Chapter 203: Fate Is Not in Heaven’s Hands

Driven by a fierce desire to survive, Rod let out a loud roar. With an unknown surge of strength, he launched a fierce counterattack against those surrounding him, his primary target being Lawrence, who stood in his way.
“Wretch, you won’t get away alive today!” Lawrence said coldly, his gaze turning icy.
Although he knew the man before him was Knight Rod—the very one who had saved Lucia and was a member of the Swift Wind Mercenaries—as an elite soldier, he had no emotions. All that mattered to him was his country and his army. He would not allow anything to threaten his nation, like Knight Rod, a demon and a public enemy of the continent. If Knight Rod escaped, it would be his empire, his capital, that would suffer first.
So, even if it were his own family standing before him, he would not hesitate to attack.
In an instant, the two clashed, and a fierce battle ensued. Since becoming demonized, Rod’s strength had risen to the imperial level. Even now, despite being extremely weak, his strength still remained at the edge of the imperial tier. Thus, he easily gained the upper hand in the fight against Lawrence, keeping him under strict control. If not for other people lurking nearby and a few strong opponents interfering, he would have already dealt with Lawrence and let him escape.
“Stop fighting! Stop it, Kiro! Hurry and make them stop! It’s Rod! It’s Rod who’s being attacked—our friend! He’s not a demon! Can’t you see? He must be framed! If he were a demon, things wouldn’t be like this! He’s not! You know him best—surely you know! Stop them now, or Rod will—!”
Watching Knight Rod in dire straits, Linda, who had been observing the fight, shouted desperately. She pulled Kiro aside anxiously. She didn’t care what others thought. She knew well that Knight Rod wasn’t that kind of person. Though she had known him for only a short time and didn’t know much about him, her intuition told her clearly that the man trapped ahead was not a villain. She could sense the sorrow and despair emanating from him, the pain of being abandoned and despised.

Watching the man covered in blood, fighting bravely despite the injuries, Linda felt a sharp pain in her heart. When did it start? Was it from the moment she met him, or did it develop gradually as they got to know each other? Or perhaps it started the moment he saved her—she didn’t want to see him hurt, not want to see him so sad and suffering, not want to see him in such a pitiful state.
“I… I can’t!” With a complex look in her eyes, she stared at Rod in the distance, swallowed hard, took a deep breath. A determined expression flashed across Kiro’s face as he refused Linda’s request, saying firmly, “He’s a demon. I can’t! You know, demons are a race hunted down; they’re not allowed on the continent. Even if he’s my best friend!”
“And you… John, what about you guys? Rod is your captain, along with Lucia and Alice—he’s saved all of your lives. How can you just…” Stunned by Kiro’s determination, Linda turned urgently to the others, hoping they would extend a helping hand to Rod at this critical moment.
It was then that Linda realized she might truly be in love with this man. She couldn’t bear to see him like this—her heart ached terribly, as if torn apart. She had to save him. Surrounded and covered in wounds, he looked unbearable; every injury seemed like a wound on her own body, causing such agony. She realized that the moment Rod saved them from those assassins, she had already fallen hopelessly in love with him. This was the so-called “love at first sight,” the sudden spark of affection that strikes like lightning.
“What’s wrong with you? Why don’t you speak? Hurry up! Otherwise, Rod will really…” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt despair. The silent expressions and hesitant looks of the others made her realize they had given up on Rod, truly unwilling to intervene.
“Ah…” From afar, Rod let out a agonized scream. More pale blue blood splattered on the ground as he stumbled back several steps. Seizing this opportunity, several soldiers stepped forward and inflicted more wounds on him.

If it were ordinary people, such wounds would be enough to kill them, yet Rod still stood firm, for he was Knight Rod—a man who would never give up. Backed by his powerful demonic body, with a determined gaze and unyielding will, he remained standing, even if only out of the sorrow in his heart. Watching Rod standing there, swaying slightly in the distance, covered in blood, Linda’s heart ached terribly.

“Hahaha… Want to kill me? My fate, as Knight Rod’s, isn’t determined by heaven. You won’t succeed! Don’t let me leave this place today—or else, I’ll make you pay dearly for it!” After driving back those who attacked him again, Rod roared loudly to the sky.

His blood-red eyes radiated endless hatred as he stared at those chasing him and at those watching coldly from afar. Rod’s heart turned completely cold, utterly desperate. His resentment made him unwilling to give in; his eyes seemed about to bleed, turning entirely red, as if the whole world had turned crimson!

This time, his consciousness remained clear. He heard Linda’s cries for help in the distance, heard those people’s heartless refusal, heard the shouts of those demanding his death, and felt his own heart bleeding.

In an instant, the entire world became vile. He refused to accept it; his roar was filled with countless grievances and unwillingness, along with a bloody fury.

“Hahahah… I wonder who will be able to take my life today!” A wild laugh rang out, filled with sorrow and deep resentment, making those who heard it feel a sharp pain in their hearts, as if pierced by something painful.

“Rod… Rod, you can’t do this. Even if the whole world doesn’t believe in you, even if the whole world is against you, I still believe in you. Please, don’t do this. Get well soon! Uuuu…” Seeing Rod’s condition, Linda finally couldn’t hold back her tears and began to cry. It was the first time she cried in front of strangers. Even in the face of past troubles and pain, she had never cried like this—only for Rod did she shed tears in front of others.

“The world? Hehehe, people? Hahahah… From now on, I, Knight Rod, am no longer the same person. From now on, I, Knight Rod, will be at war with the whole world. From now on, I, Knight Rod, will defy heaven! You all—be enveloped in the scent of blood! I’ll turn this world into a sea of crimson! I believe I can do it!” Looking at Linda, Rod’s eyes showed a rare tenderness—the only trace of softness in them.

His friends’ betrayal, their indifference, and pursuit left Rod heartbroken. Only Linda, someone he usually didn’t interact with much, still trusted and believed in him, which filled Rod’s heart with pain. So that’s how the world was—everything was beyond expectation. As he glanced at Kiro, John, Viski, Alice, and the others, his gaze grew increasingly cold, until it finally settled on Lucia.

With a complex expression and icy intensity, his lips twitching, Lucia’s betrayal caused him the greatest pain—his beloved person had actually…

“Kill them!” Rod roared violently. A powerful force emerged from somewhere within him, instantly dispelling his previous weakness and fatigue, as if he had returned to his peak condition. With a cold expression, he charged forward, leaving behind a trail of blood and corpses. Screams filled the air, and the smell of blood permeated everything.

Holding their mouths, Alice and Lucia tried not to cry as they watched the transformed Knight Rod in the distance. John and Kiro beside them had complex, cold expressions, not knowing what to say. Shocked by such brutal methods, they felt guilty and chilled, questioning whether they had indeed done something wrong before.

Rod’s words sent chills down everyone’s spine, making them shudder. No one doubted he was joking, nor did anyone doubt his ability to do this! With his demon body and innate talent, perhaps one day he would indeed drown the continent in blood and unleash chaos.

“Damn it, this guy’s crazy! Rod, snap out of it! Don’t fight head-on—find the right angle to break through!” Inside Rod, Xuan Yuan was also growing anxious. Rod’s condition was becoming more unstable. It could sense Rod’s life force fading, and the situation was worsening. Now trapped in the middle, surrounded on all sides, breaking through was even harder, and time only made things more desperate.

“Fen Tian, hurry up and come help! Do you want to die too?” He then shouted at Fen Tian. Earlier, when facing Nightingale and the others, Fen Tian had been injured. After they left, it had returned to Rod’s body to recover. But clearly, now was not the time to rest. It had to come out and help, or they would all die.

Xuanyuan didn’t care who Rod was; he only knew that this guy was his master, bound by fate. Rod couldn’t die. He didn’t care what Rod said; he only knew that Rod wasn’t some utterly evil demon. He wanted to help Rod leave this dangerous place, and as for the rest, they could discuss it later.