The gray morning was extremely cold.
Ballerus stood in front of the closed gate of the Salamander Tavern, alone.
He stared at the horizon in the distance, and the world outside the walls of Mokou Town looked so empty, as if there would never be a place where he stood.
But he knew that it would be useless for him to wander here, and he had to leave here.
"Maybe their concerns are right." Ballerus sighed softly and murmured to himself.
Because he was also worried that one day he would not be able to control his anger and would bring violent trials to the entire town.
He subconsciously looked at the rock bunker in Mokou Town, and flags with black iron fists clenched with green light fluttered in the wind.
He still remembers deeply that it was once the castle of the Lord of Mokou Town, and the purple dragon flag was planted in the wind, and the purple dragon knights and warriors who were guarding the town were stationed inside.
Now it has become a settlement of the Sanlinta Society, living in the brutal army and evil worshippers of the tyrannical god Bann.
He couldn't help but think that if Mokou Town was completely ruled by Angus, the heron knight of the Sanlin Tower Society, and then funded by the richest man Graal, it would become even stronger...
One after another, the illusion that made him uneasy began to bother him, making him afraid to continue thinking.
There was a moment.
Ballerus seemed to see Angus, the Heron Knight, leading a dark knight, holding a battle flag painted with the tyranny God of Bann, and singing a song of victory that celebrates their gods.
Wherever the magnificent black war horse's iron hooves went, the unbelievers' army was about to collapse, dead bodies were everywhere, and the dying people groaned and wept on the battlefield soaked in blood.
This scene made his inner kind face activate.
"Never!" Ballerus whispered firmly: "I must never let such a thing happen again in Mokou Town."
Because he had already made this disaster happen once, he thought bitterly.
Ten years ago, he led his own adventure team to believe false news from Sanlinta to massacre an adult evil red dragon.
No one can resist the temptation of the Dragon Slayer's glory, as do he and several of his companions.
However, when they broke into the dragon's nest, they found that this was not an adult dragon at all, but an ancient red dragon that had lived for thousands of years.
The anger brought by an annoyed ancient red dragon is undoubtedly quite terrifying.
On that day, all the brothers who had been born and died with him and the lovers who guided him on the Paladin path were killed, leaving only him and another warlock companion.
They fled to Mokou Town in panic.
A terrible disaster happened.
The territory of Mokou, which originally belonged to the Kingdom of Cormier, was under the rule of the priest lord of Ogma, the god of faith and knowledge, and was in a state of destruction. It was already developing towards the most prosperous town in the Enoak Desert, but was destroyed by the ancient red dragon they attracted to.
More than half of the population of the entire town was killed or injured in the dragon flame. Although the priest lord of Mokou Town led the Purple Dragon Knight and the war mage to seriously injure the red dragon, they all died because of this.
The crazy dragon was picked up by the Sanlin Tower Association and the Dragon Baikong Cult that followed.
They seemed to have already agreed that the Dragon Bergian Sect obtained the corpse of the dragon, and the Sanlinta Society gained the rule of the town.
In that tragic battle, he saved many innocent civilians from the burning flames, but for him, he could never make up for the sins he had committed.
He was a paladin who had made a vow of devotion, which meant the highest part of the concept of justice, virtue, order. Following this vow, the paladin, all devoted himself to order and kindness, and regarded his creed as the standard of devotion.
But what he did trampled on the oath he had made, like a house swept by the flames of the red dragon, completely destroyed.
Therefore, he lost the sacred oath of the priest, and the service he personally recognized to exist beyond his ideals.
It was this painful memory that made him lose the power of the paladin and the swordsman at the same time, and became a disabled old man after the double blow of his body and soul.
Now, he has nothing, and even his own place of standing.
"I can't leave, I have to stay." Ballerus kept whispering, emphasizing: "I belong here, and no one can drive me away."
After saying that, he turned around without hesitation and pushed the door in.
"What are you still here for?" The moment he entered the tavern, a slightly cold voice came from the darkness he had not yet adapted to.
The cold sound made the hair behind Balleus' neck stand up. Without thinking, he stretched his hand to his waist, but found that it was empty and there was no sword to hold.
It seemed that he realized today that his sword and right leg had been interrupted by the Red Dragon Rebellion ten years ago, becoming the last straw that crushed him, causing him to fall into deep despair and self-blame.
"I belong here, even if I die, I will die here!" Ballerus replied firmly.
He didn't know who the speaker was. Although he could see the uninvited guest just by looking up, for some reason, listening to his slightly cold questioning, he subconsciously wanted to escape and dared not confront him.
"I just want to stay here and do something within my ability." He added unwillingly, "Is this not possible?"
"Whatever you can?"
The door of the tavern slammed and closed automatically, and the figure in the dark smiled contemptuously.
“What you call the best of your ability is to repair leaky ceilings, repair the creaking hinges on the doors, or unblock the drainage facilities in the kitchen?”
"I am just a slacking old man in his twilight years. What can I do except these?" Sarcastic words hit the deepest pain point in Balleus's heart.
Yes, what can he do?
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content later! He lost the power of the Paladin and the Sword Saint, and also lost his final fighting will.
Now, what else is in his mind?
His hair was half white. It used to be shining with sacred light, but it was already shiny and black. It was no longer shining. It lost its vitality and looked messy. His face, which lacked blood, was full of wrinkles of time, and his body became skinny.
All he has is collapse and despair, humiliation and discouragement.
"You really can't do anything, because this world is like this." Black Shadow's tone seemed to feel his mood at the moment, and he relaxed a lot, and said slowly:
"As long as you travel frequently, you can see all kinds of interesting things, such as two farmers fighting to the death for a piece of land. On the next day, the land was flattened by the two counts' subordinates, and these entourages continued the battle.
People were hung on trees by the roadside, and robbers cut the merchant's throats. In the town, every step they took could be tripped by corpses from the slums. Even in the magnificent palace, whenever the blade pointed at, someone might fall under the dining table with a blue face every minute at the banquet. Can you maintain any unfortunate thing?"
"I can't do it." Balleus still did not look up, answered truthfully, and said solemnly and firmly, "But as long as the paladin does not die, justice will last forever."
He didn't know why he suddenly said this sentence he had been proud of and gradually despised.
He suddenly felt that when he said this, a string in his heart was touched, and his skinny body seemed to have gained strange power, just like a confused person seeing a glimmer of hope.
This is what is called longing for redemption, he thought.
Not all souls can be redeemed...Lemrik's terrible words burned in his mind like poison.
"Indeed, no one can maintain it all, and you let the disaster happen before you and you can do nothing, 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 spoke was surprisingly calm, which made Ballerus feel a soothing force, and he listened quietly.
"So I only believe in my own power, only in powerful power. This is a world ruled by the gods, and it is also a world that combines great power. Only when we have the power to crush everything, facing any evil organization, evil race, or even the demons in the bottomless abyss and the devils of the Batto hell, will we not have such despair and helpless disasters."
"You are too weak. Facing an ancient red dragon, you have no ability to destroy it, but you overestimate your ability to provoke a war between justice and evil. It is precisely because of your ignorant actions that brought killing and death to Mokou Town and killed many innocent people."
When the past was mentioned, Ballerus recalled the tragic scenes in his mind again, and a deep sense of powerlessness and despair spread throughout his body at an extremely fast speed.
Only by having the power to crush everything can one keep the justice in his heart, guard Mokou Town, and complete his own redemption.
The old man struggling in pain trembled all over and suddenly realized some ideas.
"If you don't have the power to eliminate evil, what you call 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 an idiot will believe it!"
"The real strong man dares to face the bleak life and face the blood, but you? You don't even dare to face this little difficulty, so you are not qualified at all!"
"You are a body that has lost its soul, a walking dead, as a paladin, you have not yet understood what true justice is, what purest justice is. So your fall is not worthy of sympathy and mercy."
"If not, why would the gods create sheep so that the evil wolf will not starve, and create the weak to fool the strong."
"The real paladin will protect the weak and protect the good." Ballez, who was gradually enlightened, felt these words as sharp blades piercing into the heart. He gritted his teeth in pain and firmly argued.
"The real paladins and gods seem to exist, but they never exist." The figure in the dark said with a sniff:
"If a person cannot defend himself, he will be dead and must give way to others. Don't you understand that even under the gaze of the gods, the world is still ruled by swords and power."
"Your remarks are so terrifying." Ballerus said in a trembling voice.
"It's not me who is terrified, but this world. It's because it's too real, which makes people feel scared. So, the most terrifying thing about a world is not the rampant evil, but the silence of the good. Are you talking about it, Balleus?"
Ballerus felt these words roaring in his eardrums, as if he had lost his thinking power, but they were clearly and deeply imprinted on his consciousness. He looked shocked, raised his head suddenly, looked at the figure in the darkness, and asked in a trembling voice:
"You...who are you?"
As soon as the words finished, a dazzling light burst out in the dim tavern.
He saw Brian, an adventurer who had once met him, appear before him.
This half-elf wizard with a cold face exudes a majestic and confident temperament.
His eyes were deep and bright, and his black hair was faintly shining. An inconspicuous black cloak draped over his body was automatically windless, and it was as dazzling as an obsidian statue under the scorching sun.
What made him most incredible was that the light source of all this actually came from a sparkling hot lightsaber.
"Remember, any soul can be redeemed."
Brian threw the legendary weapon "The Messenger of Dawn" in his hand and inserted it in front of Balleis, saying coldly:
"There are shadows in the brightest light, and there are always fearless people who are brave enough to dispel darkness in the darkest shadow. This depends on whether you are willing to receive this kind of redemption. If you have thought about it, pick up this sword and follow me to bring light and hope to Mokou Town."
"Buzz!"
As Brian finished speaking, the lightsaber inserted in front of Balleis suddenly appeared with dazzling light and made a trembling sound.
Ballerus looked at the lightsaber, looking at it like a devil, for a moment, as if he was so gloomy about anything he loved.
Looking at the dazzling and bright light, he found with deep emotion that this was not a complete weapon. This weapon seemed to have been left behind in the dark for countless years, leaving eroded damage.
Even so, this sword can still bloom again with the glory of hope after seeing the sky again.
"How can I fall into depravity even if I know how to save myself?"
He sighed softly, stretched out his trembling right hand, and on his withered palm, scars and scars intersected, and looked so eye-catching and profound against the backdrop of the light.
He suddenly paused again when he was about to hold the gilded hilt of the weapon tightly.
He couldn't help but recall his decades of life.
He remembered the killings he had been driven away by a whip and participated in the war. In order to make up for and save him, he accepted the call of the divine mission and became the Saint Warrior of the Lord of the Dawn.
When he ravaged Mokou Town with the Red Dragon ten years ago, he lost the power from the Paladin, the Sword Saint's oath, and the goals of his life...
The oath of dedication means the most noble part of the concept of justice, virtue and order.
They are representatives of paladins in shining armor, practicing justice and pursuing noble missions.
Ballerus recalled the sacred moment when he made his oath of dedication, and again recalled the killing of his own practice of the sword saint's way, the flames raging from the red dragon and the tragic deaths of countless innocent people.
He subconsciously closed his eyes and silently savored the pain caused by the unbearable memories.
The shining sword light seemed to reflect the darkness deep in his heart, which made him suddenly realize it.
"From now on, I only believe in my own power, only powerful power. Only when we have the power to crush everything, will we not have such despair and helpless disasters when facing any evil organization, evil race, or even the demons of the bottomless abyss and the devils of the Batto hell."
Ballis's turbid eyes gradually became bright and sharp, and his tone was like a rock hit, "This is the justice I pursue! The purest kind of justice!"
He took out the dim and no longer had any divine light of the Lord of the Morning, the symbol he regarded as a precious one, and indifferently threw it into the corner of darkness. Then he knelt on his knees, holding the gilded hilt of the "Emunited Dawn" tightly, and said firmly:
"Since the oath of dedication is no longer suitable for me, I will be a sacred avenger: seek strong enemies, focus on your heart! There is no mercy towards evil! Do whatever you want for justice!"
As soon as the words were finished, the bright light emitted by the shining "Dawn Messenger" gradually dissipated, and a strange aura appeared with the holder.
Ballerus slowly stood up, his sharp eyes facing the vain darkness, and a mysterious dark energy suddenly burst out from his whole body.
The last faint light of the "Dawn Messenger" also completely dissipated, condensing a sharp blade emitting dark energy.
Seeing the changes in this legendary weapon, a hint of surprise also appeared in Brian's eyes.
What he did not expect was that the energy that burst out after Ballez regained his combat consciousness resonated with the "Dawn Messenger" who had been stored in the dark for thousands of years.
The light attribute of this weapon was completely swallowed by the darkness and turned into a dark attribute weapon that is truly suitable for the Holy Avengers.
Holy Avengers!
A group of paladins who are orderly neutral and absolutely neutral in the camp.
In order to maintain justice in your heart, the Holy Avengers will even do anything by any means.
This is a paladin who masters the power of darkness, but a paladin who masters this power is most likely to fall into evil darkness guards.
What they protect is the justice in their hearts, not the faith of the gods.
For them, this is a battle between their own beliefs and will.
Win or lose is only a matter of thought.
The divine oath of the Holy Avenger is: Revenge!
This is a solemn promise to swear to punish those serious crimes.
When evil forces massacre helpless residents, when all people deviate from their will, when a certain thief union is too powerful and domineering, it is the paladin of the oath of revenge to take action.
They are called the Holy Avengers, and sometimes they are called the Black Knights. They will do whatever they want to do for justice, and even if they sacrifice their purity, they must uphold justice.
Darkness can no longer suppress the power and bondage of justice for the Holy Avengers.
On the contrary, the power of darkness can not only ignite the light in their hearts, but also make them boil and burst out with powerful power.
"Congratulations, Balleus." Brian nodded slightly and congratulated him, "I finally found my own path. I wish you to complete your self-salvation as soon as possible."
In his impression, the old paladin awakened only three years later.
Three years of precipitation allowed him to break through the bottleneck in one fell swoop. The Holy Avengers and Sword Saint professions all reached the legendary realm, becoming the sharpest sword under the command of the female grand duke of Arabe City.
Although he was forcibly advanced three years at this moment, the strength of the bow was not enough to burst out with the strongest power, but with his deliberate guidance and inspiration, his belief became stronger.
Brian knew very well that this strong man who had reached the peak of the fourth-level model lacked in breaking through the legendary realm.
The day when he completes his self-salvation is the moment he enters the realm of legend.
"Thank you for your advice, and let me find the path to self-salvation again."
The purest gratitude floated in Ballerus' sharp and bright eyes. He knelt in front of Brian without hesitation, and said with a solemn and righteous expression:
"I, Balleus, hereby swear in the name of the oath of revenge and the concept of the Sword Saint, from now on, I will dedicate my loyalty to the masters of Mokou Town, and dedicate my life and strength to you. Please treat everyone fairly and equally, and I will follow you forever!"
When Ballerus finished saying this, he suddenly felt the heavy burden on his heart disappearing, as if he had thrown away a heavy armor.
The feeling of fatigue disappeared, replaced by a sudden burst of vigorous energy and extremely clear consciousness.
Various strategies and ideas flew through his mind, each of which predicted great success, each of which was enough to promote mutual understanding among different ethnic groups, to ensure that the world achieves lasting peace and benefit every living creature in the world.
Not only his consciousness, but also his body seemed to be suddenly enhanced by surprisingly, and strength, agility and self-control all rose to a new level in a flash.
Ballerus felt that he could not only climb to the steep peaks…he could also move them. He could end the war and guide justice into every dark corner.
He had perfect and thorough calm, full of confidence in his heart, and knew very well how he should lead this torrent of energy - no, it was a powerful tsunami.
Even the divine power had never affected him like this... This feeling was indeed similar to the divine power, but it did not act more on the body like the divine power of the paladin, but on his mind.
He knew that this was the return of the power exclusively to the Sword Saint, a kind of belief that he recognized as a perfect existence beyond his own.
He finally found the path that suits him.
Brian looked at the paladin kneeling in front of him, and naturally felt the power that Balleis burst out in an instant.
He knew this situation very clearly.
This is the power of faith from the Sword Saint.
The profession of Sword Saint is actually a little similar to that of the Paladin.
First of all, if you want to advance to the Sword Saint, your own camp must be an orderly camp or absolutely neutral, either evil, kind or neutral.
Then, a vow of service to the lord or ideal incarnation must be declared.
Similarly, when the swordsman or paladins betray their oaths or camps shift, their strength will stagnate 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:
Chapter completed!