"What did you say?" Eidos Luther's expression changed after responding to his Communication Stone. Apparently, a piece of bad news came while they were tracking for the remnants.
It seems that the scout who moved out much earlier than they do already found out where the remnants from the Fennis Empire are. Furthermore, from Eidos Luther's response, they must be wreaking havoc somewhere.
"I want everyone here to pack only the essentials with you. Leave all your belongings and get ready to move forward on foot. Our target is a settlement about a kilometer northwest of here." Eidos Luther immediately gave out several orders to the graduates and his subordinates after giving it a thought.
"Additionally, take note of the traps on your way while we move through the forest. Follow the smoke trail further for those accidentally separated from the leading team. If nobody had any further questions, prepare to move out!" Eidos Luther added.
The two young officers were ordered to guide the graduates on what to do while he was having a private conversation with the drivers.
Soon, the convoy splits into two groups. One heading east and the other going north. As for the soldiers, everyone was heading northwest through the woods.
A few towers of smoke created by the burning buildings quickly came into their view. It was followed by some putrid stench from people's feces and urine the closer the forces were to the border of the woods.
They were greeted with a sight of filth left by the people the moment Hespar and the others stepped out of the forest's shrubs. While these filths could hardly make them falter, the scene of burning houses and people burning in flames did.
The stench of blood from innocent people killed and burned turned into a traumatic experience. This horror was like poison as it slowly seeped into these graduates' minds. To them, this scene before them is no different from purgatory.
Even the veteran soldiers under Eidos Luther could not contain their anger as the flames robbed the lives of those innocent bystanders. As they approached the burning settlement, a momentary lapse of blank thought came into them.
**WHEE!!!**
The noise from a blown whistle then wakes everyone up from the anger blinding them. Then, the sound of footsteps approaching them can be heard from multiple directions.
For a soldier like Eidos Luther, he knew what the whistling noise meant.
"GET READY TO FIGHT!" Eidos Luther shouted. A light brown layer of Aura instinctually covered his body after he screamed as the earth-like armor came in contact with the attacker.
**BAM!**
The place of contact was shrowded by the dust cloud, forcing Eidos Luther to take a few steps back. The attacker's identity was also revealed as the dust settled down.
This individual seems to be wearing the uniform of an officer of the Fennis Empire. While there's no name etched on the sword he's using, this opponent appears to have the same brown Aura as Eidos Luther but is somewhat fiercer.
More and more soldiers belonging to the Fennis Empire gradually appear after this Aura User. But unlike the officer, only a few still wore the uniform. The others look somewhat ragged.
"These people are all trained soldiers. Be wary of them and do not approach them on your own." said the two young officers leading the graduates.
Looking at this situation, it seems everyone would need to participate in this fight.
[Mortal's Authority!]
Without further ado, Hespar activated his Aura and bestowed the advantages of enhanced sight. Fifty people were chosen randomly; amongst them, only a few soldiers under Eidos Luther were included.
Both sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle as they tried to take down one another. While Eidos Luther's side had almost triple the number of people, the Fennis Empire's side could compensate for the differences with experience.
They're evenly matched at first, but a quarter of an hour later, a hint of weakness was gradually seen on the graduates' side.
After all, these recently turned adult recruits have yet to attend military training. It was understandable for them to be lacking against properly trained soldiers, even if they were just some leftover troops from a losing battle.
Soon, more graduates started succumbing to their injuries or lack of stamina. Although Hespar's side had twice the number of Aura Users compared to the broken army, they still failed to obtain a clear advantage over the other.
On the contrary, their opponent seemed fiercer the longer they fought. This difference made it obvious why experience is so crucial in a battle.
"Hespar! I need you to support me." said one of the two young officers serving Eidos Luther. There are a few noticeable cuts around him, which explains his terrible earlier fight. His arrival also made it much easier for Hespar to control the output of Aura he had on others.
"Yes, Sir. How can I be your help?" Hespar immediately responded to his request after killing the soldier harassing him at the beginning of the fight.
"From what your father told me, your Aura could affect other Aura Users. Did I get that correctly?" his words made it clear that he's Hector's acquaintance because only Hector and Catherine knew the secret. Not even Eidos Luther knew it because it was a taboo amongst the Aura Users.
"Yes. If my father told you about it, it works as he shared." Hespar responded. There's no point in denying it because it was already told. Instead, Hespar can only treat it as his father's precautionary measure because something secretive like this should only be said to people close to their family.
"Good. After we're back at the camp, I'll tell you more about your parents and me. But for now, I want you to focus all your Aura as much as possible on me. Make it as strong as possible, so I can take advantage of the clear sight." the young officer said.
"Noted." Hespar quickly responded to his call and tried to communicate with the others under his influence.
(Everyone! Rely on yourself for a while! I'll be pulling back the blessing momentarily!)
The impression he gave came into the mind of those under his influence. It felt like a wave of information suddenly came into their mind instead of a line of conversation. The communication suddenly ran off when they wanted to respond to the request.
It wasn't as precise as the Communication Stone used by the soldiers but works as long the instruction was simple and direct.
After the influence vanished, the fifty powerful fighters had a momentary lag in their strength. They no longer had a white glow over their body, making the clarity in their sight drops significantly.
This made everyone fight carefully, knowing they were no longer protected by Hespar's blessing. While the small benefit was just a faint increase in overall strength and sight, it was more than enough to provide a significant boost in a battle.
[Mortal's Authority!]
After pulling his Aura back to his own, Hespar rereleases his influence, trying to ensure that the young officer is included in the blessing. Following his wish, the young officer and four other lucky soldiers were chosen this time.
Each one of them felt like a tiger being granted a pair of wings.
Instead of a slight percentage increase in strength, it is about 50% this time. Even the speed of channeling the Aura was half a second faster.
"Let's do it now!" the young officer pulled a strap that loosened up all the armor pieces protecting his body. It seems that his equipment was custom-made to compliment his Aura.
[Absolute Impaler!]
Shouted the young officer as a metallic iron spike hovered above his palm. He's also shrouded by a grey layer of energy as the Aura bursts out from where he stands.
As someone born into a fisherman's family, this is something distinctively represents his obsession. His father was an excellent spear-fisherman; thus, he was exposed to the sight from age.
But his difference from his father was instead of fish, he's using them on humans.
**WHOOSH!**
The iron spike was fired at a speed faster than a ballista. It immediately took out one of the Aura User opponents before he could react accordingly.
Then, the second iron spike starts to form as the young officer shifts his attention to Eidos Luther's opponent. It was apparent that the amount of bloodlust he was giving out was the highest on the battlefield right now.
This made him the primary target of all the Fennis Empire's soldiers. Luckily, the other four knew what they had to do when this young officer made his move.
"Eidos!" he screamed. To this young officer, nothing seems more critical than throwing the projectile in his hand. He was not even bothered by the third Aura User of the empire approaching him.
"Dream on if you're thinking of taking advantage of me!" the Aura User fighting against Eidos Luther yelled. He seems somewhat dissatisfied with the young officer's attempt to disturb his fight.
"We'll see." Eidos Luther smiled in response. The two continue to exchange blows while searching for the opportunity to overpower their opponents.
"Die!" suddenly, the third Aura User from the empire managed to get out of the four soldier's barricades and approached the young officer. Without anyone else protecting him, he was no different from a sitting duck waiting for his death.
But instead of worrying, his attention remains on Eidos Luther's battle. His hand was steadily in a throwing position, awaiting just the right time to throw the projectile out.
**Tang!**
The attack was interrupted as it was barely a few centimeters away from the young officer.