A furious roar echoed, and his reaction, as if struck at the heart, was seen clearly by everyone.

“What? A newly born Hero?!”

The crowd erupted into noisy discussion once again.

They were shaken to their core by the news Velian had revealed!

That was a Hero!

The legendary hope that would save the world, the only miracle capable of defeating the Demon Lord.

In the end, all eyes turned toward that nun, even some of the knights behind Viscount Fink couldn’t help but fix their gaze on Velian, hoping she would explain further.

“That’s right, the Hero was born yesterday, the reason I came here is precisely for this, I will assist the Hero step by step until she completely slays the evil Demon Lord.”

At this moment, Velian seemed to be surrounded by a halo of justice, her voice rising and falling with emotion, deeply moving everyone around her.

That made sense, the village was remote, there was no church, and clergy rarely came, if the villagers wanted to attend prayers they had to go to the city.

But today, a nun suddenly appeared, there had to be a reason.

That meant a Hero had truly been born in the village!

And the Holy Church had sent a nun to guide the Hero onto the right path!

““Thank the gods! Praise the gods! Thank the Holy Light! Praise the Holy Light!””

The villagers knelt devoutly toward Velian, as if the nun before them was the incarnation of a god.

Viscount Fink could clearly feel that aside from a few of his personal guards, the rest of the knights behind him had already begun to waver because of this news.

If things continued like this, he would no longer be able to control them, and might even end up being labeled as “opposing the Holy Church and oppressing the Hero.”

‘This damn woman was truly a nuisance!’

“Utter nonsense meant to deceive the masses! You say I came to kill the Hero, what evidence do you have?!”

“The fact that you brought so many soldiers here, isn’t that the best evidence, Viscount Fink?”

The nun’s expression remained indifferent.

Viscount Fink’s face grew uglier and uglier.

The calmer she appeared, the colder his heart became, his anxious heart pounding wildly.

“Ridiculous! Is your Holy Church always so fond of throwing accusations around?”

“I am merely stating the truth.”

Velian’s voice spread clearly into everyone’s ears, her small figure bathed in light, appearing especially imposing.

The knights behind exchanged glances, and after a moment, they slowly lowered their lances.

As knights, they served the nobility but also believed in the Holy Church, and now that they knew a Hero had been born, they were unwilling to stand against it.

“You’re talking nonsense!”

Viscount Fink trembled with rage, “Attack! Flatten this place!”

He issued orders to the knights behind him, but no one obeyed.

“You useless fools! Do you really believe her one-sided story? Damn it! If you won’t go, I will!”

With a roar, he prepared to charge forward on horseback.

But the horse beneath him seemed to be frozen in place, no matter how he shouted or urged it, it didn’t move an inch.

Enraged, he immediately dismounted, drew the sword at his waist, and prepared to channel his battle energy to strike Velian.

But for some reason, after only a few steps, he suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her.

An invisible and overwhelming pressure swept over him, as if crushing his spine completely.

A voice born from his very heart frantically warned him to show utmost reverence toward the being before him!

He tried to stand, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t move, as if nailed to the ground.

“What’s going on? Why did the viscount suddenly kneel?”

“Did he come to his senses and decide to submit to the Holy Light and repent for his sins?”

Velian’s smile remained gentle, as pure as the Saintess in the Holy Church’s legends.

But in Viscount Fink’s eyes, there was a trace of mockery within it.

Like a cat toying with a mouse.

‘Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!’

“You forced me into this!”

Viscount Fink’s eyes were bloodshot, the madness in his heart fully ignited.

He hadn’t wanted to use this power so easily, but now, to kill this troublesome nun and wash away his humiliation, he had no other choice!

As long as he used that power, even a nun of the Holy Church would be crushed by him!

The aura of Corruption began to spread quietly, seeping into his heart, greed and evil thoughts growing wildly.

But when he tried to call upon that power, it was like a stagnant pool, no matter how he summoned it, there was no response.

“How could this be?!”

Seeing his state, Velian decided to release a portion of her absolute control over lower-level Corruption power.

The next moment, Viscount Fink clearly felt that dormant power awaken once more, flowing through his veins, bringing an unprecedented sense of comfort.

It was like breaking free from all restraints, indulging endlessly in dopamine-like pleasure, wanting nothing more than to fully unleash this power.

The power of Corruption was inherently gentle, but beneath that gentleness lay the most fatal erosion and distortion.

A dense black mist suddenly erupted from Viscount Fink’s body, a foul stench and evil aura spreading everywhere, making everyone present frown.

His form rapidly mutated within the black mist, his originally fair skin turning rough and dark green, his body becoming more muscular and grotesque, gradually transforming into a monster resembling a demon.

“It’s Corruption! The viscount has been corrupted! The nun was telling the truth!”

Some of the more experienced knights recognized this power, they were not unfamiliar with corrupted creatures.

The power of Corruption had always influenced this world, turning those consumed by greed into terrifying monsters, transforming living beings into decayed walking corpses.

It had just been rare before.

But ever since the Demon Lord’s revival, Corruption had become more active, and such monsters were becoming more common.

Areas where Corruption spread were uninhabitable for normal life.

Corruption was erosion, distortion, the infinite amplification of desire, a parasite lurking in the hearts of living beings.

Everyone stared in horror at the mutated monster, the stench of decay filling their noses, swallowing nervously as fear gripped them.

Some timid villagers even screamed and fled toward the outskirts of the village.

What a vile and disgusting creature it was!

Just smelling that aura felt like their hearts were being torn apart.

The Demon Lord of legend must be even more horrifying than this monster.

“Hahaha... I can feel it! This power!” Viscount Fink laughed madly.

He looked down at his hands, the rough, dark demon-like arms gradually returning to human form, his body shedding its grotesque appearance and reverting to normal.

“I feel more than ten times stronger than before! He really didn’t lie to me, as long as I have this power, I will definitely lead my family to rise and become the rulers of this land!”