Chapter 803: He Cannot Keep Up

As Henwell advances, no one can withstand the pressure he exudes. Anyone in his path steps aside.

A Paladin from the Church comes forward. "Henwell, you were not invited to the investiture of the new head of House Phoenix."

"Show some basic courtesy and leave. Otherwise, we'll have to treat you as an intruder here to disrupt the ceremony."

Henwell looks up at him. "What gave you the nerve?"

The Paladin bristles. "Henwell, this ceremony has the approval of both the empire and the church."

"Neither the Ika Kingdom nor the Vorry Kingdom has objected."

Henwell shakes his head. "I wasn't talking about them. I meant you. What made you think you could step forward to be the first to challenge me?"

The anger on the Paladin's face deepens. "Henwell, not everyone fears you. Do you even know what you're doing?"

Henwell chuckles and walks straight toward him.

The Paladin manages to draw his sword only partway before his body goes rigid.

Blood sprays everywhere. His upper body vanishes without warning, leaving a torn and mutilated lower half.

The church knights nearby draw their swords and charge Henwell.

The moment they come within five meters, their bodies tear apart and fall to the ground.

Henwell walks slowly over the corpses, one hand resting on his sword.

Seeing more church knights about to rush forward, Graham, the Church's governor of Guardian City, shouts, "Stop! All of you, stop! Don't go near him!"

Graham hurries over, then halts five meters from Henwell.

He senses he would be killed if he moved any closer. Graham rose through the Knight Commander path.

As a Heroic Knight, he is nowhere near an Iron Knight's strength in a duel.

Yet never before has he felt his very soul tremble as it does today.

Unlike the knights who attacked first, he senses something more.

An unseen presence surrounds Henwell, slaughtering and devouring anyone who dares approach.

Graham can even make out the faint sound of flesh being chewed.

After steadying himself, he asks, "Henwell, have you become a Glory Knight?"

Henwell does not slow. "Thanks to the Lord of the Holy Spirit, I was fortunate enough to advance."

Graham's expression shifts between respect, envy, and jealousy.

"Henwell, at least hear our terms before deciding what to do next!"

Henwell shakes his head. "I don't want to hear them. And I don't believe you, Governor, have the authority to negotiate with me on behalf of the church and the empire."

Graham has no choice but to follow him toward Phoenix Castle.

Once they have passed the army's outer cordon, Henwell's steps remain steady.

But each stride now carries him much farther than before.

He crosses nearly a hundred meters with every step.

From a distance he seems to flicker, leaving afterimages as he races toward Phoenix Castle.

Graham flares his fighting spirit and races after him.

He stares at Henwell. "You've already grasped the power of a domain?"

"I wouldn't say I've grasped it," Henwell replies. "I've only gained a little insight."

"Your side has done its work well. If this hadn't happened, I would already be at the threshold of forming a domain."

Graham's gaze grows complicated. He knows exactly what Henwell means.

For Henwell, the next rank will not be an insurmountable barrier.

The greatest obstacle between Glory Rank and Domain Rank is understanding one's domain.

Once a professional gains that understanding, reaching Domain Rank is only a matter of time.

Without it, no amount of effort will bring them any closer.

The step from ordinary person to knight is the first great threshold, the gateway from the mundane to the extraordinary.

The step from Grand Knight to Iron Knight is the second.

It marks the limit of what one can reach through training and exploring one's own potential.

The leap from Glory Rank to Domain Rank is another threshold, separating true geniuses from everyone else.

Luck, opportunity, family wealth, and resources may carry someone as far as Glory Rank.

Without exceptional talent, that is where the journey ends.

Not even a god can grant someone the insight needed to form a domain.

There is one exception: bloodline professionals.

If the source of their bloodline is powerful enough, they stand a much better chance of crossing that threshold.

The descendants of gods are the best-known example.

That is why bloodline professionals are held in such high regard.

Henwell now says he has gained some insight into domains, and his manner of moving supports the claim.

It looks remarkably like what a Domain-rank professional could do.

A domain places everything within a certain distance of its bearer under their control.

When that control can alter more powerful laws within the domain, the professional reaches Sanctuary Rank.

Higher still lies mastery over those laws and the ability to weave them into the domain.

Once enough laws are woven into it, the domain becomes a divine kingdom.

The unexplained attacks on the church knights and Henwell's movement both point to the same conclusion.

Henwell is telling the truth: he has already begun to understand domains.

That means he is certain to reach Domain Rank within his lifetime.

A professional of that stature must be treated as an equal even by the Pope.

The Church has only a few Domain-rank professionals, and they cannot often be called upon to act.

No wonder Graham looks at Henwell with such mixed feelings.

He still remembers their first meeting in Guardian City, and how respectful and humble Henwell was then.

How long has it been? Not even twenty years.

Henwell has become someone Graham must look up to.

Before long, all Graham will be able to do is watch Henwell's back recede into the distance.

Now Graham asks himself whether the Western Federation has made the right choice in targeting Henwell so relentlessly.

He soon shakes his head with a bitter smile.

It is surely the worst choice, yet from their perspective it is unavoidable.

The stronger Henwell and Peace Haven become, the more the Western Regions must suppress them. They cannot allow such a power to slip beyond their control.

To that end, they would strike a bargain with devils. A temporary alliance with the Veil is hardly beyond them.

Graham can already see larger, crueler traps closing around Henwell.

He himself no longer wants any conflict with Henwell. He has begun to fear the young man.

Graham does not want to die by Henwell's hand, much less be sacrificed as part of someone else's scheme.

He starts to consider how to escape this struggle. Perhaps it is time to make a concession.

After the Calamity War, he could seek a quiet post on the Abundant Continent and devote himself to his family.

He can already feel a new storm gathering over the Abandoned Continent with Henwell's rise.