His inch punch sliced through the silent night with a swishing sound. Akuniryas instinctively struck back as he was suddenly attacked.

But his opponent's speed far surpassed his own. An iron hand precisely grabbed his wrist, bringing them closer together. Akuniryas noticed the opponent's brass rust-colored wrist guard was covered in claw marks, scorched stains, and even more patched-up areas.

Thud!

He was lifted off the ground and thrown down, completely out of control. It was hard to imagine that this mysterious knight, who had previously appeared weary to the point of death, could unleash such formidable strength.

"Ugh!"

Akuniryas cried out in pain. The speed at which he was thrown was too fast, the recoiling force causing excruciating agony to his back.

Next, an even deeper shade of darkness obscured his upward vision.

The mysterious knight tightly gripped a massive battleaxe. Its blade, like its master, was ragged and worn - crisscrossed with cut marks and claw gashes. Yet the edge still reflected a chilling coldness.

"Hey! Let's talk! It's me!!"

Just as Akuniryas tried to explain his lack of malicious intent, the huge axe came slashing straight at his face! An intense ringing burst his eardrums, pumping out fresh blood!

"Too fast!"

This was Akuniryas' last thought. His opponent seemed to possess divine blood as well, but was clearly superior in strength and battle skills.

Crack!

The axe blade struck his forehead with pinpoint accuracy. The next scene should have been Akuniryas' entire head split open, the blade then angling downward to completely cleave through his upper body!

However, he only felt intense agony, then the obvious approach of pale, lifeless death - a single light punch could kill him.

Yet he could still think, still move, even blink his eyes.

"How is this possible?"

The massive axe slowly lifted away. To Akuniryas' horror, his head was completely unharmed. Aside from the obvious feeling that his life was a flickering candle in the wind, he could perform basic movements and even stand.

"I saw that axe hit my head with my own eyes, why am I unharmed?"

Though still alive, the fear in his heart only grew, making him doubt if he could still be considered human.

"Is it because this is a dream?"

This was the only guess Akuniryas could make. He then suddenly remembered something and looked up at the mysterious, exceedingly powerful knight who had tried to kill him.

The latter had stopped attacking for now, propping the battleaxe in the ground and silently observing him.

But the enclosed helmet had not a single gap exposed. Akuniryas did not know how the opponent observed the outside world - by sound and positioning?

"I feel my vitality restoring!"

A warming sensation seeped from his blood, replenishing some kind of "health bar" that had been depleted by the axe attack. The feeling was like when he had healed from the evil dragon's burns.

"Has the divine blood changed my life form?"

Akuniryas recalled a faint murmuring, as if blessing him that his soul would not be harmed, that he would be immortal like the gods until the end of the world.

The rusted wrist guards moved again. This time, the mysterious knight nimbly crouched down and grabbed his ankles.

Before Akuniryas could react, he was yanked upside-down onto that bizarre platform, then thrown into one of the cave entrances, sending him into the inner mysteries of the city.

"Hey! Who are you! Where is this place?!"

Akuniryas defiantly roared as he plummeted at high speed. But the last thing he saw was the mysterious knight's lofty gaze. The enclosed triangular helmet gave no hint of the wearer's inner thoughts - only cold ruthlessness and desolation. It was carved with a full moon, a crescent moon, and a partially obscured eye.

...

"Huff!!"

Akuniryas abruptly sat up, drenched in sweat that soaked his back and sheets.

He stared wide-eyed at the dimly reflecting room, eyes gradually adjusting to the darkness before recognizing the familiar furnishings - this was the independent rest quarters for a lieutenant of Burgen City's elite guards.

Glug, glug.

Akuniryas grabbed a pitcher of fresh water beside the bed and gulped it down to calm his anxiety and confusion.

The dream experience was terrifyingly vivid. Even after over ten minutes, he could accurately recall the details: the purple crescent moon, the mysterious city's darkness, the knight's armor showing great age and power, and that axe strike.

He got out of bed and activated the daylight stone lamps on the ceiling, carefully examining the crown symbol on the back of his hand.

"It seems a bit faded."

Akuniryas noticed one of the gemstones in the crown was no longer a perfect circle, now with a small indentation.

"I tried many methods before that couldn't erase this mark, yet now a piece is gone, as if repairing my body's damage causes this symbol to partly dissipate. Is that crown protecting me?"

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The experience was too bizarre, even surpassing a mage's imagined future worlds. Akuniryas had no way to explain it all.

"Maybe I should ask Marat?"

Just as he was pondering this, a hurried knocking came at the door. Then several men in leather overcoats and yellow military uniforms barged in, holding their heads high:

"Lieutenant Akuniryas, we are from the military cabinet. After tallying your martial achievements, we are promoting you to the rank of captain and granting you retirement privileges at the rank of major five years early."

A sturdy monster-hide paper was handed over, the tan parchment inscribed with the promotion announcement in an ornate calligraphic style, surrounded by olive branches and wings. Over a dozen red seals were affixed to the bottom, topped by the mallet lion crest representing the Morey royal family and the roaring lion crest of the military.

The yellow officer then produced another paper, this one very plain, with only a set of orders hastily written in black ink:

"The War Department is reassigning you from the garrison forces, removing you from the elite guard unit structure, and placing you as commander of the 13th Regiment in the 1st Expeditionary Army. Report for duty by August 15th."

Akuniryas took the plain piece of paper as well, the scrawled handwriting likely from some clerk in the War Department.

"Yes, sir!"

His long military habits caused him to instinctively stand at attention.

The yellow-uniformed officer nodded slightly, his expression softening a bit. "Rest assured, the 1st Expeditionary Army is our final elite force with full weapons complements. All regiments after the 10th are comprised of veterans who served in the allied legions. You will bear the honored duty of avenging Morey and reclaiming our homeland!"

"Yes, sir!" Akuniryas shouted again as the officer left satisfied with his subordinates.

After a moment of silence, the sergeant major closed the door and sat down to carefully examine the two papers.

"They say Morey soldiers of common birth can only reach lieutenant at most. Was I able to be promoted exceptionally for protecting the royal family?"

The monster-hide paper was extravagantly expensive, five times the cost of ordinary parchment and specifically used for announcements concerning captains and higher ranks.

He felt no indignation or thoughts about the Morey officer corps being monopolized. Having no ambition for power and being an orphan from birth, he had no sense of denouncing injustice - his own parents didn't even want him, how could he expect fairness from outsiders?

"I don't mind going to the front lines, but…" Akuniryas couldn't help but recall the fear and helplessness he felt facing that dragon, unsure if even his divine blood could defeat it now.

"I wonder if that iron-clad axe-wielding guy could beat the evil dragon." Finally, his mind wandered as he began packing his belongings in the incoming morning rays.

...

"Alvis! Bad news!" Milmos burst into the central compound, shouting frantically.

"What's wrong? Has Raphael returned?" Alvis calmly looked up.

"Human reinforcements have arrived," Milmos gave a bitter smile. "The barbaric mercenaries from the Disputed Plains."

"Good news! Doesn't this strengthen our overall forces? Come, let's go welcome our friends." Alvis showed no wariness at all, instead happily smiling as he stood and straightened his clothes to go outside.

"Hey! You should know we've just had conflicts with the humans. Now that they have powerful outside aid, we're at a disadvantage!" Milmos blocked him, dejectedly complaining.

"Hmph! Here, only Raphael can decide who gains or loses advantage. The rest is just trivial agitation." Alvis scoffed disdainfully, pushing past Milmos to go out.

The outside clamor and commotion surged in like a bursting dam. As soon as Alvis appeared, he was surrounded by the nobles who had previously been detained.

"You little brat! Your grand-uncle is finally free! Just you wait for death!"

"And that Komo too! Does he really want his whole family ruined?"

Such mocking taunts were incessant. Alvis had to look towards Duke Komo, who was cowering in a corner, his face mottled from obvious retaliatory attacks.

As for the dwarves, they were probably still working in the city.

"Get up!" Alvis strode over and pulled Komo up. "How can you lead a scouting team looking like that? Come with me!"

Komo had no choice - he had been used as a tool from start to finish. Although Amelia truly loved him, she clearly did not trust Komo's abilities and had entrusted matters to the dragon kin.

Though the noble group wanted to retaliate against Alvis, the sight of Milmos emerging right behind deterred them, only able to send the trio off with curses and insults.

From a distance, Alvis saw a massive crowd gathered on the northern plains, with many large magical beasts and winged creatures circling above.

"Wow! There's even a dragon! No wonder they're big-time mercenaries." Alvis spotted an elongated black dragon in the ranks, though one of its eyes was covered by a shaggy forelock of hair.

Approaching closer, Alvis recognized Baron Moran, currently standing between Lord Hil and the mercenaries with a small-eyed man.

"Esteemed Captain Anubis, I know you've traveled a difficult path and are hungry and thirsty. But this supply line was aid from Erl's regency - built by the Calamity Demon itself! It carries its own private property to feed the million laborers in the city. The kitchens staffed by servants from each house are already preparing fine cuisine, please be patient."

The polite reasoning came from Baron Moran, while the small-spectacled nobleman looked rather travel-worn, speaking in a firmer tone:

"Anubis, Paladin, Zenny, Saphirette - if you're not afraid to die, then make a move. Thureo and I are just two old nobles, our combat abilities don't even match the worst of your petty thieves. Our magic pales compared to you heretical mages and witches - we cannot stop you. But you'll bear the consequences!"

Alvis quickly deduced that these newly-arrived mercenaries had set their sights on Raphael's food shipments. After all, in the lawless Disputed Plains, a stable agricultural harvest could not be guaranteed - pillaging was the main melody.

Though the Heretic Wing were numerous, they also had many mouths, likely facing hunger every so often.

Now, with such bountiful grains, delicious meats, even fresh produce passing right before them, and those simple-minded hauren transports totally defenseless - it would be unthinkable not to plunder them.

But why hadn't they attacked yet? Alvis looked to the opposing side.

The hauren caravans had been concealed behind, replaced by twelve hammer drakes coiled to strike and a cloud of blood wyverns. A regimented band of kobolds had their dragonbreath artillery cannons trained forward, while Hil held an explosive crossbow in one hand and a uraninite arbalest in the other, his face cold and grim.

"Hey! Lord Milmos!"

Suddenly spotting Alvis' group, Hil called out loudly, drawing everyone's attention.

Seeing the situation, Milmos could only hobble out on his iron staff, striding quickly towards Hil.

The mercenaries laughed and jeered: "Hey, look at this freaky thing!"

"So ugly! What kind of hybrid is that?"

"Hey, hey, you're not seriously letting that weak, struggling-to-walk thing speak for us? There are limits to jokes!"

Ignoring the idle chatter, Milmos reached Hil and began discussing and debating in hushed tones. Finally reaching a consensus, he turned with his crimson, pupil-less eyes fixed forward, warning slowly and clearly:

"Viscount Vattier, Baron Moran, please inform your 'powerful reinforcements': This is Erl, the domain of my sovereign lord, the Calamity Demon Raphael. Any being here must follow its will!"

This righteous declaration was not translated, as Shena and Moran feared escalating tensions further.

However, the mercenary captains seemed quite interested in Milmos' words.

The bizarre young girl floating before them wore an exquisite, elegant black dress and a forboding pointed sorcerer's hat, her expression blank as she tapped the black dragon's scales beside her without any emotional change.

"Zenny, Saphirette cannot understand that ugly monster's thick draconic accent. Saphirette wants to know what it said."

The female black dragon shook her long fringe of hair disdainfully.

"It's warning that the owner of this food is extremely formidable, and that simply by setting foot on this land, we must obey his will."

The hovering "child" witch Saphirette fell silent for a moment before extending her plump, tender finger to point at Milmos, her tone still completely flat.

"You are threatening Saphirette. Saphirette is angry. Saphirette will use magic to defend her freedom."

"Wait! Don't be reckless!" Shena, Moran and Milmos waved their arms frantically in unison, trying to stop the eerie girl.

Hil spat, raising both his explosive crossbow and uraninite arbalest. "Bring it on! It's been too long since we've seen blood! We'll use you all for target practice!"

Violent conflict was imminent!