It took ten more hours of flying for the demon summon to reach the peak of a mountain range. There was a small basin inside it, from where you could see in all directions, and with several paths, making it easy to defend or escape in case of danger.
There was a group of over two hundred soldiers resting in the basin, and among them were nineteen whose bodies radiated a powerful bloodline force. The 19 Bloodline Soldiers had led their troops to this place after finishing consuming all the milky white water inside the underground cave.
The military forces of the Xaos Kingdom were highly trained, and the scouts had already noticed the presence of the dark demonic crow. However, everyone remained calm as they had been informed by Overlord of the new arrival.
The 19 Bloodline Soldiers sent a signal, and immediately the troops left their work and adopted a military stance, all of them waiting in silence as they gazed at the dark demon summon in the sky. They expected to see the crow descend, but it simply vanished.
All the soldiers watched with shock and terror as the duo began to free-fall from a height of over five hundred meters and, in less than ten seconds, crashed into the ground in front of them.
Two blasts echoed across the mountain’s basin, and dust spread everywhere, blocking the view of the soldiers. Yet it faded, and all of them saw Vlad and Freya standing above two small craters, their bodies intact as if nothing had happened.
The soldiers could not hide their shock as they saw the duo, especially when they noticed how the young man was carrying the massive body of a demon that resembled a metallic Komodo dragon on his left shoulder. Falling from such a height would carry the same impact on their bodies as being struck by a truck going 100 km per hour, yet they showed not even the slightest wound.
Vlad only smiled as he saw the expression on the soldiers. His body had already reached the High Champion Tier, so a fall from this height could not harm him. Of course, he could have simply sent the demon summon down, but this sort of theatrical display was useful to inspire the troops.
Freya knew the importance of morale, so she played along. As for Jormungandr, he could not endure such a fall, so he simply remained on top of Vlad’s right shoulder.
After overcoming the initial waves of shock, the 19 Bloodline Soldiers all adopted serious expressions. They sent a silent signal, grabbing the focus and attention of their troops, before they all clapped their hands and performed deep bows, shouting in unison.
Vlad nodded to the soldiers and signaled for them to rise before gazing at them, analyzing them, and using the power of the A.I. Chip to perform a thorough assessment.
Of the two hundred and fifty soldiers that left Inkmetal City, only two hundred and twenty-eight remained. The rest had perished. Although twenty-two deaths were a lot, it also meant a casualty rate of less than ten percent, and most of those deaths happened during the first months as this battalion was still adapting.
Twenty deaths happened in the first three months, and in the last three, only two had perished, which was very impressive.
Another thing that drew Vlad’s attention was the bodies of the soldiers. They were all huge, with no one measuring less than two meters, and some nearing three. This was a side effect of consuming the irradiated milky white water from the underground cave.
The soldiers did not really care about the side effects. In exchange for strength, people would do anything in a post-apocalypse world, and the truth was that many liked their new large bodies since they seemed much more imposing.
Vlad nodded as he was very happy with the assessment of this group. They had grown immensely over the half year, not just individually but also as a group, and were truly an elite unit now. He then walked forward and threw the paralyzed body of the demon Champion before the army.
"Everybody, I bring great news. I have a tool that will allow every single one of you to grow stronger." Vlad shouted, and his smile widened as he saw the thrill in the soldiers. Without wasting a second, he waved his hand, taking a parchment from his space ring.
Under the curious and thrilled gazes of all the soldiers, Vlad activated the parchment, and everyone watched in awe as thin black tendrils emerged from it and pierced into the demon Champion’s body.
Pure agony appeared in the demon Champion, but none of the soldiers felt any sense of pity for those monsters that saw humans as food. They watched with inquisitive gazes as the tendrils seemed to extract the essence and life force of the demon.
Vlad gave the soldiers a moment to marvel at the majesty of what they had just seen before focusing his eyes on the leader of the 19 Bloodline Soldiers. "Major General Theodor, step forward."
A young man, two and a half meters tall with brown hair and golden eyes, immediately stepped forward, his eyes sharp and resolute as he adopted a flawless military stance.
"Major General Theodor, leader of the 19 Bloodline Soldiers. Are you ready to seal the souls of demons inside you? To steal their power and use it to fight for the Xaos Kingdom and defend humanity?" Vlad’s voice carried an imposing tone, one that could raise the fervor and desire in those who heard it.
Theodor’s eyes burst with willpower, and he clenched his fists as a sense of excitement coursed through his heart and soul. He took a deep breath and shouted with resolve, "I am ready!"
Vlad smiled, and under the gaze of all the soldiers, he took his runic pen and began to engrave the Demon Cage Runic Formation. Sealing the soul of a demon inside your body was not something everybody would feel comfortable with. Instead of trying to appease the apprehensions of hundreds one by one, he would just show them the entire process, dispelling their worries and doubts.