Hero of Darkness



Atreus heard about what happened with Ivaar Baneslav, who was supposed to lead the defense of the region. Despite no one openly expressing dissatisfaction with his approach, Atreus could read between the lines and sense that something was amiss. 

As he listened to all the reports, he could not help but reveal a slightly irritated countenance.

The story went like this…

Instead of leading his troops and ensuring the safety of the innocent civilians within the cities on all 4 fronts, Ivaar chose to frantically fight with the rebel saints, leaving the regular soldiers to fend off the never-ending onslaught of monsters. 

Despite the immense firepower of the Warships, the military forces were unable to fully rid the walls of the attacking creatures.

Unfortunately, Ivaar's actions proved to be a significant liability for the Kunlun forces.

As the representative of the Fenrirborne tribe, his misguided actions and reckless behavior could also tarnish the reputation of his people and cause further damage to the already dire situation. 

It was for this reason that the Tribe Leader and Council members sent Kahn, also known as Atreus, to take control of the situation and clean up Ivaar's mess.

"So the rebel saints brought the monster tides?" questioned Atreus.

"Yes, Lord Bellator. Our scouts have confirmed that one of them possesses the ability to control the minds of the monsters native to the Kunlun borders." responded one of the officers with the head of an elk.

"What is it that they hope to achieve? 

If their goal is to fight against the imperial rule, why involve innocent civilians in their so-called revolution?" he too found the situation odd.

Ivaar, with a sarcastic tone, interjected and spoke…

"Isn't it obvious? What do they gain from attacking Kunlun of all places in the empire?"

Atreus furrowed his brow, quickly running through all possible scenarios in his head. 

Suddenly, it dawned on him, and his expression became constricted as he came to a realization. 

Atreus instantly understood the rebels' motive, which would not be apparent to those who did not appreciate the core values and history of their own civilizations. 

What was the best subtle yet devastating tactic that could shatter the pride and sanctity of an entire nation in a single blow?

The answer was simple…

By destroying the cultural and religious monuments.

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After concluding the main objective of the rebel saints and their forces… Atreus was slightly worried.

Kunlun was the equivalent of the Vatican City in terms of its monumental value on earth. And at the heart of it all, the Temple of Termeszet was no less important than the Notre-Dame for the Nadur Empire.

Once, this sacred land was protected by an array of saints, but given the scarcity of saints in the Nadur Empire that was as large as the Asian continent; the decision was practical, but it left Kunlun vulnerable.

No one could have anticipated that a group of rebel saints would attack the holiest place in the empire, putting the lives of 80 million people at risk merely to make a statement against imperial rule.

If their objective were to be achieved, even the Empress and the Heavenly Kings would be compelled to intervene.

Atreus shook his head in disbelief.

"It's as if these rebels have a death wish or something."

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"We need to act swiftly and with precision if we're going to eliminate this threat once and for all." declared the brawler saint, laying out a strategy for everyone in the war room to hear.

"From this moment on, all of you will follow my command to the letter. We can't afford any missteps or deviations if we're going to succeed."

Once the plan and chain of command had been established, the team members quickly dispersed to their designated stations, ready to follow Atreus's orders.

But there was a sense of unease among them, as the plan seemed straightforward and lacking in complexity.

Nevertheless, they knew they had to trust their new war general and carry out their duties with diligence. They could only hope that Atreus wouldn't make the same mistakes as Ivaar, who had cost them dearly in the past.

Meanwhile, Atreus had Vidred cast a legendary Isolation barrier, so powerful that not even Ivaar would be able to detect it. With this barrier in place, they could carry out their chat without fear of interference or detection.

"Why did you feel the need to act on your radical impulses, instead of waiting for the Imperial Guards or the Hero's Party to arrive?" asked Atreus, his voice heavy with disappointment and frustration.

Ivaar chuckled, a devilish smirk playing on his lips.

"Why, you ask?" he said, his tone mocking.

"Because waiting around for someone else to do the job is boring. I wanted to spice things up a bit."

Atreus was left speechless, struggling to comprehend Ivaar's twisted logic.

"You were sent here to quell the uprising, not to endanger innocent civilians or put our own soldiers at risk." he retorted, his voice laced with anger.

Ivaar shrugged nonchalantly.

"The mission assigned to me by the tribe only mentioned purging the uprising.

It said nothing about protecting the people or the cities on the border." he said shamelessly.

"And besides, if I could kill whoever was controlling those monster tides, that would be killing two birds with one stone.

Can you blame me for trying?" 

Even Atreus couldn't deny the logic in Ivaar's reasoning.

If he succeeded in killing the mastermind behind the monster tides, it would solve the problem at its root and bring glory to his tribe.

But as a military commander, Atreus knew that Ivaar's actions had put the lives of his subordinates at risk.

"Your strategy may be logical, but as a leader, you abandoned your troops to fend for themselves." Atreus pointed out, struggling to contain his anger.

"A military force cannot function without a proper chain of command and clear orders in the face of an enemy attack. If any of those entry points had fallen in the past three days, the rebels and their saints would have breached Kunlun and massacred millions of innocent people." he shook his head in disappointment.

"As a saint of the empire, it is your duty to protect and serve the people. You should have considered the welfare of those under your leadership before acting on your impulses." Atreus continued, his voice firm and unwavering.

"As a leader, it is your duty to protect both your subordinates and the civilians under your jurisdiction. A leader who values only his own goals and disregards the lives of others is no different than a rabid dog drunk on power and authority.

Do not treat people's lives so lightly, even if you are not directly responsible for their protection."

"Believe me, I have made impulsive decisions myself. And the price was paid in the blood of those who didn't deserve to die.

The guilt of my mistakes still weighs down on me to this day." he spoke from memory.

Regardless of how far he had come, Kahn never shirked away the fact that he too had blood on his hands whether he intended or not. 

Yet to his complaints and advice, Ivaar revealed a smug grin and spoke in a carefree tone…

"Not my problem."