"Hmph! With just your `Fighting Master` Sequence, you dare claim to have digested the flesh of Egunus? That’s utterly impossible!"

"Only the great Sequences of Egunus flesh can digest one another."

"Other Sequences could never even touch the fleshly remains of an Egunus Sequence!"

"The only reason you were able to digest the flesh of Egunus is because besides being a `Fighting Master`, you’re hiding another—a powerful `Evil Spirit Sequence` of Egunus flesh!"

"Oh?"

Zorn said with a contemptuous smile.

"Your Grace, Duke Mu Huo, the flesh of Egunus may be powerful, but it came from a being I defeated!"

"Why... shouldn’t I be able to digest it?"

"In other words, your Sequence can be special, but mine can’t?"

As Zorn spoke,

the many experts present froze.

’That’s right!’

He had relied on his `Fighting Master` Sequence to crush the `Forbidden · Lower Ranker · Rat King Knight`.

The power of his Sequence had already been proven.

One could even say that this `Fighting Master`’s own Sequence was anything but ordinary.

Its inherent strength might even rival that of the powerful Sequences born from the flesh of Egunus.

A Sequence born from the fleshly remains of Egunus was certainly powerful.

But it was, after all, only a Sequence from mere remains.

The loser becomes remains; the winner becomes a true god!

The strong devour the weak!

This has been the truth since ancient times.

At this very moment,

the concept of an unbelievable `Dual Sequence`

became a towering mountain blocking Duke Mu Huo’s path, one he could not cross.

Who could say for certain that only an `Evil Spirit Sequence` of Egunus could digest the flesh of Egunus?

’My `Fighting Master` Sequence is just that powerful. It *can* digest the flesh of Egunus.’

’What are you going to do about it?’

"Fine, fine, fine..."

Duke Mu Huo laughed, seething with rage, and pressed his case.

"Before, when we were pioneering Split Mist Town, our progress was always steady."

"But after Zorn Corick arrived, a sudden incident occurred inside. Afterward, I learned from my spies that it was caused by the death of the Mirror Witch."

"Zorn, with such astonishing power, you dare say you weren’t the one who did it?"

Duke Mu Huo demanded aggressively.

"That’s right. I was the one who had Zorn do it!"

Madam Mable, who had been standing to the side, cut in coldly.

Zorn was slightly startled, but he quickly understood.

’It’s more convenient for Madam Mable to take the blame than for me. You could even say she’s taking it openly and justifiably, since she’s one of the Pioneers.’

When Madam Mable had received all the information from Zorn and verified it, she had already guessed that Zorn was the one behind the incident with the Mirror Witch on the third level.

Now that Zorn had admitted to his immense power, there was no longer any doubt.

As all eyes fell on Madam Mable,

her face darkened. She stared at Duke Mu Huo and snapped,

"You repeatedly delayed and disrupted the exploration of the underground ruins."

"I saw long ago that you were colluding with Saintisman, intending to commit treason."

Of course, Madam Mable didn’t dare to mention collusion with the Holy Fierce Sun Church or the like.

But there was no problem at all with slapping the grand label of "treason" on him.

Even the Holy Fierce Sun Church only disrupted the progress of Ogrande City’s Extraordinary Powers in secret; they acted behind the scenes and wouldn’t dare bring it out into the open.

"That’s why I joined forces with Zorn to investigate the situation inside."

"And Zorn did not disappoint. He single-handedly killed the Mirror Witch and obtained a great deal of crucial information, which allowed us to unlock the ritual to open Split Mist."

"Otherwise, to this day, progress in the underground ruins would likely still be a distant prospect!"

At this point, Madam Mable turned to Marquis Albert.

"Your Lordship, Marquis Albert."

"It is precisely because we secretly worked to open the ancient underground ruins that we were able to acquire a massive amount of important Extraordinary Knowledge for Ogrande City and the Autanston Republic, as well as obtaining valuable Extraordinary Sequences."

"We foiled Duke Mu Huo’s treasonous plot!"

"This is what made this damned traitor, Duke Mu Huo, so furious that he’s turned around to bite us back, slandering us with claims of cooperation with the `Sun Secret Cult`."

"He even slanders Zorn as an `Evil Spirit`, intending to incite the Church’s forces to attack us and start a civil war!"

"Zorn Corick does indeed command power of that nature. But Lord Albert, when you first saw him, you must have sensed it: his `Fighting Master` Sequence does carry a certain evil aura. This is clearly a side effect of digesting the fleshly remains of Egunus."

"In truth, Zorn Corick’s Sequence—the aura of his `Fighting Master` Sequence, so dense and infused with a starlike luster—is incomparably pure and completely untainted."

"He has clearly refined and absorbed the fleshly remains of Egunus perfectly!"

"Duke Mu Huo is merely using this as a pretext to try and harm Zorn."

As Madam Mable laid out her case,

Duke Mu Huo’s expression grew increasingly grim.

He, who had always relied heavily on the power of the Holy Fierce Sun Church, had mobilized their Knight Order this time and even summoned three Vice Bishops and a Bishop.

His goal was to swiftly cement Zorn Corick’s identity as a remnant of the Sun Secret Cult and a terrifying Evil Spirit.

Now at a disadvantage, he had to fight back with all his might, or else he would be completely kicked out of the game by Madam Mable.

However, the situation was clearly not developing as he had anticipated.

But even at this point,

Duke Mu Huo was not willing to be kicked out of the game just like that.

"Zorn, my men investigated and discovered the aura of an eerie Calamity Black Mist within your manor. That is a power that belongs only to the terrifying Calamity Origin Land."

"And you still dare claim not to have an `Evil Spirit Sequence`?"

Zorn looked at the desperately struggling Duke Mu Huo and replied calmly,

"That’s just the result of some research I was conducting with the fleshly remains."

"My research isn’t limited to the fleshly remains of Egunus."

"I’ve also made significant progress in my research into Extraordinary Studies and Sequences."

"A while ago, at the `Soul Feeder` Sequence exchange in the Fog Zone, I resolved some minor problems with the `Soul Feeder` Sequence."

At that moment, Marquis Albert, who was standing to the side, spoke up slowly.

"Those were hardly ’minor problems.’ You solved a rather significant one."

Albert expressed his firm affirmation of Zorn’s contribution.

"Furthermore,"

Zorn paused, then continued,

"I have also conducted research on the stability of the `Evil Spirit Sequence` derived from the Egunus remains."

"Take me, for example. It is precisely because of that research that I was able to smoothly and naturally digest that terrifying flesh without being tainted by the remains."

"Your Grace, Duke Mu Huo, your `Evil Spirit Fire Mage` Sequence of Egunus flesh may be complete, but it is not stable. It has a major flaw."

As he spoke, Zorn extended his palm, as if sensing something.

"I can feel your Sequence is agitated!"

"If it’s disturbed by methods that touch the soul and one’s deepest memories, it’s very easy to send your flames into a rage, isn’t it?"

"This is the great flaw of the `Evil Spirit Fire Mage`! It can easily be exploited by those with ulterior motives."

Zorn’s words sent Duke Mu Huo into an immediate rage. Zorn had just struck his Achilles’ heel, his most protected secret.

And this damned `Fighting Master` had just exposed him on the spot!

If this information got out, the blow to him would undoubtedly be fatal.

"You damned bastard, what are you talking about!"

Having had his deepest secret exposed, the `Evil Spirit Fire Mage`, Duke Mu Huo—Gustav—flew into an absolute rage.

FWOOSH—

Scorching hot flames instantly bloomed and surged, rising more than ten meters high.

In an instant, the entire ancient hall was bathed in a blood-red light.

Just as Zorn had said.

When his soul was touched, the `Evil Spirit Fire Mage` was easily sent into a rage.

At that moment,

he provided the perfect validation for Zorn’s words!