Chapter 18: Forging the Legion

The underground chamber reeked of blood, sweat, and power. Thirty-six warriors stood before Valerius, their bodies reforged through the Magus-Knight fusion ritual. Some still trembled, the energy within them unstable. Others clenched their fists, their breathing heavy with the sheer magnitude of what they had become.

Valerius observed them in silence. This was only the first step.

Leonidas leaned against a stone pillar, arms crossed, a smirk on his face. "Not bad. You've turned peasants into something resembling actual warriors."

Tiberius, ever the strategist, ignored his brother's taunt and studied the new Magus-Knights. "They're stronger, but raw. They will need training—both in physical combat and magic."

Valerius nodded. "Strength alone is useless without control. We begin their conditioning immediately."

The newly ascended warriors exchanged uneasy glances. Some still struggled to fully grasp what had happened to them. What was this new power surging through their veins?

Valerius turned to them, his voice calm yet absolute.

"You are no longer the men you were yesterday. You have stepped onto a path that few in history have walked. This is the beginning of something far greater than yourselves." His gaze swept over them. "But power without control is a liability. Until you master what you have become, you are nothing more than failures waiting to die."

A murmur passed through the group.

Valerius gestured toward Leonidas. "The training begins now."

Leonidas grinned. "Finally. I was getting bored."

The Training Begins

The first phase of training was brutal. Leonidas and the other Darius Knights pushed the new recruits to their absolute limits.

Those who relied too much on their newfound power were beaten into the dirt. Those who hesitated were given no mercy.

A warrior named Orin, once a mere foot soldier, attempted to use his enhanced speed to evade Leonidas' blade. He moved faster than before, but not fast enough.

Leonidas appeared behind him in a blur. A solid kick sent Orin flying into a stone wall.

"Too slow," Leonidas said casually. "If that had been a real battle, you'd already be dead."

Orin coughed, pushing himself up. His body was bruised, but he was healing faster than before.

Valerius watched from a distance, analyzing each fighter. Some showed immediate potential. Others struggled.

This was expected. The fusion ritual granted power, but true mastery required something deeper—mental fortitude, adaptability, and discipline.

Tiberius joined Valerius, arms crossed. "Some of them will break."

Valerius nodded. "That is the price of evolution."

Unleashing the Magus-Knights

Days passed. Then weeks.

What had once been a group of ragtag survivors had transformed into something entirely different.

Orin, once hesitant, had learned to synchronize his physical strength with magic, coating his blade in an aura of compressed force. He could slice through solid iron.

Aldric had grown even stronger, his movements effortless yet devastating. He fought with absolute precision, never wasting a single motion.

The warriors sparred endlessly, their bodies adapting, their minds sharpening. They were no longer just knights. No longer just warriors.

They were something new.

Valerius observed their progress with satisfaction. This was the foundation of his legion.

But there was still one more test.

The Final Trial: The Abyssal Hunt

Leonidas, bruised but grinning, sheathed his blade. "They've improved."

Tiberius nodded. "But there's only one way to know if they're truly ready."

Valerius stepped forward, gathering the warriors in the courtyard of the Darius estate. His voice was calm, but it carried absolute authority.

"The training has forged your bodies. But you are not yet complete."

He raised his hand.

Behind him, the massive gates to the Abyssal Wildlands creaked open.

A cold wind rushed through, carrying the scent of ancient predators and lurking horrors.

"The true test begins now."

One of the Magus-Knights hesitated. "What… what are we to do?"

Valerius' eyes gleamed. "Survive."

And with that, the newly forged warriors were sent into the abyss.