The Pact: Bruno and the Crimson Veil

It was early—around 9 a.m. I stood tall, watching the recruits lined up before me.

"Recruits, as I said before, today we march to the village of Syborn. There, we will face the Harudraks.

This is not a training mission. And it certainly won't be an easy battle.

If we lose… it means death."

"There is no other option: either we advance toward glory, or we perish.

I'll be there with you. If you die… I'll die."

I had fought for my life with every drop of strength I had left.

They didn't know—but I underwent the transformation in the forest. Without any ritual.

Everyone stared at me, horrified by what I had just said.

"That's insane…" someone muttered.

Tyler, standing beside me, looked at me—shocked. And with pity.

"No, recruit. It's not insanity.

I was dragged into the territory of the Ice Wolves. I survived with only Ignis and Astrel by my side. My arm was broken, and a thirty-centimeter branch was skewered through my leg.

The beasts we'll fight today? I killed more of them in a single day.

I hope you don't disappoint me."

"Everyone must come back alive."

I turned and mounted Astrel. The recruits followed on their Night Horses, galloping toward Syborn.

The sound of hooves against the snow, mixed with the whistling wind, marked our march.

The landscape was breathtaking. Farmlands, trees covered in glistening frost, stone-paved roads…

Tenebris's morning sun bathed everything in a cold, golden light.

We kept a steady pace. Syborn was only two to three hours away on horseback.

I savored every second of the view. After what I'd been through, I could never see the world the same way.

Because now, I never know if I'll die the next minute... or be dragged off again like before.

Ignis, perched on my shoulders, observed everything with sparkling eyes. If I let him go, he'd vanish from my sight in seconds. So I kept him close the entire journey.

Along the way, we'd pass through three villages: Syria, Synav, and Syou.

Curiously, every village in the barony carries the surname of that family. Even the only city in the region: Sylverestia—the Syla family's castle.

Just another display of that person's vanity... I thought, mildly irritated.

Since these damn dreams started haunting me, I've felt more impatient.

And unlike before, my emotions are turning into something darker.

Pure hatred. Out of nowhere.

It pushed me to train harder—desperately trying to outrun my own mind.

But hatred is a lonely feeling.

It's the kind of pain that craves attention. That screams for help when no one's listening.

And that makes me even more irritated. Because I know it's childish…

Yet even knowing that—I keep sinking. Regressing.

Am I still myself… if I go back?

Lately, I've felt colder. More distant.

I can't even remember the last time I gave a sincere smile.

Maybe back at the castle.

Yes… the day it started snowing… the day I was dragged into terror's core.

That was the last day I smiled.

After that, I hid. Camouflaged like a snake.

I don't even know what expression I wear now.

The minutes passed. My mind drifted through time. The vilest thoughts consumed my focus—but no matter how dark, they all followed the logic of survival.

As Astrel marched, I looked at my arm.

There was a black serpent coiled around it.

It looked like a tattoo—but was actually the storage seal for my chain weapon.

Seeing that mark brought a flood of memories...

The vine I tied around my broken arm.

The crushing helplessness I felt upon arriving in this world.

The moment Flávia took my hand and dragged me off to shop…

I feel incomplete.

I fought so hard to make it back...

But the hope I had in the forest was stronger than anything I feel now.

Hatred, loneliness, fear… bitter emotions. They burn down your throat like poison.

Hatred burns like the cruelest flame.

I looked at Astrel and Ignis.

I didn't dare meet Ignis's eyes.

Nor lean forward onto Astrel's back—not even for a second.

If I did… I'd cry.

In front of my soldiers.

And seeing your commander cry before battle… that's like signing your death warrant.

I gazed up at the sky.

The sun adorned the firmament. Snow blanketed the roads.

I longed for winter to end.

For the sun to cover the world with golden mornings—unlike this cold, pale light that turned to shadows by nightfall.

Snow…

The deepest fear and darkness.

Maybe it's just how I see it—shaped by my trauma.

But… I used to dream of seeing snow in my hometown…

Now, I carry the worst memories upon it.

What a curse. Fate is such a piece of shit… haha.

After about forty minutes, we passed through Syria, the first village.

We had no reason to stop, but the place looked like something out of an old book: dark wood houses, stone streets.

It housed thousands of people.

Probably had a Near-Warrior as a leader.

What struck me most was what I saw.

Happy people. Children laughing. Adults smiling.

Simple—but dignified.

Living well.

A bitter taste of envy filled my mouth.

But at the same time, something good stirred inside me.

A shiver. A forgotten feeling of warmth in my chest.

"What a beautiful place…" I whispered.

I wish I could come here one day with Fla...

GRHHHHHH

Pain jolted through my body, ripping me from the daydream.

It was bearable—but constant.

"What the hell is this?"

I looked down at my body, panicked. Nothing seemed out of place.

"What happened?"

Then I remembered…

Spiritual Sense.

That sixth sense I'd recently learned and refined.

When I activated it—I saw it.

A small, translucent spiritual beast was curled up inside me.

In a flash, I grabbed it with both hands—and crushed the creature into a pool of blood.

Once it died, I looked around.

Nothing else.

No signal.

No presence.

Silence.

The pain vanished, but I still felt strange—like something was watching me.

"Invisible scouts…?"

"Speed up!" I shouted to the recruits as I ordered Astrel to quicken the pace.

Now galloping at full speed, the horses would tire faster—delaying our return.

But securing Syborn was more important.

About fifty minutes later, we arrived at Synav.

There, we were to collect supplies and reinforcements.

The village seemed normal… but I was fully alert. I asked Tyler to lead a squad and scout the area.

For this part of the mission, I had divided the recruits into four teams of thirteen.

Until the final destination, they would act as separate platoons—then merge into two larger groups.

The temporary leaders were:

Kiara, for her quick thinking and sharp reflexes.

Desmond, for his strength and natural command.

Simon, a vampire strategist with green hair, a scar above his eye, and an oddly childish air—he wore glasses for unknown reasons. His tactical brilliance combined well with Desmond's brute force.

And Tyler, leading the scout team—specialized in speed and evasion. Perfect for reconnaissance and withdrawal.

I instructed Desmond to conduct a discreet inspection of the village.

Simon was to analyze any irregularities—sickness, strange occurrences, signs of unrest.

Kiara's squad would accompany me to the center of Synav to retrieve the supplies.

Unfortunately, the reinforcements weren't combatants—only weapons and rations. But for now, it would do.

In the village center, I met the local elder—an old vampire with a frail appearance but an aura equal to mine.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Ashen Constantia, captain of the squad assigned to eliminate the Harudraks," I said, greeting him.

"Likewise. I'm Many, in charge of this village.

Constantia, huh? What an odd name, haha," he replied with a warm smile.

"Young man… since you're going after the Harudraks, may I offer some advice?"

"Of course. That would be helpful," I answered, serious.

"Please, have a seat."

I nodded and sat in a straw chair.

"Where to begin…" he muttered, thinking aloud.

"Right. Let's start with the biggest issue.

Harudraks can create illusions. Some cover vast areas; others are more subtle. Be careful.

If your mind is unstable, they'll exploit it… manifesting visions of your worst fears.

And then, they kill you."

"They also have wood-based abilities.

They're like Trents—nocturnal ones.

Masters of the forest around them.

Their territory is silent, deadly, and rooted in darkness."

"Finally, when a Harudrak is on the verge of death, it releases a dark mist.

It blinds—and hallucinates.

That's when most soldiers die."

"Be extremely careful, young man.

A two-star Harudrak can be more dangerous than dozens of Near-Second Level beasts."

He stood up slowly.

"Come with me. That bone spear of yours… it's only lasted this long by luck.

I think I've got something more your style."

Skeptical, I followed him to a warehouse. Inside were the supplies we came for.

But something caught my eye.

A simple spear—black, with an immaculate edge.

At its center was a core radiating dense, fiery energy.

"You like it? This is the Black Spear of Flames. A two-star intermediate-grade artifact.

Impressive, huh?"

"Very," I replied, captivated.

"It's yours, if you want it," he said, smiling.

"You made it?"

"Yes. My greatest creation as a smith," he said proudly.

"And from what I can tell, you're a true spearman.

That bone spear you crafted yourself? Impressive."

"How about this:

You take this spear, and leave your old one with me.

I'll reforge it for real combat.

Might even elevate it to Near-Level 2—or even Level 2."

I hesitated.

"For free?"

"Why not?

You're a soldier.

And I love refining things," he said, releasing a flash of warrior-level aura.

"I only have one request:

If you kill those Harudraks, bring me one of their corpses.

I want to forge it into a black armor—for you.

I just want to hone my craft."

"You're not just a kind old man, huh, haha," I said, offering my hand.

"A deal, old man?

Then… I'll bring you a two-star Harudrak."

He shook my hand, grinning wide.

"Haha! You've got guts, kid.

We've got a deal.

Now go test that spear."

I picked up the weapon, excited.

It was light—but powerful. Perfect.

"If I wasn't about to head into battle, I'd challenge you right now," I joked.

"That's the spirit!"

"Thanks, old man. You've helped a lot."

He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, brat. I hope you come back victorious."

After a few minutes testing the spear, I began preparations to leave.

"Old man… did you notice anything odd earlier?"

"Oh, don't worry. What you killed was just a Skiblin. A spiritual leech.

They pop up more often in the cold—when the bigger beasts hide."

I nodded, relieved.

"Farewell, old man."

"Good luck, brat."

I turned to the soldiers.

"Let's move."

We mounted up and rode for Syborn.

We carried the supplies—weapons and war tools.

Now, the goal was clear.

And battle… inevitable.

After about an hour and twenty minutes of riding, we spotted a village in the distance.

The guard presence was heavy, and even from afar, signs of destruction were visible.

That was the northwestern border village—frequently attacked and always on high alert.

Four minutes later, we arrived at the gates.

Upon identifying myself, the entrance process was swift. Not long after, I was summoned to a war meeting room.

Inside were four elders—each of Near-Warrior Level.

"A pleasure," I said, introducing myself formally. "I'm Ashen, commander of the squad assigned to eliminate the Harudraks."

"Finally..." sighed one of the elders with relief.

A woman seated in the center stepped forward to speak:

"It's a pleasure. I am Ysra. To my left is Elga. The two men are Varnel and Orlim."

Ysra wore a green robe that covered her entire body, and a black ring on her middle finger. Her voice was soft and gentle.

Varnel had long hair, a grayish-brown robe, and a rough voice.

Elga, elegant and poised, wore a richly adorned violet robe and a crescent-moon necklace. She seemed very sociable.

Orlim, in contrast, wore simple clothes, old sandals, and had a naturally irritated expression.

"Can you brief me on the Harudrak attacks?" I asked, cutting straight to the point.

Ysra took the lead:

"We've been attacked five times in the last three days. Always at night.

They come in groups of around four hundred Harudraks.

We estimate two elite leaders of 2-star level among them."

"Wait… what? Are you certain?"

"Yes, we reported this, didn't we?" Elga asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was informed the number was half that…" I muttered, frowning.

"Half?!" Orlim barked, visibly upset.

"Yes… unfortunately.

But don't worry.

I can handle the 2-star Harudraks.

However, I only brought 52 soldiers—expecting to face about 250 enemies."

Varnel chimed in:

"We have about 50 fighters here, plus the four of us.

If you take down the elite ones… it's not impossible."

"I hope so," I murmured.

"Can we gather the troops now?" I asked with urgency.

"Yes. It's still early. The Harudraks only attack at night," Ysra replied.

The elders dispersed. I returned to my squad.

"Form up!" I commanded.

The recruits snapped into formation. Tyler approached, and I spoke to him quietly:

"The enemy numbers were wrong. We're facing double what we expected."

His eyes widened.

"Can we win?"

"I don't know.

But we must," I said firmly.

A few minutes later, the local soldiers joined us.

In total: 103 fighters, plus the 5 elders.

I observed them carefully, considering how to divide the force.

"Does anyone here have experience with battlefield strategy?" I asked the five around me.

The responses came quickly:

— "No."

— "Not at all."

— "Nope."

— "Never studied it."

— "I've never even seen a war map."

I sighed.

The elders could defend—but direct combat against Harudraks required more than just raw power.

We had 5 Near-Warrior Level fighters, and 103 trainees.

How should I organize this?

"Archers—step forward!"

Seven soldiers moved up.

"Now, form two rows of 48 soldiers each!"

The formations were set.

"You five," I continued, stepping forward, "will each lead one team."

They nodded, organizing swiftly.

Thus, we formed:

2 main squads of 50 soldiers (including leaders)

7 archers, plus Orlim, totaling 8 for ranged support

"Do you know exactly where the Harudraks are?" I asked.

"Yes," Ysra replied.

"They're in the forest beyond the border."

"Any elevated terrain nearby?"

"Just some large rocks… but that should be enough."

I nodded.

"Here's the plan:

I'll attack head-on—with Ignis and Astrel.

Tyler and Varnel will flank from the right with one squad.

Ysra and Elga will strike from the left with the other.

Orlim will take the archers to the rocky high ground and provide cover fire."

"This will be a war of attrition.

Avoid casualties.

If needed, retreat temporarily.

But I will personally deal with the 2-star Harudraks."

"Prepare yourselves. We depart in one hour."

"Make sure you're fed, rested, weapons sharpened, and armor secure."

I raised my spear high:

"We. Will. Win!"

"YESSS!"

Their voices roared in unison.

Today... will be the day of victory.