Paladin In Dark Fantasy - Chapter 5
December 26, 2022 — Leave a comment
As the divine power soared, the reaction crushed the bushes that hid the body.
Hundreds of dead people relentlessly pursued life with their eyes.
The new recruits were thrown naked into the cage of wild beasts, but instead of fleeing, they grabbed their swords.
They fight by channeling the divine power emitted by the Paladin. Although they themselves could not express their divine power, they display high skills when the Paladin is together.
But Aiden couldn’t trust them. When he was about to order them to wait in the rear, Xerath opened his mouth.
“You can’t always fight alone. Learn to take advantage of the power you lack.”
Then, as he chanted the spell, the bodies of the dead started bubbling up.
Soon after, it swelled up, and things like pus and sap gushed out of the rotten flesh.
“I couldn’t dispel the spell, but I prepared for it in my own way.”
As it continued to expand, it suddenly exploded. Pieces of flesh and bone splattered in all directions, and melted intestines and ooze rained down.
The smell of death covered the cemetery. Must gas engulfed the surroundings.
‘When he’s an ally, he’s definitely reliable.’
On the other hand, he was a very demanding character. To the extent that he had a separate strategy book.
Xerath narrowed his brows.
“He is quite a man.”
The gas that was released as the corpse exploded completely obscured the view.
Aiden watched the road ahead and waited for it to subside.
“Carefully. The other person is not a middle-aged man.”
“Don’t worry about me, just focus on the firepower in the rear.”
“Haha! I can’t find any tension. All right. Just leave one of your recruits behind.”
Aiden wrinkled his face slightly and looked at Xerath. He was thinking of leaving all the new recruits as Xerath’s escorts.
“Give them one more chance. Who would be a veteran from the start? Unless they’re a monster like you.”
The recruits were gripping their swords so tightly that their hands trembled. There was fear, but also strong determination.
Aiden glanced at them and let out a short breath.
“Remember, once the battle begins, I cannot protect you. Do you understand?”
Euron gritted his teeth and answered.
“Oh, I know!”
The rest followed Euron and shouted loudly.
“Even if I die, I will die fighting heresy!”
“I will dedicate this body to God!”
Aiden suddenly had doubts about the existence of a God, but he brushed off his thoughts.
They decided to fight and risk their lives. He had no intention of denying even that decision. Aiden decided to leave it behind for once.
He approached the recruits and patted them on the shoulder.
“Release your power. The body becomes dull. When the battle begins, When the battle begins, stay wedge-shaped behind me, two left and right. Don’t leave the ranks, follow through to the end. Do you understand?”
“””Understand!”””
The gas was slowly dissipating. A few dozen had returned to nature, but they were still far outnumbered.
A chill flowed from the mouths of the dead. Jealousy for life drove death.
“There is a heathen over there that you hate so much!”
Aiden drew his holy sword. The blade that absorbed the moonlight and divinity shimmered blue.
“Save the dead and act on behalf of God’s judgment!”
The halo exploded. Instead of the sun, it illuminated the night.
The new recruits began to consecrate. They covered their arms with the divine power emitted by Aiden and recited a short prayer.
ㅡWe seek destruction and act on behalf of God’s judgement. Fear is a luxury, and death is an honor.
Aiden roared like a wild beast and jumped into the arms of the dead.
He swung his holy sword horizontally. A clear trajectory. A sword drawn in a semicircle cut through the waists of the dead.
Aiden sprinted at full speed, cutting through everything that stood in the way. Because the key to wedge formation was momentum and mobility.
The moment you lose momentum, morale plummets. After that, it’s just destruction.
The location of the Necromancer was confirmed. At the edge of the cemetery. It was a human being who had suddenly landed a moment ago.
The remnants of the dead sprang in all directions. Everything that stood in the way was swept away in an instant. The light swallowed the darkness and opened the way.
The recruits realized that the Paladin in front of them was a monster. Wearing heavy armor and wielding a sword, he ran, and it was difficult to match that speed.
However, one of them squeezed the power he had been channeling too. He slashed through the dead who were narrowing down the flank and followed Aiden’s back closely.
Fear rose in the rear. The divine magic of Xerath. Aiden was able to focus on the front.
‘Useful.’
Xerath was reliable, and the recruits were doing their part in their own way. He had to get used to fighting like this.
“Speed up!”
The Highlands were approaching. Aiden drove through the cemetery with momentum.
Like a tank, he crushed and trampled all obstacles.
The Halo glowed brighter while the haze continued like a tail, leaving footprints.
The drunken recruits. Their muscles screamed and their lungs swelled as if they were about to explode, but for now, it was just as good.
{T/N:- *cough* *cough* Namedrop movement}
The fact that they, who were abandoned at the training camps, could fight like this was overwhelming.
Aiden was at the forefront.
“This is the last time! Hold on!”
The demonic energy became much worse. If you only look beyond the dead, you will see a Necromancer.
Just capture him and it’s all over. The dead will be released from their bondage and return to their original places.
It was the key to dealing with the Necromancer.
Aiden crouched down. And when he spurred the ground and runs through the air.
His expression contorted in astonishment.
“Dark Warrior…?”
The ghost of a warrior trapped in black smoke was staring at the recruits. His red eyes twinkled.
The Dark Warrior grabbed the hilt of his sword.
“Keep your head down!”
An ominous blade swept ahead. He cut down the dead and beheaded one of the recruits.
Aiden didn’t even know his name.
“Fuck!”
He dropped the sword full of weight vertically. The blades collided with each other and roared.
The Dark Warrior slid backward, absorbing the shock.
‘Damn, why is he like this now?’
The Dark Warrior laughed lowly.
“You are having fun.”
A slurred voice. A man in a black priest’s uniform appeared from behind the Dark Warrior.
“My warrior has recognized you as an adversary.”
Protruding cheekbone and sunken cheeks. And the cold eyes were no longer a normal person.
But Aiden did not remember such a person.
A wizard who can command a Dark Warrior would be somewhat named, and if it looked like that, he would definitely be memorable..
“Shit.”
He had no choice but to view it as the result of choosing the difficulty level as hell.
Aiden felt dizzy. With the Dark Warrior in front of him who can’t fight for his life, he had to be careful about the dead who are narrowing behind his back.
It’s been two years since he fell into the game. Although many hurdles have been crossed, another hurdle has come.
‘I was so complacent.’
Aiden bit his lip.
“Ah, Lord Aiden!”
The three remaining recruits were blocking the tidal wave of the dead from rushing in.
One formation had already lost momentum. Just one step back, and they will come face to face with Aiden, and then the situation will be over.
Surrounded by the dead, they will be slaughtered.
He couldn’t even look back. The moment he takes his eyes off the Dark Warrior, Aiden’s life will be in danger.
There was no answer to attrition against the undead. The only thing he could trust right now was Xerath. He prayed in his heart that Xerath would think the same way as he did.
“Xerath!”
At the same time, a huge flame engulfed the dead at the rear, burning the cemetery.
He bought some time.
“Aiden, how much longer can you hold out!”
“I will hold out as much as I can!”
“Great! I will try my best too.”
Xerath started running around the cemetery. Behind him, many dead people followed.
He surrounded the camp where the recruits were, like a barrier of flames. Aiden could see Xerath’s expression was slightly contorted.
‘Xerath is starting to overdo it, too.’
But first, he had to make the most of the time he had earned.
“Aiden, aim for the Command Core! I will capture the Necromance!”
When the Necromancer spotted Xerath, he started to run away.
Meanwhile, Euron and the recruits were fighting the dead with the flames between them. Their shoulders trembled a little.
Aiden exclaimed loudly.
“I’ll leave you behind!”
“Hey, just leave it to me!”
Aiden focused on the Dark Warrior again.
‘I can’t just trust Xerath and wait.’
If he catches the necromancer, the wraith will disappear, but he must assume the worst-case scenario.
He was fighting with the intention of defeating him.
Aiden narrowed the distance and dug into him. A stab at the heart. The wraith meekly allowed Aiden’s attack.
Black smoke came out like blood, but it didn’t hurt the wraith. Low ridicule followed.
‘Did I get it wrong?’
As long as the core is not destroyed, the Dark Warrior will regenerate indefinitely.
That was also his weakness.
A slaughter machine that knows no pain or fear only cared about defense at one point – and it was the vital point where the core was located.
Of course, each body part was different. Aiden had to find the place from now on.
The Dark Warrior grabbed the holy sword embedded in his chest with one hand. The divine power burned his grip and his body, but he didn’t blink an eye.
Aiden pushed his divine power to the limit. The smell of burning vibrated. Aiden slashed diagonally and the man’s upper body was ripped open.
‘Not even the right lower abdomen.’
At the same time, his iron sword fell over his head. Aiden dodged with a roll, and then sliced his thigh.
The Dark Warrior’s center of gravity tilted, but only for a moment.
He kicked Aiden in the stomach with his leg that instantly regenerated.
It was a power several times stronger than before. Aiden bounced off and hit a giant tree.
If it wasn’t for the sacred armor, his intestines would have exploded.
“Hey, are you okay there?”
“Focus on your mission!”
There was no answer when he dug through the back. The bastard approached, dragging his sword.
‘All that’s left now is the head and left leg. Or is it an arm…?’
He can’t figure it out at all unless he cut through the whole body one by one.
Before he knew it, the man approached and raised the iron sword with both hands. Sharp crackling sound. Aiden quickly raised the holy sword horizontally and blocked it.
The swords collided and sparks splattered. A piercing, dull ripple spread through his arms and throughout his body.
‘Wait a moment.’
Come to think of it, this was the second time they had exchanged swords against each other. When Aiden first lunged at him, he definitely tried to defend himself.
‘Head.’
Aiden used the giant tree behind his back as a support and strengthen his arms. Mitral, biceps, triceps, forearms. All his muscles felt like they were about to explode. The seams of the sacrum seemed to scream.
A clash between power. Aiden had a narrow advantage. He pushed back and slashed the wraith’s sword.
At the same time, Aiden twisted his waist and raised his legs. The shin that flew in a parabolic motion burst into the wraith’s bone.
Black smoke scattered in all directions and the headless warrior stood still.
‘Did it work?’
Aiden took a few steps back and widened the distance. But it was a little strange. He didn’t show any will to defend himself…
Sure enough, smoke began to seep in where his head had disappeared.
“Damn!”
Obviously, at first, he had raised a sword to block it. Wasn’t he trying to protect his head?
Aiden recalled the first attack. The path of the sword – it would have split his head and run down his neck and upper body, leading to his groin and cutting him across.
Not the neck and the head. The upper body was also put to the test, so there was only one place left.
Aiden pulled out the lance he was carrying. The island battle split the darkness and headed for the wraith’s groin.
Kang, the spear bounced off and landed in the mud. He was more desperate than ever.
It was dark under the lamp, and the vital point was in the real vital point. The guy didn’t laugh anymore. He seemed angry.
Aiden drew a cruel smile.
“It was there.”
He screamed and lunged at Aiden. The wraith swung his iron sword fiercely and continued to push Aiden away without getting tired.
The longer the fight with the undead, the more disadvantageous it is. The Undead knows no fatigue.
Aiden, on the other hand, was losing strength and had to end this fight quickly.
“Euron! Don’t look back, and stick to your mission!”
It wasn’t a Paladin’s fight from now on. If anyone sees it, the image of the virtuous figure may crack.
“Oh, I see!”
Aiden changed his defensive posture to attack and tenaciously thrust the sword into his groin.
After lowering the posture, he stabbed. He didn’t hesitate to kick from time to time. Of course, there were no valid hits.
Aiden widened the distance slightly and threw the dagger in his arms at the lower body of the wraith.
As soon as it was intercepted, he jumped back in. He deflected the wraith’s sword and used his weight to push him down.
He climbed up and elbowed the wraith’s hand, and tucked the rest of his hand into his groin.
The wraith’s red eyes fluctuated.
A terrible grip pierced his crotch and ran through his body. The wraith howled like a seizure, but Aiden did not stop.
‘Found it.’
Aiden grabbed the small sphere tightly and pulled it out. It came with rotten flesh and chunks.
Only then did the wraith’s actions cease. The bright red eyes slowly faded away. The captured soul was washed away by the wind and scattered like smoke.
It didn’t take long for the giant warrior to turn into a withered corpse.
A huge amount of experience seeped in like a wave.
Aiden moved without time to ponder the lingering effects of the battle.
Taking the lance again, he aimed at the dead. The spear flew out in a flash and smashed the head of the dead that had captured Euron.
“Ah, Lord Aiden!”
It didn’t make sense that he was also quite fierce. Ooze, flesh, and bone powder were pressed all over his body.
“The wraith…”
“It has been dealt with.”
The recruits’ expressions were tinged with relief. It seemed that the first battle would be remembered forever.
However, there was no time to catch his breath.
“Let’s go.”
It was time to judge the Necromancer and dispose of who was behind it.
