Chapter 86
86 Sinar County
It did not take long for cadets to reach the southwest position.
Lurin was at the lead and immediately noticed the nearly one hundred soldiers resting around a broken building. All of them looked exhausted and had all sorts of wounds on their bodies, making it clear just how hard the last few days had been for them.
The soldiers also detected Lurin, Beelze, Levi, and the other cadets. Most of them showed curiosity in their eyes, but some did not react so friendly seeing a group of young cadets coming their way.
Lurin noticed that, but not even for a second did he show a flash of hesitation or weakness. He might not have Cain’s imposing aura that pushed everybody into compliance, but he had trained his entire life for a moment like this.
Once Lurin was one hundred meters away from the broken building where the soldiers rested, he raised his hand, stopping everybody. All the cadets, including Beelze and Levi, followed his command.
Beelze and Levi did not show any rebellious behavior. Soldiers needed a leader in a moment like this, and while they felt more comfortable following someone they knew, Cain handed the leadership to Lurin, and they trusted their friend’s instincts.
Lurin did not look back but saw how everybody followed that simple command the instant he gave it, allowing his aura to rise even mightier, making his next move easier.
“I am Lurin Sinar. Vice-Captain Razmun sent us to this location to provide reinforcement and take leadership.” Lurin then took out the crystal card Razmun handed to Cain and sent a copy of the information to all the nearby soldiers.
Cain was still looking down, enduring the mental pain of using his Ego Wave and restraining his bloodline’s emotional outburst. A small smile appeared on his face as he heard Lurin’s words.
.....
‘Good, he spoke clearly from the beginning, stating our role and position to everybody.’
Lurin gave the soldiers a few seconds to read the information he had just sent before a sharp light appeared in his eyes.
“All soldiers adopt a formation fifty meters in front of me. Now!”
Lurin’s imposing aura was growing with every action he took, and that shout was all it was needed for the Level 1 and Level 2 soldiers to immediately dash out of the broken building and form in front of him.
All those soldiers were equipped with Wave Rifles, as they lacked the proper skills to fight on a battlefield with their own abilities. Most of them showed large smiles as they stared at the cadets since powerful reinforcements made them feel more secure, especially after the death of their previous commander.
However, not everybody was so happy about the changes. The look in the six Level 3 Wave Warriors made it clear they were not thrilled that a group of cadets would take the lead. An incompetent commander could do more damage than not having one at all.
Although the Level 3 Wave Warriors still joined the formation fifty meters in front of Lurin, they all walked calmly, showing no real respect. That was enough to tell everybody how they felt about their new commander.
Lurin could ignore that defiant behavior and slowly show the soldiers his apt.i.tudes, gaining their trust and respect. However, they would soon face hordes of Wave Beasts that wanted nothing more than to kill all of them, so time was a luxury he did not have.
He focused on the strongest of the Level 3 Wave Warriors, a tall man with a bulky body who followed the Astral Rebirth Path of Power.
“What is your name, soldier?”
The bulky man did not bother to hide his boredom and almost yawned when he answered Lurin’s question.
“Jamal.”
Lurin’s eyes narrowed when he heard the way Jamal spoke to him. The soldier did not show respect even after knowing he was the leader.
In all fairness, most soldiers of the Imperial Military Force follow the chain of command without hesitation but obeying a cadet scion who most likely never had put a foot on the battlefield was not something soldiers like Jamal could easily accept.
Lurin took a few steps forward, leaving the rest of the cadets behind before focusing on Jamal.
“Soldier, come here.”
Jamal showed a small smile as he heard that command. He was smart enough to understand Lurin’s goal, but there was no fear in his eyes.
Lurin showed no emotion on his face as Jamal approached him. The soldier was almost two meters tall, much higher than his one meter and seventy-five centimeters, but that meant little to him.
“I will ask one last time, what is your name?” Lurin’s voice was calm, but there was a force beneath it ready to burst, just like a dormant volcano.
Jamal shrugged his shoulders and smiled before speaking. “Jamal Hurn.”
After that answer, Lurin did not wait even a second before unleashing his Wave Cloak and making it burst with all his power. He made the first move and tapped Jamal’s chest.
That touch had no strength, but according to the military rules, it meant that Lurin initiated the altercation, allowing Jamal to defend himself with all his power.
Jamal smiled as he unleashed his Wave Cloak at full strength and sent a blow forward. Not only that punch had immense power, but the skill behind it was very good.
Unfortunately for Jamal, Lurin dodged that blow by lowering his body.
Jamal could not do anything to stop Lurin from tackling him to the ground. His eyes were full of surprise, as he did not understand just how a scion could read his movements so easily.
Lurin immediately positioned himself on top of Jamal before unleashing a barrage of punches, pinning this one to the ground. No matter what tactics Jamal attempted, Lurin could counter all of them.
Although Lurin unleashed dozens of punches over Jamal, he controlled the power behind them so they would not provoke real damage. Yet, after thirty seconds, that changed.
A flash of coldness and killing intent emerged in Lurin’s eyes as he gathered an immense amount of Astral Wave in his right arm. Brown scales formed around the arm, making it grow almost twice larger.
Jamal’s eyes widened as he saw that draconic-like right arm, and dread filled his heart. Not only had the physical strength exponentially improved, but there was also a ma.s.sive amount of Astral Wave enhancing it.
Jamal was not alone in his shock. The fight was not out of line with the military. It was quite common to establish discipline this way in a society that cherished strength above all. However, killing a soldier for small acts of disobedience was over the top.
“Boom!” A small blast echoed when the fist landed, but there was no blood.
Jamal’s eyes showed terror as he looked to the side when he saw the hole that Lurin’s fist left on the ground. If it had landed on his head, he would have perished.
Lurin’s face was pale, making it clear how much energy that attack took from him, but the aura he unleashed became even stronger. He rose from the ground and focused on the soldiers.
“I am your commander, and you will speak to me with respect. I have my orders, and you have yours. I will not allow any disobedience.”
“Yes, Sir!” All the soldiers spoke in unison.
Cain raised his head, and he was surprised. He had chosen Lurin to take the lead because he was the best of the current options, not because he saw something special in this one.
There were actually several plans on Cain’s mind already to handle the soldiers if Lurin failed, but this one did everything great.
Curiosity appeared in Cain’s eyes as he stared at Lurin and did some quick research on Lurin County. Although the empire protected sensitive information about n.o.ble Families, he was only looking for some common knowledge.
“Oh, so that is why.”
Cain’s research showed that Sinar County was established less than forty years ago by Ronir Sinar, a commoner who gained fame for his military exploits.
If Ronir Sinar took an important role in the upbringing of his children, it made sense for Lurin to be so familiar with the military.
That also explained Lurin’s preference to form teams with people of humble backgrounds, his proficiency against military battle skills, and his leadership skills.
Lurin almost smiled when he saw the look of respect and awe in the soldiers, but he could not break his dignified stance. He gave one sharp glance at Jamal, making this one rise from the ground and hastily return to the formation.
Just as he was about to give the commands, Lurin’s eyes narrowed due to a message that reached his A.I. Chip.
“All soldiers, speak your names, levels, and battle specialties.”
The soldiers did not find anything odd about that request since it was normal for a commander to ask for that information, but the cadets knew from whom it came. Some were not subtle and looked to the back of the group.