"Tonight... rest here... tomorrow... move out!"
"Yes, Captain!"
A solemn military unit came to a halt in this forest. Even among a group of heavily armored Shieldguards, the Wendigo's massive frame was strikingly conspicuous, towering a full head and shoulders above the others.
The "Guerrilla Force" — a unit on the Ursus tundra that struck fear into the hearts of the Inspection Teams. "Shield of the Infected" was the praise bestowed upon them by those they had rescued.
And the Amiya of this force was none other than the former Captain of the Ursus Imperial Army Group, a rare pure-blood Wendigo on this land — the Patriot.
The enormous blade of the halberd he wielded glinted with a chilling cold light. His flesh had long since fused with his worn-out armor, and the cloak behind him billowed and fluttered in the icy currents.
The ancient royal lineage granted him an astonishingly robust physique. His hill-like body cast a vast shadow under the sunlight, and the crimson eyes beneath his helmet were filled with a will that inspired dread.
This was the last pure-blood Wendigo, Bolshakov!
At this moment, surprisingly, it was precisely such a behemoth who was meticulously directing the Shieldguards to establish patrol lines.
Having served for nearly a century and achieving the highest military rank for a non-native in the Ursus army, he was far from just a brute relying solely on courage and strength.
—
Meanwhile, in the forest south of the guerrilla force's encampment,
Two tents were pitched beside a campfire, a rare sight in this desolate and impoverished tundra.
"Mr. Kevin, are you an Aegir?"
"?"
Pozëmka blinked her beautiful eyes, engaging in a wide-eyed staring contest with Kevin.
In her view, Kevin's lack of knowledge about common sense on this land and his absence of prominent racial features made him a perfect fit for the characteristics of an Aegir.
But now, it seemed that might not be the case?
"I am not what you call an Aegir. I am a human."
The newborn was willing to refer to himself as "human," even though [Kevin]'s past actions could hardly be considered those of a human.
He shifted his gaze to Pozëmka's ears; the pink wolf ears appeared lively and cute.
The wolf tail peeking out from under her cloak was perked up, its fur smooth and sleek.
His intense stare made her somewhat shy. She covered her ears with her hands, tucking her tail back under her cloak, and softly protested:
"Please don't stare at my ears and tail like that..."
"My apologies."
Kevin suddenly realized this was an impolite action and withdrew his gaze.
But these beast ears and tails reminded him of [Kevin]'s comrades-in-arms.
"Ah, ah, ah? You don't need to apologize, really. It's not that big of a deal. And if it's Mr. Kevin... it's actually not entirely unacceptable..."
Pozëmka's voice grew softer as she spoke until she completely buried her head between her knees, her face flushed crimson.
What on earth am I saying?!
She couldn't help but inwardly scold her uncontrollable mouth.
But honestly, Mr. Kevin is very handsome, nothing like the rough Ursus men. Although his personality is a bit cold, isn't a man who's cold on the outside but warm on the inside also quite appealing?
As a young girl immersed in literary stories, how could she not have fantasized about her prince charming one day rescuing her from evil hands?
Now, her wish had come true. Kevin perfectly matched all her fantasies of a prince charming.
"Who's there?! Don't move! Come out!"
A deep, cold shout made Pozëmka's delicate body stiffen. Kevin had somehow already positioned himself behind her, staring directly at the group.
Heavy, sturdy armor, strong physiques combined with large black shields — this combination exerted immense pressure. Moreover, they carried an aura of battle-hardened iron will, utterly incomparable to those Ursus insects who had been pursuing her.
"An Aegir, a Lupo. No weapons. Don't appear to be Infected."
The leading Shieldguard captain scrutinized the two before him with his gaze, assessing the risk they posed.
This small camp had two tents. The Lupo woman's attire clearly marked her as a refugee, but the Aegir man was different; he seemed more like... a noble on an outing?!
But how could any noble be willing to come to this godforsaken place?
"Come with us."
The Shieldguard grunted.
On the eve of an operation, any anomalies discovered during patrols must be treated with caution. Who knows if some seemingly insignificant ordinary person might be an enemy spy?
Pozëmka nervously swallowed, picking up a piece of firewood still glowing with embers from the campfire. Holding it with both hands, she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Kevin, warily eyeing these Shieldguards.
She didn't dare gamble on whether these people had any connection to her father's political opponents.
Seeing her actions, a rare glint of approval appeared in Kevin's eyes.
Whether it was an act or not, daring to raise a weapon in front of these people — just this courage alone deserved commendation.
"Take them!"
The squad Amiya didn't have much patience to waste here. He needed to fulfill his duty and thus issued the cold order.
Several Shieldguards approached. Pozëmka's legs were already feeling weak; Kevin beside her was her only remaining support.
But the moment one of them reached out, Kevin moved.
The Honkai energy gathered within this body wasn't abundant. He needed to use that energy for more important matters. Dealing with those military police earlier was just a simple adaptation. So this time, he chose a more "cost-effective" method.
He grabbed a Shieldguard's wrist with one hand. The stark contrast between his jade-like, well-defined hand and the thick arm clad in black armor was immense.
The Shieldguard obviously thought the same — could some pampered noble really turn the tables?
He exerted force but was shocked to find his arm immobile.
Then, an even greater force transmitted through his hand.
Thud!
The Shieldguard's bulky body suddenly lifted into the air and was slammed hard onto the ground, sending up a spray of snow.
The sudden impact left the Shieldguard's head beneath his helmet dazed; he felt groggy and disoriented.
A shoulder throw!!!
Both the Shieldguards and Pozëmka stared in shock at this scene reminiscent of an ant shaking a tree.
"Form up!"
The squad Amiya knew they had encountered a tough opponent. At his command, nearly half of the patrol squad's Shieldguards formed Ursus's standard military formation.
As they moved, they charged toward Kevin like a towering mountain range.
Hum!
"Stand here. Don't move."
Kevin hefted the baseball bat he had just constructed in his hand. Compared to the Shieldguards' weapons, the baseball bat seemed as fragile and thin as a toothpick.
He took a step forward, swinging the baseball bat fiercely at the military formation!
Bang!
A large dent appeared on one Shieldguard's shield; he was sent flying backward, flattening a patch of underbrush.
The seamless military formation developed a breach at first contact.
That figure wielding a baseball bat was like a god of war.
"Woo-hoo! Host is mighty!"
"Go! Mr. Kevin!"
Collection Item:
*[Kaslana Family Baseball Bat]*
Effect: Attack Power +45% and Attack Speed +20 for Guard and Sniper Operators. Each attack deals additional True Damage equal to 20% of Attack Power.
Description: A weapon favored by both the original progenitor of the Kaslana family and its most outstanding descendant. Perhaps this counts as... an alternative form of inheritance?