The soldiers could have defended themselves without much trouble, if only these creatures didn't possess such a devilish scream.

That shriek.

That unbearable, piercing noise was unlike anything they had ever faced on the battlefield.

When the high-pitched cry tore through the air, it was as though a person's skull would split apart from the inside. Their thoughts scrambled, their vision spun, and their eardrums burned with agony.

What followed was immediate disorientation, and after that… torture.

Some endured.

Some clenched their teeth and fought against the madness trying to take root in their minds, but not all of them made it.

Out of the hundred soldiers that had marched out at the start of their mission, barely eighty had survived up to this point.

The existence of monsters was becoming more rampant near the borders of Atlas City.

And when word of a new threat spread, the mayor and Commander Bismarck wasted no time.

This squad was deployed to eliminate it as quickly as possible.

Failure was not an option!

Returning without completing their task would not only mean they had failed.

It would mean disgrace, punishment, and perhaps even execution.

That was the calibre of man Commander Bismarck, sometimes, is

Right now, standing in the midst of corpses and with the chilling screams of the flittermice still ringing in their ears, escape seemed the only option.

If they stayed here much longer, sooner or later, all of them would perish without even having the chance to fight for their freedom.

The soldiers huddled together, speaking in low, anxious voices.

Some whispered about revolting.

Others clung to the idea of survival.

The thought of desertion flickered in their eyes, though none dared speak it outright.

Then…

Screams.

Loud, anguished cries carried through the cave,coming from deeper in the distance.

The sound of weapons clashing against claws and wings echoed across the battlefield.

Chaos was breaking out not far from them.

And then it happened.

Some of the flittermice, emboldened by their shrieks, swooped in again, attempting to snatch the soldiers one by one.

Before they could carry anyone away, a mysterious person entered the scene, cutting them down easily.

*Shing*

A blur of his blade cut through the air.

The monsters screeched in pain, their bodies torn apart and sent crashing to the ground.

One figure stood tall amidst the carnage, his presence sharp, unyielding and terrifying.

…Axton.

He had arrived like a storm, his blade dripping with the blood of slain beasts.

His eyes were cold, focused, and merciless.

The quest was already done.

The creatures that had cost the squad so much — their comrades, their morale, their sanity — were nothing more than fodder to him.

It was almost too easy.

Whether his stats were currently buffed or not, Axton had grown strong enough to handle these kinds of monsters effortlessly.

The soldiers froze where they stood, their hearts pounding fast.

They had never seen someone like him before.

The way he moved, the way he fought — it wasn't human.

He cut down the flittermice like they were nothing more than flies.

He looked more like a demon than a man.

"W-Who are you?" one soldier finally stammered, his voice trembling but laced with curiosity.

Axton placed his palm across his chest and replied, his voice steady and calm.

"I'm Khan. Your new commander."

The soldiers exchanged baffled looks, their eyes darting between one another and then back to the figure who had single-handedly destroyed the threat they couldn't even withstand.

"New commander…?" one muttered.

"What happened to Commander Bismarck?" another asked, suspicion flickering in his tone.

Axton ignored the question. "The mayor sent me to rescue you."

The words hung in the air.

The soldiers hesitated, not sure if they should trust this stranger. His strength was undeniable, but so was the fear he instilled.

The way he had torn through the monsters without breaking a sweat.

Who could do such a thing?

The flittermice weren't the strongest beasts in the world, but they weren't weak either.

They had wiped out nearly a quarter of the squad, yet this man had crushed them as if they were nothing.

As Axton wiped his weapon clean, he felt the familiar rush of notifications in his mind.

Per usual, the kills granted him Exp and loot.

Among them were two skill books — [Stealth] and [Stun]. As with many of his recent gains, the books were upgraded instantly into far more powerful versions — [Non Entity] and [Ultra Stun] respectively.

Both were grade 5 skills, leagues above what an average soldier or even commander could hope to obtain.

When Axton revealed his symbol of authority to the soldiers, all doubts crumbled. They fell silent, staring wide-eyed at the token that marked him as their superior.

Slowly, they bowed in reverence.

"Commander…" one whispered.

"Thank you… for saving us," another said.

And then, the system voice chimed in.

*Ding*

[Congratulations!]

[You have completed the Mayor's Quest]

[Do you wish to upgrade your reward?]

"Yes," Axton answered without hesitation.

[Soldiers' Rank: Grade 3 → Grade 4]

The soldiers themselves didn't level up, but their grading increased. Immediately, their loyalty points shot up to the maximum of 100 points.

All seventy-seven remaining soldiers now stood under Axton's command. Not only did they answer to him, but they also admired and respected him, their hearts bound by system-driven loyalty.

All of them dropped down on one knee in unison, their voices resonating as they pledged their allegiance to Axton.

For a moment, Axton stood frozen. He remembered how deeply loyal these same soldiers had once been to Commander Bismarck. That loyalty had seemed unshakable, almost absolute.

Yet now… all of it belonged to him.

'The game system forced this outcome?' Axton thought with a smirk tugging at his lips. 'No matter what bonds they had before, it was overwritten by the quest.'

It was almost amusing.

He could already imagine Bismarck's face twisting in rage when he discovered this.

The man would boil with fury, and when he found out Axton had actually succeeded?

That rage would only grow worse.

Internally, Axton chuckled.

The newly upgraded squad radiated a far more intimidating aura than before.

Their armor changed, looking sturdier.

Their weapons felt heavier in their hands, and their eyes glowed faintly with newfound strength. Each soldier exuded the presence of a Grade 4 fighter.

They were strong… fiercely strong and best of all, they were all his.

Axton scanned the stats of one soldier at random, and satisfaction welled within him. They had balanced strengths across multiple combat disciplines — melee, ranged, support.

It was a versatile team.

Exactly what he needed.

His attention soon shifted back to his newly obtained skills.

[Skill: Ultra Stun]

[Rank: 4-star]

[Level: 1]

[Description: Allows the user to release mana across a set distance. Targets caught within range will be dazed for 1–10 seconds, depending on the power gap between user and target, leaving them vulnerable.]

[Cooldown: 1 minute]

[Limits: Requires 50 mana points. Usable by all classes, minimum Lv. 15 required.]

…

[Skill: Non Entity]

[Rank: 5-star]

[Level: 1]

[Description: Erases the user's presence for 30 seconds, making detection nearly impossible. Duration increases by 10 seconds with each level, up to Lv. 20.]

[Cooldown: 5 minutes]

[Limits: Requires 100 mana points. Usable by all classes, minimum Lv. 15 required.]

…

Two powerful tools to add to his arsenal. With these, his ability to manipulate both the battlefield and his enemies grew exponentially.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.