On the distant horizon, the sound of heavy and rhythmic footsteps echoed throughout the atmosphere, carried by the wind.
The enemy troop's cries added to the eerie chorus, creating a macabre tune that sent shivers down the spine.
"Mom…"
The child's grip tightened around his mother's embrace.
"Yes, sweetie, Mommy is here. Everything will be alright."
The woman whispered soothingly as she stroked his hair, hoping to ease his trembling.
The atmosphere in the crowded refugee tent was thick with tension, the air heavy with the weight of their shared dread at the impending war.
The huddled masses, their faces etched with lines of worry and fear, remained silent, each lost in their thoughts and prayers for a miracle.
.
.
.
A boy was seen standing tall on the battlements, his white hair swaying gently in the wind.
Adrian closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the cool, damp sensation of the night dew on his skin before exhaling it slowly.
"Haa…"
Opening his eyes, his blue eyes gazed outside the fort with a face devoid of any expression.
The expansive meadow that surrounded the refugee camp was now covered by a thick white fog.
Although he knew that using humans to test his magic was morally wrong, the boy shrugged it off; he didn't care.
He was neither the protagonist nor a hero bound to act virtuously.
To hell with it, this was his life now and he would do whatever he wanted to do.
Furthermore, since they were the enemy, no one would care about it either.
Adrian peeked out his [STATUS WINDOW] and looked at his Magical Stats. **
"Hmm… Not bad."
Thanks to the Academy's hellish training program, he had made significant progress in both physical and magical abilities over the past three months.
As the enemy's troops' footsteps and cries swelled louder with each passing moment, the corners of Adrian's lips pulled up into an arc before mumbling.
"Now, shall we begin, then?"
Filled with excitement, Adrian began to chant with a confident voice, his words ringing out into the stillness of the space.
"??? ????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ??."
Within moments, a brilliant golden light illuminated the area when countless intricate lines materialized on the ground.
Gizel froze upon seeing them, he turned to the boy who stood atop the battlement.
Just… how much bigger he intended to make it?
The enormous, vacant Magic Circle continued to expand starting from the refugee camp, and gradually spreading outward until it enveloped the entire meadow.
The once-vacant Magic Circle slowly filled with runic language, bit by bit as Adrian continued reciting the spell.
Right after the Magic Circle siphoned his Mana, blood trickled down his nostrils and Adrian eagerly licked it up.
His cerulean eyes shone with a manic intensity.
Soon, the ground began to shake violently the moment the powerful magic was invoked.
"W-what is happening?!"
A deafening rumble shook the earth beneath their feet, sending a wave of panic sweeping through the group.
The refugees and enemy troops alike were thrown off balance, stumbling and falling.
Their armor clanged against the ground, while others frantically searched for something to hold onto.
—Boom! —Boom!
When a series of thundering bangs reverberated through the surroundings, the ground suddenly stopped shaking and was now still and quiet.
The Kearny army looked around in confusion, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
They looked at each other, their faces etched with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.
For a few moments, nobody spoke.
The only sound was the rustling of leaves in the trees and the occasional creaking of branches.
Then, slowly, the soldiers began to rise, cautiously at first, as if afraid that the ground might start shaking again at any moment.
One by one, they checked themselves for injuries, making sure that they were still fit to fight.
Some of them had cuts and bruises from falling, but none of the injuries seemed too serious.
Regardless of the damage, the Kearny army knew that they had to press on.
They were on a mission and they could not let an earthquake stop them.
They gathered their weapons and their courage to set off once again; determined to reach their destination no matter what obstacles lay in their path.
After marching for half an hour, they eventually encountered a thick fog.
Two hours ago, the spies had reported that there was nothing to worry about, so the Kearny army began to enter it.
The fog was so dense that they could barely see what was in front of them.
They had to slow down their pace and proceed with caution to avoid getting lost or separated.
The soldiers walked in a tight formation, with their weapons at the ready, scanning the mist for any signs of danger.
As they moved deeper into the fog, the soldiers began to feel a sense of unease.
—Woo!! —Woo!!
Suddenly, a loud noise shattered the silence.
"!"
Upon hearing the sound of Aeon's horn being blown, the Kearny soldiers gritted their teeth in frustration and disappointment.
Realizing that their plan to launch a surprise attack had failed.
Despite the setback, the Commander of the troop remained resolute and determined.
He knew that they could not afford to give up now and soon, he shouted.
"CHARGE!!!!"
"Huaaaa!!!"
With a fierce battle cry, the Kearny troops surged forward, their weapons at the ready.
But then, without warning, disaster struck.
The ground beneath their feet gave way and they fell into a deep ditch that had been hidden by the fog.
"Argh!!"
"Urg!!"
The soldiers let out a collective cry of pain and terror as they fell.
Their bodies slammed into jagged earth palisades and pierced through their bodies, resulting in the red liquid jumping and splattering everywhere.
The copious amount of blood that slid down the large earth spears filled the ditch and turned it into a puddle of crimson liquid.
"Stop!!"
"Stop running!!
The soldiers who had managed to avoid the ditch shouted for their comrades to stop.
However, their voices were lost in the confusion and chaos of the moment.
"Stop run—argh!!"
"Argh!!"
Meanwhile, those who were still running behind pushed forward, oblivious to the peril that lay ahead.
They crashed into the soldiers who had stopped in the forefront, causing them to fall into the ditch ahead.
"Argh!!"
"Ugh!!"
The scene was gruesome; the ditch was now filled with countless humans impaled on stakes, their bodies strewn everywhere inside it.
Their bodies were so severely mutilated that they were unrecognizable, torn apart, and mangled beyond any hope of identification.
At the bottom of the ditch lay a pool of blood, emanating a sickening scent that caused one's stomach to churn.
o
o
o
"Argh!!"
"Ugh!!"
The sound of wailing echoed from all directions, filling the surrounding area.
"Pfft, hahaha."
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Adrian couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief and laugh jovially at the absurdity of it all.
Ah, how stupid of them.
Although Adrian didn't witness it directly, he could vividly imagine the moment they fell into the ditch and were impaled by the sharp palisade of the earth below.
Suppressing his laugh, Adrian looked into the distance, then he saw a bright ring of fire surrounding the refugee camp.
Adrian made two ditches, one near the meadow entrance and the other near the refugee camp, and lastly, he placed a ring of fire between them.
Well, that ring of fire—
Adrian took out his sword and swung it toward his left flank.
—Bang!
Sparks of metal burst as the blades collided, and the white-haired boy's forehead creased in recognition of his assailant.
Why would the Imperial Knight attack him?
"Hiyaaa!!"
Another one was seen running behind him and wasting no time, the boy immediately kicked a man in the chest and sent him staggering backward.
Adrian twisted his body and hastily lifted his sword in defense against the incoming attack.
–Bang!
Their blades clashed.
Sensing the soldier he kicked dashed at him, Adrian shoved his weapon aside and summoned a block of earth, using it to forcefully knock the man backward.
"Arrghh!!"
Adrian spun around and swiftly stabbed the man's neck.
"Urg!"
Blood spurted out and he fell to the ground.
Withdrawing his sword, Adrian hastily hopped forward as the man behind him waved his sword.
The moment he hovered in the air, a dagger appeared in Adrian's left hand and he deftly threw it forward.
"Argh!"
The man fell as the dagger jabbed his heart.
—Bang! —Bang! —Bang!
As the clamoring of clashing weapons pricked his ears, Adrian immediately ran and looked down inside the refugee camp only to find that the camp had turned upside down.
Aeon Knights were seen battling each other and he could see the refugee section was set ablaze.
"What the—"
As a flash shone brightly next to him and everything turned white, Adrian realized that it was too late to dodge the bomb.
However, one question kicked in his head.
Why was his gift not active?
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