Chapter 1490 – 1490. Paladin: The Journey Of Evil Eradication
The corrupted ones revealed their true nature all at once.
They acknowledged that they couldn’t deceive my eyes. As if receiving some kind of instruction, the corrupted ones rushed to kill me, and the uncorrupted paladins and priests began attacking the corrupted.
I observed the situation while killing the corrupted ones that charged at me.
Among the paladins and priests, less than 10% were corrupted. However, in the case of the nuns, over 80% were corrupted.
“Kill the corrupted!”
“For the Goddess Herianne!”
The paladins mercilessly swung their swords at the corrupted.
I beheaded a nun who had been pretending to be human until the very end.
Nuns.
The women who prove their faith through the most rigorous discipline in the order. Ironically, those who live by strict rules are the easiest to corrupt. This is because the strong discipline makes them excessively pure.
Untainted purity was more easily defiled than anything else.
“Kyahhhhh!”
A nun, who had been pretending to be human until the end, screamed and revealed her true nature. The corrupted one crawled on all fours and approached me in an instant. I reflexively kicked the corrupted one. The corrupted one jumped upwards and swung sharp claws at me.
The corrupted one’s claws couldn’t even scratch my armor. I calmly grabbed the corrupted one’s head with my left hand and crushed it.
The battle. No, the work continues. Every time I swing my sword, the corrupted ones die. I threw swords or corpses lying on the floor at the fleeing corrupted ones.
The situation was soon resolved.
The paladins calmed their rough breaths, and the priests prayed for the dead. The nuns had confused expressions, as if they still didn’t understand the situation. It was understandable, considering that most of those they thought were their comrades were corrupted.
A paladin approached me.
“…Paladin. I still can’t believe that there are so many corrupted ones in the Papal Palace.”
“Are you asking me for an explanation?”
“This is the Papal Palace. The barrier of holy relics protects the Papal Palace. The Papal Palace has never allowed a demon’s intrusion before. I believe you, Paladin, know the reason for this situation.”
Not only the paladin but everyone here is looking at me.
It wouldn’t be good to simply say that I could notice it thanks to the Holy Eye. That wouldn’t be the answer they wanted.
“There is a demon who likes to play with humans.”
“All demons do that.”
“Among those demons, there is the most malicious demon. A demon who deceives humans and causes chaos in human society. Once, a city was destroyed by that demon’s whisper. Humans who lost their faith due to the demon’s trickery turned their swords against each other.”
“…You’re talking about the city of Galtex. That was the work of the Great Demon Arias… Could it be! Did Arias manipulate the Papal Palace?!”
“Arias is a Great Demon who has a form but is formless. There is no demon other than Arias who can infiltrate the Papal Palace.”
Everyone became tense at the mention of the Great Demon’s name. They also acknowledged the seriousness of the situation.
“…Then where is Arias now?”
“Arias’s ability is possession. Arias possesses humans, makes their power his own, and corrupts them. If you were Arias, who would you possess?”
“……His Holiness the Pope. Has His Holiness been attacked by Arias? That’s impossible! His Holiness has the protection of the Goddess Herianne!”
“Arias is a Great Demon.”
“……”
In this world, the reputation of the Great Demon was immense. Just the name alone was enough to make the paladins and priests tremble. It was only natural. The Great Demon was an immortal being who had tormented humans for thousands of years.
“I will kill the Great Demon Arias.”
“…We will follow you, Paladin.”
At that moment, a messenger approached me.
“Paladin! How about requesting support from the paladins in other regions? You can receive support immediately by using the return stones!”
“If we can contact the paladins in other regions… it might be possible.”
“We can contact them immediately using holy magic.”
“It will be impossible. Arias already knows the current situation. Arias will interfere with the communication using magic.”
“Excuse me?”
I turned around.
The outer castle can be seen through the open entrance. Black smoke is rising from various parts of the outer castle.
“Did you think that Irias’s influence only reached the inner castle? The corrupted ones who were hiding in the outer castle have begun to reveal themselves and run wild.”
“This can’t be… Paladin, what should we do?!”
The paladin is shocked. He gripped the sword hilt tightly. He seems like he wants to rush out to the outer castle right away, but there is the Great Demon Arias in the inner castle. Also, there will be corrupted ones hiding in various parts of the inner castle.
“Trust the paladins and priests in the outer castle. You find and punish the corrupted ones hiding in the inner castle. I… will punish Arias.”
“We will follow your orders, Paladin.”
I entrusted all the minor things to them. They began to gather and devise a plan on their own, even without my detailed instructions.
I walked forward. I walk down the long corridor. The corridor was clean, and the sculptures decorating the walls were magnificent. The sunlight pouring in from the windows was warm. On the surface, it looked very peaceful.
Clang, clang.
Amidst the sounds of clashing armor, I heard someone’s laughter.
-Hehehehehe.
The light laughter of a woman sticks to my body like glue. The somewhat decadent voice blatantly seduces me.
My vision also changes. The scenery I see is distorted. The ground rippled and shook like a lake. However, the sensation felt on the soles of my feet remains unchanged.
This is a hallucination. Arias is playing tricks on me.
‘If I had an absolute spirit, I wouldn’t even be affected by hallucinations.’
A divine spirit is not entirely useless. Minor curses don’t work at all, and it’s not like there’s a problem with the spirit itself. Even if I see hallucinations, my spirit is fine.
-The goddess doesn’t reward anything.
-Even if you kill demons for the goddess, the goddess will just remain silent.
-Don’t you want to be an emperor?
-I’ll make you an emperor. I’ll make all humans kneel at your feet.
-With that power, you can live forever. You can become an immortal like us and live forever. You deserve it.
“Shut your nonsense, Arias.”
-Amazing.
-A spirit that doesn’t waver even a little is truly a model for a paladin.
-But you are human.
-I can feel it. You’re suppressing it with a strong spirit… but there’s an intense desire that can never be eliminated.
-Don’t suppress your desires.
-Is there a need to suppress your desires? Your desire is also part of what you want.
-Accept your desires. The pleasure you can get when your desires are fulfilled is much more pleasant than you think.
“It only tickles my ears. Your words cannot shake my spirit and soul. I know that you are attached to the Pope. I’ll be there soon, so prepare to die.”
-Hehehehe.
-Scary, isn’t it?
-Are you going to kill the Pope?
-The Pope is the most respected human being for you. Are you still going to kill him?
-The Pope has succumbed to his desires. He receives gold from nobles and eats luxurious meals every day.
-He wears warm and soft clothes and rapes nuns every night.
-You can do it too.
-I’ll let you do it.
-You just have to unleash the desires within you.
“Keep talking all you want. The result won’t change anyway.”
My vision wavers. The hallucination has worsened.
Women appeared.
They were naked women. The women’s seductive laughter strikes my ears.
The women were everywhere in the corridor. Each had a different appearance and charm. Some women had attractive legs, while others were blatantly seductive, showing off their large breasts. There were women who smiled shyly, and there were also seductive women who smacked their lips while looking at me.
Women showing their buttocks, women spreading their vaginas wide open, women beckoning to me. I ignored all the women and walked forward.
A sweet smell came from my nose. Was it the smell of flesh? It was a smell that stirred a man’s heart.
Of course, I know that this is just an illusion.
-This is the desire you have.
-There is a huge lust within you. You are suppressing it with a powerful spirit.
-You have a truly amazing spirit.
-It’s hard to endure, isn’t it?
-Don’t endure it. Your happiness is right in front of you.
At the end, I can see a magnificent room where the Pope is.
The Holy Eye is telling me. That the Great Demon is there.
The women who were lined up along the corridor walls and seducing me began to move. The women cling to my body. Even though I’m wearing armor, I can vividly feel the soft skin of the women. The man’s body reacted to the women’s skin.
I tried to shake off the women by swinging my arms. It was useless. This is because these women are all hallucinations.
I had no choice but to ignore them and walk forward with dignity.
The closer I got to the door, the more blatantly the women seduced me. They wrapped their arms around my shoulders with their full breasts and rubbed their intimate areas against my thighs.
The door is getting closer.
The women began to disappear one by one. When I stood right in front of the door, there wasn’t a single woman by my side. I couldn’t hear Arias’s voice either.
I pushed the door open with all my might.
Bang!
The door opens.
It was a magnificent grand hall. At the end of the hall, a middle-aged man with a benevolent impression was sitting on a chair.
More than 10 naked nuns were sprawled around him. The floor was soaked with blood that had flowed from the nuns. The nuns’ vaginas were ruptured, and their abdomens were torn open.
Pope Haines was holding the nuns’ intestines in both hands. His benevolent face was covered with blood and pieces of intestines.
“Oh! Paladin of Valentier! You’ve come at a good time. I was just having a meal. Would you like to join me?”
Haines speaks in a friendly tone.
I held the Holy Sword of Valentier.
“You’ve become completely corrupted. Die.”
I swing my sword. A golden sword aura flew towards Haines. Haines raised his palm upwards. A golden barrier blocked the sword aura I had unleashed.
“I am not corrupted. Look. I am using divine power. If I were corrupted, I wouldn’t be able to use divine power.”
“Do you think I wouldn’t know that you’re using magic to disguise it as divine power? Arias! Great Demon of Deception! I know your abilities!”
Haines laughed and stood up from his seat.
“You’re smart. You’re too dangerous… you’ll have to die here.”
