Paladin of the Dead God - Chapter 401



Only Noblemtl

Episode 401. Graveyard Lord (1)

Isaac carefully examined each of the flags lined up in the battle line.

Most of the army was covered in fog, so it was impossible to tell if all the knights, units, and families representing that flag had actually arrived. If they had all arrived, it would mean that all the elites had gathered here, so it was likely a bluff.

However, it is unknown to what extent the lighthouse keeper and the immortal emperor colluded. It is also unknown whether the lighthouse keeper was trying to give Isaac more trouble, or whether he was trying to use him as bait to hit the immortal emperor in the back of the head.

‘How careful.’

Isaac thought the Graveyard Lord was acting unusually cautiously.

The Graveyard Lord, whose real name was Sarka Nua. The last descendant of the Unified Empire.

He was raised by the Imperial Family who hated the White Death and the Immortal Cult, which were the causes of the fall of the Unified Empire.

It was only natural that Sarka Nua would become the commander-in-chief of the Third Dawn Army and the last of the Restorers. He mercilessly cut down the forces of the Undead Cult, making bold and ambitious gambles.

In this way, Sarka Nua was expected to conquer the holy land of Lua and lay the foundation for a new empire amid the praise and joy of the elders of the family.

‘Until it was revealed that he was digging up the secret of immortality in the Holy Land of Lua… … .’

Through a cruel and tragic process, Sarka Nua eventually gained immortality by becoming undead, and the Immortal Emperor gave him the name of Cemetery Lord.

Eventually, the bloodline of the Unified Empire’s imperial family was cut off with Sarkan Nua.

After that, the direction of his hatred and anger turned to the Code of Light. In fact, the Code of Light had never taken over the Holy Land of Lua since the Third Dawn.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Graveyard Lord was the angel who killed the most followers of the Light Code in history.

‘I thought you’d be bold this time, but this is such a cautious approach. What are you guarding against?’

Isaac turned his gaze to the Graveyard Lord.

Since the Angel of Light had appeared from the beginning, the one who could control the beginning and end of this battlefield could only be the Graveyard Lord. The Graveyard Lord seemed to be slowly looking around the Isacrea Dawn Army and then met Isaac’s eyes.

But instead of paying attention to him, the cemetery lord just passed him by.

‘what?’

Then the Graveyard Lord slowly raised his sword and aimed it at the Isacrea Dawn Army.

[I want to talk to the Grail Knight. Where is he?]

In a normal battlefield, you wouldn’t do something so foolish as to reveal the location of the Supreme Commander, but your opponent is an angel. Before he was a pagan and an enemy, he was someone who left his mark on human history, and the mere fact that he was chosen by God evokes respect and fear.

There was no way to hide behind the soldiers when Isaac’s name was called. From the moment Isaac’s name was called, countless eyes were on him.

Even before Isaac could step forward, the Graveyard Lord’s gaze was already turned in his direction.

[You?]

“I am the Graveyard Lord.”

Isaac answered with his arms crossed. Even though he had lost strength, his status had not been lowered. The fact that he could be so arrogant in front of the angel was proof of Isaac’s extraordinary status.

But the cemetery lord tilted his head strangely.

[That’s strange.]

“What are you talking about?”

[You don’t seem to have the air of a hero. I want to meet the undefeated Holy Grail Knight, the hero who shattered the salt desert and annihilated the pale. If you’re just pretending, it’s no fun, so come forward.]

Isaac felt a sense of absurdity, but he was on guard. Did he notice that his strength had weakened? However, even if he was a clone, he was still Isaac, and even if he wasn’t, he couldn’t summon the main body that had gone to the outer world.

Tukhalin looked at Isaac with a slightly nervous expression, but he remained calm.

“I don’t care what you think. I’m who I am, so don’t be so presumptuous and tell me to come and go.”

Isaac responded by tilting his head.

“I was also going to take a look at the face of the senior of the 3rd Dawn Army, but judging from the nonsense he was talking about, I can tell his level. Isn’t it just that the Immortal Sect of the past has fallen in status? Your subordinates are crying because they can’t even eat the food for ancestral rites due to your arrogance, Sarka Nua.”

In this world, the only people who perform ‘sacrifices’ are orcs, and I don’t know if orcs call their rituals ‘sacrifices’, but in any case, the general meaning seems to have been conveyed.

Dozens of skulls hanging from the Graveyard Lord’s armor rattled in unison, expressing his anger. It seemed he had a bad taste in hanging his subordinates on their armor.

Only then did the Graveyard Lord laugh.

[That Grail Knight is the one with the most charisma.]

He swung his sword slowly horizontally.

[Then let’s see if his skills are as good as his spirit. 1st Army, advance.]

Hundreds of Death Knights began to run out, their eyes shining blue from the fog.

***

“Get out the window! Get out the window!”

Kwadoo doodoo doodoo, bang!

Loud noises and screams erupted from all over the battlefield.

It was the sound of the Death Knight ‘army’ pounding the infantry of the Isacrea Dawn Army. The defense was not difficult because they had formed a solid defensive formation as soon as they saw the Grave Lord, but the shock of the battle lines shaking with each charge was transmitted.

Death Knights are all from the ranks of Paladins. Paladins are those who can use ‘at least’ advanced swordsmanship, and can even perform miracles.

There were at most a few dozen paladins belonging to a single paladin order, but they commanded at least a thousand death knights.

“Hold on, you bastards! If we get through, we’re done for!”

Tukhalin roared and shouted.

Although the Paladins were active with miracles and hymns, the Death Knight army’s attack was formidable. However, the Isacrea Dawn Army also had sharp swords prepared.

“Ellie, Ellie, Ellie!”

The knights of Elril who had bypassed the Death Knight army split it horizontally. It was the perfect way to isolate them, but the delicate charge that seemed to cut through the defenses of the friendly forces was a feat that only Elril’s cavalry could do.

And as soon as the Elril Knights split the Death Knight army, the infantry that had been enduring and enduring exploded with rage.

Gebel let out a roar that sounded like scraping iron.

“Scrape it out!”

Chance, chance! The moment the shield bearer who had been blocking the Death Knight’s blade fell back, a soldier holding a long scythe caught the Death Knight’s neck with his blade and pulled him inward in one breath. The Death Knight unit, split by the charge of the Elril Knights, was unable to help those who were isolated.

After countless spears rained down on the fallen Death Knight, the remaining remains were either burned by priests or melted down with their armor by furnace craftsmen.

By the time the Death Knights had filled the gap again, the infantry’s defenses had also been restored.

The soldiers of the Isacrea Dawn Army, who had endured Gebel’s harsh training, were not able to display great swordsmanship skills, but they were showing solid unity and discipline. Above all, their true value was their morale, which remained intact even in the face of the Death Knight army.

But the damage could not have been zero.

Among the Death Knight forces, there were also Liches who assisted them and carried out support attacks. They attempted to use the Undead Cult’s specialty, ‘raising dead comrades to break the enemy’s morale.’

At this, Raullock, the leader of the Lycanthrope Warriors, raised his head and sniffed.

When Raulrock, who had smelled the ‘smell of miracle’, looked in one direction and cried out, Tukhalin raised his hammer and struck the ground.

The lightning struck the ground, creating a black cloud of soot, and then at one moment, it exploded exactly where Lich had been.

The soldiers cheered as they watched the remains of the Lich scatter into pieces.

“Your practice paid off, Tukhalin!”

“Why does this even require practice? Huh, really.”

Tukhalin smiled awkwardly, trying not to show that he had practiced a lot to control his strength. One of the most dangerous tactics of the Undead Cult was the ambush of undead that would emerge from underground.

To prevent this situation from happening, Tukhalin tried to prevent his allies from being electrocuted by sending lightning bolts underground. Thanks to this, the ‘undead mines’ that the Grave Lord had buried long ago were quickly reduced to ashes underground without any need to kill them as they crawled out.

In the sky, Nel and the Bone Dragon were fighting.

Compared to the young Nell, the Bone Dragon boasted a huge size that seemed to be from the mythical era, so it wasn’t easy. However, thanks to Hesabel, who had experience hunting dragons in Urbansus, they were able to fight on equal terms.

While lightning and blizzards were creating a catastrophic storm beyond the fog, Isaac was also active.

It can’t be compared to the main body, but one or two Death Knights are not a problem at all.

Isaac served as a stopper, appearing like lightning to fill in any gaps in the Death Knight’s line.

The mere appearance of Isaac caused morale to soar, and the Isacrea Dawn Army’s defenses showed no sign of collapsing.

But even in the midst of all this, Isaac and the Graveyard Lord kept a close eye on each other.

***

‘You’re running around hard, Grail Knight.’

The Graveyard Lord was still half-doubting whether his opponent was really the Grail Knight who had destroyed Pale. He looked like someone he could kill if he rushed at him right now.

But Pale might have thought so too.

There was no reason for him to repeat such foolish judgments.

Above all, he is a being that the Immortal Emperor himself warned about. If Isaac is hiding his identity or power, you should not enter rashly.

‘Then why don’t you just show up and show your strength? Let’s see if you can hold out even after all your subordinates die.’

This is not all of the forces of the Lunar Eclipse Army. Only a very small number of troops have been dispatched, and less than half of the flags lined up have been dispatched. The Isacrea Dawn Army is currently fighting, but the Graveyard Lord only has the impression of ‘This is all?’

At this point, there is no need for the rest of the lunar eclipse group to come forward.

The undead do not need supplies or tire; their combat endurance is their most threatening weapon.

Even without having to step forward and give other angels a reason to come forward, it was enough to threaten the Isacrea Dawn Army.

[Time is always on the side of the Immortal Order. This is no time to be leisurely, Grail Knight.]

***

‘I don’t move myself. Is this the level of understanding?’

Isaac also observed the Graveyard Lord without letting go of his mind. He was just sitting silently in the fog, watching the Isacrea Dawn Army’s response, but his presence was formidable.

“Holy Grail Knight, are you prepared to respond?”

Tukhalin, who had come closer without me noticing, asked in a nervous voice.

The experienced Tukhalin knew that there was no point in stalling against the Immortal Cult.

Luckily, Isaac had a plan.

“Of course.”

“Okay, what is it? A mortar? Should I just detonate a shell on that skullcap right now? I think I’d be very happy to see his skull cracked.”

Of course, it was a sight Isaac wanted to see too, but not now.

Gunpowder is not an item that can be easily obtained. It must be conserved as much as possible for the conquest of the Holy Land Lua or just in case.

Above all, Isaac was thinking of a more efficient method.

“If necessary, we will use shells. But for now, we must hold out.”

“what?”

“If we hold out, they will collapse on their own. Time is on our side, so just hold out a little longer.”

The Immortal Cult must have believed that time was on their side until now.

They say they completely control the supply, physical strength, and even the replenishment and life of their troops.

But through this battle, the Undead Cult will learn for the first time what it means to be pressed for time.