"Squad Two has encountered the enemy! Squad Two has encountered the enemy! Requesting support! Requesting... boom!"
Along with an explosion and static, Squad Two completely lost contact.
Patriot silently put down the crude communication device, picked up his spear and great shield, left sufficient defensive forces at the camp, and led his team towards Squad Two's direction.
...
Boom!
The baseball bat knocked down the last Shieldguard, and then this "weapon" shattered into pieces in Kevin's hand, unable to bear the strain.
He casually tossed it into the snow.
All around lay Shieldguards on the ground, each with varying degrees of dents in their armor and shields. Some had been knocked unconscious after heavy blows to the head.
"Cool..."
"Oh my god..."
The system exclaimed in amazement, while Pozëmka also covered her mouth in surprise.
She had thought Kevin would use that ice and snow-related Originium Arts again, but she never expected him to defeat these seemingly extremely ferocious Shieldguards relying solely on physical strength.
Crushing the communicator underfoot, Kevin simply stood there waiting.
Clearly, he had intentionally let them call for help. Although these Shieldguards looked miserable, none were actually in mortal danger.
He had held back.
With this kind of equipment configuration, even if they weren't regular army, they couldn't be far from it. Therefore, their commander would definitely have something like a marching map or a map, which would help him understand this snowy plain and the geographical locations of other countries.
There are many ways to conduct a "transaction."
Compared to being escorted back, Kevin felt this method would make them take him more seriously.
Regardless, the initiative was in his hands.
—
"A very... strong... enemy..."
Sensing the almost undisguised aura from the nearby forest, a red light flashed in Patriot's eyes.
"Here already?"
He turned his head and instantly met the crimson gaze not far away.
A murderous aura, tangible as if solid, surged towards him madly.
A veteran of many battles.
Kevin immediately made that judgment.
After exchanging a glance with Kevin, Patriot scanned the surroundings at the Shieldguards lying scattered about.
What puzzled him was that judging by the battle traces, this was undoubtedly a near-overwhelming fight, yet none of these Shieldguards had been killed.
Several groups of Shieldguards had already surrounded them, but Kevin paid them no mind.
Rather, among all the people here, the only one worthy of his slight attention was the fellow wearing the deer-skull mask.
"I need something from you. This is a transaction."
"If you can... defeat me... no matter... what it is... we cannot... stop you."
"Good. However, pointless sacrifice is not advisable."
Kevin glanced at the surrounding Shieldguards. The frigid air emanating from his body coated their shields with a thick layer of frost.
Bolshakov's eyes narrowed behind his mask. He could feel the cold, sharp aura emanating from the man before him. Even the Amiya of the Banshees he had once seen in the royal court was far inferior.
"You all... move away."
"Yes! Captain!"
Against a powerful Caster of this level, numerical superiority at this scale held no meaning.
The Shieldguards dragged away their fallen comrades and withdrew from this troubled area.
—
The cold wind, mixed with murderous intent, made the surrounding trees rustle loudly. The white-haired man stood with his arms crossed, his gaze calm, simply confronting a pure-blooded Wendigo.
"You will... be beheaded..."
Boom!
Patriot charged forward with heavy steps, his tall stature making him appear like a giant beast.
The black great shield swept towards Kevin with a roaring gust of wind.
Crack—
Ice spikes erupted from the ground, sharp frozen thorns stabbing like swords towards the shield and Patriot's defensive blind spots.
Years of combat experience allowed Patriot to react instantly. His right hand twisted the spear.
Sweep! Slash!
The Wendigo'ssavage power shattered the ice spikes into pieces. The spear's remaining momentum swept unabated towards Kevin's waist.
Thud!
Accompanied by a dull sound of flesh colliding, the red light in Patriot's eyes couldn't help but contract.
Kevin had actually grabbed the spear's shaft with his bare hand! His pale, broad palm made it impossible for the weapon to advance even an inch. This Aegir before him could actually match a Wendigo in strength!
Bone-chilling cold instantly traveled from Kevin's palm along the shaft towards Patriot.
Patriot decisively let go of the spear and swung his shield horizontally with both hands!
What made his heart sink was that the moment he got close to Kevin, frost also formed on his shield. It even instantly spread to his own hand, freezing half his body stiff along with it. His blood flowed sluggishly, carrying tiny ice shards.
But Patriot's willpower had long been instilled into every inch of his body. Even though his body was frozen stiff, the massive shadow of his shield still enveloped Kevin.
Nowhere to dodge!
Fist against shield!
Step—
Patriot was sent flying over ten meters back by terrifying force, while Kevin also retreated two steps.
The Wendigo drove his incredibly stiff body forward. Parts of his limbs had already lost sensation due to the cold, but he still stood firm and resolute.
"An astonishing will. You have earned the qualification for me to draw my weapon."
Steadying himself again, Kevin looked at the marks left in the snow from his two steps back. He couldn't help but pause slightly and offer a word of praise.
A firearm intertwined with crimson-orange, white, and black abruptly materialized in his palm. Its gorgeous and dazzling body resembled a work of art.
"But unfortunately, in many cases, willpower cannot decide everything."
These words seemed filled with regret and reminiscence. But when Kevin aimed that Divine Key representing [Destruction] at him...
An unprecedented sense of crisis rose in Patriot's heart. He charged forward once more.
Bang!
What terrifying flames those were! The fiercely burning torrent devoured the snow in the sky and the forests all around.
Under the brief cover of his shield, in the last moment before being engulfed by the inferno, Patriot's hand once again grasped that spear!
—
"You... have won..."
Molten droplets of iron fell onto the snow, emitting sizzling sounds.
Half of the shield had melted under absolute high temperatures; the remaining half was twisted beyond recognition.
Patriot's armor was damaged everywhere, revealing scorched dark red skin beneath. His spear was thrust straight into the snow, creating a large hole.
"You're not bad either."
The wound on Kevin's shoulder had already healed, but his torn clothing seemed to prove that he wasn't unassailable either.
That final spear thrust had indeed taken him by surprise, but that was all it amounted to.
"Captain!"
Countless Shieldguards finally couldn't hold back and gathered upon hearing the commotion here. Seeing Patriot's wretched state and Kevin's leisurely demeanor, their pupils couldn't help but contract sharply.
In their eyes, their Captain who symbolized invincibility, Ursus's Patriot, had actually been defeated!
The Shieldguards surrounded Patriot protectively and also cast wary glances at Kevin.
But he himself clearly paid no mind to either type of gaze.
"Give him... the backup map..."
Patriot's diseased throat emitted a hoarse voice. Since he lost, naturally he had to fulfill the promise.
Kevin clearly had the ability to annihilate them all. Going back on their word was always an option with zero possibility.
With some apprehension and reluctance, a Shieldguard handed him an enormous piece of paper that resembled a scroll.
Kevin took it without opening it. He believed these people weren't foolish enough to give him a wrong map.
"Those unconscious people will wake up within an hour. As for you..."
Kevin flicked his finger.
A flash of light passed. A Shieldguard caught it—it was a bottle of deep blue medicine.
"A special medicine for treating burns. Whether to use it or not is up to you."
Fire Moth had conducted research in this area originally to treat personnel injured in battles against the Herrscher of Flame. Later, it became widely used for his comrades who were affected by attacks from Judgement of Shamash.
Collection Item:
[Burn Medicine Specially Made for Kevin]
Effect: Increases Max HP of allied units by 50%, reduces Mental Damage taken by 30%.
Description: "I really don't understand what's the point of wasting my precious time researching this thing? If they really get accidentally injured, can they even hold on until the moment they can use this medicine?"
"Dr. Mobius, some things can be unused, but they must not be unavailable."