A dry war field stretched endlessly, soldiers fighting desperately to defend their kingdom, a war brought to their very homes.
"Follow the formation!" shouted the general, but no one heeded his command.
General Kael, clad in shining armor that barely concealed his insecurities, was the only son of King Karyos of the Azoria Kingdom. He noticed something unusual—soldiers responding instead to a low-ranking warrior, not even a captain.
Enter Mordan Gauge: the protagonist of this story. Gauge was a man in his twenties, with a decent physique and extraordinary skills. His piercing blue eyes and angelic face masked a fighting style as ruthless as a devil's. His beard was neither fully grown nor clearly shaved, and his hair waved like the oceans of Azoria themselves. His weapon of choice: a dagger.
Wherever he fought, the army fought alongside him—even though he was still an infantry soldier. Meanwhile, the enemy kingdom, Venezuela, had an able commander, Elthraf, standing amidst a mountain of corpses as Gauge approached.
"Pretentious bastard, isn't he?" Elthraf muttered, Gauge still frowning.
Elthraf continued, his voice dripping with contempt:
"Everybody knows you, Gauge. You're the muscle, yet here you are—not even a captain."
Gauge steadied his breath and retrieved his dagger from a fallen soldier.
"This kingdom fed me, Elthraf. Gave me something more valuable than a mere position in power—care."
Elthraf's face twisted with disgust as if about to vomit.
"You strong men always let emotions nerf you," he spat. "That won't stop me. If you don't join us, as our king demanded, you're my enemy, Gauge."
The fight began. Elthraf wielded a massive greatsword, while Gauge wielded only a short dagger—but the power each displayed was equal.
Elthraf rained down merciless strikes.
"One million slashes!" he bellowed.
Gauge remained calm, parrying each strike with ease.
"A million slashes? Just because one isn't enough doesn't mean a million will do better."
Gauge blocked everything perfectly. Elthraf threw everything he had, but Gauge stood immobile, analyzing each move. When Elthraf faltered, Gauge grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the ground, shattering the battlefield.
Elthraf, weak and kneeling, struggled to rise.
"It will take more than that to kill me." He spat blood and charged again. Gauge leaned to the right, letting him overshoot, and cut off one of his legs. With the other leg, the unyielding Elthraf attempted another attack, swinging his sword downwards.
Gauge held his arms, crushing them with raw strength. The greatsword clattered to the ground. He slashed the remaining leg with ferocity.
"Our commander is down! Every healthy soldier, rush toward him—save him from the monster!"
A wave of angry men charged, but Gauge cut through them like butter.
Arrows rained from enemy archers. Gauge simply sidestepped, deflected, and even caught some of them. Allied shields reinforced him while archers rounded up the remaining enemies.
Through all the chaos, Gauge never attacked a vital spot. He turned to Elthraf:
"You can still live. Call a retreat."
His comrades looked at him, confused.
"Come on. You've already lost your legs. Half your troops are gone. Be a good commander—call off the attack, save the rest, and return to Venezuela."
Elthraf thought for a moment, drew a deep breath, and shouted:
"Retreat! Return to Venezuela and regroup. We'll plan what to do with the enemy in our city. For now—retreat."
The soldiers withdrew from the battlefield of Azoria. Gauge allowed himself a small sigh of relief.
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Inside Azoria Palace
A grand palace of white marble gleamed in the sunlight. King Karyos sat on his golden throne. He addressed Gauge, who had been accused of treason.
"Why did you let the enemies retreat, Gauge? You know Elthraf won't give up."
The king's concern was genuine—he was caring, though more of a puppet ruler. His wife, Serephine, made most of the kingdom's major decisions.
General Kael stepped forward.
"My king, this soldier is dangerous. He might be conspiring with the enemy. He must be punished."
The king sighed, knowing Kael was insecure about his position. Gauge could surpass him easily if he demanded it.
"Do not utter a word, boy. Gauge is a more potent leader than you'll ever be. If it weren't for him, Elthraf would still be a tough opponent. You? You couldn't even scratch his belly, let alone defeat him," said the king.
"But, Your Majesty, Gauge is dangerous! All that power—where does it come from? Nobody in these lands knows his lineage. He might be one of those monsters from Enderworld," Kael argued nervously.
"You fool! Does he look like a beast? Impudent child!" the king shouted.
"I've seen Gauge hone his skills through painful training while you sat in your chamber, ordering maidens to feed you grapes," the king continued.
Gauge interrupted.
"I know I am not a beast, yet these lands do not know me. I may be human, but to become a general and lead this kingdom to victory, I must learn about the secrets of my lineage. If nobody here knows, maybe the answers lie beyond the borders of Azoria—in the Enderworld. Your Majesty, I request permission to travel across the Enderworld and discover more about myself."
Everyone turned to the skies of Azoria, visible through the grand archways. A bolt of lightning struck in the direction of the Enderworld, filling their hearts with fear. Yet Gauge remained unmoved, his resolve unshaken.
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✅ Next chapter: Of Pacts and Promises