The soldiers and the hundreds of civilians were advancing around the mountain, everybody in formation and orderly.
Mitchel couldn’t help but smile as he saw the speed at which they were advancing. ’At this rate, we will return to the military base in a month. Amazing!’
Just as the young man smiled with a sense of fulfillment and happiness, his eyes narrowed as he turned to the left, focusing on the small mountain’s peak. "Soldiers, defensive formation, left flank!"
Those words surprised the soldiers, but immediately, their harsh training came into effect, and their bodies moved before their minds could even realize it. The Warriors took the front, bone shields and machetes in hand, while the Mages took the back, all forming a barrier in front of the civilians.
The refugees were also surprised by the shout. They did not understand what was happening and were not trained to handle this sort of stressful situation, so fear began to rise in their hearts.
"Civilians stay put! Anyone who dares to break formation will be charged with inciting a riot and severely punished!" Mitchel’s white Force covered his body, enhancing everything, making his shout louder than thunder as he marched to the soldiers.
Although those words were harsh and full of coldness and brutality, Brigadier General Mitchel understood the dangers that chaos could arise, so he did not dare to take things lightly. Luckily, his words had the desired effect, and everybody stayed put.
It took a few seconds for Mitchel to appear in front of the soldiers. His eyes were cold as he took his bone machete and shield, and his Force burst as he focused on the mountains.
"Hahaha, good instincts. I must admit I am impressed."
Just as the soldiers were wondering what was happening, they heard a booming voice emerge from behind the mountain’s slopes, and the next second, they saw a group emerge from it. There were thirty individuals, twenty donning black metallic armor and the other ten with dark robes. Unlike the armament and armor of the warriors of the Xaos Kingdom, the equipment of these people was on a different level.
Mitchel could feel a dense energy emanating from their equipment and the formation they adopted, which made him frown since this was clearly not a group of outlaws but a well-organized militia. Soon, his eyes focused on the person who seemed to be in charge, a tall man nearly two meters tall who stood between the Warriors and Mages.
Despite his large and muscular body, the man was wearing a dark robe and seemed to be a spellcaster. A smile appeared on the man’s face as he focused on the group.
"Hand over those chariots with food and goods. Also, hand over your weapons, leather armor, and everything remotely valuable you have." The man did not utter his name or reveal his organization and simply demanded everything the soldiers and civilians had on them.
Coldness and rage appeared in the eyes of the soldiers as they heard those words. None of the presents were cowards, each having bathed in the blood of demons as they rose in strength, so the fact that someone who came out of nowhere would dare to threaten them was preposterous. They were all ready to march forward and kill those people.
Mitchel was just as enraged, but he was their commander and did not have the luxury of falling to his basic instincts. His eyes were sharp as he focused on the group, feeling their strength, especially that of the massive man.
While their numbers were higher, the enemy had the terrain advantage and could easily bombard them with spells. Even if they were able to fight against them, the clash would generate chaos. The civilians’ minds would definitely not be able to resist, everyone running in all directions, with many possibly perishing in the stampede.
However, even if fighting was not a good choice, that did not mean they could just relinquish their demands. If they handed over their food and everything valuable, they would be stranded in this area, weeks away from the Silent Wind Military Base. Even if they found no monsters, starvation would become a severe problem. Not to mention that who says they would not kill all of them after they handed over their belongings?
Mitchel’s mind practically burned as he searched for the best path, and after a few seconds, his eyes grew sharp as he focused on the enemy leader before taking a communicator gem and making it glow. "We are the soldiers of the Xaos Kingdom, under the command of the Xaos King, a man capable of killing thousands of demons with his bare hands. My people already know about this, and any affront against us will be paid for severely!"
A sharp light appeared in the large man as he heard those words and focused on the gem that glowed with runes. He knew that technological devices like phones were no longer capable of communicating long distances, but he was also aware that all sorts of miracles were happening.
Just like their armament, the man knew there were people capable of producing all sorts of interesting artifacts. Seeing that gem and knowing that enemy forces were aware of their moves did not deter him; if anything, it enticed him even more.
The man extended his hands, and the next second, a torrent of burning flames emerged from his palms, generating a scorching heat that made even the soldiers around him uncomfortable. "Hahaha, now, I really need you to hand over all you have, especially those gems. Some of you will also be coming with us."
Mitchel’s eyes widened as he saw the man’s overbearing response, his rage growing stronger. "Your actions are an affront to the Xaos King."
"Hmph, Xaos King, what a stupid name. If he were here, I would make him beg for mercy." The man had just finished his words when his eyes widened, and his smile froze as his instincts began to scream in terror.