The Emperor Class

Dreu opened his eyes slowly and looked around. It took him a few minutes to adjust to the darkness and make out Bayard standing guard nearby. He felt the temptation of closing his eyes to sleep more but he knew this wasn’t the time or place.

Where are we?

We are in a cave within the woods. You collapsed following the battle and this was the safest place I could find.

How long was I out?

A week.

Dreu muttered thanks and moved his body. Once he was certain he had no major injuries, he looked around until the footman tossed him a sheathed blade. A prompt window popped up as soon as he caught it.

< Red Mist Blade:

Description: The blade was crafted by the Mist Orcs. A red mist trail follows the blade before it finds its target. While the knowledge behind the red mist disappeared with the extinction of the Mist Orcs, weapons like this blade could be used to uncover ancient secrets. >

Do you know anything about the Mist Orcs? Dreu asked the footman.

I have no knowledge of that race. However, I did see the blade in action when that demon leader cut through all the knights. The demon used limited movement and yet the strike was devastating. The red mist might have played a role in that.

At the mention of the knights, Dreu felt his memories flood back into him. The carnage was made possible by a single demon with the blade he now held in his hand. They began with a force of a few hundred men but now he was the only survivor. To make matters worse, he was out for a week which meant he couldn’t possibly be catching up to the others, assuming there were still survivors.

Why? Asked Bayard.

Dreu stared at the footman trying to figure out the context for the question.

Why did you risk your life to cover my flank? There was no real risk to my life.

I learned I acquired the Aegis Armor and I knew you needed an opening. I acted without thinking about the consequences. My body simply acted without my mind telling it to.

The Aegis Armor…..Xyheia is watching over you.

If she is, I hope to express my thanks to her personally one day.

Dreu secured the new weapon to his sword belt. He then touched his chest causing another prompt window to pop up.

< Aegis Armor:

Description: The maker of the Aegis Armor is unknown. What is known is that this armor is said to have the potential of becoming the most powerful armor. Unlike other armor, the Aegis Armor grows stronger with its owner. Therefore, it is up to the owner to bring out the full potential of the armor. Even at its most basic form, the Aegis Armor is already very much sought after by many. Two special traits of the armor are its invisibility, allowing the user to wear it without anyone being any wiser, and its quick equip option, allowing the user to equip and unequip easily at will.

Skill:

-Invincibility (Lvl 1): Passive. Grants the user invincibility for 1 minute. Skill is activated when a killing blow is within 0.5 meters of a user. Once either the invincibility duration or combat ends, the user loses all stamina and consciousness. Limited to 1 use per month. >

Invincibility for a whole minute followed by incapacitation? What an interesting armor to possess.

Once you become powerful, the armor invincibility duration is extended and there are no downsides.

How do you know?

The former emperor possessed the armor too. It was powerful enough for him to overcome everything….except for the Right Hand of Xemir. There was only so much a mortal man can do against an immortal being.

Yet I’m still so weak. I don't know what Xyheia saw in me.

Let’s do something about that then.

Bayard asked Dreu to stand up and get into his combat stance. Once Dreu was ready, the footman simply pushed him resulting in him falling backwards.

A proper stance is everything in combat. You fall backwards and you’re dead. Let’s try that again!

For the next hour or so, Dreu was taught the proper stance when he wielded a weapon. Once he had some basic understanding of stances, the young man was taught how to use a weapon and a shield. The training began with his ax but Bayard then ordered him to use his sheathed blade to get a better feel of it. By the end of the training, Dreu was covered in bruises caused by Bayard’s sheathed sword. The footman emphasized that, to become a proficient warrior, the young man needed to train consistently for many years. The training would kick in when he was in a state of panic, much like how the knights went into shieldwall despite being in a terrible mental state. Bayard recommended Dreu to consistently train every night regardless how exhausted he was. The training might save his life when no help was available.

Get some rest tonight! We’ll head out immediately tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow morning? Do you know the whereabouts of the others?

No, but we must continue moving. This place isn’t safe. I sense dark powers gathering nearby.

Dark powers?

Powers from creatures of the underworld or hell. Regardless of where they are from, neither of us is strong enough to fight them. We must be smart and flee while we still have a chance.

Why are you sensing dark powers now? Did something call for them? Like a ritual?

I don’t know the cause and I don’t recommend staying around long enough to find out. All I’ll say is that places with lots of deaths tend to attract beings or creatures with dark powers. They are drawn to it.

Where are we headed then? You must have a destination in mind.

Xante. The capital is both the safest and the most dangerous place. We can figure things out once we get there.

Trusting his footman, Dreu made himself as comfortable as he could on the ground. Before he fell asleep, he turned to Bayard.

Thanks for training me!

It’s been my honor, Dreu.