Chapter 2: The Survivor
The guy with black hair stared blankly at the burning village. Despite wearing the badass ‘Codex of Light’ engraved holy armor, proving he was a high-ranking Paladin, his expression didn’t change even as chaos erupted around him.
He spoke coldly, “There’s a way out to the east. Women and kids are probably heading that way; send the soldiers in that direction.”
The Death Knight playing the violin next to him paused, changing his tune. As the sound of the violin cut through the noise of the flames, some of the skeletal soldiers started moving east.
“Why didn’t you mention this earlier,” remarked the Death Knight while playing.
“There are over ten escape routes in this village that I know of. We need to move stealthily and observe the situation,” the man replied without a care.
The Death Knight seemed doubtful, but Calzen Miller, the commander of the Millishar Paladin Order, didn’t even spare him a glance.
Calzen Miller. Among the Paladin big shots, he was so powerful they called him the ‘Saint of Swords.’ Speculations were rife that he might ascend to angelic ranks post-death and even reach the ‘Hierarchy of Named Angels’ granted by the gods.
But he decided to double-cross.
When he unveiled his real intentions, not only his fellow knights but also the Immortal Order were left in shock.
With unwavering resolve, he demonstrated his loyalty by sacrificing all his knights. But that wasn’t enough. He bagged a ‘special’ mission from the Black Empire and landed here.
“All potential troublemakers are gone,” the Death Knight whispered.
The village they raided was a well-protected secret within the White Empire. Simply disclosing its existence would be considered treachery, yet Calzen spilled the beans.
Neither Calzen nor the higher-ups knew the importance of this covert location. Whether to safeguard or obliterate, the mysterious orders of the gods were the driving force.
“The east side is clear. How about we take a closer look?” the Death Knight provocatively suggested to Calzen.
Thanks to Calzen, the village’s defenses were nullified. But during the betrayal, he never laid a hand on anyone.
He totally played his knights like a fiddle, either getting them captured or having those skeleton soldiers take them out. And when he attacked the village, all he did was knock down some walls and towers, what a letdown.
The Death Knight was basically asking Calzen if he was ready to get his hands dirty.
Calzen, with a blank expression, stared at the burning village and then just casually rode his horse into the ruins, not even flinching at the flames.
***
“Phew, huff!”
Isaac was legging it for his life. Skeleton soldiers were swarming everywhere, multiplying by the minute.
‘This is even more intense than the toughest game…’
Amidst the madness, that’s what Isaac figured. His survival was a mix of luck and coincidence. Even if he wasn’t a delicate Nephilim, escaping would still be a tough nut to crack.
Plus, unlike in games where you’re all good until your HP hits zero, in this non-game reality, every step was a struggle for Isaac.
Then, Isaac clocked something strange about the skeleton soldiers’ actions. Instead of attacking, they were steering him into a corner.
Before long, Isaac found himself cornered at a broken wall.
And lo and behold, among the skeleton soldiers, a figure emerged.
Calzen Miller.
One of the big shots on the continent, the top dog of the White Empire, known as the ‘Saint of Swords’ and ‘Skull Crusher.’
Today, he was about to earn a new title: the ultimate backstabber of the century, the head honcho of the Millishar Paladin Order, Calzen Miller, right there in front of Isaac. In the Nameless Chaos universe, he was like a final boss, depending on which side you were on.
‘These skeleton soldiers are bad news, but him, too?’
Isaac felt the dread sink in.
But then a realization struck.
This was the exact moment of ‘Betrayer Calzen Miller’ going off the rails in Nameless Chaos.
Despite the Death Knight with the blue eyes and giant armor, and the violin by his side, Calzen’s presence was overpowering. Just seeing him made Isaac feel like the world was closing in on him.
‘There’s no way out.’
The vibe in the game was spot on. Characters in the game felt their willpower drain and their stomach churn just by facing Calzen. That’s how much of a force he was.
Then, a crystal-clear voice resonated from the Death Knight’s side, not from his mouth but from the quivering air.
“What’s the harm in taking a kid? Let’s make him into another traitor. He’s young enough to learn our ropes.”
But Calzen just drew his sword, fixing his gaze on Isaac.
“Hold up, Calzen. Did you hear me? He’s just a kid. No need to go for the kill.”
“I’m here to take that one out.”
Calzen muttered, like he sensed something deeply. This could be the pivotal moment in his grand scheme. Betraying pals and offing believers meant nothing. Taking down this kid right in front of him, that was the mission.
Calzen was dead set on completing this task.
He brushed past the Death Knight towards Isaac.
As Calzen neared, Isaac could see his eyes, devoid of any emotion or hesitation.
And when Calzen swung his sword, there was no second-guessing in his motion.
Isaac instinctively recoiled, but the blade sliced into his chest.
Blood splattered from the wound.
‘This is it.’
Isaac felt a profound sense of isolation.
In this world, he was truly alone.
There wasn’t a soul around to remember him ─ no family, friends, or acquaintances. Heck, there wasn’t even a religion to make sense of the afterlife. ‘Isaac’ had never really been one for religious beliefs, and in a world where gods roamed, he remained an unbeliever.
But as Isaac’s final moments crept closer, a sense of loneliness crept in.
If only someone could be there by his side…
And then, boom! His chest just exploded.
Out gushed a mess of gigantic tentacles, as if a balloon had popped. These slimy suckers engulfed everything, starting with poor old Calzen in their path.
Calzen instinctively wielded his sword, but in no time, he was being chewed up and torn apart. Even as his noggin got squished between massive jaws, he couldn’t make sense of the chaos.
“Huh─.”
The Death Knight, realizing something was very off, let out a dumbfounded noise, but it was too late.
The tentacled mass didn’t stop at Calzen; it swept through the surrounding skeleton soldiers, crumbling them like sand. As the Death Knight spun his horse around, a crimson tentacle took him down.
The skeletal horse galloped frenziedly, carrying only the top half of the Death Knight. The bottom half fell to the ground in a clatter.
After the carnage, the tentacles munched and swallowed all they had engulfed.
Crunch, crunch, crunch. Metal, bone, flesh ─ it didn’t matter; everything was pulverized with a deafening cacophony. Finally, the tentacles, seeming satisfied, licked their ‘lips’ before retracting into Isaac’s chest.
Silence draped the area.
Isaac, the sole witness left standing, stared dumbfounded at his chest. The scar from Calzen’s strike was the only evidence of the rampage. And then, a message taunted him:
“The Nameless Chaos watches over you.”
“You have devoured ‘Calzen Miller (EX).’”
“Consumption boosted with the ‘Intestines of a Dead God’ perk.”
“Physical and spiritual powers significantly enhanced.”
“‘Lighthouse of the Watcher (EX)’ acquired.”
“Error. Consumed being’s level way higher than character’s─ digestion delayed.”
“‘Agent of Chaos’ reuse cooldown 30 days.”
Isaac felt queasy. Was this a dream? A hallucination?
“Guh.”
An odd belch escaped him despite having eaten nothing.
A wave of sleepiness hit Isaac hard. Unable to fight it, he succumbed and collapsed.
***
Click.
As the dawn crept in, a man rode up to the village ruins. Disembarking in a rush, his face pale, he surveyed the desolation, finding nothing but dew-kissed remnants of the fire.
“Damn it.”
Gebel, the first to arrive, cursed under his breath as he darted into the village.
Despite the devastating assault, no guards or paladins had shown up yet. Only Gebel, residing in a nearby monastery, had caught sight of the smoke and ridden through the night.
By now, the territory’s guards and nearby paladin groups should have been on their way, but all they’d find were bodies and rubble. Gebel knew exactly why the help had been so sluggish.
“Incompetent priests of the order!”
It was all because of Calzen Miller’s betrayal.
The order had picked up on signs of Calzen’s betrayal. But the news of Calzen, a saint and hero, being the traitor would definitely shock the believers. While they hesitated on how to handle the situation discreetly, Calzen boldly attacked a village deep in the White Empire.
Before the order could react, it was too late. They reached out to monasteries, churches, and paladin groups in the area, but responses were slow.
Wherever Gebel went, there were only ruins. No bodies in sight.
‘No surprise. The Immortal Order doesn’t leave any bodies behind, alive or dead,’ he thought.
They would turn them all into undead.
Though, there might still be survivors. Gebel quickly searched and soon found something.
Amidst the smell of blood were scattered remnants and bodies.
‘Bodies left behind?’
Gebel was puzzled. The Immortal Order usually cleaned up every bone meticulously. Bones were crucial to them.
They only left bodies when they had to escape quickly.
Everywhere, Gebel saw weapons, bodies, and remains of the skeletal soldiers of the Immortal Order.
“What in the world…”
The walls and ground looked like they’d been slashed by a giant scythe. Even the skeletal soldier remains seemed torn apart, scattered randomly. The cause of such devastation was unclear.
‘Calzen, or could it be an angel?’
Maybe an angel had come to protect the sacred place. Gebel hurriedly searched, holding onto hope.
But he only found dusty rocks and motionless bodies.
Gebel considered the possibility of an angel arriving not to protect, but to serve justice.
If so, only lifeless bodies would remain.
Thud.
As Gebel touched a pile of stones, it collapsed.
Underneath, a child was discovered.
The child looked pale. Gebel paused, took a deep breath, and checked on the child.
Thankfully, the child was alive. There were healing wounds on the forehead and chest.
Gebel felt this child’s survival was no coincidence. He was certain it was linked to the Immortal Order’s sudden retreat.
However, Gebel also realized he must keep the child hidden for the same reason.
‘If the order retreated because of this child, they’ll train him as another Calzen.’
Gebel covered the child’s face with his cloak, thinking.
Holding the child, he surveyed the misty ruins, contemplating where to safely conceal the child. The monastery he sought refuge in came to mind.
The monastery already cared for many orphans.
It could be a good place to protect the child.
