Dimension System - Chapter 99

[Zanir]

———————-

The sound of so many troops moving rattled the ground and kicked up dust. Battalions constantly rearranged themselves, in and attempt to gain a strategic advantage over their foes. Mounted soldiers used their mobility to avoid being placed against spear wielding soldiers. Heavily armored infantry were moved to counter the spear units. Ranged troops hustled to take position against lighter armored targets.

Both of the armies were shifting and rotating like Rubik’s cubes, vying over each other for any tactical advantage that could be mustered. The right position could allow them to cut the enemy down like stalks of wheat, while the wrong position could result in them being almost completely ineffective. It was fascinating to watch, as the strange dance played out on both sides.

Finally, after enough shifting about, the battle erupted. From an elevated and heavily guarded hill, I watched it commence, together with the general and his commanders. The vanguard of both sides left their temporary fortifications and started to charge at each other. Contingents of long-range bowman followed behind the front line of troops. Long before the first clash of melee weapons, they launched waves of arrows at each other.

Desperately raising up their shields in formation, the troops weathered the first wave of arrows. Inevitably, there were many brave men who were injured, as some of the arrows found their way through the gaps. After the initial volley, shields were lowered and the charge resumed, accompanied by the ferocious screaming of tens of thousands of troops. They’d almost reached each other by the time the second volley started pouring down.

Tension was palpable, as the bitter rivals held their shields up once again, some of them for the last time. The soldiers glared at each other across the battlefield, some eager for combat and glory, while others were scared and nervous. As the last few arrows bounced off the tops of the soldier’s shields, the two sides finally met and engaged in close quarters combat. The din of metal striking metal rang out, occasionally punctuated by the sounds of successful strikes.

As the two sides clashed, an uneven battle line was formed. Archers were forced to move back, lest they be quickly overrun by enemy troops who managed to break through. Reinforcements were sent from both sides to bolster their ranks, whenever an area was starting to thin out. Mounted cavalry were moved to the flanks, where they charged into the enemy infantry with devastating results. Their triumph, however, would be short-lived.

Spear wielding troops moved in to assist, some of them striking the mounted riders directly, while others planted their spears into the ground and skewered the oncoming riders in a brutal fashion. During the ongoing conflict, soldiers did their best to rescue their injured comrades. Wherever possible, they attempted to create even a small pocket of space, which would allow them a few precious seconds to drag away the wounded.

Very few mages and higher level warriors were deployed into the battle. When I asked the general why that was, he let me know that even during war, both empires needed to maintain their elite troops. Apparently, if they lost too many it would weaken the empire as a whole, leaving them open to attack by another empire. The few elites that I saw sent out were used strategically, often causing the other side to give them a wide berth or risk annihilation. They returned to their respective sides shortly after accomplishing their objective, so as to not risk being assassinated.

Clashing ceaselessly, the combat stretched out for an entire afternoon. Neither side was able to gain enough of an advantage to declare victory. With night approaching, both sides blared a horn signal indicating retreat. Fighting overnight would extend the battle to include the local wildlife and monsters. Reluctantly, a bitter and bloody truce was called. With both sides agreeing to a temporary ceasefire, it was time to retrieve the injured and deceased.

Both sides fully retreated into their fortifications, as large corpse carts were brought out by the medical teams. The general instructed me to remain cautious, as a battlefield was never truly safe. I thanked him for the kind advice, then assembled a small team to guard me while I got to work. Terry and the remaining Iron Devil Crop took up defensive positions. (Some of the guards were on Devil’s crew)

Wailing was heavily present on the gruesome and bloody field. The formerly green grass had been dyed almost completely red with the crimson blood of brave men and woman. A nauseating stench permeated the entire area. Gore, viscera, and even severed limbs were a common sight. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself mentally for the unpleasant task ahead.

Approaching the closest injured soldier, I used my ghost dragon hand to absorb the man, who was gibbering feverishly to himself in shock. With the assistance of the system, I was able to place him into a temporary limbo-like area that wouldn’t reveal the spatial world. With grim determination, I continued one step after another, doing my best to clear out the field.

I absorbed everything that I could. Thankfully, the system was able to log and track everything. The system did it’s best to help out, placing the appropriate organs, limbs, and viscera back to their respective owners. Some of the soldiers could be saved, however, there were many who could not. For some the injuries were far too severe, while others has passed the window of opportunity, reaching a point where their body would reject their own organs.

Those who died would have their corpses returned to the military, with their viable blood being used by the system, to give lifesaving transfusions to those who still had a chance. At least they could have a proper burial, with the system doing it’s best to clean the body. Finally, I’d finished clearing the field long after midnight. I hadn’t discriminated in my retrieval operation. There were quite a few soldiers from the Tellis empire who I picked up, having been unable to ignore their desperate pleas.

Tomorrow, I’d have to face the unpleasant task of negotiating with them for their own troops. If they didn’t want to pay, I’d have plenty of new citizens and even more zombies. For now though, I returned to my tent and collapsed, exhausted from the mental strain of seeing so much bloodshed and injury.

[Angel]

———————-

It didn’t take long for the guards to dispatch the orc scouting party. Superior numbers and better weapons allowed them to surround and overwhelm the lightly armored orcs. Although victory came quickly, it left everyone feeling uneasy. When the scouting party failed to return, more troops would inevitably be sent out to investigate.

Only next time, they wouldn’t be sending a scouting party, it’d be a much larger and heavily armed group. The group discussed what would be the best course of action. We could try to navigate around the encampment but we didn’t know where it was, we risked running directly into it if we tried that. Someone else suggested we retreat but that was also shot down. That was when the bishop finally spoke up.

“I don’t mean to be presumptuous but perhaps if used the creatures you summoned earlier, we might be able to defeat them?”

That gave me an idea! Of course, why didn’t I think of it earlier?

“You’ve just reminded me of something, your grace. Perhaps we can issue a combat challenge to these orcs?”

I used my holy dragon hand to summon forth several dungeon orcs, much to the surprise of the bishop and guards. These orcs were larger, stronger, and much meaner looking than their contemporary counterparts. Constant battle against other dungeon monsters had hardened them into seasoned warriors.

The pristine chainmail armor that I’d clad them in almost seemed mismatched against their savage forms. Thick maces were gripped in their large hands, similar in appearance to the ones that the sun guard were using. Templar helmets adorned their heads, with golden crosses that stretched from the forehead down to the chin and across the narrow eye slits. Holes had been set at the bottom beside the mouth area, from which their large tusks jutted out.

It looked like a small group of orc paladins, if one judged them solely on appearance.

While everyone stood around in a daze, I addressed the former bandits, asking them if they wanted heavier armor in preparation for the upcoming possibility battle. Snapping out of their temporary stupor, almost all of them agreed to swap out their marching armor for combat armor. Lightweight chainmail was replaced with sturdy platemail suits. Knowing that we might run into trouble, they didn’t mind continuing with the extra weight.

Nearby, the bishop’s sun guard were waiting to request their heavier armor. It was stored in the system earlier when we’d left. Retrieving the armor for them was a quick and easy matter. I even threw in free adjustments to make them custom-fitted. Soon, everyone was suited up and ready to go. Before we left, I didn’t forget to absorb the bodies of the orc scouting party. Due to their innate hunger, many of them were eligible candidates for turning into ghouls.

Leaving the meadow clearing, we marched onward deeper into the forest. It didn’t take long to run into another group of orcs. This time it was a slightly larger hunting party instead of scouts. Due to the size of our group, we weren’t able to sneak up on them. However, on the plus side, our heavy platemail armor discouraged them from trying to attack us. Instead, they actually communicated with the orcs in their own guttural language.

{This here Grimfang territory! What tribe you with?}

One of the orcs in my party laughed, before replying in what I assumed was a casual or sarcastic manner.

{Tribe? We come from dungeon! We da biggest and baddest. Crush you little ‘uns}

Apparently, whatever he said offended the orc hunters. The nearest one huffed and puffed, before attempting to rush and attack, only to be laid out by a much larger dungeon orc. It was like watching a bodybuilder punch an average man. The other orc hunters quickly backed up several paces.

Stepping over the smaller orc, the larger dungeon orc cast aside his mace and deftly lifted him above his head. Then, he proceeded to savagely slam the unfortunate orc onto directly onto his knee. For a brief moment, it looked just like a scripted wrestling move. Then the sickening crunch of his back breaking filled the air, as the orc snorted violently and died from the internal trauma.

Such a savage maneuver shocked everyone present, except for the other dungeon orcs.

Stone cold silence then presided, only punctuated by the heavy breathing of the dungeon orc, as he picked his club back up. Stepping forward with an extremely dominant air, he spoke a few adrenaline fueled words to the cowering orc hunters.

{Who next? Who else wants ta get crushed up?}

The orc’s accusatory and violent tone prompted the remaining hunters to respond quickly.

{You orcs iz strong. You fight da chieftain? He da strongest we gotz.}

Grunting, the large dungeon orc replied to it’s smaller brethren.

{Lead da way! We’s gonna crush ’em too!}

I absorbed the body of the fallen orc, before asking my orcs what was going on. They informed me that the hunters would lead us to their encampment, where we would have to beat the orc chieftain in single combat. I agreed, hoping that my orcs would be able to take down the large and strong chieftain.

During the march towards their encampment, we met a few more groups of orcs. Some of them had questions but my orcs had answers, mainly in the form of unmitigated violence and mace blows. After a few smashed skulls, they stopped asking so many questions. Just before we reached the encampment, I received a notification that must have been divine providence.

Any doubts about battling the orc chieftain were dismissed by the notice I received.

[Devil]

———————-

I woke up feeling full of purpose. Today I was going to hunt a monster!

Since I knew that it would be a demanding day, I prepared a hearty breakfast for my people and the Rangers. Fluffy, golden pancakes and waffles were whipped up. Butter and fructose syrup made them even better. Bacon and eggs provided additional sustenance. Finally, for the drink, I opted to prepare a delicious fruit and vegetable smoothie. The dense nutrition would provide steady fuel for the afternoon.

No alcohol was served, as I needed my crew in tiptop shape. They were a little disappointed at first but I told them that if we caught the beast, we’d have a week-long celebration. I ensured them that it would be a real bacchanalian shindig. Everyone was properly motivated at that point, so we set off while morale was at a high point.

Leaving the non-combatants at the Ranger base, we made landfall onto the side of the island that was opposite of the dreaded tide pool. The island itself appeared to be fairly normal, with average flora and fauna about. Nothing seemed out of place, though I still had everyone move cautiously.

As we moved deeper into the island, things started to get a little weirder. It felt like we were being watched by something. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up and it appeared I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Was this placed cursed or something?

Gradually, we made our way farther towards the other side of the island. Passing through the thickest part of the inland grove was maddening. Every single chirp or squeak was met with several pointed weapons, causing the offending animal to scurry off. Each rustle of a nearby bush brought about panic and concern.

Finally, I’d had enough of this nonsense!

I used my dark ghost hand to create a shade from a Winged Wolf. It’s non-corporeal form would hopefully provide some manner of resistance against whatever we were hunting. Taking to the skies, the newly created shade flew over the island to help scout out what was going on.

With a satellite view of the island, I could see that there was nothing around us in the immediate area. Why did it feel like we were being watched? Emboldened by the additional surveillance information, we passed through the mid-island grove. Everyone was relieved once we exited onto clearer ground with better visibility.

At least, they were until the voices started.

‘Who dares enter this mighty lord’s domain? Puny mortals, bow before me! Oh, and leave any treasure before you go.’

It sounded like a little boy who hadn’t hit puberty yet. The voice was high-pitched and nasally. It was hard to take this pipsqueak seriously, it was like a little kid who was trying to sound tough. Some of the men couldn’t hold it in and started laughing.

‘H-hey you can’t laugh at me! Come over to the tide pool, if you think you’re so tough huh!’

Was the monster a young beast? If it was, then it must have been an extremely powerful species. I pondered to myself, as I kept myself and my men on high alert. The shade wolf overhead was continually scanning the island and even the tide pool from above, however, nothing was showing up.

The taunts continued as we got closer to the tide pool.

‘Nah-nah, you can’t catch me! You’ll never ever find me or my treasure!’

By the time we reached the tide pool, everyone was more than annoyed with the creature. I didn’t expect to receive psychological torture when I signed up for this! Did this qualify for cruel and unusual punishment?

Since everyone was on edge, nobody wanted to be the first to step into the area, and I couldn’t exactly blame them. We still didn’t know what we were dealing with here. So, I summoned up one of the sacrificial zombies. This one was all shriveled up and gross, not to mention it was missing most of it’s parts. All it could do was shamble forward at a very slow pace.

It was good thing that we didn’t just blindly walk out into the tide pool area. As the zombie was about to reach the water inside the pools, a vaguely shimmering blue lizard appeared momentarily. Opening it’s tiny maw, a massive cone of white smoke shot out, quickly covering the zombie entirely. Everyone ducked back for cover, as a massive wave of heat came from the area that had been blasted.

After the smoke cleared, I saw the melted remains of the zombie, and quickly figured out that wasn’t steam but smoke. A giant geyser of super-heated steam. I motioned everyone silently, urging them to back away quickly. Thankfully, we were far enough away, and out of range of the second blast that came our way.

Thinking back to my old pen and paper days back on earth, I racked my brain trying to figure out what the hell that thing could possibly be. Hmm, invisibility, breathe attack, slightly fishy looking lizard. Shit!

It wasn’t a lizard.

It was a dragon!

More specifically, it was a young aqua dragon.

Reaching deep into the annals of my memory, I attempted to recall the information I knew about them. I’d gleaned some knowledge during a period where I researched every kind of dragon that I could get my hands on.

They had a piercing bite attack, steam breath, a smaller healing breath, and they could shape change at will. Superior invisibility would be a pain to deal with. They could also fly by manipulating magical energy and create whirlpools. They kept a treasure hoard like many other dragons. Suspicious of those who seek them out. Their aquatic nature allowed them to breath both air and water.

Ah! That’s it!

If I offered him plenty of shiny things, I might be able to convince him to join my cause. Aqua dragons were listed as good creatures. Negotiation might just be possible. Perhaps I’d finally find a use for all the gemstones I’ve been collecting up until this point?

Now I just needed to figure out how to approach the skittish dragon, who clearly had a policy of ‘fire first, ask questions later’.