Just as I became the Emperor of Humanity, the system appeared?

Chapter 48: Lattimore's True Intentions

Those "heavy armored soldiers" who stood up again had completely lost their human form and were devoid of any human consciousness.

His mouth kept repeating: "Kill! Fear!"

At the same time, bone blades, whiskers, or deformed giant claws also grow from their severed limbs or wounds.

A court warrior was accidentally cut in the arm armor by a bone blade. Instead of bleeding profusely, the wound instantly turned a dirty black color and spread to the surrounding skin like a spider web.

The samurai's expression shifted from pain to bewilderment, then to pure violence, his eyes bloodshot.

"kill……!"

The wounded court warrior growled and turned to plunge his sword into the ribs of his colleague beside him!

At this moment, people were suddenly awakened to the fact that these heavily armored soldiers were carrying some kind of unknown "toxin"!

When court warriors are injured and infected, they become mutated corruptors, completely losing consciousness.

"Watch out! Don't get hurt by them! They carry deadly poison!"

Someone in the Ash Knights roared.

The court's warrior ranks were further weakened by the sudden defection and corruption within their ranks.

The corrupters let out ferocious howls and pounced on the breach.

Lattimore underwent the most dramatic change. His massive body expanded rapidly, and his skin turned a murky dark red and iron-blue, like molten wax. Large blood vessels writhed beneath his skin, as if living things were crawling inside.

Lattimore's greatsword was completely assimilated by the viscous dark red energy, and every swing dragged out a filthy corrosive power!

"Bang!"

Edmund Carramore delivered a heavy slash, and a cloud of foul-smelling dark red mist exploded at the point where the swords clashed.

A few drops of viscous liquid splashed onto his arm armor, producing a slight "sizzling" corrosive sound. Fortunately, his battle qi was powerful enough that it was not immediately penetrated, but the light of the attached battle qi was noticeably dimmed.

"Troublesome stuff."

Edmund's eyes were serious.

Lattimore's strength has increased, making him extremely powerful. Edmund couldn't defeat him within a hundred or two moves!

The Ash Knights, relying on their strong physique and fighting spirit, were able to hold out for the time being, but ordinary court warriors were much more vulnerable to the poison. People kept falling for it and defecting, putting increasing pressure on the defense line.

Just as the court warriors were retreating in disarray and the Ash Knights were being entangled by the overwhelming number of corrupted beings, a flurry of footsteps and shouts came from outside the mansion.

"Garrison troops, coming to provide support!"

"The criminal inmate squad has cordoned off the streets!"

Large numbers of soldiers poured in, like two torrents, quickly filling the area around the banquet hall.

The garrison troops were gleaming in their armor, while the criminal convicts were fierce-looking and armed with various weapons.

The overwhelming numerical advantage instantly shifted the balance of power, and the space for the Corruptors to operate was rapidly compressed.

"Fire arrows! Pikemen, advance!" the officers of the garrison shouted.

Arrows rained down, and spears thrust forth like a forest. The corrupted were shot down and impaled one after another. The situation seemed to be under control.

However, this brief period of order lasted for less than a few minutes!

"Ah—! The heavily armored soldier scratched me!" a soldier from the criminal convict regiment screamed. His comrade turned his head and saw several black scratch marks spreading rapidly on his arm.

In just a few breaths, the prisoner's eyes went wild, and he roared as he lunged at his comrade who had just been fighting alongside him.

"Don't let them get close! Their blood is poisonous!"

An officer discovered something even more horrifying: the dark red blood flowing from the fallen corrupted creatures was like strong acid, corroding the ground and emitting toxic fumes.

A guard accidentally stepped on it, and the sole of his boot was instantly eroded. He screamed and fell to the ground, rolling around. He soon stopped struggling, and his body began to twitch unnaturally.

A few minutes later, the guard also underwent corruption and mutation!

The soldiers were not afraid of swords, but when faced with the terror of being turned into monsters by the mere touch, discipline began to crumble.

Some hesitated to move forward, while others panicked and swung their knives at anyone who approached, resulting in frequent accidental injuries.

The corrupters, however, seemed to be "nourished" by the chaos and fear. Their howls grew louder and their attacks became more frenzied. They even deliberately charged into the spearheads, just to splatter their poisonous blood onto more living people before they died.

Lattimore laughed maniacally, his voice hoarse and cracked: "Yes! That's it! Fear! Slaughter! Let this feast... please the god of blood and skulls! Your fear, your blood, are the best sacrifice!"

Steward Mike brandished his spear, smashing the head of an oncoming Corruptor, but his face remained extremely grave.

"This can't go on! The more ordinary soldiers we have, the faster the chaos and infection will spread!"

Edmund forced Lattimore back with a single sword strike, then stepped back half a step, standing back-to-back with Mike.

The current situation is dire: nearly half of the court warriors have been lost, and the Ash Knights are being held back by the Corruptors' relentless attacks.

Although there were many reinforcements from the garrison and criminal convict corps, they were unable to play their full role.

The Corruptors, with their rapid spread, are endless – not only do the initial corpses resurrect, but there is also a constant stream of new "infected" individuals.

"Ordinary soldiers must be evacuated from the battlefield immediately! And the area within twenty li of the Foreign Minister's residence must be sealed off! Drive away the poor and some noble officials!"

"I'm in charge," Chief Steward Mike ordered with a grave expression.

Edmund also looked at Lattimore, this "monster" who was currently enjoying the killing and chaos, rather than in a hurry to take Tester away.

He then looked at the corrupt, heavily armored soldiers who were attacking indiscriminately, their sole purpose seemingly to cause more casualties and infections.

"Mike!" Edmund's voice, chillingly cold, came through the visor: "They're not here to rescue Tester."

Manager Mike's eyes narrowed: "What?"

Edmund brandished his sword at the chaotic crowd: "They're creating panic, spreading this...corruption! Duke Kalocci doesn't care about Tester's life or death! Lattimore, and these guards, their mission is to bury this horrific 'corruption slaughter' deep in the heart of the capital! Tester's mansion is merely the perfect detonator!"

Mike gasped, instantly understanding the malice behind it.

If this evil god virus were to spread in the capital, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"The situation is extremely serious! It's beyond our control!"

Edmund said in a deep voice, then ordered Nidik, who was fighting bravely, "Nidik, I'll cover you! You hurry back to the palace and report everything that's happened here to His Majesty the King!"

Nidik was not an indecisive person; upon receiving the order, he immediately withdrew.

Tester panicked at this point.

"Captain Lattimore, let's retreat quickly! This is the capital after all! The king's massive army is coming; we definitely can't win! Let's leave now while the majority of our troops haven't arrived yet!"

Lattimore grinned coldly, "Tester, why should we leave? The Duke's orders to me are to continue fighting in the capital!"

Tester's expression changed completely. He wasn't stupid; he noticed something strange.

Lattimore and his men showed no signs of fleeing; they simply stayed there, fighting on and on!

If things continue like this, I won't be able to save my own life!

Tester's eyes darted around as he began to look for a way to survive.