The Last King Of Darkness
Chapter 456 - 297: Humanity Never Submits_2

Chapter 456: Chapter 297: Humanity Never Submits_2

Of course, the cost of doing so was extremely high, and only Star Town could afford it at the moment.

Therefore, the money was like an oasis of fresh water injected into the scorching desert, making Molly feel completely comfortable; and when the news of the events in Royal City reached Star Town, it was like a fire burning in her heart.

Of course, this couldn’t be seen from her appearance.

Molly’s delicate face was always serious, and every clerk in the Administration Hall was assiduously busy at work under her gaze, not even daring to breathe too heavily.

To see her other side, one had to wait until Rod arrived.

Not just Molly, for high-ranking officials like Amendo, Horus, and Dalin, the recent changes were beyond welcome; the atmosphere in the Royal City felt like it had returned to that of a decade ago, a familiar sensation they dearly missed and found extremely exciting.

The preparations for war suddenly accelerated, and it wouldn’t be long before they could formally expand westward.

Project "Holy Fire" was also proceeding at full steam.

All the project participants were preparing for the battle with Tasnia Starry Sky City, once also crowned with the title of Fire King City.

This would be the decisive battle for the fate of humanity in Trolian.

Success was imperative; failure was not an option.

Everyone was incredibly busy, except for Rod, who had become idle.

After the Great Purge, the Internal Affairs Court and the Judgement Court took over the defense work of the Upper City, leaving him, the Captain of the King’s Hand, with nothing to do.

All affairs of Star Town were managed by Molly, and she no longer needed him either.

The Dream Realm was temporarily peaceful, and hunting operations would have to wait for the recovery of the soul in the Book of Knowledge.

The Book spent its days either indulging in gluttony or sleeping soundly, like a pig.

As for Rod, now his days were filled mostly with meditation and training, and the occasional execution, with little else to occupy him.

The masters coaching him praised his spiritual and physical harmony as exemplary, almost not requiring any additional fine-tuning, and said that he only needed to wait for the natural growth of his Spiritual Energy. After breaking through to Level 9, he would officially become a Third-Level combatant and formally enter the ranks of Trolian’s mighty.

But the problem was, Rod’s Spiritual Energy couldn’t grow naturally.

He either had to enhance his Stars or ignite new ones.

There was no third option.

But the "Star Shuttle" needed three Great Souls to achieve its perfect state, and his other Stars were already at their peaks. Without "Quantification," there would be no further growth.

Without battle, he couldn’t get stronger.

The Souls gained from executions were too weak.

When it came to strength, the souls of humans were far inferior to those of monsters.

They were of little use to him, their only purpose being destruction.

But since these individuals lived within Royal City all year around and generally lacked strength in combat except in the case of unique souls like that of the Thief King, they were otherwise of no real use.

Unable to sit still any longer, Rod wanted to find the King.

But the King was extremely busy, spending all his time either at the Holy Fire Sacrificial Ground or in the Supreme Council, discussing various affairs with Elders, the Defense Chief, Commanders, and other high-ranking figures.

Sometimes, the King would even disappear, reportedly to meet with the upper echelons of Trolian power at the Fire Hall.

After several attempts, Rod could not find the King and had no choice but to turn to Horus.

Yet Horus had no intention of letting him fight.

"Rod, the battle at Star Town lasted nearly five months, and by convention, you need to rest for two months to completely eradicate soul Pollution and the hidden dangers within your body," he said.

Rod was frustrated.

For an ordinary warrior, contact with monsters, combat, and murder all lead to soul pollution, especially when active under the Black Fog for a long time, which severely exacerbates the erosion of the soul.

Sometimes, even though it seems purified on the surface, deep-seated, imperceptible rot and corruption linger.

If the Pollution reaches the Core Layer of the soul, it becomes irreversible, and death or transformation are the only outcomes awaiting one.

Therefore, the Purification of the soul was a long-term task. Warriors who fought abroad for extended periods must return to the Royal City to undergo the ritual of Purification under the protection of Holy Fire.

This was a rule inherited over thousands of years, earned through countless lessons steeped in blood and tears.

But Rod was not an ordinary person.

All forms of Pollution and rot were neutralized by his Humanity, and even if he were to venture unprotected into the Black Fog, he would emerge unharmed.

After a series of events, his Humanity score had exceeded a million, making him fear no contamination whatsoever.

But no matter how he explained it, Horus wouldn’t believe him.

Even if the Soul Masters praised his soul for its purity, akin to crystal, it was not enough to ease Horus’ concerns.

Many forms of rot and corruption were undetectable.

For Horus, Rod was now a precious treasure, a Divine Son bestowed upon them by the gods of light and fire. He was something that could not afford even the slightest mishap.

Rules must be strictly followed.

No matter how much Rod pleaded, Horus did not agree, even distracting him with the deployment of the Nun Group.

Although reluctant, Rod reluctantly agreed to take charge of this second unit belonging to him.

The thought of all the nun sisters in the unit being under his command did excite him a little.

But with this, he had fallen right into Horus’ trap.

The Holy Church’s cathedral was situated at the southernmost part of the Upper City.

Amid the holy atmosphere filled with flames and colorful stained glass, a troop emerged from a side hall and approached Rod.

The leading individual was at least three times Rod’s height and twice his width, with forearms thicker than Rod’s entire body, a square face covered with rippling muscles, and thighs so strong they seemed on the verge of bursting the fabric of his leggings.