"Valiant knights of the kingdom of Celestial, as your hero, I will lead you to victory. Follow me!"
This message, proclaimed by the hero, immediately resonated with the knights, galvanizing the troops. The entire vanguard followed in his footsteps.
Their fervor for this symbol, embodied by the hero, seemed almost supernatural. One could feel the fiery frenzy in their war cries.
Gathering people around himself was an inherent quality of the hero. Regardless of his leadership skills, his status, combined with the "Charm" skill, allowed him to influence the state of mind of those around him. So much so that now, these knights no longer felt fear—they were captivated by the hero's brilliance.
"Magnificent..." thought Chreíos.
Chreíos' "Charm" skill had two modes: passive and active.
In its passive mode, everyone around him felt slightly fascinated, whether out of interest or admiration.
The active mode, which he had to consciously trigger, caused the targets to develop a profound love and fascination for him. Chreíos' desires would override their own. Mastering this state even allowed him to produce an effect akin to an aphrodisiac: his body would release special pheromones that particularly stimulated the opposite gender.
On the battlefield, the operation had just begun. The hero and the first unit were clearing the way.
Under Quintallin's orders, the second unit was focused on cleaning up and securing the supply lines.
All operations were being overseen by Nasios, who was tasked with maintaining communication and defending the fort.
The hero, accompanied by his personal knight, Gedrick, had broken away from the knights' tight formation and was advancing deeper into enemy lines.
The terrain greatly favored the knights' unit. It was flat land, while the monsters, coming from rocky zones, were charging toward them. With the right formation, it was possible to minimize losses and fight efficiently.
Jorh, the leader of the first unit, was an astute knight. Watching the hero and Gedrick carve a path ahead, he issued precise orders.
"The hero is clearing the way for us. Deploy formation B-24!"
Even though the hero was opening a path, it was unwise to follow him directly, as it risked exposing the unit to a counterattack. The B-24 formation was the perfect response to the situation, according to Jorh's reasoning.
"Front row, raise your shields!"
"Second row, ready your spears!"
The monsters would crash into the shields and be impaled on the spears—a simple yet effective strategy.
Under sky, the knights stood on a vast, desolate plain, their armor gleaming in the dying light. The ground trembled as monstrous creatures advanced, their grotesque forms twisting unnaturally.
Sir Jorh, the leader, roared a battle cry as he swung his massive sword. The blade cleaved through the scaled hide of a towering beast, black ichor spraying across the cracked earth. Beside him, Lady Eira danced between enemies with precision, her twin blades flashing as she severed limbs and pierced hearts.
A hulking monstrosity lunged at Sir Kael, its claws aiming for his chest. He deflected the blow with his shield, sparks flying, and drove his spear deep into its gaping maw. The creature let out an unearthly shriek before collapsing lifelessly.
The air reeked of sulfur and blood as the battle raged. Each knight fought with unwavering resolve, their movements a mix of discipline and desperation. When the final monster fell, silence swept over the plain. The knights, battered but victorious, raised their weapons high, their triumph a testament to their unyielding strength.
The monsters approached quickly. A fiery fervor spread among the knights as they watched the hero carve his way through the chaos. The first wave of monsters was stopped by the shields, then impaled by the spears of the second row. The extermination had begun.
As a knight, Gedrick had received proper military training. It was therefore not surprising that he could keep up with the hero when facing these low-level monsters.
Given their lack of intelligence, they posed little threat unless an unfortunate accident occurred. Their greatest asset was their numbers. If their leader were present, they could become much more troublesome. But even in these circumstances, their commander had to be hiding.
Gedrick Maxwell's Status
Name: Gedrick Maxwell
Race: Human
Age: 20 Class: Knight
Level: 25 Mana: E (19/20)
Strength: B (13/20)
Skills: Military Swordsmanship, Intention, Mana, Resourcefulness, Resistance to Intention Condition: Happy, Admiring
"This bastard has impressive skills for his age…" thought the hero as he glanced at Gedrick.
"He could have served as a living shield in the future. It's almost a shame to get rid of him now."
Gedrick felt Chreíos' gaze on him.
His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he cut down monsters that the hero had not reached.
"Sir Hero, we've reached the rocky zone. It'll be harder to fight under these conditions. What's your plan?"
"The plan remains unchanged: kill the leader. This area is full of caves—I suspect he's hiding in one of them. While the others deal with the monster waves, we'll take him out quickly."
In the rocky area, even the monsters were at a disadvantage.
They could no longer attack in large numbers. Gedrick and Chreíos cut through the goblins, leaving an increasing number of corpses in their wake.
"Understood," Gedrick replied as he eliminated the goblins attempting a rear attack.
"I think I've figured out what kind of creature we're dealing with. We're mainly being attacked by orcs, goblins, zombies, and skeletons. This points to an orc shaman as the leader. I deduce this from the presence of negative energy."
When it came to the undead, necromancy, or anything that defied the natural order of life, negative energy was always involved. Given the monsters—goblins, orcs, and skeletons—it was clear that a shaman versed in dark arts was responsible.
Some goblins, perched on higher ground, hurled rocks and arrows at Gedrick and Chreíos. But these rudimentary projectiles, lacking magical enhancements, were useless against them. Using his magic, Chreíos unleashed a fire slash, sending flames slicing through the air and consuming his enemies.
"No matter how intelligent this creature is, it's still a vile beast. A hikikomori will always hide in its room as long as it has everything it needs there," Chreíos remarked.
For a moment, Chreíos appeared lost in thought, but nothing significant happened.
"Hikikomori?" asked Gedrick.
"Forget it. I'm feeling unusually chatty today… Let's go!"
The hero followed the trail of negative energy, certain it would lead them to the shaman.
"Hero, I found a cave with a totem at the entrance!"
"Bingo. We've got him."
They had just found the location they were looking for. This place met all the conditions. Moreover, they could feel that something unnatural was emanating from it.