Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2010 Dealing with the Plague - 2

The newcomer was not merely tall-standing close to three meters-but possessed an overwhelmingly powerful, well-defined physique. Two leathery wings were folded neatly behind his back, their membranes thick and scarred, while his skin shone in a vivid, striking blue. Protruding fangs framed his mouth, and small, sharp horns emerged from the upper part of his forehead, adding to his fearsome appearance.

Everything about him radiated authority and menace, as though he were a being torn straight from an epic legend and forced into reality.

That creature, clad in the blue armor unique to the Grave Empire, calmly placed his hands behind his back. ”Do you truly believe you amount to something now,” he said coldly, ”simply because you killed a handful of plague creatures that havenʼt even begun to evolve? Not a single one of them had reached level forty. This was nothing more than a pack that split off from the true nest-their leader sought to establish an independent nest of his own, but he was a fool, and his offspring were weak.” ”Umm... well, Sir Attendant, but we also... arenʼt that strong,” one of the soldiers replied while looking away, his voice low. ”Weʼre only at the Sage level as well... just like the fighters of that pack.”

The Attendant of the Crixian race pointed directly at the soldier. ”And does that make you think youʼre vastly stronger, strong enough to enter far more brutal battles?” His tone sharpened. ”You succeeded with such ease not because of the integrated Purity Light Law, and certainly not because of the accompaniment of a great Soul mistress bound by the oath of the Burton family. No... your success came first because of the powder, and second because of the spears that were designed specifically for you.”

He continued in a firm, unwavering voice, ”Without that powder, you would have been dragged into a vicious, bloody fight against those wretched creatures. And without the spears engineered to amplify the benefits of the merged Purity Light Law, the time it would have taken to exterminate them would have been far longer-long enough for mistakes and casualties to occur.”

Then he raised a finger slightly, emphasizing his next words. ”Carve this into your minds. Until the day you face a plague with Martial Emperor-level strength, every victory you claim belongs to His Majesty, the Sky Opening City, and the veteran shapers under Lady Zuha. You are merely the thousands being moved by all of those factors.”

The soldiers exchanged glances with one another. A few of them muttered under their breath, ”Thatʼs extremely discouraging” ”The other batches get treated better than this...” ”Iʼm not saying this to crush your spirits,” the Attendant said, his tone softening just a little, ”but to make you understand reality. I accompany you in eliminating these weak packs for one reason only-to help you grow accustomed to seeing the plague, to become familiar with using your power, and to form bonds among yourselves that will prove invaluable when real teamwork is required later.” ”Whatʼs the point of those bonds?” one of the soldiers asked with a confident smile. ”We just stab those things and they vanish.” ”Tsk~” The Attendant shook his head slowly. ”The Prime Ministerʼs directive to select Purity Light users from the Burton, Bradley, Camden families, and the other families that pledged loyalty to His Majesty before the declaration of the empire, resulted in the first batch of peacekeeping forces being nothing more than a group of spoiled children- children who have never seen a truly bad day in their lives.” ”Hey!” one of the soldiers protested, clearly offended. ”You terrify me,” the Attendant replied with open mockery. ”You foolish children... have you never seen the Second Army stationed in the Young Sector before?” ”The Second Army? Theyʼre associated with the red plague, if I remember correctly. No, Iʼve never seen them...” ”I believe theyʼre under the command of a female marshal named Malgra?” ”Thatʼs only true in name. Ever since the Second King, Amon, returned and took her as his wife, he has effectively become the acting marshal of Young Sectors 99 and 100,” ”I donʼt think the Second King really cares about such administrative matters. He prefers focusing on increasing his own personal power. Marshal Malgra is still the one who truly controls the army on the ground.” ”You know... I once heard that the Second King Amon, back in the day, actually ”Hey!!” the Attendant shouted sharply, cutting them off. ”Iʼm trying to set an example using the Second Army, and you start side conversations?” His voice boomed with authority. ”Just how far does your lack of discipline go, you bunch of unqualified troublemakers?!”

Then he straightened his posture, puffed out his chest, and deliberately slowed his tone. ”What Iʼm trying to tell you is this: tricks like that powder will never work against the Second Army-and there are two clear reasons for that.”

He raised two fingers. ”First, soul sense. Every plague creature serving under the Second Army possesses soul sense so strong that their dependence on smell has been drastically reduced.” ”That makes perfect sense. Anything His Majesty touches turns into something flawless.” ”Just imagine those savages forming a disciplined, organized army. His Majesty truly created a miracle.” ”I wouldnʼt want to fight those things if they had senses other than smell!” ”Shhh!” The Attendant glared at them fiercely, then lowered his second finger along with his hand. ”Second, because the powerful ones in the plague do not rely on their sense of smell at all.” .....

The young soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, a trace of anxiety finally creeping into their expressions. ”What youʼre dealing with right now is nothing but the lowest trash,” the Attendant announced coldly. ”Your real role only begins once a King appears.” His voice hardened. ”Thereʼs a very good reason our ancestors-the Giants of Nihari-never allowed the plague to mutate to their next form. They executed any Demon that came close to surpassing the Sage-tier boundary. Because starting from the Martial Emperor Realm, from the very first successful mutation... that powder becomes completely useless.” ”Ah... thatʼs an exaggeration, right?” ”That fat one standing on the rock was on the verge of mutation and didnʼt sense anything at all.” ”I think we could manage even against mutated ones without much trouble.” ”His Majesty tamed them, and we slaughter them like sheep. Those things only earned their fearsome reputation from peasant legends.” ”Oh?” The Attendant revealed a knowing, almost mocking smile. He reached into his ring and took out an instant teleportation array, activating it. Hoooh- A small spatial gate unfolded before them. He pointed toward it calmly. ”Then why donʼt you follow me to the other half of the planet? You can surely help the temporary army stationed there achieve victory-effortlessly, of course.” With those words-Bzzzt-he stepped into the portal and vanished, leaving it active and humming. ”Are we actually going?” ”The other half of the planet is completely under crimson plague control. The report even says some black plague have already appeared.” ”Haha, doesnʼt that just mean there are a lot of them?” one soldier laughed excitedly. ”I want to see how they deal with my wide-area attack!”

Without hesitation, he dove headfirst into the portal. Bzzzt ”...Iʼll go too. Whatʼs the worst that could happen?” ”Hey-donʼt leave me alone!”

Bzzzt

The last young soldier emerged on the other side, spear raised high, laughter full of arrogance and confidence. ”Hah, hah, hah! Tremble, you stupid plague, before the-the-?!” His expression froze mid-laugh. Just like the faces of all his comrades, it instantly twisted into pure terror. ”Oh... oh no...”

Swooooo

BOOOOOOOOOOM