Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 315: Higher Intelligence

On the city wall, Baron Rivelle and his Knight Commander stood with utmost calm, their eyes narrowed as they tore their gaze away from Asher. Their heads turned forward toward the devastated landscape that had once been a flourishing forest. The sight that greeted them was nothing short of ruin, trees were uprooted, scorched earth stretched endlessly, and faint traces of chaotic energy still flickered in the air.

Amidst that destruction, they sensed two immense presences approaching, both exuding such power that even the air seemed to hold their breath. Although the two figures had yet to come into view, the oppressive weight of their existence pressed heavily upon the land, clear and undeniable.

Instantly, both Baron Rivelle and his Knight Commander heightened their guard. Their presences erupted outward in response, bursting from their bodies like torrents of invisible pressure that towered high into the skies. The atmosphere grew heavy and suffocating as the very air trembled beneath the might of their awakened strength. In that moment, their intent was made known, they stood not merely as nobles or soldiers but as protectors of this land, guardians sworn to defend it with their lives.

Throughout the entire duration of the Monster Tide, neither of them had taken a single step from their position atop the wall. They had not raised their blades, nor had they spent even the faintest mote of Astra energy. It wasn’t cowardice that kept them still; rather, it was a deliberate and strategic restraint, a silent anticipation for the true threat that was yet to come.

A Monster Tide was never a random occurrence. It always had a leader, a far stronger monster that would only emerge once the lesser creatures had exhausted the defenders. Knowing this, Baron Rivelle and his Knight Commander conserved every ounce of their strength for that inevitable confrontation.

Yet, something about this tide was different, terrifyingly so. Instead of one commanding monster, there were two. As for why such a deviation occurred, neither man cared. Explanations mattered little now. All that mattered was the battle ahead, a battle that would end only in death. Nothing less, nothing more.

In a single blink, Asher vanished from where he stood below and appeared atop the city walls beside them. He, too, had sensed the approaching presences, though the distance still shrouded their identities. The moment he appeared beside the Baron and the Knight Commander, both men turned their sharp gazes toward him.

Their expressions wavered slightly, a flicker of surprise in their eyes. Despite the crushing weight of their combined aura, Asher stood unaffected. His expression remained calm, unflinching, as though their oppressive power were nothing but a gentle breeze brushing past him. That composure alone was enough to make even seasoned warriors acknowledge him in silence.

”So, this is why the both of you haven’t made a move,” Asher finally spoke, his tone even and composed as his gaze remained fixed ahead.

Neither Baron Rivelle nor his Knight Commander answered immediately. Their eyes lingered on the rapier sheathed at Asher’s waist, a weapon that seemed alive. They could feel it absorbing Astra energy from the very atmosphere, devouring it like a bottomless void. Their thoughts aligned instantly, if the Tenth Sun’s weapon was feeding so greedily, then Asher was likely preparing to unleash something devastating against the two oncoming presences.

”Yes,” Baron Rivelle eventually replied, his voice deep but calm. ”If we had made a move earlier, we would have wasted Astra energy, strength, and stamina. Since we cannot predict when the final monsters would arrive, it was wiser to remain still and preserve our reserves. To act prematurely would only make the outcome far more catastrophic.”

Asher nodded slightly at the Baron’s words, already having deduced as much. He remained quiet for a brief moment, his eyes following the distant tremors rippling across the horizon. Then he asked a question that had long lingered in his mind. ”Do you know if there’s any reason for these Monster Tides to occur at all?”

The Baron exhaled a slow, weary sigh before answering. ”Nobody truly knows. Not in the olden days, not now. Even scholars and historians have failed to uncover their origin. It’s been speculated that the tides are one of the natural Laws of Crymora, born from the changes brought about by the Star Fragment Fall. But whether that is truth or myth, I cannot say.”

Asher nodded again. From what he understood, Monster Tides seemed to manifest whenever a new territory was established or a new Lord was chosen to govern uninhabited lands. The pattern was consistent, once a ruler emerged, the monsters would gather, drawn as if by instinct to purge or test the claim of dominion. There had to be a reason for it, a deeper logic hidden within the fabric of the world. Yet, no matter how many scholars had tried to decode it, none had succeeded.

’Perhaps the Baron is right,’ Asher thought to himself. ’It might simply be one of the world’s immutable Laws. After all, not everything needs an elaborate explanation. Sometimes, existence itself just... is.’ With that quiet reflection, he shelved the thought and turned his attention back to the looming threat ahead.

Minutes slipped by, and soon, the two monstrous presences finally came into view. The first was a minotaur, an enormous creature towering nearly two and a half meters tall. Its body was a fortress of muscle, veins bulging across its arms and chest like coiling serpents beneath its skin. In its massive hand, it wielded a colossal double-edged axe that shimmered faintly with a dark metallic hue. Each heavy step it took cracked the earth beneath its hooves, and with every exhale, streams of hot vapor burst from its nostrils like smoke from a furnace. Its presence alone was suffocating, primal, and terrifying.

Beside the minotaur walked a goblin, yet unlike the feral, mindless kind commonly seen, this one moved with composed grace. Its steps were slow but deliberate, the soft clacking of its wooden geta echoing faintly through the silence. It wore a simple straw hat that shaded its sharp, calculating eyes and a flowing haori that swayed with the wind. A sheathed katana hung at its waist, the weapon radiating faint killing intent. Despite its small frame, every motion of the goblin carried an undercurrent of lethal precision. Its demeanor was lazy, almost indifferent, yet every instinct screamed danger.

’They’re both of the Grave Rank,’ Asher realized instantly, his entire being tensing. Just standing before them felt like standing at the edge of a bottomless abyss. His instincts screamed at him to flee, yet his mind kept him still. He glanced toward Baron Rivelle and his Knight Commander, their faces were grim, hardened by resolve. They, too, understood the gravity of what stood before them.

Although the Knight Commander was a Wavestar Life Rank expert, Asher doubted whether even he could face two Grave Rank monsters simultaneously. From the pressure radiating from them, these were no ordinary beasts, they were apex predators, beings of chaos and bloodlust that had transcended instinct and touched the threshold of higher intelligence.

Asher’s mind spun rapidly as possibilities raced through his thoughts. He didn’t need to be told what would happen if either of those monsters breached the wall. A single clash would bring unimaginable destruction. ’If these two had joined the initial assault,’ he thought grimly, ’the entire Rivelle territory would’ve already been reduced to ashes and untold history.’

His gaze wandered briefly over the city below, the lingering flames, the broken streets, and the warriors still locked in desperate battle. He exhaled slowly, the wind carrying away the tension in his chest. The time for hesitation had long passed. Whatever came next, they would face it together, humans standing defiant before monsters born of chaos itself.