It was funny, Jack had to admit. The thousand men large group approached their concealed fortifications none the wiser with a few hundred men of their group seemingly too eager to begin their supposedly simple and guaranteed on sided slaughter. It was weird at times, Jack had no other way to describe it. Clearly, the word had spread that their tribe had found a way to level further than tribes usually did, implying that their strength was greater as well. Why would anyone decide to attack them? And with barely a two to one advantage? Was the fact that only skills could be obtained from leveling past level ten and a lack of extra attribute acquisition, resulting in a lack of a greater gap in strength the reason for their courage? Or was their lust for battle and spoils clouding their minds? No matter the reason, Jack could appreciate the attack in his own way. Selin's tribe was precisely in need of live combat training against an opponent that was not a near mindless monster roaming the dungeon. 'These men should regain their wits about them once the melee begins.'

  Jack did not have to be anywhere near the frontline, his understanding and awareness of everything happening within his laid out formation near perfect. Still, it would be so much easier to respond to any undesired possibility if he was close by. As such, there Jack was, calmly standing close enough, his mind analyzing each and every minute detail, calculating the expected results and already forming plans to respond as the battle began. 'Just well enough for the first proper fight.' Jack concluded, already repositioning himself to reduce the loss of lives on Selin's side.

  And then it happened. The majority of enemy forces had walked inside Jack's formations, prompting the man to activate them. In just a few short moments, the formation sprung to life, distorting the somewhat calm, if filled with shouts and bloodlust, scenery that had been there just a few blinks ago. Now, the battlefield had suddenly morphed into a desolate land. Naked, dry and cracked dark brown and claylike earth stood beneath everyone's feet, a barely perceptible menacing glow of sickly green shining through said cracks as though just barely informing those standing above of something dangerous lurking just below.

  Spikes made of hardened earth, or perhaps rock- twisted and morphed by the sinister energy around them, protruded towards the heaven. Black smoke like clouds that concealed the sun behind them hung over their heads, flashes of red lightning occasionally illuminating the dull and foreboding environment. Still, it was just bright enough outside that no need for vision enhancing support tools arose while still remaining just dark and gloomy enough. This sudden change did slow down the charging attackers momentarily, the current situation both frightening and unknown to any of them. Their overwhelming bloodlust and desire for battle prevailed a moment later though as they restarted their charge, though now less frantic in their advance.

  "Thrust!" a powerful command resounded from the defending side, followed a mere moment later by a number of screams of pain. A moment later still, the first dozen or so attackers fell to the ground, their chests impaled and bloody, and a moment later yet, the seemingly empty space right in front of the now collapsed dozen attackers, the air slightly rippled, revealing a line of defenders- their shields anchored to the ground, each holding a freshly bloodied long spear that poked through the gaps of a shield wall.

  "Illusions! Careful!" yelled the leader of the advanced group, his yell stopping the charging group almost entirely.

  "True Sight Idol!" a burly man, almost two meter tall found his way to the very front of the group, calling out as he raised one hand in air. A moment later, pale blue light exploded from his hand, seemingly erasing any and all distortions within a hundred meter radius.

  "Ha! Found you!" the man smirked, signaling to his companions who raised their own shields and advanced towards the shield wall.

  "Let's play our kind of games now!" the leader laughed, his group caught up to by the rest of his allies as they all formed their own shield wall of sorts.

  Arrows whizzed through the air, picking off stragglers who were too slow to join their shield wall, either injuring or outright killing them. The ones with greater luck and perception used their own skills to avoid certain death, their previous confidence waning within moments. Still, no one outright turned around and fled, too scared to be picked from behind by one of the archers or wary of the wrath of their own leaders. And so, the gap between both sides shrunk by the moment as the inevitable battle drew closer and closer, until finally, they connected, with the spears seeking for any gap to exploit, to further reduce the number of attackers before the fight had truly began.

  A brutal reverse tug of war began as both sides tried their very best to achieve their goals. The defenders wanted nothing more than to hold the line and take out as many of the attackers as they could, while the attacking side wanted to break through the shield wall to utilize their swords and axes, clearly more confident in their own superior ability in close combat. Skill after skill ws called out, intercepted by another one from the defending side, just barely holding their place, all while arrows whistled above, catching anyone overeager to earn their accolades.

  "Break for me! Steel wind slash!" some few minutes later a roar of confidence and power resounded across the battlefield, followed by a chaotic wind gust that rammed straight into the defensive shield wall, finally creating the first opening as it flung several defenders off their feet and several meters back. The attacking union did not waste time, as their own shield wal broke apart immediately and rushed in through the created opening, bloodthirsty grins spread across their faces as their weapons swung in almost desperate search for fresh blood to spill.

  With the first success achieved, several other elite fighters of the attacking force followed along, using some of their stronger skills to create their own breaches in other places along the defensive shield wall, finally beginning their melee. Weapons sand as they were swung, screaming as they collided with other weapons, shields or armour, with some finding purchase in flesh. Finally, they were in business, and thanks to their numerical advantage, they would no doubt win. It was only a matter of time.

  A few minutes into the second stage of their assault, the leaders of the attacking tribe alliance noticed something rather disturbing. Sure, the blood was thick in the air as it mixed with all manner of emotions of both the defenders and attackers, but they quickly noticed a rather important problem with the battlefield. No matter how well their men did, it seemed as though there was not a single defenders corpse lying around. Even as they looked back for but a glimpse, there were no remains of their own kills, let alone others. Plenty of their own filled the ground however, their bodies either stiff, just barely clinging to life in their last few moments of life or falling as they went- wounded and down for the fight. That just did not make any sense whatsoever. They themselves had felled at least a few as they charged through the openings on the shield walls. No such thing was possible, not with people below second awakening at the very least.

  "ZOGOR! ANOTHER ONE!" one of the leaders shouted, his voice like thunder reverberating across the whole battlefield as he flung away another defender as his axe crashed down on a shield and left a giant indentation in the protective tool.

  "True sight idol!" the same burly man called out again, a pale blue light dispersing across the battlefield- this time dispersing illusions inside he defenders lines, revealing a rather shocking sight.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  There were indeed no defenders lying on the ground, their wounded forms being dragged away with staggering efficiency, reducing their losses by massive amounts as there was a fair number of healers who worked their asses off to stabilize their own wounded. And sure, the attacking side also had them, but due to the hectic way a battle happened, there was only so much they could do.

  "TAKE OUT THE DAMN HEALERS!" yelled one man, their forces instantly turning their focus to the desired targets, only to be stopped in their tracks before they even got close. A single man that had stood by the healers stepped forward, placing himself in the way of anyone who would go for them. His body was heavily concealed, denying any chances for an appraisal to identify him. Not that such a minor inconvenience would stop the attacking side.

  The cloaked man drew a two handed sword, raising it horizontally as he held his right hand straight to the side, seemingly awaiting the attackers. He did not wait for long, as a few short moments later, he moved a few steps forward in a blink of an eye, his body turning at the hips and then he swung his raised sword, slashing through a member after a member of the attacking team as though they were made of paper- weapon or no weapon.

  Blood splattered all over as nearly a dozen bodies were cleanly severed in half, the cloaked man treating them as nothing more than a simple appetizer. It seemed that he was ready for the main dish however, as just a moment later still he moved once again, his body almost blurring due to the speed at which he moved, taking more lives in the process. The cloaked man quickly became a boogeyman of sorts, the attacking men clearly avoiding him, even if that meant leaving the group of healers alone and able to do their job.

  It also quickly became clear that the man was not leaving the healers unprotected, as though a puppet of sorts given a rather specific order. It was the next best thing the attacking men then decided to target if they could- namely the ones dragging the wounded over to healers. Unfortunately, that was another task they could not do much about, as the moment anyone tried to intercept them, a salvo of arrows peppered their side.

  Worse still, their own archers, few of them as they were, could do nothing similar. Every time a salvo was launched, the wind itself seemed to come to life, shielding their enemies. Worse still, despite their numerical advantage, they failed to find a place to utilize it. The defenders were extremely well organized and restrained. So much so that at times it felt as though they were fighting against some kind of a professional militaristic tribe. There was simply no way that could possibly be true.

  His frantic thoughts were interrupted once again as cheers and 'Uraaa' calls filled the air. The enemy's morale was raising with every minute that passed. It was becoming more and more obvious their attempt to arrive unnoticed had failed miserably. Not only were they fighting a well prepared and hunkered down cohesive tribe, but their enemies also had some sort of a recurring illusion set up somehow, ensuring extreme disadvantage for the attacking side.

  'Gods dammit!' a curse surfaced in the man's mind, his eyes darting towards his next target to try and kill, eventually landing on a middle aged man who seemed to be approaching him through the combat, as if drawn his way. The man held a sword and shield combo and seemed to deal with his and his allied men with relative ease, leaving a trail of corpses behind him. "Grrr!" a low, almost beast like growl escaped his throat as he raised axe and shield hand, eyes locking on his target as he began to run forward. "Crusher's charge!" he growled, activating a skil of his.

  In a few strides he was right before the man, his shield arm braced against his body as he went in for a full body tackle with his shield, intending to knock the man down, disorient him from the impact and then bury his axe in the prone man's head. "Bash! DIE! " a roar left his throat as he activated another skill right before impact, more than doubling the force put into his bash, only for his body to scream in protest as he collided with a seemingly immovable object as the man raised his own shield in response and received the attack head on.

  Only a faint glow on the man's body betrayed he too had activated a skill of his own, leaving the raider confused and bewildered. Sure, he knew skills could be activated without actually calling out their names, but that was a skill acquired much, much later in ones life. Calling out a skills name loudly allowed for a much easier activation, subconsciously prompting your body to sync with the systems assistance.

  He did not have much time to reflect on the information he had just been provided with as a swift and devastating counterattack followed his own failed move, delivering a powerful kick to the raider leaders side, knocking the air out of his lungs due to the sheer impact of the strike. The raider stumbled and fell to his knees, gasping for breath, but he still reacted seemingly on instinct ashe raised his shield above his head, just barely in time to block the incoming sword strike aimed at his head.

  The raider leader groaned as he felt the power of the incoming blow, his entire body holding the shield now. A split second later, he felt the weight disappear for but a moment, though that was he needed. He quickly rolled out of the way, just barely avoiding another strike coming his way, though this one had been made horizontally, aiming to split him in half. With a distance created, he quickly reorganized his thoughts, trying his best to keep his eyes on the clearly powerful opponent while also observing his surroundings, looking for a way to give himself advantage.

  Quickly enough, he noticed a couple of his own men pushing the defenders hard, a few moments away from at least heavily injuring them, perhaps outright killing. A plan formulated in his mind and he then took action, darting forwards once again, and engaging his current enemy. Unlike before though, he was smarter about it. No full weight impacts, using his axe's natural advantage in piercing his target, he made calculated strikes that slowly moved them towards one of the points his side was winning.

  Luck did not seem to favour the raider side, as just a few quick exchanges later, the raider leaders opponent apparently noticed his intentions. It was far too late however, the raider smirked. If the defending man were toi retreat, he could turn around and jump the ones his men were fighting, if not, his side would win soon enough anyway and then could gang upon him regardless. It was a lose- lose situation for the other guy.

  "Commanders presence!" the man called out a second later, a wave of energy surging outward from his position.

  "Shit!" the raider leader curse and lunged for the man, gnawing fear manifesting in the back of his mind. He might not have faced the skill in question before, but he, like many leaders within the steppe, knew just how dangerous presence skills were. They could, quite honestly, change the course of a battle by either giving a temporary but very significant boost to all allies within a certain range, or weakening the enemy side as well. The only silver lining was that there were incredibly rare, almost exclusively tied to epic classes or higher below second awakening. They were a stuff of tales and as if cursed by the heaven itself, the raiders group just had to run into an opponent who could use it.

  "Flash counter." the man spoke in a calm manner, his shield moving with speed that defied reason, just barely connecting with his strike and moving it to the side, unbalancing the raider leader for a split second. But that split second was all the other man needed, his sword moving in a quick and seemingly light manner. It struck true, slicing neatly between the raider leaders shoulder and neck. Not quite enough for a fatal strike, but plenty enough to cause a notable amount of blood to spill forth.

  "Grrrrh!" a pained grunt helf the raiders throat as he staggered back, already calling out the next skill he needed here.

  "Vengeful counter!" the raiders axe glowed red, black smoke whirling around it as he swung down, only for the man to kneel, raise his shield and respond with is own skill.

  "Countering fortress."

  Yet again it felt like the raider had struck an immovable object. Worse still, he could feel all that power he had pushed into his own attack coming right back at him, tearing at his hand. A painful scream escaped his lips as he was catapulted back several meters, his weapon hand hanging by his side limply. He was down and out. Such an injury would take weeks to recover from for his elevated physiology, but he was well aware such a chance would not come.

  Several other of his men were pushed back to his location at the same time, allowing them to create a miniature circle as they placed their backs together. This was looking worse and worse by the second as they all began to consider escape, only for their momentary thoughts to be extinguished in a bright light of a fireball was flung amidst them.

  "Fuck!" a collective shout left the mens mouths as they were enveloped in the concentrated explosion.

  Jack Raja(?)

  Age- 27

  Species- human(?)

  Level- 32

  Class- Awakened twin aspect of Creation and Destruction(Ex)

  Stats unassigned: +14

  Attributes:

  Strength- 34 (14+7+13(gear))

  Vitality- 28 (12+8+8(gear))

  Dexterity- 29 (15+6+8(gear))

  Intelligence-20(15+ 5(gear)

  Spirit- Spirit- 30 (20+10)

  Skills- Wisdom of Creation and destruction(EX), Choice of the creator(EX), Eyes of procurer(EX), Matter storage(EX), Arukain language(C), Spark of inspiration(EX), Origin of matter(EX), Unbound by laws of the lessers(EX), The end made manifest(EX). Destroyers presence(unique legendary).

  Spells- none.

  Titles(unlocked): The real Monster, Big Game Hunter, The brilliant rookie, The insane Solo. Monster debugger.The actor. Executioner. Survivor. Pioneer, Record breaker.The new champion supreme. Slavemaster, Eldritch garbage disposal(legendary).

  Gear: Two handed sword(t3)+ 5 str +5 vit: Armor 3str +3 vit +3 dex; Ring 1 - spatial storage, ring 2 +5int, ring 3 +5 str; amulet +5 dex.