Hero of Darkness

An eerie silence descended like a pin dropping as Ivaar seemed to disregard the weight of responsibility that came with his position as a military commander. His actions also appeared to show a lack of consideration for the millions of lives at stake.

"Maybe I'm a rabid dog then. I just don't care as long as I enjoy the fight and killing."

[Ah, this bastard. Why do all the saints I meet have some screw loose?] he complained to himself with an exasperated countenance.

As much as he wanted to beat some sense into Ivaar, he knew about the latter's history.

Before Romulus was scouted by the previous Fenrirborne Tribe Leader and turned into his Shadow Disciple, the previous tribe leader's younger sister was wed to the clan leader of the Baneslav clan. Both of them were none other than Ivaar's parents, and he was the sole heir.

Moreover, Ivaar was also related to Priscilla Lykaios, his master's wife as they were cousins.

While the law was supposed to be equal for everyone, given Ivaar's background and since he was a saint of the younger generation, Romulus had no choice but to take him in as his disciple because of the tribe's customs, much like how he had accepted his other disciples.

However, Ivaar's privileged status had given him a sense of entitlement, and he always did whatever he pleased, unlike others who were working hard to become the Official Disciple and eventually the Tribe Leader.

Based on what Romulus had told Kahn about Ivaar, the assassin had an Impulsive Personality Disorder. This disorder made him impulsive, reckless, and prone to acting without thinking things through.

It was no wonder that he had such a carefree attitude towards fighting and killing. For Ivaar, it wasn't about justice or the greater good and neither was it about duty or responsibility.

For a psycho like him, it was all about the thrill of the fight and the satisfaction of taking down his enemies.

"I see." replied Atreus coolly, undeterred by Ivaar's smug demeanor.

"But I have different orders, and they don't require me to complete the mission with your help."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden, deafening thud echoed through the air.

Ivaar dropped to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably as a bolt of lightning zapped him out of nowhere.

A few moments later, the Lightning Dragon Emperor aka Vildred Mortelix emerged from his invisible barrier, having carried out Kahn's orders with brutal efficiency.

"Did you kill him?" asked Kahn as Ivaar lay frothing on the ground, his fur singed and smoking.

"Kill him? That lightning bolt was barely enough to destroy a mountain. He's a saint, he'll live." replied the sage nonchalantly.

Kahn on the other end, spoke while heaving a helpless sigh…

"This is why I do group projects alone."

The very next morning, the rebel forces, comprising of over 40,000 warriors accompanied by a saint on all four sides, launched an attack on the region.

The assault was like a swarming tide of mindless monsters of varying species, shapes, and sizes, creating chaos and destruction wherever they went.

One after another, the semi-saint captains informed Atreus of the invaders' arrival. Unlike before, the enemy forces attacked all at once, realizing that the previously formed defensive positions would not hold for long.

With entry points at least 100 kilometers apart on opposite ends of the battlefield, the rebels utilized the ensuing chaos to their advantage, invading Kunlun from all directions.

Despite Ivaar's abilities as a saint, he could not be present everywhere at once. Moreover, since all the saints were at the 2nd stage like him, it was almost certain that the rebel forces would emerge victorious.

However, little did they know that the War General had been replaced overnight, and he had his own set of strategies that he planned to implement.

Atreus, having undergone extensive training under Romulus, had learned about the intricacies of warfare on multiple fronts. This knowledge would prove invaluable in the battle ahead, as the rebel forces were now attacking from various directions.

The change in leadership had given the Kunlun army an edge, and Atreus was determined to use his newly acquired skills to defeat the enemy.

'The highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.'

This lesson in warfare was highly relevant in the current situation. The enemy had already revealed their tactics, which showed their arrogance.

Now, the only viable approach was to attack their armies in the field. Besieging walled cities was deemed a poor strategy, as it could lead to a singular battle approach, leaving no room for tactics or maneuvers.

The rebels had been guilty of doing precisely that, making it easier for Kahn to devise a counter-attack strategy. As a war general, he was tasked with defending the walls under siege, but that did not mean he was out of options for attacking the enemy.

Ding!

Ding!

The communication artifacts blinked and Atreus heard the reports of onslaught by the rebel forces and the monster army.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Atreus took to the skies and flew towards one of the locations that were currently under siege. As he soared through the air, he saw a sea of rebels dressed in black and red attire, with a swastika sign on their arms, reminiscent of some heretic tribe.

Atreus gazed down at the aerial army of rebels on warships and flying monsters, attacking the defense barriers with their long-range skills while the monster army weakened the barriers from the ground.

He had already activated the Hunter's Domain, which allowed him to locate the saint hiding among the troops, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Despite the looming danger, Atreus remained composed and showed no sign of concern. He knew that the battlefield was unpredictable, and he had to be prepared for any eventuality.

Tremble!

Tremble!

The ground trembled as a massive wall of crystalized ice, 200 meters thick, rose from the ground, repelling the monster army attacking the city walls. However, this was no ordinary wall of ice. It was made of Permafrost, the baddest and meanest kind of ice.

As hundreds of monsters attempted to climb the walls, they were met with bone-biting chills, freezing them instantly. The permafrost walls rose up to 10 meters high, making it impossible for the monsters to breach them.

However, the enemy forces continued to attack the walls with magical spells and other techniques. Despite their incredible durability, the permafrost walls started to thaw, and the surrounding half-kilometer region became a slurry of mud. Thousands of monsters on the ground began turning into ice sculptures due to the freezing temperatures of the thawing ice.

Despite the destruction caused by the thawing walls, they remained an effective defense mechanism, forcing the enemy forces to rethink their tactics and strategies.

Kahn's mastery of the water and ice elements was on full display, as he unleashed his power against the invading monster army. Even the normal ice he created was elevated to the level of permafrost, which caused an icy blizzard and brought the temperature below -40 degrees Celsius in just a matter of seconds. This incredible feat deterred millions of monsters from ceaselessly attacking the walls and allowed the defenders to catch their breath.

Atreus knew that the biggest shortcoming on their side was the lack of saints, who couldn't be present everywhere to face the enemies on all sides. However, with Kahn's leadership and battle tactics, they stood a chance against the enemy forces.

Kahn had a clear plan - he did not intend to lose a single soldier, and he wished to lead by example.

He remembered an outstanding, yet incredibly challenging battle tactic that he had learned during his training under Romulus...

'With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery of the empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph will be complete. This is the method of attacking by stratagem.'