Chapter 290: Splendid, Boy (1)
Chapter 290: Splendid, Boy (1)
"Huuuuu…."
It’s getting tougher.
Surrounded by Holy Knights and monks, Patrick took a long, steadying breath.
As expected of the elite forces guarding the capital, their level was high. And above all…
"O Yupinel!"
"O Yupinel!"
"Tsk."
As dozens of Holy Knights combined their Holy Power into a single, crushing pressure, Patrick circulated his internal energy to hold his ground.
This is more annoying than I thought.
If it were Holy Power emitted by just one or two people, he could have easily endured it or parried it away.
However, the Holy Power radiating from dozens, even hundreds, acting as one was something even Patrick couldn't take lightly.
That overwhelming, majestic force—like a giant tidal wave crashing down—brought back some unpleasant memories.
[Amitabha!]
[Amitabha!]
Shiny bald heads.
Glistening muscles.
And even more blinding than those was the golden Buddha’s Light they emitted simultaneously.
Individually, they were nothing special, but the power unleashed when 108 of them synchronized into a single formation was truly terrifying.
It felt like being an insect crushed under a giant hand.
Tsk, thinking about it still pisses me off.
Shaolin’s 108 Arhat Formation.
It was one of the few defeats etched into the memory of the Radiant Dragon Hero, Jincheon.
Well, back then, the Radiant Dragon Hero was still far from reaching his prime, and he had already gone through a grueling bout with the Shaolin Elders beforehand, but a loss was still a loss…
No, wait.
Now that I think about it, it’s totally unfair.
Honestly, that wasn't really a defeat, was it?
Those damn cheating monks. How can 108 people give one guy a gang beating?
Seriously, 1-on-108 is just cowardly.
Anyone would agree.
Regardless, back then, the Radiant Dragon Hero Jincheon had to taste one of the few defeats of his life in the Jianghu.
And now…
"Uooooh!"
"Push him back!"
Seeing the Holy Knights pressuring him with their unified strength brought those memories back vividly.
I can't help it. I was going to try and hit these guys a bit gently if possible, but…
Patrick ramped up his internal energy even further against the massive force crushing him.
Wuuuuuuuung!
Two lower dantians.
Two middle dantians.
A total of four dantians gathered their power into one, erupting with an explosive momentum.
Twin Dragon Primordial Chaos Heart Method.
It was a unique internal energy method created by Patrick himself.
In that instant, Patrick broke free from the crushing pressure of the Holy Power. Turning into a streak of light, he lunged at the Holy Knights.
Kwaaaaang!
"Aaaakh!"
"Keheok…."
The Holy Knights, who had been clustered together like a solid boulder, were sent flying, coughing up blood.
Yet, even in the midst of that, those who remained unscathed did not retreat and attacked Patrick.
"Now!"
"Attack!"
"O Yupineeeeel!"
The Aura of the Holy Knights and the fists of the monks.
And various miraculous Authorities of unknown types descended upon Patrick.
Creeeak.
Sensing the danger, Patrick endured the pain of his joints twisting as he executed his sword style.
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles.
Seventh Style.
Moonlit Night Phantom Dragon.
In that moment, Patrick’s body became blurred like mist. At least, that’s how it appeared to the Holy Knights and monks. And then…
Kwa-kwa-kwang! Kwang!
Attacks of a destructive power far too violent to be called an act of God slammed into the spot where Patrick had been standing.
However, as the thick smoke cleared, no one was there.
And then…
"Keheok…."
"Kuuu… ugh…."
Suddenly, over a dozen Holy Knights and monks collapsed, spitting blood.
Unbeknownst to them, their bodies were already covered in sword wounds they hadn't even felt being inflicted.
"Phew…. As I thought, delicate techniques really aren't my style."
Turning their heads toward the source of the voice, they saw Patrick cracking his neck from side to side with a sigh.
"Wh… when? No, how?"
"A… ababa…."
The Holy Knights and monks were speechless at this unbelievable sight.
Was this not a scene that defied all common sense of swordsmanship?
Not only had he escaped a situation that was impossible to escape from, but he had also neutralized dozens of them in the process.
Just what did he do to achieve such a thing?
Is he really a human being like us?
I don't understand….
Is this even possible? Is this a nightmare?
While they were lost in admiration and shock, Patrick wasn't exactly in the best of shapes either.
Yeah. Just keep spacing out like idiots. Let me get some rest too.
Operating four dantians simultaneously was a taxing task even for Patrick.
Even now, while he was pretending to be relaxed, he was temporarily withdrawing his internal energy to soothe his dantians.
As he did so, he organized his thoughts.
The Holy Kingdom…. They’re tougher than I expected.
The numbers were much higher when he fought the Caesar Kingdom. However, the quality here was overwhelmingly superior.
Considering that most of their main forces had been deployed to the war against the Empire, these were mostly reserve forces.
And yet, if they were at this level…
They aren't one of the Three Great Powers for nothing, huh?
There was a foundation of strength that even Patrick had to acknowledge.
Furthermore, this wasn't a battle to the death.
No matter how much of a rogue Patrick was, he couldn't just kill them, so he had to control his strength.
Alright. I’m good now.
Having recovered his strength with a brief moment of breath control, Patrick beckoned with his hand again.
"Come at me, you bastards!"
The Holy Knights and monks felt a surge of anger, but they could no longer charge in recklessly.
I knew he was strong, but….
How can one man….
He’s a real monster.
About thirty minutes had passed since the battle began.
Before they knew it, over a hundred Holy Knights and monks lay defeated.
Each of these men was a powerhouse who would be at least a 4-Star Knight by conventional standards.
The moment Patrick’s body flashed, their comrades fell and were smashed like autumn leaves; the Holy Knights found it difficult to be the first to rush in.
Patrick looked at them with a wry smile and said, "If you guys won't come to me…?"
The opponents flinched at the glint in Patrick’s eyes as he licked his lips. Then, Patrick slightly bent his knees and continued.
"Then I’m coming to you!"
And just as he was about to spring forward.
"Lord Double Dragon!"
A thunderous voice brought Patrick to a halt.
"Ugh…."
Patrick, nearly tripping over his own footwork, quickly steadied his staggering body.
He whipped his head around and snapped, "What is it, punk?"
There stood Antorius, who had come running breathlessly.
Even in the midst of this carnage, he still addressed Patrick as 'Lord' as he spoke with a pale face.
"What… what on earth is going on here?"
Ah? So you don't understand the situation.
Right, if that’s the case, I can explain it perfectly.
"The soup was salty."
"…Pardon?"
I understand.
Anyone would be flustered.
Regardless, Patrick, who seemed to have developed skin as thick as iron, said, "The fact that the soup was salty means they put in too much salt. Consuming too much salt raises your blood pressure. High blood pressure ruins your health and can lead to fatal diseases."
"…Pardon?"
I say it again, I understand.
Any normal person hearing such nonsense would react this way.
But regardless…
"Therefore, I got pissed off!"
Patrick just pushed through.
In life, there are times when you need to be stubborn and unreasonable.
This was exactly one of those times.
Right, Master?
[You… you… uuuugh….]
It seemed his Master didn't understand either.
And in fact, anyone with a normal way of thinking wouldn't understand.
"Does that even make sense?"
"It makes sense. Why wouldn't it?"
"So… so you’re saying it’s okay to cause this kind of riot just because the soup was salty?"
"Of course."
"……."
Antorius, whose faith in Patrick had been steadfast, stood with his mouth agape.
How are you supposed to deal with someone whose words don't even sound like human speech?
He hesitated for a moment before saying, "I honestly don't know what your real reason is."
"I told you, the soup was salty."
"Anyway, stop this at once. It’s dangerous if you keep this up."
"Hooo…? For whom? Me? Or you guys?"
"For you, of course, Double Dragon."
"Can you really say that after looking at the situation around us?"
Patrick pointed toward the Holy Knights and monks strewn about the area.
Antorius looked at them with a momentarily devastated expression, but he soon fixed his face into a serious look and said, "It appears no one is dead yet. No one is critically injured either. Let’s stop here and talk. If not, things will get truly out of hand."
He was polite, even desperate.
At Antorius’s sincere persuasion, Patrick’s heart began to wa…
"Saltyyyyyyyy?"
Did this guy even have anything that could be called a heart?
Just as the thread of Antorius’s patience was about to snap and explode…
"He is not a person who can be reasoned with."
Someone appeared.
Or rather, should I say 'someones'?
Three men appeared simultaneously, clad in pure white armor without a single blemish, and approached Patrick.
And Antorius, upon seeing one of them…
"Master!"
…he called out.
Wait, if Antorius is calling him Master, then could it be….
The greatest power of the Holy Kingdom.
The twelve sacred swords that protect humanity.
The Paladins of the Holy Kingdom.
Three of them had appeared in this place at the same time.
This is a bit unexpected.
One of the reasons Patrick had acted so recklessly and volunteered as bait was that the main forces of the Holy Kingdom were currently away at Promise.
Though they were one of the Three Great Powers, the Holy Kingdom had currently deployed all its Paladins to the front lines against the Empire.
In other words, there was less danger than usual.
Yet, Paladins who should have been on the battlefield had suddenly appeared.
And three of them at once, no less.
Then, for now…
"The name’s Patrick Schneider. Let’s hear your names."
Shall we exchange introductions?
At Patrick’s question, the three Paladins looked at each other before speaking.
"I am Oiros Ryan, holder of a seat among the 12 Paladins."
"I am Sirius Star, of the same order."
"Tatius Owen. I have heard much about you, Double Dragon."
"Hoooom…. I see."
Even while calmly receiving their introductions, Patrick continued to regulate his internal energy.
Judging by the aura they radiated, they were definitely a level above an ordinary 7-Star swordsman.
And there wasn't just one, but three of them.
Subduing such men without killing them?
That would be difficult.
Furthermore, doing it after having already spent quite a bit of strength fighting the Holy Knights?
That would be incredibly difficult.
Sigh…. Why is nothing ever easy?
As Patrick grumbled to himself, the Paladin who identified himself as Oiros drew his weapon and said, "I will ask you first: do you intend to stop this riot and surrender?"
"Uuuuuh…. That’s a bit difficult right now."
He needed more time for his comrades to break through the barrier and undo the brainwashing placed on the Pope.
He couldn't surrender, at least not yet.
"Then, would you at least explain the reason for this rampage?"
This time, the Holy Knight named Sirius asked.
Patrick puffed out his chest proudly and said, "The soup was salty."
"……."
As expected, the first time is the hardest; repeating it a second and third time made it progressively easier.
As Patrick spoke with a straight face, the Paladins sighed and said, "So you have no intention of telling us…."
"No, I’m telling you, the soup was salty!"
"Fine. Then we have no choice but to do what we must by force."
"Can't you hear me? Salty soup means too much salt, which leads to high blood pressure—"
"O Yupinel!"
"O Yupinel!"
"O Yupinel!"
Well, it seemed he had reached the limit of stalling for time with sophistry.
Facing three middle-aged men who radiated Holy Power on a completely different dimension from ordinary Holy Knights, Patrick let out a deep sigh.
"Oh, what a life I lead."
Yeah, what else could he do?
Since it had come to this, there was nothing left but to fight.
Stirring the energy in his middle dantian once more, Patrick said, "Come at me."
The moment those words left his lips, the three Paladins charged toward Patrick.
Patrick also turned into a streak of light to meet them, and thus, the four superhumans began their clash in earnest.