'This heat is killing me, why does this armor have to be so darn hot?'
Even if he complained, Gordon wouldn't dare take off that armor. It was the official armor of the Marquis' personal guard, and if he did that, it would surely mean trouble.
He couldn't risk being beheaded for dishonoring the Marquis's guard. Even removing the helmet was a serious offense in Edrorian's army, especially during war.
'Luckily, I don't have to wear full armor.'
Although considered part of the Marquis's personal guard, Gordon was just a squire, so he wore basic leather armor with a family crest.
The reason they were going to war was due to the ambitions of the King of Edrorian. He intended to use this army as a distraction to keep Poutis busy while Tarodel conquered Prazar.
Since they weren't going with the intention of winning a war, the army commander was Marquis Palaques' son. He aimed to use this opportunity to earn military conquests for his son.
'I'm very lucky. I never thought I could become part of a nobleman's personal guard.'
'And to think that strange stone I found was so valuable that it landed me in the Marquis' army. After all the bad things that happened to me, it's finally time for my luck to turn around.'
"What's with that weird face, Dogkin?" A Birdkin yelled. "Get yourself together! You're in front of Lord Bargus!"
"I-I'm sorry, Captain!" Gordon respectfully said to the Birdkin.
"Don't let it happen again, or you'll be punished," Captain Birdkin warned.
"Yes, sir!" Gordon replied respectfully.
Despite his outward respect, fury was taking over him on the inside.
'I have a name, you fucking bird-brain! Don't think you're amazing just because of a promotion.'
'Lord Bargus is a damn coward. If it weren't for his father being a Marquis, he'd be worthless. When he heard he was going to command the army, he got so nervous that he almost peed himself. He only calmed down when he found out it was just a distraction.'
As much as Gordon complained about the Marquis' son being a coward, he was no different. Even carrying a sword at his waist, he had almost no combat ability. The last thing he wanted was to go to war right after joining the army.
If it weren't for the fact that he only needed to stand beside the Marquis's son and protect him in a safe place at the rear, Gordon would have run away without a doubt.
As the army of thousands of soldiers slowly marched to the border, there were still a few hours to go before they got there. But to everyone's surprise, a single man appeared.
Gordon was at the back of the army, hundreds of meters away, but he could see the man wearing a battered cloak.
The man seemed to walk smoothly, as if he didn't care about the presence of the army.
'To dare to pass in front of an army as cruel as Edrorian's, this beggar is crazy, he'll surely die.'
Gordon thought while analyzing the situation.
As the man kept moving forward, a captain on the front line called out to him.
Turning calmly, the man gave him a dismissive look and said, "Don't bother me, I'm not in a good mood today."
The captain looked frightened and quickly walked away from the man. But he soon regained his composure and yelled, "Watch how you speak! You're in front of Edrorian's army. If you don't show proper respect, we'll execute you."
"I won't warn you again." The man spoke these words and continued walking.
"Hey, Dogkin, what were they talking about?" Captain Birdkin asked Gordon.
Dogkins had good hearing, that's why the captain Birdkin asked Gordon.
Gordon responded to Birdkin in the most respectful way about what was happening and looked back at where the man was.
After a brief hesitation, the captain in the front line ran towards the man and tried to grab his shoulder. But before he could do that, the man turned and swiftly kicked the captain.
The blow was so strong that the captain flew several meters, crashing into a tree with great force that almost broke it. He was left in a mangled state, with blood oozing from all orifices. It was evident that he had died.
A dead silence fell over the battlefield.
The man turned again and resumed walking.
"Ki-Kill him!" Bargus shouted.
Captain Birdkin, recovering from the shock, responded, "We'll do it right away, My Lord."
The sound of the horn echoed across the silent battlefield. Encouraged, the army shouted in unison, and a platoon of 100 people charged towards the man.
Moving faster than Gordon could see, the man had already turned and appeared among the soldiers, holding a spear in his hand.
Before the soldiers could react, they were impaled by his swift attacks.
Despite their attempts to dodge or counterattack, they couldn't match his agility. His spear kept finding its mark, and soldiers fell one by one.
Bargus, despite trying to hide his fear, was shaking uncontrollably.
Though he wouldn't admit it, Gordon knew that the ongoing carnage was the cause.
"He may be strong, but we can overwhelm him with our numbers!" The platoon Captain shouted and more soldiers charged at the man.
But even the numerical disadvantage didn't seem to bother him. He continued to impale anyone who approached. A bunch of bloodied bodies lay at his feet, yet he seemed unfazed as the death toll rose.
"Archers, get ready! When our allies retreat, take down the enemy!" The Captain ordered. "Let's show him the power of Edrorian's army!"
However, to their dismay, the man was closely following the soldiers in the front line. His killing speed increased, making it clear that he had no intention of letting them escape.
"To be that strong, he must be a Magic Warrior, maybe even a Superior Warrior." The Tigerkin standing next to Bargus said casually. "But he's still no match for an Epic Warrior like me."
"Travis, stop daydreaming! Kill him or at least keep him busy!" Bargus yelled at Tigerkin. "Don't hold back, go all out! If he keeps taking down our soldiers like that, my dad's going to be furious!"
"I thought I'd only get a chance to show off my skills when I face that old man from Solaris, but it seems like I'll have some fun right now." Travis smirked as he moved away from Bargus, revealing his fangs. His body started to transform.
The pressure surrounding Travis was so intense that Gordon felt like he couldn't breathe. Even as Travis walked away, the pressure kept increasing.
'Could that be the bestial transformation?! Gordon wondered.
'To think that this coward had someone with such a rare transformation under his command, and he was still scared out of his mind.'
'I've witnessed his tremendous power before during training, but now he's even more terrifying. I bet with this transformation, he can take on a Heroic Warrior. That guy is as good as dead.'
Previously, Travis only had tiger ears and a tail, but now he looked like a hairy humanoid tiger, and even his eyes had changed. His body grew to over two and a half meters tall, and each of his limbs doubled in width.
On all fours, Travis left a small crater as he lunged at the man with a speed faster than an arrow.
The captain immediately shouted, "Archers and Mages, get ready to unleash a wave of fire if the enemy tries to escape."
Travis dashed through the hundreds of meters in an instant.
Getting just a few meters away from his target, he prepared to strike with his sharp claws.
But before he could even reach his target, a bored voice came from the man. "Too slow."
In an inexplicable manner, Travis' body was sliced in half while the man didn't move an inch. Due to his speed, the two halves of his body continued moving, with his guts spilling around.
Even if he tried, Gordon couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
"Archers, attack!" The captain commanded.
The archers immediately showered the man with a volley of arrows.
Miraculously, as if guided by an unseen force, they all missed their target.
"He's using wind magic to deflect the arrows!" The captain shouted. "Mages, finish him off!"
As ordered, hundreds of fireballs were launched.
The battlefield quickly heated up as the fireballs converged.
Unfazed, the man calmly raised his hand, and with a simple swing, he shattered the hundreds of fireballs with a powerful gust of wind.
The wind's fury didn't cease; it plowed through the ranks, flinging soldiers like ragdolls.
"Since you like fire, here's a gift for you," the man sneered as his feet left the ground and he started to fly.
Hovering above the army, he lifted his hands, and a crushing pressure fell upon the battlefield, suffocating everyone and making their bodies feel as heavy as lead.
"T-This goes far beyond what an Epic or Heroic Warrior can do," the captain stammered. "He must be a Legendary Warrior! Why did fate bring us such terrifying misfortune?!"
"I-I don't want to die here!" With a desperate scream, Bargus turned his horse and fled without a moment's hesitation.
Equally agile, Gordon followed his master, not out of loyalty, but to escape the battlefield.
"Retreat!" A voice echoed from behind.
Ignoring everything else, Gordon pushed his legs to the limit. He felt a scorching heat wave on his back. He knew it was the man's doing even though he was hundreds of meters away.
If he who was so far away felt his skin burn, those below him had surely already left this world.
With adrenaline and despair driving him, Gordon sprinted, nearly reaching his master's horse. Behind him, desperate screams filled the air, but he dared not look back, fearing the worst.
***
Hours later, still exhausted, Gordon lay on the ground alongside other survivors. Many bore severe burns from the encounter.
"Darn it! Just when life seemed to be getting better, we had to face that monster. Besides, I didn't escape by luck, he gave the impression that he could kill us at any moment," Gordon thought.
'This life isn't for me. I'm almost 40, I should retire,' he resolved.
Deciding to leave the army after just a week of service, Gordon finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep.