SWNOVELXO Chapter 127
Chapter 127 – Kingdom (7)
The boss of Dark Blood Chapter 4 was, like the bosses we had faced so far, a Demon Lord trying to descend upon the world.
However, this one was a bit different. While the others would stop at nothing to reveal their true forms, the Chapter 4 boss tried to hide itself from start to finish.
Its actions and motives were hardly different from an ordinary human.
‘Can I really call such a being a demon? Well, it’s not my concern.’
Anyway, my goal was to quickly clear the game and reap the rewards. My companion Riena seemed to have a slightly different objective, but ultimately, we both aimed to defeat the demons.
“Come this way.”
I led her toward the boss’s location.
Unlike the treacherous paths of previous chapters, this chapter set in the City of Pleasures was mostly focused on the quest to find the boss, so knowing all the tricks, I could easily make my way there.
“Looks like some familiar faces have shown up. I’ve heard the rumors. You idiots were all taken down.”
The one disguised as the usual merchant guild leader waited for us in an empty lot as if he had been expecting us.
“Do you intend to drive me away? How absurd.”
He recited his scripted lines. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to be affected by any bugs, but his silver tongue was still working just fine.
“I don’t know about the others, but I’m not here to summon a legion of hell to wreak havoc upon this world.”
“–, —?”
“Everyone values different things. I’m just satisfied living as an ordinary human.”
He smirked and continued speaking, now addressing Riena instead of me. It seemed he instinctively sensed who was easier to sway.
“Do you know how much I contribute to this city? If I disappear, many businesses will crumble. The orphanage and nursing home would certainly fall as well. Think carefully about what is truly right.”
He pressured us to ponder what was right while threatening that his absence would spell disaster for many. He even taunted whether creating such calamity was divine will.
‘What does he want? I’ve got no time for this.’
To me, it sounded like nonsense. In the game, his sophistry was dismantled by the other merchants who banded together to counter him.
The real problem was whether Riena might entertain different thoughts than I did.
“…I really can’t believe this.”
But the moment I turned to look at her, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Riena was no longer inexperienced enough to fall for this demon’s sweet talk.
Like the residents of a village developing their own unique civilization and culture, she had become the first paladin, shaping her beliefs based on experience.
The Celestial Blessing she possessed was proof of her faith.
“Y-you guys…”
Without hesitation, she drew her sword and aimed it at him.
The upcoming boss fight would showcase various patterns and numerous debuffs, but Riena was more than prepared.
She had been fighting bugs in both the game world and reality, growing stronger by leaps and bounds, making it difficult for bosses to keep up.
“If you still can’t understand after all this, then I guess I’ll have to teach it to you directly with my body.”
Eventually, the battle broke out alongside his struggling attempts. This was a real boss fight without any patterns.
*
“Shaking your heart is a basic tactic of theirs, but the methods differ. Fortunately, you’re not easily swayed.”
“For a warrior, the courage to cut away rot is essential.”
“A heart and actions differ.”
As the sun fully rose and morning came, Regner, pulling the cart, smiled at the ruins bustling with people.
Having revealed even his long-hidden identity in a last-ditch effort, the Demon Lord defeated last night was sent back to hell without achieving his aims.
The city’s defenders did nothing; it was the work of just the two of us. We had already driven away four Demon Lords before.
“Have you found an answer to your lingering beliefs?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’m giving it a try.”
“Don’t feel too pressured. The path you’ve paved will be followed by future generations.”
Regner nodded at Riena, who was becoming a more complete paladin. It was not just empty praise; under the original system, a chance to advance to the paladin class in Chapter 4 was now available.
“Eh? What’s this?”
But there was something different. As he chatted with Riena, he was taken aback when the advancement seemed different from what he knew.
“Riena, which paladin do you believe and follow? It’s not the same deity I worship, right? Therefore, your trial to become a paladin must be different.”
The god Regner believed in was not the one Riena worshipped, which meant that her trial to become a paladin was also altered.
Originally, winning against the nameless paladin’s traces would allow for advancement, but now those traces had turned into someone else.
“R-Riena.”
He flinched at the screen. The trial to become a paladin was now Riena’s trace.
The trace of a beautiful knight donned in armor, shining brightly, was set to test the strength and belief of those aspiring to be paladins.
[Achievement Unlocked: Legend of the Saint (1)]
[Reward Selection: Tiara of Divinity]
Simultaneously, an achievement appeared. It was an achievement crafted by two people who believed in and followed one another.
“Take this. It is a gift from the one I believe in, recognizing your achievement.”
“This is…”
Riena accepted the item Regner handed her with trembling hands. The dazzling tiara made of platinum fit snugly on her head.
‘No, this is a good thing. It’s not just about choosing the job of a paladin.’
Though variables appeared, they don’t necessarily have to trend negatively. The paladin qualification test adapted to Riena’s growth.
He deemed it a good change and began sifting through the list of residents.
With tens of thousands of individuals, scanning through each one was nearly impossible. Yet, using the pre-purchased spreadsheet program, he managed to filter out those born with the desired talents with just a few clicks of the keyboard.
‘Becoming a paladin is not simply about being strong.’
The first name that appeared was Shura, the girl with the talent for dagger skills who had flourished as an assassin. There were others who popped up next, including those who had just awakened as warriors and some who hadn’t yet awakened.
“This is the hope for this war. Please.”
Confirming that Luke was leading the approaching enemies, he hurriedly assigned the selected individuals to Dark Blood for the paladin qualification exam.
He believed that the abilities they would manifest as paladins upon awakening would shift the tide of battle, aiming not only for victory in war but also to minimize casualties.
“Are you really going to fight me? No way.”
“It’s true. I was told that I could only achieve my qualifications by defeating Riena-sama.”
The first challenger was Shura.
She intended to become a paladin just like Riena, having received recognition and even a gift of armor; unlike her, however, Shura could not possess the Celestial Blessing.
Now, she had obtained the qualification to become a true paladin. Though she was determined to succeed, she knew it would not be an easy feat.
This was a testament to the rough path Riena had walked.
Unknown to anyone else, the accomplishments and skills Riena had earned while battling countless foes and Demon Lords alongside only him were beyond comparison to those of an ordinary warrior.
‘The trial given directly by the Guardian Deity. I must overcome it.’
Shura stood face to face with Riena’s trace, wielding two daggers.
Unlike Riena, who always smiled warmly upon seeing her, the expression Riena wore against an enemy was cold, causing Shura to flinch involuntarily.
‘I was curious. Just how strong is Riena-sama?’
Though she had observed from the sidelines, she had never clashed directly.
It was an irreverent thought, but since the moment they first met, Shura had developed a crush on Riena and aimed to catch up to her, wanting to gauge just how her own growing skills measured against Riena.
“Ha!”
Clenching her teeth, Shura dived in first.
Employing the assassin’s quick dash skill, Shura created only afterimages as she swiftly lunged for Riena, slashing at her openings.
“Ugh, uuuh!”
The response from the trace was slower than Shura’s attack. The problem was that everything, except for reaction speed, was in the trace’s favor.
Allowing a single strike, the trace still had some energy left and swung its sword, launching a cross-shaped strike towards Shura.
Overwhelmed by the immense power, she rolled on the ground. Even though it wasn’t Riena’s true form, the strength was comparable to the strongest among the hundreds of tribal warriors.
‘I have to find another way.’
Realizing that she couldn’t win in a head-on confrontation, Shura decided to whittle away at her opponent using her agility.
Though blood flowed from her torn hand after receiving just one attack, Shura swallowed the pain down. If she were to become a paladin, she would have to get used to suffering.
“Hang in there. It would be terrible to fall.”
Moreover, she wasn’t the only one cheering her on. The one watching her battle through the screen urged her on with a tense face.
It was crucial for as many residents as possible, including Shura, to pass the test and awaken as paladins to bolster their forces.
‘For some reason, it feels like I’m being expected to succeed.’
Shura smiled faintly and moved her body.
Using her nimble movement to stay ahead of her opponent, she narrowly dodged Riena’s sword and slashed her own blade across Riena’s form.
Riena’s trace healed almost instantly due to the unique regenerative abilities of paladins. Thus, Shura gritted her teeth, realizing that inflicting more wounds before healing was her only way to go.
‘Is it even possible?’
With the opponent’s overwhelming power and breath hitching in her throat, intense anguish surged within her.
Though she felt like giving up and could hardly see a way forward, Shura suppressed it.
If the battle against the trace was a measure of strength, this was a matter of faith. She needed to possess a certainty that she would risk her life to fulfill her mission to continue this fight.