The convoy was huge, designed to carry over two hundred people, maybe twice that. Still, it was only half of the entire convoy.

“What kind of vehicle am I in?” I thought as I looked around the interiors. Larger than the buses in my previous world, but fully armored. The chairs were fixed to the walls, facing each other. That meant that the entire ride I would be looking directly at a complete stranger.

In front of me, a greasy-faced, clearly out of shape man. He was perhaps my age, a rookie like me. He wore no military insignia, indicating that he was a newly enlisted civilian. A novice who would have to start from scratch.

But the worst thing wasn’t his appearance, but the constant eye contact. We were both stuck in an awkward silence, just like everyone else in the convoy. No one said a word, and every passing second made me wish the vehicle would just start.

We were still in Ziris. No one knew how much longer it would take to get going. That's when the greasy-faced guy tried to break the ice.

— Where are you from? You seem western.

I shrugged.

— A village four days away from Ziris. Nothing impressive.

I noticed that the other passengers had stopped pretending indifference and were attentive to our conversation. Then, the guy asked:

— Did you come all the way from that village just to join this expedition?

I pulled out my ID badge and showed it to him.

— I’m a recent graduate of the Agnus Academy.

His face changed instantly. It was the expression of someone who had just seen a “lifelong friend who stole your girlfriend.” I let out a mental sigh. “Great, another one of those hallucinations,” I thought. That’s what I called people who hated a group just because they didn’t accept reality.

As soon as I mentioned the academy, more people in the convoy started talking. Some also happened to be graduates or knew someone who was. What had been an oppressive silence quickly turned into a constant murmur. Despite the absurdity, that simple comment broke the ice.

It seemed like the guy would hold a grudge against him for the rest of his life, and yet, Fritz couldn't care less. Meanwhile, he noticed that most of the people present wore the insignia of the Agnus Academy; approximately 120 soldiers came from said institution.

Fritz had already planned to rely on them if things got complicated. It was better to trust someone trained in the handling of weapons and military tactics than to depend on an ignorant civilian without preparation. Sure, not all the students were experts, but at least they knew how to follow orders and maintain discipline in critical situations. He remembered how, at first, many students vomited after killing their first bunny. Now, they could eliminate monsters without hesitation, thanks to the rigorous training that had hardened them.

He pulled out the book he had copied earlier and began to skim through its contents, especially the chapters on the Undead. Beside him, someone else was also reading.

As Fritz turned the page, the person next to him interrupted him:

—Wait, I'm not finished.

Fritz turned his head towards him, incredulous. The guy, unfazed, continued reading.

—Already? —Fritz asked, his voice tinged with slight irritation.

—Already —the other replied, with a calmness that bordered on satisfaction.

Fritz was about to tell him to mind his own business, but at that moment someone else got into the vehicle. The new occupant caught the attention of all the soldiers who were murmuring among themselves.

He was a man in uniform, but his yellow vest distinguished him from the others. Unlike the rest, whose suits were rough and functional, his was more sophisticated. In addition, he seemed older than the average, who was around 19 or 20 years old. If Fritz had to bet, he'd say he was entering his thirties.

However, he still considered himself young. In this world, life expectancy was about 150 years, and physical development stopped around 25. Fritz, already a little taller than average, still had room to grow.

The man, with a firm voice, introduced himself:

— I am Rudolf, in charge of transporting soldiers. I want to inform you that we will be leaving in thirty minutes.

His gaze swept over those present, stopping for a moment on the book that Fritz was holding.

— As some of you may know, we are heading to a land called Ikyrus. However, in the military, it is known as "the Cemetery." And I want to make something clear

fixating his eyes on the soldiers

— Each one of you is destined to protect that land. Many never return. Some will be relocated by higher orders, but you must go with the mindset that you may never return home.

Then he began to explain the communication systems and how the sending of salaries to families would be handled. But Fritz stopped paying attention.

As an orphan, with no immediate family, he had no attachments holding him back anywhere. If he had a home, he wouldn't be in this situation. Now, he was stuck with a student debt that would cost him forty years of work. Fortunately, there was no interest; his salary was already adjusted with the corresponding discount. It was certainly a rip-off, but he had no choice and he couldn't complain.

Fritz sighed and looked out the window, resigned to wait. However, thirty minutes passed and the vehicle didn't move. In fact, it took another long sixty minutes before the Convoy's engine finally roared, and it took another twelve minutes to start.

Through the glass, Fritz saw the silhouette of the Agnus Academy fading into the distance. He felt neither nostalgia nor uncertainty, but relief, as if something inside him was finally unlocked. It wasn't optimism, exactly. It was a feeling of progress, as if leaving the Academy was the first tangible step towards something new.

He closed his eyes, letting himself be enveloped by that strange calm.

Over time, the atmosphere inside the Convoy became more relaxed. The young people began to talk, sharing stories about their lives before joining the army. There were those who came from families of farmers, carpenters or even mechanics, and they related anecdotes that, despite their simplicity, caught Fritz's attention, who made a mental note of some useful details.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

However, the most recurrent stories revolved around the "exploits" of the Agnus Academy. To Fritz, these anecdotes were nothing out of the ordinary; they were simple episodes of daily routine at the Academy. But to outsiders, they were almost legendary.

(Warning: Fritz is not a normal person.)

When night came, the logical thing to do would have been to camp, but the system in the Convoy was different. Each side of the vehicle housed one hundred seats, of which five could recline enough to allow someone to lie down. In total, 204 seats were distributed in the vehicle. Four random soldiers occupied the front, in the most comfortable seats, while the others settled in the back.

Forty people managed to sleep in the reclining seats, but the other 156 lay down on the floor of the Convoy, which was wide enough to accommodate them without any problem. It seemed obvious to Fritz that the Empire was not willing to overspend on amenities.

Fritz quickly found a space and drifted off to sleep.

Eventually, he woke up. He looked around and saw that almost everyone was still asleep. Only one guard remained awake, keeping watch with obvious exhaustion. Guard shifts rotated every hour between several soldiers to maintain security.

Fritz slowly sat up and, with some confusion, asked,

—What time is it?

The guard checked his watch and replied in a deep voice,

— Four in the morning.

Fritz nodded and, with careful movements, began to make his way through the vehicle. Each step was measured, avoiding stepping on the soldiers sleeping around him. His movements were fluid, almost graceful, displaying a balance that few could match.

When he reached the door, he carefully opened it and stepped outside.

The change in temperature was immediate. From the cozy warmth of the Convoy he passed to a cold breeze that ran across his face. Fritz took a deep breath, let the cold clear his senses, and then did what any man would do in his situation.

...

...

...

...

He urinated behind a tree, hiding in the darkness like a practical gentleman.

Fritz was busy with his own business when suddenly his gaze met with crimson eyes that watched him from the darkness.

It was a soldier, thin and expressionless. His eyes scanned Fritz up and down, a quick assessment that ended when he simply continued on his way.

Fritz let out a resigned whisper,

— Well, at least we’re both men.

After finishing, he returned to the Convoy. Instead of going inside, however, he stood outside for a moment, enjoying the fresh air as he pondered how much longer it was to reach his destination.

The journey, finally, began. And before Fritz knew it, he already had hair on his chin. It had been a month since they had left, and all the initial excitement had disappeared, replaced by a mix of exhaustion and tedium.

In such a closed environment, the 199 soldiers accompanying him already knew each other too well. At first, the coexistence had been cordial, but after spending 15 hours a day, seven days a week, for a whole month, even the friendliest ones were beginning to show signs of irritation.

Fritz sighed, observing his sleeping companions from his post as a guard. He looked at his watch: there were five minutes left until the shift change. He relaxed his body and leaned against the wall, trying to stay awake.

However, something was wrong. His vision began to blur, and a strange heaviness took over his eyelids.

Fritz gritted his teeth, determined to stay awake. With a titanic effort, he stood up, feeling his body stagger. He advanced between the sleeping soldiers, stepping on them without waking any of them, which caused panic to shoot through his mind.

Desperate, he approached a metal wall of the Convoy and began to bang his head against it.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Each impact shook him, but the weight on his eyes did not disappear completely. Finally, he raised his head and looked towards one of the windows. That was when he saw it.

A shadow watched him from the other side of the glass. Without a second thought, he raised his gun and fired.

The crash of shattered glass and a high-pitched screech reverberated throughout the Convoy, awakening several soldiers.

But Fritz didn't wait for them to calm down. With a leap, he jumped through the broken window and fell to the ground, coming face to face with the creature.

It was terrifying. A huge mutated fly, with thin legs and a grotesque face that looked human, where it should have had wings were thin limbs. A light gas emanated from its body, barely perceptible, but which Fritz already understood was responsible for the drowsiness he had felt.

Without hesitation, he aimed and fired, ending the monster's life.

However, the shots attracted more creatures. From the darkness of the forest, several monstrous flies emerged, advancing towards him.

Fritz felt a knot in his stomach as he frantically aimed, trying to hold them back. The gunshots alerted more soldiers who made their way to Fritz's Convoy, who began to rise and open fire from within the Convoy. A few soldiers stood up regretfully and began firing. The sudden flurry of activity caused the creatures to back away, fleeing into the thicket.

Finally, Fritz let his body fall to the ground, leaning against the vehicle. His breathing was heavy, and his vision was still somewhat cloudy. The gas seemed to have had some residual effect on him.

With each second, his eyelids felt heavier, and although he fought against the feeling, he could not stop his body from giving in to exhaustion.

His eyes slowly closed, plunging him into a dark, deep sleep.

When he woke up, it was already daylight. Fritz noticed that the only visible wounds were on his arm, caused by the shards of glass from the broken window. These had been removed and cleaned with precision, leaving only a slight sting.

He slowly sat up, observing that most of the soldiers were not inside the Convoy. Wasting no time, he stepped out and saw a large group gathered in the distance.

Curious, Fritz approached the place, but the scene left him speechless. There was a row of bodies being cremated, all students like him. However, the most disturbing thing was that those bodies were empty, reduced to mere human shells.

Before he could process it, Rudolf appeared and, seeing him, approached. With a gesture, he led him away from the group.

Fritz, unable to contain his uneasiness, asked as he glanced at the bodies:

— Did those creatures do this?

Rudolf nodded gravely.

— Before they attacked your Convoy, they had already looted another one. Two hundred soldiers died in less than an hour.

Fritz felt a chill run down his spine, but Rudolf continued to explain:

—Those monsters are parasites. They release a gas that puts people to sleep, and then, with terrifying speed, they absorb everything: organs, blood… even skin if necessary.

The young man pressed his lips together. A bitter thought struck him: if he hadn’t woken up and fired, he too would have ended up like them.

Rudolf placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

— Thanks to you, many lives were saved.” As far as I'm concerned, you're a little hero.

Fritz put on a bitter expression, and with a forced smile replied:

— I'm not worthy of that title.

Rudolf just laughed, patting him on the back, as if Fritz had told a good joke, and then walked away.

Fritz stood there thoughtfully, watching the cremation. He sighed, resigned, and began to walk towards the Convoy. However, something caught his attention.

In the crowd, the boy with the crimson eyes was watching him out of the corner of his eye. He didn't say anything, he simply turned around and walked away in silence.

"What a suspicious guy" thought Fritz as he entered the vehicle.

He slumped into his seat, trying to relax. The incident had delayed the trip, but eventually, the Convoys resumed their course. Fritz looked out the window as the landscape passed by.

That was when he saw it.

In the distance, a colossal figure rose, almost impossible to discern, but its immense size was evident. Fritz felt a chill as he recognized what it was.

The Titan of Chaos.

Something inside him told him that the Graveyard was near, and that this inevitable encounter was about to come.

From the shadows, a skull watched the vehicles as they drove away. With a skeptical look, he muttered,

— How strange. According to the chief, 800 soldiers were supposed to die in this attack, but only 200 were killed… I must report it.”

The skull seemed restless, and soon set its sights on a particular vehicle, one with a yellow dot standing out. With displeasure, it spoke in a low voice,

— That horrible feeling… It seems there is a variant among them that we must take into account.

The skeletal figure disappeared, melting into the darkness.

Meanwhile, inside the Convoy, a young soldier sat silently, playing with a small gold medal in his hand. His eyes, clear blue and deeply sad, stared into space. Suddenly, he squeezed the medal tightly, and his gaze hardened, reflecting a contained anger.

The blue-eyed young man looked out the window, expectant of his next destination.