The first squad to return didn't even know how they died.

Aeron's swords claimed the lives of the first two in an instant, and the knights quickly dispatched one target each.

The two spearmen leapt out from the bushes and stabbed each of their spears into the body of the same soldier, instantly ending his life as well.

Aeron and his subjects dragged the bodies into the underbrush and lay in wait once again.

The second returning party noticed something was off the second they smelt blood, but that still didn't save them from the same fate as the first.

"That's all of them."

Aeron whispered.

He then led them towards the gates after taking a light spear each from the corpses.

Five guards stood on watch at the gate. Aeron's soldiers charged towards them and threw their spears before the guards could even react.

Only two hit home, piercing their targets and fatally wounding them. The other 3 spears missed, clearly showing the throwers' inexperience at this.

The shocked guards only managed to shout an alarm when the intruders reached the gate.

Roaring, the knight activated the [Berserk] Skill and charged into the gate, shattering the wood and making a large enough hole for one person to fit through at a time.

The berserking knight was already through and raced up the walls to slaughter the three guards still alive there.

Soldiers were gathering up near the [Origin], organised by an elderly man who held a gnarled staff.

Aeron marched his troops to the other gate after picking up spears once again. They quickly killed the guards stationed there and took their positions.

Not long after, a squad of soldiers came from the forest. They got to the gates without noticing anything wrong with the situation.

"We're back. Open up."

One of them shouted up.

Aeron responded with a volley of spears.

At this close range, four of them managed to hit. Aeron had to take a spear from one of the more recently slain guards in order to finish the last enemy off.

By now, the defenders had finished gathering in the centre of the village. Only 5 of the lightly equipped soldiers were left.

The remaining troops all carried greatswords and were completely covered in tattoos, unlike their partially covered brethren.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The elderly man stood in the centre of the formation, rallying them.

All the citizens hid in their houses, not daring to come out. They thought the enemy force was much bigger than it was.

The leather clad warriors casually made their way over to the defensive force, taking their time to allow the knight to fully recover from his earlier berserk.

"Why have you come here?"

The elder called out.

Aeron didn't deem it necessary to reply. Instead, he and his subordinates threw the last four light spears they had at the enemy ranks.

They saw it coming this time, so only one of the enemies got hit, and it wasn't even fatal.

Seeing that there was no use talking it out, the elder gave an order.

"Charge!"

The muscled warriors went forth screaming battle cries. Each step they took, they grew a little.

"Careful!"

Aeron yelled.

"They're berserking!"

The knight activated his own berserk again and met a charging berserker head on. His own strength overpowered that of the tattooed warrior's and lopped his arm clean off.

Lance stabbed forwards, ripping open the neck of a berserker before he even got within greatsword range, and Edmund threw himself inside the swing of an enemy, bringing his sword into their chest and straight through their heart. The spearman managed to hold his own, keeping a berserker at spear length but not inflicting any fatal wounds.

Aeron sped forwards, two blue arcs cleaving into the chests of the enemy and reaping their lives.

The old man had been chanting since he gave the order to charge. He finished the chant with a flurry of his staff and yelled.

"Mass Entangle!"

Roots shot up from the ground, binding themselves round the feet of Aeron's allies but missing Aeron himself because of his speed.

The knight ripped right through his bindings, going on to slay another berserker, and Lance didn't need to move to fight against these opponents.

However, Edmund and the spearman were stuck in a tricky situation.

Aeron rushed over to the spearman first, knowing that Edmund could hold his own.

His blades flashed and the vines were cut as well as the neck of the nearest berserker.

Spears rained towards Edmund, bouncing off his armour but distracting him long enough for an enemy to land a savage horizontal blow across his chest.

He flew backwards, his feet ripping from their bindings.

Angered, Aeron bounded over, shoving his blade through the offender's stomach. He watched the savage expression on his enemy’s face turn to pain, then to fear, then to despair.

Revenge complete, Aeron ran over to Edmund to check if he was ok.

As he got there, Edmund pulled himself up from the ground.

"I'm fine my Lord."

He said.

"Just a little roughed up is all."

Aeron laughed at the absurdity of his own worry. With this armour on, which of them feared receiving attacks anywhere but the head?

When he was done, Aeron looked at the state of the battlefield.

All the berserkers were dead or dying, the lightly equipped soldiers were being dealt with by Lance and the spearman, and a still raging knight was fighting off some nature golem the old man had summoned.

They didn't really need him, but just to be sure Aeron charged towards the elderly man.

Startled from his chanting, the words got stuck in the elder's throat as he turned to face Aeron. His expression was one of fear right before his head was detached from his body.

With its summoner dead, the golem collapsed and so did the knight soon after.

All obstructions cleared, Aeron walked up to the [Origin] and placed his hand on it.

Two options appeared: [Capture] or [Destroy]