CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 626: Monster Invasion

Knight Commander Yveric materialized at the edge of the Wargrave Ducal lands, perched atop the massive walls that rose dozens of meters tall, their formidable bulk hurling vast shadows over the terrain below. A gust whipped across the ramparts, bearing a subtle strain that gripped the atmosphere itself. Spotting his abrupt arrival, a Knight stepped up, saluted, and addressed him;

"Commander," she declared respectfully, her stance rigid and precise, even as a faint urgency colored her words.

"Enemies approach, but not the foes we anticipated," Commander Yveric declared before the female Knight could pose any query. Without glancing her way, he delivered his directive, his eyes fixed on the crowds below scrambling to enter the domain as fast as they could, their motions frantic and chaotic. "Escort everyone inside the territory right away, but isolate them in a distinct area until their identities get verified," he commanded, his tone steady yet laced with unyielding command.

The Knight gave a quiet nod, grasping his intent instantly; she blurred into motion, vanishing from the walltop with blinding velocity to execute Yveric’s instructions, rallying the Knights tasked with checking identities.

Yveric fell silent, merely gazing forward with an impassive, serene face. Moments ticked by, and suddenly, Asher materialized next to him.

"What brings you here, Tenth Sun?" Yveric inquired, turning his eyes to Asher, his voice neutral—neither inviting nor rejecting.

"Well, I came for the enemies you set out to confront," Asher replied, scanning the surroundings and spotting no threats. Still, he sensed something loomed on the horizon.

Yveric let out a sigh before explaining, "The foes aren’t Imperial troops; it’s just the standard Monster Tide, striking at the most inconvenient moment possible," he remarked, shaking his head faintly in mild annoyance.

Monster Tides struck without schedule, of course; they erupted unpredictably, a chaotic disaster beyond reason or foresight, with no one grasping their true causes or triggers.

Asher’s face shifted subtly; just moments earlier, he’d braced for combat, his thoughts geared for clash, yet now it appeared he’d misread the situation since Yveric had departed without details, breeding confusion.

’Seems I hurried here pointlessly,’ Asher mused inwardly with a soft exhale, peering afar as his eagerness ebbed into quiet letdown.

"Doesn’t Father usually manage the territory’s Monster Tide assaults?" Asher questioned, his violet gaze settling on Yveric. He recalled commoners mentioning it, their tones brimming with reverence and trust toward the Duke.

"The Duke handles them, but right now, waiting for him isn’t an option," Yveric replied flatly, as if no more needed saying.

Asher eyed the man briefly, observing closely, then ventured, "I figured you couldn’t exit the territory without Father’s direct command," his words gently testing if Yveric might defy the Duke.

Yveric merely shook his head, replying steadily, "The Duke’s directive can be read that way, yet it mandates safeguarding the Ducal lands—and intercepting the Monster Tide before it arrives fulfills that duty precisely," he clarified with precise calm.

Asher paused thoughtfully, weighing the explanation, then nodded. He knew lesser nobles fought Monster Territory incursions inside their borders, but Wargraves struck the Tide itself while it lingered hundreds of kilometers distant. This prevented destruction and minimized losses, embodying power and duty.

Briefly, Asher itched to request joining Yveric to observe the fray, intrigue sparking inside, but reason halted such recklessness. A Ducal territory’s Monster Invasion could harbor Void class or even End class horrors; one slip meant death, and Asher cherished his existence too dearly.

"What’s their composition?" Asher queried evenly. The Wargrave frontier appeared eerily serene, everything deceptively normal.

"Mere pests, plus five Void class Monsters and Beasts," Yveric answered casually, as if the count meant little.

Asher’s mouth quirked faintly; the commander dismissed all monsters and beasts as insects. Though he’d singled out the Void class ones, his nonchalance treated them as trivial irritants.

"Any End class Monsters or Beasts?" Asher pressed, curiosity tinged with wariness.

Yveric shook his head. "End class Monsters earn that title for a reason, Tenth Sun; they avoid aimless action, mostly hibernating or dormant. But should they stir..." He trailed off, the dire portent hanging unspoken and ominous.

Asher nodded silently. He scanned the horizon again, his earlier battle fervor dimming from his eyes into resignation. For him, this clash amounted to a needless uproar.

"Tenth Sun, even inside the Dome, I suggest pulling back further into the territory," Yveric advised firmly yet calmly, his caution clear.

Asher had already resolved to depart; nothing held him here. He wouldn’t linger watching a fight he’d skip. Thus, he blinked away, chaining teleports through the lands on his return path, his form flashing repeatedly into void.

Watching Asher depart, Yveric issued a general order, his voice resolute and authoritative. "Assemble a ten-man cordon, one hundred kilometers out from the wall; eliminate any stragglers instantly," he commanded decisively.

Instantly, ten Radiant Soulstar Life Rank Knights launched skyward, their trajectories sharp and rapid as they arrayed into the perimeter per Yveric’s mandate, each seizing their duty without question.

Yveric glanced back once more, confirming all stood ready, his keen vision overlooking naught. With a nod of approval, he vanished, hurtling toward the encroaching Monsters and Beasts positioned a few hundred meters from the Ducal barriers, where the real showdown beckoned.