Arcane Journey

Chapter 124 The Holy Avenger

It was a very cold gray morning.

Ballerith stood alone in front of the closed gate of the Salamander.

He stared at the distant horizon, the world outside the walls of Mokou Town looked so empty, as if there would never be a place for him to stand.

But he knew that it would be useless for him to linger here, he had to leave here.

"Maybe they are right to worry." Balleris sighed softly and muttered to himself.

Because he was also worried that one day he would suddenly lose control of his anger and bring a violent trial to the whole town.

He subconsciously looked at the rock bunker in Mokou Town, and the flags painted with black iron fists clenched with green light fluttered in the wind.

He still vividly remembers that there used to be the castle of the lord of Mokou Town, with the purple dragon flag waving in the wind, and the purple dragon knights and battle mages guarding the town were stationed inside.

Today it is the settlement of the Sanrinta, home to brutal armies and wicked worshipers of the tyrannical god Bane.

He couldn't help thinking that if Mokou Town was completely ruled by Angus, the Heron Knight of the Sanlinta Society, and then received the support of the richest man Graal, it would become even stronger
A series of unsettling visions began to haunt him, making him afraid to continue thinking about it.

For a moment.

Ballerith seemed to see a dark knight led by Angus the Heron Knight, holding up the battle standard painted with the holy emblem of Bane, the god of tyranny, and singing the victory song in praise of their god.

Wherever the mighty black horses' hooves went, the armies of the unbelievers crumbled at the touch of a finger, and the dead were everywhere, and the dying groaned and wailed on the blood-soaked battlefield.

The scene made the good side of him stir.

"Never!" Balleris whispered decisively: "I will never let such a thing happen again in Mokou Town."

Because he's already let this disaster happen once, he thought bitterly.

Ten years ago, he led his own adventure team to slaughter an adult evil red dragon after listening to the false news that Sanlin Tower would spread.

No one can resist the temptation of the dragon slayer's glory, and neither can he and several of his companions.

However, when they broke into the giant dragon's lair, they discovered that this was not an adult dragon at all, but an ancient red dragon that had lived for thousands of years.

The wrath of an annoyed ancient red dragon is undoubtedly quite terrifying.

On that day, all his brothers who were born and died with him and the lover who guided him on the path of a paladin were all killed, leaving only him and another warlock partner.

In a panic, they fled to Mokou Town.

A terrible disaster happened.

Mokou Town, which originally belonged to the Kingdom of Cormyr, was under the governance of a clergy lord who believed in Oghma, the God of Knowledge. Everything was left to be done, and it was already developing into the most prosperous town in the Enook Desert. , but was destroyed by the ancient red dragon they attracted.

More than half of the population of the entire town was killed or injured in the dragon flames. Although the priest lord of Mokou Town led the purple dragon knight and the battle mage to seriously wound the red dragon, they all died because of it.

The crazy dragon was taken advantage of by the Sanlin Tower Society and the Dragon Worship Society who came later.

They seem to have discussed it long ago. The Dragon Worship Cult got the dragon's body, and the Sanlin Tower Society got the right to rule the town.

In that tragic battle, he saved many innocent civilians from the burning flames, but for him, the sins he committed could never be redeemed.

He is a paladin who has taken the oath of dedication, which means the most noble part of the ideas of justice, virtue, and order. Following this oath, all paladins are dedicated to law and goodness, and their creed as the standard of devotion.

But what he did trampled on the vows he had made, like a house swept by the flames of the red dragon, completely destroying it.

He thus lost the sacred oath of the clergy, and the service which he himself acknowledged existed beyond his own ideals.

It was this painful memory that caused him to lose both the power of a paladin and a sword master, turning him into a disabled old man who suffered a double blow to his body and soul.

Now, with nothing left, he would lose even his own standing ground.

"I can't go, I have to stay." Balleris kept whispering, emphasizing: "I belong here, and no one can drive me away."

After finishing speaking, he turned around without hesitation, opened the door and entered.

"What are you still doing here?" The moment he entered the tavern, a slightly cold voice came from the darkness that he had not yet adapted to.

The cold voice made the hair on the back of Ballerith's neck stand on end. Without thinking, he stretched his hand to his waist, but found that there was nothing there, and there was no sword to hold at all.

He seemed to realize today that his sword and right leg had been broken during the Red Dragon Rebellion ten years ago, which became the last straw that crushed him and plunged him into deep despair and self-blame.

"I belong here, even if I die, I will die here!" Balleris replied firmly.

He didn't know who the speaker was, although he could see the face of this uninvited guest clearly just by looking up, but for some reason, listening to his cold questioning language, he subconsciously wanted to escape , dare not confront him.

"I just want to stay here and do what I can do." He added unwillingly: "Isn't that even okay?"

"What can I do?"

The door of the tavern closed automatically with a bang, and the figure in the darkness smiled contemptuously.

"What do you mean by what you can do? Fix a leaky ceiling, fix a squeaky hinge on a door, or unclog a drain in a kitchen?"

"I'm just a crippled old man in his dying years. What else can I do?" The sarcastic words hit a pain point in the deepest part of Balleris' heart.

Yeah, what can he do?

He lost the power of the Paladin and Juggernaut, as well as his last will to fight.

Now, what else is on his mind?
His hair was already half white. It was always shiny and black due to the divine radiance, but now it has lost its luster, lost its vitality, and looks messy. His bloodless face is full of wrinkles from time, and his body has become emaciated.

All he has is breakdown and despair, humiliation and discouragement.

"You really can't do anything, because this world is just like this." Soi Ying's tone seemed to feel his mood at the moment, and it eased a lot, saying unhurriedly:
"As long as you are a frequent traveler, you can see all kinds of interesting things. For example, two farmers fought to the death for a field. On the second day, the field was razed by the men of the two earls. The fighting continued.

People were hanged from roadside trees, robbers slit the throats of merchants, and in towns, every step could be tripped over by corpses from the slums.Even in a magnificent palace, wherever the blade is pointed, someone may fall under the dining table with a blue face every minute at the banquet.Can you protect against any misfortune? "

"I really can't do it." Balleris still didn't look up, answered truthfully, and said solemnly and firmly, "But as long as the paladins don't die, justice will last forever."

He didn't know why he suddenly said this sentence that he was once proud of but gradually despised.

He suddenly felt that when he said these words, a certain string in his heart was touched, and his bony body seemed to gain strange strength, as if a confused person had seen a glimmer of hope.

This is what it means to long for redemption, he thought.

Not all souls can be saved. Lemeric's terrible words burned in his brain like poison.

"Indeed, no one can protect everything, and you are powerless to allow disasters to happen in front of you, because you are not strong enough. Only by gaining the power to crush everything can you keep the justice in your heart."

The tone of the black shadow's speech was surprisingly calm, which made Balleris feel a soothing power, and he listened quietly.

"That's why I only believe in my own strength, only in the mighty power. This is a world ruled by the gods, and it is also a world of mighty power. Only we have the power to crush everything. In the face of any evil organization , evil races, or even the demons of the bottomless abyss and the demons of Baator Hell, so there will be no such hopeless and helpless disasters."

"You are too weak. Facing an ancient red dragon, you have no ability to destroy it, but you provoked a war between justice and evil beyond your control. It is precisely because of your ignorant actions that you brought Mokou Town to the world. Killed and killed many innocent people."

When the past was brought up, Balleris recalled a scene of tragic scenes again in his mind, and a deep sense of powerlessness and despair spread to his whole body at an extremely fast speed.

Only with the power to crush everything can we keep the justice in our hearts, defend Mokou Town, and complete our own redemption.

The old man who was struggling in pain shuddered and suddenly realized some ideas.

"If you don't have the power to destroy evil, your so-called justice is just a joke. Do you think that as long as you believe in justice, you can save the world? In my opinion, only idiots believe it!"

"The real strong dare to face the bleak life and face the dripping blood, but you? You dare not even face this difficulty, so you are not qualified at all!"

"You are a body that has lost its soul, a walking corpse. As a paladin, you have not understood what is true justice, what is the purest justice. So your depravity is not worthy of sympathy and pity. "

"If not, why did the gods create sheep so that the wolf would not starve, and created the weak to be fooled by the strong."

"A true paladin will protect the weak and protect the good." Baleris, who was gradually realizing, felt that these words were like a sharp knife piercing his heart. He gritted his teeth in pain, and argued with a firm tone.

"The real paladins and the gods seem to exist, but they never existed." The figure in the darkness said with a snort:
"If a man can't defend himself, he is dead and must make way for others. Don't you understand that even under the watchful eyes of the gods, this world is still ruled by sword and power."

"Your remarks are too terrifying." Balleris said with a trembling voice.

"It's not me that's scary, but this world. It's because it's so real that people feel scared. So, the most terrifying thing in a world is not the rampant evil, but the silence of the good people. Do you mean, Ba Lauris?"

Balleris felt these words roaring in his eardrums, as if he had lost his ability to think, but they were clearly and deeply imprinted on his consciousness. He looked startled, raised his head suddenly, and looked into the darkness The figure in the middle asked tremblingly:
"Who are you?"

As soon as the words fell, a dazzling light erupted in the dim tavern.

He saw an adventurer, Brian, who had once had a relationship with him, appearing in front of him.

This stern-faced half-elf wizard exudes a majestic and confident temperament.

His eyes are deep and bright, his black hair is faintly radiant, and an inconspicuous black cloak is draped over his body without wind, and it is as dazzling as an obsidian statue under the hot sun.

What made him unbelievable the most was that the light source for all this came from a scorching and shining lightsaber.

"Remember, any soul can be saved."

Brian threw the legendary weapon 'Dawnbringer' in his hand, thrust it in front of Balleris, and said coldly:
"There are shadows in the brightest light, and in the darkest shadows there will always be fearless people who have the courage to disperse the darkness. It depends on whether you are willing to get this kind of salvation. If you think about it, pick up this weapon Sword, follow me to bring light and hope to Mokou Town."

"Buzz!"

As Brian's words fell, the lightsaber inserted in front of Balleris suddenly shone with dazzling brilliance and made a trembling sound.

Ballerius gazed at the lightsaber, watching it obsessively, for a moment, as if it made him lose all love for anything he loved.

Looking at the dazzling and bright light, he found with deep feeling that this is not a complete weapon. This weapon seems to have been left behind in the dark for countless years, so that it left eroded damage.

Even so, this sword can still bloom again as a symbol of hope after seeing the light of day again.

"A sword even knows how to redeem itself, how can I be willing to degenerate because of this."

He sighed softly, stretched out his trembling right hand, on the haggard palm, scars and scars criss-crossed, against the light, it looked so eye-catching and profound.

Just as he was about to close his grip on the weapon's gilded hilt, he paused again.

He couldn't help but think back to his decades of life.

He remembered the killings that he was driven by the whip to participate in the battle. In order to make up and redeem, he accepted the call of the sacred mission and became the paladin of the Lord of Dawn.

When the red dragon ravaged Mokou Town ten years ago, I lost the power from the paladin and the oath of the sword master, as well as the goal of life
The oath of devotion signifies the noblest of ideas of justice, virtue, and order.

They are the representatives of the paladins in shining armor, practicing the dogma of justice and pursuing a noble mission.

Baleris thought back to the sacred moment when he took the oath of dedication, and thought again to the killings when he practiced the way of the sword master, the raging flames of the red dragon, and the tragic death of countless innocent people.

He closed his eyes subconsciously, silently savoring the pain caused by the unbearable memories.

The shining sword light seemed to reflect the darkness deep in his heart, making him suddenly realize.

"From now on, I only believe in my own power, I only believe in powerful power. Only we have the power to crush everything. In the face of any evil organization, evil race, even the demons of the bottomless abyss and the power of Bator Hell The devil, there will be no such hopeless and helpless disasters."

Balleris' cloudy eyes gradually became bright and sharp, and his tone of voice was like a hard stone, "This is the justice I am looking for! The purest justice!"

He took out the dim holy emblem of the Lord of Dawn, which had long since lost any divine brilliance, which he regarded as a precious symbol, and indifferently threw it into a dark corner, then knelt down on his knees, tightly Grasping the gilded hilt of the 'Dawnbringer', say firmly:

"Since the oath of dedication is no longer suitable for me, then I will be a holy avenger: looking for a strong enemy, with no distractions! No mercy for evil! For justice, use any means!"

As soon as the words fell, the bright light emitted by the shining 'Dawnbringer' gradually dissipated, and a strange aura emerged together with the holder.

Balleris stood up slowly, his sharp eyes faced the emptiness of darkness, and a mysterious dark energy suddenly burst out from his body.

The last faint light of the 'Dawnbringer' completely dissipated, and a sharp blade emitting dark energy was condensed.

Seeing the changes in this legendary weapon, Brian also had a hint of surprise in his eyes.

What he didn't expect was that after Baleris regained his fighting consciousness, the burst of energy actually resonated with the 'Dawnbringer' that had been stored in the darkness for thousands of years.

The light attribute of this weapon was completely swallowed by darkness, turning it into a dark attribute weapon suitable for the Holy Avenger in the true sense.

Holy Avenger!
A group of paladins of lawful neutral and absolute neutral alignments.

In order to maintain the justice in their hearts, the Holy Avengers will even do anything by hook or by crook.

This is a kind of paladin who masters the power of darkness, but the paladin who masters this power is the easiest to degenerate into an evil black guard.

What they guard is the justice in their hearts, not the beliefs of the gods.

For them, this is a battle of their own beliefs and wills.

Winning or losing is only a matter of thought.

The holy oath of the holy avenger is: Vengeance!

It is a solemn commitment to punish those serious crimes.

When evil forces massacre helpless residents, when all the people go against their will, when a Thieves Guild is too domineering, it is the paladin who swore revenge.

Known as the Holy Avengers, or sometimes the Black Knights, they will stop at nothing for justice, even at the cost of their own purity.

Darkness can no longer hold back the power and restraint of the Holy Avenger to do justice.

On the contrary, the power of darkness can not only ignite and incite the light in their hearts, but also make them boil and burst out with powerful power.

"Congratulations, Balleris." Brian nodded slightly, congratulating him, "Finally found your own path, I wish you an early completion of self-salvation."

In his memory, the old paladin didn't awaken until three years later.

After three years of precipitation, he broke through the bottleneck in one fell swoop, and the Holy Avenger and Juggernaut professions all reached the legendary realm, becoming the sharpest sword under the command of the Grand Duchess of Araby City.

Although he forcibly moved forward three years at this moment, the tension of the bow was not enough to unleash the strongest power, but under his deliberate guidance and inspiration, his belief became stronger.

Brian is very clear that what this powerhouse who has reached the pinnacle of the fourth-order model, what he lacks in breaking through the legendary realm is a vacancy in his state of mind.

The day when he completes self-salvation is the moment when he steps into the realm of legend.

"Thank you for your guidance, let me find the path of self-salvation again."

The purest gratitude floated in the sharp and bright eyes of Balleris. He knelt down in front of Brian without hesitation, and said solemnly and righteously:
"I, Balleris, in the name of the oath of vengeance and the concept of the sword master, I swear here, from now on, I dedicate my loyalty to the master of Mokou Town, and dedicate my life and strength to you, please be fair and equal Treat everyone with respect, and I will always follow you!"

When Balleris finished speaking, he suddenly felt the heavy burden on his heart disappear, as if throwing off a heavy armor.

The exhaustion was gone, replaced by a sudden burst of energy and an extremely clear consciousness.

Strategies and ideas raced through his mind, each heralding great success, each capable of promoting mutual understanding among the different races and ensuring lasting peace in the world so that everyone in the world Living things benefit.

Not only his consciousness, but also his physical body seemed to be suddenly strengthened surprisingly, and his strength, agility, and self-control all rose to a new level in an instant.

Ballerith felt he could not only scale steep peaks...he could move them.He can end wars and bring justice into every dark corner.

He has perfect and complete calm, full of confidence in his heart, and knows exactly how he should lead this torrent of energy-no, a powerful tsunami.

Even the divine power had never affected him like this... This feeling is indeed similar to the divine power, but it does not act on the body like the holy power of the paladin, but acts on his mind.

He knew it was the return of a power that belonged to the Juggernaut, a power of faith that he acknowledged existed beyond his own ideals.

He finally found his own path.

Brian looked at the paladin kneeling in front of him, and naturally felt the power of Balleris bursting out in an instant.

For this situation, he is clear.

This is the power of faith from the Juggernaut.

The profession of Juggernaut is actually a little bit similar to that of a paladin.

First of all, if you want to advance to the Juggernaut, your own camp, whether it is evil, good or neutral, must be lawful or absolutely neutral.

Afterwards, an oath of service to the lord or ideal avatar must be taken.

Similarly, when Juggernauts or Paladins betray their original vows, or shift their camps, their strength will stagnate because of this until the atonement is successful.

Brian was silent for a moment, staring at the paladin in front of him, raised his hand, and said to him in the same tone:

"May my territory be dark for a long night, and the smoke disappear, and the day is bright and prosperous. May you see the essence of the world, the truth surrounds you, and everything is clear at a glance. Please, Balleris, I am Brian, the lord of Mokou Town .”

(End of this chapter)