Everyone else seemed to be doing the same thing, their eyes glazed over in concentration. A few monsters had came and gone, but Edgar had dealt with them before they were even a mile away. Jonathan could see a few corpses littering the ash a ways back, his massively increased senses letting him see exactly how they had died. Spikes of wind had been driven through their brains, effortlessly killing the monsters. Edgar was stronger than everyone in this realm, save for Granath and Jonathan himself, and it was certainly showing.
By the time an hour had passed, they had already covered almost a thousand miles, and were now back in the habited zone of the realm. The first town came into view some time later, but they were moving so fast that the paltry attempts of the guards were futile in stopping them. Jonathan saw them as if they were frozen in time, reaching out to grasp the streak of light heading by. Of course, they did not succeed.
Some time later, one of the massive roads that crisscrossed the realm came into view, and it was absolutely surrounded by soldiers. Thousands stood on both sides every mile, guarding it against attack. These were no slouches either, standing near the peak of Tier 1. They were like ants to Jonathan, but they would be effective against most other threats.
One facet of their plan was to take out the supply lines before going for the Ashen Citadel, effectively cutting off Granath from an easy store of food and goods for his armies. If this came down to a siege, which was likely, given the strength that the circle lord possessed, then they would need to even the odds. It would also help to break up the ingrained structures of the realm, making way for future governance. Although Tier 2s did not need to eat or drink, Tier 1s did, and they made up the vast majority of this circle’s population.
As the road came into view, Jonathan remembered the enchantment that protected it from harm. There was an energy field around the road that stopped anything going above a certain speed from entering. However, it likely had limits.
Jonathan raced ahead, towards the enemy lines. They formed up, but it was pitifully slow, and Jonathan blasted through them like a bowling ball. A few moments later, he was at the wall. He cocked back his fist and struck with all of his might, causing the shimmering wall to come down in a spray of transparent shards. Then it melted away, revealing the road itself.
“CEASE EVERYTHING!” Jonathan bellowed, projecting his voice and aura into the road.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Struck by sudden terror, the various merchants and wagon drivers froze, causing the procession to come to a standstill. Jonathan strode forwards, not watching as his followers butchered the soldiers behind him. “We have come to defeat Granath,” he continued, using a lower tone this time. “If you want to contribute to the resistance, then turn around, and bring your goods to where they are actually needed. If you stand in our way, then you will die.”
Although he spoke calmly, his aura made sure that everyone heard him. In response to this, there was little that the massively weaker merchants could do. Most of them turned around, but a few foolishly tried to keep going, likely more afraid of Granath than Jonathan. He moved so fast that he was invisible to the other merchants, and destroyed the carriages in the blink of an eye, making it look like they had just fallen apart. Upon seeing this, there were no more moments of misplaced bravery.
To Jonathan’s surprise, a few of them turned towards him, making their way across the streams of traffic towards his position. It started as a trickle, but soon dozens were approaching him. Confused, Jonathan waited to see what exactly they were doing. When the carriages stopped, people filed out of them, people from all walks of life. There were merchants, their guards, and even passengers who had come along for the ride. However, the looks on their faces were of people who wanted to make a difference in the world.
“My lord,” one of them said, a human man, as basic as they came. “We wish to enter your service, and cleanse this realm of the filth that is Granath.”
“What makes you think that you are worthy?” Jonathan asked, suppressing his surprise.
“We have lived our entire lives under the tyranny of Granath. There are millions like us across this realm, people who only need the spark of hope to break free from the shackles that bind us. You are that spark.”
“Very well. I will not stand in the way of your dreams. However, where we are going, you and your friends will die within moments. I have a different task for you.”
The man pursed his lips anxiously. “What task, my lord?”
“You must travel this realm, finding those people who you said support my cause, and direct them to help in any way that they can. Sabotage, whatever you think is best. I will mark you to let them see the truth,” Jonathan replied. “Before we start, what is your name?”
“Jakob Haslow, my lord.”
“Well, Jakob, congratulations. You are now the commander of this realm’s low level forces. Do with them what you will.”
Jonathan walked over to the man, and quickly drew a Rune of Physicality onto the man’s arm, imbuing him with power. He only put a little bit of energy into it, so that it would not blast the man apart where he stood. The rune glowed brightly on Jakob’s arm, and he stared at it in amazement. Then he bowed, and took off, racing back towards his carriage.