Paladin of the Dead God

“We’ll wait here for about a week before departing, just in case. Should anything happen, don’t hesitate to return. Now that the Orca Fleet is in our hands, the Nightmare Strait is no longer a threat to us.”

“And don’t even think about sailing back to Odryf Port with that fleet.”

“Oh, of course not.”

Yenkos chuckled, patting Horace’s skull as if she might end up gilding it for decoration.

“Sir Isaac, we’re ready.”

Just then, Hesabel hurried over to report. It meant the main force had departed, leaving only Isaac and his unit behind.

Elil was assigned to reconnaissance, with Tuhalin at the lead, the Issacrea Knight Order at the core, and Isaac covering the rear. They had chosen a formation that prioritized speed, as no organized attack was expected.

Isaac nodded, bidding farewell to Yenkos.

“Then, we’ll see each other again.”

“Yes, hopefully near the shores of Mirmia.”

***

Isaac flew through the skies over the Salt Desert on Nel’s back, surveying the desolate landscape.

Hesabel was particularly vulnerable to this desert’s harsh environment. Only her eyes were exposed, but even they were nearly scorched by the cursed sun’s intense heat. In the end, she was wrapped tightly in cloth and stowed like cargo in a wagon.

Isaac assumed this vulnerability was due to Hesabel being a vampire. But once he took to the skies on Nel, he realized it wasn’t just that.

‘The reflected light here is no joke.’

Though the Salt Desert was mostly yellowish-brown, it reflected the heat and light with an intensity that was overwhelming. It reminded him of the snow blindness one could suffer after staring at an icy plain for too long. To make matters worse, the cursed sun hung directly in their path, making it difficult to look away or find shade.

‘The soldiers might suffer more exhaustion than expected. Can they handle it?’

Isaac carefully monitored the soldiers for any signs of stragglers or casualties. Thanks to his preparations—covering themselves with heat-resistant cloth and carrying plenty of water—they seemed to be holding up for now. The dry climate of the Salt Desert made it somewhat bearable as long as they shielded themselves from direct sunlight.

The Issacrea Knight Order’s prayers and hymns accompanied them as well.

Isaac himself refrained from praying to the Lighthouse Keeper, who he knew wouldn’t listen anyway. Instead, they offered a prayer for the scattering and reflecting of light. Although the paladins struggled to grasp the concept of ‘reflecting’ or ‘scattering’ light—something that should ideally be embraced—it was not entirely against their teachings.

After all, no one could withstand the pure brilliance and heat emanating from Urbansus. That light, softened and moderated after passing through the hands of angels, popes, and priests, was already tempered. When applied toward the cursed sun, this created a makeshift ‘miracle canopy’ that shielded them.

It couldn’t block everything, but it reduced the intensity enough to be somewhat bearable. The ground’s radiating heat, however, remained a constant challenge.

‘A side effect, perhaps… we’re too conspicuous.’

The Issacrea Dawn Army, with their radiant prayers refracting the cursed sunlight, had become a gleaming, jewel-like force visible from kilometers away. Every monster in the area would likely be drawn toward them.

Yet, what irritated Isaac most was that cursed sun, more so than the monsters.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

After all, monsters could be struck down.

‘Even so, there are fewer monsters than I feared.’

While they’d found several dead monsters likely felled by Elil’s forces, there were no signs of living ones.

Not entirely, anyway. For some time, Isaac had noticed one creature lurking on the fringes of the Salt Desert—a monster watching them from a distance.

Its movements hinted at awareness, and it kept a cautious distance from Isaac. He remained alert. Naturally, intelligent creatures posed more of a challenge than merely powerful ones.

“Grrr…”

At that moment, Nel let out an irritated rumble. The intense heat was exhausting even for the dragon. Flying beneath the full glare of the cursed sun had worn her out. Realizing this, Isaac decided it would be better to descend, allowing her to rest and to only fly when absolutely necessary.

‘That creature… I’ll kill it the first chance I get.’

***

After marching for about half a day, soldiers started showing signs of fatigue, despite every precaution taken against the heat. The glaring reflected light, the dizzying mirages, and the endless horizon that distorted their sense of direction had long eroded the sentries’ focus.

“Aaaargh!”

Just then, a scream pierced the air.

A section of the Salt Desert collapsed, sucking in several soldiers. The ground had given way into a funnel-shaped pit of salt, its edges widening as it continued to crumble. Rottenhammer quickly shouted out an order.

“Fall back! Paladins, to the front!”

The paladins sprang forward, readying themselves to leap into the salt pit.

“The creature is beneath the surface! Stay alert!”

Isaac quickly issued a warning. He had recognized the creature’s identity.

This monster, called the “Desert Phantom” as a nod to the antlion, hid itself beneath the salt pits instead of sand, ambushing unlucky creatures—often other monsters—that ventured into its territory. Within its domain, the Desert Phantom could prey on even stronger creatures, pulling them into the pit to devour them. Rather than engaging it directly, it would have been better to strike it from afar with Tuhalin’s thunder hammer.

Unfortunately, Tuhalin was too far away, and the Desert Phantom wasn’t about to stay still.

As the paladins hesitated on the edge of the pit, brown tentacles erupted from the ground, wrapping around the knights’ ankles and pulling them in. From within the funnel-shaped pit, a massive maw emerged.

It resembled a grotesque flower, its insides flipped outwards, composed of strange, writhing flesh. Instead of a stamen, sharp teeth and a parched tongue swirled within. Tentacles anchored below reached up to seize victims who struggled to escape, dragging them toward the gaping maw.

“You fiend!”

The paladins, true to their order, instantly drew their swords and severed the tentacles. Rottenhammer, seeing the paladins being pulled in, rushed forward without hesitation. Isaac did not attempt to stop him.

“How dare such a vile beast stand in the way of the Dawn Army!”

Even as he slid uncontrollably toward the pit, Rottenhammer swung his hammer, tearing apart the tentacles. Flames engulfed his weapon, scorching any tentacles it touched. He slammed his hammer against the ground, sending a wave of heat that caused the Desert Phantom to recoil, thrashing as it retreated into the earth.

Yet, several soldiers were still entangled and being pulled down. The paladins worked quickly to rescue them, but three were still bound. At that moment, Isaac leaped into the pit, severing two of the remaining soldiers’ bindings in one swift stroke.

But one soldier had already been swallowed by the monster’s maw. Just as a collective gasp of despair began to rise, Isaac hurled himself further into the beast.

“Isaac!”

Rottenhammer shouted in horror, raising his hammer to strike down the creature, but the Desert Phantom had already burrowed back into the ground, sealing the pit with mounds of salt. Rottenhammer stared at the collapsed hole, his expression stricken.

Then, with a powerful crash, the Desert Phantom erupted from the earth once more, its elongated body writhing out in agony as it flailed its tentacles. It then slumped over, lifeless. From a gash in its side, Isaac emerged, helping the rescued soldier to his feet.

“Good heavens, do you have multiple lives or something?”

Rottenhammer, uncharacteristically flustered, scolded him, forgetting his usual manners. He went on, half-lamenting, half-scolding, about the importance of command, symbolism, and authority. What would happen to their alliance if Isaac were to die?

Isaac responded, unfazed.

“If you truly thought I’d die from something like this, you wouldn’t have followed me in the first place.”

“You…!”

“I knew I wouldn’t die, and I was confident I could save him. If I chose not to act out of some sense of restraint, it would be as good as killing him myself. Wouldn’t you agree, Sir Rottenhammer?”

Rottenhammer had no response to that, sighing deeply.

“To keep up with you, I may need a spare heart. Mine nearly stopped.”

Meanwhile, the rescued soldier, though too weakened to stand, repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

“Th-thank you, Sir Grail Knight. I’ll never forget this kindness…”

The other soldiers supported him as they escorted him to a wagon.

***

Word of Isaac’s daring rescue spread quickly throughout the army.

For many soldiers, seeing an Eldritch creature for the first time was a mind-numbing terror. Yet, Isaac’s and the paladins’ bravery quickly overshadowed their fear. In fact, stories of Isaac’s heroics were already being exaggerated, passed along to inspire courage—or to distract from the lingering fear.

After all, a hero was a necessary presence on the battlefield.

‘Honestly, I feel a little guilty,’ thought Isaac.

He had followed the soldier into the monster’s maw for another reason as well.

He didn’t disregard the soldier who had come to aid him, but he was also curious—wondering if he could control the creature.

Although he had extensive knowledge of every conquest strategy in this world, the rules of Nameless Chaos, including victory conditions and tactical details, remained unknown to him. He was uncertain of his abilities and limitations in dealing with it.

Many of the Eldritch creatures were agents of the Nameless Chaos. Though they had consistently shown hostility, Isaac hoped to understand their motives and perhaps even find a way to influence them, allowing him to avoid unnecessary battles.

‘But in the end, I had partial success… or rather, failure.’

Inside the creature’s maw, he had sensed its consciousness.

It possessed language, vocabulary, even a will, but these were crude and degenerate—barely human. It was like a pig or chicken capable of mimicking human speech.

In the end, Isaac had opted to perform *Predation* before the soldier died, but he gained little besides filling his stomach. There was no special predatory effect.

‘Now, even feeding doesn’t yield much unless I consume something significant… perhaps there’s not much room left to grow?’

Isaac was already one of the most powerful humans alive—a modest way of putting it. Based on his knowledge, there were few individuals who could rival his strength, and most who could were blessed by angels. For his age, Isaac had accomplished an impressive feat.

He was at a near-max level. Gaining new traits through simple *Predation* was no longer likely.

‘To gain something meaningful, I’d have to devour a notable being, like Delrod Ciel…’

Then, something clicked in his mind. He turned his gaze toward the desert, recalling the mysterious creature that had been watching them from afar. But wherever it had gone, it was now nowhere to be seen.

Still, he had a nagging feeling that it was watching him from somewhere nearby.