Arkanos turned his gaze to Sylvana, giving her a slight nod. With a graceful motion, she waved her wooden staff, the runes etched along its length glowing briefly. The grand sigil hovering above the table flickered, then dematerialized into strands of faint green light.

    The room settled into a tense silence—until Abaddon burst into laughter.

    "Such unshakable confidence, my Liege. It borders on the divine, yet feels almost unreal. Even the gods would be jealous." Abaddon bellowed, wiping a fake tear from his eye, his grin widening.

    Ivan tilted his head, "A truly impressive speech, my Lord. I am certain their hearts are now clouded with doubt."

    Sylvana nodded with a smile, "Indeed. No other speech would have been worthy of your grace my liege."

    Utilia placed her massive gauntlet hand above her chest, "You were most radiant."

    Abaddon then leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

    "So tell me, my Liege, do you wish for me to go out there and slaughter them all? It’s been far too long since I’ve heard the satisfying crunch of bones beneath my heel, oh how I’d love to hear these fools scream."

    Arkanos’s emerald eyes narrowed slightly.

    "Hardly."

    "We will each be assigned a side. But before then..."

    He glanced down at the sprawling map of the capital, his finger tapping thoughtfully against its surface.

    "Let us ensure our enemies don’t get any ideas."

    Without another word, he glanced at the map of the capital, focusing on the walls.

    He then called out to the system in his thoughts.

    ’System.’

    ? ? Yes player. ? ?

    ’Maximize the fortifications of the city walls. Apply enchantments—knockback to repel any who breach, paralysis to cripple those foolish enough to touch them. Strengthen both their physical integrity and magical resilience. I want our walls to stand as both shield and sword.’

    ? ? Processing Request ? ?

    ? ? Upgrading City Walls to MAX Level... ? ?

    ? ? Upgrade cost 50,000 upgrade points ? ?

    ’Proceed.’

    -Analyzing Structural Integrity of the Capital Walls...

    -Maximizing Defensive Parameters...

    -Applying Enchantments: Knockback Effect King Tier & Paralysis Aura King Tier

    -Reinforcing walls with Void-Reinforced Obsidian and Adamantine Filaments.

    -Embedding Aether Veins for mana flow, with Crystalline Nodes to stabilize enchantments.

    -Installing Kinetic Reversal Sigils for knockback and Neural Disruption Glyphs for paralysis.

    -Deploying Phase-Shift Barriers for magical resistance and Auto-Regenerative Masonry for self-repair.

    ....

    ....

    Meanwhile, out on the walls

    The knights on the walls were all taken by shock as a strange green pulse surged through the air, radiating from the very core of the city.

    It washed over them like a phantom wave, leaving the knights staggering, their grips tightening instinctively on their weapons.

    Then suddenly, the walls began to change.

    What was once solid gray stone darkened, turning into an abyssal black, as though the shadows themselves had seeped into the very foundations.

    Veins of luminous mana—emerald and violet—crept across the surface, pulsating rhythmically like the city had grown a heartbeat. Discover exclusive content at novelhall.Co?m

    Golden linings etched themselves into the darkened stone, twisting into elegant patterns that intertwined with newly formed runes, glowing faintly.

    The knights standing guard on the walls stood frozen, their hearts pounding with shock and awe.

    "By the gods... what am I witnessing...?"

    one knight gasped.

    Another stumbled backward, nearly tripping.

    "The walls... they’re alive. They’re breathing!"

    "Those veins... that’s pure mana."

    One Knight surrounded his sword with his aura and swung it on the wall.

    The blade shattered.

    "Impossible... not even a scratch!"

    "No fortress on this continent has walls like this."

    A knight, his eyes wide with childlike wonder, fell to one knee, rubbing the surface.

    "This must be His Majesty’s doing. A miracle... A gift from the Emperor himself!"

    All the knights exchanged glances, soon they all smiled.

    "Ivan, you will head to the western gate."

    Ivan bowed deeply. "By your command, my Emperor."

    Arkanos turned next to Abaddon, his gaze sharp.

    "Abaddon, the southern wall is yours. Keep them entertained. I expect nothing less than the chaos you pride yourself in."

    Abaddon grinned, baring sharp teeth like a predator.

    "Ah, music to my ears, my Liege. I shall paint the ground red in your honor."

    His eyes then shifted to Utilia.

    He then called out to her.

    "Utilia, you and your knights will handle the northern wall."

    Utilia slammed her gauntlets together, causing a spark as she smiled radiantly.

    "With pleasure my lord, I shall crush all the heads of those who foolishly thought they could stand against you without consequence."

    With a final glance at the map, Arkanos’s smirk returned.

    "As for me..." He straightened. "I shall greet our visitors personally—from the east along with my knights."

    Arkanos then began to step out.

    "Alright, Seraphine with me, let us head to the barracks, it’s time for another upgrade."

    ....

    ....

    The clamor of armor echoed through the vast stone halls of the imperial barracks, where rows upon rows of knights stood shoulder to shoulder, their faces filled with anticipation, fear, and fierce resolve.

    At the far end of the hall, flanked by banners bearing the imperial crest—a roaring dragon—Arkanos Bloodbane stepped forward. His emerald eyes, fixed on his battle ready knights with pride.

    He stood as they did, clad in black armor etched with ancient runes, a crimson cloak billowing slightly with every step.

    The space fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the distant rumble of siege engines beyond the city walls.

    Arkanos’s presence was enough to silence fear itself.

    The confidence on his face made them all feel, ’As long as we stand by him, victory was certain.’

    His voice rang out

    "Knights of the Empire!"

    "Today is the day we’ve trained for, bled for, lived for."

    He balled his fists.

    "They think we’re trapped because they surround us from all sides."

    "But they forget—"

    "A lion doesn’t fear the wolves at his door!"

    A roar erupted from the knights, their fists pounding against their breastplates.

    "We fight not just for walls and stone, but for the people behind them—our families, our future." His hand lowered, resting over his heart.

    "I will not watch from a throne while my men bleed."

    He took another step forward, his emerald gaze locking with those in the front lines, as if speaking to each soul individually.

    "No!"

    "I will ride with you, fight beside you, and we shall claim victory!"

    Another roar thundered through the barracks, blades raised high, the sound of steel against steel drowning out the distant drums of the enemy.

    But then, Arkanos raised his hand once more, and silence fell like a command from the gods themselves.

    "Fear not."

    "None of you shall perish today."

    "You have each proven yourselves, you each stand here ready to serve till the end."

    "But I am a greedy emperor! I shall not let go of such gems so easily, not even death shall dare to claim what is rightfully mine!"

    Arkanos’s hand slowly extended, palm open, as if to grasp the very air itself. His smirk returned.

    "And to ensure that..."

    "I shall grant you all power."

    ’System,’ he called silently.

    ? ? Yes, player. ? ?

    ’Level up all my knights to level 200, gear all of them with Mythic rank armour.’

    ? ? Processing Request... ? ?

    ? ? Upgrade cost: 70,000 upgrade points. Confirm? ? ?

    ’Proceed.’