Paladin of the Dead God

Chapter 2:

“There’s an escape route to the east. Women and children are probably fleeing there; send the soldiers that way.”

At this, the Death Knight playing the violin beside him paused, changing his tone. As the sound of the violin pierced through the noise of the fire, some of the skeletal soldiers started moving eastward.

The Death Knight, while playing, said,

“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

“There are over ten escape routes in this village that I know of. To be sure, we need to move without them knowing. We have to observe the situation as well.”

The Death Knight seemed skeptical of the man, but Kalsen Miller, the commander of the Millishar Paladin Order guarding the frontline of the White Empire, did not even glance at the Death Knight.

Kalsen Miller.

Among the Paladins of the White Empire, he was so powerful that he was known as the ‘Saint of Swords.’ It was expected that he would ascend to the ranks of angels after death, and there were even rumors that he might reach the ‘Hierarchy of the Named Angels’ bestowed by the gods.

But he chose to betray.

When he revealed his true colors, not only his fellow knights but even the Immortal Order that had agreed to accept him were in disbelief.

Then, Kalsen proved his faith by sacrificing all his knights. Not satisfied with that, he received a ‘special’ mission from the Black Empire and came here.

“All the vessels that could become seeds of calamity are now gone,” murmured the Death Knight.

The village they attacked was one of the secretly hidden places within the White Empire. Just revealing its existence would have been considered an act of betrayal, yet it was exposed by Kalsen.

However, neither Kalsen nor the higher-ups of the order knew why this place was so secretly guarded. Whether to protect or destroy, it was just carried out under the mysterious orders of the gods.

“The east side is done. How about we take a look around personally?” asked the Death Knight, provocatively to Kalsen.

Thanks to Kalsen, the village’s towers and defense walls were all neutralized. But during the betrayal, Kalsen had never directly swung his sword at anyone.

He had tricked his knights into being captured or had the skeleton soldiers kill them, and in attacking the village, he had only brought down walls and towers.

The Death Knight’s words were a question of whether it was time for Kalsen to start getting his hands dirty.

Kalsen, expressionless, stared at the burning village and then moved his horse. The trained warhorse walked into the ruins, unfazed by the flames.

***

“Huff, hah!”

Isaac was running desperately. Skeleton soldiers were everywhere. They seemed to increase as time passed.

‘This is crazier than any difficult game…’

Despite the chaos, that’s what Isaac thought. His survival was a result of coincidence and luck. Even if he hadn’t been a fragile Nephilim, the situation would have been hard to escape.

Moreover, unlike the game where you don’t get tired or dizzy until your HP runs out, in this world, which wasn’t a game, even walking became difficult for Isaac.

Then, Isaac noticed something odd about the skeleton soldiers’ movements. Instead of attacking him, they were herding him into a corner.

Soon, Isaac found himself trapped at a broken wall corner.

And among the skeleton soldiers, someone appeared.

Isaac felt his breath stop at the sight.

Kalsen Miller.

One of the 8 great warriors of the continent, the spearhead of the White Empire, and known as the ‘Saint of Swords’ and ‘Skull Crusher.’

Today, he would become known as the worst betrayer in the last 100 years, the commander of the Millishar Paladin Order, Kalsen Miller, standing right before Isaac. In the Nameless Chaos universe, depending on the faction, he was a final boss-level existence.

‘Skeleton soldiers are tough enough, but him?’

Isaac felt despair.

But then he realized what moment this was.

It was the very moment of ‘Betrayer Kalsen Miller’ falling into corruption in Nameless Chaos.

Despite the Death Knight with the blue-eyed, giant armored figure and violin by his side, Kalsen’s presence was overwhelming. Isaac felt as if the world was converging on him at the sight of Kalsen.

‘I can’t escape.’

The atmosphere described in the game was exact. Characters in the game felt their mental strength wane and felt queasy just by confronting Kalsen. He was that strong

an entity, capturing Isaac with his presence.

Then, from the Death Knight’s side, a clear voice was heard. It wasn’t from the mouth but the air vibrating.

“What’s the harm in a child? Taking him and turning him into another betrayer seems fine. He’s young enough to be taught our ways.”

But Kalsen simply drew his sword, looking at Isaac.

“Wait, Kalsen. Didn’t you hear me? He’s just a kid. No need to kill.”

“I came here to kill that one.”

Kalsen muttered as if sensing something instinctively. This might be the most important moment in his plan. Slaughtering believers and betraying comrades was nothing. Killing this child in front of him was more important.

Kalsen intended to fulfill this mission faithfully.

He strode past the Death Knight towards Isaac.

Isaac could see Kalsen’s eyes as he approached. There was no emotion or doubt in them.

And in Kalsen’s motion as he swung his sword, there was not a hint of hesitation.

Isaac reflexively pulled back, but the blade cut across his chest.

Blood spurted from the wound.

‘I’m dying.’

Isaac felt an empty loneliness.

In this world, he was utterly alone.

There were no family, friends, or acquaintances to remember him. There wasn’t even a religion to explain the afterlife. He had never followed a religion as ‘Isaac,’ and even in this world where gods existed, he did not believe in them.

But as his final moments approached, Isaac realized what loneliness was.

If only there was someone to stay by his side…

[The Nameless Chaos watches over you.]

Then his chest exploded.

With the blood, a mass of giant tentacles burst out as if a balloon had been cut. The mass of tentacles engulfed everything, starting with Kalsen in front of them.

Kalsen reflexively lifted his sword, but by then, his body was being chewed and torn into pieces. Even as his skull was crushed between massive jaws, he couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

“Huh─.”

The Death Knight realized something was wrong and let out a dumbfounded sound, but it was too late.

The mass of tentacles didn’t stop with Kalsen but swept through the surrounding skeleton soldiers. The soldiers crumbled and dispersed like grains of sand in a wave. As the Death Knight turned his horse, a red tentacle swept over him.

The skeletal horse ran fiercely, carrying only the upper half of the Death Knight. The lower half clattered to the ground from the horse.

After sweeping through everything, the tentacles chewed and swallowed what they had engulfed.

Crunch, crunch, crunch. Regardless of metal, bone, or flesh, everything was crushed with a thunderous sound. The tentacles then seemed to finish their meal, smacking their lips before slowly retracting into Isaac’s chest.

Silence suddenly engulfed the area.

The only person left alive to witness all this was Isaac.

Isaac looked at his chest with a dumbfounded expression. As if to prove what happened wasn’t a lie, only a scar remained where Kalsen had cut him. And mocking him, a message appeared before his eyes.

[The Nameless Chaos watches over you.]

[You have consumed ‘Kalsen Miller (EX)’.]

[Consumption efficiency improved with the ‘Intestines of a Dead God’ perk.]

[Physical abilities greatly increased.]

[Spiritual abilities greatly increased.]

[You have acquired ‘Lighthouse of the Watcher (EX)’.]

[Error. Digestion delayed due to the consumed being’s level being excessively higher than the character’s.]

[‘Agent of Chaos’ reuse cooldown 30 days.]

Isaac felt nauseous. He wished all this was just a dream or hallucination.

“Guh.”

Oddly, he belched despite not eating anything.

Then, overwhelming sleepiness assaulted him. Isaac couldn’t resist his drooping eyelids and collapsed.

***

Click.

As dawn approached, a man arrived at the ruins of the village. He hastily dismounted his horse, his face pale as he surveyed the area, only to find nothing but cold dew settling over the charred remains.

‘Damn it.’

The first to arrive, Gebel, muttered curses as he hurried into the village.

Despite such a massive attack, no guards or paladin orders had yet arrived. Only Gebel, residing in a nearby monastery, had seen the smoke and ridden through the night.

By now, guards from the territory and nearby paladin orders would be converging, but they would only find corpses and ruins. Gebel knew all too well why the support was so delayed.

‘Incompetent priests of the order!’

It was due to Kalsen Miller’s betrayal.

The order had noticed signs of Kalsen’s betrayal. However, the fact that Kalsen, a saint and hero, had committed betrayal would undoubtedly cause great shock and disturbance among the believers. While they hesitated, trying to deal with the matter quietly, Kalsen brazenly invaded a village deep within the White Empire.

By the time the order realized the situation, it was too late. They informed monasteries, churches, and paladin orders across the region, but all responses were delayed.

Where Gebel walked, there was nothing but ruins. No bodies were to be seen.

‘Of course. Where the Immortal Order invades, no bodies, living or dead, are left behind…’

They would turn both into undead.

However, perhaps there might still be survivors. Gebel hurriedly moved to search. Fortunate or unfortunate, he soon found something.

Scattered remains and bodies lay among the smell of blood.

‘Bodies left behind?’

Gebel felt bewildered. The Immortal Order typically swept away every piece of bone meticulously. Bones were their resources, their life.

The only time they left bodies behind was when they had to retreat hastily.

Gebel could see everywhere weapons, bodies, and remains of the Immortal Order’s skeletal soldiers.

“What is this…”

The walls and the ground looked as though they had been scraped with a giant scythe. Even the remains of the skeletal soldiers appeared as if they had been torn apart by teeth, scattered haphazardly. It was unclear what could have caused such destruction.

‘Kalsen? Or did an angel appear?’

Perhaps an angel had manifested to protect the holy site. Gebel began to search the area hastily, harboring a glimmer of hope.

But all he found were dust-covered rocks and cold, stiff bodies.

Gebel thought perhaps an angel had appeared not to protect, but to mete out punishment.

If so, only corpses would be present here.

Thud.

At that moment, a pile of stones that Gebel’s hand had touched crumbled.

Gebel found a child buried under the rubble.

The child’s complexion was pale. Gebel froze for a moment looking at the child’s face, then took a deep breath and approached to check on the child.

Thankfully, the child was still breathing. There were injuries on the forehead and chest, but they seemed to be old scars, already healing.

Gebel instinctively felt that this child’s survival was not mere coincidence. And he was sure it was related to the sudden retreat of the Immortal Order.

But at the same time, Gebel thought he must hide the child’s existence for the same reason.

‘If the Immortal Order’s retreat was because of this child, then the order will raise this child as another Kalsen.’

Gebel removed his cloak and covered the child’s face as if to hide him.

Holding the child, he looked around the mist-filled ruins blankly. He pondered how to safely hide the child, then suddenly thought of the monastery where he was taking refuge.

The monastery was already raising many orphans.

It would be a suitable place to hide this child.