Chapter 31: Crushing the Garrison

"What is that?!"

The guard captain's eyes widened. In the next instant, the giant had already appeared before him.

"Att—"

Before he could finish speaking, he was sent flying. After tumbling several times, he landed and died from the impact.

Thierry stepped down from the carriage just in time to see Nareth charge forward, crashing through the security troops and creating a wide corridor. Everyone in his direct path was killed instantly, while those nearby were blown away by the shockwave.

His pupils contracted; only now did he realize that Nareth's strength was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

"He's like a god of war from the Old Myths. If he hadn't wanted to recruit me, I wouldn't even have had a chance to fight, I'd be a bloody smear on the ground."

Thierry no longer had the slightest doubt about Nareth. This work cycle would mark the Mad King's downfall.

"A monster!"

"It's a god descended to punish the Mad King!"

"..."

The guards' morale collapsed. They shouted and fled in panic.

"Take me to Puhachi's Spire," Nareth said to Thierry, ignoring the chaos.

"My lord, the station is only 25.4 kilometers from the Mad King's spire. Please follow me."

Three kilometers in, the group encountered resistance from the capital's security force.

With his superhuman senses, Nareth assessed the entire force: 4,100 men, more than the number in Tizca, and better equipped, with one support vehicle per hundred men.

"This Puhachi might be mad, but he's way more generous than Boleslaw. These vehicles may not be much in open warfare, but in the capital, they're powerful riot control units."

A problem. Only Thierry and Raslov wore exoskeleton armor. The rest would surely suffer under heavy gunfire.

Nareth converted all variables, numbers, firepower, and terrain into parameters and fed them into his mental model to form a battle plan.

"The 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th companies, along with Thierry's forces, will attack from the left flank. The other six companies will strike from the right."

Other than Roslov and a few elites, the Vostroya 1st Regiment, composed of gang members and upper hive workers, was less experienced than Thierry's battle-hardened squad.

Assigning the four rookie companies to the left evened the power balance.

The six veteran companies on the right had stronger cohesion and coordination, making them less compatible with new troops.

Nareth then charged into the enemy ranks, intending to draw their heavy fire, especially from the machine guns.

The garrison commander was shocked to see the giant charging in and flinging a support vehicle with one swing of his massive halberd.

Seeing Nareth head straight for him, he yelled, "Attack! Concentrate fire! Aim for the monster. Shoot!"

Thousands raised their weapons toward Nareth.

He swung his halberd again, smashing another support vehicle five meters ahead. Then he swept to both sides, the enemy soldiers didn't even have time to react before their upper bodies exploded in a flurry of blasts.

"Advance! Attack!" Roslov shouted, already expecting this, and gave the attack order.

Under pressure from the captains and veteran soldiers, even the rookie companies began to move.

The soldiers of the new 4th company stood dazed for a moment before snapping back to their senses.

Thierry was briefly stunned too: 'When had battle ever looked like this?'

'Against Nareth, do tactics even matter? And all those years I spent training in swordsmanship — what's the point?'

Only when bullets bounced harmlessly off his exo-armor did he snap back. He glanced at Nareth charging ahead and gave the order:

"Attack!"

There was a slight bitterness in his voice. In the past, his followers would've noticed his unusual tone. But now, everyone's attention was fixated on the towering figure before them.

Nareth advanced steadily, all while monitoring both flanks.

The veterans on the right worked in perfect coordination, morale high under Roslov's command.

Bukayo prowled alone along the edge of the formation, using a silenced las pistol to destroy floodlights. He moved through shadows, unnoticed. Each time he appeared, an enemy commander died, throwing the troops into deeper chaos.

Thierry was somewhat distracted, but remained the strongest fighter on the left flank apart from Nareth.

The soldiers of the Vieira family burned with vengeance in their eyes, far outmatching the rookies beside them.

The new recruits, though initially confused, found their footing after some shouted orders from commanders.

Nareth had drawn the brunt of enemy fire, giving the others breathing room against scattered resistance.

The 7th company, which had captured the train station, performed especially well.

In particular, Nareth focused on Szczesny, who not only had flawless aim but also a natural grasp of battlefield command. He shouted orders to his team and coordinated with nearby squads.

"Sandormirski, push forward! Take out that bastard at your 11 o'clock!"

"Wawrzyniak, get back here and hold the line!"

"Wasilewski, I'll draw their fire, flank them from the side!"

...

Nareth turned his attention forward. He had made a decision: Szczesny would be trained as a "Sailor."

Thierry was a natural "Warrior," with potential far beyond Roslov, but his loyalty still needed testing.

Nareth spotted the panicked enemy commander fleeing ahead, then broke into a run.

After five long strides, he leaped high into the air.

He stomped on a support vehicle mid-air and launched himself again.

"Step on it! I said floor it, damn it!" the Lukevo Garrison commander screamed at the driver in terror.

But the next moment, he felt a shadow fall over him. He looked up in horror, and his final thought was:

"I'm done for."

Nareth crashed into the command vehicle, crushing the commander into pulp. He felt his energy grow more agile and his body lighter. He knew that his "Barbarian" power had reached a new level of digestion.

The security troops collapsed entirely. They dropped their weapons and scattered.

The battlefield was cleared in ten standard minutes.

The Vostroya 1st Regiment captured three support vehicles; the Vieira family's forces took two. Ammunition was restocked.

Thierry boarded a support vehicle, leading the way three meters ahead and to Nareth's left.

Piontkowski Family's Spire

The metal-clad Puhachi, not a scrap of flesh left on his body, every step clanking like steel, entered the palace.

Everyone lowered their heads immediately, especially the nobles whose incomplete augmentations had begun to fail, their vision flickering with ghostly double images.

"The Mad King can't see me, the Mad King can't see me…" they repeated in their minds.

Puhachi sat on the Iron Throne, raising his right arm, the mechanical claw pointing at a red-robed figure who concealed his legs under cloth.

"Muravsky, I already sent Mirzeyevski's troops to intercept. Why are you disturbing my experiment?"

At the word "experiment," everyone present visibly flinched.

"My king, I beg your forgiveness. But the enemy attacking the upper hive is not only Thierry Vieira the traitor, there's a monster."