"I've taught many new Knights in the Knight Order. Holden told me you single-handedly cleared out thirteen Abyssal Hounds last night.
"Your strength is a whole level above other rookies in their adjustment period. You're no different from an Official Knight with a One-star Military Rank.
"For an average Knight Order rookie, handling six to seven Abyssal Hounds alone is their absolute limit."
At this, Erich stood and walked out of the tent.
"This place is too small. Let's go outside."
Reinhardt had been scraping by in this world for sixteen years since his transmigration. But when it came to knowledge of Extraordinary Power, even the half-baked Knights and Dragon Blood Warriors in the Dark Scale Raiding Group he'd spent years with had only a vague understanding of the abilities they possessed.
An invisible but very real, insurmountable wall stood between true Transcendents and ordinary people like them.
Thanks to his system panel, Reinhardt's understanding of the Extraordinary System was far greater than the average person's, but it was limited to mere terminology and titles.
His system panel listed his current strength as an Official Knight with a One-star Military Rank, a perfect match for Vice Commander Erich's assessment.
But in his three-plus years at the Knight Training Camp, Reinhardt had never heard any Knight speak of Military Ranks.
The two made their way to the deserted training grounds. After being scoured by a rain of fire, the ground was pockmarked with craters. Ash and debris sullied the snow, and piles of uncleared limbs and torsos were heaped in the corners.
The sky was unusually clear after the blizzard.
Reinhardt wore a battered Chest Armor from the training camp and a pair of tattered trousers. His black hair, slicked back with just water, had been frozen into a hard clump by the biting wind.
Erich's Armor was the same style as Sedon's, but its silvery sheen was long gone. It was covered in the claw marks and bloodstains of Abyssal Hounds, and his brown gorget was caked with grime.
The surfaces of his Steel Boots were pockmarked, and a single tooth was still embedded in one, yet to be removed.
His salt-and-pepper beard was unkempt and matted, but it did nothing to diminish the sharpness of his eyes, which were like an eagle's fixed on its prey.
The two of them stood facing each other, seven steps apart.
At that moment, a faint golden light, like drifting smoke, began to emanate from Erich's body. It coalesced into the phantom Mecha of Energy Reinhardt had seen before. Standing over five meters tall, it loomed like a great beast. The terrifying aura of the Earth Knight distorted the very light and filled the air with crushing pressure!
The cold wind swept the ground, sending ash and snow swirling at their feet.
Erich's expression was exceptionally grave. In a deep voice, he said, "My 'Power' is the Guardian Barrier type. It is called Celestial Star Sacred Radiance.
"Reinhardt.
"Use all your strength. I hope you can keep up with my movements."
As Erich spoke, he retreated, widening the distance between him and Reinhardt.
The moment his voice, which had been echoing across the grounds, abruptly fell silent, an extreme sense of danger gripped Reinhardt's heart—the feeling of being targeted by a ferocious beast!
His scalp went numb, and the hair on his neck stood on end!
'Not good!'
Reinhardt's pupils constricted as he shot backward in retreat!
The dark purple light of the Morphic Armor, like a living thing, seeped from his skin and spread at high speed, constructing the Extraordinary Armament!
The living air sacs on its back fired at full power, their high-speed exhaust kicking up a maelstrom of snow.
A second later, all Reinhardt could see was an afterimage of Vice Commander Erich. His keen intuition screamed that danger was closing in.
Without a moment's hesitation, Reinhardt shot off like an arrow, practically skimming the ground as he sped toward the edge of the training grounds.
In that brief instant, not even half a second long, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Vice Commander Erich—and his terrifying gaze!
Before Reinhardt's mind and body could even react, the living matter of the Morphic Armor instinctively forced his body to curl inward, bringing an arm up to shield his side.
BOOM—!
A terrifying force, as if he'd been struck by a high-speed train, slammed into him. It felt like Reinhardt's very soul was trembling!
His body flew out of control, plowing a furrow through the muddy ruins of the training grounds. He was sent flying over ten meters before he crashed into a tree and finally came to a stop.
To block the potentially fatal attack, Reinhardt had unleashed his Power at full strength, which had drained nearly all of his stamina in an instant!
He struggled to one knee, forcing his body to stay upright as he gasped for breath. The immense sense of crisis, of death being just an instant away, made even his hands tremble slightly. He was horrified. 'Is the strength of an Earth Knight really this overwhelming?!'
'I used almost all my strength just to block one of his normal attacks.'
Then, somehow, Vice Commander Erich's Steel Boots quietly appeared in his line of sight.
Reinhardt looked up. Sunlight shone on the square-faced, bearded man. His formidable, two-meter-tall Physique was immense, standing before Reinhardt like an insurmountable mountain!
"Failure is no disgrace, Reinhardt. Stay humble, but forge ahead with all your might. Those are words Commander Bacchus once taught me."
Erich extended his right hand to Reinhardt, just as Commander Bashk had done for him in his youth. With his piece said, Erich grinned, and the two clasped hands firmly.