CHAPTER 192: TEMPORARY VICTORY; RE-ELECTION

A grand knight's inner potential was far stronger than that of a regular knight's. There was significant variation in potential from knight to knight, true, and it wasn't uncommon for some grand knights' potentials to be less lethal than their regular counterparts', but on an individual scale, the upgrade to a knight's potential upon advancement into a grand knight was a massive leap forward.

Black Benn's potential, Blazing Raze, had been particularly specialized for devastation even as a regular knight.

His title of Flame Marshal had been earned during that period as he fought fiercely in Aleisterre's military, a nod to the infernos and flame-consumed battlefields to which he had consigned his enemies.

Now that Black Benn was a grand knight, his Blazing Raze had reached unprecedented heights. He could channel fighting spirit unending, fire eternal. Wherever the flames blazed, he was in control.

The bloodthirsty grin on his face grew ever more frenzied. Surrounded by searing heat that couldn't harm him, Black Benn roared out loud—while all around him, the enemies' screams were drowned out by the crackling flames. The exhilaration in his chest caused the torrent of fighting spirit within him to surge even more wildly.

The surrounding fire responded to Black Benn's elation. Under the influence of his potential, more flames began to blossom from nothingness and spread outward, seemingly conjured from the void.

Just then, a cold wind suddenly blew from the rear of Selwyn's formation. It clashed with the all-consuming flames, rapidly cooling them. The fire's momentum was curbed as its spread slowed.

"A wizard? Hmph, laughable trash. Fragile void energy could never suppress my flames. Burn!"

Black Benn's gaze swept toward the distant Selwynian formation, toward the source of the cold wind. Cloaked figures approached under the protection of soldiers. They held their hands aloft, radiating a deep violet light—wizards, one and all.

Selwyn had fewer magicians but more wizards than Aleisterre. Though these wizards couldn't provide the same support as Aleisterre's magician corps, in situations like this, a wizard squad would surely provide at least some relief... right?

"Burn!"

That vicious grin never left his face as Black Benn pushed his potential to the limit. The flames burned even more ferociously, with rising intensity of light and heat alike.

The frost-laced wind blowing toward the Selwynian army became increasingly ineffective at suppressing the raging firestorm.

Black Benn was a violent man. One of the primary reasons he joined the military was to freely indulge in the thrill of killing.

Bound by the laws of the kingdom and his own morals, he could hardly enjoy such stimulation in the capital. But in the army, bathing in the blood of enemies became his ultimate pleasure.

His potential matched his nature: it was explosive, searing, specialized, and devastating. Blazing Raze existed for one reason only—to burn every enemy standing before Black Benn to ash.

In the end, the icy wind conjured by the wizards was snuffed out. Not only that—it caught on fire.

The crystals of frost scattered by the cold wind, illogical as it seemed, began to burn. Substances that shouldn't have been flammable were ignited by Black Benn's potential.

The flames followed the cold wind's path and surged backward, a horrifying sight that forced the wizards to halt their spellcasting with grim expressions.

Among knights, wizards, and magicians, magicians possessed the most destructive power. All else being equal, the destructiveness of their spells far surpassed those of knights and wizards.

Wizards, on the other hand, were more flexible and unpredictable. Able to twist reality with the help of the void, their unusual spells often protected their fragile bodies and confounded their enemies.

By contrast, knights, who were the most robust physically, often seemed the least impressive. Indeed, within the military and among major powers, knights often received lesser treatment than their counterparts.

But knights' potentials gave them something unique that neither wizards nor magicians wielded: absolute control.

Knights' potentials enabled prioritized, fundamental control over a narrow domain: if a knight were able to teleport via his inner potential, no amount of spatial magic from magicians or wizards would be able to interrupt it. It would be nearly impossible to block or negate.

When a knight happened to awaken to a powerful area-of-effect potential, then, that knight's impact on the battlefield would far surpass wizards and magicians alike.

Black Benn's potential was, especially as a grand knight, beyond compare on the battlefield. The chill of twisted reality conjured by the wizards lost all meaning before his flames; the frost was even ignited in reverse. The wizards had lost to him completely.

And once they gave up on suppressing the firestorm, no one on the field could restrain Black Benn.

Unstoppable flames swallowed up Selwyn's army. In the sea of fire, only the Flame Marshal stood tall, grinning with manic joy.

The flickering firelight illuminated the chaotic retreat of the Selwyn troops as they scrambled away in defeat.

"Oh, interesting. So this is Cursed Fire?"

Wang Yu stared at the flickering green flame burning in his palm. It wasn't large, and danced steadily above his palm.

"I can feel the heat, but it doesn't burn me. Fascinating."

He swept his left hand through the flame. There was searing heat from the skin on his fingers, hotter than ordinary fire, but it didn't harm him.

"So it's burning my stamina—or should I say, my life force? The drain is fast, but the effect's pretty decent. As long as I can recover quickly, it's basically a free extra attack."

Wang Yu sensed something fading inside him along with the flame. Blood, fat, and other biological elements that could be lumped together as "life force" or nourishment were being consumed by the fire.

The green flame in his hand suddenly flared upward as it darkened in hue, scorching the ceiling with a blackened burn mark.

"Damn it!" Wang Yu yelped. He dialed back the flow of life force fueling the fire. The flame shrank and shrank before it was finally extinguished.

"You're still just as excited when it comes to new powers, huh?" Avia said with a light smile. She waved a hand, summoning water that washed over the scorch mark and wiped away the black stain.

"Well, strength is strength." Wang Yu glanced at the now-clean ceiling and sighed in relief. Good thing it was just surface-level damage, or it'd be a pain to fix.

He had been trying to feed the flame more life force, which had made it stronger, hotter, wider—and deadlier.

"No wonder Holo had Noelle study Cursed Fire. The more life force you feed it, the more explosive it gets. If Sieg used it in his dragon form... I can't even imagine how outrageous that fire would be."

Wang Yu rubbed his chin.

A faint sense of hollowness pulsed from within his body. The flame had burned off some of his internal "nourishment."

For someone as tough as Wang Yu, it wasn't a big deal—but constant use of the flames would still wear him down.

It also explained why this seemingly easy-to-learn skill hadn't spread widely. It was too niche.

Most people with enough life force to sustain Cursed Fire usually had better options, and wizards and magicians with weak bodies couldn't afford the drain. Only beings like dragons, with vast reserves of life force, could unleash its terrifying potential.

"It's no use for me at the moment. The flames I generate with the technique won't do as much damage as my other attacks."

Wang Yu shook his head and sighed. For now, the Cursed Fire wasn't much help to him.

"Still, no harm in learning. You never know when it might come in handy," Avia chimed in from the side.

"True," Wang Yu agreed easily.

Someone knocked on the door, but Wang Yu neither headed to open it nor used his ripples to identify the visitor. Instead, he turned to the girl beside him.

Avia understood his intent. She closed her eyes and interfaced with the magical array in the room, projecting the scene outside into her mind. Then she nodded, signaling that the visitor was safe.

This seemingly ordinary house on Redmaple Street was Wang Yu's residence in the capital. Together with Avia, he'd installed many hidden magical traps both inside and out.

Anyone trying to break in like Hela once had would be greeted by a room full of magical arrays.

With Avia's confirmation, Wang Yu stepped forward and opened the door.

Outside stood a smiling man dressed as a royal attendant. Wang Yu noted the royal crest on the man's left chest—someone from the royal household, then.

The attendant gave a respectful bow and handed Wang Yu what looked like an invitation. As Wang Yu accepted it, the man politely explained, "The redistribution of seats on the Elder Council will take place in three days. All nobles in the capital at the rank of viscount or higher are invited to attend and cast their votes. Viscount Wang Yu, we sincerely request your presence."

Wang Yu looked over the invitation. Its contents matched what the attendant said. He had almost forgotten he held a nominal position as viscount.

Did that mean that he had to participate, too?