Amidst the battle and struggle against the Rock Turtles, Joshua, and the old man stood still.

“I want to know what happens if we fight for real,” Joshua said staring straight into the old man’s eyes.

“You want a real fight against Simon?” a baffled reaction from the old man. He stared at the boy’s face. He was serious. There are things that a man would meet things on his life. The most important thing was to not regret anything.

“You can’t beat him… I’m sure of it,” The old man said as he curved his eyebrow in annoyance.

Joshua stood there, shoulders slumped, as the harsh words cut through him like icy daggers. The sting of rebuke was sharp, branding him with a sense of insignificance. Even the confidence he once held in his abilities, the belief that he excelled in the fight he thought he could win, now crumbled like fragile glass under the weight of reality.

A tumultuous storm brewed within him, a tempest of emotions swirling relentlessly in his mind. Helplessness gnawed at his core, a bitter taste of inadequacy poisoning his thoughts. With each passing moment, despair tightened its grip, squeezing out any semblance of hope.

In the suffocating grip of despair, Joshua found himself at a crossroads. The shadows of selfishness beckoned, promising an escape from the torment of his current reality. It was a tempting offer, a fleeting respite from the relentless onslaught of disappointment and rejection. And so, with a heavy heart and a clouded mind, he surrendered to the selfish impulse, seeking solace in a decision tainted with desperation.

“I want to fight him either way…” Joshua said regardless. He won’t regret anything.

<--->

After a few hours of Simon’s rest he was back up and running, instead of immediately going back to his job he was now standing face to face again with Joshua. The old man told him so he followed.

“Sorry Simon…” Joshua apologized to the boy. He was actually asking for a spar. With a small buckler in his hand and a short sword. Provided by the Lady Farris.

“Boy no need to hold back-,” the old man said “-Just get over with it,” he added totally making Joshua glare at the old man.

“You know I’m holding a better shield… and I’m very good,” Joshua said, wasn’t sure if it was a bluff but Joshua began hopping left and right. The old man smiled. The boy had something new to show off.

Simon took up his sword and went into his stance. “… It's impossible to beat me…” Simon innocently smiled.

Joshua was prideful but he was not full of himself. What Simon said was probably true. But so what? It was just a spar. The two locked eyes for a while. There was silence, the spectators knew that they were not normal kids. The tense atmosphere between the two was strangely genuine.

Joshua rushed. Although he had his shield, doing the things the enemy least expected was his mandate and it was his advantage. He went in with his shield up.

“Oof!!!” but then Joshua bounced off.

Simon did the same thing he did. Pointing at the sweet spot of the shield he stopped Joshua’s push.

“I’ve seen that already,” Simon said. Joshua gritted his teeth and started shifting with his feet just as he saw Simon do it.

Simon immediately knew that it was the moves Joshua stole from him. “… Nice isn’t it?” Joshua said.

“Yeah,” Simon nodded in agreement.

Joshua did the same move again this time he shifted his shield letting Simon’s same counter move slip through the shape of his buckler. Simon used footwork to compensate for his loss of balance but the shield tackle was followed up by a sword sweep. Simon dodged it by hair’s breadth.

Simon wouldn’t let a chance or misstep go.

Joshua knew that he was at a disadvantage and tried to pivot himself to dodge the oncoming attack from Simon. But Simon already predicted it.

“How’d…” the first attack; a diagonal slash; split the shield and with his next step he swung again. The second slash was done near the handle of Joshua’s short sword like how the old man did it to him.

Simon swept down hitting his feet with his sword. It was enough to make him fall down.

“I win,” Simon said as he pointed his sword at Joshua’s neck.

“You broke my shield, a wooden sword splitting iron shield,” that was the only thing Joshua said.

Simon put his hand out to help Joshua stand up. But Joshua didn’t grab it and just stood up on his own. “I will leave tomorrow… I just want to know what happens when you don’t hold back,” Joshua said as he glared at the old man.

Joshua totally felt like an idiot. Although he knew that Simon was a monster he just wanted to try it out… probably because of pride or he couldn’t accept that he won against Simon while the boy held back (Back in the arena).

Joshua looked down trying to stop his tears.

“Don’t worry boy, you will make it. Stick to your guts and keep working on your style,” the old man tapped his shoulder, it's probably the last time they would be conversing. He would be leaving tomorrow together with an adventurer who would be reporting back to the adventurer’s guild.

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“Simon go on finish the job tonight,” the old man then as cold as he was ordered Simon.

The boy just nodded and then he tapped on Joshua's shoulders like the old man. Grabbing the paint bucket he left for the front lines.

“Alphecca! We have the shovels we will start now!” Wilfred informed the old man.

“You don’t have to make it deep. As long as you make the borders deep enough the the ancient rock turtle will do the rest for us” The old man smiled fiercely.

It was getting colder so their plan would be much easier to accomplish.

<--->

After a few hours…

Simon continued his job. Jumping around the backs of the rock turtles. Tapping around it, locating the weaker part where it could easily be destroyed. The boy was getting a better feel as he continued his work. The vibration was doing its work.

It was really getting dark but he could clearly see the moving mass of the ancient turtle. The vibrations it produced were impossible to miss. The old man warned him, he shouldn’t approach it. Simon jumped away from the rock turtle he was standing on. He started moving away, he had to go back now.

“...” But as he landed on a hill. He looked back… it was really big. Things started swirling in his mind. Whenever the old man would unleash his blood lust on him he feared for his life. Rather than that he had never felt frightened about anything. The battle on the ruins with that powerful thief, the battle against the wyvern, and now.

Maybe something was wrong with him? He thought… but for some reason, he couldn’t explain, he wanted to fight the ancient turtle. A weird feeling as his instincts were telling him.

“My heart is beating fast?” Simon said as he placed his hand on his chest. What was happening to him?

The boy was confused… but his orders were absolute, the old man’s instructions were absolute. He decided to go back.

<--->

Back to the frontline of the Farm Lands.

Although they had been fighting effectively it was really exhausting. The continuous bashing of the crossed mark; rock turtle's shell. Going ballistic on the rock turtles that had the line mark. Added that they had to clear up the carcass of the rock turtles that were slain. (They were literally rocks) Some of the shovels were starting to wear out, and some of the carts were breaking down but the work continued. Although the turtles were slow, they would surely arrive.

Simon was already back with the old man. He was inexhaustible, just a few hours of sleep then he would be okay. The food continued to be supplied, and the minerals the rock turtles were providing were boosting the reserves of the nobles and their spending so much for the food. Sometimes it would be gems and a shy of gold, the knights and the adventurer smiled as they pushed the worn-out carts.

“I can see it!! There are no more rock turtles!! only the big one!!” one of the captains who was keeping an oversight screamed.

The adventurers and the knights cheered. The counter plan for the ancient turtle was still ongoing. That news totally lifted the spirits of the whole army.

“Double up!!!” the noble in command screamed, Wilfred was exhausted but was in high spirits.

Some of the knights were already starting digging. The plan was simple, they just had to dig a trench as wide as the ancient turtle. Simon provided the measurement by just showing it since he didn’t know the right concept of it.

“From here to there” that’s what the boy said.

“Use the rock turtles!!! If it’s not gold leave it!” it was the old man screaming along with the commander.

The fight continued into the night, it would go on until the early morning the next day. More adventurers arrived from the adventurer’s guild from the north.

…

“Boy!! Wake up!!! You don’t want to miss this!!” the old man woke up Simon who was sleeping somewhere along with the adventurers.

“Huh?” The boy looked around. As far as he could remember, they had a few fun hours ago after they finished digging the trench, he was together with the adventurers merrily celebrating.

“Hey!! Boys!!! Wake up!!!” the old man woke the other adventurers too.

The army was ready. Sir Wilfred and Lady Farris standing on a plank near the trench. There was a large lump of meat down the trench, it was supposedly the bait for the ancient turtle. The adventurers who were feeling a bit naughty even placed a salad dressing ‘to make it more appetizing’ according to them.

“It launched!!! It fucking launched itself!!!” an adventurer who specialized in seeing far screamed with all her might. She started running back to the trenches. She had to make it clear.

“Raise the barrier!!!” Wilfred screamed in response. Everyone around started chanting, erecting a large barrier. Wilfred and his wife Farris knelt and started chanting too.

“It’s coming!!!” the same adventurer screamed her lungs out, she passed through the barrier that moment too.

Anyone who could use wind magic started casting Air Cushion layered as wide as the trenches. It was a simple magic but seeing it done by many mages was a sight to behold.

Simon couldn’t see that old man but then the old man’s magic spiked up. It totally took the show from the magic that was getting activated all around. As the magic in the air concentrated, the old man’s magic still surpassed it all.

Finally, the turtle that was as big as 2 gallons started falling down. The pressure it created could be felt. It made the others cower. Simon gulped, he embraced the pressure.

“Do not falter!!!! You are the frontier!!! Thrive!!!” the old man’s voice, crisp and clear, motivated the whole army of knights, nobles, and adventurers.

<--->

The old man raised his hands. Everyone could feel their power effectively increasing. It was a buff. It was of a light attribute. All magical effects were multiplied by a hundred. Would it be enough to catch a falling mountain? The old man smiled, he had never been as excited as this for a long time now. His blood was boiling. Knowing that he could fuck up his magic anytime made him smile, luckily the dragoon flower extract was doing its trick.

Magic on his head. His imagination of how he would fry the rock turtle swirled in his mind.

And the mountain of a turtle fell. Penetrating the Air Cushion they have set up. The heavy resistance of the Air Cushion reduced the impact of the Ancient Rock Turtle. Each layer dispersed as its massive body reduced the distance from the ground. The old man smirked. The Air Cushion did the trick. Still, the kinetic energy from the weight blasted the army. The barrier sustained some crack but it was not penetrated.

“Tidal Wave!!!!!!” a scream from the noble that was below. Together with his wife, they created a large downpour of water from thin air.

The old man could tell the two were overwhelmed by the power that they were feeling. The water that came out gushed powerfully and in a few moments the Ancient Rock Turtle complained with a “ROOOOAAAR” as it was already wet.

“Keep it on!!!” the old man screamed as he used flash step to arrive at the back of the turtle.

“Time to eat this…” the old man from his hand a ball of light as huge as a human head. He raised it and it started scattering and floating downwards the water. “Refraction Beams,” the old man muttered. It was magic at the level of magic laws. The law of light. The old man fully understood the properties of the light.

As soon as it touched the water, laser beams sprouted like spires, the water refracted it multiplying it to a thousand.

It pierced the ancient turtle. Its sturdiness didn't mean a thing when the light pierced through it. The water did the trick. It was genius and at the same time cruel, the ancient rock turtle died in just a few minutes. To the ones who saw it, it inspired fear and awe.

A shadow escaped from the body of the rock turtle. The old man smiled, he had never seen it, only had red of it from books. A horned humanoid species scampering to escape.