Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 528 The final chapter of the conspiracy, the whole truth and suffocating despair!

While Litanel's massive and chaotic coalition was still struggling to assemble and slowly advance deep in the swamp, Su Li had already learned their ultimate destination through the daily intelligence system.

So when the doomsday coalition, barely held together by despair, poison gas, and stench, finally dragged its heavy and chaotic steps out of the deepest fog of the swamp and reached the edge of their ultimate goal—the stagnant swamp—all the monster leaders, including Litanel himself, were so stunned by the sight before them that they almost stopped breathing.

There were no engineers or guards who were frantically deploying and laying the "Heart of the Tide" as expected.

What awaited them was a steel fortress already in full force on a relatively dry open area of ​​the stagnant, silted land.

It was midday, and rare, thin sunlight pierced through the clouds, mercilessly drenching the muddy land soon to be stained with blood. Wherever the light touched, there was a dazzling reflection that almost burned the eyes—the cold gleam of countless polished plate armors, helmets, tower shields, and a forest of spears and halberds. The armor shone brightly in the sun, its imposing presence like an army from heaven.

The army formation was as solid as a mountain, and their silence as deep as an abyss.

At the very front of the formation stood a square of Ironbreaker warriors, clad in heavy armor and wielding massive shields and long weapons. They stood like rocks, every plate of their armor polished to a spotless shine, their enormous shields tightly joined together to form an impenetrable metal wall. The soldiers stood silently behind their shields, only their calm, focused eyes visible.

Flanking and behind the heavy infantry phalanx were neatly arranged amethyst armored snipers. Their amethyst launchers were already in position, muzzles pointing diagonally forward, maintaining a high state of alert, ready to fire at any moment. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, a testament to their long and rigorous training.

Further back, one could vaguely see taller banners and a more imposing array of troops—the infantry and reserves of the other provinces of Blacksem. Various war machines were also present, with dozens of heavy cannons, meticulously crafted by dwarven engineers and gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, forming the backbone of the long-range firepower. The short, stubby mortars had their muzzles raised, their massive barrels capable of hurling heavy explosive shells at distant enemy lines; the long, slender cannons, like venomous snakes poised to strike, offered precise direct fire capable of tearing apart any densely packed formation attempting to charge. The artillerymen stood silently beside their positions, neatly stacked ammunition boxes at their sides, awaiting only the command to unleash a storm of steel and fire.

Between the artillery positions were numerous war machine fortifications of various shapes and sizes. These mobile fortresses, constructed of sturdy wood and metal plates, were equipped with mortars and even small flamethrowers. Heavily armed warhorses pulled them, providing both powerful support firepower and, when necessary, serving as sturdy strongholds.

The entire military formation was clearly structured and rationally positioned, with each branch of the armed forces maintaining perfect coordination distances.

However, what truly gave this legion its suffocating oppressive aura was its main force of nearly two thousand five hundred knights. They were not concentrated in one place, but cleverly deployed in key positions throughout the entire formation, like powerful joints and tendons injected into a steel body.

On the ground, the Black Forest Royal Guard knights, clad in plate armor inlaid with golden runes, formed the most striking core of the attack. They rode heavy warhorses clad in horse armor, their towering lances standing tall in the air, silently gathering destructive power. Their armor shimmered with the faint glow of runes in the light; even in stillness, they exuded the weighty aura of battle-hardened elites.

Further out on the flanks and rear were other elite knightly orders, each with its own distinct characteristics. The members of the Knights of Vengeance, riding powerful half-griffins, had flame emblems engraved on their armor. Even when waiting on the ground, the low growls of their mounts and the flapping of their massive wings were enough to make any opponent take notice.

In the sky, the shadows of the air cavalry loomed over the battlefield. Griffin riders, horse eagle riders, swan riders, and dwarven helicopters hovered and circled at different altitudes, forming a three-dimensional network of death. They blocked out the sky, ready to swoop down at any moment and deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.

At the very front of this powerful army, a figure stood alone before the ranks.

Hilde, the Knight of the Holy Lily.

She didn't ride a mount; she simply stood there quietly. Her golden, divinely chosen armor was spotless, a stark contrast to the grim military formation behind her, yet strangely blending together seamlessly. She didn't release any exaggerated energy fluctuations, nor did she deliberately exude any oppressive aura.

But when her clear and sharp gaze calmly swept over the approaching chaotic allied forces in the distance, an invisible, heavy pressure spread out as if it were a tangible reality. Whether it was the Black Forest soldiers on the ground or the air cavalry in the sky, everyone's eyes seemed to converge on her, as if she were the unshakable cornerstone and sharpest edge of the entire army.

Her very existence is a declaration—proclaiming that this place is ruled by the Black Forest Territory and personally guarded by her, Hilde.

The entire Blacksem army, from the ground to the sky, remained absolutely silent. Weapons gripped tightly, postures upright. There was no whispering, no restless commotion. They simply waited quietly, their raised chins and fixed gazes revealing not fear, but a honed confidence and absolute trust in their own strength.

This highly organized discipline, this silence forged by steel, discipline, and top-tier talent, is more impactful than any battle cry. It silently proclaims: We are ready for battle, invincible!
This formed a stark, even brutal, contrast with the noisy, chaotic, foul-smelling, and toxic coalition opposite them. The air seemed to freeze for a moment, with only the strange roars emanating from the swamp coalition and the suffocating, immense pressure of the Black Forest's army, born from silence.

When Litanel's distorted face, now bearing a third eye, pierced through the thin swamp mist and clearly saw the silent, iron-willed, and chillingly imposing Black Forest army in the distance, a chill instantly shot up his spine to the top of his head. His majestic and terrifying demonic eye trembled slightly, uncontrollably.

The impeccable military bearing, the soaring morale, the unshakeable formation... especially the Knight of the Lily at the very front of the formation, standing alone yet seemingly able to suppress the entire battlefield... all of this formed a stark contrast to the massive yet noisy and chaotic allied army behind him, which reeked of stench and poison.

Panic, like the coldest venomous snake, coiled around his heart. He knew that a direct confrontation was futile.

Under extreme pressure, he urged his enormous green monstrous mount with massive horns forward a few steps, and with all his might, he infused his already hoarse and strange voice with a final burst of authority, roaring towards the Black Forest Territory's army:

"Su Li! Lord of Black Forest Territory! Look at what you've done! This is an unprovoked invasion! A blatant act of aggression! You've slaughtered my people, burned my land, and forcibly annexed my territory. Is this the virtue expected of Imperial Knights?! Retreat immediately, and perhaps we can still reason with the Electoral Council! Know that at any time, forcibly annexing the legal territory of a nobleman within the Empire is an act of tyranny despised by all!"

His voice echoed across the empty battlefield, carrying a hint of bravado masking underlying weakness.

However, the response he received was not from the ground.

A dragon's roar, filled with ancient majesty and power, like a thunderclap from the heavens, suddenly erupted from behind the Black Forest's army formation! This roar was so immense that it temporarily drowned out all the clamor of the swamp allied forces.

Immediately afterwards, an enormous shadow rose from behind the army formation, blotting out the sky!
The green dragon, Eliria, spread her enormous wings, as majestic as emerald mountains, and with a breathtaking dragon's might, slowly swept across the entire Blackforest army. The powerful air currents created by the dragon's flight caused the neatly arrayed banners of the Blackforest army to flutter wildly and rustle in the wind!
Beneath this banner, the Bauhinia family crests worn neatly on the chests of all the Black Forest soldiers seemed to ignite instantly, illuminated by the interplay of dragon wing shadows and skylight! The crimson-gold patterns shone brightly, like countless burning flames leaping in the silent steel forest, converging into an ocean of light that was too dazzling to look at, displaying unparalleled fighting spirit and glory!

Arielia finally hovered in the air directly in front of the army formation, her molten gold vertical pupils coldly overlooking the filthy allied forces below. On the dragon's back, Su Li stood proudly, the legendary "Spear of Oath" he gripped tightly in his hand, pointing diagonally at the sky, its tip gleaming coldly, blending seamlessly with the awe-inspiring aura emanating from him.

His gaze, sharp as lightning, pierced through space, locking firmly on Litanel. His voice, like steel forged through a thousand hammer blows, resounded clearly and powerfully throughout the battlefield, carrying an undeniable sense of justice and condemnation:

"Litanel! Even now, you still have the nerve to mention imperial virtues and noble honor?!"

With a sudden swing of his arm, the Spear of Oath pointed directly at the bizarre and fantastical army behind Litanel:

“Look behind you! Look at your so-called ‘people’! Ratmen! These vile creatures that reek of plague and poison and deserve to live in the sewers! River trolls! These savage monsters that revel in killing and devouring! And those twisted swamp goblins and dark creations!”

"You, an earl with the blood of imperial nobility, have not only failed to fulfill your sacred duty of purifying evil and safeguarding order, but have instead colluded with them, treating them as honored guests and relying on them as allies! Your territory is no longer the land of the empire, but a den of evil that harbors filth! Your actions have already defiled everything that the noble coat of arms represents!"

Su Li's voice suddenly rose, like a clarion call of judgment:
"To slay evil, eradicate corruption, and defend humanity's territory is my inescapable responsibility as the chosen knight of the Goddess of the Sun! Faced with a self-degrading individual like you who has sided with darkness, wherever my Black Forest army marches, justice will prevail!"

"Today, in the name of Violet, I will carry out this belated purification on behalf of the Empire and all the lives you have poisoned!"

Every word Su Li spoke was like a heavy hammer, striking Litanel's heart and echoing across the battlefield. Under his righteous and stern rebuke, Litanel subconsciously turned around to look at the "army" he had assembled.

What met his demonic eyes was a dense, endless sea of ​​hideous figures: a swarm of ratmen screaming and shoving, emanating green poisonous mist; enormous, foul-smelling river trolls dripping with saliva; and swamp monsters and twisted creatures roaring and howling in various shapes... They were crammed together in chaos, with all sorts of bizarre and ear-piercing noises intertwining, and poisonous gas and stench mixing into a nauseating cloud.

This army was indeed massive, enough to instill fear in any conventional army. But at this moment, compared to Su Li's rebuke and the imposing, disciplined military might of the Black Forest Territory, this allied force appeared so…evil, filthy, and wretched. Far from proving Litanel's strength, it became Su Li's most powerful evidence against him for betraying the empire and succumbing to darkness. Litanel opened his mouth, only to find himself unable to utter a single decent rebuttal under the dual pressure of righteous words and absolute force. Only boundless despair remained, like the coldest swamp mud, completely engulfing him.

At this moment, he knew very well that it was impossible for him to shake the silent and sharp Black Forest Legion in front of him with his own strength alone!

So, he abruptly raised his head, his demonic eye bloodshot and filled with madness, and roared hoarsely at Su Li on the dragon's back with a desperate, hysterical tone:

"Su Li! Do you think you've already won?! You've incurred the wrath of the masses! Open your eyes and see clearly!"

He brandished his claws, pointing at the bizarre army behind him: "From my swamp territory to the nobles of Maleburg! From the rules of the human world to the survival laws of these swamp monsters, ratmen, and river trolls! Look at how many forces, how many beings, see you as an enemy and want to get rid of you as soon as possible!"

"Do you think that your Black Forest Territory alone, with just this one legendary knight under your command, can subdue this raging wave and extinguish this towering flame?!" Litanel's voice sharpened, carrying a desperate threat. "Legendary power is not unique to your Black Forest Territory! We... can also build mountains and rivers with our own flesh and blood!"

He tried to grasp at the last straw, shouting with bluster but no guts, "Withdraw your troops now! I might still give you, leave a way out for the Black Forest Territory! Otherwise... otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?"

Su Li snorted coldly, interrupting his bluffing roar. His voice, like ice colliding, clearly echoed across the battlefield, carrying a knowing mockery.

"Litanel, at this point, are you still delusional, hoping that man will break the deadlock for you?" Su Li's gaze seemed to pierce through space, looking directly into the pitiful expectation deep in Litanel's heart.

"But has your stupid head, soaked in swampy mud and intrigue, never thought about one thing?" Su Li's voice suddenly turned sharp, "You, Litanel, from beginning to end, have only been a pawn on the chessboard of Maleburg! A disposable pawn used to test the strength of my Black Forest Territory!"

He raised his hand and pointed towards Maleburg. Though it was far away, his gesture was filled with unwavering certainty: "Do you think I don't know what you're expecting? Under the dark sky of that city, there is indeed a pair of eyes watching this place. But they're not watching for your life or death, Litanel. They're watching to see just how sharp the military might of my Black Forest Territory truly is, and to see just how much I, Su Li, really amount to!"

Su Li's words were like the coldest scalpel, precisely and cruelly dissecting the bloody truth:
"Let me tell you a fact, a fact you will never believe, or rather, dare not believe, until you die—"

Su Li's voice was resolute, carrying a cruel power to shatter all illusions:

"The reinforcements you're counting on, the powerful legend you're relying on, the 'ally' who promised you countless support and vowed to intervene at crucial moments..."

He paused deliberately, letting each word strike heavily into the hearts of Litanel and all the monsters who could hear him:

"From beginning to end, he never even considered getting involved himself!"

"All the promises you received were just bait to keep you, a fish dying of thirst, so that you would use your last bit of strength to test the edge of my Black Forest Territory! He needs your struggle, your despair, and your last bit of strength to wear me down and reveal my trump card to him! And you, Litanel, you fool, you actually believed it!"

"He won't come." Su Li declared finally, her tone cold and certain. "He will absolutely not appear until you bleed your last drop of blood, until you exhaust the last bit of power this swamp has. You, and this laughable allied army behind you, were destined from the very beginning to be discarded sacrifices!"

This stark revelation, like a final, devastating blow, shattered the last vestige of hope in Litanel's heart. He staggered violently, nearly falling off his mount, and the light in the demonic eye on his forehead instantly dimmed, replaced by despair.

All the struggles, all the sacrifices, all the humiliation and hardship… in the eyes of the higher-ups, it was all just a predetermined, meaningless performance. He, Litanel, the so-called "King of the Swamp," was, from beginning to end, nothing more than a laughable clown, a pathetic wretch used to death.

Su Li's cold and cruel words were like countless poisoned daggers, precisely piercing the most vulnerable and least desirable place in Litanel's heart. He felt the surrounding sounds instantly fade away, leaving only the suffocating sensation of his heart pounding wildly in his chest, as if it might stop at any moment.

"A pawn... a sacrifice... he won't come..."

These words echoed and amplified wildly in his mind, eventually merging into a deafening, mocking roar.

An indescribable, bone-chilling despair, like the thickest swamp silt, surged in from all directions, instantly engulfing him. It not only engulfed his body, but also his will and his soul.

despair.

This word, like an eternal curse, gripped him once again, heavier and more suffocating than ever before.

His life seemed to be permeated and defined by the word "despair".

In his youth, being born into a collateral branch and neglected was the despair of being marginalized by his family; arriving in the border prince's territory with dreams of exploration, only to be robbed and enslaved, was the despair of shattered ideals and trampled dignity; struggling to survive amidst conspiracies and betrayals, using despicable means to climb the social ladder, was the despair of losing his humanity and dancing with darkness; finally being hunted down and escaping into this green moss swamp where survival was a matter of life and death, was the despair of having nowhere to turn and being abandoned by the whole world.

It was those repeated moments of despair, like the cruelest furnace, that forged him from a noble youth with dreams of becoming a knight into the "King of the Swamp" he is today—neither human nor monster, who associates with monsters and has a demonic eye on his forehead.

He believed that by paying such a terrible price, distorting his own form and soul, he had finally gained power, the power to control his own destiny, and the power to return the despair that had been inflicted upon him to the world a hundredfold.

But now?

Now, he possesses power, territory, and has even amassed such a "massive" army. But what has been the result?
The result was that he discovered that everything he had done was nothing more than a laughable monkey show in the eyes of a higher being! His self-righteous struggles and strength were still no match for a true chess player, and he didn't even have the right to step into the game himself!
Despair is never far away.

It simply changed its approach, using a more grand, ruthless, and utterly powerless manner to trample him underfoot once more! It seemed to be grinning maliciously, telling him: Look, no matter what you become, no matter how you struggle, you can never escape this predetermined fate! This world, in essence, is built upon despair!
This realization, like the most virulent plague, rapidly eroded his remaining sanity. He felt the air around him thicken, each breath carrying the metallic scent of blood and a bone-chilling cold. The overwhelming, suffocating oppression pressed in from the sky, from the earth, from all directions, threatening to crush him, to drive him mad!

He could even clearly "see" all the desperate scenes he had experienced in his life flashing back in his demonic eyes like a revolving lantern—the cold stares of his family, the sneers of bandits, the whip marks he had as a slave, the incredulous look in his former master's eyes when he betrayed him, the pursuers behind him and the deathly silence before him when he fled into the swamp, the soul-tearing pain when he made a pact with the swamp demon... and now, the orderly Black Forest army formation before him, and Su Li's indifferent gaze looking down from the dragon's back.

“Ahhhh——!!!”

A scream, inhuman and filled with extreme pain, rage, and despair, burst from Litanel's throat. He stretched out his hands, which had turned into claws, and clutched his deformed head tightly, as if he wanted to crush the head filled with despair and pain.

A crazy thought, like a tempting serpent in the darkness, surfaced in his mind for the first time so clearly and so intensely.

Let it end... let it all end... rather than continue to endure this endless, ever-worsening despair, let us perish and become the last nourishment for this swamp...

This world, this damned, cruel, insane world! It leaves no way out for anyone! It forces you into depravity with despair, and then, after you've fallen, it tells you with even deeper despair that your depravity was meaningless!
This unparalleled despair, permeating every corner of the world, is the eternal theme. And hope? That is nothing more than the cruelest illusion, occasionally bestowed upon living beings by despair.

(End of this chapter)