Faced with Duke Mu Huo’s revelation.

Zorn was as calm and composed as ever.

"Your Grace, Duke Mu Huo, why don’t you just say everything you have on your mind?"

"It would be better for everyone if you just spoke plainly, wouldn’t it?"

Duke Mu Huo demanded sharply.

"Just tell us, was that Fighting Master you?"

Taking a deep breath, Zorn spread his hands.

"It seems I can no longer hide the fact that I killed the Rat King, thereby resolving the rat infestation and averting a plague."

"That’s right. I’m the one who killed the [Bloodline·Lower Ranks·Rat King Knight]!"

Now that things had been revealed to this extent, Zorn was quite direct and stopped hiding the truth.

The moment Zorn made his admission, a wave of hushed, heated discussion rippled through the old church.

Killing the terrifying Rat King was certainly an honor, but it was also a major liability.

Without sufficient strength to back it up, it could even be a catastrophe.

And Zorn could guess what was coming next: Duke Mu Huo would inevitably press the attack on this front.

But!

Zorn was far more prepared than the Duke imagined.

Now, it all depended on how much Duke Mu Huo could unearth.

’If they really do manage to unearth my true identity—though that’s highly unlikely.’

’Then a brand-new, high-profile version of the [Evil Spirit Wizard] will officially debut!’

In fact, Zorn had already planned out his entire future.

Month One: The duplicitous "Evil Spirit Monster" is ambushed by Ogrande City Hall and the Holy Fierce Sun Church, then dismembered and left for dead in Split Mist Town.

Month Two: The wretched "Evil Spirit Demon" is resurrected and flees in a panic, reaching the ancient Gray Mist Mountain Range.

Month Three: The creator of the ’Evil Spirit Calamity’ colludes with the Sun Secret Cult to threaten Autanston.

Month Four: The terrifying [Evil Spirit Wizard] ignites the "Crying Blood Sun," and the Holy Fierce Sun Church suffers devastating losses.

Month Five: The Wizard "Zorn Corick" marches on Ogrande City.

Month Six: The great Chief Royal Mage, Your Excellency Zorn Corick, is about to take his place in the royal court of the Ostanton Republic!

’Being exposed isn’t scary. What’s scary is having no backup plan.’

Zorn had been plotting and laying his plans for a long time, and his power was growing stronger by the day.

’So what if you expose my identity as the [Evil Spirit Wizard]?’

’I’ll still come out on top even if I have to switch sides!’

"Well then... Master Zorn Corick!"

A moment later, Duke Mu Huo’s voice was as sharp as a knife, seemingly attempting to peel away Zorn Corick’s disguise layer by layer.

"After you killed the [Bloodline·Lower Ranks·Rat King Knight], what did you do with the terrifying Forbidden Blood and the flesh remains of the great Egunus?"

"With your extensive Extraordinary Knowledge, to claim you simply burned it would be an insult to your own intelligence, wouldn’t it?"

At the mention of the "Forbidden Blood" and the "remains of Egunus’s flesh," several greedy gazes fell upon Zorn.

’This was the downside of not wanting to claim the fame and glory for killing the Rat King. It makes you an easy target for the covetous.’

After pondering for a moment, Zorn finally said,

"Those are my personal spoils. I am under no obligation to disclose their whereabouts or purpose, correct?"

"But..."

Feeling the weight of their intersecting gazes, Zorn continued calmly,

"given the current situation, I imagine it will be difficult to resolve this matter without a thorough explanation."

As he spoke, Zorn’s memory seemed to drift back to that rainy afternoon after he had defeated the Rat King, when he cooked the Rat King’s Heart by a campfire.

"...After defeating the Rat King, I used a special method to extract the partially contaminated Forbidden Blood from its heart."

"In the end, I obtained about five or six vials of the contaminated Forbidden Blood."

"Of course, the flesh of Egunus that Your Grace, Duke Mu Huo, is so preoccupied with also separated itself out."

"I naturally collected and sealed it as well."

"Then, I burned the Rat King Knight’s remains to ash." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"In the time that followed, as for that piece of rare and ancient flesh..."

Zorn paused for effect.

Instantly, everyone leaned in, afraid of missing a single word.

As the masters of Ogrande City, they were naturally aware of the immense value of that piece of ancient flesh.

"I began to study it on my own, attempting to refine and absorb it."

"As of today, I... have indeed absorbed a fair amount, causing my power to surge."

"Yes, you heard me right. I did absorb the remains of Egunus’s flesh, but it was my trophy, and nothing more."

"It was no different from when I consumed the Golden Rat King’s Golden Heart."

"My power in the [Fighting Master] Sequence was already formidable to begin with!"

"It’s no exaggeration to say that, in a one-on-one fight, I, Zorn Corick, already had the power to take down that terrifying Rat King all by myself."

"It’s not that I look down on the Knights in the Holy Hall, but I can say that at Level 3, not a single one of them can defeat me. The same even holds true within the Level 4 range!"

These words made the hearts of many masters present sink.

For Zorn Corick to say this, his words obviously carried a hidden meaning—and a clear warning!

’This guy really isn’t all talk!’

At this, Zorn spoke with a touch of arrogance.

"Digesting the flesh from a [Knight Sequence] being has further amplified and strengthened my power as a [Fighting Master]. Naturally, I’m even stronger now than I was before!"

"This..."

As he finished his explanation, Zorn looked at Duke Mu Huo.

"Any problem with that?"

Watching Zorn, Duke Mu Huo responded in a cold, sinister voice.