Play Speak
This ๐ฌontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.๐๐๐ข
Isaac estimated the distance to the Holy Land of Elion. The path was unrideable, so he had to walk, but it wasnโt easy to walk fast in a place where water splashed up to his ankles.
โItโs getting closer now, butโฆโ
The silhouette of the Holy Land of Elion, which had seemed distant, was now considerably nearer. Beyond those cliffs, encircled as though by pointed spears forming a barrier, lay the place where Elilโs body was enshrined.
Yet, Isaac kept looking back.
[The Nameless Chaos watches you.]
Isaac understood why the whispers of warning continued. He had already sensed an ominous aura emanating from the fortress of Elion. The dark shadows cast over the fortress were clearly signs of the Immortal Order.
โIt seems theyโve finally shown their true colors.โ
If so, those villains were undoubtedly rushing here, ready to die, or rather, to be shattered. The only chance to turn the tide was now at the Holy Land of Elion.
โHurry up. It seems the Immortal Order scoundrels are just starting to leave.โ
โWhat? But the forces of Aldeon should be holding them backโฆโ
โWhen those who fear neither death nor injury and disregard wounds decide to escape, no one can stop them. Even if the Aldeon forces arrive, that place is a battlefield. It must be piled with corpses.โ
Realizing what Isaacโs words implied, Edelredโs face turned pale. If Isaac was right, the forces of Aldeon were likely already fighting the undead legions.
โShouldnโt we go back? We can clean up the Immortal Order scoundrels and still make it to the Holy Land!โ
โWe need to go to the Holy Land not to fight the Immortal Order, but to prevent them from invading it in the first place.โ
Even if all the undead at the fortress of Elion were cleared, if the Immortal Order invaded the Holy Land, it would be over. As Isaac was about to explain how dangerous the invasion of the Immortal Order could be, he spotted an army approaching from a distance.
A wave of cold spread like a wave, and a path of ice formed over the surface of the lake. Hundreds of cavalrymen were charging across it at a furious pace. The icy bridge was rough enough to prevent slipping.
At the forefront was Villon Georg. From a distance, Isaac recognized him wielding Lumiarde and smirked bitterly.
โFaster than expected. And he even has Lumiarde.โ
He must have intended to kill Lianne to snatch it.
Isaac felt conflicted knowing Villon was serious. Meanwhile, Edelredโs face turned pale upon seeing the charging cavalry, but then he gripped the Holy Sword Kaldbruch tightly.
โLumiardeโฆ?โ
Isaac blocked him with a hand.
โRefrain from using Kaldbruch, Your Majesty.โ
โBut I should be of helpโฆโ
โItโs strange. The Immortal Order is openly invading the Holy Land, and yet thereโs no intervention from the angels. They might be neglecting it on purpose or even leading it.โ
Isaac still hadnโt dismissed his suspicion that one of Elilโs angels was manipulating Georgโs rebel forces. And if that angel still hadnโt abandoned their purpose, they might even use the Immortal Order to thwart Isaac. Using Kaldbruch, which harnessed the power of angels, might backfire.
โHoly Grail Knight!โ
Villonโs roar, filled with rage, echoed over the surface of the lake. Isaac pulled out the Luadin Key. Edelred also decided to lend his strength, but without drawing on Kaldbruchโs power. It was a reliable sight, but whether it would truly help was questionable.
โIn the Holy Land, watched by angels, alongside a child, against hundreds of undead knights from Elil? This difficulty level is insane. Chaos? If you donโt want me to die here, how about doing something?โ
[The Nameless Chaos watches you.]
[The Nameless Chaos wants you to execute the โcorruptor Villon Georgโ.]
[Chaosโs reward awaits you.]
Instead of helping directly, it seemed to be offering motivation. Isaac smirked.
โLetโs see what happens then.โ
***
Isaac faced Villon head-on as he approached. The vibration from the cavalryโs hooves drummed on the bridge, trembling the previously calm lake surface. Villon, wielding Lumiarde, unleashed a storm of cold with unstoppable ferocity as he charged.
Isaac, of course, was unaffected, and so were the cavalry around him.
โThe undead of the Immortal Order are not affected by the cold.โ
Perhaps due to the aura of the dead, they already emitted a chilling presence just by being near. Ironically, this allowed the Immortal Orderโs undead to wield the relics of Elil.
โWell, Iโm using the Luadin Key myself.โ
Isaac lifted the Luadin Key high, drawing out its sword energy to the fullest.
Fluttering wildly, the flames of the Luadin Key writhed in a deep purple, eerie aura, as if performing a bizarre ritual, dancing and flickering.
Isaac concentrated intensely, mimicking the advanced sword techniques used by the Knights of Aldeon.
No past, no future. Only the determination to kill the enemy before him.
A sound like metal crushing emanated from Isaacโs hand holding the Luadin Key. He struck down like lightning towards the bridge leading to the Holy Land of Elion.
In an instant, the sound vanished.
Instead of noise, a powerful wave spread across the entire lake first. The waves furiously pushed forward, revealing the bleached surface of the bridge below. Then, a loud explosion followed.
The bridge connecting the Kingdom of Elil and Elilโs mausoleum was, in itself, a holy place and a relic. Isaacโs attack would not have destroyed it, not even if he had unleashed some miracle.
However, the impact did not simply disappear.
The result was a ferocious vibration that shook the entire bridge.
Quaking, the ice road created by Villon was swept away or shattered by the vibration. The only reason hundreds of cavalrymen could ride across the mere ice was because the robust bridge had served as a support. But now, that bridge was casting off the road.
As the ice broke, the undead knights were alarmed and tried to halt. But it was too late for any response.
โGeneral Villon!โ
Many undead knights stumbled from the single strike and fell beneath the water.
Wearing heavy armor, they sank like stones into the depths of the lakeโa lake nearly hundreds of meters at its center. It would take ages for them to crawl out from under the water if they could find their way through the notorious fog and dark waters of Lake Elion.
โDamn it!โ
Unfortunately, Villon had not fallen beneath the bridge due to Isaacโs strike. He hastily scattered cold around him to repair the ice, but by then, nearly half of the undead knights had already plunged into the lake.
Villon, who knew better than anyone the notorious fog and depth of Lake Elion, realized he had lost many comrades to Isaacโs strike.
Without even a chance to enjoy the fruits of having sold their souls to the Immortal Order and become undead.
โI will kill you!โ
โThe angels failed, what can you possibly do?โ
Isaac mocked Villonโs energy as he raised his sword.
***
Racing across the surface, Villon charged at Isaac with reckless aggression.
The sheer weight of Villonโs charger made it a deadly weapon. However, Isaac had no intention of engaging in a direct confrontation with the fierce undead from Elil.
As the collision neared, the Colors Beyond, already scattered on the ground, gripped the chargerโs ankles tightly. It wasnโt enough to drag but was sufficient to trip it unexpectedly. As the charger stumbled and fell, Villon was catapulted forward.
Villon rolled across the bridge in a battered mess.
Isaac did not give Villon a chance to rise and swiftly attacked.
โHeโs no longer a follower of Elil, so thereโs no need for a fair fight.โ
Isaacโs sword, teeming with deadly intent, came crashing down on Villon, who barely managed to raise his own blade in time to block the attack. Had it been a normal sword, Isaacโs sword energy would have split it and likely taken Villonโs head with it, but the sword in Villonโs hands was the holy sword Lumiarde.
With a screeching clash, a burst of cold exploded out. Isaac retreated before his feet could freeze. Although he regretted not finishing it in one go, this move was a definite upper hand.
Villon, rolling to his feet, shook off ice fragments from his body. Being undead, he neither suffered from the fallโs impact nor felt any pain.
Enraged, Villon yelled, โThis is no place for a heretic to interfere!โ
โNow you say that? And youโre no longer a follower of Elil either.โ
Isaac found it absurd but dismissed it, knowing that villains often ignore their own hypocrisy.
And in that regard, Isaac had no room to talk about being duplicitous either.
Villon, incensed by Isaacโs taunt, swung his sword again.
Whoosh, slash! Lumiardeโs blade gleamed as it erupted with light, aiming to claim Isaacโs life. Just as he had with Lianne, Isaac used the Eyes of Chaos to discern which attacks were genuine and deftly countered them. Yet, Villon relentlessly continued his assault.
One terrifying aspect of the undead was their ability to keep fighting without fatigue or feeling the burden of injuries. Among them, Villon seemed almost akin to a Death Knight, endowed with the compensation of life insurance. ๐reew๐ฒb๐ง๐๐ฏ๐l.c๐m
Despite not learning the Immortal Orderโs miracles, there was no reason he couldnโt match a Death Knight, given his pre-death status as one of Elilโs finest knights.
But Isaac, clashing with the attacks, gauged Villonโs level.
โHeโs among the best knights Iโve seen, but not quite a Swordmaster.โ
That meant it would take about five knights of Villonโs caliber to match Isaac. His current resilience was purely thanks to Lumiarde.
Isaac waited for the right moment to disengage Lumiarde and aimed his sword at Villonโs throat.
Crack! However, Isaacโs attack was blocked by Villonโs left hand. Isaac was surprised that Villon was able to grasp the sword energy of the Luadin Key with his hand.
Soon, Isaac realized that the gloves on Villonโs hands were not ordinary but relics of heresy.
โWearing something nice, arenโt you?โ
Knowing he was already at a disadvantage, Villon heard Isaacโs words as mockery and glared with grinding teeth.
โGeneral Villon!โ
The undead knights, having regrouped from the confusion, joined the fight. Isaac sheathed his sword and backed off. The area had become a sizable ice patch due to Villon, but given the earlier catastrophe, it couldnโt spread far. At most, only three knights could confront Isaac simultaneously on the bridge.
โLucky theyโre all undead followers of Elil.โ
If these had been true Death Knights who knew the Immortal Orderโs miracles and could summon specters or phantom steeds, Isaac would have been in real trouble.
They would have attacked from the air.
But now, they were merely knights who fought well and didnโt die easily, without the hope of Elilโs blessings.
On this narrow bridge, Isaac was distinctly at an advantage.
However, just being able to confront them didnโt mean he could easily wipe them out.
โAs long as Villon has Lumiarde, he can enter Elion. If he interferes during the returning ceremony, itโs all over. I need to deal with this here.โ
Isaac subtly gauged their morale.
Knights who until days ago served Elil and pursued glorious battles, now reduced to pathetic and corrupted undead, obsessed solely with vengeance. Wouldnโt they feel self-loathing?
Isaac spoke up, โTricked by angels, you sold your honor, pride, friends, comrades, and kin. And thatโs all you can do after such a betrayal?โ
Crack. Villon, his eyes blazing with anger, glared at Isaac. But Isaac didnโt stop taunting.
โOh, being able to express your feelings so vividly is only temporary. Soon your face will rot, muscles to form expressions will decay, and even your eyes will fall out. Naturally, your hair too.โ
โShut up!โ
โA knight who only knew battle, lacking in vocabulary.โ
Isaac thought internally but continued to provoke him outwardly.
โWhy, Villon? Are you scared of becoming that? Then you should have chosen your place to die better. If youโre afraid of dying, what does abandoning the god you served all your life at the end amount to?โ
At Isaacโs rebuke, the knights flinched.
Isaac had surmised that had these knights been aggressively coerced into becoming undead, they would have likely resisted and fought to their deaths. However, the nature of the life insurance was different. They likely lived with a slight discomfort, postponing the cancellation of their membership until they died somewhat unexpectedly. Internally, they might have comforted themselves with the excuse that they hadnโt deliberately committed apostasy, to lessen the guilt on their conscience.
And to justify such actions to themselves, they would have been even more compliant with Villonโs commands.
The truly terrifying aspect of the life insurance was precisely this: it passively allowed individuals who might have resisted becoming undead to eventually accept it through neglect.
This manipulative conversion process was a critical point Isaac understood and used to his advantage in psychological warfare, aiming to undermine their resolve further and exploit the internal conflicts gnawing at the knights.
โTL Notesโ
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