Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 286



Only Krnovel

Episode 286. The Opponent (7)

Isaac also looked extremely exhausted. Blood was gushing from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

“Ah… … It’s tough, it’s tough. I overdid it for nothing.”

“What is this… …?”

Atlan gasped for breath and reached for his sword, only to realize that it was already shattered and his arm was broken. Isaac, on the other hand, was still standing, holding his sword, even though his insides were tattered.

At this point the game was decided.

What Isaac visualized to create a new advanced sword technique was a black hole.

If the opponent is as fast as light, then why don’t you just eat that light? It’s a ridiculous conclusion, but Isaac came to a conclusion worthy of a loyal Knight of the Light Code.

Isaac wiped the coffee and licked it with his tongue.

Considering that Isaac’s swordsmanship only consumed satiety and put extremely little strain on the body, it was clear how ridiculous he had tried to do something. Fortunately, thanks to the entrails of the dead god, his internal injuries were quickly recovering, but if he had been careless, he would have collapsed from hunger in front of Atlan.

‘Isaac’s Swordplay: Horizon of Thought’ is not much different from Elril’s Swordplay.

However, if Elril’s swordsmanship was an overwhelmingly fast sword, the Horizon of Thought was an overwhelmingly heavy sword.

Essentially, it’s a simple downward slash.

There was only the reality distortion effect unique to advanced swordsmanship, and the experience Isaac had accumulated as a nameless chaos.

But Isaac was confident that no one but an angel could stop this downward spiral.

Of course, the power was far less than Isaac had expected.

‘I guess it’s about 2% of the expected power?’

Anyway, it’s a 1% bonus for being successful, and a 1% bonus for not dying.

This swordsmanship was originally designed to deal with angels and gods, not mere mortals.

Although performance still has a long way to go, it was a first step.

Isaac struggled to sit up and glared at Atlan.

“What should we do, Atlan? Are you planning to say that the match hasn’t been decided yet?”

“… … .”

Atlan no longer seemed to have any fighting spirit.

If you still had the will to fight after seeing that, Isaac was willing to admire you too. However, Isaac also had no will to fight.

Atlan finally opened his mouth.

“Did you save me on purpose?”

Isaac shrugged.

“Maybe so?”

“Why?”

“No, Atlan. I’m not telling you clearly on purpose. If I say I saved your life, your pride will be hurt, and if I say no, I’m afraid you’ll attack me again later. As you can see, it’s not a technique you can just use whenever you want. I’m dying from exhaustion.”

At Isaac’s blow, Atlan shut his mouth.

He chose to accept the challenge and retreat cleanly. Atlan spoke to Isaac one more time before retreating.

“Isaac, surrender.”

“Are you getting sick again?”

“If you surrender, I will ask the Khan to guarantee you the position of General, no, General. It is an honor and position that is difficult for apostates to obtain. After all, you are not a Knight of the Code of Light. You can also prevent the destruction of Isacrea territory. If you decide to do so.”

“… … .”

Isaac just smiled and didn’t answer. Atlan found that frustrating.

Isaac showed great prowess, but as he said, the swordsmanship he just used was not something that could be used at will. At best, he would use it once or twice and be trampled by the Olkan army. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to surrender?

Atlan couldn’t understand Isaac’s stubbornness.

“Say the opposite, Atlan. Surrender.”

“……what?”

“If you surrender, I will give you the position of captain of our village guard. Even the current captain of the guard would be convinced and step down if you were him. There are less than a thousand regular soldiers, and in peacetime, there are about five hundred, but it is still a position of honor in this village. And we do not discriminate against those of different faiths.”

“What nonsense are you talking about… … !”

“Okay, I understand. Good luck.”

Isaac left those words behind and disappeared into the forest.

Atlan stared blankly at the spot where Isaac had disappeared with a blank expression.

***

Isaac managed to rescue Hesabel and Nel safely, but that was it.

The resistance of the Isacrea army was completely neutralized by the shamans, Keshik, Sahul Khan, and the Hwangcheon. Isaac, who was no longer able to fight, gave up his guerrilla warfare and retreated to Isacrea territory. Although Atlan’s defeat was known, the Khan judged it to be a double-crossing plan and ordered him to recuperate.

With the power to wage guerrilla warfare gone, Isaac ordered the remaining troops in the fortress to withdraw. The only way to fight a desperate battle was to do so in the Isacre territory.

Because only a monastery protected by all priests and paladins could avoid the curses and sorcery of shamans.

“As expected.”

Sahullan advanced, quickly taking over the crumbling territory of Isacrea. Now, if you just crossed the bridge across the valley, you could call the town of Isacrea. And as expected, the bridge across the valley had collapsed.

“I guess this is inevitable since he’s throwing a tantrum. Build a bridge.”

Sahul Khan ordered his carpenters to build a bridge without much enthusiasm. It was not difficult to obtain wood, as the thick trees had already grown thickly. The damage done to the hundreds of years old bridge was only half a day’s time for the Isacrea estate.

Finally, the orcs’ footprints were engraved on the Isacre territory.

Exactly two days.

Khan’s army entered the village of Isacrea within the time that Kraxal had expected. No matter how much Isaac flew and crawled, he could not block the river alone.

“If the left wing’s detour is made at the right time, a complete encirclement will be formed. Even the Grail Knights will have difficulty finding a way out.”

Sahullan was quite pleased with Isaac’s rebellion.

I had no idea that with this much power, they could hold off the great army of the Olkan Discipline for several days. I was even surprised when I heard that Atlan had returned without winning even after challenging them once again.

And now the army was advancing against the enemy who had rebelled against the Olkan Discipline. Sahullan was looking forward to seeing what kind of appearance this Grail Knight would show.

The town was already empty. Thanks to this, the army of orcs that confidently entered the city of Isacrea was unstoppable.

It was almost like a triumphal procession, not an occupying force. There was no resistance, so there was no roaring, no bloodshed, no looting, no arson. This was a place they were going to use as their forward base, so it was natural.

Sahul Khan watched the advancing army, then turned his gaze to a distant place. A castle was built overlooking the valley where the village was located. He knew that it was now a monastery, but it was a magnificent castle to anyone who saw it.

Of course, a few cannon shots would crush it.

“It seems like all the power to resist is inside there.”

An extraordinary divine power was felt in the castle. It was natural, since the Grail Knights, the holy relics he had gathered, and the knights and priests he had gathered were all gathered there.

Sahul Khan glanced back at his general, the shaman, Teherma.

Teherma stared at the monastery for a moment, then shook her head in disbelief.

“The miracles and relics of various faiths are so intricately intertwined that I cannot unravel them on my own.”

“Is that it?”

“There are the Miracle of the Sun’s Protection from the Code of Light, the Shield of the Guardians of Elril, the White Purification Doctrine of the Council of Salt, and even the Rune of the Earthhide carved from the World’s Furnace. It is rare to find all of these mixed without conflict. The castle itself is a sacred relic.”

Teherma’s eyes, as he spoke, were filled with interest and excitement. It was a look that was a mixture of the awe of a priest, the curiosity of a scholar, and the greed of a plunderer.

But Sahullan had no choice but to betray that feeling.

“The food is still rotting, so we can’t stay here for long. Release the cannon.”

“ah…….”

Teherma let out a sigh of regret, but there was nothing she could do.

They couldn’t bring many heavy cannons because they had to quickly break through the rugged mountains. However, the five cannons they carried were enough to destroy the fortress. Sahullan briefly considered using the Yellow Heaven, but decided to save it.

‘If we hit him with a cannon, the Grail Knight will react. I want to see if the same swordsmanship that brought Atlan to his knees can stop Khan’s arrows.’

The cannons lined up in unison and aimed at the monastery.

At that moment, the monastery door opened slightly, and a person walked out.

“stop.”

“Cease fire!”

Sahullan gave the order to stop and watched the approaching man. He trudged toward the orc horde, neither too fast nor too slow, as if he were taking a walk. With his excellent eyesight as a nomad, Sahullan recognized him at a glance as the handsome Grail Knight.

***

Isaac walked slowly, but Sahullan did not urge him on or send soldiers.

In this situation, the meaning of the general standing alone in front of the army was clear. Sahulan showed a relaxed tolerance to the Grail Knight who was practically crawling on his knees.

Finally, Isaac stood alone before the orc army.

Up until this point, no orc had dared to swear or threaten Isaac, who had been tormenting and killing them.

It was also in front of Khan, but he felt a strange pressure from Isaac.

Two men rode horses in front of Isaac. They were General Kraxal and General Kima. They glared at Isaac, who had come out with bare hands, with stern expressions.

Kraxal was the first to speak as the messenger representing the Khan.

“You seem quite brave in surrendering. But it is too late, so you will have to give up your life. In return, the villagers will be spared. But you will have to work as the Khan’s slaves for the time being.”

Isaac tilted his head crookedly and looked at Kraxal and Kima as if they were not the same. Soon, he lost interest and turned his gaze to the back.

“If you are not the decision maker, call in someone higher up.”

“what?”

“I have a suggestion for Khan. He’s going to run back and ask anyway. Don’t waste time and bring someone who can answer with a ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

Kraxal thought that Isaac had finally lost his mind from fear and frustration. He was so shocked that he couldn’t even tell him that he could see tens of thousands of orcs swarming before his eyes.

Kima spoke on his behalf.

“If it’s surrender, we can decide.”

“Really? You can decide to surrender? That’s good.”

Isaac cleared his throat and shouted loudly.

“The Olkan Discipline states that if you surrender immediately, you will be allowed to return safely to your wasteland. In return, Sahullan Khan must come forward and kneel before the destroyed cities and the murdered people, and promise to compensate them sufficiently, and also… … .”

“Stop, stop!”

When Isaac started talking nonsense, Kraxal was startled and tried to stop him. However, his efforts were in vain, as a low laugh was heard from behind him.

It was Sahul Khan’s satisfied laugh.

The Grail Knight did not disappoint him. He only needed to confirm one more thing. If he could prove that Isaac had not gone mad, Sahullan would cherish him forever.

He waved his hand, holding back a laugh.

Thump, thump.

Before he knew it, the Keshiks had passed Kraxal like shadows and advanced towards Isaac. There were eight Keshiks in total. They were not as elite as Atlan, but they were among the best among the Keshiks.

One of the Keshiks opened his mouth.

“It is an order to cut off the knees and arms to teach manners.”

At the same time, the orcs nocked arrows on their bows. The shamans also began to chant their spells. Kraxal looked sad, anticipating the merciless destruction that would soon descend upon Isaac.

Why did he end up dying a dog’s death after talking nonsense? It was a regrettable ending that did not suit a great warrior and the Khan’s rival.

“Did you really think that you could stop the millions of troops led by the Khan with just these rascals and pebbles? Do you think that putting madness in your little head could accomplish anything!”

When Kraxal snapped in pity, Isaac grimaced as if to say, “What are you talking about?”

“What are you talking about? When did I say I would stop you with just that one soldier?”

“Then how… … .”

“I am brave, not crazy.”

At that moment, Kima suddenly shook her head.

Kraxal knew that reaction well. It was what happened when you suddenly took in so many souls. When Kraxal was about to ask what was going on, Kima opened her mouth and turned her eyes to the west.

“The troops that were bypassing from the left… … .”

Dudududu… … The ground began to tremble gently.

While all eyes were on Isaac, a huge cloud of dust was rising from the valley west of the Sanji Isacre territory. It was a new force that had dashed forward, destroying the forces of the Olkan Discipline that had been blocking the retreat by making a detour.

Papa papara papam─!

The orcs were confused when they heard the trumpet sound that resounded loudly. Only the shamans of other religions understood the meaning of the trumpet sound.

“… … This is, Elril?”

The knights of Elril were running at a furious pace. Only then did Kraxal notice the change and urgently ordered them to prepare for battle.

But then a loud noise rang out, confusing them once more.

Kwarrurung! A thunderous roar, as if boiling from hell, echoed from deep within the earth. The moment the shockwave of the loud noise leaped up and swept over the ground, the orcs unconsciously lost their strength in their legs and fell to the ground.

Soon, urgent shouts and screams began to be heard from behind.

“The Brazier of the World! The Brazier Cult’s dwarves and lycanthropes are crawling out of the fanatic portals!”

The basics of tactics remain unchanged: the only way to deal wisely with a large army is to have more troops.

Of course, Isaac was well aware of that fact.