The months passed as Damien and Victor worked tirelessly on perfecting their virus, using countless test subjects and conducting various experiments. The core of their virus was linked to a rare magical fungus called Devil's Tooth, which resembled bloodied teeth that oozed a peculiar red liquid whenever there was a full moon.
This red liquid has a unique property that allows it to absorb mana, making it a key component in the creation of mana rings.
Meanwhile, mages and knights from all over the city gathered at the king's orders in preparation for war. A total of 5,000 soldiers would be deployed, led by eight generals chosen by the king and his advisors.
Edmond would lead 250 troops into battle. Four great generals would command 1,000 troops each, while the remaining forces would be assigned 250 troops. The smaller squadrons of 250 would handle the local tribes, allowing the larger units to advance through Beastoria undeterred.
Beastoria was home to many small tribes, which could easily encircle and overwhelm an army. That's why the smaller squadrons were necessary to eliminate these threats before they could pose a danger.
The great generals would primarily focus on the three shamans, as they were expected to be the most challenging opponents.
On a flat plain just outside the demi-human territory, a sea of red tents could be seen from afar. This was where Edmond's troops had set up camp in preparation for battle.
Damien was on his way to the four-man unit he had been assigned to. They were further split into groups of four to ensure more organized fighting rather than a chaotic free-for-all.
Upon finding the group he would be working with, Damien entered the tent where they were waiting.
"Are you the one named Lucas?" a female mage asked as he entered.
She had short black hair that framed her striking features, hips that were certainly not built for war, rather, to be warred over. She carried herself with the confidence of a knight and appeared to be around Damien's age.
Two other mages sat in the tent, both boys about his age. They turned to look at him as he entered.
"Yes, I am," Damien replied.
"What took you so long? I'm Elizabeth, and I'll be the leader of this unit. These two are Darrion and Von; they'll also be working with us."
"Nice to meet you, Lucas," Darrion said, getting up from his seat to extend a handshake. Von followed suit, albeit hesitantly, and the three of them shook hands.
"Now that we're all here, let's discuss our magic affinities so we can work better as a team," Elizabeth suggested. "I'll go first: I have a wind magic affinity, and my weapon of choice is a sword."
Darrion and Von introduced themselves next. Darrion had an earth affinity, while Von also had a wind affinity like Elizabeth. Both used muskets as their weapons.
A musket is a magical gun that uses mana to fire projectiles. They are customizable based on the user's affinity; for example, a mage with fire affinity wouldn't be able to use a musket designed for someone with wind affinity and vice versa .
These guns require a lot of skill and training to use properly, as it takes around 15 seconds to fire, which is an eternity on the battlefield. They have a low accuracy if not handled correctly. What makes these guns effective though is their 90% mortality rate.
It is almost impossible to survive a hit from these weapons, as the impact can obliterate a human body. The speed of the projectile is faster than any human reflex.
Muskets are mostly used by those who possess mana but lack the ability to cast spells effective enough for combat. Another benefit of the musket is that it didn't consume a lot of mana.
"What's your affinity, Lucas?" Elizabeth asked anxiously, noticing that Damien also carried a sword like hers.
"I don't have any magic; my only weapon is my sword."
Their expressions shifted immediately. Von seemed the most upset by his response, while Elizabeth and Darrion looked at him with shock and disappointment. Von, however, appeared furious.
"What do you mean you don't have any magic? You've got to be joking, right?" Von said.
"Sadly, it's the truth. I don't have any magic. My only weapon is my sword."
"Are you any good?" Darrion asked, trying to lighten the mood. "With that sword of yours, I mean—"
"Dammit!" Elizabeth shouted, kicking over a bucket that sat on the floor. "I knew something like this would happen! I knew they would send me someone useless! This must be their way of punishing me. I hate those fucking nobles!"
"Calm down, Elizabeth," Darrion said. "It's not that bad. If we work together, I'm sure we'll be fine. Regardless of whether he has any magic, Lucas is on our team, and we have to find a way to work together."
"Shut up, Darrion! He'll be dead within the first ten minutes of the battle, and the three of us will be left to fend for ourselves. Worst case, he gets us all killed!"
"Maybe we should slit his throat right now," Von mumbled, barely audible, but his words cut through Elizabeth's shouting, rendering the tent silent.
Von's cold gaze swept over to Damien. His hands stealthily, reaching for his musket behind him.
"We can't do that," Darrion was the first to speak up.
"Darrion's right," Elizabeth chimed in. "No matter how screwed we are, we can't abandon one of our own. That's what pisses me off the most. We'll…" She paused, struggling to find the words, as if a lump were stuck in her throat. "We'll just have to make do."
"Thank you. I'll try my best not to hold you back," Damien replied, bowing politely.
He didn't think much of the argument over his life. It was all the same. Whether they liked it or not, if the situation arose, they would have to die so that he could live. One way or another, they would be his meat shields.