A wide expanse.
A man stood atop a ledge where he observed the icy covered no man's land underneath him.
Almost a kilometre above it.
He had long blond hair and crystal green eyes.
Combined with sharp and pleasant features , he looked handsome.
He wasn't overly tall and he was muscular despite being a mage.
Icy winds and cool breezes flew past him , tickling him.
If not for the fur clothes he wore , he was afraid that he would be frozen to the spot.
Well technically it was impossible as he could use his large reserves of Energiya and circulate within his body to maintain homeostasis but... even for someone of his prowess that approach was impractical.
No matter how powerful maintaining body temperature through Energiya 24/7 was a tough endeavour.
For this matter it was much easier to wear clothes that not only physically blocked the cold but also by trapping the heat in the body and not letting it escape.
It also had some simple and inexpensive attributes embedded on them that also protected from the cold.
This much was enough for surviving the minus 100 degree celsius conditions out here no matter if you were powerful or weak.
Suddenly as he was observing and contemplating the next plans , a short and stocky man came to him with a leather parchment.
Due to the man leisure approach , he thought there wasn't anything important in the parchment.
Without any change in expressions , he took the parchment in hand and started reading it.
The content inside the parchment wasn't overly long and before a minute , he had completely read it.
Returning the parchment back to the man , he again started to stare at the wide expanse.
Even though the news was insignificant for someone like him nevertheless after reading it, he started thinking.
He wasn't someone uneducated nor was he one not aware of history.
The news he read was about the coronation of the new king in Erlands that supposedly took ten months ago.
While he wasn't overly concerned about the new politics that would brew in the nation , he was concerned about the background of the new individual.
Why?
Well it had something to do with history.
The place called golden rock was filled with history.
It had about 500k years of history or in other words 50 eras.
The current era was the 51st era.
This time they were around could be considered auspicious and he took pride that he was able to witness a new era.
While no one could deny that coming eras would be more eventful as due to the passage of time the technology , the wealth of the countries had increased significantly , one shouldn't forget the previous eras which help shaped how golden rock was today.
If not for the valiant acts of many heroes , things like constant wars, intended famines , droughts would be ubiquitous and most important of all slavery wouldn't have been abolished at least in many countries.
But often times people took it for granted.
An average person taken from the streets only knew the history of about 300 years.
Why was this the case?
Well in simple terms , the common man was uneducated.
While in many parts of golden rock education was must and almost all citizens taught... in some places education could only be a distant dream like in the country of Erlands.
Even in the countries that did have education , it only helped the people to read and write and know only some history.
Only information of the first tier in both the arts were taught publicly and most of the time to get further knowledge one had to join a prestigious university or join under some institutions like those controlled by the government , guilds and so on.
Given the poor state of education in Golden rock , it wasn't surprising that the common man knew nothing of history.
But was that the case for him?
Of course not.
As then a future king and now a king , he had to thoroughly know the history of golden rock.
So what did he know?
The Clan named Athreya that the kings of Erlands were from, were in the ancient times , the strongest forces in the entire Golden rock.
Although they didn't expand further than the Mortal's valley , still the other regions like the fallen west , the greater west and even some part of the silent east were effectively under the influence of the clan Athreya.
They had many tributary states across golden rock.
Even the royal families of many countries that follow monarchies in the Mortal's valley were originally a cadet branch of clan Athreya and were related by blood.
Although clan Athreya's glory was something now gone, still some of the top people of golden rock knew who they really were...
Although not very powerful , it would be plausible that they still had some extraordinary treasures and powerful people protecting them from the back.
These resources were the last hope of Erlands.
If they were bested , than clan Athreya which had been once the progenitor clan of continent drake would be completely erased from history with no descendants.
But to still think they had direct descendants of the clan even beyond golden rock...
Surely it was something to look into.
In fact for him , Henry Achavel de Montaigu , the king of the greatest nation in golden rock, The Old Celestate of Etenerusa and the strongest person, it was something interesting.
It was believed that the members of clan Athreya when they arrived in golden rock were of the legendary sixth and seventh tier.
There was a high chance that they had information on how to achieve these tiers in their ancient records.
While he was a never seen genius and was sure could attain these tiers in some time and break the mysticism only by his instincts still he thought it would be good to follow the guidance of someone who had achieved that level.
One of his hobbies was extensively researching the literature across golden rock especially those concerning themselves with the arts.
Nevertheless while thinking about Erlands and its mystery was fascinating still it was something he had to put in the backseat for now.
There was a more pressing issue at hand that he was concerned with himself now.
The invasion of the Aka.
Started almost 200 years ago... when he was not even born.
A war raging on for almost two centuries.
The entire golden rock was in it.
The barbarians of the great ice , they had to teach them a lesson.
For that they started an alliance called the grand alliance.
Over the years the leader of this alliance came and went , often retired from major injuries such as the destruction of their energy sources which basically impended their doom , or those that died in battle or simply had no interest continuing the war and passed the responsibility to some other.
Now the leader of the grand alliance was him , the fifth tier mage and the strongest person in golden rock.
He had about twenty million men under his command , all trained in the arts of war and almost a mind boggling thirty million men in reserve and even more men who could be trained and then sent to the battlefield.
Although the numbers were huge and more than the amount of people in some of the countries in Erlands , on the grand scale it wasn't much.
Golden rock had almost fifteen billion population thanks to its fertile lands and natural resources.
Still nevertheless due to having so many men under his control , it also made him the most with the most authority in golden rock.
Currently he and his men were preparing for the invasion of a city called Luxles named the Shield of Ice
He was set to march with almost 300k men.
It was an important city and the capital of the region Azetuen termed the abandoned region.
Azetuen was the region nearest to golden rock and was the most poorest region in lands of the Aka.
But it was quite big in size almost half the size of golden rock.
If they were to take this city , then the supply to rest of the smaller cities and towns would be hindered and the campaign in Azetuen would then be a cake walk.
The Aka of course knew this.
Even though they were Barbarians who thought with their dicks , they knew the importance of this city.
Surely they would defend the city well and fortify it.
Even if the defences could be breached , the climate could prove to be a problem.
To almost march with 300k men in desolate lands required lots of food , fuel and resources.
Although the clothes had some durability and could stand a bullet or two if the barbarians had any guns on them, or even some mage attacks , it wasn't omnipotent.
Once his clothes were torn , man would definitely freeze to death.
Henry clutched his hands.
These barbarians...
For all they done to the people of the golden rock since time immemorial.
Their immoral acts...
He would make sure to return them with interest...
----
Somewhere in mortal's valley.
A dense forest.
The chirping of birds could be heard.
The sunlight couldn't be stooped from entering even after the collective efforts of many trees.
Its intensity indicated the time was about noon.
Two men with uniforms were seen guarding the place of no interest.
One of the men with a tea cup in his hands could be seen sitting on a tree stump.
While swirling the contents in the cup , he looked around the forest.
No matter how many times he saw it the forests seem to surprise him with its beauty.
He could spend all day looking at it and won't get bored no matter how many times.
The sound of the birds , the sound a distant waterfalls...
He was glad he was assigned to the southern place.
But still he wasn't overly careless.
He knew the nature of the job.
Dread could come at anytime.
His gun on the ground only proved the statement further.
If there was no chances of dangers , why was he given a gun?
In first place why were they even soldiers?
He looked up at his friend who was walking leisurely.
The spear tied on his back also moved with him.
"Hey William." the man called John asked his friend.
William on hearing his name turned around.
"Hmm... what is it?"
"You never told me what happened when you visited your family days ago."
Suddenly realising that he had never told his friend John about the visit, William almost wanted to smack his own head.
Well nevertheless he smiled.
The moments he spent with his family , his old mother and father , his beautiful wife and his ten year old daughter... was the most fun and happiness he had in life.
"It went well..."
William then went on to recall what happened.
John listened attentively and even he could't hide a smile.
If his friend was being happy , he too was being happy.
Just as William was speaking , John cut him off.
"Leave."
William was annoyed that he was cut off. Just when he was in the flow of explaining...
His smile slowly faded off.
Although when someone said leave when you were talking it be rude and implied they didn't want you to speak.
But he knew that John didn't meant it that way.
"Leave this goddamn place William."
For the hundredth time John said the same sentence to William.
The two went onto stare for a minute.
John never breaking eye contact continued to sip his tea.
"I think you are deaf and dumb at this point."
William turned around not caring what John would think.
"Given that you are persistent in the view you hold , let me share mine as well... this job is important to me and I will never leave it."
When William said it, was it because he was a patriotic?
Of course not!
If given a chance , he would leave this shithole with his family and go the richer count's shore to live a good life.
What he was there for was the pay they were giving him.
A soldier under the kingdom of Trimbiole earned good and well enough to support himself and his family.
Many times John had told him to get a job in his own town.
He understood his concern , John was a good friend.
While it was good and sufficient it was not good enough.
He wanted to give the best to his family members.
The best healthcare to his aged parents, the best clothes for his wife so she would always be pretty and most importantly he wanted his daughter to get a good education.
Something he didn't get.
His daughter had a rare talent in arcane arts and she could achieve the third tier.
He would fail as a father if he didn't give a chance for his daughter to realise her potential.
Thats' why... even though it was a job he didn't like to do , he had to do it nonetheless.
There was silence for sometime.
It seemed that John had nothing to say.
It seemed strange.
This conversation had happened a hundred times and every time he told his reason , John would always say something in counter.
But now why was he silent?
Did he finally give up on his persistent request?
No , that couldn't be the case.
He was the most stubborn person he knew.
He turned around to see John.
What he saw wasn't John anymore.
His head and body was separated.
Someone was putting his left hand on John's shoulders so his body won't fall to the ground.
The sword he held gazing the spot where his head once stood.
The lost head was currently on his right hand.
John was dead.
John face had no expression.
It seemed that he didn't even know how he died.
"Interesting , isn't it? Even I didn't know that light steps could be this deadly.
Finished off the opponents swift and quickly. They never know what happened to them."
William scrutinised the man.
His heart was beating very fast.
It seemed his heart would come out of his chest anytime.
He sensed the man' aura.
Although it was impossible to accurately measure it at his level , it seemed that the man was stronger than him who was in the middle level first tier in the movement arts.
The man wore a mask with intricate carvings and it was hard to discern his face.
For as long as he knew John had no enemy nor did he.
Even if there was one , it would be foolish to attack a soldier.
It would be akin to attacking the kingdom and the kingdom would surely retaliate.
Having the kingdom on your back was not a good idea...
His hand quickly reached for the spear on his back.
He positioned his body and took his stance.
The man in front had no stance at all and just held his weapon unremarkably.
He saw many openings in his stance.
He wanted to attack but his instincts were telling him against to.
His instincts was one of his strongest gifts.
"Not going to attack?"
The man questioned while tilting his head.
For a second , he looked scary.
The stronger aura surrounding his body that was released without restraint made William scared.
Even though the man in front of him was most definitely a movement arts practitioner, the man also emitted the aura of a mage.
Was he hallucinating it?
Definitely he was. The very notion that some one could practise both the arts at the same time was absurd and never heard of.
The man in front of him yawned and quickly disappeared from his place, leaving John's body and head to fall on the ground.
His image blurred as he approached William.
William without wasting any time activated his ability.
Spear's head , a two star ability.
A technique that he learned from the local dojo of his small town.
Something he was proud of.
His muscles tensed and the force his legs inserted on the ground increased leaving dents on the ground.
Without moving an inch , when the masked man approached him , he executed his technique.
*Strike*
The first hit connected with the middle of the sword.
*Strike*
The second hit made its way to the waist.
*Strike*
He dodged the counter attack by skilfully manuevering his spear.
*Strike*
He dodged the sword aimed at his neck.
*Strike*
With the back of his spear , William pushed the man backwards.
William panted heavily.
Just the ability now he used , took up most of his energiya.
It was understandable as the ability was a two star ability , one which only second tier practitioners could use fluently and efficiently.
This for him could only be used as a last resort as in his case it could even cause injuries and backfire.
But if the ability hit , then even a peak first tier would be killed instantly.
It was even a miracle that he could learn such an ability at the first place.
But his opinion of the ability plummeted rapidly after he saw the state of the man in front of him.
Although he received a direct hit to the waist and had a deep gush , other than just looking at the wound , the man did nothing else and continued to stare at him indifferently.
In the first place , how could this man counterattack even after receiving such a hit?
He had absolutely no defence!
But his offence was something out of this world.
It was as if William was tackling an enraged bull that only wanted to attack and didn't care about its defence.
If not for the strength given to him by the ability , he would have died...
"That was a good strike.
But it lacks strength and essence.
Let me show you how its done."
The man came straight to him , as if teleported.
William gasped.
The man was too close , his spear could not be used at this range.
He tried to move back,
But it was too late.
*pierce*
A direct hit that severed his arm.
His left hand flew in the air , before dropping to the ground with a thud.
William didn't even realise it.
But once the pain hit , he screamed very loudly.
*Ahhh*
His knees dropped to the ground and he held the place where once his arm was connected.
But he was not allowed to wail.
Grabbing his collar , the man made him look in his eyes.
"That ability you used , although interesting isn't used to its full strength.
Maybe its your lack of strength."
William had tears running from his eyes.
Snort was coming out of his nose.
"Did you notice a similarity in my fighting style?"
The grey eyes of the man shined dangerously as it squinted.
"Its similar to how a beast fights.
It has many openings ones could exploit.
But does it mean it is exploited easily?
No.
Why is that...
Its because, there aren't opening in the first place.
Beasts are clever.
Deception is their forte.
Even then you may hit them once or twice...
But eventually you will the one to fall and die.
But as much as they are clever , they are equal fools.
With proper ability and strength , they could be killed in matters of seconds."
There was silence for sometime.
Blood seemed to continuously pouring from William.
The ground had a meek smell to it.
"Which means...
You are weak."
At this point William didn't even care about the ridicule the man threw at him.
The overwhelming pain was something he was having a hard time dealing with.
He wanted to open his mouth so he could compromise with the man , but now he couldn't even do something as simple as talking but just groan in pain.
The man's grip on his collar lessened.
Was he going to live to see another day?
"...Die knowing that."
*Splash*
William's Carotid Artery was cut by the man's knife he took from the air.
William spasmed on the ground.
He was experiencing stroke.
Before he knew it , he laid lifelessly on the ground.
Now who would look after his daughter?
---xxx--