric hadn't gone all out then, his improvement was already clear.

"I'm already part of it. The king granted me the last seat at the Round Table and then sent me to gather information on the Sun King."

While using the dragon heart's power to restore his magical energy and heal his wounds, Alaric spoke nonchalantly.

"It seems the king holds you in high regard, Sir Alaric. I, too, mustn't slack off," Lancelot chuckled lightly.

"Now that I understand your abilities better, I see you share an intuition similar to our king's. Though not as developed, it's still powerful."

Lancelot had noticed that during their sparring, Alaric often couldn't react to his strikes yet somehow managed to block them in time.

This phenomenon could only be explained by intuition.

Was it a gift from the dragon blood?

Lancelot couldn't be sure, but one thing was clear: Alaric's potential was immense.

"Sir Alaric, your explosive speed is impressive—not just in movement, but also in strength."

"I just fill my body with magical energy and exert all my strength in one go."

"Your Mana Burst is still too raw, though. You're throwing it all out at once, wasting about half in the process. Given your Mana Burst, a more refined and condensed use would suit you better. For example, my Noble Phantasm, Arondight Overload, doesn't release all its magical energy as a beam of light; rather, it unleashes upon striking the target."

"As a living being, you're not restricted by the limitations of a heroic spirit's class. You can afford to be more creative."

Lancelot pointed out Alaric's flaws with precision. His insight made Alaric's state as clear as day.

"Condensed magical energy…"

Alaric pondered. Unlike Mordred's vague explanations, Lancelot had directly pinpointed the issue.

Lancelot continued, "Right now, your Mana Burst doesn't even match a minor Noble Phantasm release. But with refinement, it could rival or even surpass a Noble Phantasm!"