Knight: Becoming King of the World

Henry recalled that ever since he had made a gruesome monument of the Mercenaries’ bodies, a series of strange events seemed to have occurred across the continent of Caladia.

He had grown up on this continent and had always been very interested in its many secret histories, biographies, and folk tales.

This was because his direct understanding of being an Overlord was limited to recruiting soldiers and buying grain, hunting down bandits, selling goods, recruiting soldiers and buying grain, hunting down bandits...

He knew very little about the "lore" and "culture" of Caladia.

Henry’s voice was low as he asked, "Countess Ratifa, I would like to know, these enemies... are their appearances exceptionally ugly? Or do they have strange growths on their bodies?"

Ratifa’s face instantly turned pale, her eyes widening as if she had heard something unbelievable.

These were details that only the Prince of the Northern Lands, the various Legion Commanders, and the various Counts currently knew, and this information was strictly confidential.

The soldiers were strictly forbidden from discussing it, and anyone who leaked the information would mysteriously disappear.

"Baron Henry, how... why would you think to ask that?" Ratifa’s voice trembled as she struggled to remain calm.

’It seems this information is highly classified...’ Henry didn’t answer directly, his gaze growing deeper.

He was now certain. Judging from Ratifa Villarreal’s reaction, it was just as he suspected.

Ratifa’s lovely face was now clouded with worry. ’If this information came from those so-called church people Henry mentioned, then the church might be involved in things it has no business being involved in.’

’This isn’t just a simple war; this could be a war involving the power of Divine Spirits!’

’It seems His Majesty the great Emperor had great foresight, cracking down on these church factions early on.’

’It’s just a pity he never managed to wipe them all out.’

’Could it be that because they weren’t all eliminated, those church members secretly performed some kind of heretical ritual somewhere, leading to the current situation?’

’That’s right,’ Henry thought. ’That’s exactly it!’

"I was only guessing, but now it seems my guess may have been correct. If these enemies have truly been corrupted by a mysterious power, then their features would become abnormal. That is a sign of Chaos Power."

Ratifa fell silent. She knew Henry’s words were very likely true.

She began to re-evaluate the man before her. Not only was his martial prowess astonishing, but it seemed his Wisdom and knowledge also far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

Ratifa’s brow furrowed, her gaze locked on Henry’s face as if trying to find answers in his expression.

She took a deep breath, her voice tinged with urgency. "Baron Henry, I must admit, your understanding of these enemies seems to far exceed ours.

"What is Chaos Power? Why are those strange-looking fiends referred to as ’corrupted’? I need to know more... Please, tell me, Baron Henry."

Chaos, Chaos Power, corruption... She had never heard these words before. To her, they represented a kind of knowledge that was mysterious, unique, and held a fatal allure.

After all, whenever such mysterious matters were discussed, the combination of fear of the unknown and the desire for answers could be incredibly addicting.

Henry nodded, thought for a moment, and after organizing his thoughts and carefully choosing his words, he slowly began to speak. "Chaos Power, from what I know, is an ancient and evil force. It originates from the dark side of the world and is the antithesis of order.

"It represents chaos, destruction, and endless desire. Those who are corrupted by Chaos Power have their souls tainted and their bodies twisted, becoming something other than their former selves."

A flicker of fear crossed Ratifa’s eyes as she heard Henry’s words, but she quickly controlled her emotions and continued to ask, "Then why haven’t these corrupted enemies shown any significant increase in strength, height, or stamina?"

Although Ratifa now had more and more questions, her top priority was still the border war on the snowy plains of the Northern Lands.

Henry stroked his beard, recalling what Ratifa had just told him, and replied, "Countess Ratifa, that is an excellent question. Chaos Power is mysterious and not monolithic. Enhancement is not its only form of corruption. It’s more like a curse, one that pushes living beings toward their own destruction.

"Those corrupted enemies—have they not become more savage and cruel? Their strength hasn’t actually increased. On the contrary, their bodies have been eroded by Chaos Power, making them fragile and brittle.

"Perhaps you’re wondering why our soldiers, even those who are well-equipped and well-trained, are having such a difficult time on the battlefield.

"That is because these corrupted enemies are no longer ordinary people... They no longer feel fear, know pain, or even value their own lives.

"They are like puppets driven by Chaos Power, knowing only slaughter and destruction. Even the old and weak, women and children, become incredibly dangerous once corrupted."

Ratifa fell silent again, realizing the brutality of this war far exceeded her imagination.

She gave Henry a deep look, her voice filled with resolve. "Baron Henry, I understand. We cannot allow their corruption to spread any further."

Ratifa looked at the erudite Henry, her eyes glittering with a thirst for knowledge. "Baron Henry, you just mentioned that Chaos Power originates from the dark side of the world. Does that mean the empire we live in is the world’s light side?