Chapter 262

Rottenhammer felt a surge of exhilaration as he watched the cannons explode.

For days, the cannons that had been pounding on Seor tore through the orc artillerymen. The infantry unit, which should have shifted its formation earlier to protect the artillerymen before the paladins arrived, was caught in an untimely explosion, scattering their ranks.

The Briant Paladin Order smelled blood among the disordered orc horde.

The paladins, transformed into ferocious beasts, charged and tore the orcs apart with unstoppable force.

*Crunch!*

An orc, struggling to rise from the smoke, was trampled and crushed under the hooves of a horse in an instant. Another orc, who had regained his senses too quickly, shouted to form up the ranks.

This made him an excellent target. A spear pierced through his cheek, dragging him along before being flung aside.

Seeing the main body of the orc unit rushing out in a hurry, Rottenhammer shouted loudly.

"To the right!"

In response to the command, the paladins swiftly turned their reins as one. The vanguard of the infantry unit, narrowly missed, was left tattered as if scraped by a saw. Instead of a head-on collision, the paladins continued their annihilation attack on the artillerymen.

The paladins were not mere knights, and their weapons were not limited to swords or spears.

"Grant us Your Fragment!"

Igniting a fire was one of the most basic miracles in the Codex of Light. And here, there were plenty of gunpowder caches that hadn't been caught in the earlier explosions.

It was the perfect distance to perform a miracle.

The orcs who had survived near the powder piles, whether due to misfires or because the powder was stored rather than loaded, faced hell again. Whenever the paladins saw a powder box, they immediately chanted a prayer and detonated it. Consequently, even the orcs trying to join the front staggered and retreated.

Flames and screams erupted wherever the knights went. Bringing gunpowder against the Codex of Light was a mistake from the start.

Through Isaac, they had identified the enemies' locations, information, weaknesses, and the status of their powder magazines, allowing the Briant Paladin Order to ravage the Olkan Code without hesitation.

They moved not as a group but as a single entity. A massive sword slashed through the orc horde in one swift stroke.

Orcs who kept their heads above knee level all lost their heads.

"Damn paladins—!"

A shrill scream pierced through the smoke.

Rottenhammer recognized the elaborate headgear of the figure and realized he was someone of considerable rank.

Although missing an arm and a leg, he sat and shouted defiantly at the paladins with remarkable spirit.

"I'll come back and kill you all!"

Rottenhammer wanted to admire him, but there was no time. He noticed a powder box next to the orc.

It was powder that had survived the explosions.

Seeing the torch in the hand of the orc with the headgear, Korral, Rottenhammer realized that a direct collision would cause the powder to explode.

A mad grin appeared simultaneously on the faces of Rottenhammer and Korral.

The Briant Paladin Order did not slow their charge, and Korral thrust the torch into the powder pile.

A tremendous explosion shook the ground.

"Do not doubt, the Blessing of Light!"

The explosion that shattered Korral instantly engulfed the Briant Paladin Order.

Yet, something physically impossible happened around the paladins. Instead of consuming them, the flames gently pushed back, spreading the heat even more widely around. The paladins, enraptured by this holy spectacle, continued their charge, mumbling prayers without pause.

Engulfed in flames, the Briant Paladin Order burst out of the explosion in formation. Their flaming figures struck new terror and awe into the orcs.

Rottenhammer, too, felt a profound religious ecstasy he hadn't experienced in a long time.

These were clear enemies that one could kill without guilt.

Rottenhammer appreciated the simplicity of that.

*Thud thud thud thud...* At that moment, Rottenhammer heard the sound of hooves, not their own.

A lighter clatter than those in heavy armor.

From the left, he saw the famous cavalry of the Olkan Code moving belatedly.

The paladins, buoyed by their religious fervor, showed no signs of intimidation even in the face of the massive cavalry, looking ready to charge in at any moment.

However, Rottenhammer knew that the role of the paladins ended here.

The paladins' charge was a temporary shock. The cannons were just a small part of the Olkan Code's power; their true strength lay in their vast cavalry.

The true might of the Olkan Code had begun to move.

Rottenhammer did not place blind faith in the blessing of the Codex of Light.

He gave the command without hesitation.

"Retreat to Seor!"

Despite the disappointing command, the paladins immediately turned their horses around. However, they did not forget their mission while retreating. They chanted prayers to ignite the remaining powder in the rear of the Olkan Code.

As the powder began to explode, the cavalry, which had just started to catch up, was thrown into disarray again. Laughing heartily, Rottenhammer sped off. By the time the cavalry managed to resume their pursuit, the Briant Paladin Order was almost at Seor's gates.

It was a great victory, yet Rottenhammer felt not entirely pleased. Though satisfying, it was a victory of little significance. The cannons were just a toy for the enemy.

Now, nearly ten thousand cavalrymen would attack Seor.

'Isaac needs to do well.'

***

Isaac had not been with the Briant Paladin Order.

The Briant Paladin Order had tasks they could accomplish, and the Issacrea garrison and Gebel in Seor had their own duties.

Isaac, however, had a task that he couldn't show anyone and wasn't proud of, but only he could do it.

"Lord Isaac, we have located the Shaman General."

Isaac nodded at the report from Zihilrat.

Zihilrat had already infiltrated the enemy lines, disguised in the skin of an orc. While Isaac could pinpoint the deployment of barracks within the sanctuary's heart, he couldn't track the individual orcs who constantly shifted positions.

Isaac's target was the Shaman General.

The Shaman General was a shaman akin to a bishop, tasked with gathering and managing the souls of fallen orcs. The lesser shamans, called simply shamans or small shamans, handled fewer and smaller souls than the Shaman General.

"If the Shaman General is killed, their reincarnation process will be disrupted."

The reincarnation process of the Olkan Code was not flawless.

Even under normal circumstances, about one in a hundred souls went missing. During large-scale wars, this ratio increased.

These spiritual disappearances occurred during the soul's transfer from the corpse to the shaman, with the risk increasing the farther the distance.

Missing souls were not found in either heaven or hell, making this the greatest fear among the orcs of the Olkan Code.

But if the Shaman General were to die?

The orcs of the Olkan Code would be gripped by the fear that their reincarnation might fail.

Orc bravery stemmed from their confidence in reincarnation.

The certainty that they would be reborn in new, healthy bodies. Once that belief was shattered, fear of death would inevitably resurface.

[Shaman Kirmas, Koral Manho has self-detonated!]

Isaac heard the voice through Zihilrat's ear and saw the shaman called Kirmas through his eyes. As Isaac had informed him beforehand, Kirmas wore earrings of various colors, distinguishing him from other shamans.

The moment he saw this, Isaac acted immediately.

"Now."

Nel, who was carrying Isaac, began a steep descent. Since all eyes were on the Briant Paladin Order rampaging in the front, spotting Nel was delayed.

"Shaman Kirmas!"

A small shaman screamed and rushed towards Kirmas. Simultaneously, lightning from Nel's mouth incinerated the small shaman. Though Isaac clicked his tongue at missing Kirmas, he hadn't expected an easy resolution.

Kirmas glared at Nel and began chanting a spell. Isaac felt Nel's movements slow and stumble.

The souls of unreincarnated orcs clung to Nel, hindering its movements.

"Go."

Isaac released Nel and jumped down.

With a paladin suddenly descending in front of him, Kirmas had to stop his chanting. Isaac had come with the intention of causing chaos, so he launched a fierce attack at Kirmas.

A fierce sword aura emerged from the tip of the Holy Sword Kaldwin.

Isaac's Swordsmanship: Eight branches activated, sending eight fierce streams of sword energy that tore through everything in their path like a vicious eight-headed beast. Anything caught in its wake, whether bodies, weapons, or the ground, was torn apart.

At the end of this path was Shaman General Kirmas.

"You bastard!"

Kirmas bellowed urgently. It was no ordinary voice. A tempest-like wind surged through the area, toppling tents with the force of his voice. It was as if thousands shouted in unison.

Isaac's Eight branches faltered and shattered. But determined not to miss the opportunity, Isaac activated Kaldwin's acceleration ability and swung his sword. The speed was such that only a Swordmaster could block it.

*Crunch!* The chilling sound of flesh and bone being severed echoed.

Yet Isaac grimaced.

Instead of piercing Kirmas's heart, Kaldwin had only penetrated his hand. Despite its sword energy and sharpness, Kaldwin remained lodged in Kirmas's hand.

Isaac saw Kirmas's body and pupils twitching rapidly and realized.

"Already possessed? To block Kaldwin, how many souls has he taken in?"

The shamans of the Olkan Code gained strength and endurance proportionate to the number of souls they harbored. But the more souls within, the higher the risk of mental collapse as those souls vied for control.

"Even with 1,023 souls, you managed to pierce my bones. Impressive."

Kirmas growled with the voices of a thousand souls. It was no wonder Kaldwin, held by such overwhelming strength, wouldn't budge.

Isaac knew taking down a Shaman General wouldn't be easy, but he hadn't expected Kirmas to be such a monster.

Kirmas prevented other orcs from approaching. He seemed to understand that they would be useless against Isaac.

Isaac also stopped Zihilrat, who was poised to strike from behind Kirmas.

There was no need for that.

"Are you the Holy Grail Knight? How kind of you to walk right into my grasp. I'll shred your soul to pieces...."

Isaac ignored the cliché threat and let go of Kaldwin.

Kirmas, startled by the unexpected move, looked at Isaac in confusion. Then, calmly pulling Kaldwin from his hand, he reversed it and drove it into his own neck.

The blade, driven by the strength of a thousand souls, easily pierced through his neck.

[Holy Sword Kaldwin (EX)]

[A practical combat sword wielded by Elil on the battlefield. Made from a unique metal, it never breaks or dulls. It can accelerate the wielder for a short time up to three times a day. Anyone who isn't Elil's great warrior will drive it into their own neck when wielded.]

Recalling the helpful security feature of Kaldwin, Isaac pulled the sword from Kirmas's neck. The souls that had possessed Kirmas screamed and fled. The surrounding orcs and shamans were too stunned to grasp the situation.

"Wondering what just happened?"

Isaac laughed, then wiped the smile off his face and charged at the nearest shaman.

Killing even one more shaman while they were confused would amplify the orcs' panic. As the heads of three more shamans rolled, the orcs finally realized the chaos, and guards rushed in with shouts and screams.

But it was already too late.

The guards, arriving belatedly, froze at the sight of the fallen shamans. They feared dying here and losing their chance at reincarnation. Isaac, knowing he couldn't kill them all, decided to end it there.

*Rumble...*

Suddenly, the Color Beyond enveloped Isaac, disorienting the orcs with hallucinations and phantom pain.

When they regained their senses, all that remained were the bodies of eight shamans, including Shaman General Kirmas.