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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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Chapter 121: Nemesis (3)
***
Even though he was not in his right mind, Damien’s actions were swift.
As soon as he grabbed his wrist, he used the Cotton-Lined Forbidden Needle technique to paralyze his opponent’s muscles and seal his blood vessels.
After completely incapacitating his opponent, he grabbed his head and slammed it down.
With a loud crash, Tarantula’s head was completely embedded in the ground.
By the time he finished this action, Damien was finally able to regain his sanity.
‘I’ve done it.’
He had failed to control his anger and had ended up attacking a paladin. However, he didn’t regret it.
He hadn’t controlled his emotions enough to have any regrets. If he let his guard down for even a moment, he felt like he would lose his mind again.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
At that moment, a voice filled with anger rang out.
He turned his gaze and saw Nadine glaring at him as if he was going to kill him.
“How dare an outsider like you lay a hand on a paladin of our sect?”
Nadine drew his sword. A sharp aura surged like a tidal wave, pressuring Damien.
“I won’t let you get away with this!”
Nadine rushed towards Damien. Paramond stepped in front of him.
“Paramondddd!”
Nadine spat out his anger and swung his sword down. Paramond blocked the falling blade with his forearm.
1st-grade paladin.
Two powerful entities equal to the high-class clashed with each other.
Tremendous divine power clashed in the air. Just being exposed to that aura was enough to make some of the paladins pale.
“Get out of my way!”
“I can’t do that. Sir Damien is a guest of our sect.”
“That bastard laid a hand on my sect’s paladin!”
“You’re the one who drew your weapon first.”
Nadine glared at Paramond with murderous intent. Paramond did not avert his gaze.
The two men stood in a sharp confrontation. The murderous aura they exuded grew stronger and stronger.
Just before the murderous aura reached its peak, someone stepped in between the two men.
“Calm down, both of you.”
It was Serbo, the 1st-grade paladin leading the ‘Blinding Pain’.
Being a 1st-grade paladin himself, Serbo was able to pierce through the storm of divine power and approach the two men.
“Serbo, are you crazy? Are you telling me to calm down after seeing that?”
Nadine said, glancing at Tarantula who was embedded in the ground.
“Your paladin started it first.”
“Are you going to favor him now?”
“Sir Damien has already been granted permission to accompany from Elder Cheongyeum and our Elder Radiant Light has also granted permission.”
In an instant, Serbo’s gaze turned fierce.
“The actions of the Bound winds can be considered an act of defiance even towards our Elder. Do you really think we’ll turn a blind eye to that?”
With Serbo siding with Damien, Nadine could no longer push forward with firmness.
“Damn it.”
Eventually, Nadine sheathed his sword first. Paramon also lowered his arm.
“What are you all doing? Go and treat Tarantula!”
At Nadine’s command, two paladins of the ‘Bound winds’ rushed forward and pulled Tarantula out of the ground.
Tarantula was lying unconscious, his face covered in dirt.
Nadine looked at Tarantula with disdain. Soon, he shouted at Paramond.
“Paramond, ‘Bound winds’ will never forget today’s events.”
“That’s my line. ‘The Incinerator’ won’t forget it either.”
Nadine sent a fierce gaze, but Paramond didn’t flinch.
“We, ‘Bound winds,’ will act separately!”
Saying so, Nadine disappeared with the paladins of his sect.
Thus, only the paladins of the ‘The Incinerator’ and the ‘Blinding Pain’ remained at the scene.
“Damn it. This is why I hate dealing with the Bound winds. They seem so stupid and narrow-minded.”
Paramond spat on the ground, looking in the direction where Nadine had disappeared.
Then, with a slight smile, he turned to Damien.
“Don’t worry about it. The real fault lies with them over there. No matter how much you dislike it, that’s the truth. They’re trying to overturn decisions made by the headquarters.”
Damien’s inclusion had been approved not only by Cheongyeum but also by Radiant Light.
A single sect couldn’t overturn such a decision arbitrarily.
“He’s right. If he had complaints, he should have formally lodged them in the Church later. He shouldn’t act recklessly like this.”
Agnes also intervened.
“I never thought the Blinding Pain would take our side, especially against the Bound Winds.”
Paramond addressed Serbo. Serbo responded as if it was inconsequential.
“No need to worry. I’m just following the will of the Radiant Light.”
“Does that mean your Elder supports us?”
“While she didn’t explicitly say to support, she also didn’t say to oppose.”
It was an inscrutable attitude. Truly befitting to the Radiant Light.
“Anyway, it seems we’ve been left to deal with the mess ourselves.”
In a situation where the strength of the opponents couldn’t be estimated, they had made mistakes from the very beginning.
Paramond scratched his head with a troubled expression.
***
In a forest located a short distance from the central branch of the Mandarin Kingdom, two figures stood on top of a tree, looking down at the central branch.
“Why are they fighting among themselves?”
“Wouldn’t it be better if they got along like us?”
“I agree. I don’t understand why they’re like that, even though they’re from the place.”
“Honey, we shouldn’t say such reckless things. We’re just unusually close.”
The voices of a man and a woman were heard simultaneously.
However, both were wearing thick robes, making it impossible to discern their exact gender.
“Anyway, the guys came just as we planned.”
“What did I tell you? I said they would come if we stirred up the central branch.”
“I was so bored waiting.”
“That’s right. Right.”
There were only two people here. But they were talking too much for two people.
“The best part is that they’re divided now, fighting each other.”
“What does it matter if they’re divided or not? We have nothing to fear with His favor.”
“That’s right! We have nothing to fear unless they’re a Master!”
“They should be afraid of us, rather.”
The more they talked, the more excited the two men and women became.
“If we can just finish this, he might even make us His acolytes.”
“Ugh… even the thought of it is thrilling. If that happens, even that unlucky bastard Gathdal won’t be able to mess with us.”
“Don’t even mention that guy! When I think about how he treated us like servants just because he was favored by Him… my blood still boils!”
“He was a really lucky guy. I’d like to tear him to pieces with my own hands if I could.”
As the two exchanged words, the sun set completely. Darkness fell.
“It’s dark enough now… let’s start moving.”
The two figures headed towards where the paladins were.
***
The Bound winds chose a nearby building and entered inside.
“Paramond! That muscle-headed fool!”
As soon as they entered, Nadine erupted in anger.
“What makes them think they’re so special bringing outsiders on our mission!”
“Yes. And on top of that, that outsider laid hands on Tarantula!”
“How dare an outsider touch a paladin… He held no respect for the Church!”
The paladins of the Bound winds spoke with rough tones. This incident had dealt a significant blow to their pride as well.
“Tarantula? Has he regained consciousness?”
“He’s still unconscious.”
“Weakling. Once this mission is over, I won’t let him off easily. A paladin losing to an ordinary knight!”
Nadine couldn’t contain his anger.
Suddenly, Nadine’s expression changed. He grabbed the sword he had pointed beside him.
“Sir Nadine? What are you…”
At that moment, a dark aura shot toward the building. Nadine raised his sword to block the attack.
“Ahh!”
“Kyah!”
The sudden disturbance caused the paladins to scream. Nadine silently watched the gap created by the aura attack.
Someone was outside.
They wore a robe, so their gender couldn’t be discerned.
But the sword they held was as clear as day.
The surface of the sword was covered in a dark aura. It was a sign of a Dark Knight.
“Arrogant scums. Trying to prey on us like that.”
Nadine’s lips twisted.
“The enemy has appeared! Get your weapons ready immediately!”
Nadine swung his sword towards the wall. Numerous gusts of wind cut through the wall, causing it to crumble into pieces.
Nadine and the paladins emerged through the hole.
“You’re the one who attacked the central branch, aren’t you?”
Nadine asked the robed man.
At the time of the central branch’s attack, the 1st-grade paladin guarding it was killed by a Dark Knight.
According to the survivor’s testimony, he was brutally murdered and played to death. It spoke volumes about the gap between the two.
The dark mana emanating from the man was abnormal. Nadine hadn’t encountered such a formidable opponent in a long time.
There was no doubt that this man was the Dark Knight who attacked their central branch.
“I heard there’s another dark mage. Where have you hidden them?”
The Dark Knight remained silent. Nadine raised one corner of his mouth in response to the silence.
“You don’t have to speak. I already have an idea. Most likely, they’re hiding somewhere, waiting to ambush me.”
Normally, a dark mage would support the knights from the rear.
It was the most effective strategy. Most likely, they were employing such tactics as well.
“I’ll handle him. The rest of you, search the surroundings and find the dark mage!”
“Yes!”
The paladins dispersed with loud shouts.
Even if they couldn’t capture the dark mage, they would serve as a deterrent.
Now, Nadine only needed to focus on the Dark Knight before him.
“I’ll take the blood of the slain paladins and believers from here.”
Nadine drew his sword. As he did, the wind began to swirl around the blade.
The Bound winds was a sect capable of converting divine power into wind.
Nadine, a skilled 1st-grade paladin, engages in a fierce battle with a dark knight.
Nadine utilizes his wind manipulation abilities to enhance his agility to deceive the enemy’s eyes and to create openings in his opponent’s defenses.
“Let’s see what you’re made of!”
Nadine swung his sword. Dozens of wind blades surged towards the Dark Knight.
The ground split open along the path of the wind, and the rocks on it split in half.
Sharp wind blades, like aura, rushed from all directions. Blocking or dodging seemed impossible.
However, the dark knight proves to be a formidable adversary, As he swings his sword dark mana wraps around him and he effortlessly deflects Nadine’s wind blades with a barrier of dark aura.
“Not bad skill!”
Nadine remains calm. He concentrated divine power into his sword again and unleashed a powerful wind blade.
A massive wind blade flew towards the Dark Knight. The Dark Knight raised his sword to block the windblade.
But he couldn’t withstand the impact entirely. The sword bounced back, causing his stance to falter.
Seizing the opportunity, Nadine closes in on the dark knight, aiming to deliver a fatal blow.
“Farewell!”
At that moment, the world turned upside down.
The positions of the sky and the ground reversed. A severe dizziness struck Nadine’s brain.
As his senses scrambled, the trajectory of the sword also wavered. Nadine’s sword slashed through empty air.
Taking advantage of the opening, the Dark Knight swung his sword diagonally downwards.
Nadine instinctively threw himself backward. But he couldn’t completely avoid the attack.
He was cut diagonally from chest to abdomen. Blood spurted out.
Nadine stumbles backward and desperately tries to heal his wounds with divine power.
But the wound was too deep so didn’t heal easily.
“Cough, cough.”
Nadine realizes that he is facing an opponent unlike any he has encountered before.
Nadine coughed up blood, looking incredulously at the Dark Knight.
Having fought numerous dark mages before, he quickly realized what had happened to him.
He had been hit by the ‘Confusion Curse’, which scrambled his senses.
But it was absurd. The curse’s effectiveness sharply diminished with distance.
Moreover, to use such a curse on a first-class paladin like Nadine, a high-ranking curse was needed.
But there was no dark mage here, only Dark Knight.
“I heard that a paladin named Nadine is quite strong. Looks like the rumors were true.”
“Yeah, he even knows how to dodge even under a curse.”
At that moment, two voices came from the Dark Knight.
Nadine couldn’t help but be perplexed by the bizarre phenomenon.
“Honey, look at that face. Looks really dumb, doesn’t it?”
“I never thought even the esteemed paladin would make such an expression.”
The Dark Knight discarded his robe.
As Nadine saw the Dark Knight’s bare body, his eyes widened in shock.
***
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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