Some riders tried to chase Zaos, but even though he was carrying someone on his back, he felt strangely lighter, despite the fact that he saw one of his best allies being killed a few minutes ago.

Zaos moving speed was higher than usual, and he could tell that it was due to the spear Verkan threw at him. Most likely, it was a magic item that enhanced one's speed and strength. When the first riders approached him, Zaos turned around and welcomed them with a strengthened Fire Sword. The projectile exploded and made riders and their horses burn.

Some of the riders had bows and decided to use them against Zaos since getting close was too dangerous. Still, their first volley of arrows never reached him because he used a strengthened version of Wind Sword. When the projectile hit one of the arrows, it exploded, creating a small tornado and hitting the projectiles.

When they tried to fire again, the riders were welcomed by arrows, a squad of archers that escaped Rustburg retreated to help Zaos. Thanks to that, Zaos wasn't bothered by any more enemies. Chasing the survivors wouldn't be that hard, after all. So, the mercenaries decided to assemble their forces inside Rustburg, take everything they needed and then proceed with their invasion plan.

"You are the kid who healed commander Arlen," A random soldier said. "You were with Captain Verkan, weren't you? Is he…?"

Zaos nodded. He finally had some room to breathe, and that made him realize that he barely could sense his right hand. He was holding his sword so tightly that it grew number without him realizing it. Zaos didn't know Verkan for long, but they fought together more than a few times in the last few days. So, it was only natural that he would feel pissed after seeing such an ally die. Zaos only ran wildly, swinging his sword and using magic, but he only did so without losing his life because Verkan was there to watch his back. He noticed that when the fights inside Rustburg started.

Zaos put the redhead girl on a wagon where some civilians that helped the soldiers were sitting. Even without him saying, some people helped the barely conscious girl drink water and eat something. They knew her apparently, so Zaos felt that a massive weight left his shoulders.

It took a while, but Zaos eventually cooled his head and then began to analyze the spear that Verkan threw at him. It seemed like an ordinary spear made out of steel from head to toe. It was a weapon that only someone who didn't want to carry a shield would use. Most likely, it could even block a few hits of a battle ax. Naturally, Elmar would rather dodge the attacks instead of blocking them with the inhuman speed the weapon granted him.

"Mmm? The mana inside the weapon grew weaker in the last few minutes…" Zaos muttered. "I guess this spear can only grant speed and power for a while. No wonder that guy didn't go all out against the commander from the very beginning."

Zaos shook his head because, in the end, that wasn't a weapon for him. After doing some tests, he confirmed that the effects of the spear could only be used when holding it. Fighting with a spear on a hand and a longsword on the other seemed pretty stupid, and Zaos had no plans in changing his fighting style. However, he at least could study that weapon and make sure that no one will be surprised by such a powerful tool.

Soon, night fell, and despite that, the group of survivors that was less than one thousand didn't stop to rest. They needed to gain distance over the mercenaries as much as possible. Despite the exhaustion, Zaos kept marching on foot since he was one of the few who didn't need a shoulder to lean on or a horse to properly move.

Health: 375/530

Mana: 820/1190

Stamina: 830/100

Strength: 265

Magic: 595

Endurance: 500

Resistance: 595

Focus: 04 + 01 

Sorcery Lv 50, Meditation Lv 23, Magic Swordsmanship Lv 25, Magic Spearmanship Lv 01, Alchemy Lv 06, Magic Resistance Lv 05, Magic Perception Lv 06, Swordsmanship Lv 38, Axemanship Lv 09, Spearmanship Lv 09, Archery Lv 15, Shield Mastery Lv 18, Pain Resistance Lv 19, Blacksmithing Lv 11

Lesser Heal, Heal, Holy Light, Detoxification, Cold Whisper, Mend Bones, Dispel, Protection, Magic Barrier, Stone Skin, Fire Sword, Water Sword, Earth Sword, Wind Sword, Earth Bullet, Ignite, Spark, Agony,

Zaos checked his status, trying to confirm if the strength he obtained was worth all the bloodshed and deaths he had to see. Still, in the end, he felt like he could live more than a few years without seeing another siege battle.

A few minutes later, Zaos noticed that the path behind them grew eerily silent. He immediately understood that wasn't good. Those who weren't guarding the back of the group also realized that. Then they finally saw it… hundreds of riders charging toward them throughout the night.

Zaos sighed… he was tired of fighting. He had been trained to do that, but he was never trained to see so much blood being shed, to see so many people dying, and yet… he still held his sword as firmly as he could. The spear was well-hidden behind him, so Zaos looked like a short soldier guarding the back of the group. Thanks to it, he wasn't focused on the enemies. Also, thanks to the darkness of the night, Zaos broke the legs of several horses with strengthened Earth Bullets. As for the others who managed to get close, Zaos knocked them out after using earth magic two times on his sword.

Some other soldiers coming from other parts of the group joined the fight. Still, despite that and Zaos's magic, it didn't look like things would be easier for them… staying on the defensive wasn't his style anyway, so Zaos charged like a madman toward the mercenaries.