Ch.6Chapter 6 – Escape (4)

The paladin stood silently at the dock.

He stood there with a mace in one hand and two swords strapped to his side.

Should I try to deceive him like I did with the guards earlier?

Just in case, I hide the sword and dagger inside my robe and gently set the axe down on the ground.

It would be troublesome if he thought I wasn’t a priest because of my weapons.

Then I stepped onto the dock.

The paladin turned around.

“Who goes there?”

“The test subjects from the laboratory are escaping, so I came to urgently report…”

After looking at me briefly, he speaks.

“Show me your rosary.”

“I was in such a hurry that I left it in my quarters…”

“Priests of the Emiris faith are required to carry their rosaries whenever they go outside.”

The paladin immediately pointed his mace at me.

“They would know that better than anyone.”

“I was really in a hurry…”

“I already know you’re hiding weapons under your clothes anyway.”

I tried to hide them, but I was already caught.

If you knew, you could have just said so.

“Priests don’t arm themselves like that. Are you actually one of the test subjects?”

When I realize this approach isn’t working, there’s no reason to keep up the charade.

I jumped back a step and kicked at the ground.

The axe I had laid down rose into the air, and I grabbed it.

“Move aside.”

I said, pointing the axe at him.

“Shut up, heretic from another world.”

Of course, the paladin had no reason to listen to me.

We point our weapons at each other, moving slightly in a circle.

I frowned a bit as I observed the paladin’s armaments.

He was fully equipped with a helmet and full plate armor without any gaps.

The only consolation was that he didn’t have a shield.

‘For now, I should avoid engaging him with a sword.’

It would be difficult to penetrate that armor with a sword.

And if my sword clashed with his mace, it might break.

I tighten my grip on the axe.

My physical abilities are much stronger than before I was kidnapped to this world, but I don’t know how effective they’ll be against the paladin standing before me.

At least the priests had implanted some combat techniques in me, so I shouldn’t be easily defeated, but my equipment is far too inadequate compared to his.

The situation is very unfavorable.

But I had to do it.

‘After coming this far…’

I tighten my grip.

‘Would I go back now?!’

Regaining my sense of self and obtaining tools,

And coming all this way—

If I miss this chance, there won’t be a second one.

I charged at the paladin with my axe.

He swung his mace in response to my movement, which I narrowly avoided before immediately swinging my axe upward.

The axe cuts through the air.

The mace blocks the axe and aims for my head.

I dodge it by a hair’s breadth while aiming for his face with the axe handle.

He deflects the handle with his gauntlet.

If I thought his armor would make his movements sluggish, I was mistaken. The paladin read my attacks and moved preemptively, pressuring me with experienced maneuvers.

For attacks he couldn’t avoid, he would slightly absorb the impact with his armor before deflecting them, twisting their trajectory to make them slide off. He was making the most of his superior equipment.

On the other hand, I couldn’t afford to take even a single effective hit, so I had to either narrowly avoid his attacks or retreat a step if I felt I couldn’t dodge. It was difficult for me to go in aggressively for attacks.

This intense exchange of offense and defense continued several times.

I don’t know what kind of monster the priests wanted to make me into.

But thanks to their experiments, my strength and speed seemed to be slightly superior.

Each time the axe and mace collided, I could tell from the slight trembling of the mace that my strength was somewhat greater.

However, the paladin was no ordinary opponent.

He compensated for his physical disadvantage with his well-equipped armor and experience.

As a result, our combat abilities were roughly equal.

Neither side was gaining a decisive advantage.

However, in aspects other than combat ability, I was at an extreme disadvantage.

As we continued our tenacious exchange, I clicked my tongue when I saw the paladin take a step back.

‘If this drags on, I’ll be at a disadvantage…’

The area still seems chaotic, with no sign of guards or test subjects approaching.

But once the confusion settles, they’ll head straight here.

There’s nowhere to hide on the island.

Once things calm down, they’ll assume I’m trying to escape by sea and come to search the dock.

The paladin seemed to know this too, which is why he was being so cautious.

Even during our exchanges, he would immediately retreat if he sensed any disadvantage.

‘This is bad.’

I quickly examine the axe blade.

After our persistent fighting, it had made contact with the paladin’s armor and collided with the mace, causing some teeth to chip off.

If we continue fighting, I’ll have to use it more like a club than an axe.

Since prolonging the standoff would only disadvantage me, I charged at the paladin.

As I swung my axe, the paladin dodged slightly to the side and brought his mace down toward my head.

I narrowly avoided it and tried to attack again, but the paladin stepped back once more.

He’s clearly trying to stall for time.

‘Damn him.’

When I rush in desperately, he dodges and looks for counter-attacks.

But if I don’t engage because I’m wary of his counters, precious time continues to slip away.

I glared at my opponent, conscious of the sweat dripping down my face.

‘If only he weren’t here…’

I could escape.

I could grasp freedom.

But time is running out.

At this rate, I’ll be in danger.

At this rate…

‘Calm down.’

I steadied my breathing.

‘Right now, don’t think about anything else.’

I need to focus solely on breaking through him with determination.

I can’t pierce through this cockroach-like paladin if I’m distracted by other thoughts or the lack of time.

I concentrated my awareness on the enemy.

‘How can I break through?’

I think.

‘What should I do?’

I focus.

Each drop of sweat from tension feels distinctly noticeable.

Perhaps due to my intense movements, my body seemed to be generating heat.

“…What?”

I can see the paladin tensing up.

Yet as he takes another step back, I feel a bit irritated.

No, it’s not just mild irritation.

I want to smash him to pieces.

I charged at the paladin with the nearly blunted axe.

In response, the paladin raised his mace to block the axe.

The axe handle broke against the mace.

The paladin’s mouth twisted as if assured of victory.

That makes me even angrier.

“Just surrender…”

I threw a punch directly at the face of the paladin who was trying to say something.

A punch aimed precisely at the exposed part of his helmet.

Grabbing the body of the paladin, who lost his balance as blood flowed from his nose, I seized his right shoulder plate with my left arm.

-Crack!

I applied force and tore off the shoulder plate.

“You bastard…ugh!”

I took the shoulder plate and smashed it into his face.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

On the fourth strike, the paladin finally blocked the shoulder plate with his arm and pushed me away to create distance.

He began to stagger, seemingly dizzy from the blows to his head.

Seeing this, I hurled the shoulder plate at the paladin with all my might.

-Clang!

The paladin’s body fell backward, apparently hit in the chest.

‘Is he faking?’

And then, I noticed smoke rising from my arm that I had extended to throw the plate.

The heat in my body wasn’t just my imagination.

“Why is my body…?”

A sudden chill came over me, and my head cleared.

After recognizing the abnormality in my arm, I felt my body gradually cooling down.

Just then, the staggering paladin came into view.

This was no time to worry about the strange condition of my body!

“Ugh… you, infidel!”

I ran forward, drew my sword, and swung it at the paladin, who hurriedly raised his mace to block.

Although I aimed for his right shoulder where the plate was missing, the paladin barely managed to block the attack.

In half a breath, I pushed forward and struck the paladin’s arm with a cross guard.

“Ugh!”

Even with gauntlets protecting his hands, they couldn’t completely block the impact.

The paladin finally dropped the mace he had been holding onto.

The mace fell to the ground and rolled away.

“You!”

As the paladin threw a punch at my face, I caught it and deflected it.

I immediately struck his face with the sword handle.

This time it hit a part protected by the helmet, making a metal scraping sound, but it disrupted the paladin’s stance.

The paladin hastily pushed me away and stepped back, regaining his posture while drawing his sword.

We exchanged sword strikes.

-Clang!

But the situation had changed from before.

I no longer needed to fear his attacks.

Unlike with the mace, when fighting sword against sword, there was no need to worry about breaking or shattering.

After several exchanges of sword strikes, our positions shifted slightly, and I noticed the paladin hesitating momentarily, his arm seemingly numb.

I already knew my physical specs were superior.

I brought my sword down on the visibly anxious paladin and pushed forward.

After a test of strength, the paladin finally fell.

Not missing the opportunity, I tried to bring my sword down, but the paladin rolled to the side and got up.

Seeing this, I threw my sword at the paladin.

Meanwhile, I moved my foot toward what I had been eyeing.

In that interval, the paladin barely deflected the sword, and I kicked up the mace that had been rolling on the ground.

“You bastard…”

He seemed to want to curse, but the paladin’s words didn’t fully come out.

I grabbed the mace while looking at the surprised paladin.

As I applied force and looked at the paladin, the smoke that had been gradually subsiding from my arm intensified slightly.

I brought it down toward the paladin.

-Crack!

The paladin’s sword broke.

His helmet caved in.

I applied more force, sending the paladin flying.

“Ugh…!”

The paladin rolled to one side of the dock.

After twitching briefly, he stopped moving.

“I did it…!”

I immediately started running.

The heat from my body had disappeared, and the smoke had stopped.

The air felt extremely cold, and my body was very tired.

While running, I retrieved the sword and looked back at the paladin.

‘Taking a direct hit to the head, he can’t be unharmed.’

I cut the rope tying the boat to the stake and climbed aboard.

I immediately started rowing the boat with my exhausted body.

“I’m free now, you damn bastards!!!!!”

I shouted with joy as I boarded the boat.

The cold sea breeze could be felt.

I have no immediate plans.

I just need to get to a port, somehow resupply, and then think about what to do next.

I have no food, no backpack, nothing.

All I have are the mace, sword, and dagger I took from the paladin.

These alone won’t be enough to get by.

‘I’ll manage somehow.’

I should be safe for a while.

With that thought, my hands felt lighter as I rowed.

“I survived.”

I muttered.

When I closed my eyes briefly, fatigue washed over me.

Perhaps due to the earlier abnormality in my body, my mind became hazy.

I wanted to rest for a moment.

“You think you can escape, you test subject bastard!!!!”

With a sudden shout, the boat shook.

Hurriedly dropping the oar and standing up, it was pure coincidence that I raised the mace with my drowsy mind.

-Clang!

The sound of metal hitting metal.

Having discarded his helmet, a man with a face that looked like he could be a farmer in some countryside appeared on the boat.

Bleeding from his head and with a demonic expression, he was swinging his sword at me.

“You! Will! Never! Escape!”

“What strength…!”

Clearly, I had been stronger from before.

But why was the paladin stronger now?

Due to the sudden ambush on the narrow boat, my fatigue, and the unexpected difference in strength, my stance crumbled, and the paladin grabbed my face.

I tried to strike the paladin’s arm with the mace, but he immediately dunked my face into the seawater, thwarting my attempt.

Seawater immediately entered my eyes and nose.

Unable to swing the mace, I tried to hit the paladin’s head with the handle end, but it was blocked by his shoulder due to the poor positioning.

“The likes of you! Cannot! Wound! The great paladin of Emiris!”

Like some kind of spin cycle, the paladin lifted me up and then dunked me back into the water, repeating this process.

Thanks to this, I was experiencing the repeated entry and exit of seawater, which was a hellish experience.

I tried to resist by striking with the mace handle and eventually hit his head, but the paladin seemed not to feel the pain and continued dunking me in the seawater while raging.

“The Lord! Watches! Over! Me! Us! You! The likes of you!”

Then, suddenly, he lifted me up and slammed me hard onto the bottom of the boat.

Of course, his hand was still gripping my face.

He was now pinning my arms with his legs, so I couldn’t swing the mace.

“You bastard!”

I twisted my body in resistance.

The boat rocked significantly with my movements, but the paladin didn’t budge.

He wouldn’t move at all.

Then I suddenly looked at the paladin’s hand.

He was holding a sword that he had never drawn until now.

A pure white light was emanating from that sword.

‘Could that be…’

The reason the paladin suddenly became stronger?

Just as I was about to think that:

“Ah, yes… that’s right…”

The paladin, who had suddenly gone quiet, started giggling.

Is he crazy?

Has he gone mad?

“I must offer a scream to Him!”

“What are you saying…”

As a bad premonition came over me and I moved my body more violently, flames erupted from the paladin’s arm that was gripping my face.

The flames began to burn my face.

“AAAAARGH??!!!!!!!!!”

It was hot.

Half of my face began to melt.

The paladin laughs.

He laughs as if he’s enjoying it.

He’s saying something with his mouth while laughing, but I can’t hear it.

Is it because of the heat and pain?

The paladin looked distorted.

A demon laughs.

“AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!”

I twisted and shook my body with all my might.

The boat tilted slightly.

Miraculously, the paladin’s body lifted slightly and lost balance.

Not missing that moment, I pushed the paladin away and stood up.

No, it wasn’t that I didn’t miss it.

It was just by chance that I got up while struggling.

“This… submit… judgment…”

Due to the pain, the paladin’s words sound broken.

What are you saying, you rotten bastard?

I duck to avoid the paladin swinging his sword.

Then I crashed into him with my whole body.

Together with the paladin, I fell off the boat.

-Splash!

Seawater enters the part where the flames had touched.

Amidst the surging pain, I saw the paladin urgently moving his body.

He seemed to be trying to climb back onto the boat.

He was swimming to save himself without even looking back.

Just moments ago, he was happily burning my face.

The burn on my face throbbed.

It felt like my eyes were rolling back.

‘You’re trying to save yourself alone.’

I moved my body and clung to the paladin.

I firmly fixed his sword-wielding hand to my body so he couldn’t move it, and I clung to him.

Perhaps he didn’t expect me to follow, the paladin shook his body trying to shake me off, but I had already latched on.

Ignoring his resistance, I wrapped my arm around the paladin’s neck.

Then I squeezed.

“Ugh… grk… can’t…”

Soon the paladin moved his body to try to remove my arm.

He also struggled, trying to hit my arm while moving his arm.

Perhaps due to the power of the sword that had been glowing, it seemed like the arm wrapped around his neck might come loose, but I desperately held on.

If I let go, I would die.

No, that’s not it.

One of us would die.

Maybe it’s because I almost died earlier, but I felt more strength entering my body.

It felt like a surge of strength I didn’t have before, like a final struggle.

The paladin continued to struggle, but was it just my feeling? The light that had been emanating from the sword seemed to be gradually weakening.

I could sense the paladin’s face being tinged with despair.

His struggles intensified, but his strength was weakening.

Sensing the end approaching, I applied even more force.

-Crack!

Despite being underwater, an indescribable sound came from the paladin.

Soon, the paladin spewed foam from his mouth, drooped his head, and began to sink.

At the same time, I felt my breath being cut off.

I quickly swam up to the surface.

Almost capsizing the boat, I climbed aboard.

“Huff… huff… blech…”

I spat out the seawater that had entered my nose and mouth, and almost collapsed, but the pain in my face brought me back to my senses.

“I almost… died.”

I weakly muttered, looking at the spot where the paladin had sunk.

Fearing he might resurface, I forced my exhausted body to row away from that place.

Like a broken machine, I forcibly rowed away.

But with such a tired body, I couldn’t go far, and with a hazy mind, I looked at the sea where the paladin had sunk.

Nothing happened.

It was quiet, as if no one had ever sunk there.

My eyes were heavy.

This time, I truly wanted to rest.