novelraw Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 1. I Really Don’t Have Cough Syrup!
Late at night, beneath the witness of three moons—red, yellow, and blue—two figures, one black and one gold, clashed and streaked through a city filled with medieval Gothic architecture.
Their entanglement swept like a storm. The muffled sounds of impact rumbled like thunder, yet with tacit understanding they directed the aftershocks of their battle toward the night sky.
The slightly slimmer figure in front stepped on the wall as if walking on flat ground, circling around the clock tower before finally widening the distance a little.
“Hey! What’s wrong with you? You’ve been chasing me for almost three months! Aren’t you tired? Because I am!”
Kyle shouted helplessly at the Paladin behind him, who was relentlessly pursuing in a worn-out warrior’s uniform.
“Then why don’t you hurry up and let me cut you down? Once I send you back to hell, you’ll be free!”
Even while panting heavily, O’Brien continued his pursuit without hesitation.
Kyle was so choked by the response he nearly bit his tongue. This was the first time he had ever seen such a thick-skinned Paladin. But there was nothing he could do—he had crossed the border and sneaked in without permission, so he had no moral high ground.
Between major factions there were unspoken rules: mutual non-interference. He had run into human territory and been discovered by their “security.” It would have been stranger if he hadn’t been chased.
“You think that’s possible?!”
Once again, he flicked a finger against the opponent’s longsword condensed with sacred aura, sending it flying hundreds of meters away. Yet in the blink of an eye, the other man caught up again. Helpless, he could only continue playing this cat-and-mouse game.
“I really don’t get it. The nobles and gangs here kill so many people—corpses are carried out of the city every single day! Three months! For a whole three months you’ve been chasing just me, a poor intelligence broker? What kind of brainwashing soup did your teacher feed you to make you love playing blind so much?!”
Ever since this bastard arrived in the city three months ago, Kyle had been forced to dispatch part of his identity-sensitive subordinates elsewhere, sending them away temporarily.
He himself had continued secretly running his intelligence business in the underground black market, but he had still been targeted by this bastard.
What followed was endless pursuit. Calling it “pursuit to kill” wasn’t entirely accurate—it was more like expulsion. Without a life-or-death grudge, if they truly fought, it would be bad for both sides.
Most importantly, he couldn’t shake him. This was territory he had painstakingly cultivated for decades. He still needed to make money here. And this bastard truly deserved his title as a Paladin—he was exceptionally sensitive to dark aura, inevitably running into Kyle every so often.
It wasn’t as though he hadn’t considered switching cities or simply going into slumber for a while to avoid the heat.
But the once-every-decade grand auction was approaching. This time, there would be sub-dragon blood up for auction. He absolutely did not want to miss it, so he could only grit his teeth and continue working.
Seeing that the other party remained silent and simply attacked desperately, Kyle was genuinely getting irritated.
The previous times he had simply slipped away and closed shop. But this time he was truly fed up and wanted to talk things out properly—yet this man insisted on playing mute!
Boom!
Kyle spun lightly, dodging the longsword, then slammed his palm against the armor on the man’s chest. A sonic boom rang out.
O’Brien shot toward the outskirts of the city like a meteor.
A pair of golden wings appeared behind him and spread wide, stirring up a violent gust that tore tiles from rooftops. Faintly, the screams of children and women could be heard from inside the houses.
But soon he dispersed the wings—it consumed too much energy.
Suppressing the discomfort in his chest, O’Brien quickly sensed Kyle’s vanished presence—only to find him standing upright in the sky above, looking down at him.
“You should know that I’m not incapable of beating you. I just don’t want to provoke you Paladins.”
Influenced by the memory of having once been rescued by soldiers in his previous life, he still held considerable goodwill toward Paladins as a group.
They aided the weak, upheld justice, eradicated evil. Though sometimes stubborn and rigid, their steadfast purity of belief earned his respect.
But unfortunately, in this life, he happened to belong to the category of “evil” targeted by Paladins. That was truly infuriating. And since he had interfered in human territory without permission, he couldn’t very well seize land, take benefits, and then kill the other side’s “security.”
He could only keep his distance from this group. Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to reach the point of mutual destruction, so he had restrained himself again and again.
But now he was truly fed up. If the other insisted on chasing him without end, he would have no choice but to strike ruthlessly.
Sensing the shift in Kyle’s aura, O’Brien’s expression also grew solemn.
He knew the other had never been serious. Whether it was out of concern for local forces or for some other reason, he didn’t know. But as a Paladin, he could not allow such a powerful dark creature to roam freely within the city.
Moreover, he had never truly intended to do anything to Kyle. Aside from his class’s natural restraint against the other, he was completely at a disadvantage in all other aspects. His goal was merely to drive him out of the city.
“You’re a vampire. What are you staying in this metropolis for?”
Seeing the other finally willing to speak seriously, Kyle let out a long breath in his heart. Damn it, not easy. At last, they could communicate normally.
“You should’ve investigated my identity already, right? And I told you before—I’m just a poor guy selling intelligence. Of course I’m staying here to make money. What else?”
O’Brien did not believe a single word Kyle said.
With strength greater than his own, yet claiming to be hiding in a human metropolis selling intelligence?
As expected, not a single one of these dark creatures was any good. They didn’t even have the courage to tell the truth!
Seeing O’Brien’s expression that clearly read ‘You think I’m stupid?’, Kyle felt his cold heart twitch faintly.
“Fine. Add one more reason—I’m attending this year’s grand auction in Coral Thorn City. Now do you believe me?”
“So… what right do you have to call yourself poor?”
O’Brien was so angry he almost laughed. The auction’s entrance fee alone cost 10 magic crystals, equivalent to 500 gold coins—an astronomical price he didn’t even dare imagine. And the other clearly intended to bid as well, yet called himself poor?
“Uh…”
Kyle was choked again. How was this bastard’s angle of attack so tricky?
Rolling his eyes, he snapped irritably, “How am I not poor? I scrimped and saved for decades, building up my coffin fund. One hammer strike at the auction and it’s all gone! Besides, I didn’t steal or rob anyone. I earn my living with my own ability. Who am I bothering?!”
This bastard really knew how to hit where it hurt.
“I answered your question. Now answer mine! What will it take for you to stop chasing me?”
O’Brien fell silent again. The other truly counted as a relatively rule-abiding dark creature.
Although Paladins upheld the eradication of evil as their creed, if it would involve large numbers of innocent people, they would also seek alternative methods.
With their strength, if he and Kyle truly fought, at least dozens of streets would be affected.
And now the other had clearly run out of patience. If he still refused to let go, it might truly turn into a fight to the death.
“Leave this city.”
“Impossible. Not within half a year!” Kyle refused decisively. Half a year? Not even possible!
“You insist on attending the auction?”
“Isn’t that obvious? If I’m not attending the auction, why would I stay here?”
“Then can’t you just come back when the auction begins?”
“I! NEED! TO! MAKE! MONEY!”
Kyle was truly on the verge of losing his mind. He had hated dealing with stubborn blockheads like this in his previous life. And now in this life, he ran into one again—one who clung on relentlessly!
“Why can’t you just change your target? Or is your so-called justice just self-deception? The entire city is filled with shady, filthy dealings everywhere, yet you only keep biting at me! There’s crap all over the ground and you just don’t see it!”
Kyle was so angry he was beginning to speak without restraint.
If it had been anyone else, with his temperament in this life, he would have twisted the other’s head off long ago!
At last, O’Brien could no longer endure Kyle’s sarcasm. His face flushed red as he roared:
“The greed and sins of mortals are judged by secular law. A Paladin’s sword is wielded only to shatter darkness!”
A standard Paladin declaration. Even as he shouted it, he felt it sounded somewhat hollow.
In truth, he agreed with much of what Kyle said—but he likewise had no solution. In this dangerous world, power determined everything. And how many people, once they gained power, did not fall into corruption?
Even among Paladins, there were those whose faith collapsed or who fell into extremism—fallen Paladins.
The common folk?
How many commoners, once granted power, did not become just like the corrupt nobles of today?
The tale of the dragon slayer becoming the evil dragon repeated itself again and again in this world. What Paladins could do was merely to eliminate evil creatures as much as possible and uphold the most basic order.
“You think we don’t know the crimes of the nobles? But if even we Paladins fall into the cycle of repaying violence with violence, then this world truly will be hell.”
O’Brien calmed himself slightly. “The Paladin’s oath is both a shackle and the chain that keeps us from becoming new evil dragons.”
Kyle likewise took a deep breath, steadying his emotions. “I’m curious. There are so many powerful Paladins. Why not try establishing your own nation?”
O’Brien planted his longsword against the red-tiled rooftop. He had no intention of attacking again, merely lifting his head to meet Kyle’s gaze.
“Many? How many Paladins have you seen? Aside from my teacher, I’ve met fewer than ten. And it’s not as if predecessors never tried—but all ended in failure. Secular power, strength, resources—every one of them constantly breeds corruption…”
“Stop! Alright, I get it!”
Kyle had nearly forgotten—in this world where strength reigned supreme, unless one possessed the power to overturn the world alone, endless lifespan, and the tireless will to uphold fairness and order, any idealistic attempt would ultimately repeat the same mistakes.
Perhaps only sacred beings like the legendary Dragon of Order could perfectly embody their idealistic doctrines.
Unfortunately, true dragons in this world were exceedingly rare. The dragons one could actually encounter were mostly sub-dragon species, and most of them were greedy and lazy. Yet even sub-dragons were incomparably powerful—the undisputed strongest legendary race.
That was also why he was so desperate to obtain sub-dragon blood—even just a single drop!