Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 264



Only Krnovel

Subject Here – Episode 264. All-Khan Discipline (4)

The history of weapons is not linear.

Evolution is often mistaken as becoming a ‘better being’, but that is an illusion that only happens to pocket monsters.

Evolution is ‘survival’.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s because of sharp teeth, tremendous reproductive capacity, or fast legs. Extinction is not tolerated by the weak, and it is not delayed by the strong. Humans survived because of cooperation and collective intelligence, not because of the individual’s excellence.

The same goes for war and weapons.

There is no way that one type of weapon can hold the ‘strongest’ position for a long time. The malice of mankind is ready to bring down the strongest in order to kill and slaughter the opponent more easily.

The cavalry of the Olkan Discipline, who had once terrorized the continent and now threatened to ruin it again, were also about to face the same fate.

Isaac, who had already mastered the strategy for the ‘strongest’, had prepared a countermeasure.

“Pull─!”

What the cavalryman discovered as they ran up the rocky slope was a palisade of stakes suddenly protruding from under a pile of rocks.

Crunch! The horses that collided with the sharp ends of the railings were impaled and killed along with their riders in a gruesome manner.

The walls, which had collapsed to the point of being flat, had instead become obstacles that obstructed the view of the Olkan Discipline Cavalry. In many places, horses fell miserably, impaled on similar obstacles. The cavalry commanders, who realized belatedly that the cavalry’s charge had been stopped, quickly gave orders.

“There’s a barrier behind the wall! Shoot your arrows!”

Instead of rushing over the hill, the cavalry bypassed it and fired arrows over it. The Orc light cavalry were skilled swordsmen, but most were also skilled archers.

It was natural, since I had accumulated countless experiences through reincarnation.

But even for them, there was no way that the arrows they were shooting without any visibility would hit the target properly. When no screams were heard from beyond the hill, Cheonhojang sent out scouts to check.

“There’s no one!”

“This dog… … .”

The enemies fled as soon as they set up their defenses. The generals of Cheonho, who had expected that they would fight along the walls or, if not both, along the defenses, were dumbfounded.

There was something strange about these enemies.

“Something feels off. Let’s split up into three paths.”

Since the other cavalrymen also agreed, they entered through the main gate, the south gate, and the collapsed wall without much disagreement. Since it was going to collapse anyway, there was no difference. The light cavalrymen who entered the city were once again perplexed when they saw the situation inside the city.

Parts of the city were destroyed and collapsed by shelling, and there were limited roads to pass through.

No matter how good one’s horsemanship was, there was a limit to how well one could overcome obstacles.

“Just crush it a little, you damn thing… … .”

Normally, if you crush them to this extent, the enemy would surrender or go crazy and tremble before that. But now, the enemy was waiting for them with full killing intent. Because of this, the Orc cavalrymen had to recall memories of unfamiliar street fighting.

“There are many good ambush locations. Be careful.”

As if they had been waiting for those words, a group of archers appeared from the top of the collapsed building and fired their arrows at the orc cavalry all at once.

Puff puff! Despite the sudden fire, the damage was minimal. The arrows failed to penetrate the orcs’ tough hides deeply, and only managed to startle the horses.

Instead, the laughing orcs quickly rode off on horseback and fired a few arrows that brought down the archers.

“Chase him!”

The archers who had been lying in ambush began to flee in a hurry. Judging from their poor armament and skills, Cheonhojang estimated that they were at best a militia.

Because of this, he did not expect the sniping at all.

Crunch. Until the moment when his head was pierced by a crossbow arrow and lodged in the opposite wall.

The body of Cheonhojang, whose cervical vertebrae had been broken by the impact of the flying object, dangled like a doll. Cheonhojang, who died on the spot, could only see how he died in his spirit state.

“There’s a serious sniper! Break through as fast as you can!”

The cavalry that lost the Cheonhojang were in a state of confusion, but another Cheonhojang immediately took command. Sniping was not a new concept for them, who were sharpshooters. In particular, arrows protected by their ancestors were so fearsome that they were said to be able to go over mountains and pierce through enemies.

Subject Here – But now, honestly, I couldn’t even tell where the arrow came from.

There is only one way to avoid being sniped: eliminate the sniper. If that is not possible, get out of the position as quickly as possible.

The orc cavalry charged at full speed, struggling with the strange concept of chasing the archers while simultaneously avoiding them.

It wasn’t easy to chase them through the rubble in the streets that were riddled with shelling, but they were soon able to catch up with the fleeing soldiers.

‘Run away as fast as you want, I’ll tell you where they’re hiding… ‘

It was predictable that there would be an ambush.

For them, skilled veteran warriors, close combat was a welcome development.

So when they saw the soldiers and the barricades lined up at the end of the alley, they laughed at them instead. Barricades and other obstacles were already overcome long ago.

The leading Orc cavalrymen quickly fired arrows at the soldiers waiting behind the stockade. The arrows were blocked by the large square shields, but in the meantime, two rows of Orcs hooked the chains and pulled them down in one stroke. The stockade was a strong obstacle, not meant to hold up. The hastily constructed barriers simply collapsed.

A cruel smile appeared on the orcs’ lips as they looked at the confused faces of the soldiers.

They burst through the alleys and rushed into the square to slaughter the fleeing soldiers.

But what they encountered was another group of orcs running from the opposite direction.

“Huh? You guys are supposed to come from the South Gate… … .”

“What, why are you here?”

“Gather, gather!”

The square became a scene of chaos as numerous cavalrymen rushed in at the same time. The cavalrymen of different units and commanders were entangled, making it difficult to properly understand or report the situation. Meanwhile, other guards who had come in late filled the square even more tangled.

There was only one thing that came to mind in the minds of the thousand-headed people gathered there.

pitfall.

The collapsed buildings and complex alleys of Soer were a pretext to force them to one side. The occasional ambushes and delays were also intended to force them to the same timing.

‘No, should I call this a trap?’

They came running even though they had already predicted that there was an ambush here.

To quickly defeat and occupy the enemies, even if it means taking a little damage.

So their gathering together meant that their victory was more certain.

However, Cheonhojang smelled a scent hidden in the foul smell of Loarkus floating in the air.

“alcohol.”

Someone shot a flaming arrow and ignited the strong alcohol scattered on the floor. The vaporized alcohol instantly burst into flames. The gunpowder that the remaining soldiers had scraped together exploded with a loud noise. The shock of the explosion and the sparks made the already chaotic square even more chaotic.

“It was just a small explosion! They were just messing around! Calm down, guys!”

The garrison commanders were desperate to gather their men. In reality, there was no fuel in Soeru to burn thousands of men to death at once.

But that wasn’t the purpose of the ‘trap’.

Isaac ordered Jacquelet and Gebel, who were in charge of the defense of Soer, to cause confusion.

A chaos where everything is mixed up and thrown together.

“It’s a knight─!”

On one side of the square, the Knights of the Holy Order appeared, their armor flashing. The Knights of Brient shouted a hymn in unison. As if responding to the singing, the flames burning in various places of the square simultaneously grew even brighter.

Experienced orcs may be calm, but horses are not. Furred and unable to reincarnate, horses run wild and contagiously confuse other horses.

A line of soldiers marched out from the city hall, accompanied by the Knights Templar. The soldiers, armed with long scythes and axes, charged the confused cavalry.

A soldier with a long scythe dragged down an orc with his back turned, and then a soldier with an axe split his head. A series of actions were carried out mechanically and step by step. There were some soldiers who were hit by the orcs’ frantic counterattacks. However, in the chaotic situation, it was impossible for the orcs who were forced into a cramped space to make an organized counterattack.

Even now, the shouts of the Baekhojangs trying to fall back, the orders, and the soldiers floundering around, not knowing what to do, were all mixed together in a mess.

“Get off your horse! Get off and fight! They are conscripts who are not even half as strong as we are! Kill them!”

Meanwhile, the Cheonhojangs keenly assessed the level and armament of the soldiers. Except for the paladins, there was nothing special. As if to prove this fact, one of the Cheonhojangs quickly ran towards the old man in the shabby clothes standing at the front line.

But the next moment, the man’s eyes flashed.

The moment Gebel swung his sword down from above, Cheonhojang and his horse were instantly split in two.

The horrifying sight made even the soldiers who were about to rush in hesitate.

Subject Here – Cheonhojang was crazy.

The enemy was obviously nothing special, and they were superior in numbers, quality, and morale. But he couldn’t figure out why he felt like he was losing. The moment he took out his horn and was about to give another order to charge, a sharp pain stabbed his neck and he spat out blood instead of breathing.

It was the red arrow I saw earlier.

Only then did he realize that he was the last remaining Cheonhojang. The enemies were gradually eliminating the heads of the Olkan discipline.

The reason it wasn’t done that way from the beginning was simple.

To attract more orcs.

At that moment, a shout was heard that put an end to the battle.

“General Kirmas, the shaman has been struck down─! The shamans have been killed in the enemy’s ambush─!”

That was the end of it.

The last rites of the Cheonhojang were cut short by the trampling of the orcs as they fled in shock. His spirit would wander in search of a shaman, but it was unclear whether he would arrive before it was too late.

***

When your opponent is superior to you, there is only one way to win.

Making the other person less capable than they are. Covering their eyes, blocking their ears, tying their hands, and tying their feet.

Isaac’s army went through the process step by step.

He suppressed the cannon, captured the chieftain, killed the shaman, dragged him into a narrow alley, disrupted the chain of command, and made him give up his horse and weapons. It was an incompetence that would be remembered in the history of the Olkan discipline, but it was Isaac’s strategy that brought out that incompetence.

And it was also the last operation.

Isaac knew that this method would never work again. The shaman would be better protected, would not waste gunpowder, and would not do the crazy thing of riding into a city with no information. Until Isaac found another way to bring about incompetence.

And the opponent in front of him, Atlan, was far from incompetent.

‘He who will become the hero of the All-Khan Discipline… … the Khan’s right hand.’

The term “Khan’s adopted son” is a kind of joke. In the first place, the Olkan discipline does not value its own seed. If the soul of an old man is inside a baby, even the most maternal mother will have a hard time feeling him as her son.

But Atlan was truly special.

Because it was the fruit of love between Khan and his beloved horse.

That’s why no one could call Atlan the son of Khan. Also, Keshik was of a constitution that made it impossible for him to reproduce.

The two looked at each other in silence for a long time. They felt that the other was a formidable opponent. Isaac thought that if Atlan had been of the Elil faith, he might have become a sword master long ago.

“How long are you going to just watch what I say, Seong… … .”

The moment Atlan’s mouth fell, Isaac rushed in with his eyes flashing.

As expected, Atlan blocked Isaac’s sword with a very narrow margin.

The corners of his mouth trembled.

Isaac immediately activated Isaac’s Sword Technique: Hand of the Drowning and shook Atlan’s body. Atlan, who seemed to lose his balance, instead stomped his feet and rushed at Isaac. As he raised his curved sword as if to strike, Isaac’s gaze turned upward.

At that moment, Atlan’s front horse’s hoof struck Isaac’s chest.

Isaac stepped back, feeling as if he had been hit by a battering ram.

Atlan did not miss that opening and continued to attack. Isaac felt something was wronged. Atlan moved his four legs dazzlingly, so his balance was not lost, and his weight was also increased. Isaac was the one who bounced off every time the swords collided.

Atlan was ahead in both speed and endurance.

‘I wish I was born strong like that…! No, come to think of it, I’m a knight, right? Then I have to use miracles.’

There is no reason to fight fair, as it is not even a duel between Ellie and me.

In the first place, he didn’t particularly spare miracles in the duel with Elril.

Isaac held his sword in both hands and swung it, scattering the colors from beyond toward Atlan’s head. However, Atlan, as if he had expected this, took a deep breath and blew the colors away with his enormous lung capacity.

But Isaac’s trick was different. He twisted his left hand slightly and summoned the Abyss’s Grasp from the scattered colors beyond.

Kwadudududu! A tentacle almost as big as Atlan’s horse shot out, wrapped around his body, and slammed him into a giant tree in one fell swoop. Atlan’s body, bleeding profusely, was visible writhing beneath the tentacle.