"Ahhhh. That was heavy," Vlad sighed, his body sinking into the couch, his face etched with the weight of his responsibilities.
As the head of state, it was his responsibility to lead the funeral of the soldiers who gave their lives to protect the Silent Wind Military Base. It was a great honor, but it was also a profoundly somber and challenging duty.
"These are the responsibilities of a King, Your Highness," General Anglius remarked with a small smile, his loyalty to Vlad shining through his words and expression.
The middle-aged general had grown much taller and stronger during these last couple of days, his body now nearing two meters and thirty centimeters. This sudden growth was due to the evolution of his Gift.
Anglius’ original Gift, Environmental Channeling, allowed him to temporarily absorb and channel energy from the environment into his body, granting a significant boost in power and enhancing his physical abilities for a short period.
While useful, it was not exceptional, and Anglius could use it only once a day. However, after following Vlad’s guidance and using Origin Force to enhance his body and soul, his Gift evolved.
The new Gift, Giant Body, allowed him to absorb ambient energy and fuse it directly into his flesh and blood. This infusion amplified his physical abilities and increased his size and mass, transforming him into a formidable giant-like being. It was similar in some ways to the Monster Race’s path of power.
The increase in size made it difficult for the general to use his regular clothing, but that was a small price to pay for such strength, especially since he now wore the golden armor of Ion, the Champion angel that Vlad had killed in a soul duel.
Vlad glanced at General Anglius and silently ordered the A.I. Chip to scan him. Unlike Jormungandr, the middle-aged general had no tool to detect the scanning force, so the process went without a problem.
Immediately, a model of General Anglius appeared in Vlad’s mind, showing every minute detail of the man along with a summary of his stats.
[Beep! Scan completed.
Energy Pool (Force): 0.65
Note: Target’s flesh and blood act as a reservoir of energy, enhancing his physical attributes.]
Vlad was pleasantly surprised by General Anglius’ stats. Although they were not near his own, they were much higher than those of an average Level 3 Warrior without a bloodline, especially his vitality, which had crossed the threshold into the Champion Tier.
’I should try to obtain a bloodline for him. Even if his main role is leading soldiers, a powerful body would make that much easier and improve his survival abilities,’ Vlad had come to rely significantly on this middle-aged man. He wanted to ensure Anglius would grow and stay by his side for a long time.
"Shall I let him in, my King?" General Anglius asked. Once Vlad nodded, the general went to the door and allowed a man to enter.
The man was in his mid-sixties, with gray hair and many wrinkles. Despite his age, he appeared strong and fit, showing signs of constant training before the apocalypse. He wore a detailed suit and walked with control and calm, a testament to his experience and mental resilience, skills he had developed over a long career and many tribulations.
"Your Highness, Alonz Vonapart reporting." As soon as the man stepped into the room, he clasped his hands and bowed toward Vlad, not rising from his position until the young man indicated he could.
Although the old man found it odd to refer to someone so young as King, Vlad led the charge that took down over six thousand demons, and according to the soldiers’ tales, he also killed the enemy’s leader.
The world was in chaos, and danger was everywhere, so it was not hard for people to accept the rise of kings again, especially if the will of the world canonized them as World King Candidates.
Although Alonz was not with the soldiers during that event, the voice of the Plane Will reached everyone in the Silent Wind Military Base.
After bowing to Vlad, Alonz turned toward General Anglius and performed another bow. "General Anglius."
Vlad couldn’t help but nod at the etiquette and manners of the old man. ’They’re much better than mine, but I guess that makes sense coming from a politician.’
Although the word "politician" often had a negative connotation, some people got into politics to truly help others. Unfortunately, many were incompetent and only knew how to shout, or even worse, those who did it only to get money for themselves.
"Alonz, previous head councilor of Good Side Town. We have seen how you have been taking a leading role among the civilians, organizing them into a more cohesive group, even going as far as to generate a small inner circle," General Anglius spoke while Vlad remained silent.
The eyes of the old man widened as he heard those words. While the middle-aged general did not utter any menacing words, his imposing presence was hard to ignore.
Alonz had done nothing wrong nor attempted to undermine Vlad’s or General Anglius’s leadership. He was only trying to lead civilians to a force that could help the Silent Wind Military Base. However, he was wise enough to understand that any form of leadership could be considered an insult in a dictatorship or military state.
"That information is true. I have indeed attempted to organize the civilians and lead a more cohesive state. If I have made any mistakes, I ask for clemency, as I was only trying to improve our condition and contribute to the state of the base." Even in the face of pressure, the old man was able to give a composed response, his diplomatic skills shining through, showing his nerves of steel and years of training.
Vlad was surprised by the old man’s composure and couldn’t help but smile. ’It seems I have found another hidden gem.’