On the field beside the military camp of the southerners. Late evening

The air was filled with curses and screams of pain. Corpses and wounded men lay among the overturned tables and benches, while southerners had surrounded a few small groups of the warlocks and were fighting with them.

The fight had been started unexpectedly for Anno. Some time ago they all feasted peacefully when all of a sudden the young man heard a commotion and screams among the warlocks. Anno looked in their direction and noticed a man in a rich jacket (that wore all southern noblemen) who held a sword and fought with several warlocks.

What's coming off..? Shocked Anno thought but the next moment the fighting nobleman cried out. “Gullcliff!!!”

The young man recognized this war cry. It belonged to one of the southern noble houses. The heir couldn't understand what was happening when unexpectedly someone exclaimed. “The warlocks are killing the lord of the Gullcliff! Let's kill sea shrimps!”

This exclamation was like a trigger for the drunk noblemen who could see with their own eyes as damn sea brothers were killing their fellow nobleman! Besides, an overwhelming majority of lords and knights didn't like or hate sea brothers. Thus, this exclamation provoked them easily.

In a heartbeat a group of the lords and knights drew their swords and ran to help the lord of the Gullcliff. It only intensified the fight and more and more angry and drunk men from both sides began to join it.

One moment a lot of noblemen who still sat at their table stood up as one and rushed towards the warlocks, drawing their weapons on the move. Lord Elian and his son joined this large group.

Truth be told, Max was scared. Neither he nor previous Anno had been in a real fight before. But Max knew that he couldn't run away - or else people would become a coward in the eyes of other people. Such a fate was worse than the death for a nobleman, because no one would respect him anymore. He would be like a dead man for his social class. Besides, the locals believed that a coward couldn't be a leader. Thus, the heir of the Woodwall didn't have any other choice but fight.

The crowd of the drunk noblemen clashed with the warlocks. A lot of men began to kill each other. Quickly Anno had lost his father in the crowd and was squeezed from all sides by strangers. Everyone screamed and cursed around him.

The heir couldn't see this but those men who already fought with the warlocks in the first line dropped their weapons and drew knives that were much more effective in the hand-to-hand combat. They also used teeth. Fortunately, the thick fancy jackets that the southerners wore gave them some protection. It wasn't easy to penetrate many layers of linen fabric with a knife.

In a while Anno ended up in the first line. Fortunately, there weren't many warlocks left.

Anno's opponent was an adult bearded man who was already seriously wounded and breathed heavily. Immediately the heir grabbed the arm of the opponent in which he held a long bloodied knife. The sea brother tried to resist but he was tired after the previous fight and was getting weak due to the wound. The young nobleman hit the warlock's neck with his dagger several times. Next moment Anno felt hot blood on his face. The enemy dropped his weapon, covered his neck with his arms and dropped to the ground.

The young man stepped on the still alive man. He didn't have another choice. It was very crowded here.

Anno headbutted the next opponent in the face. It dazed the enemy and gave the heir a chance to hit the warlock in the groin area. The enemy screamed in pain and then likely lost consciousness. The enemy dropped down. The young man and the nobleman behind him stepped at him.

Max tried not to think what he was doing. This fight was cruel. Both sides weren't going to captivate each other.

Unexpectedly the next opponent hit Anno in the heart area with his knife. The jacket stopped the blade, though it was very painful. The heir felt that his eyes watered.

Then the warlock grabbed Anno's neck and began to choke the young southerner. The enemy was strong. The heir panicked because he couldn't breath. So the nobleman stuck his dagger in the enemy's unprotected belly. Then he turned his weapon. The sea brother screamed in pain and weakened his grip before dropping down.

Anno coughed. He needed time to catch breath. But a new warlock attacked him.

The young man got scared. The nobleman realized that he could die here.

Fortunately, Anno remembered about the system. He opened the menu and the time slowed down. The enemy began to move slowly. It gave Anno enough time to choose the [restore] function - then [stamina] in the submenu. The system required one life essence. The human agreed.

The next second the young man felt that all his fatigue had gone. He was full of energy as though Anno had a good rest. Thus, the heir managed to kill his opponent, though it wasn't easy. The warlock was a strong guy.

Anno continued fighting with the sea brothers but the fight didn't last long. In a while all enemies in this group were killed.

Soon the southerners cleared the field from the warlocks and hurried to their camp. There were a small number of sick warriors and a group of slaves.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

+++

Harefield. Night

Berthold Fortholder stood on the wall again. He stared at the field beside the large camp of the southerners. He knew that the southerners were having a feast there but at the moment the strange commotion was happening on the field.

What's coming off there? The lord thought nervously.

He feared that the invaders secretly had prepared many siege ladders and now they were going to storm his town.

“Hurry up!” Berthold screamed at his men. He tried to hide his panic.

The town militia and his own men-at-arms were taking their positions on the battlements. Also, they were in the process of manning a few small towers that stood along the walls.

Meanwhile, Harefield didn't sleep as well. The townspeople could hear the town's bell. Some families hurried to the church of the Four. Some preferred to stay home.

Berthold began to whisper a prayer. He didn't want his men to hear him. He couldn't demonstrate his fear.

The lord stood on the wall all night and only in the morning he went home to have breakfast.

+++

Beside the camp of the southerners. Early morning

Anno approached the river and dismounted. He left Hans with their horses and came closer to the water.

The heir could see that the market beside Harefield was empty. No one had come to trade. No wonder the merchants and the townspeople were scared. Many people had died this night.

Anno came here because he didn't want to hear screams of the wounded men in their camp – especially when the priests began to treat them. They applied hot metal to cuts and wounds. It was uncomfortable to be in the camp. But there was also another reason why Anno came here.

The young man brought his left arm closer to his eyes. There was a deep cut across his palm. One of the warlocks did that.

The skin around the cut reddened and pained. It indicated that infection was spreading. The wound looked terrible and actually posed a serious threat to Anno's life. He could die from this cut.

Previous Anno hadn't been vaccinated from childhood like the people on Earth. It meant that he wasn't protected from many diseases and a random scratch could be fatal to him.

Anno didn't show his cut to anyone. He didn't want to scream with others in the camp. Besides, such treatment was dangerous and could kill him.

Fortunately, Anno knew what he should do. The system helped him once, it should help him twice. He opened the menu and the time slowed down.

[Menu]

Name: Anno Brightbrave (Maximilian Fink)

Life essences: 5

Health: 70%

Golden coins: 6

! A host can earn one (1) life essence for each killed sentinel being. A golden coin will be given as a reward for each killed sentinel being.

! Life essences can be used to [heal] the host's wounds and diseases or [restore] the host's health and stamina. The host can use life essences on himself or on [other] alive beings.

Max didn't feel any guilt when he saw the number “5” after the “life essence”. The warlocks tried to kill him. Besides, the previous owner of this body was raised to become a warrior. He was a future knight. Killing people was Anno's profession.

The heir looked at [heal] and then chose [wounds] in the submenu. Healing cost one life essence. It was acceptable so Anno agreed.

The young man watched as his cut was closing in real time. It was healed completely in a few seconds. Not even a scratch was left.

Anno touched his palm in disbelief. The process of healing looked like real magic. The palm stopped pain.

In this world the system was very useful. It helped to survive.

And if I help to get well a right person... Anno thought and realized that the system could also help him to fulfill all his ambitions.

A lot of lands, power, wealth and armies might be his, or the system could destroy him. Anno knew that people are very ungrateful and greedy beings. If a word spread out about his abilities... The man dreaded that, because he would become a target for too many. In such a case nothing would save him.

Anno looked at “Health”. It showed 70%.

Now I can restore my health to 100%. He thought.

The cost was three life essentials. It surprised the heir a little. The system had never requested more than one life essential in the past. The man agreed.

Anno couldn't see that but the next moment the system began to correct all his DNA sequences. It was erasing all genetic diseases, restoring the work of all inner organs to their prime condition, nullifying all harm that was done to Anno's organism in the past.

Meanwhile, the heir sweated and felt unwell all of a sudden.

“Damn...” Anno muttered and felt the urge to puke.

In a few seconds he bent over and vomited right on the ground. The man could see the semi-digested food that was mixed with a lot of blood.

“Young lord!!!” Anno heard the frightened voice of his servant.

Hans ran up to his master. He was genuinely concerned, because the well-being of his family totally depended on the Brightbraves.

“Save me the Four...” The next second the scared servant muttered when he saw Anno's vomit. “Young lord, you are being poisoned...”

What..? Anno looked at Hans in confusion.

The servant was dressed in padded armor and had a sword with a broad blade.

In a moment the nobleman realized why his servant had thought so. This situation really looked like poisoning.

“Horses... Watch horses...” Anno said and vomited again.

Hans ran back to the horses and returned with them to his master.

“We need to hurry up, young lord!” The worried servant exclaimed. “They say that father Fat Belly heals poisoning!”

Anno didn't answer. He just dropped on his knees. The man felt really unwell.

“Young lord!” Scared Hans exclaimed and knelt beside Anno.

The young nobleman could see fear in his eyes. Lord Elian would not spare him and likely all his family if his only son would die.

“I will be fine, Hans.” The heir muttered and, having no strength, dropped on the ground.

Hans jumped to his feet and grabbed his master to start pulling him towards the horses. Then he laid Anno on the mount's back and began to take a rope from one of his saddle bags. He was going to fasten his master to the animal.

Oh, damn it... The heir thought, having no strength to resist his worried servant.

Fortunately, the process of restoring the health to 100% had ended at that moment. Unexpectedly Anno felt his body so strong as never before. The young man was full of energy. He wanted to run and scream happily.

Later the heir would realize that his eyesight, hearing and the sense of smell also became a little better.

Anno jumped on the ground. He felt fantastic, though the next moment the man realized that he was hungry. The stomach grumbled, demanding food.

“Young lord..?” Hans looked surprised.

Anno sighed. He needed to speak with his servant.