Chapter 208 The Beginning



A hand touched my wounds, a green glow soothing them. The various bruises and tears that my muscles had taken from the fall disappearing in a moment's time.

I looked up to the owner of the hand and saw the impassive face of Darwin, his gray eyes looking into my own. 

A smile graced his features as he reached that very same hand to my own. I took it in my own and he pulled me to my feet.

One last look before he turned and walked to the rest. Most of them were uninjured but there were still a couple that had broken bones, fractured limbs, or even severe injuries.

These injuries did not last for long though as with a wave of his hand and a touch of his energy they disappeared only to be replaced with untouched skin.

It was miraculous, to be able to heal so effectively. It made me feel like I was in the presence of a saint yet it wasn't, it was just the Lord, Darwin.

I could feel a warm feeling in my heart appearing at that, loyalty that I had once reluctantly given knowing that he was just my lord turning into true loyalty, not one made out of obligation.

He was a true lord, caring for all his subjects. Unknowingly I a smile tugged at my usually impassive lips. 

Instead of the thin lines that characterized my existence there appeared genuine purpose.

"Follow." It was not said loud, though nor was it quiet. It rang through the minds of all. An order almost absolute though not needed.

We would all follow his orders despite our feelings, however I could not say that I was just following out of obligation anymore and neither could the others.

Maybe it was respect, or maybe fear, the Lord inspired all.

Shaking my head of those thoughts I pick myself up onto my feet and start to follow, there was no need to dwell on those thoughts right now.

Right now I just needed to follow, to start the march.

Unknowingly I was at the head of the pack, my legs moving faster than the others. It was a curious phenomenon because I did not order my body this.

However I still found it catharticThe way that I didn't have to think, just walk or run and follow.

It would have been cathartic before but that damned coldness wouldn't allow for me the enjoyment that I took from it.

However now that we were below ground in a place that seemed eerily reminiscent of my own evolutionary plane I felt at home.

As if this place was where I was supposed to be not the grand peaks of ice that we had initially been spawned upon.

I looked back, into the fading cave of where we came from and found the decomposing corpse of a dragon.

It was killed relatively recently yet it was decomposing.

I found it interesting but nothing more than that.

As we left the area we started to pick up speed.

None of us were slow by any means but that didn't mean that we could keep pace with the monsters that were our lord and ladies.

Though despite that we tried and tried even harder after our first failures.

Eventually this marching turned into the cathartic exercise that it was now. 

However, it wasn't to last as soon after we came across a gap. 

One that led to a kingdom of sorts.

…

I watched as the troops behind me gradually slowed down, their bodies seating themselves on the ground. 

I would have to break them of that habit though, it would not do for my first showing of power to be done by lazies and incompetents, yet that was what I had.

I set a glare upon them, their backs straightening as they felt the fear wash over them. I gestured for them all to follow which they did.

My hand fell upon the wall in front of me and instantly it crumbled to the ground, revealing the sight of a grand kingdom. Its inhabitants numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

Chittering rang behind me as the quiet voices gasped at the majesty of it. I just snorted at that, I knew that I had been making them live quite frugally but for them to be drawn to just this level of luxury.

Well I would truly need to treat my own to the greatest of luxuries by the end of this conquest.

It would be a test run, to see how easily they could take over a kingdom from within and with various tactics.

However that was besides the point, for now I wanted this kingdom to be a test run as from what I had seen from when I had taken ownership of this realm this kingdom in particular was not very powerful.

In fact their powerhouse was just tier 5 from what I had seen. Something massively powerful compared to my soldiers yet barely anything to speak of for me.

Even still I would not guide them to victory, with the skills and power that they had it would be no trouble for them to assassinate the emperor and then they could come in and suppress any dissent that they had created.

I turned from my overlook of the city to the various groups that sat against the walls of the cave that we were in.

My voice was quiet yet it radiated authority and power.

"Conquer, take this city for me, any outside threats will be dealt with but this city must be conquered by your own efforts."

With that I sat back and leaned against the same wall that most of my subordinates were leaning against. I reached my hand out and Delta gave me a weapon, one that could deal damage even to me if it was aimed right. It was a sniper rifle, kit out with the best that Delta could make in the seconds that I had requested it.

However it wasn't for me as immediately upon it landing in my hands I threw it to the one I had the most expectations of. 

He caught it with a surprised look in his eyes, no doubt already feeling the sheer destructive power it held.

With that I truly closed my eyes, feeling the wind as they gathered together and set off into the city.

I sat near to Aoif, my legs allowing me to fall to the ground as Aoif snuggles into my embrace.

"You think they'll be able to do it?"

"Yeah… have thrust in them, they were evolved by you, they are better than they ever could be."

I just nodded at that, my eyes staring as the first group makes contact with the guards.

The others lay in wait outside of the walls, finding vantage points and deciphering the defenses of the walls.

It was impressive yet it wasn't as their efforts were quickly erased.

A flash of light and they were fired at, hostile intentions found and eliminated.

Yet that was not their end, their combat prowess and experience allowing them to dodge.

The ones that had decided to approach the gates opened their eyes wide in surprise, their weapons coming to bare as they fired upon the guards.

Blood spurt from the wounds as they fell to the ground injured though not before calling for backup.

I looked away, it was time to do my part and make sure that no external forces could interfere.

It was why I stood up and leapt down, my presence not seen by anyone of the sides.

…

Gunshots echoed through the streets, guards of various kinds running around and slashing their swords and spears through anyone they suspected to be a rebel.

'Heh' I laughed, the dagger in my hand gliding over the throat of a guard.

They would find no rebels, just a well organized group. 

'Wait couldn't that too be called a rebel. Ah whatever' 

My dagger clanged off the armor of another soldier as I jumped back just in time for a bullet to pierce the brain of said soldier.

He died instantly, the armor not doing anything against such a caliber of bullet.

I jumped again from where I was, reconnecting with my squad.

The initial plan was to subtly find the important figures but that plan was scrapped the moment that we were fired upon by those cannons of theirs.

It seemed they could find hostile intent, or maybe it was something else.

Instead we were telepathically told that we were to cause as much chaos as we could to draw the attention of the major players.

Once that was done Uldear, the one that gained the Lord's favor would be set up to snipe him down.

It was a solid plan but it didn't account for what would happen afterwards.

Yet I couldn't bring myself to care for that at the moment what was on my mind was the violence I could inflict upon these people.