Ch.137137. Azukalan (1)

# Avenger Legion

A subordinate organization of the Revenge Order and their primary military force.

Whether for personal reasons, for a greater cause, or simply because it seems cool or admirable, those who join must dedicate their entire lives to revenge…

Without question, they are the strongest among lower-tier organizations, a lethal weapon honed by the God of Vengeance to confront the Imperial Guard.

In the early days, due to personnel shortages, most volunteers were accepted, but now candidates must pass extreme physical and mental tests to enlist.

Of course, the training is even more brutal than the entrance exams, which occasionally result in fatalities.

First, recruits undergo education bordering on brainwashing or mental reconditioning, then they are forcibly compressed-trained in various weapons and tactics until they become 9th-grade warriors.

Once these mentally conditioned trainees complete their education, they enter a sacred vessel—a type of holy relic bestowed by the God of Vengeance—and fall asleep. In this state, sacred blood is injected into them, and they receive blessings through an automated process.

Within about a day, a physically perfected Legion soldier emerges.

This is the current method for cultivating Avenger Legion members.

The completed Legion soldiers reach the extreme limits of 7th-grade in all aspects, both physically and mentally.

Having adopted the Blood Warriors’ training methods, they are qualified to immediately join the Blood Warriors should they die.

They are also granted sacred equipment forged in the realm of the Bleeding God and are treated like living religious relics within the Order’s society.

Such treatment is warranted, as the Avenger Legion is incredibly powerful in actual combat.

They possess remarkable environmental adaptability, perfect skills, unwavering discipline that never breaks regulations, and iron-like mental fortitude that knows no fear of death.

Above all else, their ability to fight continuously for 10 hours without tiring while wrapped in those metal shells under the blazing sun—

This alone is sufficient proof of their elite status.

Of course, not everyone can become such a magnificent being, and the cultivation process inevitably produces many failures.

Those who die during cultivation are recognized as martyrs, their names eternally recorded on the memorial stone at the Legion training facility.

However, there are occasional cases where failures survive, which began appearing one by one after the process became automated.

One type involves mental issues.

Sometimes something goes wrong with the knowledge injection device used during the “education” phase, resulting in faith that becomes excessively extreme.

In an order where martyrdom is socially respected and somewhat encouraged, where the prevailing attitude is that death leads to heaven so earthly life matters little—

Even in such an order, cadets considered problematic are typically assigned to the Holy Shock Troopers.

Physical problems are also quite common, with most cases resulting in transformation into Abominations when unable to withstand the blessing.

Since even Abominations retain some ability to discern right from wrong, they are confined deep underground, waiting only for deployment to the battlefield.

In any case, after being reborn as superhumans through this arduous process, they must spend their lives fighting for the Order.

During peacetime, they spend their days training or conquering dungeons, and when conflicts arise, they are the first to be deployed in dispersed formations.

They exterminate underground monsters that attack subterranean cities, protect underground churches, and sometimes serve as mercenaries for the friendly Dwarf Kingdom.

To the Legion members whose lives are essentially histories of constant battle, Azkallan, who had been with the Legion since its founding, was truly a living legend.

※ ※ ※

Azkallan.

Originally one of Gracus’s personal soldiers, he had been with the Avenger Legion since its founding, unquestionably the most veteran among veterans.

His rank: Veteran.

Similar to a non-commissioned officer in modern militaries, it’s a rank that serves as a field commander of small units while sometimes functioning as an elite soldier or special forces member.

Veterans can also receive their weapon of choice to leverage their outstanding combat experience. He is famous for bravely fighting with an axe in one hand and a sword in the other.

However, what truly established his fame throughout the Order was the Pilgrimage—the incident that gave birth to Persha, the honorable standard-bearer and commander of the Holy Shock Troopers.

After accumulating military achievements during the Pilgrimage and retrieving the sacred flag, he returned and was reorganized outside the Legion’s normal structure.

His assigned rank is Veteran Commander, the highest commander of the Veteran Squads—special operations units composed of Veteran-ranked soldiers.

Comprised of experienced veterans deployed to the most dangerous battlefields, they are essentially the most honorable “regular” unit made up of elite soldiers.

Naturally, such powerful and skilled soldiers are needed in various places, and they are currently dispatched to exterminate underground monsters near the subterranean city.

The enemy was a lower-grade magical beast called Molic, resembling a mole.

Living underground and forming large colonies of several hundred, they feed primarily on iron ore, resulting in metallic shells and claws.

Their digging speed is extremely fast like their appearance, and their durability is substantial. Having hundreds of such creatures would normally be quite troublesome, but…

“Hahaha!!”

—Slash!

“KEEEEEEEE!!!”

Whoosh—CRACK!

“One more!!”

The ten Veteran Squads deployed here, each consisting of four members, were effortlessly slaughtering these beasts, which numbered around 300.

Some crushed skulls with blunt weapons, metal shells and all, while others used war picks to penetrate directly into the brain with a single strike.

While some used weapons designed for armored opponents, most brought their personal weapons and displayed godlike skill.

They severed spines by precisely stabbing between shell segments with daggers, accurately gouged out eye sockets and then stirred the brain with their fingers.

Some even broke necks with bare hands or engaged in wrestling with horse-sized beasts.

Amid this seemingly eccentric but methodical combat, their Commander, Azkallan, was likewise fighting at the front lines.

He decapitated with his axe, precisely gouged brains with his short sword, and occasionally picked up fallen weapons to throw them.

Though vulnerable in formation battles due to their non-standardized equipment, the Veteran Squads were powerful enough to dominate chaotic melees.

Thanks to their skill, they were easily slaughtering the Molic horde that could potentially devastate an entire Dwarf village.

“””KEEEEEEEEE!!!”””

As most of the Molics lay fallen on the ground, a creature with a volume different from the others appeared in the distance.

“…The leader.”

As Azkallan surmised, this monster, the leader of the Molic horde, appeared to be twice the size of an ordinary Molic.

With a massive size rivaling a giant black bear, its metal shell and claws were tinged with a subtle black color.

This meant that parts of its armor and claws contained adamantium.

Of course, he had fought in too many battlefields to be intimidated by such an enemy—compared to the terrifying foes he had faced, this mole was merely child’s play.

Nevertheless, his current weapons seemed too small for the giant monster, so after briefly looking around, he picked up a halberd from the ground.

“MAKE—WAY!!!”

Shouting for the other Veterans to clear a path, Azkallan began running and skillfully wielding the halberd as he threw himself toward the Molic leader.

Whoosh—CRACK!

“KEEEEEEEEK!!!”

After the magic-infused halberd blade struck the Molic leader’s joint, the creature belatedly let out an agonized scream.

But it was already too late.

“Hup!!!”

Veteran Commander Azkallan retrieved the embedded halberd and swung it powerfully down on the crown of the beast’s head—

Whoosh—CRACK.

The halberd’s blade split the Molic leader’s head in half.