Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

Chapter 162  Rusra (VI)

Thanks to his naked figure, the soldiers around the old man could see his veins swelling and pulsating rapidly as if blood was pumping furiously through them. They watched the old man's skinny frame transform into a bulky, bodybuilder-like physique. The transformation led the rope to began to snap with his struggle.

Henry watched with interest, his eyes glimmering with a purple light - "He really is acting like an animal, even in the way he's moving mana. He's just spilling it outside his circuits and injecting it into his muscles" - Henry observed, his fingers tapping rhythmically the chair - "But how long can his body take it?"

Henry knew that sustaining such intense mana flow against the muscles and bones required a well-trained body. Not every technique allowed for this, and it was even more challenging for elders whose bodies were already deteriorating. The Sun God Technique was a prime example. The initial phases of the technique allowed mana circuits to open while slowly infusing small quantities of mana externally, developing enough resistance. However, it was only resistance, not immunity. If not careful, the chaotic nature of the technique could still tear muscles, bones, and even magic circuits. It was dangerous to let Mana fill the muscles.

"He's going to break free!" - One of the soldiers screamed, taking a step back, his trembling hand dropping his hatchet - "I-I can't!" - he desperately yelled before turning and fleeing towards the gates.

The others exchanged fearful glances. They saw the rope about to snap and the beastly look of their lord. And, without wasting another second, they dropped their weapons and ran, not looking back. In their desperation, some even bumped into each other, causing others to fall, but they quickly got back up and continued running. It was chaos. They didn't even notice the black-clothed figure seated nearby, watching them.

The captain watched the mass disband in disbelief. He still held the other end of the rope, trying to keep the old man restrained, but he could also feel it was about to snap - "What the hell are you all doing? Stay! We need to wake the lord up! If you leave, the lord will hang all of you and your families when he comes to his senses!" - he screamed, but his words fell on deaf ears. They all kept running, trying to get as far away as possible from the plaza. In a matter of minutes, the once-crowded plaza was left with only three living beings: Henry, the captain, and the still-bound old man. The ground was littered with corpses. Their bodies created a large pool of blood that was slowly being drained into the streets, stretching through the whole city.

"Those bastards!"- The captain cursed, struggling to hold the old man. His eyes darted around the plaza, seeking an escape, until they landed on a black-haired man with purplish-gray eyes who was watching him with interest as if everything was only some kind of entertainment. "You! Help me!" the captain called, but Henry remained seated, only silently observing - "If you help me, the lord will reward you greatly!" - the captain desperately pleaded, grabbing tightly the rope in his hands, not daring to let it go.

Henry smiled mysteriously, deciding to play along - "What can you offer me?" - he asked, feigning interest as his smile turned into a silly and interested one.

"Gold! I'll give you twenty gold coins!" - The captain responded immediately, feeling the rope loosening even more. He didn't have time. He had to get away from here.

"Twenty?!" - Henry exclaimed, widening his eyes in mock surprise - "What do I have to do?" The captain hesitated for a brief second - "J-Just hold this rope for a minute while I deal with the lord!" - He hurriedly responded, stuttering midway, showing the rope in his hands.

Henry's expression shifted from interest to fear -"Are you going to kill the lord?" - he asked as if he didn't want to be implicated in the death of the lord.

"No! I'll just knock him unconscious. Hurry!" - The captain hurriedly urged, afraid that the rope would snap at any moment. However, Henry remained on his chair, without the intention to help.

"Sorry, but I think I'll just watch from here" - The king said, waving his hands dismissively.

At that response and act, the captain's eyes widened in shock, and he cursed loudly - "You bastard! You dare!"- He wanted to let go of the rope and attack Henry, but before he could act, the rope snapped, far sooner than he expected.

At that scene, Henry grinned widely at the captain, who now held the torn rope in his hands, staring in terror at the old man, who glared back with a maniac expression - "Well…Good luck" - Henry said, his tone not hiding the wish to see the worsening situation.

The old lord lunged at him again, and the captain barely managed to raise his shield in time. The impact sent him stumbling backward, his eyes darting around for any possible escape or advantage. The plaza was littered with corpses and discarded weapons, and the old lord seemed to step over the bodies, without being slowed down. He couldn't use it to his advantage.

"What can I do?" - the captain muttered to himself, his mind blank with fear. The old lord roared again, his voice echoing through the plaza, filled with fury and madness. He charged another time, swinging his arms with brutal force.

The old man's muscles were pulsating like a beating heart, his veins so swollen they were visible through his skin, like an alien beast - "I will kill you! I will rip out your lungs traitor!" - he crazily roared.

The captain could only see a hand coming at him at full speed, trying to clutch his throat. He threw himself to the ground, rolling over to a nearby corpse to grab a discarded shield and sword. His heart raced as he faced the maddened lord, knowing he was no match for such an inhuman force. He got to his feet and braced himself.

The old lord lunged at him again, and the captain barely managed to raise his shield in time. The impact sent him stumbling backward, his eyes darting around for any possible escape or advantage. The plaza was littered with corpses and discarded weapons, and the old lord seemed to step over the bodies, without being slowed down. He couldn't use it to his advantage.

"What can I do?" - the captain muttered to himself, his mind blank with fear. The old lord roared again, his voice echoing through the plaza, filled with fury and madness. He charged another time, swinging his arms with brutal force.

The captain dodged by ducking his head, narrowly avoiding a blow that would have crushed his head. He countered with a swipe of his sword, aiming for the lord's leg, but the blade barely scratched the enhanced muscles. The mana coursing through the old lord's body made him temporarily impervious to normal attacks.

Henry watched from his seat, a strange satisfaction in his eyes. He liked watching the spectacle, analyzing the flow of mana and the movements of both combatants. The fight would have been even more entertaining if the captain was also in the Second Stage rather than barely holding onto the brink of the First Stage. Right now, he was only surviving because the old lord fought like a beast, mindlessly charging at him.

"Well, he can't hold on for much longer" - Henry thought, watching the captain's knees trembling with exhaustion - "Should I help? He seems useful." - Henry pondered for a moment before deciding to let the man make his choice. "Hey, what's your name?"- Henry yelled, but the captain was too preoccupied dodging the beast-like attacks of the old lord to respond - "Well, it doesn't matter what your name is, but I have a proposal for you. I will save you, but you will work under my throne. What do you think?" The captain heard him, but couldn't afford to respond verbally, afraid that a moment's distraction would mean his death. Instead, he gave a slight nod while lifting his shield to defend himself from another attack. The shield was already covered in cracks, another punch would probably be the end of it.

"Good choice! You won't regret it" - Henry said, getting up from the chair and walking leisurely towards the duo, carefully avoiding the bodies strewn about. Sensing the approach of someone new, the old lord turned his head toward Henry, his primal instincts screaming and recognizing the danger in front of him. "What?" Henry asked, stopping a few steps away from the old man. "Should I come to you, or will you come obediently?"

The old man, despite his madness, felt an instinctive fear but lacked the mental capacity to process it. He kicked the ground, charging at Henry with brutal force. The captain expected the black-haired man to be crushed instantly, but what happened next left him in shock. Henry, with his glowing purplish-gray eyes, caught the old man by the neck as if he was a small and helpless kitten. The old man's bulging muscles strained in resistance, but he could only kick his legs and arms helplessly as his breath became shallow with each passing moment. There was no air.

"In the end, you have become only a beast" - Henry said, watching the old lord struggle. Purple flames began to spread from Henry's hand, burning the old lord's neck. Despite his lack of consciousness, the old lord screamed in pain as the fire ate his skin - "Do you still feel pain, huh? It seems infusing Mana into the muscles like you did doesn't break the nervous system, or it only causes injuries. Interesting." Henry's smile deepened, a bit fascinated by the old man's condition - "But your time is nearing the end, sadly. I won't be able to conduct any more experiments." - He noticed the light in the old man's eyes rapidly fading.

Without any further reason to keep him alive, Henry twisted the old lord's neck as if he was killing a chicken. The body went limp, and Henry let it drop to the ground. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Turning to the captain, who was still catching his breath - "It seems like you made the right choice."