Geniuses at War

The sound of horns shook the heavens.

The horns came from the direction of the village. Avilan, who had been hurrying along, raised his head.

On the ground lay the corpses of knights who had been keeping watch around the village. The air was thick with the stench of blood.

"Looks like the situation has changed. I'll go on ahead." Using the corpses on the ground, Avilan summoned another Light Spirit Swordsman to protect the brother and sister.

"Flight."

Avilan drifted lightly into the sky.

Before long, he sensed that the Light Spirit Swordsman was fighting a black-armored knight. Evil power seeped from the black-armored knight's body, yet there was no trace of life in him. It was not hard to tell that he was a summoned creature—and an undead one at that.

"Though I don't know what class it is, it's only level thirty-six, just one level higher than the Light Spirit Swordsman." After speaking, Avilan gently raised his staff, and a magic circle appeared before him.

"Radiant Bullet, Rapid Fire!"

Explosions rang out without end, followed by a stream of silver-white streaks falling from the sky.

The Dark Blood Knight raised its shield high, but it blocked only the first two attacks before being swallowed by the silver-white light. It turned into a wisp of black smoke and drifted away in the wind.

The black-armored knights, who had been preparing to counterattack, saw the white-robed mage in the sky and were scared witless. The Dark Blood Knight had been their greatest trump card, yet it had been killed so effortlessly. With the Light Spirit Swordsman now freed up, wouldn't it be coming for their lives next?

The black-armored knights scattered like birds and beasts. They had already pulled away some distance just now, making it the perfect chance to flee. Even though Light Spirit Swordsmen were famed for their speed, they could not catch black-armored knights fleeing in all directions—especially those who mounted their warhorses and used Coordinated Charge alongside them, doubling their speed and making them difficult even for a Light Spirit Swordsman to reach.

Having dealt with the final opponents, Avilan looked down over the entire village from above.

Counting the surviving knights who were barely clinging to life and too exhausted even to move, Avilan found there were three in total. That was more than he needed, but a few extra made no difference.

"Light Spirit Swordsman, that's enough."

The words felt somewhat out of place here, as casual as telling a shopkeeper what one wanted to buy. To Avilan, though, this situation truly was as easy as shopping.

The Light Spirit Swordsman, which had still been in pursuit, quickly returned.

"Six got away!"

"It doesn't matter," Avilan replied indifferently.

The knights, seemingly drained of all strength, stared dumbfoundedly at Avilan and the Light Spirit Swordsman. They had been waiting for rescue, but the very person they least wanted to see had arrived. All hope was utterly shattered.

"Greetings, knights. My name is Aslan Sara."

Since the name Avilan would one day resound across the entire continent, he naturally could not use it now. He used only a false name.

No one responded.

"Throw down your weapons and surrender, and your lives will be spared. If you still wish to fight—"

A sword was immediately tossed down. Then three swords in total were thrown haphazardly onto the ground. No one spoke throughout.

"You seem very tired. Yet before the master of the Light Spirit Swordsman, your heads are held quite high."

The knights immediately knelt in silence and lowered their heads.

They did not look like subjects kneeling before their lord, but prisoners awaiting execution.

"I will let you return alive. Then convey a message to your master for me."

Using Flight, Avilan approached one of the knights. With the hand holding his staff, he easily removed the helmet of the kneeling knight and stared into the other man's exhausted eyes. Their gazes met through the mask.

"Do not cause trouble nearby. If you refuse to heed this warning, next time, even the people behind you will die with you."

The trembling knight nodded repeatedly, and his earnest efforts looked almost comical.

"Get lost. Make sure you deliver my words to your master."

At the slightest movement of his jaw, the knights fled in panic.

Holding back a sigh, Avilan walked toward the villagers. At the same time, he had the Light Spirit Swordsman drag away the corpses. These knights, with their powerful physiques, would make excellent blood sacrifices.

He issued instructions to the Light Spirit Swordsman in his mind. As Avilan drew closer, he could more clearly see the confusion and unease on the villagers' faces.

They were not dissatisfied because he had let the knights go. It was because the person before them was even more terrifying.

Avilan finally realized it. He was stronger than those knights, and this was a world where the strong devoured the weak, where strength alone commanded respect.

With that realization, Avilan reflected and pondered for a moment.

If he got too close, it would probably have the opposite effect. So Avilan stopped at a distance from them and spoke gently:

"You have been saved. Rest assured."

"Y-you are...?"

A man who appeared to be the villagers' representative spoke. Even now, his eyes refused to leave the Light Spirit Swordsman.

"I saw someone attacking this village and came to take a look. On the way, I encountered and rescued a brother and sister. They asked me to come here and help."

"Oh, oh..."

"They must be the Wellington siblings..."

Amid a burst of chatter, relief appeared on everyone's faces.

In particular, Avilan's robe represented mages of justice and light, giving people an indescribable sense of security.

"Clothes make the man indeed."

After the Wellington siblings returned, Avilan successfully used his identity as a passing mage to put the villagers somewhat at ease.

Cameron hurried onward with a frosty expression, killing intent surging like boiling waves. Kalons, walking beside him, sensed the chill but said nothing, merely following closely behind.

This time, he had brought out all five hundred first- and second-tier warriors from Essin City. After all, their opponent this time was the Blood Church.

"General!"

From afar, the elite soldiers of Vought City's Tiger Subduing Army ran toward them soundlessly and bowed respectfully to Cameron.

"Have you found them?"

Cameron waved his hand and asked directly.

"The Blood Church has made camp atop the mountain ahead. Fearing discovery, we did not dare approach too closely. We could only make a rough estimate—there are no fewer than five hundred of them! Their strength is not low either. They should all be elite troops!"

The Iron Leopard Guards personally trained by Cameron reported.

A cold gleam flashed in Cameron's eyes as he issued his order in a low voice. "Kalons! Anthony! The two of you will lead your men and surround this place. Do not let a single one escape! Everyone else, follow me up the mountain!"

"Yes!"

The two accepted the order respectfully and immediately led their men into two groups, sweeping around from the left and right.

At the same time, the Blood Church members, already trapped within the encirclement, remained completely unaware. Their attention had been drawn entirely to the knights who had fled back.

"A light-element mage actually dares meddle in the affairs of our Blood Church? He's courting death." Valen, the person in charge of this operation, had a cold glint in his eyes.

"Lord Aidahua."

However, Valen did not act at once. Instead, he asked the tall figure beside him.

Aidahua Longda was a Blood Knight of the Blood Church, level fifty-six. His purpose in accompanying Valen this time was to kill Cameron, Vought Province's new generation of genius swordsmen.

Although Cameron was Kalons's senior brother, he was actually not yet thirty-five years old. If Cameron were allowed to grow, he would bring irreversible consequences to the Blood Church's underground forces in Vought Province. Therefore, before he could spread his wings, they had to cut the grass and dig out the roots.