Chapter 236: Chapter 236
A giant climbing the wall was struck by a massive cannon blast and fell. But many more giants remained. Soon, the faces of other giants began to appear above the wall.
“Fire! Don’t let them breach the wall! Aim for the monsters’ eyes!”
Princess Irene shouted boldly. Under her command, the soldiers raised their weapons and aimed at the giants.
Though some giants managed to evade the cannon fire, they couldn’t escape the precise strikes aimed at their eyes. With relentless assault, the monsters were once again pushed back. Still, the fear in the soldiers’ eyes did not fade.
“There are… too many of them.”
“No matter how many we kill, more just keep coming.”
The sheer number of monsters flooding in stripped the soldiers of any hope of victory. Their terror was inevitable.
“Cantum, do not give up!”
The First Imperial Princess waved the flag of Cantum high. Perhaps because of its size, her delicate face looked even paler in contrast. Yet she didn’t stop waving it.
“If we lose this place, our families—our siblings—will be slaughtered. Hold the line! Reinforcements will arrive soon!”
Indeed, elite imperial troops and knights were already being dispatched from the Imperial Palace. All remaining supplies of weapons and gunpowder were en route to the front lines. All they needed now was a little more courage and the resolve to stand firm against the monsters.
Once again, the First Imperial Princess cried out:
“They’re just slightly larger monsters! We have the walls of Cantum! We have each other!”
A single ray of sunlight pierced the black clouds, shining down upon the First Imperial Princess. It illuminated the Cantum flag in her hands. At that moment, the soldiers looked at the flag and renewed their resolve.
“That’s right. We have the First Imperial Princess on our side!”
“If she won’t give up, then neither will we!”
“Warriors of Cantum! Raise your swords under the flag of our homeland!”
Their morale surged. Beyond the wall lay the city where their families lived. If they fell here, their loved ones would be next. There was no retreat.
“Are the cannons not ready yet?!”
“We’re out of gunpowder! That was the last of it!”
“Then bring more, immediately!”
Soldiers and commanders alike fought desperately to hold the line, buying time for civilians to escape. Though the fortress stood on the verge of collapse, it had not yet fallen.
Watching from afar, Leon’s expression twisted in anger.
“Those vermin… they’re holding out strong.”
Behind him, figures in black robes appeared—the mages under the command of the Great Master. They were the ones who led the invasion of the Kingdom of Swordsmen.
“What are your orders, my lord?”
“Send in the rest of our forces. We must take the fortress quickly and absorb Sloth.”
The mages raised their hands. Dark energy flowed from their palms and spread across the battlefield. That was when the monsters began to change.
Their eyes now glowed a deep red. The monsters charged wildly at the walls, having lost all reason. They were like berserkers—mindless, frenzied, and brutal. Reaching the wall, they began smashing into it with brute strength. Content orıginally comes from novｅlfire.net
The soldiers shouted in alarm:
“The wall’s being breached!”
“It’s shaking—it won’t hold for long!”
Then Princess Irene shouted:
“Pour hot oil! Set it on fire so they can’t get close!”
The soldiers hurried to douse the wall with oil and ignite it.
Flames roared to life, engulfing the wall. But the monsters, devoid of reason, were undeterred.
Even as their bodies caught fire, they kept slamming their fists into the wall. The weakened structure began to give way. And then—
“The wall… it’s collapsing!”
Part of the massive wall finally gave in under the giants’ assault. It was now inevitable—the giants would enter through the breach. Princess Irene and the First Imperial Princess bit their lips.
“Concentrate all forces on the collapsed section!”
“We must not let them break through!”
Knights and soldiers rushed toward the breach in a panic. But when they arrived, their faces turned pale.
Beyond the burning debris, massive figures loomed—giants, many times larger than the soldiers, wearing twisted smiles that mirrored a predator’s glee before the kill.
“We… we’re all going to die.”
“There’s no way we can beat monsters like that…”
They trembled in fear, yet no one fled. It was only natural—they refused to give up.
Princess Irene of Kaistein leapt down from the wall and stood before them. She raised her sword high in front of the soldiers and knights.
“I will lead! Follow me!”
It was unthinkable that a foreign royal, and a woman at that, would lead them into battle. Yet despite knowing it could be their last fight, the soldiers raised their swords.
“Damn it! If I’m going to die, I’ll die here!”
Irene smiled at them, her resolve unwavering. She turned to face the oncoming monsters and shouted:
In response to the humans’ cries, the monsters let out fierce roars.
It was the moment when the monsters charged towards the humans.
A deafening explosion erupted from the Imperial City, and suddenly, a massive wave of golden light began to spread outward. And at that moment—
The golden wave swept across the battlefield, enveloping everyone—from Princess Irene to all the forces of Cantum. Witnessing this, the First Imperial Princess gasped in shock:
“This… this is the Light of Cantum! Don’t tell me… Father has awakened?!”
Her astonishment was understandable. The Light of Cantum was a power that only the true emperor could wield—a legendary, once-in-a-lifetime force. And its effects were overwhelming.
“The… the monsters are falling!”
“I only fired one arrow, and it brought down a monster bird!”
Until now, their weapons could barely pierce the monsters’ hides; only precise strikes to their weak points had been effective. But now, with the golden light shining around them, the monsters began to fall with ease. Seeing this, Princess Irene shouted:
“Behold! The Emperor’s Light—the Light of Cantum—is with us! We will never give up!”
Bathed in golden radiance, the soldiers charged alongside Princess Irene toward the giants.
Leon furrowed his brow. The transformation in Cantum’s forces was undeniable. The golden light had empowered them. But something didn’t add up.
“How the hell are they using that power? The Emperor shouldn’t be able to move under the influence of Sloth…”
Leon knew the Emperor’s condition better than anyone. His will had been entirely consumed by Sloth, leaving him motionless, trapped in a state of fatigue and despair.
“How could someone in that state rise… and wield such power?”
Using the Light wasn’t what troubled Leon—it was the fact that the seemingly incapacitated Emperor had done something at all. The magicians behind him appeared to sense the same suspicion.
“The giants are being pushed back. The monster birds are being shot down as well.”
“At this rate, we might lose the entire force before even reaching the Imperial City.”
The Light of Cantum was a blessing that granted strength to all under the Emperor’s protection. It was so potent that even the experimental subjects of the Seven Sins couldn’t easily resist its power. Seeing these monsters fall despite being considered their forces, Leon’s expression darkened.
“When will our reinforcements arrive?”
Leon’s question made the magician sweat nervously. There was no easy answer.
“We’ve already gathered forces from across the continent, but…”
“They’re all being held back.”
Leon’s eyebrows shot up. He demanded an explanation. Sensing the urgency, the magician finally confessed:
“Troops from Bahara and Kaistein are blocking the path to Cantum.”
“Regent Julich of Bahara and King Eloin of Kaistein have personally intervened. As a result, all of our forces heading that way have been defeated…”
Leon stomped the ground in anger. The impact was so strong that it created a huge hole.
“Ian… It’s him again, isn’t it?”
But it was no guess—it was the truth. Ian had mobilized both Bahara’s and Kaistein’s troops to intercept Leon’s reinforcements. As a result, Leon now had no additional support.
“If we lose this army, we’ll lose every foothold we’ve gained in Cantum.”
“Bahara and Kaistein are also taking heavy losses.”
“Of course. Bahara is a land of warriors. And Kaistein… has them.”
In the first place, Ian’s conquest of Bahara wasn’t due to any special strength. It was because the true grand generals had yet to move. Kaistein, too, possessed King Eloin—once called the Conqueror—and Duke Lavaltor. Even the failed creations of the Seven Sins were no match for them.
“There’s no choice now. I will take action myself.”
“B-but, my lord… You haven’t absorbed Sloth yet. It’s still too soon. And your remaining strength—”
“It doesn’t matter. Once I absorb Sloth, everything will be over. I have no time to waste.”
Leon meant it. With the power of Sloth, he would command three of the Seven Sins. The fragments of the remaining sins were nearly complete, soon to be forged into Original Sins. And with just three complete sins, the tide would turn.
‘The leader of the Seven Sins—the one hidden behind the constraints—will finally reveal itself.’
That was Pride—the force that had once split the two continents. Once Leon absorbed it and completed all Seven Sins—
‘This continent—no, this world—will be mine.’
He had no need for the Seven Virtues. Though they were also part of the First King’s power, they were the weaker half. It was precisely because of that weakness that the First King had met such a pitiful end.
“All I need are the Seven Sins.”
With that, Leon approached the fallen monsters. He raised his hand, charged with power.
“You’ve done well. Now… become a part of me.”
Leon’s hand pierced the monster’s skull. Immediately, its blood and flesh began to be absorbed into his body.
That was the sin being recharged now. Yet none of the magicians or Yung around him seemed surprised. These monsters hadn’t been summoned just for battle—they were his food. Their true purpose was to restore his strength.
‘He’s using that power earlier than planned…’
‘Originally, he was supposed to replenish himself with the blood of Cantum…’
But Cantum’s resistance was stronger than expected. Strangely, their casualties were low. Thanks to Princess Irene and the First Imperial Princess issuing careful, protective orders, casualties had been minimized.
Leon’s body erupted with power. It began to swell, turning black, taking the form of a giant.
The Monster of Greed.
He was becoming a monster that devoured everything in its path. As he completed his transformation, he cast a piercing gaze toward the Imperial City.
At his command, the magicians bowed their heads. Their objective was now clear: the Imperial Palace. Leon, now a monstrous giant, began marching toward the Emperor.
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