What a Coincidence

He remembered how, during training, their instructor had specifically warned them that a Paladin's standard sword techniques worked best against humanoid enemies. If they faced an opponent who was especially huge, had too many arms, or had a bizarre shape, they shouldn't rely on swordplay to overpower it. They should use divine magic right away!

Now he finally understood what the instructor had meant. When your opponent wasn't human, many sword techniques became useless—and could even leave you fatally exposed.

After only two or three exchanges, the Paladin had already taken several sword strikes. If not for his sturdy armor, he might have been hacked into pieces. Meanwhile, the Living Mercury, now completely free of its restraints, attacked with the excitement of a child who'd found a new toy. It gradually stopped sticking to swordplay and instead reshaped its body into all sorts of unimaginable forms, striking from directions the Paladin could never have anticipated.

Seeing the tables turn, the Paladin's longsword shone with Holy Light once more, now wreathed in lightning as well.

It was another Supreme Holy Slash—and an advanced version, infused with powerful lightning damage.

He'd been saving it to use against Amber Xiu. Who could have guessed that a bizarre monster would drive him to the brink instead? He couldn't afford to hold back now.

The thunderous Supreme Holy Slash came crashing down on the Living Mercury. Even though it raised several mercury swords to block, the strike was unstoppable. This advanced version of Supreme Holy Slash was powerful enough to pierce the Living Mercury's Magic Resistance and deal devastating damage.

Unfortunately, all it did was cut off one of the Living Mercury's arms.

"I missed?! How is that possible?!"

The Paladin stared in disbelief at his crooked sword. How could a strike honed through countless battles have missed?

Badly wounded, the Living Mercury flew into a rage. It didn't even bother to heal itself; it simply engulfed the Paladin. Having missed with his strongest attack, the Paladin had no chance to dodge. The Living Mercury wrapped itself around him and immediately began devouring his metal equipment.

The Paladin struggled with all his might, Holy Light flaring across his body and making the Living Mercury boil. But in the end, it was all in vain. The Living Mercury devoured his armor and weapons, leaving him in nothing but a thin shirt.

Blond, handsome, strong, and elegant... The Paladin's true appearance was dazzling. Anywhere else, he would have captivated countless young women, but his looks had no effect on the Living Mercury. The furious little creature formed a sword once more, ready to run it through the Paladin.

Without his armor, the Paladin was as good as dead.

But just then, Amber Xiu shouted, "Don't kill him! Paladins are worth a lot!"

The Living Mercury was still furious, but it would never disobey Amber Xiu. It could only shove the Paladin's head into the ground in frustration, smashing up his handsome face in the process.

Amber Xiu laughed. "Still sulking, little guy? I helped you dodge that Supreme Holy Slash just now. Otherwise, you'd have been finished."

Amber Xiu had underestimated the Paladin's strength. Anyone who could use an advanced version of Supreme Holy Slash had to be a high-ranking Paladin. And at such a young age, he was probably one of the most outstanding members of his generation in the Lyne Empire. He might even have been knighted by the Lyne Emperor himself.

What a loss. A high-ranking Paladin's equipment was worth a fortune, and now it was all ruined.

No, the ransom had to double!

Amber Xiu watched the Paladin struggle to get back up and called out, "Don't waste your strength. Your companions are already in my hands. If you don't want them to die, be a good prisoner."

Hearing Amber Xiu, the Paladin replied firmly, "We are all servants of the Lord of Dawn. If we die in holy war, our souls will ascend to heaven. You can't use that to threaten me. We were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice!"

"Heh. But one of your companions isn't a follower of the Lord of Dawn. Are you prepared to let him die with you? You swore the Oath of Devotion, didn't you? Isn't protecting the weak one of your tenets?"

Amber Xiu's words surprised the Paladin. He hadn't expected Amber Xiu to know so much about him.

Every Paladin swore an oath before their deity. The Oath of Devotion, the Oath of the Ancients, and the Oath of Vengeance were the three most common. The Oath of Devotion required a Paladin to act justly, keep their word, and protect the weak. They could never resort to underhanded methods, even against their enemies.

Harvey had fought alongside them as a comrade. If Amber Xiu used Harvey's life to threaten him, the Paladin couldn't let his companion be cornered just to uphold his faith. That would violate his oath.

Breaking an oath had serious consequences for a Paladin.

"What do you want? I won't work with the undead. Even if you threaten me with that Mage's life, I'll never cooperate with you," the Paladin said firmly.

"Who said anything about making you cooperate? I'm just telling you to save your strength and be a good prisoner. Once the Lyne Empire pays the ransom, I'll let you go," Amber Xiu said.

He'd already worked out the price: eight hundred thousand gold coins for the Cleric, and a million for this Paladin. Not a coin less.

It might sound like an outrageous demand, but this was a matter of setting the price.

Just think: if this Paladin was worth so much, then how much was the Living Mercury worth, given that it could go toe-to-toe with a Paladin or even come out slightly ahead?

The Living Mercury might be the biggest business Amber Xiu had in the next few centuries. He absolutely couldn't afford to sell it cheap.

But when the Paladin heard Amber Xiu's plan, he sneered. "Then you're wasting your time. The Empire won't pay any ransom for prisoners. The Lyne Empire has never given in to threats, least of all threats from the undead. Demand a ransom from the Lyne Empire, and all you'll get is a Paladin army sent to hunt you down."

"That would suit you just fine, wouldn't it?" Amber Xiu said, unbothered. "So why stop me from getting myself killed? Now, tell me your name."

The Paladin hadn't expected Amber Xiu to be so determined. Would this lich really dare to openly challenge the Lyne Empire for the sake of a few coins?

He couldn't understand it, but he knew he had no choice but to accept his fate as a prisoner—unless he wanted an innocent man like Harvey to die because of his stubbornness.

The Paladin said calmly, "Allen Watson. That's my name."

"Watson?" Hearing the surname, Amber Xiu asked, "What's James Watson, the editor-in-chief of Legendary Spell, to you?"

The young Paladin looked puzzled. "You know my father?"

The Soul Fire in Amber Xiu's eye sockets blazed, almost bursting out. He forced the words through clenched teeth. "What a coincidence. I've known your father for many years."