Seven Devils and a Rose

Book 3: A Kingdom of Roses and Magic - Chapter 121

As we gathered around, Aaron came to stand beside Felix and Caleb. Behind us, the other lords—Geoffrey, Victor, and Ethan—stood back and watched. I wondered if we'd get to see them taking down some zombies. But I didn't need to see them do that to know how powerful and kick-ass they were. After all, I had seen them causing a shitload of damage only a few weeks back when they had gone quite berserk.

I listened carefully as Aaron began explaining what to expect when we started.

"Ten thousand zombies will rise," he said, which automatically made my jaw drop.

"Ten thousand zombies?" Brenna said, her eyes wide. I thought she sounded a bit faint.

"It's a good thing I've picked a rifle," Leona said. She turned to Brenna. "That quarterstaff will be difficult, Brenna."

Brenna and I nodded in agreement. With a rifle and a crossbow, one could easily shoot and kill the horde of zombies from a long distance. As for a quarterstaff and sword, one would have to be in close range to do any sort of damage, which in my case and Brenna's would be difficult since we were small. Obviously, our slight builds weren't suitable for knocking and throwing zombies around; that was for sure.

Aria said, "You can use spells on the staff to shoot energy balls to kill the zombies, Brenna."

Her eyes widened in delight. "Oh yeah, that's right." She chuckled nervously. "I can do that with my qi."

I wondered if Brenna was so nervous that she had forgotten some of the techniques, whatever those were, she had been taught.

Aaron continued. "The zombies each have a typical weapon on them, so you'll have to use your own judgment on how to avoid their attack. They do have certain moves that are unique to them. We won't tell you what they are simply because when it comes to the real battle, you won't know what to expect from your enemy. Use your instinct to fight them. Killing these zombies is easy. Simply decapitate them or destroy their heart. Do remember that just because these zombies are created by dark qi, once dead, they will not disappear. Their bodies will lie where you've slain them. So be mindful of your steps, because in a battlefield, dead bodies will be everywhere, and some might be your comrades."

I swallowed hard at hearing that. Gosh, Aaron made it sound so raw and brutal and just dark. I knew that though something like this was completely new to me, it was not for them. They had lived for hundreds of years and had been through many wars, after all.

Now it was Felix's turn to take over the instruction. He said, "Communication is crucial during a battle. Use the WIFI system to communicate with your team and keep tabs on everyone."

Caleb said, "We'll be keeping an eye on everyone's safety, but it's your job to both slay the zombies as well as aid your team members when they're in trouble."

Aaron said, "For today's exercise, we'll focus on testing your individual skills during a battle. Spread out and try to kill as many zombies as you can. After this, you will identify what your weak points are and work on those so that you will not make the same mistakes again."

We all nodded in understanding.

He stepped aside. "Now then, let's begin."

Suddenly, I became nervous. I mean, this was my first time fighting for real, after all, not just practicing like I had been for the last two and a half weeks.

Aaron told us to start spreading out, and we did.

With my saber in hand, I sprinted toward the other end of the woods, my feet light and my pace fast. It was odd that I felt so natural like this, as if I were in my element. Maybe it was because of either the golden pill Lord Noah had fed me or the release of my pure qi, or it could be both that made me feel this way. I honestly didn't know, but despite my nervousness, I felt quite thrilled too, with adrenaline pumping through me like never before.