39: Attack on the Skeleton Veterans 4

"My Lord!"

The Paladins wanted to step forward to help.

"Stay back!"

Karl struggled to stand up,

"This is between me and it."

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze becoming even more determined:

"Undead, I admit you are strong."

"But justice will not yield to power,"

"and light will not be extinguished by darkness!"

Karl thrust his longsword into the ground, pressed his hands together, and began to chant.

The sunlight in the sky seemed to be drawn to him, converging on his body.

The golden light grew brighter and brighter, eventually forming the phantom of a giant of light.

"Holy Light Incarnation..."

Big Bone recognized this move.

In his past life, Karl had used this move to slay Dark Lis.

"In the name of light, purify evil!"

Karl and the giant of light moved in sync as the giant sword slashed down.

This blow was enough to split a mountain peak.

Big Bone finally got serious.

It released its spear and held its hands as if grasping something,

a trace of Devil King Qin Jiuge's Origin power condensing into a small black orb in its palms.

"Demon Abyss."

The small orb flew toward the giant sword of light, expanding and devouring it the moment they touched.

There was no explosion, no loud noise; the giant sword of light simply vanished starting from the tip, as if erased by an eraser.

Next were the giant of light's arms, torso, and head... Finally, the Holy Light on Karl's body also dimmed.

He knelt on one knee, gasping for breath,

his eyes filled with disbelief:

"This... what power is this..."

"A power you cannot comprehend."

Big Bone walked up to him and picked up its spear,

"Karl, you are a pure warrior, but you are too foolish."

"You are being used without knowing it, holding high the banner of justice while blind to the truth."

The spear pressed against Karl's throat.

"I'll give you a chance. Tell me all of Philys's plans, and I can let you die with some dignity."

Karl struggled to lift his head,

"I will not betray humanity!"

"I will not betray Her Highness the Princess."

"Even if she has been using you all along?"

"Even if she plotted to have Dark Lis betray the Demon Race, only to use your hand to silence her forever?"

Big Bone sneered,

"Do you really think your victory was that easy?"

"Do you really think the Demon Race was so easily annihilated?"

Inconsistent images flashed through Karl's mind:

The Demon Race army being completely defenseless within the Holy Brilliance Annihilation Grand Array,

as if they had known all along that it was a safe zone,

Dark Lis's sorrowful yet relieved gaze before she died,

Philys's overly calm analysis every time she mentioned the Demon Race... "No... Her Highness wouldn't..."

Karl muttered, but his conviction was already shaken.

"You think the Kingdom of Glorious Light is truly a land of light?"

Big Bone continued its assault,

"Go out and see for yourself, look at the slums outside the Royal Capital,"

"look at the commoners oppressed by your father and Philys."

"Aside from you blinded knights,"

"this kingdom has long since rotted to the core."

"Shut up!"

Karl roared,

"You can kill me, but you cannot insult my faith!"

"Faith?"

Big Bone shook its head,

"Then I shall crush it."

The spear thrust down.

But just then, a portal opened beside Karl and swallowed him up.

Big Bone's spear hit nothing. It looked into the distance,

where several Court Mages were casting spells,

clearly reinforcements arranged by Philys.

"Trying to run?"

Big Bone was about to give chase when it noticed a shimmering badge left where Karl had been.

It was the identification badge of the Holy Knight Order, bearing Karl's life imprint.

Big Bone picked up the badge, its mouth curling into a cruel arc.

"Fine, let him go back and tell Philys that she messed with the wrong person."

Seeing Karl being rescued, the Paladins also retreated one after another.

Big Bone did not pursue, letting them leave.

Shattered Bone walked over:

"General, why not pursue them?"

"Let them take the fear back with them."

Big Bone toyed with the badge,

"Besides, Karl's conviction is shaken now. He will surely question Philys when he returns."

"Guess what Philys will do?"

"...Silence him?"

"Or control him."

Big Bone put the badge away,

"Either way, cracks will appear within the humans."

"For us, this is a good thing."

It gazed toward the human territories:

"Next, we must continue to apply pressure."

"Capture all border outposts and force the humans to amass their army."

"And then..."

"Wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"

The fortress became quiet once again.

Big Bone walked back into the fortress and looked at the captured human soldiers.

Among these people, some were angry, some were fearful, and some were in despair.

Big Bone suddenly spoke:

"Do you want to live?"

The captives were stunned.

"I can let you go."

Big Bone continued,

"but you must bring a message back for me."

"The Demon Race only wants living space, not war."

"If the humans are willing to negotiate, we can have a truce."

"But if you continue to be hostile..."

"next time, I won't be taking prisoners."

The captives looked at each other, unable to believe it.

"Of course, you can also choose to stay and work for the Demon Race."

"We will provide food and protection,"

"and the treatment will be no worse than in the human army."

Big Bone knew these words would soon spread throughout the human territories.

It wasn't showing weakness; it was sowing division among the humans.

The commoners and low-level soldiers had long been weary of war.

If they knew the Demon Race was willing to negotiate,

they would grow resentful toward the royal family for continuing the war.

Meanwhile, the nobles and those with vested interests would insist on war,

because war brought them power and wealth,

and most of those who went to the battlefield were lowly commoners.

This is how conflict is born.

"Now, choose."

"Leave, or stay?"

A moment later, about one-third of the captives chose to leave,

while two-thirds chose to stay,

mostly soldiers from commoner backgrounds

who had long since lost their loyalty to the Kingdom of Glorious Light.

"A wise choice."

Big Bone said to the captives who stayed,

"now, go help repair the fortress."

"This is our shared home now."

Watching the human captives get to work,

Shattered Bone said worriedly:

"General, isn't it too risky to trust humans?"

"I don't trust them."

Big Bone said calmly:

"But I need them."

"The Demon Race is too few in number. To conquer the world, we must absorb other races."

"Humans, elves, dwarves..."

"Anyone willing to accept the rule of the Demon Race is our subject."

This was the truth it had realized from Devil King Qin Jiuge's power:

a true Devil King

does not seek to destroy everything,

but to rule everything.

Destruction brings hatred; rule brings order.

And what it wanted to establish

was an order where the Demon Race, humans, and other races could coexist.

A world without betrayal or deception,

where the strong protect the weak,

and all races live together in peace.

It would be difficult, but it was worth a try.

At least it would be better than its past life's world, which was filled with schemes and betrayal.

Big Bone gazed into the distance, the Soul fire burning quietly in its eye sockets.

Its second wish was to slay Philys.

But its third wish was to lead the Demon Race to conquer the world.

It wouldn't forget a single one... Kingdom of Glorious Light, Royal Capital Holy Radiance City.

Inside Philys's private study,

the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like it could drip water.

Karl knelt on one knee, his armor broken and his body wounded,

but the wavering in his eyes unsettled Philys more than his injuries.

"So you just fled back like this?"

Philys's voice was as cold as frost.

"Twelve elite Paladins, plus you, and you couldn't take down a single skeleton?"

"That undead is unusual."

Karl said in a low voice:

"It has a kind of... dark power that can devour Holy Light."

"And it said many strange things..."

"Such as?"

Philys narrowed her eyes.

"It said Dark Lis..."

Karl hesitated for a moment.

"Dark Lis loved me, betrayed the Demon Race for me, and was then killed by me."

The study fell into a dead silence.

Philys's fingers unconsciously tapped on the desk.

After a long time, she finally spoke:

"You believed it?"

"I don't know."

Karl said in pain:

"Some inexplicable images appeared in my mind, the look in Dark Lis's eyes before she died..."

"It certainly didn't look like an enemy resisting to the death."

"Also, in that final battle, the Demon Race army's deployment was very strange, as if..."

"As if they were betrayed?"

Philys finished his sentence for him.

Karl suddenly looked up:

"Your Highness, what do you know?"

Philys stood up and walked to the window, her back to Karl:

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Dark Lis was the leader of the Demon Race,"

"and we are mortal enemies with the Demon Race. That is all."

But her tone was too deliberate; Karl was no fool.

"Your Highness, please tell me the truth."

He pleaded:

"If my hands are stained with blood they shouldn't be..."

"If my justice is built upon lies..."

"Enough!"

Philys turned around, her face a mask of feigned anger.

"Karl! You are the commander of the Order of the Glorious Knights!"

"You are a hero of the kingdom!"

"Now, because of a few words from an undead,"

"you doubt your own faith, doubt our cause?"

She walked up to Karl and looked down at him:

"That undead is clearly trying to sow discord."

"It wants to shake your conviction and crumble us from within."

"And you, a dignified Paladin, actually fell for it!"

Karl opened his mouth, but could find no words to retort.

Perhaps... perhaps that was really it?

The Demon Race was cunning; it was entirely possible they would fabricate lies to shake him... "Now, go back and rest."

Philys's tone softened.

"Treat your wounds and recover."

"The Demon Race has occupied our fortress and captured our knights; that is an indisputable fact."

"Regardless of what that undead said,"

"we must reclaim our lost territory and save our compatriots."

"That is true justice, is it not?"

Karl fell silent.

Indeed, the Demon Race occupying human territory was a fact.

Killing human soldiers was a fact.

Capturing Roderick was a fact.

These were undeniable.

"You are right, Your Highness."

Karl finally nodded.

"I was shaken."

"I will regroup and set out once more."

"Very good."

Philys smiled.

"But don't act alone this time."

"I will send Mage Soren and a unit of the Royal Guard to assist you."

"Also..."

She paused.

"If possible, try to capture that undead alive."

"I want to interrogate it personally."

After Karl left, Philys's smile vanished instantly.

"Useless trash."

She cursed under her breath.

"Can't even deal with a single skeleton."

Soren stepped out from the shadows.

"Your Highness, Karl seems to be starting to suspect."

"I know."

Philys rubbed her temples.

"That skeleton... it knows too much."

"Only I and a few confidants know about the matter with Dark Lis."

"How could it..."

Philys frowned, then a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Unless... that skeleton has some kind of memory-peeking ability."

She recalled the report saying that Roderick's mind was damaged after being captured, as if he had suffered a powerful mental shock.

"Soul-searching Technique..."

Philys's eyes sharpened.

"That skeleton knows the Soul-searching Technique."

"It learned about Karl from Roderick's mind, then fabricated lies to shake him."

This explanation was logical, but Philys still felt something was off.

That skeleton was too strong, unreasonably so.

To be able to defeat Karl and devour the Holy Light Incarnation...

that was beyond the level of any ordinary undead.

"Investigate."

Philys ordered.

"Use every hidden contact. I want to know everything about that skeleton."

"Where it came from, its history, and why it suddenly became so strong."

"Yes."

Soren bowed.

"Also, news came from the border that the skeleton released some captives and claimed it was willing to negotiate."

"Negotiate?"

Philys sneered.

"A clumsy stalling tactic."

"It knows we are amassing a large army and wants to buy time to consolidate its defenses."