Chapter 232: Power of the Source? Chariot

"Clop, clop, clop..."

A sturdy horse, unremarkable in appearance, pulled a modest carriage adorned with the emblem of the Church of Light. It ascended the winding mountain road leading to the royal palace, heading toward the main gate at the summit.

The royal sentries stationed upon the peak known as "The Throne," upon verifying the identity represented by this peculiar carriage, offered no resistance, allowing it to proceed unimpeded directly into the heart of the kingdom’s power.

The carriage arrived at its destination and halted before the palace gates. The multitude of soldiers guarding the magnificent structure immediately bowed in salute to the seemingly plain and humble vehicle, for its owner was none other than Father Stuart.

No one alighted from the carriage. A window simply slid open, and a letter was passed out to a commander of mages who had descended from the sky. After instructing him to deliver the missive to the King, the driver urged the horse onward and departed.

The mage briefly inspected the letter, noting the personal signature of Father Stuart on the seal. Recognizing the gravity of the correspondence, he hurried into the palace to deliver the message from the Church of Light to the minister in charge of documentation.

"A letter from the Church of Light, signed by Father Stuart. When did this arrive?"

The minister flipped through the letter, questioning the mage who had brought it to him.

"Just moments ago. The Church’s carriage arrived at the palace gate, handed me this letter, and requested that it be presented to His Majesty," the mage explained.

"Understood. Return to your post; I shall handle this."

The minister scanned the letter with a touch of magic to ensure it posed no security threat, then ordered the mage back to his duties while he himself set off toward the King’s chambers.

"A letter at this hour? Has the Church of Light sensed something? That shouldn't be. It is normal for the Night's Edge to suspect us and link previous events to our doorstep."

"But the Church of Light is the last organization that should be doing this. They are the least consequentialist group; even if the royal family is the sole beneficiary, they would never pin the blame on us without concrete evidence."

The minister analyzed the situation. It had been eight days since the God of Fear dissipated; the Church’s sudden contact with the royal family at this juncture was subtle, to say the least.

The Church had remained silent until now, likely preoccupied with the remnants of the Seowintan refugees—they were, after all, the Church of Light; they could not simply watch those people perish.

Now that the matter was likely settled, their immediate correspondence with the King made it difficult not to suspect that the Church had discerned the machinations of the royal house.

From start to finish, the war with Seowintan had been a layout orchestrated by the Alastair monarchy, including the descent of the God of Fear.

Yet, the loss of control over the divine husk had exceeded the royals' expectations, and the God of Fear, having occupied that vessel, had proven far more powerful than they could contain.

"Given the tenets of the Church of Light, they almost never interfere in the internal affairs of the kingdom. This letter must relate to other factors. But what could they be..."

The minister gripped the letter, lost in thought as he walked toward the King’s quarters.

Arriving at the door, he lowered his head to avoid meeting the monarch’s gaze and pushed the door open.

This was the same hall where Wang Yu and his companions had once met the King, though the layout had shifted. Aside from the King, who sat alone upon his throne, the other court officials were gathered around a long table in the center of the hall, debating affairs of state.

The minister’s entry did not halt their work. They continued to vote on pressing matters, including the development and enfeoffment of Seowintan territory and the handling of the "Shadows of the Royal City."

The officials present were scholars of profound wisdom. Serving the crown, they processed problems through rapid debate and voting, resolving urgent issues as swiftly as possible.

If the King did not participate, they followed the principle of majority rule. If he did, they deferred entirely to his will, providing only the necessary data and counsel.

At this moment, their most heated and controversial topic was how to deal with Edward, the "Hero who saved the Royal City."

Having become the earthly proxy for the God of Light, Edward had saved everyone when they were plunged into the terror of the God of Fear, etching his name deep into the hearts of those he rescued.

At this moment, Edward’s reputation among the city’s residents was beyond compare.

"The four dukes abide by the established rules, so we need not worry about them. There is no need for special measures against Edward; rewarding him and building his image actually benefits us more," one official remarked.

"That would lead to a troublesome issue," another countered. "Edward is a member of the Night's Edge special operations team. His current prestige has already brought a wave of supporters to the Night's Edge among the citizenry."

"If his status is elevated further and his reputation translates into tangible power, our relationship with the Night's Edge will become even more difficult to manage."

"Agreed," another chimed in. "The Night's Edge already shows signs of slipping from our control. Because they worship the Lady of Night, they are no longer bound by the 'Seal of Heavenly Darkness'."

"With the war over, the tensions we suppressed during the emergency will likely cause trouble. We all know that unlike the nobles who merely bleed the kingdom dry, the Night's Edge is an indispensable part of it."

"We have no way to strip them of their ability to ignore the Seal without sparking conflict. Even destroying the Church of Night within the city would be meaningless."

"The source of that power is the goddess herself, and we currently have no means to directly target a deity who does not manifest."

"Therefore, weakening Edward’s influence is essential to prepare for dealing with the unstable elements of the Night's Edge. The residents are not rational; a little guidance and misinformation will easily shatter their worship of him."

The official’s reasoning was sound, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Quite right. But has that research fanatic, Rudolph, captured the 'Archbishop of the Night Church' yet? According to him, that man named Wang Yu is the creator of the 'Prayer Communication Network.' Is he attempting to solve the problem at its root?"

"Not yet. The man named Wang Yu has a stubborn mouth, but we should have results soon. Rudolph is using the 'Piercing Vortex Needles'."

"I see. That is a nightmare for any knight. We shall have results soon enough. He is another reason why I believe we must weaken Edward’s influence."

"Wang Yu and Edward are close friends. Because of this, Edward is still using his influence to search for him. Even if the capture was clean, one can never be too careful about loose ends."

"A few rumors will suffice to shift their attention away from this 'dead' man."

The minister did not linger on their discussion. He walked past the table, handed the letter from the Church of Light to the King, and bowed his head, waiting for instructions.

The King took the letter, opened it, and read the elegant handwriting of Father Stuart. It was a demand from the Church of Light.

The King’s expression remained unchanged as he read, though his brow furrowed slightly at the end.

"The Church of Light believes we have failed to handle the divine husk properly and demands it be placed in their custody. They claim that if we continue to misuse it, it will bring calamity upon the kingdom. What is your view?"

The King asked in a low voice.

The minister was momentarily stunned. He had not expected this to be the subject of the letter, but upon reflection, it felt entirely in character for the Church.

If any other organization had sent such a letter, he would have suspected them of coveting the husk's power. But coming from the Church of Light, their stated concern for the kingdom’s safety was likely genuine, which made refusal all the more difficult.

"It is true that we encountered issues with the husk, and given that the Church ultimately intervened to save us, a direct refusal is difficult."

"However, this husk is a weapon we must possess. The best option is to stall. The Church is unlikely to resort to force against us. If we promise to comply while engaging in indefinite delays, it will be troublesome, but manageable."

"The main issue is that we must assign personnel to negotiate with those stubborn paladins. There are few officials who can use rhetoric to hold them off while enduring their terrifying stamina."

The minister proposed his solution. The Church’s demand was not a crisis, but it would be a drain on the royal family’s time and energy.

"Do as you say. Within the city, there are no forces left that can threaten us. The Church of Light is harder to deal with than the Night's Edge, who are used to compromise. They are too stubborn and possess power independent of the kingdom. Handle them well."

The King confirmed the plan, returned the letter, and turned his attention back to the officials debating their affairs.

The minister bowed and left the hall. Negotiating with those hulking paladins would be a headache—a test of both physical and mental endurance.

............

In the dungeons of the Royal City, Rudolph observed Wang Yu through the bars, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. Everything was proceeding exactly as he desired.

Wang Yu’s body was now so withered that it was hard to recognize the sturdy man he had once been.

His muscle definition had vanished, his skin was sallow and shriveled, and his body was covered in fine, unhealed wounds. He looked wretched, and one had to wonder how much longer he could survive.

"This is the end for a knight who loses his battle aura. I don't know the principle behind it, but once that aura—which has become part of his life—dissipates, that transcendent body collapses like a tower stripped of its foundation."

"Unlike a mage who merely returns to being an ordinary person, the knight's end is unimaginably miserable. To feel oneself slowly 'rotting' away is enough to break any man's spirit."

"Look at him. Where is that iron-willed man now? Tsk, tsk."

Rudolf rubbed his chin with his fingers, watching Wang Yu, who was still struggling despite his wretched state, and felt a deep satisfaction with the torment he had inflicted.

To Rudolf, Wang Yu’s hysterical state was a precursor to a total collapse of will—a desperate attempt to end his own life before his body disintegrated completely, hoping to escape the agony without uttering a single word.

Preferring death to submission might seem brave or tenacious to others, but to Rudolf, death was never the most terrifying thing. Death was merely an end, a clean slate; it was the state of being worse than dead that constituted the ultimate suffering.

Wang Yu’s current performance suggested he vaguely understood he could not hold on much longer. If this continued, his spirit would shatter as he watched his own body rot away, a fate he could not accept.

"Ah, my apologies. I cannot grant your wish. To have held out this long without speaking, you have already surpassed many, but it is not over yet."

Rudolf opened the cell, stepped inside, and whispered into the ear of the shackled Wang Yu, plunging a syringe filled with murky impurities into his chest and emptying the contents.

It was a healing potion, laced with nutrients—not enough to cure anything, but sufficient to tether Wang Yu to life, ensuring he would not die.

"You damned dog..."

A hoarse curse escaped Wang Yu’s throat, echoing through the cell.

"Ha... keep holding on. The longer you do, the more you will suffer. When your body weakens to the point of being inferior even to a common man, you will finally understand the true meaning of a broken spirit."

Rudolf chuckled, indifferent, and after painting a picture of that desperate future for Wang Yu, he stepped out of the prison.

"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."

The heavy, ragged breathing continued for a long time, a testament to the dying, trapped beast’s fury, until it finally lost its strength and faded into silence.

In a place no one could perceive, a force surged within Wang Yu’s body. Ripples—this was the name the Void had given Wang Yu for this power; it was vivid, yet it had misled him.

At first, Wang Yu believed this power was the "Arcane Energy" he had obtained from the Void as a wizard, but it later proved to be entirely his own, unrelated to the Void.

However, the name the Void had bestowed upon this power in his mental space still exerted an influence, causing him to misunderstand it, leading to deviations in his application and comprehension of it.

Until now, with his battle aura stripped away, Wang Yu felt as if he had returned to the moment he first gained the "Ripple" ability. Back then, he had no battle aura; he had only his flesh and the accompanying "Ripple."

This power was not so simple. He had no talent for wizardry, so what the Void had done back then was not to grant him arcane energy, but to identify a power his body had always possessed—an "inner potential" he had been unaware of.

The Void had never truly understood this power, only interpreting a fragment and telling Wang Yu about a part of it, the "Ripple," which meant the power Wang Yu had been using was incomplete.

With his battle aura gone, Wang Yu re-examined the past and finally grasped the essence of this power.

When he first arrived in this world, he had sensed his body "absorbing" the supernatural elements of this realm, growing stronger.

What force had seized that external "supernatural" essence and integrated it into him, allowing his physical strength to break the limits of an Earthling?

Later, the battle aura, the vampire’s blessing, the dragon blood—his body had been undergoing an autonomous "learning" process. Where did that power come from?

Most recently, when he had ignited his body with the fire of sorcery, burning everything within until he was nearly spent and his battle aura was scorched dry, the ripples he released had, for a brief moment, directly distorted the material world.

Furthermore, his Bloody Wrath Knight secret techniques and even his material-shaping sword arts were different from those of ordinary people. To use Edward’s words, he was a "monster"—no one had ever seen them used the way Wang Yu used them.

When Wang Yu realized that his body had been different from the people of this world from the very beginning, and that it possessed a certain power from the start, it was like noticing one's own breathing; once you become aware of it, it shifts from an instinct to an operation you must control yourself.

This power, hidden beneath the surface of the "Ripple," was now consciously realized by Wang Yu, transforming from an unconscious instinct into a force he could wield at will.

"No wonder I could never awaken my inner potential. From the very beginning, a power akin to inner potential had already occupied its place. In a sense, my inner potential had always existed."

The power flowed through Wang Yu’s body, surging into the long nail embedded in his flesh. The nail began to deform; the shaft piercing his body was twisted by this force, dissolving and withdrawing from his muscles.

The head of the nail remained in his abdomen, showing no outward sign, but the shaft inside had turned into a substance like molten steel, traveling through his body until it reached his back, mirroring the state he achieved when manipulating his own blood.

"A human-shaped Void... no wonder the Void could strengthen my Ripple. My shell is like a source of radiation. The Void can distort the material world, and so can I, but the difference is that I am in total control, and the principle is entirely different."

Wang Yu explored this "new" power. The stronger the flesh, the more powerful this ability to distort other matter became.

Though this body is not yet vast, it is enough to bind all things to this...

Chariot.