He still remembered his instructor's specific warning during his training: a paladin's standard swordplay was most effective against humanoid foes. When faced with enemies of immense size, an abnormal number of arms, or bizarre forms, never attempt to suppress them with swordsmanship—resort immediately to divine spells!
Now he understood his instructor's words all too well. When confronting an opponent that wasn't human, many sword techniques lost their meaning, instead turning into fatal openings.
Within just two or three exchanges, the paladin was struck several times. Had his armor not been exceptionally sturdy, he likely would have been hacked to pieces. Meanwhile, having completely cast off its restraints, the living mercury was like a child discovering a new toy, attacking with escalating excitement. Gradually abandoning conventional swordplay, it morphed its body into all manner of bizarre shapes, striking from angles the paladin could never have conceived.
Seeing the tables turned, holy light flared once more from the paladin's longsword. And it was not just holy light—crackling lightning wrapped around it as well.
Divine Smite again, and an advanced version infused with violent lightning damage.
He had originally planned to save it for Anbaixiu. Who could have foreseen that an eccentric monster would drive him into such a corner? At this point, he could no longer afford to hold back.
The thunderous Divine Smite cleaved toward the living mercury. Even though the creature raised several mercury swords to parry, the strike remained unstoppable. The sheer force of this advanced Divine Smite was enough to breach the living mercury's magic resistance and inflict horrific damage.
Unfortunately, in the end, the blow only severed one of the living mercury's arms.
"I missed?! How is that possible?!"
The paladin stared in disbelief at his stray longsword. How could a strike honed through thousands of trials have missed its mark?
Gravely injured, the living mercury was utterly enraged. Forgetting all about healing, it enveloped the paladin directly. Having missed with his strongest strike, the paladin had no strength left to dodge and was completely engulfed. The living mercury immediately activated its metal-devouring trait.
The paladin struggled desperately, holy light continuously bursting from his body until the living mercury seemed to boil. Yet it was all in vain. His armor and weapons were devoured by the living mercury, leaving him clad in only a thin shirt.
Blond hair, handsome features, a robust build, an elegant bearing... The paladin's true appearance was so striking that anywhere else, he would have made countless young maidens swoon. But such looks were wasted on the living mercury. The infuriated little creature coalesced a longsword once more, poised to impale the paladin.
Without armor to protect him, the paladin faced certain death.
Just then, Anbaixiu called out loudly, "Don't kill him! Paladins fetch a high price!"
Though still seething with rage, the living mercury would never disobey Anbaixiu's order. It could only vent its frustration by slamming the paladin's head into the ground, completely ruining that handsome face.
Anbaixiu chuckled. "Still not satisfied, little guy? If I hadn't helped you dodge that Divine Smite just now, you'd have been finished long ago."
Anbaixiu had underestimated the paladin's strength. Anyone capable of unleashing an advanced Divine Smite had to be a high-ranking paladin. And at such a young age, he was likely among the cream of the crop of the Ryan Empire's younger generation—perhaps even personally knighted and decorated by the Emperor of Ryan himself.
What a waste. High-ranking paladin gear was worth a fortune, and now it was completely ruined.
No, the ransom would have to be doubled!
Looking at the paladin struggling to get back up, Anbaixiu cautioned, "Save your strength. Your companions have already fallen into my hands. If you don't want them dead, be a good prisoner."
Hearing Anbaixiu's words, the paladin replied steadfastly, "We are all servants of the Lord of the Dawn. Dying in holy war will see our souls ascend to heaven. You cannot threaten me with that; we were prepared to sacrifice ourselves long ago!"
"Heh, but one of your companions isn't a believer of the Lord of the Dawn, is he? Do you intend to let him die with you? You took an Oath of Devotion, didn't you? Isn't protecting the weak one of your core tenets?"
Anbaixiu's words caught the paladin by surprise. He hadn't expected Anbaixiu to know him so well.
Every paladin swore an oath before their deity. The Oath of Devotion, Oath of the Ancients, and Oath of Vengeance were the three most common. The Oath of Devotion required a paladin to act justly, uphold integrity, and protect the weak, never resorting to base tricks even when facing an enemy.
Harvey was a comrade who had fought alongside them. If Anbaixiu used Harvey's life as leverage, the paladin truly could not abandon his companion to a grim fate just for his own faith. That would violate his oath.
Once a paladin broke their oath, the consequences were dire.
"What exactly do you want? I will not cooperate with the undead. Even if you threaten me with the wizard's life, I will never work with you," the paladin declared firmly.
"Who asked you to cooperate? I'm just telling you to save your energy and be a compliant prisoner. Once the Ryan Empire pays the ransom, I'll naturally release you," Anbaixiu said.
He had already calculated it in his head: eight hundred thousand gold coins for the cleric of light, and one million gold coins for this paladin—not a single coin less.
It might sound like an exorbitant demand, but this was a matter of pricing strategy.
Just think about it: if this paladin was worth that much, then what was the living mercury worth—a creature that could fight evenly with him, or even hold the upper hand?
The living mercury could well be Anbaixiu's biggest business venture over the next several centuries. He absolutely couldn't sell it cheap.
Upon hearing Anbaixiu's plan, however, the paladin gave a cold sneer. "Then don't waste your breath. The Empire will not pay any ransom for prisoners. The Ryan Empire never yields to threats, let alone from the undead. Demanding ransom from the Ryan Empire will only bring down the wrath of the paladin legions upon you."
Anbaixiu replied nonchalantly, "Doesn't that suit your wishes even better? What reason do you have to stop me from seeking my own death? Now, tell me your name."
The paladin hadn't expected Anbaixiu to be so resolute. Did this lich truly dare to provoke the Ryan Empire openly for the sake of mere gold?
Though unable to fathom it, he knew he had no choice but to accept his captivity, unless he wanted the innocent Harvey to die because of his stubbornness.
"Alan Watson. That is my name," the paladin said calmly.
"Watson?" Anbaixiu pressed at the sound of the surname. "What is your relation to James Watson, the editor-in-chief of Legendary Spells?"
The young paladin looked puzzled. "You know my father?"
The soul fire in Anbaixiu's eye sockets blazed with sudden fury, practically bursting outward. Through clenched teeth, he ground out, "What a coincidence. I've known your father for years."
Chapter 38