Chapter 316: The Paladins' Gratitude, A Trump Card on the Brink
Casualties were to be expected!
But the *way* they died moved even the true elites of the Sunlight Scripture.
The Paladins who had been swarmed by the undead or had exhausted their stamina did not die at the hands of their foes.
Instead, they all took their own lives, slitting the arteries in their necks.
Vibrant blood bloomed into crimson flowers!
In the moment before their impending deaths, the Paladins of the Holy Kingdom displayed a will and spirit that surpassed ordinary comprehension.
Amidst the brutal, ongoing battle, Enri, who was standing behind Tang Zheng, covered her mouth in disbelief. She staggered back a step, her eyes red and uncomprehending.
These were the same Paladins who had been joking and laughing with her just a short while ago, and now... The sight left Enri in a state of indescribable shock.
"Lord Captain, why are they doing this..." Enri's voice trembled, and even her hands began to shake uncontrollably.
"Enri."
Tang Zheng's expression was grave. As he continued to command the Tranquility Archon Angel to attack the Gray-robed Mage, he paused briefly before speaking in a low voice.
"Because they are Paladins. Whether due to their faith or their inner pride, they would never be willing to transform into one of the undead and attack their former comrades."
Enri then recalled how, during the combat meeting, the lords had mentioned that living beings killed by a Death Knight would likewise be converted into undead.
"But, but..."
A sob inexplicably crept into Enri's voice.
"As long as they don't turn into undead, there is still hope," Tang Zheng's gentle yet serious voice reached her.
"Hope?"
"Among 5th-tier faith-based magic, there is a spell that can resurrect the dead, as long as the corpse remains intact..."
Tang Zheng had not yet finished speaking.
"Lord Captain, I have to help too!" Hope gleamed in Enri's brown pupils, and she had already rolled up her sleeves and started running.
Seeing Enri's action, Tang Zheng was startled and immediately called out.
"Xiao Hei!"
"Awooo!" The Evil Spirit Hound let out a low growl. Its massive black figure leaped forward, catching up to Enri in an instant. It opened its mouth and clamped its jaws on the back of her collar.
"Xiao Hei, let me down!"
Enri flailed her arms, the sob in her voice becoming more pronounced. "Lord Captain, I want to help, too."
"Just like Miss Cui Ye, I'm also a member of Free Will."
"I'm not a child!"
"Hooo~"
The Evil Spirit Hound panted. Having received no further command from Tang Zheng, it flicked its head upward, tossing Enri into the air before she landed precisely on its neck.
*Thump—*
Its four paws slammed against the ground.
"AWOOO—"
The Evil Spirit Hound let out a great roar as if telling Enri to hold on tight, then charged toward the outermost edge of the battlefield.
"No... Thank you, Xiao Hei."
Enri finally understood. She cried tears of joy, her hands gripping tightly onto the Evil Spirit Hound's thick, coarse black fur.
With a swift charge, a bone chain whipped out from the Evil Spirit Hound. It arrived before the corpse of a Paladin, sending a group of low-tier undead flying.
The chain coiled around the Paladin's corpse and lifted it onto the hound's back. Enri quickly held on tight, preventing the body from falling off.
Not far away.
"Ah, ah!!"
Another member of the Holy Knight Order, seeing the Evil Spirit Hound and Enri suddenly rush onto the battlefield, paused in his heavy panting. He then let out a roar and charged at the undead before him.
"Thanks—Miss Enri!"
On the fiercely contested battlefield, every unit had its own enemies to face. It seemed that only the ordinary Enri and the Evil Spirit Hound—which wasn't even considered part of their combat strength—were available for a task no one else could be spared for.
*Swoosh! Swoosh!*
The black figures of the Evil Spirit Hound and Enri moved continuously across the battlefield, bringing the corpses of the fallen Paladins back to a safe location.
Wherever they passed, the Paladins would turn to look with gratitude. Cries of "Miss Enri!" rang out continuously from all corners of the battlefield.
"Things deviated a little."
Tang Zheng watched Enri's active figure with a sense of helplessness. "But the result isn't bad."
His plan for Enri had been for her to master the Commander-class system. Initially, he had intended for Enri to follow Leinas. But since the war between the Empire and the Kingdom began every autumn and that was too far off, Tang Zheng had decided to arrange for her to be part of his current plan instead.
There was no specific mention of any famous "Commanders" among the humans of this world, but it was clearly stated that the demi-human "Beast General," Hector Weiss, possessed a command ability that made him "worth ten men."
Seeing that Enri was protected by the Evil Spirit Hound and was in no immediate danger, Tang Zheng shifted his gaze upward toward the Gray-robed Mage in mid-air, who was besieged by a host of angels.
"Damn it, *Lightning Strike*!"
The Gray-robed Mage roared in mid-air, activating his magic.
A blue bolt of lightning shot straight toward a Flame Archangel. The piercing effect of *Lightning Strike* dealt more damage to the angels than *Fireball*.
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
Three Flame Archangels were pierced in succession, dissipating into motes of white light.
*Strike Against Evil*!
The Tranquility Archon Angel swung its magic spear, glowing with holy light, and smashed it heavily toward the Gray-robed Mage.
*Buzz—Buzz—*
A black swarm of insects formed a shield before him. The swarm was scattered by the magic spear's attack, but it successfully blocked the Tranquility Archon Angel's assault.
"Annoying Angel!"
The Gray-robed Mage hastily retreated, creating distance once more and continuing to cast magic attacks. A look of fatigue from excessive magic power consumption was already visible on his face.
Captain Nigun stared fixedly at the sky, continuously directing the Sunlight Scripture's offensive.
"This side shouldn't be a problem."
Tang Zheng thought to himself. For an ordinary person, controlling a fourth-tier angel to attack relentlessly would be quite draining, but for him, it was incredibly easy.
Facing a siege of eighty Flame Archangels and one fourth-tier angel, even a magic caster of the heroic realm seemed somewhat outmatched.
In the future, even Gazef would nearly die under the dense angelic assault of the Sunlight Scripture. Although the high disciple before him was stronger, the addition of a fourth-tier angel made suppressing him a non-issue.
Magic power was the lifeline of a magic caster.
Given enough time, as long as the Gray-robed Mage didn't flee, his defeat was certain.
"Remedios's side... hmm?"
Tang Zheng retracted his gaze and looked toward another part of the battlefield, where Remedios was fighting the Black Armored Knight. A look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"How could this be?"
He saw it clearly!
The armor on Remedios's shoulder was damaged, and blood was steadily pouring out. And it wasn't just that spot.
Other wounds were also bleeding incessantly, dyeing large areas of her silver armor blood-red!
"She's at a complete disadvantage."
Tang Zheng's brows furrowed in clear surprise.
Setting aside Remedios's personality, her raw strength was considerable. Even Clementine might not gain an advantage in a head-on clash.
Among all human Paladins, the one ranked first was the sixth seat of the Black Scripture. Remedios was ranked second, and third was Selabrei, the leader of the Dragon Kingdom's adamantite team, "Crystal Tear."
Remedios also wielded a holy sword, and her Paladin-series classes provided her with protections and methods to recover from injuries, giving her extremely high endurance.
"Continuous bleeding—?"
"The Dark Knight class ability only reduces the healing effect by half. It shouldn't have a continuous bleeding effect. That sword in the Black Armored Knight's hand..."
Tang Zheng's eyes narrowed. He noticed that a holy light would occasionally flash across Remedios's body, but it was never able to effectively staunch the blood flowing from her wounds.
"*Corrupting Sword · Crocodine*."
His own Cursed Knight class also possessed a continuous bleeding effect that prevented wounds from healing. If its ability was similar to that "Corrupting Sword," then low-tier healing magic would likely be unable to cure such an injury!
"No wonder she's been completely suppressed," Tang Zheng's brows furrowed even deeper.
To treat this kind of injury, one would need to use at least the sixth-tier *Greater Healing*, a spell even Tang Zheng had not mastered.
Even if he used the "Magic Escalation Ritual," the strongest healing magic in his possession was the 3rd-tier *Major Wound Healing*. Raising it by two tiers would only bring it to the 5th tier, not reaching the 6th.
"Ah—!"
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream echoed across the battlefield.
"Red" Orland coughed up a large mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward. A thick arm flew through the air and fell to the ground.
"Orland!"
"Orland!"
Gagaran and "Black" Pabel cried out in alarm, immediately erupting with their full power to briefly repel the Death Knight that was about to deliver the finishing blow.
*Spurt!*
Blood sprayed uncontrollably from the severed limb. The tender red flesh around the wound began to rot at a visible rate, corroded by negative energy.
Intense pain!
A mixture of saliva and blood dribbled from the mouth of "Red" Orland. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stand up from the ground.
"This hurts like hell!"
"Red" Orland shouted, panting heavily. His face was completely devoid of color, exuding a sense of weakness, yet his eyes burned with the ferocity of a cornered beast on the verge of death.
"Don't worry about me! Stop it, or the entire defensive line will collapse!"
Clashing with the Death Knight had allowed Gagaran and the others to truly feel the power of this legendary undead.
Facing a tireless monster that seemed impervious to damage, a sense of despair inexplicably rose in the hearts of even men with the temperament of Gagaran and his companions!
"The situation is growing increasingly dire."
Tang Zheng's eyes flickered. Gagaran's group of three could no longer hold back the Death Knight, and Remedios was also at a disadvantage.
The number of undead swarming in from all directions showed no signs of diminishing.
"Are these two going to wait any longer?"
Tang Zheng noticed that Kelart's expression was growing increasingly tense, and Captain Nigun's face was just as grim and unsightly.
Neither of them was a fool; they should have understood the danger of the situation. It seemed both were planning to wait for the other to make the first move!
Since they dared to advance into the Abelion Hills, both sides surely possessed the confidence to defeat a Death Knight. And this "confidence" was the trump card given to them by the Holy Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy.
"This might also be the reason why the Alliance Leader hasn't shown himself."
"He's wary of being targeted by both sides." Tang Zheng was interested in both sides' trump cards, and the Alliance Leader was surely just as interested.
In a situation with absolutely no information, rashly revealing oneself would be an unwise choice.
"They shouldn't be able to wait much longer."
Tang Zheng looked toward the Death Knight.
With "Red" Orland injured, Gagaran's group of three could no longer hold it back.
At the location of the Cleric Corps!
Kelart's hands were clenched into fists. Seeing the exhausted breathing of the priests behind her, her gaze shifted between her sister's direction and the Death Knight.
"Damn it!"
"Is the Slane Theocracy still waiting?"
Kelart was restless. With her wisdom, she naturally understood that she was currently engaged in a psychological game of chicken with Captain Nigun.
But—
She couldn't afford to wait. The Holy Kingdom had the most people, casualties in the Holy Knight Order were gradually increasing, and her sister's situation was also unfavorable.
If she waited any longer...
Kelart's slender, fair fingers reached for the magic leather pouch at her waist. This was a chance to completely annihilate the demi-humans; if she used it now, there probably wouldn't be another opportunity later.
"Heh, heh, to think I would one day be torn over such a thing."
"Her Majesty, Holy Queen Calca..."
Kelart let out a breath. A flash of helplessness appeared in her long, shrewd eyes, and her hand fully gripped the magic leather pouch.
Just as she was about to take it out!
*Thump-thump—*
*Thump-thump—*
The earth trembled, and intense battle cries came from the south.
Beast General Hector Weiss led a host of demi-humans, charging at high speed. The dust kicked up by the demi-human charge crashed down like a giant wave, sending the undead blocking their path flying and crushing them.
The sudden arrival of the demi-humans was like a shot in the arm, revitalizing the beleaguered human forces.
"These bastards!!"
Kelart's hand on the magic leather pouch loosened. Looking at the large number of demi-humans rushing over from a distance, an angry expression appeared on her face, and she gritted her teeth.
"There's no way these demi-humans wouldn't have noticed the commotion created by such a large number of undead. To think they'd only arrive now!"
"They clearly wanted our human elites to suffer losses."
A cold glint shone in Kelart's narrow eyes. She refused to believe these demi-humans had failed to notice the movements of so many undead.
If they couldn't even do that, the various demi-human tribes would have been wiped out long ago!
In mid-air, the first to notice the demi-humans' movement was the Gray-robed Mage.
"These demi-humans really arrived at a good time!"
The Gray-robed Mage's aura was clearly somewhat weak. Seeing the arrival of the demi-humans, he realized their mission had failed.
"4th Tier Magic: *Rampaging Swarm*!"
A dense cloud of flying insects swarmed out from the Gray-robed Mage's sleeve, quickly entangling the Tranquility Archon Angel closest to him.
The Gray-robed Mage rapidly retreated, flying down from the sky.
"Corrupting Sword! It's time to go."
The Gray-robed Mage roared at the Black Armored Knight below, who was fighting with relish. His figure flew over the heads of Remedios and her opponent, landing before the Death Knight.
"*Fireball*!"
A fireball shot out, exploding in front of Gagaran and the other two, creating a shockwave that forced them back.
On the other side.
"Let's end it here for now."
The Black Armored Knight sheathed his longsword and sneered at Remedios, his gaze sweeping covetously over the Holy Sword.
"Next time, you won't be so lucky."
"Don't think you can escape!"
Remedios shouted, wanting to give chase, but her movements had become stiff due to excessive blood loss.
*Bang!*
The Black Armored Knight's feet moved, and he quickly left his spot, rushing towards the Death Knight's position.
"The mission failed. A punishment from the Alliance Leader is unavoidable."
The Gray-robed Mage said with a headache. He placed one hand on the Death Knight and the other on the Black Armored Knight, chanting in a low voice.
"*Teleportation*!"
As space distorted, the three figures—the Death Knight and the two mages—vanished into thin air.
(end of chapter )