Novel Full Chapter 173 : Chapter 173
Chapter 173. This is perfect (2)
‘Damn it….’
‘How can this be?’
It wasn’t just Count Gilsion who was trembling with shame and humiliation.
Marquis Ruide and Count Ziegler were also gritting their teeth and glaring at Patrick.
Patrick had already fought a fierce battle within the encirclement for over two hours.
In the process, the number of troops lost alone exceeded 1,000, and the knightly order had also suffered considerable damage.
Naturally, Patrick Schneider was not in a normal state either.
The wounds all over his body and the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth showed that he was definitely not in a normal state.
And yet, against such an opponent….
Three 7-star knights were attacking him together, and they were being overwhelmed.
How was he supposed to accept this reality?
How on earth?
Before even considering the wound to his pride, he just couldn’t understand it.
How could this be happening against Patrick, who was just a student who hadn’t even graduated from the Academy?
“Cough cough…. Look at those faces….”
Patrick showed a clear sneer to the three with rotten expressions and said.
“I can see exactly what you’re thinking. You bastards.”
“……”
To them, who were grinding their teeth, Patrick said with a provocative smile.
“Just admit it.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“That I am faaaar stronger than you guys.”
“……”
“If you don’t admit that…. Cough cough…. Damn, now my head is getting dizzy too.”
The expressions of the proud 7-star knights of the Kaisar Kingdom, watching Patrick wipe the blood from his mouth, were indescribable.
They knew.
No, they had no choice but to know.
Look at that Double Dragon.
He was wiping away the blood that overflowed from his mouth every time he coughed.
He was definitely not in a normal state.
And yet, he was not being pushed back while facing the three of them; rather, he was overwhelming them. That meant….
‘If his body was in a normal state….’
‘It wouldn’t have even been a fight.’
A sense of helpless powerlessness and self-loathing drained the strength from Count Ziegler and Count Gilsion’s shoulders.
Just then, Marquis Ruide spoke.
“Don’t lose your strength.”
He spoke to the two who were about to give up.
“We are lucky.”
“Pardon?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Marquis Ruide said without taking his eyes off Patrick.
“It means we can catch that monster now.”
“……”
“……”
“This is a chance that will never come again in our lives. Pull yourselves together and do what must be done for the future of the nation!”
It meant that they should completely set aside their personal pride and honor for the future of the nation.
At those words, Count Ziegler and Count Gilsion forced their heads up, which had been sinking to the ground.
Perhaps this was just an excuse.
In the end, it was just three 7-star knights leading an army to jointly attack a single person.
But even for such a dirty and despicable act, humans can surprisingly do it if they have an excuse.
“They say people are the same everywhere, but…. to think I’d see this again. Again.”
Patrick’s memory delved into the distant past.
[For the honor of my sect, I cannot let you go peacefully!]
[So you’re going to gang up on me?]
[Everything is for the honor of the sect.]
[So you’re saying you’re going to gang up on me, right?]
[This is by no means for my personal gain.]
[Can you not hear me? Hey! Hey!]
[Prepare yourself. Radiant Dragon Great Master!]
“These guys are putting on quite a show.”
It was a memory that made him grind his teeth just thinking about it.
Those who prided themselves on being prestigious orthodox factions, once given the fine excuse of their sect’s honor, their actions became as filthy and despicable as any unorthodox faction.
“Bastards who gang up because they lack the skill, what honor are you talking about, you frozen-to-death honor.”
Well, fine. I already know well enough how to deal with guys like you.
I just have to teach you.
“Feel it to your bones. Just what kind of guy I am!”
And Patrick was the first to charge towards the three.
* * *
The aspect of the battle had completely changed.
Originally, this battle was for the purpose of capturing one person named Patrick Schneider.
Patrick was the prey, and the Kaisar Kingdom’s army was the hunter.
But now, the roles had completely reversed.
It was Patrick who was aggressively moving forward and attacking, while the proud heroes of the Kaisar Kingdom were busy blocking and dodging his attacks.
“Keuk….”
Count Ziegler, who had barely blocked Patrick’s attack, felt a dull ache in his shield arm.
The relentless follow-up attacks were so fierce and rough that if he relaxed his tension for even a moment, it felt like he would be hacked to pieces.
“You baaaastard!”
Fortunately, his colleague Marquis Ruide helped him.
Because he attacked Patrick, he was able to barely escape from the storm of attacks.
But in return, Marquis Ruide had to pay the price for touching the tiger’s tail.
“When did we become so familiar that you dare call me ‘bastard’!”
Jjeooong!
“Keuak….”
Patrick’s kick flew in low and struck him.
Marquis Ruide, who was charging forward, had to stop in his tracks amidst the intense pain, as if his leg had been broken.
“There are only two people who can call me ‘bastard’.”
And then came Patrick’s storm-like series of attacks.
Kwakwakwakwa!
If he hadn’t quickly raised his shield and infused it with aura, his body would have been torn to pieces and fallen to the ground.
“Keuk….”
Marquis Ruide gritted his teeth.
He had to endure.
He had to endure for even a little while….
“Uwaaaaaaat!”
“Dieeeee!”
So that his comrades would have an opening to help him.
Count Ziegler, who had caught his breath, and Count Gilsion, who had raised his Aura Blade to its maximum, jointly attacked Patrick.
“These bastards, really….”
In that instant, Patrick’s body blurred and split.
“Huk!?”
“Keuk….”
A superior movement technique that surpassed Form-Shifting Position Change.
Patrick’s seven clones simultaneously turned into flashes of light.
[ Flashing Dragon Strike: Modified Form: Big Dipper Seven Linked Strikes ]
Kwakwakwakwang! Kwangkwangkwang!
“Keok….”
“Keuak!”
The three 7-star knights were sent flying at the same time.
Like goblins kicked by a horse, the three were sent tumbling, rolling several times on the ground before forcing themselves up.
Patrick frowned at the sight.
“They’re strangely tough. Is it because of that armor?”
Ordinary plate mail could not withstand Patrick’s attacks.
But the armor worn by those three maintained its shape even after being hit by Patrick’s Flashing Dragon Strike.
It seemed to be no ordinary item.
As the fight dragged on unnecessarily, Patrick let out a sigh.
“What a pain in the ass.”
Meanwhile, if the emotion Patrick was feeling was close to annoyance, the emotion the opponents were feeling was….
“…You monster.”
It was shock and terror.
The words Count Gilsion spat out represented the feelings of the other two as well.
Marquis Ruide spat out the mud in his mouth and said.
“Just one time…. We can use any means necessary, we just need to create a single opening.”
“Hmm….”
“……”
At Marquis Ruide’s words, Count Gilsion and Count Ziegler also nodded and forced themselves to their feet.
Seeing their fighting spirit ignite as if there was still hope, Patrick frowned.
‘What are these bastards up to? Are they stalling for time?’
If their goal was to stall for time because other reinforcements were coming, then their desperate resistance was understandable. But….
‘I don’t get that feeling.’
Even when he spread his senses, there was no change in the formation of the encirclement.
There was no sign of reinforcements coming.
Then what was the basis for the fighting spirit that had not died out in the eyes of those three?
‘There’s no way they haven’t felt the difference in skill….’
Just then, the opponents bravely charged at Patrick again.
“Here I come! Double Dragon!”
“Wooooooh!”
Watching the three charge, truly believing they had a chance of victory, Patrick felt something was off.
There was no clear basis, but his senses, sharpened through countless life-and-death situations, were warning him.
That something was dangerous.
‘Should I wait and see for a bit?’
Patrick trusted his intuition.
The intuition of a master was sometimes worth trusting more than logical judgment.
For now, he planned to calmly defend and figure out what the enemies were aiming for. But….
“Now!”
“Shoot!”
A rain of arrows poured down from behind Patrick.
“Well, look at these bastards?”
Had they really thrown away the bare minimum of pride?
The soldiers, whom he thought would quietly watch while he was dealing with these three, were shooting arrows at Patrick.
Patrick swung his sword to deflect the arrows flying towards him.
It was impossible to harm Patrick with such arrows. But the enemies, as if waiting for this gap, seized the opportunity and closed in.
For a moment, Patrick thought.
No matter what, isn’t that reckless? Why would they do such a….
“Huh?”
Just then, Patrick saw it.
Ting! Tingtingting!
The armor they were wearing was effortlessly deflecting the arrows.
A few arrows could have gotten stuck between the gaps in the armor, but not a single arrow hit; they all bounced off.
Come to think of it, that armor was an extraordinary item that maintained its shape even when he had pummeled it with the Flashing Dragon Strike. Arrows would probably not even scratch it.
“Damn it….”
This was Patrick’s mistake.
In the Murim, with a few exceptions, people usually didn’t wear armor.
What was the point of wearing armor when it would just be easily sliced by sword energy? It was just heavy.
But in this world, even soldiers, let alone knights, wore at least minimal armor to protect their vital points.
And the high-quality plate mail worn by knights could withstand some arrows.
In particular, the armor these three were wearing was a special product enchanted and reinforced at the Tower of Truth.
Material reinforcement, shock absorption, weight reduction, and so on….
It was a magical artifact endowed with more than seven kinds of magic.
It wasn’t a Soul Weapon, but this one item was a high-priced masterpiece worth enough to equip an entire knightly order.
Patrick didn’t know this.
No, to be more precise, he knew it in his head but hadn’t quite grasped it yet.
Three enemies charging through the rain of arrows as if it were nothing.
‘Tsk, can’t be helped.’
Patrick, who had been swinging his sword to deflect the arrows, decided to accept some damage and turned his sword to deal with the three first.
But just then….
“Patrick Schneiderrrr!”
Marquis Ruide made an unexpected choice.
He threw his own sword and shield at Patrick.
Unable to overlook the power of the weapons flying towards him imbued with Aura Blades, Patrick quickly moved his sword to deal with those two threats first.
Kwaang! Kwang!
Right after deflecting the weapons.
“Double Dragon!”
“Die!”
The attacks of Count Gilsion and Count Ziegler, who were rushing in to exploit the opening from the left and right.
But Patrick’s body moved as if possessed, seeming to split into left and right simultaneously.
And then….
Kwang! Kwaang!
He even struck down and crushed their decisive attacks.
“Keuk….”
“You monster….”
The two were sent flying back by Patrick’s powerful attack.
But just then….
Grab!
Marquis Ruide, now empty-handed, suddenly grabbed Patrick in a tight embrace.
And then he shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Mageees!”
In that moment, Patrick saw it.
The group of mages chanting spells behind the knights, and the giant fireballs floating above their heads.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Gritting his teeth, Patrick slammed his own head into the face of Marquis Ruide, who was clinging to him at close range.
Paaak!
“Keeuk….”
Marquis Ruide’s nose bridge collapsed and his front teeth were shattered. But the strength in his arms, holding Patrick tightly, did not wane in the slightest.
“Hurry up!”
“This old geezer, really….”
Patrick forcefully moved his completely trapped arm and placed his palm in the center of Marquis Ruide’s chest.
And then….
Kuuung!
A powerful stomp.
He exploded the repulsive force coming up from the earth through his knee, waist, and shoulder, and onto his palm.
Pooooong!
“Keoook….”
A powerful power emission exploded at point-blank range.
Marquis Ruide’s body momentarily swelled up, and a sound like a giant drum bursting echoed. But….
“Hehehe…. Not a chance….”
Marquis Ruide, groaning in the agony of broken ribs and a torn lung, still had a victorious smile on his lips.
And Patrick saw it.
The countless masses of flame that were already flying towards him.
‘Ah… am I screwed?’
Kwang! Kwaang! Kwaaaaaang!
Terrifying flames swept over the spot where Patrick and Marquis Ruide were.