Paladin of the Dead God-Chapter 401: The Lord of the Graveyard (1)

Isaac carefully examined the banners arrayed in the enemy ranks.

The thick fog obscured most of the army, making it impossible to confirm if the knights, units, and families those banners represented were truly present. If they were, it would mean that all of the enemy’s elite forces had gathered here—an unlikely prospect, as it seemed more like a bluff.

Still, it was unclear how far the Lighthouse Keeper and the Immortal Emperor were cooperating. Was the Lighthouse Keeper orchestrating another trial for Isaac, or planning to use him as bait to betray the Immortal Emperor?

"Cautious, aren’t you?"

Isaac found the Lord of the Graveyard uncharacteristically measured in his actions.

The Lord of the Graveyard—once known as Sarka Noir—had been the last imperial scion of the Unified Empire.

Born amidst the fall of his empire, Sarka Noir had been raised in a household that deeply resented the White Plague and the Immortal Order, blaming them for their downfall. It was only natural that he eventually rose to command the Third Dawn Army, becoming its supreme leader and final hero.

Sarka Noir’s bold strategies and decisive gambles had earned him countless victories, slicing through the ranks of the Immortal Order.

At the height of his success, he reclaimed the Holy Land Lua, winning accolades from his family and laying the foundation for a new empire.

"That is, until it was revealed he was uncovering the secrets of immortality in Lua..."

Through a cruel and tragic process, Sarka Noir attained an undead form, gaining an immortal body. The Immortal Emperor gave him a new title: the Lord of the Graveyard.

With Sarka Noir’s transformation, the imperial bloodline of the Unified Empire ended.

His hatred, once directed at the Immortal Order, turned toward the Codex of Light. Since the Third Dawn Army’s defeat, no army had managed to reclaim Holy Land Lua.

The Lord of the Graveyard became the Archangel who had killed more Codex of Light adherents than any other in history.

"I expected bold moves from him, yet here he is, playing it safe. What is he wary of?"

Isaac turned his gaze to the Lord of the Graveyard.

With an Archangel visibly leading the battle, it was clear that this confrontation began and ended with him.

The towering figure of skeletal remains seemed to survey the Issacrea Dawn Army, his movements slow and deliberate. Then, his gaze locked briefly with Isaac’s before dismissing him with a passing glance.

"What?"

At that moment, the Lord of the Graveyard raised his massive sword and pointed it toward the Issacrea Dawn Army.

[I wish to speak with the Holy Grail Knight. Where is he?]

On a normal battlefield, revealing the location of the supreme commander would have been a grave mistake. But this was no ordinary battlefield—the one asking was an Archangel.

A being who, even as an enemy and a heretic, commanded reverence and fear simply by virtue of their divine status and historical significance.

Isaac’s name having been called, countless eyes turned toward him.

Even before Isaac could step forward, the Lord of the Graveyard’s gaze had already found him.

[You?]

“Yes, it’s me, Lord of the Graveyard.”

Isaac crossed his arms and responded. His split form did not diminish his status. Simply addressing an Archangel with such audacious confidence was enough to demonstrate his extraordinary stature.

The Lord of the Graveyard tilted his head slightly, seemingly intrigued.

[Strange.]

“What’s strange?”

[You don’t exude the presence of a hero. I wanted to meet the undefeated Holy Grail Knight—the hero who shattered the Salt Desert and vanquished Pallor. If this is a mere impersonation, I’m not amused. Come forward.]

Isaac frowned but remained on guard. Had the Lord of the Graveyard noticed the diminished strength of his split form? Yet, even as a fragment, he was still Isaac. Summoning his main body from the Outer Boundary was impossible.

Tuhalin, watching from the side, glanced nervously at Isaac, but the latter’s composure didn’t waver.

“How you perceive me is irrelevant. I am myself, so don’t presumptuously summon me.”

Isaac tilted his head mockingly as he spoke.

“I was curious to see the face of a great ‘hero’ from the Third Dawn Army, but judging by the nonsense you spout, it seems the Immortal Order of the past wasn’t as grand as I thought. Your arrogance has left your men weeping, Sarka Noir—they can’t even get proper funeral offerings.”

The concept of funerary offerings was foreign to most in this world, with the exception of orcs. Isaac wasn’t sure if orcs even called it that, but his meaning seemed to land.

The skulls dangling from the Lord of the Graveyard’s armor clattered angrily. Clearly, he had a distasteful habit of adorning himself with the remains of his subordinates.

For the first time, the Lord of the Graveyard chuckled.

[Your audacity confirms it—you are indeed the Holy Grail Knight.]

He swung his massive blade horizontally, issuing his command.

[Then let’s see if your strength matches your boldness. First Battalion, advance.]

From the mist emerged a sea of glowing blue eyes. Over hundreds of Death Knights charged forward.

***

The Death Knights’ Assault

“Raise your spears! Hold your formation!”

Thud-thud-thud! Boom!

Explosions and screams echoed across the battlefield as the Death Knight army smashed into the Issacrea Dawn Army’s frontlines.

Thanks to their commanders’ foresight, the Dawn Army had quickly formed a solid defensive formation upon seeing the Lord of the Graveyard. This preparation kept the line from breaking, but each Death Knight charge sent shockwaves rippling through the ranks.

Every Death Knight was a former Paladin, skilled in advanced swordsmanship and capable of performing miracles.

A Paladin unit rarely numbered more than a few dozen, but here, at least a thousand Death Knights bore down upon the Dawn Army.

“Hold the line, you bastards! If it breaks, it’s over!”

Tuhalin roared above the chaos.

The paladins of the Dawn Army fought valiantly, using miracles and hymns to push back, but the sheer ferocity of the Death Knight assault was overwhelming.

Yet the Issacrea Dawn Army had its own weapons prepared.

“Elil! Elil! Elil!”

The rallying cry rose above the din of battle, sharpening the resolve of the soldiers.

The Knights of Elil, executing a precision flanking maneuver, tore through the Death Knight army from the side, cutting their ranks cleanly in two. Though the maneuver left them vulnerable to isolation, their deft execution—resembling the closing blades of scissors—was a hallmark of Elil’s cavalry.

As soon as the Knights of Elil divided the Death Knights, the rage that had been simmering in the infantry ranks exploded.

Gebel let out a grating roar.

“Scrape them off!”

Clink, clink!

As the shield-bearers retreated after deflecting the Death Knights’ blows, soldiers armed with long scythes stepped forward. They hooked the scythes around the Death Knights’ necks and yanked them inward, bringing them down. The divided Death Knights were unable to aid their isolated comrades.

Spears and blades rained down on the fallen Death Knights, and priests incinerated the remnants with holy fire, while smiths specializing in fire crafts melted their armor into slag.

By the time the Death Knight ranks re-formed, the infantry line had already repaired itself.

Despite not possessing the advanced swordsmanship of the Death Knights, the Issacrea Dawn Army demonstrated exceptional coordination and discipline, a testament to the grueling training Gebel had subjected them to. Most impressive of all was their morale, which remained steadfast even against the fearsome undead forces.

Yet, the battle was not without losses.

Among the Death Knights were liches, providing magical support and reviving fallen comrades—a hallmark of the Immortal Order’s tactics aimed at shattering enemy morale.

As a lich began its foul work, Raullok, the leader of the Lycanthrope Warrior Band, raised his head and sniffed the air.

Sensing the “scent of miracles,” Raullok howled and directed his gaze at a specific point.

Without hesitation, Tuhalin raised his hammer and struck the ground.

A thunderous bolt coursed through the earth, burning a blackened path that culminated in an explosion precisely where the lich had been concealed. freewebnøvel.com

As the lich’s shattered remains scattered, the soldiers erupted in cheers.

“All that practice paid off, Tuhalin!”

“Practice? This wasn’t worth practicing for,” Tuhalin retorted, laughing awkwardly while trying to hide the fact that he had indeed spent considerable time honing this technique.

One of the most dangerous tactics of the Immortal Order was the deployment of undead forces lying in ambush underground. Tuhalin’s practice ensured his lightning strikes neutralized these buried threats without harming allied forces.

Thanks to his efforts, the “undead mines” buried by the Lord of the Graveyard were destroyed before they could even emerge.

High above the battlefield, Nel clashed with a Bone Dragon.

Though Nel was a younger creature, the Bone Dragon was a towering relic of the mythic age, making the fight an uphill battle. However, with Hesabel’s guidance—borne of her experience hunting dragons in Urbansus—the fight was holding steady.

As lightning and blizzards collided, creating an apocalyptic storm beyond the fog, Isaac himself was also fighting relentlessly.

While he could not match the power of his original self, dispatching individual Death Knights posed no challenge.

Isaac darted through the battlefield, filling gaps and patching vulnerabilities wherever the Death Knights threatened to breach the lines.

The mere sight of Isaac bolstered morale, ensuring the Issacrea Dawn Army’s defenses held firm.

Even amidst the chaos, Isaac and the Lord of the Graveyard kept a wary eye on each other.

"You’re working hard, Holy Grail Knight."

The Lord of the Graveyard was still uncertain if this truly was the same knight who had vanquished Pallor.

"This one feels like I could kill him easily."

But Pallor must have thought the same—and paid the price for underestimating him.

He had no intention of repeating that mistake.

The Immortal Emperor had warned him about Isaac. If the knight was hiding his true strength, it would be foolish to charge in recklessly.

"If he’s hiding his power, I’ll simply wear him down until he reveals it. Let’s see if he can hold out while his subordinates fall one by one."

The Eclipse Army deployed here was only a fraction of its full strength. Among the banners arrayed behind the Lord of the Graveyard, less than a quarter represented units that had actually been deployed.

While the Issacrea Dawn Army was putting up a strong fight, to the Lord of the Graveyard, it was hardly impressive.

He saw no need to summon additional forces or involve other Archangels. The undead required no supplies, never tired, and could sustain combat indefinitely. This unmatched endurance was their most devastating weapon.

Without lifting a finger, the Lord of the Graveyard could maintain sufficient pressure to threaten the Issacrea Dawn Army.

[Time is always on the side of the Immortal Order. Holy Grail Knight, this is no time for complacency.]

"He’s not moving himself. Testing our strength, are you?"

Isaac never took his mind off the Lord of the Graveyard, observing him even as the battle raged. Though the Archangel sat silently in the fog, merely watching the Dawn Army’s response, his presence was oppressive.

“Holy Grail Knight, do we have a plan?”

Tuhalin approached, his voice tense.

As a seasoned veteran, Tuhalin knew the danger of trying to stall against the Immortal Order. It was a battle of attrition they couldn’t win.

Isaac, however, smiled confidently.

“Of course.”

“Good. What’s the plan? Mortars? Let’s blow that skeletal bastard’s head off. I’d be thrilled to watch his skull shatter.”

While Isaac found the idea appealing, now was not the time.

Gunpowder was a scarce resource, and they needed to conserve it for the assault on Holy Land Lua—or worse, an unexpected contingency.

More importantly, Isaac had a more efficient strategy in mind.

“If necessary, we’ll use the mortars. But for now, we hold our ground.”

“Hold our ground? What are you talking about?”

“If we hold the line, they’ll collapse on their own. Time is on our side. Just endure a little longer.”

The Immortal Order had always believed that time worked in their favor.

They controlled supplies, stamina, reinforcements, and even the longevity of their troops.

But in this battle, they would learn—perhaps for the first time—what it meant to run out of time.