Chapter 228: Chapter 228

Ian raised the royal sword alone, but Leon was not without company.

“Foolish. Perhaps it’s because you’re merely half-blood.”

Behind him stood dozens of his loyal subordinates, waiting in silence. Leon smiled slyly and gestured with elegance.

At his command, the subordinates charged toward Ian like a frenzied wave. Their eyes were vacant, devoid of reason. Ian tightened his grip on the sword’s hilt.

‘They all exude an aura that resembles madness.’

Yet, he felt no fear. Even as they surged at him, he swung his sword with fierce resolve.

With each swing of his blade, an enemy fell. Numbers meant nothing; these people—who seemed more like lab staff than warriors—were weaker than expected. No, Ian had simply grown far stronger than he had once been.

A black dragon burst forth, wrapping around him. This time, it didn’t take the form of a dragon, but instead encased Ian like armor, granting him overwhelming strength.

Even as dozens charged, Ian did not yield an inch. Fueled by the power of Faith, he pressed forward, step by step.

‘If I keep going , I can reach him.’

Just as his sword neared Leon—

An enemy who appeared to have been struck down by his sword suddenly clutched his ankle.

And then, with a smile, the enemy exploded.

A violent explosion and intense heat filled the space, so powerful that even the half-mad enemies hesitated for a moment. From within the blast, Ian staggered and coughed up blood.

Despite being shielded by Fury, the shock had taken its toll. But before he could recover fully, the horde came at him once again.

“Kill him and Lord Leon will reward us!”

Ian’s eyes darkened as the wave advanced.

‘To use people like bombs… And for them to die so willingly—they must be completely brainwashed.’

Even when cut down by the royal sword, many would rise again. They were physically weak, yes, but their fanatical devotion made them resemble zombies—no, they were worse. Their unyielding will refused to let them die.

‘The real danger is that another one of them might be hiding a bomb.’

At this rate, Ian couldn’t avoid being caught in another explosion. Still, he straightened his back.

“Is that all you’ve got? Come at me!”

Despite the suicide attacks, Ian moved forward again. This time, it wasn’t fear driving him—but pure, seething rage.

‘I’ve faced worse than this. My sword will not break so easily.’

A fierce determination blazed in his eyes. Then, the helmet spoke urgently.

[Get a hold of yourself. You must not give in to your rage. If you do, the Seven Sins will consume you.]

‘Shut up! Can you really say that after witnessing this?’

Ian pointed at their surroundings. Even in the laboratory on the outskirts of Helgaia, the cruelty was just as severe. Those people had experimented with plagues on living subjects, but this place was on an entirely different level.

‘This is a slaughterhouse. A slaughterhouse for humans.’

These weren’t simple experiments. They had been cut up, sewn together—twisted into grotesque creatures that no longer resembled humans. The fact that they were still alive was a miracle—or a curse. Though Ian granted them the mercy of death, he couldn’t begin to fathom the pain they had endured beforehand. That was why he was filled with such anger.

[Calm yourself. Yes, they suffered—but they have nothing to do with you.]

[Wait… Don’t tell me you knew someone here? Someone from your past life?]

‘I was no different from them in my past life.’

Ian meant it. He, too, had suffered in his previous life. Clinging to Garcia, he had been nothing more than a disposable pawn. No matter how hard he struggled, he had never been able to break free. In the end, he was discarded—killed without ever escaping.

‘They’re the same. Like birds in a cage, just waiting to be consumed.’

Though they hadn’t endured the same torments, the essence of their suffering was the same. They were used, exploited, and ultimately discarded—just like Ian had been in his previous life. Ian raised the royal sword once again.

“That’s why I’ll end all of this—right here.”

His eyes gleamed with unshakable resolve. But he wouldn’t rush in blindly. The source of this content ɪs N0veI.Fiɾe.net

‘Don’t you feel it? Their condition—doesn’t something about it seem… off?’

He carefully observed their behavior. Their eyes were hollow, void of any real will—similar to enemies they’d fought before, but with a subtle difference. The helmet caught on, recalling something from the past.

[There’s only one force capable of this.]

One of the Seven Sins: Lust.

The power to manipulate feelings and turn them into blind devotion.

‘Lust? But they’re all men. Leon’s a man too. Doesn’t Lust only affect the opposite gender?’

[Normally, yes. But when fully awakened, Lust transcends gender. It becomes a primal charm—ensnaring the heart before one even realizes it.]

It was different from Jealousy. While Jealousy adjusted the hostility directed at an enemy, Lust amplified affection toward oneself, compelling those affected to follow. Thus, those caught in its grasp would willingly follow Leon without question.

‘That’s not what’s important right now. They’re coming!’

Like mad fanatics, the enemies charged at Ian. He swung the royal sword.

With Ian’s attacks, the enemies fell one by one. They were clearly cut down at the arms and even in the torso.

“My lord… I shall eliminate your enemy!”

“No, allow me! I will deal with them!”

Even drenched in blood, they rose again. Madness burned in their hollow eyes as they screamed—and exploded.

Ian barely managed to shield himself using Fury and the Cloak of the First King, but the force of the blast still hurled him backward. Seeing this, Leon burst into laughter.

“Is that all you can do? They’re still alive.”

Leon’s gaze said it all—

You must sever their heads properly. Otherwise, they won’t die. They’ll just keep coming.

And it wasn’t an exaggeration.

I will kill the Lord’s enemies…

The enemies, half-destroyed by the explosions, refused to die. Even with only half their bodies intact, they crawled forward, still intent on killing Ian. Pain meant nothing to those under Leon’s spell. Ian couldn’t help but explode with anger at that sight.

“You seriously feel nothing watching your subordinates ?!”

Leon responded as if Ian had asked the most ridiculous question.

“Subordinates? Who said they were my subordinates?”

“They’re just… loyal servants. Isn’t that right?”

At his words, the fanatics cried out, their eyes gleaming with madness.

“Yes! We are but your faithful servants!”

“You may discard us at any time. Just… look at me.”

“No, I don’t mind being thrown away. I just want to be of use to you.”

Their voices trembled with desperation, their minds completely overtaken by their obsession with Leon. The helmet clicked its tongue in disbelief.

[Unbelievable… They’re completely enthralled by Lust.]

‘Is that even normal?’

[His power exceeds that of the previous wielder. This isn’t just Lust.]

‘Then what is it? Another Sin?’

[Greed. He’s wielding that too. There’s no way he could achieve this without it.]

Greed, the Sin that absorbs the power of others. Lust, the one that manipulates affection. Somehow, Leon had fused both.

As a result, the enemies grew stronger with each of Ian’s attacks, throwing themselves into their devotion to Leon. Before long, Ian was surrounded.

“Well,” Leon said with a smug grin, “it looks is the end, little brother. Why don’t you summon your knights now?”

“Why? Planning to seduce them with Lust too?”

“Hohoho. Of course. I’ve had my eye on them for some time.”

He looked elated, as if Ian’s knights already belonged to him. It was a stark contrast to his former composed self. The helmet’s voice turned grim.

[He’s fully merged with Lust. And now he’s using Greed on top of it… That’s beyond reckless—it’s monstrous.]

[Extremely. He’s surrendered himself completely to the Seven Sins. His power is still growing.]

The Seven Sins affected both mind and body. Leon was becoming more greedy—more lustful. But then Ian tilted his head slightly, puzzled.

‘Then what about me? Why haven’t I changed?’

Ian possessed both Jealousy and Fury. In fact, he had all five of the Seven Virtues within him. Yet his personality remained unchanged. The helmet shook its head.

[I don’t know… Maybe you’re different. Or maybe it has something to do with the First King.]

Still, that wasn’t the issue right now. With all the important information from the helmet, Ian smirked and spoke up.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“There’s no way I’m letting a pervert like you anywhere near my knights.”

At Ian’s words, Leon’s eyebrows twitched. He realized Ian was insulting him for being transformed by Lust.

“Kill him! Cut off his limbs!”

The enemies lunged forward, Ian completely surrounded. But he raised his sword, as if he had been waiting for this moment. Leon scoffed.

“You still don’t get it, do you? That pathetic sword can’t even scratch my servants—”

But then Ian’s blade began to glow.

The light wasn’t the pure white glow of the Seven Virtues—it was dark, twisted.

“Yeah. You’re thinking exactly what I want you to.”

From the royal sword, now tinged with black, a sinister energy poured out. Even the black dragon instinctively hid from its aura.

“You thought Fury wouldn’t work on you. That was your mistake.”

“What are you talking about—?”

“Your servants—Greed and Lust, was it? Choosing those powers was your mistake.”

The power now radiating from Ian’s sword—was Jealousy. The moment it flared, the servants’ bodies began to tremble violently.

Greed. Lust. Jealousy. The three Sins clashed within them, contending for dominance. Ian didn’t give them time to recover.

“Hey! All of you!” he shouted. “Which one of you does Leon love the most?! Step forward! I’ll take you on myself!”

“It’s me! I’m the one Lord Leon cherishes most!”

“What nonsense! He only has eyes for me!”

“How dare you! He looked at me four times today—that proves I’m the favorite!”

Chaos erupted. They turned on each other like rabid lovers fighting over the same man. Leon roared in frustration.

“You fools! What are you doing?! Kill him first!”

“Please wait, my lord. I must take care of these rude fools first.”

“Silence! The one who fights for Lord Leon is me, Altani—!”

“Back off! Lord Leon is mine!”

But it was no use. Overcome by Jealousy, the servants were too busy fighting one another to focus on Ian. At that moment, Ian’s voice rang out.

“Why not settle this the easy way? Ask Leon yourselves. I’m sure your beloved master will graciously tell you who he loves most.”

All eyes turned to Leon.

“Tell us! Who do you love the most?”

“It’s me, isn’t it? It has to be me!”

Unable to restrain themselves, they rushed toward Leon. The desperate way they clung to him was pitiful—but the force they exerted was anything but weak.

“Get off me, you fools!”

Leon’s eyebrows twitched with rising anger.

Meanwhile, Nathan and Galon were busy evacuating the soldiers, leaving Ian behind. But Galon, feeling increasingly uneasy, couldn’t take his eyes off him.

“I can’t do this. I’m going back.”

“Wait, Galon. Are you planning to disobey the prince’s orders?”

Galon froze at Nathan’s words. He knew Ian was right—they had to evacuate the Second Prince and the soldiers. But his concern for Ian was too strong to ignore.

The sounds of fierce battle echoed from within the lab. Galon’s expression hardened, as if he had made up his mind.

“I have to help my lord.”

“We’ll only get in the way. Didn’t you hear him?”

Of course, Galon was well aware of that. For a moment, his heart had raced when he looked at the enemy leader, Leon—as if he were caught in a trance, unable to look away from his face. But now… he had broken free of it.

“I must stand by my lord’s side.”

He activated Invincibility. Earlier, he’d been caught off guard and hadn’t been able to activate his oath—but now was different. He believed it would protect him from the enemy’s deceit. His resolve was firm. But Nathan shook his head.

“Get a grip. Don’t bet on uncertain outcomes. What if you end up turning your sword against the prince?”

“There’s no way I’d ever do that.”

“What if you fall for the enemy’s tricks and turn against the prince? That would put the prince in danger.”

Without realizing it, Galon clenched his fists. He didn’t deny it—he understood Nathan’s concern all too well.

The battle within grew louder, more violent. And the more it escalated, the more Galon’s anxiety gnawed at him. Then, Nathan spoke again.

“Don’t forget our mission.”

His gaze turned to the Second Prince and his knights. Their role was to make sure none of them tried anything reckless.

The explosions stopped.

Silence fell over Ian’s side.

Galon could no longer endure it.

“No—I can’t wait any longer.”

Ignoring Nathan’s protests, he burst through the lab doors.

But something was wrong.

He stopped in his tracks, stunned by the scene before him.

Leon was drenched in blood, and Ian stood before him, aiming his sword threateningly. Then, Ian spoke coldly.

“Surrender. If you don’t… I’ll kill you.”

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