Shield of the Rose

The blazing sun hung high overhead, its scorching rays baking the air until it seared the skin. The trees lining both sides of the road were dazed by the fierce heat, their leaves drooping listlessly.

Richie sprinted quickly toward the vehicle, seeking the much-needed cool inside.

This trace of chill came from a water tank situated in the corner, half filled with water and half with ice.

With Miss Calli and Margaret—both practitioners of cold-attribute Aura—in the squad, getting ice was all too easy.

As soon as he boarded the vehicle, Richie saw the female Knights chatting, each holding a cup of shaved ice.

“You girls sure know how to enjoy yourselves.”

Richie felt incredibly stifled, but fortunately, he spotted another cup of shaved ice sitting on the table. It was undoubtedly left for him, so he reached out and took it.

Because it had been sitting there for a while, the ice was already starting to melt. He hastily scooped a mouthful and swallowed it. The slushy, icy sensation filling his mouth was absolutely wonderful.

“How’s the situation up ahead? Don’t just eat and do nothing,” Lina’s mouth was as venomous as ever.

Richie rolled his eyes at the woman. Aside from the first day they departed when she had wandered around a bit, this woman had hidden in the vehicle the entire time. He had been doing all the work.

But then again, he didn’t actually have much to do either.

On this deployment, the local garrison troops were responsible for outer perimeter security wherever they went, while the inner circle security was handled by Knights from Internal Affairs.

“Where are the Captain and my mentor?”

Richie looked left and right. “The Observation Delegation is entering Grast this afternoon. That big brute from the security office asked both of them to head over.”

“Finally, we can get out and move around a bit,” Rosa looked quite pleased. After sitting in the vehicle for a consecutive week, she felt like her bones were rusting. Unlike Lina, she wasn’t hiding in the vehicle out of laziness, but because her rank was somewhat low. She had to show her identification everywhere they went, which she found incredibly annoying, so she had simply opted to stay in the vehicle.

Because Squad 105 had a few members with rather unique statuses, everyone’s security clearance level varied. Unlike other squads, Captain Calli’s rank wasn’t the highest. Because Robin accompanied Trisli everywhere all day, her identification level was the same as the members of the Observation Delegation. Next were the two Ace Knights, Lina and Dana. However, the real reason wasn’t their formidable strength, but rather Lina’s status as a distant royal relative of Packington, and Dana’s connection to Madame Sal. The higher-ups didn’t know the past events were merely a coincidence and assumed Dana had some relationship with Madame Sal, which naturally gave her utilization value. Following these three was Richie; he had even more connections. As a regular at the Rickard Hotel, he was already on the priority observation list of Internal Affairs.

“I’m about to rust too, but not my body—it’s down here.”

Lina shot Richie a flirtatious wink, her fingers rubbing her crotch through her pants in an impossibly slutty manner.

Richie felt an intense itch in his heart; he had been holding it in all this time too.

The Observation Delegation was under strict protection, which also meant countless eyes were watching them. Let alone having sex, even slightly intimate gestures had to be done sneakily.

However, Richie quickly realized that Lina was just teasing him. Although this woman was famous for her promiscuity, she wasn’t a pervert and definitely didn’t have the habit of inviting others to watch her have sex.

Richie hastily swallowed a mouthful of shaved ice, using the icy chill to forcibly suppress the lustful fire within him.

Just then, Dana walked over from the back, holding several leather bags in her hands.

With a whoosh, a leather bag flew toward Richie, and he hurriedly reached out to catch it.

He managed to catch it, but he stumbled backward several steps because the force condensed on it was simply too immense.

A series of muffled thump thump thump sounds echoed as the others in the vehicle also caught the thrown bags with bared teeth and both hands. Only Lina caught hers effortlessly.

“You guys are all too lazy. The Captain and I have decided to put you through special training starting today,” Dana ordered. “You have one minute. Put these on.”

No one asked why, nor did anyone ask what was in the bags. Despite the squad’s usual lazy and undisciplined demeanor, once an order was given, they moved faster than anyone else.

Although the space inside the vehicle was cramped, the Knights were long accustomed to it; this confined area was a part of a Knight’s life.

Opening the leather bag, it turned out to be a combat suit. From its style, it was the same type his aunt had made back then. The only difference was that this one had an extra inner layer—an “underwear” as thin and light as gauze, as smooth as silk, yet full of elasticity. Dana rapped on the vehicle door and said, “All the clothes you’re currently wearing must be taken off.”

Even though Richie, a man, was in the vehicle, most of the women in Squad 105 were sleeping with him anyway, so there wasn’t anything awkward about it. The only one uninvolved was Robin, who was currently with Trisli.

Amidst a rustling sound, everyone stripped completely naked.

Watching the swaying buttocks and breasts before him, Richie felt a certain part of his body engorging with blood. Fortunately, he hadn’t forgotten that Dana was right outside, and that woman would definitely open the door after one minute. He didn’t want to be put on display stark naked, especially with a certain part still swollen.

Richie moved his hands and feet quickly and was soon neatly dressed.

Having worn one before, he immediately felt a significant difference after putting it on.

If the previous combat suit felt like an extra layer of skin, this one felt like his original skin had been shaved down a few fractions.

Instead of weakening his physical sensations, this layer of combat suit actually made them sharper and more transparent.

After a brief moment of surprise, Richie immediately understood. Espol must have visited his aunt; her words back then had undoubtedly given the old man new inspiration.

Espol was the type to proceed one step at a time, dedicating his life to weapon forging and rarely venturing into the field of Magitech Armor. A combat suit wasn’t a Magitech Armor, and the problems involved were much simpler. Given the old man’s cautious and steady personality, starting from this angle suited his character perfectly.

Richie glanced at the others. Everyone else’s combat suits were entirely white, with Lina’s featuring two golden stripes, while his own was red. It seemed this could be worn as a uniform from now on.

After stepping out of the vehicle, Richie noticed that Dana was also wearing the combat suit. She wore it underneath her regular uniform. She boldly and hastily stripped off her uniform and tossed it into the vehicle.

The Observation Delegation’s camp was surrounded by treacherous, steep mountains.

In summer, the vegetation in the mountains grew exceptionally lush. Due to a recent rain, the ground was very damp, and the slopes were covered in mud.

Looking at this scene, Richie couldn’t help but recall his days in his hometown, Glasslovar.

During this season, Glasslovar also rained frequently. The rain came and went quickly, leaving the air hot and humid afterward.

“What are you spacing out for?”

Miss Dana’s sharp reprimand quickly pulled Richie’s thoughts back.

A distance of twenty-eight kilometers wasn’t considered long for a Knight, but if all twenty-eight kilometers were mountainous terrain, it was quite gruelling. Let alone climbing and traversing the damp, muddy mountains just after a rain.

The newly changed combat suits were already covered in mud and rainwater, feeling terrible.

The terrain grew increasingly steep along the way. At first, it was gently sloping mountain ranges, but after twenty kilometers, it turned into typical limestone topography. These mountains, eroded and washed by rain for hundreds of thousands of years, were jagged and sheer.

Climbing over such cliffs was undoubtedly an exhausting task.

After scrambling over a very steep peak, a deep valley lay ahead.

This deep valley was quite wide, flanked by gentle, terraced cliffs. The drop from the cliff top to the valley floor was about three to four hundred meters, with dense vegetation clinging to the edges.

Before reaching the bottom, Richie felt something was off. A camouflage net was spread halfway up the valley.

Upon reaching the valley floor, he immediately saw a row of Magitech Armors leaning against the wall. He was startled; they were all standard armors of the Sithro Federation. Most were the “Valkyrie” light armors, with only two “Einherjar” medium armors. Richie instinctively assumed a defensive stance, but he soon spotted Miss Randy standing beside them. Military Officer Randy was busy making final adjustments to these armors.

With Randy were Captain Calli, Squad 105’s special member—the genius girl Trisli—and Robin, who always followed Trisli around.

“What’s going on here?”

Rosa couldn’t help but feel confused.

“Idiot, there’s obviously a mission.”

The third of the three sisters had a sharp tongue second only to Lina.

“I told you! Protecting the Observation Delegation didn’t require us at all. The higher-ups definitely had other intentions,” Lina said with a cold sneer.

Just then, Vice-Captain Merlin walked over from a distance, carrying two cylindrical steel military pots.

“Everyone must be hungry. Let’s eat first.”

After climbing over twenty kilometers of mountains, Richie genuinely felt hungry.

Merlin had prepared braised potatoes with meat today. Richie took his portion and looked around for a place to sit.

To his disappointment, the place was too crude; there were no tables or chairs in sight, nothing at all except the armors.

He was curious about how those armors had been brought in, since equipment vehicles definitely couldn’t drive into this valley.

After searching for a while, he finally found a slightly drier spot under a recessed cliff face.

Sitting down on a rock, Richie began to enjoy his lunch.

“You’ve taken the conference room.”

Merlin walked over with a smile.

Richie looked around.

This godforsaken place was actually considered a conference room. He could only imagine how miserable the coming days would be.

“What about tonight? Don’t tell me we have to sleep out in the open? Are there a lot of mosquitoes here?”

Richie looked depressed. He had already confirmed that there were absolutely no tents or anything similar here—just a few crates of energy crystals and armor parts, plus Merlin’s set of military cooking gear.

“You’d better get used to it slowly. There will be more and more days like this in the future.”

Merlin didn’t elaborate further and sat down beside Richie.

Richie was just grumbling. He knew the war had only just begun, and the situation would only grow harsher.

Lunchtime was short, only fifteen minutes. Afterward, the female Knights tossed their trays in front of Richie. He still held the status of a chore boy, so washing dishes was part of his duties.

Although slightly dissatisfied, Richie had nowhere to vent.

“There’s a mountain stream about six hundred meters that way.”

Merlin pointed to one side of the valley with a smile, showing no intention of helping either.

Richie lazily picked up the stack of trays. Just then, he heard Captain Calli call out, “Gather around now, we’re holding a meeting.”

Since the meeting was naturally taking place in the “conference room,” Richie had to temporarily move the trays elsewhere.

The recessed cliff face wasn’t very spacious, barely accommodating the members of Squad 105.

Captain Calli unfurled a map with a rustle and pressed it against the rock wall.

There was a red dot on the map. Richie found the location of this red dot very familiar. Looking closely, he saw it was indeed not far from his hometown, Glasslovar.

“This is where we’re going. I presume everyone understands why High Command assigned us this mission. It’s because we’re familiar with the terrain there. In addition, they considered our previous experience with a long-distance raid in that area.”

Richie naturally knew what the Captain meant. That simple patrol mission had ultimately turned into an incredibly dangerous encounter. It was his first mission, and he would never forget it.

“The reasons go beyond that,” Merlin added from the side. “The target location is eight hundred and fifty-two kilometers from the border. We have to cover this distance entirely on foot, and we won’t receive any resupplies along the way. We must handle everything ourselves.”

With these words, everyone finally understood why they were chosen.

Back then, they had successfully escaped back to Glasslovar without any supplies.

However, even though they had taken a detour that time, it was only a bit over two hundred kilometers, nowhere near comparable to this.

“What’s the higher-ups’ specific plan?”

Lina asked directly.

“There is no specific plan. A raid over such a long distance is prone to variables, and the higher-ups can’t guarantee the plan won’t leak. The previous phase of the campaign exposed many problems; there could be enemy moles in every department,” Calli explained.

The female Knights exchanged glances, realizing this might be the most crucial reason.

Everyone put into this squad had some sort of issue: either clashing with superiors, like Dana, Calli, and the three sisters; or having unbearable personalities, like the succubus Lina and the woman-loving Robin; or having mental issues, like the crazy Rosa and the severely autistic Nora. However, one thing was certain—the loyalty of this squad was absolutely unquestionable.

“Has anyone thought about how to traverse this eight hundred and fifty-two-kilometer journey?”

Ailie, the eldest of the three sisters, asked.

“There are a few methods. One is for each of us to carry fifty energy crystals, which should be enough. Fifty energy crystals aren’t that bulky—about the size of a suitcase. The advantage is that it’s highly covert and hard for the enemy to detect. The disadvantage is that if we are discovered, we’ll be in trouble; without resupplies, we can’t sustain continuous combat. Another method is to take a detour through unpopulated trails, and when there’s no way around, disguise ourselves as the Norman Alliance army. The advantage of this is we can bring an equipment vehicle, so supplies won’t be an issue. The downside is it’s highly dangerous and the probability of exposure is very high. Another option is to set up several supply caches along the way. We’d only carry enough energy crystals for two or three days. The advantage is again stealth, but the downsides are the same as the first option, plus one more: if a cache is discovered by the enemy, they’ll likely set up an ambush there.”

Calli analyzed the pros and cons of the various plans.

Everyone fell into deep thought, but Richie was thinking somewhat differently from the rest. His foundation in military theory was poor, so his mind was filled with a messy jumble of ideas.

He was pondering, Could we fit the Magitech Armors with roller skates?

Making a person run ten kilometers would definitely kill them, and walking ten kilometers would be exhausting. But if a person wore roller skates, let alone ten kilometers, even twenty or thirty kilometers wouldn’t be a problem.

Magitech Armor wouldn’t get tired, but it would consume energy, so the situation was somewhat similar.

However, this was easier said than done.

The lightest Magitech Armor weighed several hundred kilograms, usually ranging between one and two tons. To support such weight, the axles would need to be incredibly sturdy, and the wheels couldn’t be too small, otherwise they would sink into the road surface due to the weight. There were numerous other problems as well.

“How about installing wheels on the soles? Have you guys ever roller-skated?”

Richie finally couldn’t help but voice his idea.

The female Knights turned to look at him. It was indeed a rather whimsical idea. If anyone else had suggested it, everyone would likely have ignored them.

“It might work on main roads. If we truly had such roller skates, advancing one or two hundred kilometers a day would be a breeze, and it wouldn’t consume too much energy. The problem is that most of our route involves small trails.”

Trisli didn’t completely shoot down Richie’s proposal, but gently raised a doubt.

Richie shrugged and didn’t say more; he was just offering a suggestion anyway.

“It might be somewhat useful, and it’s not a difficult problem to solve anyway. We can have Randy contact the equipment department and see if they can make them,” Lina said casually. She usually agreed with whatever Trisli opposed.

This time, no one stopped her; they wouldn’t lose anything by trying.

Of course, everyone wouldn’t pin their hopes on Richie’s wild idea, and they continued to huddle together to discuss the concrete plan.

With so many people brainstorming, a specific plan gradually took shape.

By and large, they would adopt the first method, but they wouldn’t carry the required supplies themselves. Instead, they would use a very light trailer, a problem they naturally left for the equipment department to solve.

Although the broad strokes were finalized, there were many issues with the details.

“Why use the Sithro Federation’s armors? Won’t that be too conspicuous? Right now, the most common armors in the south are the Varedin’s ‘Iron Crusaders,’ followed by the Franca Empire’s ‘Dancers.’ Disguising ourselves as those two types would be much more covert, wouldn’t it?”

Lina raised a question.

Trisli knew this was aimed at her, as she was the one who had recommended these two models. So only she could explain.

“The Sithro Federation’s two standard armors, the ‘Valkyrie’ and ‘Einherjar,’ are both works of the Divine Craftsman Mathilde from half a century ago. Even now, they are exceptionally excellent designs. The light armor ‘Valkyrie,’ in particular, is arguably the only light armor selected as standard issue. We asked Master Jebsen to make extensive modifications to the original designs, which resulted in the two armors you see now.”

Richie sighed inwardly. They are all famous figures! Mathilde needed no introduction; she was a Divine Craftsman, after all! Jebsen was equally extraordinary; he was the Imperial Magitech Armor Forger of the Aumore Empire, second only to the three Divine Craftsmen in the field of armor manufacturing.

“Randy has already adjusted all the armors for us. We have one week to familiarize ourselves with these brand-new models,” Captain Calli interjected.

Although the armors looked similar, there were still differences in the details. Merlin’s armor had an extra pair of wing shields compared to the others, while the three sisters’ armors had independent communication devices, giving them an extra horn on their heads.

Richie walked over to his own armor. The arms of his armor bore two slender, hexagonal large shields, and a pair of two-meter-long elbow blades were mounted above the elbows.

Even among light armors, the “Valkyrie” was renowned for its light and slender build. Its original designer had ingeniously utilized the Synthetic Sinews as part of the armor plating.

A slender and compact build also meant a smaller target profile. The Divine Craftsman from half a century ago clearly had a fondness for slopes. The body of this armor was mostly designed with distinct, angular slopes, making it easy to deflect frontal attacks.

Aesthetically, this armor was indeed much more beautiful than the “Striker” and the “Iron Crusader.”

“The design isn’t bad, but it’s a pity it’s just standard armor,” Richie muttered.

“That’s because you don’t understand!”

The three sisters never missed a chance to mock Richie. “Don’t look down on standard armors. Most so-called heirloom armors are modified from excellent standard models. Merlin’s ‘Swan’ uses the framework of the famous ‘Raptor,’ Dana’s ‘Thor’ is based on the ‘Gladiator,’ and our ‘Cerberus’ was modified from the ‘Spitfire.’ Lina has always been secretive about her ‘Hurricane Dancer,’ but I highly suspect it has some connection to the Franca Empire’s standard armor, the ‘Dancer’.”

Richie had certainly broadened his horizons, though he harbored some doubts about Aileen’s final guess. Having encountered the Franca Empire’s standard armor on the battlefield, he didn’t feel any resemblance between it and Lina’s “Hurricane Dancer.” Moreover, given the reputation and status of Lina’s family, they could definitely hire a Magitech Armor Forger to design a custom suit perfectly tailored to her martial arts.

After wearing the armor and running and leaping around the valley floor for a few laps, Richie gradually found his footing.

The work of a Divine Craftsman, re-tuned by a Master’s hands, was indeed far superior to the hodgepodge Randy had cobbled together. This armor was vastly stronger than his previous one.

It was extraordinarily agile and had excellent acceleration. These two advantages combined to significantly enhance his attack speed and reaction time.

“When Jebsen modified these two armors, he added his unique energy storage design.”

Trisli’s voice came through the communication device. Currently, her role wasn’t an observer, but an instructor.

“However, this energy storage device consumes a massive amount of energy, so it’s best not to use it consecutively. The storage device on the Valkyrie is primarily for boosting speed. For five minutes after activation, the armor’s speed increases by seventy-four percent, its torque by twenty-five percent, and its jumping capability by four times…”

“Now, everyone stand against the left cliff wall. I’m going to teach you how to scale cliffs. Other armors can only ascend cliffs using winches because they are too heavy—the rock simply cannot bear the weight. But the armors Jebsen designed are exceptions; he developed the energy storage device precisely so the armors could move freely…”

“The soles and palms of these armors all have concealed steel spikes, strong enough to pierce the rock layer. However, scaling a cliff doesn’t rely solely on these spikes, but on speed. It’s like pushing a cart; if a heavy cart is pushed fast enough, it often feels very light. In that state, weight doesn’t become resistance, but rather momentum…”

“These two armors use flexible joints, making their movements highly agile, but their impact resistance is slightly lower. When you jump down, don’t keep your movements too stiff, and don’t apply force too violently. Dana, yours is custom-made, so you don’t need to worry…”

For an entire afternoon, every member of Squad 105 practiced scaling up and down the cliffs.

By dusk, everyone could effortlessly climb up and leap down.

This individual training was actually quite simple; what they truly needed to familiarize themselves with was fighting in these armors.

Everyone had their own habits, and changing to a new armor would definitely feel awkward. On the battlefield, a momentary lapse could cost a life, so the sparring needed to be as realistic as possible.

Lina naturally sparred with Dana; both were Ace Knights with comparable strength.

Next in line was the trio of sisters, facing off against Calli and Merlin. Merlin’s defense was airtight; even Ace Knights couldn’t break through in a short time. Calli was calm and sharp, excelling at exploiting opponent’s weaknesses. Against the three sisters’ combination, it was an even match.

In Squad 105, Robin and Rosa were the poor performers. Both were equally unwilling to work hard and equally content to drift along. Robin possessed exceptional talent and incredibly lethal family Arts, while Rosa, thanks to her intimate sessions with Richie, had far surpassed her opponents in Aura. Thus, the two were also evenly matched.

The most relaxed was Nora. As a reconnaissance Knight, no one forced her to provide much combat power. Her armor was also specially made; while it looked like a “Valkyrie” on the outside, the interior was entirely retrofitted with components from the “Green Iguana.”

The remaining two, Richie and Margaret, were personally trained by Trisli.

Richie and Margaret were similar in strength; if they fought, it would take seventy or eighty moves to determine a victor. But Richie had “Mirror: Reflect,” “A Glass of Blood,” and the eerie movement technique “Wind Rift Flash,” all of which were highly suited for fighting stronger opponents. Thus, he bore the brunt of Trisli’s attacks.

Of course, Trisli wasn’t fighting for real; she was mostly guiding them. With her strength, forcing these two youngsters to use their full power was extremely easy.

“Do you still not understand? Knights rarely clash weapons directly. The more skilled a Knight, the less likely they are to hack at people with their weapon. Many legends speak of a ‘hundred-man slash.’ But if one were to hack with a blade, let alone a hundred men, the blade’s edge would surely curl after just ten. The true purpose of a weapon is to channel Aura.”

As she spoke, Trisli unleashed a faint, almost imperceptible sword aura with the short baton in her hand. With a slight flick of her wrist, the sword aura immediately fluctuated.

Just one move threw Richie into a flurry. At first, he tried to dodge, but unable to escape, he had to block forcefully with his short baton.

Unexpectedly, the seemingly ordinary sword aura suddenly shifted, slithering up along his baton.

Richie felt a jolt in his palm, nearly losing his grip on the weapon.

“See that? Aura can not only be channeled through your own weapon, but it can also be guided onto your opponent’s. Therefore, parrying Aura can only be done with Aura.”

As she spoke, Trisli thrust her baton forward, shooting out a burst of sword aura straight for Richie’s heart.

Acting entirely on instinct, Richie raised his shield. The shield on his arm snapped open with a clack, revealing a smooth mirror surface underneath, which flashed with yellow light. The sword aura struck the mirror and was swiftly reflected back.

“See that? Only Aura can block Aura.”

Trisli twirled her baton and shot a similar sword aura toward Margaret beside him.

Margaret was already prepared. With a twist of her baton, she immediately forced out a blast of pale blue frosty air.

The sword aura struck the frosty air and was instantly scattered somewhat.

“Your comprehension is excellent, but you haven’t found the correct way to use Aura. You can’t form a ‘Technique’ out of it.”

With a flick of her wrist, Trisli’s short baton erupted entirely with sword aura. The milky-white aura vaguely formed the shape of a longsword. Suddenly, the aura retracted, then shot out from the tip, becoming long and thin like a javelin. Following that, a slash of the baton sent an arc of sword aura flying out. “So-called offensive techniques, defensive techniques, secret techniques, ultimate techniques, and divine techniques—these are all fixed ‘Techniques’ researched by predecessors. In truth, the underlying principle is all about the application of Aura.”

Trisli turned to Richie. “Do you know why so many people have high hopes for you?”

Richie shook his head blankly. He stopped moving and pricked up his ears to listen.

“Knights like me receive training from a young age. We learn some fixed ‘Techniques’ very early on. At first, we learn basic techniques, gradually moving on to low-tier techniques, then mid-tier. Those with good luck can learn higher-tier things. Because of our family backgrounds, Robin, Lina, and I had much better conditions than others and were able to access the highest-tier ‘Techniques’.”

At this point, Trisli fell silent for a moment, whether out of emotion or relief was unclear.

“You are completely different. You are a rare Knight who awakened later in life. Due to the lack of time, you couldn’t build up from the basics step by step. Right from the start, you grasped ‘Techniques’ that belong entirely to you. You are an unprecedented anomaly. Many people are eagerly anticipating just how far you can go.”

Listening to Trisli’s explanation, Richie didn’t know whether to rejoice or feel sorrowful. He felt like a lab rat used for experiments.

He used to think the people around him cared deeply for him, but it turned out everyone was just observing him.

What made him both want to laugh and cry was that the first person to lead him down this path was that crazy woman, Rosa.

If Rosa hadn’t taken him into that room, if he hadn’t obtained those whimsical Arts in there, he would probably be walking the same step-by-step path as other Knights.

A day of training was indeed grueling, but it ended much earlier than usual; training concluded as soon as the sun set.

This was entirely for secrecy. If they lit lamps at night, they would easily be discovered.

Taking advantage of the remaining light, the female Knights ran to the mountain stream to bathe. Richie could only depressingly stand guard for them.

About half an hour later, the genius girl Trisli and Robin came up embracing each other. They climbed the cliff and quickly disappeared behind a cluster of peaks.

Watching the two women vanish, Richie felt an itch in his heart. Just then, his mentor, Miss Dana, also walked over.

She walked up to him and said coolly, “I’ll stand guard for you.”

Fresh from her bath, Dana exuded a unique fragrance, making Richie’s heart pound wildly.

“Aren’t you going? The others are waiting for you.”

Dana could sense her disciple’s physical changes.

Awkwardly, Richie jogged toward the mountain stream.

The path was a bit slippery, and it was pitch black below, which made Richie slightly uncomfortable, but soon all his dissatisfaction vanished.

Aside from Dana, all the other women were here. Lina, having the thickest skin, walked right up to him and whispered, “You have five minutes. Hurry up and wash, and make sure you clean yourself properly for me.”

With a whoop, Richie charged toward the stream.

He finished and stepped out of the water in far less than five minutes.

Without soap or a towel, the bath was perfunctory. The only thing he scrubbed spotless was his cock, even pulling back the foreskin to clean it thoroughly.

Richie dove into the group of women, wrapping his arms around one of them.

The woman he embraced had an exceptionally slender waist and incredibly smooth skin. Without even needing to look, Richie knew it was definitely Miss Calli.

Perhaps because there was no light and no one could see, Calli became unusually proactive. She quickly spread her legs, half-squatted, grabbed Richie’s throbbing erection with one hand, and stuffed it into her vagina.

After stuffing it in, Calli hooked her arms around Richie’s neck, lifted her legs to wrap around his waist, and hung her entire body on him.

This was equivalent to concentrating all her body weight on that massive cock.

Calli had been holding back for far too long. Her body had become highly sensitive due to the aphrodisiac injections she had received in the past. The slightest movement would ignite a raging fire of lust. Fortunately, the Art she practiced was of an extremely cold nature, allowing her to forcibly suppress the lust. However, the harder she suppressed it, the more fiercely it erupted when it broke free.

Richie had also been holding back for a long time. He desperately needed a wild release. Gripping Calli’s buttocks with both hands, he kneaded them forcefully as if kneading dough.

His massive cock pistoned in and out of her muddy floral path. At this moment, whether it was Calli or Richie, both craved the most intense stimulation. Thus, Calli didn’t forbid Richie from doing anything, and naturally, Richie wouldn’t let such an opportunity pass.

Infused with Aura, his cock acted like a stiff brush, constantly scrubbing Calli’s vaginal walls, stimulating the fleshy passage to secrete endless streams of slippery juices.

At this moment, Calli had entirely lost her usual cold demeanor. She clamped her legs tightly around Richie’s waist like a madwoman, bucking forcefully against him.

Suddenly, she felt an itchiness radiating from the depths of her womb. She thrust her hips forward even harder, allowing Richie’s cock to plunge even deeper into her vagina.

This itchy sensation grew increasingly intense. Calli’s body began to tremble as if she were having a seizure, yet her body continued to thrust, even though she couldn’t muster much strength.

It didn’t matter if she lacked strength; Richie had plenty. Sensing that Miss Calli was about to climax, he quickly sped up his pace, changing from deep thrusts to rapid, shallow grinding.

Suddenly, he felt Miss Calli, who was hanging onto him, stiffen, her sharp nails digging continuously into his back.

Miss Calli’s climax was incredibly intense, even bordering on violent.

He naturally met violence with violence, his massive meat rod ceaselessly pistoning and ramming into the depths of Calli’s body.

Right at that moment, Richie felt a slender hand reach over. The hand gently rested on Calli’s anus and pressed lightly.

Calli, whose mind was already clouded by her orgasm, suddenly felt an external force enter her body, supporting her and keeping her from collapsing. But this external force also caused the stimulation of the climax to build up deeper and deeper, more and more.

“How is this ‘adding fuel to the fire’ move of mine?”

Lina’s voice sounded in his ear; the woman was clearly up to no good.

“This is…”

Richie was left speechless. This was precisely the emergency first-aid technique Knights used to sustain the lives of heavily wounded soldiers. He never expected Lina to use it in such a situation.

But he quite liked it.

Supported by this technique, Miss Calli was actually able to maintain a continuous state of climax. He was very curious to see if Miss Calli could set a new record.

Suddenly, Richie felt a dense rush of Aura surge from the depths of Calli’s vagina, and this extremely cold Aura instantly invaded his body.

Both Richie and Lina were stunned simultaneously.

Lina quickly withdrew her hand, while Richie found himself unable to move an inch. The frigid Aura wreaked havoc inside his body. As this wasn’t Dual Training, this Aura couldn’t be sent back. The only thing he could do was use his own Aura to forcefully dissolve the incredibly cold energy.

Fortunately, this was his specialty. His own Aura swiftly enveloped the frigid energy and, like a millstone, ground it down bit by bit, melting it away piece by piece.

By this time, Calli had long recovered from her climax. She only felt her legs turn to jelly, her waist ache and weigh her down, and her body utterly hollowed out.

Gathering a bit of strength, she climbed down from Richie’s body and grabbed Lina.

“Now it’s your turn to try.”

Calli was normally serious and unsmiling, but here, she was no longer the Captain of Squad 105; she was just a woman.

When a woman is pranked, she rarely laughs it off like a man. Nine times out of ten, she will do whatever it takes to exact revenge.

“That’s right, now it’s this woman’s turn.”

Richie had finally finished dissolving the Aura that had surged into his body. He grabbed Lina’s ass.

With a thrust of his waist, his massive cock swiftly plunged into Lina’s vagina.

A week’s time wasn’t considered long, nor was it short.

Knowing they were about to embark on a highly dangerous mission, the members of Squad 105 naturally didn’t dare slack off. Even the lazy duo, Rosa and Robin, practiced extremely diligently during this period.

And when night fell, these female Knights would gather by the stream and have wild sex with Richie. Throughout this week, most of them were purely indulging in the physical pleasure of sex; Dual Training held little meaning for them at this point. Calli, Rosa, Nora, and the three sisters had all hit bottlenecks; what they needed was enlightenment.

The only one who actually needed the training aspect was Margaret.

So every night, Richie belonged exclusively to Margaret. Once the other female Knights had found satisfaction on Richie’s massive meat rod, Margaret would embrace Richie to sleep—with Richie’s cock remaining buried inside Margaret’s vagina the entire night, of course.

Just like that, a week hurried by.

On the morning of the final day, Randy left bright and early, only returning around three in the afternoon. When she returned, she was towing an odd-looking trailer behind her.

The contraption looked somewhat like a coffin—square, low, and flat. It had an upward-slanted angle at the front for traversing obstacles, and eight wheels lined up on each side.

Opening the trailer revealed some strange-looking items neatly arranged inside. Each was about half a foot wide and flat, with a curved front end. It resembled a sled somewhat, but instead of a single board, it featured a row of rollers, each as wide as a hand and as thick as a rolling pin.

“These are the things you wanted. The equipment department made them for you.”

Randy took out a pair and tossed them to Richie.

Richie hurriedly caught them. They were very heavy. He had already guessed that these must be the “roller skates” he had requested. Just from their thickness and weight, he knew they were incredibly sturdy; held in hand, they could absolutely function as small bucklers.

Since it was his proposal, it was naturally up to him to test them. Richie immediately suited up in his armor, grabbed a pair of “roller skates,” and attached them to his feet.

These devices had a pair of spring clasps. As soon as they touched the soles of the armor, they locked on tightly.

Richie pushed hard against the ground with his hands and leaped into the air.

Landing on one foot, he kicked off backward with the other. Amidst a piercing shriek of grinding metal and a rumbling roll, the one-ton armor sped forward.

Although the valley floor was uneven and potholed, the central area had been deliberately leveled. Furthermore, after a week of trampling, any protruding parts had been flattened, so Richie glided extremely fast.

In the blink of an eye, he reached the end of the valley. Richie crouched low, then leaped powerfully, his body flying horizontally as his feet planted onto the cliff wall.

Due to years of erosion, the cliff wall was exceptionally smooth, even more even than the ground.

An even sharper, ear-piercing friction sound rang out as sparks flew from the soles of the armor.

Richie manipulated the armor into a sharp 180-degree turn without losing any speed.

Intent on showing off, his body weaved high and low, sometimes soaring through the air, sometimes skimming the cliff wall.

The ground was indeed uneven, but Richie found that it wasn’t a problem at all. A Knight’s perception far exceeded that of an ordinary person, and their reaction speed was incomparable. He could accurately gauge his landing spots, gliding only on flat surfaces, and lightly kicking off to leap over uneven patches.

Aside from Margaret, everyone in Squad 105 was stronger than Richie, and they quickly grasped the trick to it.

A smile tugged at the corner of Merlin’s mouth as she glanced at the genius girl.

“It seems they’re actually usable,” Lina remarked dryly, also shooting Trisli a side-eye.

“I admit I was wrong, is that enough?” Trisli smiled at Lina, then quickly turned serious again. “I wonder if there’s still time to improve them. The noise is just too piercing.”

“Maybe we can pad them with a layer of rubber. I can give it a try,” Randy said hastily.

They had plenty of rubber on hand, as it was used on all the armors. This was a secret operation, so naturally, they couldn’t allow the armors to make such loud noises.

“Besides this guy, who else knows how to roller-skate?”

Trisli asked.

Everyone fell silent. Knights’ preferred recreational activities differed greatly from ordinary people’s. Roller-skating might give a regular person the thrill of flying like the wind, but for a Knight, their sprinting speed was far faster than that.

“I just hope this thing isn’t too hard to learn.”

Trisli felt a bit of regret for not taking it seriously at first, though it didn’t seem entirely her fault, as no one else had paid much attention to it either.

“We still have half a day. It might be enough,” Calli said, glancing at Richie, who was having the time of his life. “We’ll let this guy act as the instructor.”

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