Mysterious Fog World: Eldritch Nexus

Drake watched intently as a little over a hundred Aleria soldiers valiantly held their ground against a daunting force of more than twenty thousand Draconis soldiers. Despite the overwhelming odds, the Aleria soldiers fought with tenacity, their formation barely holding under the relentless assault.

As Drake observed them through his appraisal function, two things stood out. First, these soldiers were all veterans with intermediate sword mastery levels ranging from five to twenty. The stronger ones even possessed a second intermediate mastery. Second, they were all women, each exuding a fierce determination that set them apart from other soldiers Drake had encountered from the Aleria Kingdom.

"Interesting," Drake mused, a smirk playing on his lips. "These women are not ordinary soldiers."

Turning to his followers, he issued his command with a tone of finality, "Kill the enemy soldiers. Make it quick."

…

The soldiers from the Aleria Kingdom were surrounded by densely packed enemy soldiers. Despite the overwhelming odds, they fought valiantly, their swords flashing in the chaotic melee.

One soldier, her face set in grim determination, found herself attacked by three enemy soldiers simultaneously. She parried their swords with her own, the clash of steel ringing in her ears. With a powerful shove, she repelled them, causing them to momentarily lose their balance. Seizing the opportunity, she slashed across the chest of the first soldier, her blade cutting deep. A swift turn and her sword sliced through the throat of the second. Without hesitation, she thrust her sword into the chest of the third, who fell lifeless to the ground.

Nearby, another Aleria soldier was surrounded on both sides by two enemy soldiers, each wielding a sword and shield. She ducked under their synchronized strikes, her movements fluid and precise. With a fierce kick, she sent the shield of the soldier in front of her flying. Turning swiftly, she drove her sword into the unprotected gap of the second soldier's stomach. She spun around again, delivering a powerful kick to the first soldier, who toppled to the ground. Without a moment's pause, she drove her sword vertically downward, piercing his neck.

Amidst the chaos, an Aleria soldier fought off two attackers, unaware of an assassin creeping up behind her. Sensing danger, she pulled the soldier on her right behind her just as the assassin struck. The assassin's knife plunged into the enemy soldier’s chest. With a swift elbow to the assassin’s face, she disoriented him, then turned and swiftly dispatched the second enemy soldier. In one fluid motion, she spun back around and ended the assassin's life with a precise strike.

The battlefield was a flurry of motion and steel, but the Aleria soldiers held their ground, their skill and determination shining through the chaos.

A soldier repelled the sword of a Draconis soldier and impaled his stomach with a swift, lethal thrust. She moved quickly, her eyes scanning the chaotic battlefield until she reached another soldier distinguished by slightly different armor from the rest of her companions.

“Did you find any weak point where we can break through the siege?” asked the soldier with the distinct armor, Captain Isolde, her voice calm but her eyes sharp as she cut down two enemy soldiers with precise strikes.

“I am sorry, Captain Isolde, but I was unable to find any weak point to leave the siege,” the soldier, Astrid, replied, a hint of guilt in her voice. Despite her words, her sword did not waver as she continued to fend off the attackers.

“It’s not your fault, Astrid. The enemy had made thorough preparations and besieged us from all sides without giving us enough time to prepare,” Isolde said, her tone firm but reassuring. Her sword moved in a deadly arc, taking down another enemy soldier.

Astrid nodded, determination hardening her features. “The only way remaining is to cut down all the enemies as quickly as possible so that we can reinforce Freya and the rest of our sisters,” Isolde added, her expression steely.

“Yes, Captain,” Astrid said, her resolve unwavering as she plunged back into the fray.

The battlefield was a tumultuous sea of clashing steel and shouting warriors, but within the chaos, the Aleria soldiers fought with a unity and purpose that set them apart from their foes.

The Aleria soldiers fought continuously against the enemy, who were all mortal soldiers not even veterans. The stronger Draconis soldiers stayed back, waiting for the weaker ones to wear them down before striking.

The Draconis captains had planned carefully. They knew the strength of these female soldiers who had destroyed many of their outposts, killed numerous scouts, and even split into two groups just to do their job with greater efficiency. Hence the leaders prepared two battalions to deal with them separately and slowly whittle their strength down before delivering the killing blow.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out among the Draconis soldiers. They started falling, one after another, without seeing their attackers. Chaos erupted as soldiers looked around in panic, unable to identify the source of the assault. The attacks came from four different directions, swiftly decimating their ranks.

Isolde and her comrades, witnessing the sudden turn of events, understood that reinforcements had arrived. They fought with renewed vigor, their spirits lifted by the unexpected support.

The reinforcements, of course, were Drake’s companions. Within five minutes, all the enemy soldiers lay dead. Isolde and her comrades watched in amazement, their mouths agape. They realized their saviors were extraordinary fighters, their strength evident now that they were no longer hiding it. Even among the extraordinary, these reinforcements were exceptionally powerful.

“Thank you very much, my ladies, for saving us from this predicament. I will forever remember your grace,” Isolde said earnestly, bowing deeply. Her soldiers followed suit, showing their deep respect. In a world with a strict strength hierarchy, mortals had to show extreme respect to the extraordinary. Moreover, they had just saved their lives so they deserved the respect even more.

Yumi and the others didn’t reply, standing silently as if waiting for someone. Isolde didn’t feel embarrassed by the lack of response; instead, she was curious about whom they were waiting for. She noticed an RV approaching from the distance. Judging by the reactions of their saviors, they were probably waiting for its arrival.

The RV stopped near them, and the soldiers waited in anticipation to see who could command such respect from these powerful women.

Drake stepped out of the RV and moved toward them. Isolde, observing him, could tell from her experience that he was still a mortal, not an extraordinary. However, the way he moved indicated that despite his mortal status, he was a highly skilled fighter.

Isolde speculated that Drake might be the young master of a prominent family or clan, out in the world to gain some experience.

"Mission completed, young master," Yumi reported to Drake, who nodded in acknowledgment.

Yumi’s words confirmed Isolde’s suspicion that Drake was someone important and that the four women were his guards or companions. She noticed the Aleria Kingdom insignia on their arms, indicating they were mercenaries.

“Thank you, my lord, for helping us. We are forever grateful for your assistance. If you ever need our help, we are willing to go through fire and water for you,” Isolde said, bowing deeply. Her soldiers followed suit, bowing in unison to their benefactor.

Drake smiled warmly. “No need for such formalities. I just helped my allies in this war. It’s no big deal.

Isolde remained silent, but the gratitude in her and her soldiers’ eyes was palpable. They knew they could have eventually defeated their enemies, but not without suffering significant injuries or losses.

Drake's smile widened as he observed their reactions. He saw that their loyalty points were already above seventy, ranging from seventy-one to seventy-five.

"My lord, it is presumptuous of me, but may I make a request?" Isolde asked, her voice tinged with hesitation.

Drake, already aware of her concern, feigned ignorance and calmly replied, "Sure, no problem."

"Half of my sisters are still besieged by another battalion. Can you help us save them?" Isolde implored.

Drake turned to his companions and gave a slight nod. They immediately understood and moved out without a word.

Twenty minutes later, military vehicles rolled up, and over a hundred female soldiers disembarked, reuniting with their comrades. Yumi and the others had already returned, standing beside Drake.

"Freya, are you and the other sisters alright?" Isolde asked her second-in-command, concern evident in her eyes.

"We're fine, Captain. Just a few minor injuries," Freya assured her.

Isolde turned to Drake, bowing deeply. "Thank you, my lord. We owe you our lives."

Drake nodded, smiling. "No need to be so formal. We’re allies, after all."

Isolde and Drake had a meaningful conversation. She explained that they were private soldiers of the Brightblade family in the Aleria Kingdom, tasked with eliminating scouts and enemy outposts. Drake already knew this and also knew what she didn’t tell him.

Drake told her that his group was also doing the same thing as asked by Commander Damian.

Isolde was very impressed when he told her that he defeated entire outposts with thousands of enemies alone.

She was so impressed that when Drake proposed to travel together since they had the same missions, she agreed after thinking shortly.

With the more than two hundred soldiers Drake decided to think big. He targeted bigger outposts as they had bigger loots. Since he was no longer fighting alone, he instructed the twins to steal any guns before the assault.

They fought together for five days straight. They destroyed many outposts, even though many were close to the Draconis Kingdom. Even though many battalions were dispatched to deal with them they were easily dealt with. Tougher opponents were dealt with by Drake’s companions.