BXBX NOVEL Chapter 20: The Training Grounds
"You are only my goddess, nobody else's, to everyone you are just another woman," Sol smiled at her.
"Oh," Sara took a breath and began walking again. "I misunderstood," She shook her head assuming that they were just caught up in their infatuation for each other again.
"Master, must I?" She asked with a pout.
"It is an order, you don't need to get them to like you, hell, I don't even like them, but as a hero, it is your duty to see your role to the end, and that means you have to get along with them, at least a little,"
"This might be the most difficult thing you ever ask of me," Ikaris walked ahead of Sol with her brows low and her eyes narrowed and greeted everyone with a nod. "Good morning-" She gave them a small smile.
"What the hell, we were supposed to begin at sunrise, it's already an hour after sunrise, you're late!" Dina scolded Ikaris as soon as her momentum stopped, but another moment later Dina was eating grass with Ikaris standing in the back of her head.
"I apologise for being late, I have already been scolded by my master and ordered to do better, so let us please move on and begin, I am ready," Ikaris had a vein in the side of her head as the woman beneath her continued to curse profanities that the Arkadians had never heard or dreamt of saying in public.
"Ikaris, you're being a bit harsh," Eris helped Dina to her feet and tried healing her bruised forehead, but the angry woman slapped her hands away and turned to Ikaris and swung her hand at her summoning a staff in an attempt to hit her in her face.
"Heroes, please," General Grim blocked Dina's swing and grabbed onto Ikaris's hand before she stabbed her fellow hero to death with her summoned sword. "Please, this is the first day, I understand there is a lot you need to sort out as comrades, but a fight to the death cannot be allowed,"
He had a sheepish grin as he looked at Ikaris who was fuming after Dina had tried to hit her, he was especially shocked at how much strength she possessed, even though the heroes were summoned with a massive portion of mana and strength stats in comparison to anyone else on Arkadia.
This woman was far too strong already, had she swung that sword he would have had to tank or parry her blow instead of try catching her hand.
"I don't think I'll be able to follow that order very well, Master," Ikaris looked around at Sol as he casually walked up to them and placed his hand on her sword.
"Behave, Ikaris,"
"...As you wish," She cancelled the sword and stood at attention next to him. "General, I apologise,"
"Isn't it strange how much she obeys him?" Usami asked Eris, and the latter nodded.
"You'd think that being in another world would get her to change how she was, but she's been like this since the moment we first met before coming here, Sol is the only one she listens to," Eris added with a nervous smile.
"Dina," It was wrong of me to strike you for stating facts, forgive me,"
"You can save your forgiveness and watch your back, I'm gonna make sure to ruin that pretty face of yours the first chance I get princess!" Dina spat at her feet and turned her back, walking over to everyone else.
"I will kill her." Ikaris bit her lip and took a step toward Dina, but was blocked by Sol's hand.
"I forbid it," Sol looked at her seriously, leaving no room for debate or challenge in his words. "Frankly speaking, I do and say a lot that conflicts with my beliefs, but I genuinely think that Dina is going to be useful, she is a mage-type, she isn't like Han who only wields a sword, she's going to be essential," He held on to her shoulder.
"She threatened to touch my face, master-"
"Focus on training, let me deal with her," Sol shook his head with his eyes closed.
"Should I intervene as well?" Grim stood before Sol seriously, seeing that the imposter wanted to mediate.
"No, that's okay, I can manage,"
"You are a strange anomaly, Sol Vestic," The much taller general looked down at him with a frown, he couldn't find an opening to attack, even though Sol seemed to be standing passively. "When you are much stronger, I will challenge you to a duel,"
"Sorry, you're not on my list of people to fight," Sol smiled at the general.
"List?" The man asked confused.
"As far as strength goes, you're already... Weak," Sol smiled at him.
"Weak?" Sara stared at Sol's expression as he said it, she couldn't forget how easily and passively he had bested her in a contest of strength and speed. "The general is almost at 200, how can he call that weak?" She bit her nails again as a blush appeared on her cheeks. "This man, is he seriously that strong?"
"Ha.. hahahaha!" The general laughed out and turned his back to Sol, prioritising the heroes. "Then when I am stronger, I will challenge you hahaha!" He continued laughing.
"Sir," Sara approached Sol's side right as he was about to join the others.
"Sara?"
"Can we fight?"
"Sorry I'm going to learn some stuff now, plus those six people, I'm curious about them," Sol gestured to the six who stood opposite of Ikaris and the others.
"Allow me," Sara gestured to the man standing with a sword in front of Han Young, the sword hero, he was a short little man with a round bald head that had only one lock of hair at the very top, but under his casual office worker getup, Sol could see decades of training, this man, even if he was lower level than the General was probably just as formidable.
"That is Sir Kane Angelman, he is the former general of the former general of the Argom Army, he retired of old age just a few years ago and now serves as an advisor.
"Oho, a named character at last," Sol held excitement as he stared at the former general's stats.
"Named character?"
[Name- Kane Angelman
Race- Human
Level- 153
Title- General's Aide
Skills- Dance of a thousand blades, Cloud-piercing strike, annihilation sword, heaven's piercing barrage
Class: Sword Mage
Buffs: Commander: able to get her courage on any battlefield by simply being present, lower level enemies cower at his presence, allies get a 30% agility increase
Blessing- Mana body; Subject can indefinitely absorb a set amount of mana from the atmosphere
Curse- None
Special- Sacrificial lamb; Once enough mana is accumulated, subject can sacrifice their own blood and body to create a heaven-defying attack with their soul, 1 one-time use, punishment is instant death]
"Wow! What a lineup!" Sol nodded his approval, maybe Han could learn properly under this man's hand. "And who is that woman with the mage staff in front of Dina?"
"That is..."