The bravery of a veteran soldier was nothing to scoff at, while people turned to become brittle and slower as they grew older , some veteran warriors , however , were simply like wine which grew finer the older it became. These veteran soldier oldies were mostly in between their early 30s to 40s and could hold their own against A ranked monsters and below.

Almezo , a veteran soldier that had survived being brutally murdered by the inhabitants of Doom Forest with a narrow escape would have been walking with his head held high , and with a demeanor which didn't even suggest the possibility of cowardice underneath to any onlooker - if he wasn't in the same Doom Forest which had brutally slain his old colleagues years ago.

Almezo glanced around the forest from time to time - looking out for any predators nearby that could be hunting for an easy snack. Easy snacks like them.

If it weren't for the three A ranked knights he was with, that had accompanied him for the safety of the two children, he would have probably showed visible signs of panic to the younger generation - something that would permanently stain his dignity and image.

The veteran warriors that did in fact grow more cowardly with age lived the rest of their lives in shame, they weren't openly scrutinized for it but the eyes of admiration that the youngsters once showered them with before became laced with visible mockery.

Almezo wouldn't want such a thing to happen to him, which was why when the metallic smell of blood started filling the air, he maintained an unbothered expression despite it being an omen. An omen that meant a dead prey was nearby, and with it a deadly enough predator that had managed to take a life.

The sound of swords unsheathing filled the air around Almezo , he hadn't even given an order to the knights yet , but they were already prepared for battle.

'If I survive this , I am retiring!'

Almezo thought to himself.

Lightning didn't strike twice and neither did death miss twice, he had survived Doom Forest the first time due to an enormous amount of luck. Would he survive this time as well?

Almezo and the three knights stopped the carriage and their individual stallions in the middle of the forest and then stepping down from them. if something was coming then they needed to be fully prepared for it. They couldn't make a run for it anyways.

The coach and a priest had already been instructed to retreat into the carriage, the priest having casted 4th Tier protection magic around it to protect those inside it. The barrier manifested in the shape of a yellow dome and could withstand A+ level attacks, and also tank somewhat minor S level attacks on special circumstances.

'At least the kids will be safe.'

Almezo thought, the two kids he had taken from the village were far too innocent to die in a savage and unfair way. If bad turned to worst and Almezo and the rest of the knights were killed and eaten, the carriage would at least remain intact thanks to the protection magic, and after Almezo's death, a signal would be sent to the Winchester house thanks to a talisman he wore, and reinforcements would be immediately sent.

But of course Almezo hoped it wouldn't escalate to such a situation.

'Hmm? Where the bloody hell is the beast?'

2 minutes had already passed, spent in complete stillness but Almezo and the crew hadn't been attacked yet, was the blood they smelled earlier just a false alarm? No, it couldn't be, it had smelled all too metallic, and too fresh for it to be.

And as expected -

Woosh

'To the left!'

Almezo quickly raised his shield, blocking a projectile that had been aiming for his neck. The ear-piercing sound of metal being penetrated sounded a second later as the projectile managed to puncture the metal shield to a degree, simultaneously managing to graze his left shoulder. The sound of gallops also sounded, being the stallions they had been riding making an escape for their lives - Almezo predicted.

He then carefully moved his shield and with it, the sharp object that had penetrated his shoulder. It stung a bit, but worrying about it wouldn't help him. The shield broke apart after, leaving him defenseless.

He looked at the projectile. it was sharp and pointy alright, but he couldn't discern which monster it belonged to.

His eyes darted around to look for an enemy that had attacked him, would it be a large creature with several rows of jagged teeth that it could launch? Or a two-headed slithering snake which could shoot poison from its mouth? At the very least he prayed the projectile he had been grazed with wasn't poisonous.

After a few seconds of searching, Almezo found the creature he was looking for , except that it wasn't creature but creatures. Plural.

The things look like absolute menaces.

"What in the hell are those things?! I've never seen insects so big !! "

Almezo reflexively shouted due to the shock.

7 stripped insects with sharp legs and with sharp projectiles sticking out of their butts were flying around Almezo and the crew in circles ,3 of them were holding some prey which was too bloody to recognise - that explained the metallic smell of blood in the air.

The monsters were so big that if they all launched close ranged attacks at Almezo alone, he wasn't confident in being able to make it out of the besiege without a missing limb or two, that is if he was lucky enough to survive.

" Commence A! "

Almezo shouted loud enough for the knights to hear, the three had already strategized 3 separate plans of action should they face 3 levels of deadly encountered ranked from 1 , the least threatening and to 3 - a deadly encounter.

This was at least a level 2 encounter which had the potential of becoming a level 3.

"Sir , we have lost an ally! "

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A knight shouted a second later, Almezo quickly glanced around him and was met with the horrible sight of a bleeding knight collapsed on the ground. Unlike Almezo , this knight hadn't been fast enough to block the projectile that had headed for him - which unfortunately left him ended up with a severed neck, a brutal and merciless death.

"Dammit ! Commence B ! "

Now that they had lost a knight , Almezo and the others couldn't afford to be reckless. At Almezo's order, the knights squared up near him in a circular formation., back-to-back.

This was plan B - a strategy suitable for multiple enemies since it allowed those inside the formation to look out for each other's back.

The only notable flaw to this formation was that it made it easier to be cornered, but Almezo was a retired A-ranked veteran soldier that was accompanied by 'knight' level aura-users, being cornered was the least of his worries.

"Defend using your shields ! And attack when given the chance to ! "

Almezo practically screamed the orders , which were very obvious to anyone , but he couldn't miss the chance to act experienced to these youngsters despite the serious situation. He then unsheathed the sword hanging from his waist and began activating the skill that each soldier was graced with. They called it the military formula.

Mana filled his every muscle as he started bulging, increasing in size by two inches. This was the skill < warrior > which boosted a soldier's strength and muscle mass, but in return took a portion of their speed. A tradeoff.

Almezo jumped at the nearest monster, slashing it with his sword. The insect easily dodged the attack - which wouldn't have dealt that much damage anyways considering it would have been a graze.

"Dammit ! "

Almezo cursed, quickly trying to return back to the formation.

And that's when a projectile was launched at him at breakneck speed, he barely managed to dodge it by twisting his body as the deadly weapon flew past him, but not without claiming Almezo's sword which snapped into pieces.

Immediately after dodging, another projectile hit him, right in the leg.

The things had anticipated his reaction.

"Ahh!! damn It aa-"

Almezo stopped himself from screaming out loud from the breathtaking pain, he was a veteran, and more than that he was also a leader , if he lost his composure then so would the knights , and this would lead to their slaughter. He broke the projectile from both ends and didn't remove it , since it would lead to more blood loss.

He threw the bladeless sword hilt away.

He then watched as a knight swung their sword at one of the menaces and the knight's aura began taking shape on the sword, taking the form of a sharp and point projectile.

Aura shaping: the ability to shape and slightly solidify aura, essentially weaponizing it.

The knight threw the shaped aura towards one of the beasts.

The little monster hadn't been expecting to be hit with the sudden attack and was penetrated and torn by the aura as it then violently dispersed, spreading the monster's guts all over the place.

'Of course! Why didn't I think of this, giving them a taste of their own medicine!'

Almezo picked up a stone and hurled it using all of his military formula given strength. The stone flew in the air and struck true another beast that had been unfortunate enough to be its target, it tore the thing's chest - emerging on the other side, the thing then collapsed on the ground.

Almezo was rejoiced, the only thing the military formula had been good for in the past was giving him a bit of strength which had been mostly used to carry heavy military machinery. This unexpected development was like a ray of hope of him.

Unfortunately, it was quickly squashed.

The buzzing in the air increased in intensity, the 2 beasts that had been slayed by Almezo and the knight were quickly replaced by 4 beasts. The 4 beasts were buffed and looked far more menacing than the dead two.

Almezo paled, death was knocking at the door.

'Fuck!'

9 projectiles were sent flying towards them at various angles, Almezo and the knights had no choice but to break apart to dodge them.

"Gentleman! It has been a pleasure to be your leader! Let us defend with everything we have, these bastards will have a taste of what it means to be a human warrior! "

Almezo shouted the orders, the two remaining knights nodded in agreement.

It was too late for them to be salvaged, they only had no choice but to give it everything they had without holding back , to burn like a vigorous lit candle -

Even if it meant they did so at the expense of their own lives.

A bald knight started the sacrifice, Almezo watched as the knight buffed his shield with aura so thick, yet so refined that the shield appeared to be wrapped around by it. The knight then threw the shield horizontally.

The weaponized shield sailed in the air like a bird, quickly killing three beasts that were paired together. He didn't miss the irony that the thing that had meant to defend had become a means to attack in the end.

The beasts didn't look too happy about having their numbers reduced, two of them quickly flew closer - their sharp legs pointing the way.

"Quick, defend!"

The beasts slashed at the bald knight that had dared to kill their kind with their sharp legs, the bald knight swiftly dodged the two slashes by dashing back then threw his sword at the beasts. It cut the things diagonally - which had been stupid enough to get within striking range.

"Haha!"

The bald knight rejoiced.

The victory was short-lived unfortunately.

ku-chak chak chak!

splat

Three stringers penetrated the defenseless bald knight in the head, chest and leg all together. A quick death.

Almezo felt his bile rise up , he had never gotten a front seat to manslaughter this brutal. Nobody should have. The things had managed to squash their hopes and momentum once again.

Ku-chak!

Almezo and the remaining knight tried to dodge the barrage of projectiles that threatened them. Almezo managed to dodge two, but one penetrated his arm- completely tearing it apart from the shoulder blade.

" Ahhhh !!! "

The pain was too much to ignore.

He fell down face first and heard another projectile fly past where his head had been just seconds ago. An unexpected fortune.

" Captain! "

Almezo heard the remaining knight shout and seconds later, he was flipped then pulled and placed on his back against a tree.

He gritted his teeth.

" Idiot ! You'll die faster this way! "

Almezo cursed at the knight, who stood next to him - defending Almezo against the sailing projectiles with a shield and a sword.

"Move aside, idiot !! "

Ka-chak

And just like that the knight's shield was dealt with by two stingers which tore it apart. The knight stepped back, falling right next to Almezo. Both of them were now open targets, sitting ducks was more fitting.

The beasts flew closer to them, their wings buzzing - the sound of death. However, they were no longer shooting projectiles at them, most likely having decided their meals were weakened enough and there was no need for the extra effort.

'Damn things!'

Huffed breathes escaped the two men's lips who now were drained beyond comprehension. Both of them smiled at the coming beasts, welcoming them in taking their lives. They would die as warriors who had given their all, to wake up and celebrate in Valhalla.

Death buzzed closer and closer.

Woosh!!

Schling

The grouped beasts fell down, precisely cut into pieces by several crescent blue arcs which had appeared out of nowhere like a bolt from the blue.

Almezo and the knight found themselves glancing at where the arc had come from, had another predator come to snatch them from the beasts? Such a thing wouldn't be surprising in the vile Doom Forest.

However, instead of their eyes meeting those of a predator's as they had both anticipated, crimson red eyes which shone under the sunlight glanced at them a metre away.

It was a man, no, a boy. The boy had pale skin and neck-long pale-white silky hair which was laced with silver. He had a face which appeared to have been carved by the gods themselves, bloodied rags covered him - clashing against his divine appearance. He must have been a god descended from the sky, coming to save them all. Or alternatively a really handsome demon having come to claim their souls for himself.

He inched closer towards them up until he was at arm's length, Almezo and the knight were both contemplating whether the person was a friend or foe, the pain they had been feeling just a moment ago seemed to have disappeared at the presence of this new possible threat.

His words cleared them of their worries.

" What are people like you doing in a forest like this? Luckily, I was nearby to help. Ah, where are my manners - my name is uhhhh, Azarth , pleased to be your acquaintance. "