“My Lord!!”
Both of them fell on one knee right in the centre of the hall.
“Rise.” Asher rose to his feet and walked to the large rectangular window, stretching from the ceiling to a few feet away from the floor.
From there, he could see the bustling city. It had been two weeks since paradise was created, Lord Winter had left with his hand Isaac after handing over the angels of death to him.
In these two weeks, people from Ramoth and Gilead had filled the inner city, raising the population to a staggering 87 thousand humans!
The outer city had over 50,000 rat beastmen who had fled from Edom. With Aldrich dead, many came running to him after hearing of his return.
Clearly, the rat beastmen lacked faith in their chief!
Aldrich was just the general!
As for the Dothanites, they were just about 5000. Most of them refused to leave Mount Seir, the mountain of the last giant.
The 5000 were also reduced daily as most of them were warriors and their families were in Mount Seir!
Apart from the fame of his title, Achilles, the people were also afraid of the coming winter. At least, no beast tide would attack them when they were 100 meters above.
Secondly, the farm products made many drop whatever attachments they had to their homelands. Still, a stubborn few remained in their homelands and Asher refused to force them.
They would come running when it was winter and then, they would be treated as refugees and not citizens!
He had spent these two weeks having meetings with the leaders of these strongholds and visiting their lands. He also made sure there would be no conflict between humans and the beastmen.
He had been extremely busy these two weeks and the news of Galvia’s attack on Nightfire added more pressure on him.
“What is the result?” His voice, slightly hoarse, rang.
James brought out a vial from his pocket. In it was a bright crimson liquid.
“Your blood can indeed grant special abilities but all the beast we tested it on died shortly after mutating.”
Aquila took a step forward. “My Lord. Your blood has the ability to assimilate the forces, Magi, Battle and Abyss force and make them one. Once injected, it grants the ability to do feats impossible for the current professions of this era. Two weeks isn’t enough. We need more time to see all it can do.”
Asher glanced at her. He smiled and turned back to the view of paradise. “I can feel your excitement, Aquila. Like I told you both, I intend to create powerful troops connected to my blood. They shall exist as long as I exist.”
“I admire your dream, My Lord but it would be suicidal to try injecting such powerful blood into a human. Not even I can handle the potency of it!”
Asher ascended his throne, looking at Aquila. “I knew you would never be able to achieve much in two weeks.”
“W… what?” Aquila and James were stunned.
“You might not know but the predecessors of this throne have sealed themselves away from me after I spared the Edomites and Dothanites. They cannot see my dream. But it also means I don’t have all the time in the world. This blood of mine is not for humans alone but those devoted to the cause of their lord.”
Aquila’s pupils shook.
“My Lord… such power can create soldiers never seen before. Are you certain this isn’t a wrong decision? Give us time, we—!”
Asher lifted up his right hand.
“Winter is upon us. I have given you enough time.”
Boom!
The huge doors opened.
“Behold, one with my blood in his veins.”
Stunned, James and Aquila turned. Their eyes widened at the sight of a man clad in black studded leather armour, and a gray mantle wrapped around his shoulders, spreading down to his torso.
It fluttered as he walked. His large hood hid his face.
“He is an angel.”
Asher announced.
James’ eyes widened further. “An angel of death. The unprecedented feat of three hundred assassins defending the wall of Winter stronghold was well known.
What made the angels of death more popular was their sudden disappearance after the war.
The angel stopped. His breathing, his heartbeat, his force, nothing, absolutely nothing could be felt from him.
If they couldn’t see him they would doubt this angel stood beside them.
James and Aquila subconsciously distanced themselves.
“The gray mantle hides his force and presence. His leather armour is made of a black orc’s hide and the dagger strapped at his thigh is made of an ore called Warp stone.”
The angel unsheathed the one edged curved dagger and delivered a swift, lethal cut at his chest.
It combusted into fiery lights, dispersing into the air. In the next moment, he appeared beside the throne with fiery lights flying off as if his clothes were burning.
James staggered while Aquila squinted.
Swoosh!
In the next moment, the angel vanished without a trace. He didn’t use the dagger or they would see the burning effect.
“Where did he go?”
James looked around. He gasped softly when the angel emerged from the other side of the throne.
He literally disconnected from a shadow!
Gulp!
“What in God’s name is that?” He muttered, unable to voice it out loud.
“You used that ability that makes us stronger to fuse your blood in that angel. You’ve made him more than a soldier, he’s almost a nightmare.”
“That’s the point of an angel of death. They’re our hidden blades. They are meant to be the nightmares of our foes, those inside and outside our fenced cities.”
Asher responded.
“But my lord, they would be too powerful.”
Asher glanced at the angel beside him. “These men are devoted to their cause. It takes devotion to be given the power of my blood.”
“Your blade.”
Asher ordered.
The angel drew his dagger. “Do not use the power of the blood. Stab your throat!”
Just as the dagger was about to pierce through the angel’s throat, Asher achieved his blood inside the angel’s body causing him to vanish as soon as he cut himself.
Swoosh!
He appeared below the throne’s platform.
Asher looked at Aquila. “Conjure flames and burn your face.”
Her distorted expression made him chuckle. “That’s inhuman devotion. It takes time to make a human devoted to one purpose and one purpose alone, to serve the will of their lord.”
Aquila’s pupils shook.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two angels emerged from her shadow and that of James and stood behind them.
‘I didn’t even sense them! How long have they been with me?!’
“The moment you entered the hall.” Asher replied as if he could read her mind.
“Fret not, Lady Aquila and Sir James. My special ability can only create the first batch. The next ones and the variants will be up to you and conquering Mount Seir for that mountain is where the warp stone mine is.”
Nero, who had been standing like a statue the entire time, finally moved. He took several rolled up scrolls given by the system and gave it to Aquila.
When Aquila opened it, she could see human images and diagrams deeply linked in alchemy and magic.
She passed it to James.
“I think we should focus on other professions. With enough research, we can create unrivalled knights.”
Her enthusiasm to beat the system made Asher raise an eyebrow.
“I applaud your enthusiasm, Lady Aquila. I await results.”