The Most Satisfied Reincarnate

Desmond let out a frigid breath, a white mist forming in the air as the battlefield lay before him. The biting breeze swept through, carrying an eerie chill that seemed to seep into his bones. His keen eyes scanned the scene, observing the unnatural speed at which people moved.

The soldier's sword arced through the air, nearly grazing one of the menacing Husk Wolves, while the witches, lips parting repeatedly, cast their spells with hands outstretched. Desmond couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief as he witnessed it all. "This...," he murmured, his voice devoid of the time-altering effects that affected everyone else—neither slow nor fast, but normal.

A surge of curiosity compelled him to turn his gaze towards the dense forest on his left. And there it was again, the peculiar phenomenon. Even the crows gliding above seemed to move in slow motion, and the withered branches of the trees swayed languidly.

Returning his attention to the approaching Husk Wolf, Desmond's lips curled into a faint smile. "Ha, an easy battle!" he declared. With a casual stride, he stepped forward, his movements fluid and unhindered. To his surprise, the wolf's eyes, too, existed in a state of suspended motion, trapped within the temporal anomaly.

"I see, so this is the feeling that has been troubling me," Desmond mused, his thoughts drifting back to the enigmatic skill that only activated during life-or-death situations. He clicked his tongue in recollection, finding the entire situation rather amusing.

Chuckling softly, Desmond found himself standing directly behind the towering Husk Wolf, its massive form resembling that of a freight truck. Its tail stood erect, sensing the imminent danger, while drool dripped incessantly from its fangs.

A calm sensation began to wash over him once more, only to be abruptly overshadowed by an intense surge of excitement. In the midst of it all, Desmond's memory was jogged by a sudden realization.

"System."

[System: .....]

Upon seeing the familiar transparent interface materialize, Desmond breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze shifted solemnly towards Veronica, still locked in battle with the ogre at normal speed.

"Commence recording," Desmond instructed, a red dot appearing in the corner of his view, signaling the system's compliance. "Hmm, it's no surprise she's a 3rd-class Swordsman, just like Ray and Vesta. But then..."

His eyes darted back to the Husk Wolf hovering beside him. "I'll deal with you first." Extending his right hand, Desmond positioned himself between the creature's upper and lower halves.

*slash*

With a graceful swing, Desmond's sword sliced through the wolf's abdomen. Though he maintained a relaxed demeanor, his eyes betrayed a mix of astonishment and disbelief. "I can't believe how tough its fur is."

Furrowing his brows, he noticed his sword still reverberating from the impact. The Husk Wolf remained suspended, unaware of its impending demise, its vacant eyes growing dull as life slowly faded from its skin.

After dispatching one of the Husk Wolves, Desmond meticulously collected its organs, stowing them away in his pocket before moving on to the rest of his foes.

A swift swoosh accompanied the arrival of the renewed cold breeze, its arrival marking the resumption of clashes between the soldiers and the Husk Wolves. However, the fate of the five Husk Wolves that had previously assaulted Desmond was peculiar.

Their upper bodies propelled forward, while their lower halves remained strewn across the ground, bloodied entrails and droplets of crimson scattered about like macabre confetti.

With a satisfied thumb, Desmond observed this gruesome scene, his composure unwavering. In his pocket, a four-tailed appendage protruded, its fur still stained with fresh blood. Yet, his focus soon shifted to the remaining Husk Wolves, their menacing forms lurking within the encompassing darkness.

"Hmm... I've been testing my experiment. Should I press on?" His eyes meandered through the obscurity that enveloped the battlefield, contemplating his next move.

"System, scan the nearby area. Search for any red dots, excluding the beasts from the scanning process," Desmond commanded, a hint of concern in his voice. After all, he had to remain vigilant for any Imperial Empire Assassins lurking in the shadows.

[Beginning the process...]

A sense of fatigue tugged at Desmond, his energy somewhat depleted, dispersing through the entirety of the battlefield alongside the system notification. While awaiting the completion of the scan, he took a moment to assess his own status.

[-Status-

Name: Desmond

Gender: Male

Age: 10 years

Race: Half-Human (50%)

Class: 1st Swordsman/0th Dragon Slayer

Occupation: None

Unique Energy: 23.82/43.82

Strength: 28.74 (57.54 ⇈)

Agility: 21.02 (42.04 ⇈)

Stamina: 8.43

Dragon Essence: 0]

"Oh, the energy consumption wasn't too significant." His worries dissipated as he noticed the minor changes in his energy levels. A smile graced his lips as he turned his attention to the ongoing battle between Veronica and the ogre.

But before that...

[Scan success! No enemies detected.]

Joy sparked within his eyes. "Good, time to bring this to an end." With a swift movement, he vanished into thin air, leaving behind a trail of minuscule Typhons imprinted on the ground.

One by one, the Husk Wolves that had overwhelmed the soldiers in the five-group formation met their demise in a peculiar fashion. Some found their eyes impaled, while others witnessed their heads soaring skyward. However, one commonality united them all—the absence of their tails.

This astonishing spectacle left the soldiers of the Steel Legion, and even the Witches among them, gaping in disbelief. "What the hell..." one soldier murmured, his throat dry as he attempted to fix his gaze on a Husk Wolf, only to blink and find it already lifeless, split in two.

"Regroup!" The captain's voice reverberated with horror. Although the appearance of the ogre spurred him into action, his reaction was not one of exaggeration; after all, the ogre possessed a discernible weakness and a formidable presence.

The soldiers wasted no time, their feet moving steadily as they formed a protective circle formation, shielding their captain and comrades from harm.

"Activate the barrier!" Veronica, perched atop the ogre's back, shouted in a moment of panic. Even as a 3rd-class swordsman, she only caught a fleeting glimpse of a luminous flash that streaked across the Husk Wolves before dissipating into thin air, only to reappear on another unfortunate creature.

The remaining members of the Steel Legion refused to squander a single second. They retrieved potions, hastily downing them, causing their incantations to quicken and the ambient energy to gather with increasing urgency.

With the completion of their chant, a faint blue layer materialized, slowly expanding and enveloping their immediate surroundings. Gradually, it coalesced into a massive dome, offering ample space for the Steel Legion members to stretch their bodies within its protective embrace.

Veronica, witnessing the safety of her comrades, closed her fingers into a determined grip. Positioned atop the ogre's back, she extended her arm, her fingers aiming unyieldingly for the beast's chest. With effortless precision, her digits pierced through its flesh, delving deeper until they reached the core of its being—the heart.

Firmly clasping the pulsating organ, she tore it out, releasing it into the air before rending it apart, unleashing a gruesome spectacle.

The sheer brutality displayed by the leader of the Steel Legion cast a profound impact on the soldiers. As they stood in formation, their eyes darted towards their fellow mercenaries, their expressions fraught with unease and cold sweat trailing down their brows.

"Not all pretty women are feminine and kind-hearted," one soldier audibly commented, the confined space amplifying his words and ensuring all could hear, including the captain. The revelation hung heavy in the air, causing the soldiers' perception of the Steel Legion mercenaries to shift, their once idyllic image giving way to a newfound respect mingled with trepidation.