Aria
So Aran isn’t a very large continent compared to the other continents on Vortel, most of which were completely destroyed, the rest of which are just uninhabitable. But even Aran spans between six hundred to seven hundred kilometers in length from the edge of Albaria to the edge of Arteria. And probably about two thirds to three fourths of that in height, from the top of the Northern Pass to the bottom of the Southern Pass.
Then there’s these vehicles. Over the course of one day, we crossed what would normally take five to seven days on these strange vehicles the merchants call hoverbikes. With none of our pursuers being anywhere near close to able to keep up, and the cities we pass by unable to chase after. In fact, they probably don’t even know what passed by in the first place.
By the time we make it to the Northern Pass and are passing through, I’m pretty sure the commander is absolutely sold on us working with them regardless of the risks. If for no other reason than the technological advancement we’d gain from it.
Although if I’m being honest with myself, I can’t help but agree. Especially if the alternative is them working with the Arterians, even if that’s just an assumption of what they’d do.
Arterians who have already traded with them, hence that alarm.
Over the course of our trip, the merchant’s leader was oddly chatty with me. Pretty much explained to me the details of several different items that they had for sale, then implied that it may or may not have been what the Arterians purchased. But wouldn’t say more.
Which goes to show just how ‘neutral’ their neutrality is. They just don’t directly work with one group to hurt another.
They’re perfectly fine with indirectly working with them.
Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that they showed me each item they sold while telling me about them, then I’d suspect if they gave false intel or not.
It is entirely possible that they’re lying about what items they sold, but we can figure all of that out when we reach the base and bring them to the First General.
After entering the Northern Pass, climbing the cliffs again to avoid the fortresses and soldiers at Arteria’s end of the Pass, we change into our military uniforms and put on all of our equipment. Then we just make our way to the former invaders’ headquarters, passing through the Eastern Mountain Pass to get there.
And the moment we arrive at the fortress, the commander takes the merchants to the First General, giving us time to rest now that we’re back.
I don’t really care about them much after seeing them off, other than the technology they can bring us. Because it’s not my job to deal with the otherworlder merchants. Even if I’m pretty sure that Mr. Yusuke was trying to sell their virtues to me or something like that. Making them look like a good group to work with.
Instead of giving the commander a good impression, they chose to try to impress me.
Which makes me even more suspicious of them.
But, once again, not really my problem right now.
I head straight to my room to unpack before taking a quick shower and heading to the cafeteria for some wine. And while I’m sitting down at my table, the others arrive as well. But I just ignore them as they discuss amongst themselves while sitting down at my table with food.
Right when I’m about to take my first sip of the wine, the alarm over the fortress rings out, making me almost spill my wine as I look up with a glare at the edge of the cafeteria hut where our alarm enchantment is etched.
Seriously?
I let out a sigh before downing a few large gulps of the wine and rushing off, glad that I have my storage ring to keep my ammunition and equipment now instead of having to leave the extra ammo in my room.
It doesn’t take me long to reach the command center. A building that has already been rebuilt with our own technology over the hut that it used to be when the invaders controlled this place. And when I do, I, along with the others of Predator Division who followed me, find everyone rushing around with the First General shouting out orders.
The others of the division and I don’t take long to figure out what’s going on.
Just hearing the orders the First General is shouting is enough.
My eyes narrow.
Looks like the Arterians are finally ending the truce and attacking all at once.
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Time to go back to war again.
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As soon as we meet back up with the commander, our Division quickly makes our way to the Eastern Mountain Fortress, at the edge of the Northern Pass. And what we find are the Arterians conducting a full-on assault of the fortress with some of the technology that Mr. Yusuke described to me. Including the more advanced weaponry.
Specifically, more advanced guns, along with guns that are able to be supercharged with mana so that the gunpowder inside of them explodes with a more powerful force, with the guns themselves enhanced to handle it through enchantment and mana, and an additional enchantment made to the barrels for improved accuracy and power. Lastly, metals from off world used as the base, each enhanced by high level people.
To the point that these bullets all blow straight through our armor as if the armor were mere paper. And that’s not all. They blow straight through the people under the armor all the way through to the other side as well.
“Crimson, Snow, run wild,” the commander orders from our place on the wall looking out over the moonlit battlefield in front of the fortress walls. “Rogers, support them. Harvey, protection and keep watch.” He glances at Vargas as I run over to the edge of the wall, and I barely hear him order, “Vargas, you’re to stay in the base and prepare to give a warm welcome to any soldiers we capture during this,” as I jump off of the wall towards the ground.
I land with a crunch of my legs, only for them to repair themselves instantly along with my armor. Then my radio turns on and Striker’s voice comes through, saying, “Crimson, try to avoid killing the highest ranking officer you can find. Everyone else is fair game.”
“Roger that,” I respond before rushing forwards, ignoring the bullets beginning to make mincemeat of my armor and clothes even faster than they can repair themselves. And once I’m close enough to shoot – their weapons clearly having a longer range than ours – I open fire on them, specifically shooting at the joints and their heads. The places that the merchants said their special armor was weakest at.
Fortunately, it looks like he wasn’t lying, as when my shots hit, they break through. And I quickly begin tearing through the enemies.
[User has killed one being of Level 14. Requirements to reach level 6 have been updated. New requirements are as follows: 401/3000 beings have been granted Death.]
[User has killed one being of Level 13. Requirements to reach level 6 have been updated. New requirements are as follows: 402/3000 beings have been granted Death.]
...
The System updates come in one after another, just ticking up the counter with each soldier I kill. And judging by what I saw while on the wall, there are a lot of soldiers here. At least a force of twenty thousand men. Maybe even more.
So that number’s just going to continue climbing throughout the night as I fight in my first large scale battle in a while.
Considering how the operations I’ve been fighting on in the recent months have all been more covert ones. Or traps.
They haven’t been with large armies like this.
I don’t show any emotion on my face as I kill one soldier after another, my armor barely holding itself together from their shots and my own recklessness thanks to the large focus the creators put on the self-repair part of the enchantment. Meanwhile I manage to avoid some of the shots thanks to my soul energy.
One soldier after another falls under my guns. And when I eventually run out of bullets, having already killed a few hundred of the soldiers on my own after running deep into enemy lines, I switch to using my sword. A weapon I was actually initially taught by my father when I was only five. Even if he didn’t get very far and was rather gentle when he was teaching it.
Apparently my family is big on swords.
But just like whenever I use my sword on the battlefield before this whole System thing, I still feel numbed to all of the deaths I’m causing. Which only makes me feel bad and a little dark.
I feel like I should care, but after fighting for ten whole years without a say in the matter, I’ve started to lose that care.
And I still wonder.
Am I really a monster like some of the Arterians so love to call me?
These thoughts rattle through my head as I cut the soldiers apart with my sword, occasionally taking their own weapons and firing them at the enemies myself until they run out of bullets. Sometimes taking their own bayonets and running them through with them after they did so to me. And sometimes being blasted by spells or other abilities, gaining some new adaptations, and taking a short break while I recover – still being shot at of course – and then going back to the slaughter.
Every time the enemy soldiers almost capture me and pin me down, I manage to snake away thanks to the support of my own allies. Every time ability users try to blast me with abilities to keep me dead, a barrier appears to block them when they begin to become too much to deal with.
And the process continues on and on. So long that even those dark thoughts in my head fade away into the blood coating me from head to toe.
I only barely notice the blades of ice flying through the enemies and tearing them to shreds from the wall where Snow is standing.
Only barely notice the barriers protecting him and Rogers, who is using his support magic.
And only barely notice the green glow emanating around the crimson glow on me, marking his enhancement ability boosting me as well.
Time continues moving by at a crawl during the senseless slaughter until I finally hear a loud horn blowing from the fortress, snapping me out of my trance in but a single instant. And after that, I, along with every other soldier here both enemy and ally, turn to look at the wall, where we find the First General with a gun pointed at the back of a man’s head.
A man wearing what I recognize as a colonel’s uniform.
The second highest military officer rank in the Arterian military. Below only the four generals and the royal family themselves.
Also most likely the man in charge of this army.
“Surrender now or die to the last!” The First General’s voice echoes out across the entire battlefield, the woman clearly using her illusion ability to enhance it. “This battle is over either way!”
And just like that, swords, guns, and weapons of all kinds begin to clatter as the enemy soldiers drop them, making the weapons hit the ground.
But it’s not without losses on our own side, as I can clearly see from the dead Albarians all around us.
I finally slow my breathing before looking down at myself and finding my body completely soaked in blood from head to toe.
Then I raise my head again to look at the moon high above us, radiating out over the night.
Well that… was unpleasant.