FMRV | Chapter 20

Heinern Empire, Eastern Border Region.

“Don’t show any openings!”

“Aaaahhh!”

Matching Leo’s booming command, the soldiers rallied their spirits once more. The battlefield was literally hell. Enemies kept coming endlessly, and comrades fell all around.

Without even recognizing the bodies strewn across the ground, they had to step over them and wield whatever weapons they had. If one enemy fell, another would spring up, and before you could cut down the next, another enemy would attack from behind. The battlefield was a place where there was no time to mourn the dead; you had to summon all your strength. The shouts that echoed across the field, mixed with screams, were a true horror.

Explosions of magical energy and the chilling sound of clashing swords echoed everywhere. Blood was splattered all over the ground, and Theo quickly made his move.

The soldiers and monsters of Memvern were incredibly formidable. Though Memvern’s military strength had always been the same, it was the monsters that made things exceptionally difficult. These humanoid monsters, large and intimidating in size, were common among mid-level monsters. Yet, they possessed destructive powers that made each attack potentially fatal.

Theo, while large among humans, was nothing compared to these monsters. Yet, he showed no fear, swinging his sword and channeling his magic against the giant beasts without hesitation.

“Argh!”

Hearing a scream, Theo turned to see a soldier on the ground with a monster about to strike him. Quickly, Theo threw his sword, embedding it in the creature’s forehead. As he muttered something under his breath, flames surged along the blade. Soon after, a thud was heard, and the enemy’s body crumbled and scattered across the ground.

“Are you okay?”

Theo extended his hand to the soldier.

“Th-thank you, Commander.”

“If you don’t want to die, you better stay alert.”

“Yes!”

After hearing the response, Theo grabbed his sword and dashed off once more.

Imperial Army Eastern Division.

The battle, which lasted all afternoon, only paused when the sun completely set. However, this was just a step back to prepare for the next confrontation, not the end.

In war, stamina was crucial, so taking a proper rest at this moment was vital. Although the soldiers were taking a break, the commanders couldn’t afford to.

“Theo, how does it look?”

Leo, Mile, and Theo were gathered for a strategy meeting.

“Memvern’s military strength isn’t a threat, but the monsters are definitely a problem.”

“Exactly. They’re not just low-level; they’re mid-level monsters. And there are more of them than we thought.”

Mile sighed deeply. Theo looked around; everyone was exhausted, their faces weary. It hadn’t even been a day, but the drain on their stamina was significant. Dealing with monsters was more efficient with magic than with conventional weapons, which meant even greater exhaustion due to the energy used.

“If this war of attrition continues, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”

Leo nodded in agreement.

“I agree. And like Mile said, there are too many monsters. It seems they’ve figured out some trick… If we don’t deal with these monsters soon, we’re definitely at a disadvantage.”

“Mile, how’s the 5th Division doing?”

The ability to command these mid-level monsters suggested that Memvern had a powerful sorcerer. If that was the case, striking their stronghold could be key.

“I’ve heard they’ve made a move toward Urik Mountain, but that’s all for now. The terrain there is rough, so they’re probably struggling.”

“Ah, if it were Commander Luke, he might have already succeeded.”

Theo flinched slightly at Leo’s offhand comment.

“Commander Luke is on suspension. Let’s focus on our next move.”

Trying to shake off the image of Luke alone in the army, Theo unfolded a map.

Urik Mountain in the east. A figure cloaked deeply was moving quickly along the treacherous path of the famously rugged mountain.

Ignoring the winding path and the irregularly grown trees and bushes, the person pressed on without hesitation. A crow circling above suddenly swooped down.

“Ugh…”

Whether it was just being mischievous toward humans or not, the crow changed direction and soared back up.

“Ah, that damn bird.”

Annoyed by the crow’s wingbeat, Luke scowled at the sky where the bird had flown.

“I’m in a hurry, so I’ll let it slide.”

Luke was on Urik Mountain in the east. It wasn’t too difficult to use warp to get here unnoticed, especially since the Imperial Army was distracted by the war.

The reason Luke came here wasn’t anything special. Initially, as he had told Pale, he planned to stay quietly locked in a room. If he were caught moving around during his suspension, he really didn’t know what would happen.

But the more he stayed in the room, the more things he didn’t want to think about plagued his mind. The monsters gathered by Memvern, the 5th Division taking over the special task.

The captain of the 5th Division, Seth Yulin, was frankly one of the least skilled among the commanders. Rumor had it he had climbed to his position by riding on his family’s coattails. He was given this task probably because of his specialty in speed, which meant excellent mobility.

But regardless of his abilities, could Seth really handle something he had never done before in this unprecedented situation with Memvern and monsters? It wouldn’t be strange if something unpredictable happened.

Would he be able to handle all this adeptly? That question was why Luke was standing here now.

“It’s definitely harder to break through at night.”

But no mountain was completely impassable. The fact that Memvern had gathered monsters meant there were many concentrated in one place. Since monsters also use magic, detecting that would guide him forward. Although they had barriers up, a faint energy was still detectable.

While sensing the energy and running hard, Luke felt a familiar, distinctive magical power from the right. He quickly changed direction and ran.

“Seth!”

There, he found Seth and other members of the 5th Division collapsed.

“Why are you… here…”

Luke quickly checked Seth’s condition, but it wasn’t looking good. With a weak effort, Seth spoke those few words and lost consciousness again.

“Over there…”

At that moment, a strange sound and a figure approached, making Luke draw his sword. Facing the blade was a young boy wrapped in a robe.

“Who are you? One of Memvern’s?”

“No, no… I live in the village just below this mountain…”

“Evacuation should have been completed already?”

“Actually… I got lost during the evacuation. I got separated from my family and was hiding here… I definitely saw it!”

The boy seemed desperate to prove his innocence under Luke’s questioning. His aura felt ordinary, not magical. Luke sheathed his sword.

“I saw someone attacking the soldiers here.”

“Really? And where did that person go?”

“Over there… toward the Imperial Army base.”

The boy pointed in the direction Luke had been running from. Indeed, if he followed that path down, he would reach the Eastern Division where Theo was. Luke slowly stood up.

“Ah, is that so?”

Luke nodded vaguely and reached for his waist.

“But you seem to know a lot about the battlefield situation for a civilian. A young kid like you.”

“Uh?”

“You even know where the Imperial Army’s Eastern Division is located. Are you interested in enlisting? If so, you should try applying. You’d definitely be a great asset.”

“What are you…”

“But you know the application requirements, right? Only citizens of the Empire can apply.”

Luke drew his blade again and pointed it at the boy’s throat. The wind that followed the blade gently lifted the boy’s hat. In the dark mountain woods, especially with the hat pulled down, his face hadn’t been clear until now.

“So someone like you, who acts as Memvern’s dog, is definitely ineligible.”

Luke concentrated his power on the sword. Countless ice crystals began clinging to the sharp blade. Luke swiftly raised his sword and struck down at the boy.

Crash-

With a tremendous burst, ice crystals scattered in all directions. The boy managed to dodge back, and although ice shards scratched his face, it was hardly noticeable because half of his face was bizarrely tainted black.

“Thanks to you, I’ve saved the trouble of searching. You’re the sorcerer who’s been handing new weapons to Memvern, aren’t you?”

“Looks like the Empire has some perceptive ones, too.”

The boy’s youthful voice suddenly changed. It was a chilling, hair-raising tone.

“Well, we’ll have a chance to discuss your relationship with Memvern later. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to easily stop the war. I should thank you for that.”

Luke habitually smirked and rushed at the boy. He raised his sword again, but at that moment, a monster summoned by the boy entered the view and blocked the sword, shattering it instantly.

“If you’re headed to the Imperial Army base, I’ll have to take care of you first.”

Underneath the sorcerer’s extended hand, the ground bulged and then a dark hole appeared. A sickeningly writhing black liquid pooled and soon a large, wolf-shaped monster grew from it.

“You’re young, but your words are few?”

Luke discarded his broken sword and charged. Two monsters blocked their master’s path simultaneously. Luke touched the ground, freezing the surrounding area. As the monsters struggled on the slippery surface, Luke struck the ground with his right foot.

Boom-

Spears covered in electricity emerged from the ground, ruthlessly piercing the monsters, burning them instantly. Luke was most skilled in ice and lightning magic. He was exceptionally adept at switching between these two elemental magics.

Soon after, fluids splattered and the monsters turned to ash. The sorcerer stood between his summoned creatures, smiling upright at Luke, who hesitated and then took a step back. The sudden chill was the reason.

Luke clenched his fist and swung at the sorcerer. However, the opponent quickly created a shield spell that blocked it. The battle continued similarly thereafter. The sorcerer kept summoning monsters, and Luke kept smashing them as he attacked.

“Ha…”

Summoning monsters continuously was a magic that consumed a lot of energy. So, the sorcerer, who was using up significant magical power, gasped for breath.

“What, it’s not over yet?”

Meanwhile, Luke was still in good shape. Despite his movements, he looked as fresh as ever and casually shrugged.

“You’re definitely strong. But I can’t afford to waste more time either.”

He suddenly sat down on the ground and quickly started drawing something on the dirt. Luke rushed to stop him, but just missed as the magic circle activated instantly.

A tremendous rumble and a glowing magic circle gathered immense magical power. The wind converged, violently shaking the surrounding trees and bushes as if in a storm. Soon after, a dragon-shaped high-level monster appeared before Luke through the wind and magic.

“Hmm, this might be a bit tough.”

Luke laughed incredulously and readied himself for battle without hesitation.