Nothing compared to a cavalry charge, the rumbling of the earth beneath his feet, the heavy breaths leaving Furia's mouth as she rushed at the enemy. Beside him, the knights masterfully lowered their spears with practised ease and disciplined shouts.
The enemy stood their ground.
Using a makeshift camp with spiked wooden walls and an unfinished gate with spiked logs rolled along the floor for protection.
He glanced at Galatea's resolute figure as she held the reins with one hand and her blade with another while leading the charge, a few heads ahead of Luka.
"Yah!" He snapped the reins, spurring Furia on.
Yet she maintained her pace, two heads behind Galatea, three ahead of the normal cavalry as if keeping him safe.
'My veins are trembling with excitement!'
Luka faced ahead, drawing Oblivion with a slow metal scrape, his eyes narrowed into vicious slits as he pointed the blade to the sky.
And with the burst of emotions finally given a place to release, he shouted.
Shouted loud enough that all heard it.
"For the fallen, for Babylon!"
His shout roused not just his own men, but even the enemy woke from their folly.
The goblins who hurriedly adjusted themselves, recovering from the archers and holding their cheap, rusted weapons at the approaching horses.
"Focus!"
Galatea's voice reverberated as her horse galloped ahead, the formation of knights transforming instinctively into a Wedge formation, with Luka protected behind her in the centre forming a sort of arrowhead.
The warriors of Amol rode behind him, their wolves in a tight, curved line with two rows, mimicking the knights.
At the head, Iris and the front wave held nets in their offhands.
Their orders were different from the short, sharp commands of Galatea.
"Don't perform heroics. Once we capture them in the net, the second row strikes!"
Da-da-dan
Da-da-dan
Luka took deeper breaths, his thighs tightly clinging around Furia's muscular body as she galloped faster, as if competing with the other horse.
The distance closed rapidly.
Thirty metres.
The goblins stood in rows, holding crude spears, gnashing their teeth, growling and banging against their shields.
Twenty metres.
The ground quaked from the mass of horses rushing at the goblin camp.
Spears down, blades drawn, ready for combat.
Suddenly, Galatea lifted her hand at the ten metre mark, and quickly lowered it. "Loose!"
Along the wings, several knights held their spears like javelins, drawn back and quickly tossed them at the goblins.
Ten Metres.
Heavy spears flung through the air and penetrated dozens of the goblins awaiting them. Many lifted their shields, only for the sharp tips to bore through the wood and pierce their bones, fusing their arms to shield.
"Graaaa!"
"Gigigigig!!!!"
The goblin's roars became clear, hoarse, lamenting yet full of rage as their eyes bled murky yellow tears.
"Draw Swords!" With Galatea's shout, the men who tossed their spears followed in turn, a row of silver blades rising into the air.
A pounding rush flowed through Luka's veins as he could swear his blood became solid, pumping into his heart with a dull ache as he gripped Oblivion tighter.
'I will not fail, my goal is to avenge humanity and my death.'
"Die!"
The cavalry shot past the spiked logs, a horse failed the jump, collapsing and clipping another, sending two knights flying against the spiked walls, dying instantly.
"FURIA AVOID THEM!"
Furia swayed, avoiding the two rolling horses, leaping from a metre out, her body flew into the air like a winged pegasus.
"Holy shit!"
Luka hovered in the air, his hips leaving her back.
He bit down, leaning forward to maintain balance as Fura's huge body slammed into a piece of the wall, shattering the wood into countless splinters.
He dropped with a thud.
Bouncing on her firm back as she staggered, yet powered forward into the waiting goblin swordsmen.
"Let's go!" His scream contained his excitement, battle frenzy and desire.
Oblivion, heavy and broad, weighed on his undeveloped arms, yet through sheer force of will and muscle memory from his past, he held it firm.
Within seconds, he reached the two goblins who slammed at Furia with their shields, pulling back their blades with a sinister grin.
Grip~
Luka yanked the reins, causing the dazed mare to instantly pull to the left, avoiding the first goblin's piercing strike. The glimmer of the second blade followed after it stepped within range of her.
"I don't think so!"
He brought Oblivion down in a rushed crescent moon arc, cutting across the first goblin's head, and carving flesh from the second goblin's shoulder to hip.
Then pulling the blade free with a flick.
[Oblivion Absorbed 10 Desire]
[Current Desire: 65/100]
Ignoring the flashing screen, Luka drew his right shoulder back, aiming Oblivion's tip at the goblins while guiding Furia's reins with his left. The first goblin reacted fast. It raised its shoddy shield and pushed the bleeding goblin to the side.
A surge of searing heat gathered and churned in Luka's stomach as he prepared to thrust his blade.
The tip of Oblivion glowed faintly purple, growing more intense as the churning heat rapidly rushed to his right arm, leaving his body feeling hollow.
When the glow became bright, his blade thrust faster. It nicked the shield's edge and lanced through the goblin's exposed throat without effort. Splinters flew through the air as a rain of green blood spewed from the wound.
"Grrrk..."
Thud!
The first goblin dropped, while the second convulsed on the floor.
Before he could strike, Furia raised her front legs into the air, and with a mighty neigh, she slammed down, crushing the goblin under her hooves.
"Haa....haa....what is with this weak body?!" Luka complained.
A few swings and his muscles screamed for air with a searing, dull ache.
Not to mention his head became light, and the sword's weight tripled after the glow vanished from his blade.
"Phew, let's stay focused."
He flicked his head back, scanning the battlefield to find feeling goblins, corpses and broken shields greeted him.
A scene of pure devastation entered his sight.
"My Lord, are you well?!" Galatea's blue eyes shone from between her silver helmet, sweat oozing down her cheeks as she removed it slowly. "The enemy has fled, with most of them falling to our arrows!"
Luka raised his hand, waving for her to continue, while trying to hide his breathlessness.
"I...I'm fine, go and finish your task."
"...Y-Yes, My Lord."
The mixture of excitement, his weak body and the sudden rush of energy flooding his limbs stopped him from giving a clear response. He could only lean against Furia and watch the blue screen glowing in front of his eyes.
[You have slain a goblin]
[Oblivion Absorbed the Goblin's soul]
[EXP: +1]
[Desire: 85/100]
Then another flashed, over and over, from the surroundings, causing his head to throb.
Eventually, it came to an end.
The screen now flashing with a golden banner, silently oppressive and bold.
[You have Levelled up!]
[Gained 10 Bonus Attribute Points]
[Sin Energy Increased: 10 --> 25]
[The Unholy sword Oblivion has reached Level 2]
[Range of Soul Absorption +10m]
[Gained Passive Skill: Life Steal]
[Gained Passive Skill: Sin Regeneration]
[Gained Passive Skill: Swordsmanship: +1]
After the screen finished, he quickly adjusted his posture and glared at the annoyingly obnoxious screen.
For some reason, it wouldn't allow him to change the settings or remove the loud ringing each time he gained a single point of soul energy or when Oblivion devoured the surrounding desires.
'Obey me!'
The obnoxious Neon blue screen unravelled before him.
[Welcome to the Destiny System, please confirm your existence.]
Luka clenched his fists, the familiar tone no longer pleasing to the ears, as he chanted a complex series of digits in his mind, then called out.
"Reveal"
[Checking Permissions]
[…Confirmed, permission granted!]
[Welcome back, Lucifer. May your Divine Radiance shine upon the lands]
Amusingly, this damn system couldn't tell the difference between him and Luka, or maybe Lucifer was just coping. He was no longer the same as before. His new identity matched the glowing blue screen hovering in the corner of his vision.
[Destiny Record]
Name: Luka de Babylon
Age: 19
Race: Half-Fallen, Human
Level: 2
Class: Lord
Talent: Will of the Forsaken (Mythic), Lord of the Fallen (Dormant), Misfortune (Lost)
Skill: Summon Oblivion (Level 1), Natural Charm (Level 10), Frail (Level 10), Swordsmanship Level 3)
[CombatAttributes]
Strength: 7
Endurance: 9
Dexterity: 6
Agility: 6
Willpower: 15
[Extra Attributes]
Charm: 32
Bonus Points: 10
[Sin]
Sin Energy: 25/25
Desire: 85/100
Average Human Attributes at Level 1: 10