Liora walked silently out of the research facility.

She didn't exchange a word with Alpha and, with a flicker, exited the building.

She soon began to wander around the city. Her expression would change from time to time as her footsteps covered the city.

Sometimes she had a thoughtful expression, while at other times, her face alternated between shock and surprise.

Fortunately, her every movement seemed to carry an inexplicable power.

The soldiers surrounding her ignored her, whether they were mortals, Knight Apprentices, or even True Knights.

Only a few Great Knights noticed Liora's arrival, but they chose to ignore her once they recognized her identity.

Similarly, Liora didn't mind these people's actions.

She paid no heed to them. Her mind was full of thoughts.

"Becoming King of Knights is a lie! Bloodline Seed? What Bloodline Seed?"

"That thing is simply a parasite!"

The scene that she had just witnessed resurfaced in Liora's mind.

She recalled how the Bloodline Seed transformed into an insect and entered the captain's Life Seed before devouring it from within.

"I can feel that the two reached a certain state of coexistence. Of course, rather than calling it that, it would be better to say that the insect became a parasite in the Great Knight's body."

"Slowly but surely, it devours the Great Knight's vitality, until nothing is left behind. The so-called power of the King of Knights is merely the 'rent' paid by the insect. Most likely, to entice the Knight."

Everything clicked in her mind, and the situation made sense.

Why was it that only Great Knights could "accommodate" Bloodline Seeds? It was because the insect was only interested in such strong people.

Why had she never met a King of Knights despite staying in this world for so long? It was because all the King of Knights had been parasitized by insects.

Why did the Bloodline Seeds refuse to merge with each other? It was because each seed was actually an insect. It was natural for them to refuse to integrate.

"But the situation should not be that grave..."

"The reason why the captain was controlled by the insect was partly because he was unconscious and partly because he forcibly reached the King of Knights rank."

"The situation of other Kings of Knights should be better. Even if they have been parasitized, they should still possess their own free will. Though their actual situation remains to be seen."

This realization struck Liora's mind.

She originally believed that the process of Knight training was to improve their physical strength.

But now, she understood that the whole power system seemed to be built around creating a suitable environment for the insect to reside in.

However, this also led to another set of questions.

"Who is it that spread this method of advancement? In the legends, the Founding Emperor of the Iron Armor Empire received the Divine Blessing of the Gods. Could it be him? But for what reason?"

Countless thoughts raced through her mind. Although she had found an answer to what she was seeking, new problems popped up.

Even though she was a Devil, Liora felt her head aching as she went through all the information.

In the end, she couldn't help but shake her head and shift her focus back to reality.

It was only then that she discovered that she had come to an entirely different place.

Perhaps subconsciously, Liora had left Hope City and the Iron Armor Empire behind her, entering the Ancient Beast Wilderness instead.

For some reason, the home of the mastermind behind the beasts' riot now felt safer than ever.

With a wave of her hand, Liora grabbed the nearest beast and brought it before her.

The sheep-like beast tried to struggle, but it was unable to escape her clutches.

It could only let Liora do as she wished, letting her consciousness wash over it and examine it closely.

"Just as I thought... The beasts of this world are fine. No insect has parasitized this thing. Though it could also be that its strength has not reached the required level.", Liora thought before she suddenly squeezed her fists.

Instantly, the beast in her hands exploded.

Blood splattered everywhere, but an invisible wall around her body prevented it from staining her.

The crimson color of the blood had a strange soothing effect on Liora. The many questions plaguing her mind seemed to subside.

She took a seat on a nearby rock and consciously decided to stop thinking about it.

Soon, her face regained its indifferent expression. It seemed as if all the problems troubling her had vanished.

"No matter who created this method and what their plan is, it is none of my business at the moment. I had already expected that there was something wrong with the King of Knights rank."

"It's just that I was initially unwilling to believe it. My yearning to improve my strength through another power system ultimately clouded my judgment."

Liora felt as if she had woken up from a dream. Her mind grew clearer than ever.

"In fact, I wasted too much time thinking about how to become a King of Knights. If I had used that time to obtain Evolution Points instead, I would have already regained my full power."

Liora didn't know if this was a result of her own greed or if something was affecting her.

With Eleanor's existence, she couldn't rule this out.

"Fortunately, it is never too late... Not only did this experience teach me a lesson, but I also gained something as a result.", Liora thought.

She looked at the number of Evolution Points at the bottom of her System Panel.

Surprisingly, devouring the soul of the captain had increased her Evolution Points by more than ten thousand.

Of course, Liora understood that a mere Great Knight should not have given her so many points.

The reason it happened was that he had become a King of Knights, even if forcibly, while Liora had remained a Young Devil in the eyes of the system.

Either way, this was enough for her.

With the Evolution Points she had already accumulated, she had now gathered all the points she needed for her advancement.

She didn't hesitate. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Moreover, the insect's existence, the mastermind behind the beasts' riot, and the mastermind behind the King of Knights rank were still there, hiding.

Liora knew that she had to improve her strength as much as possible as soon as possible.

Otherwise, she would inevitably find herself in a situation where she was powerless to resist.

Thinking of this, she summoned the System. Immediately, her gaze shifted to the column displaying her Base Stats.

Or rather, to the (+) buttons beside each one of the stats.

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