It wasn't the first time Ethan stood in a magic circle, but the first time he involved himself with a blood magic ritual. He said to Kra'kulgar that magic wasn't good or bad it just depends on what you use it for. Ethan really believed that statement as every kind of magic could be used for bad things, but feeling the energies of the dead wash over his skin made him feel dirty, like he was tainted in a way. It felt like he was about to pay a blood price but he knew that it was just his imagination, the rituals should work as intended, his knowledge was amateurish but enough to understand most of it.

He saw the other mages approaching, keeping their distance, the prejudices they held in their heart still kept them at arms length. Ethan saw the worry in their eyes and disgust was all over their faces. Still even when they were against it, they waited, ready to support him and heal him if needed. A smile snuck onto his face, his dry lips cracked and pale blue blood seeped from them. A long sigh escaped his mouth as he looked into the sky, he really hated the tutorial, forcing him to witness so much death. These people became his allies, his friends, something he thought was a luxury, he never had someone besides his family he cared about like this in his normal life back in that run down apartment.

With bleeding lips he smiled and nodded, it was the only thing he managed before the ritual began, his eyes turned to the Wight King. in his mind he had blended him out completely, hoping he would just vanish but there he was. Strutting around like the whole world listened to every command of his.

Ethan hated him with every fiber of his being, he killed his soldiers and now he approaches him like a god of death taking a leisurely stroll through the blood soaked desert. But it was too late now anyway, they were too slow in their preparation , he would reach the ritual circle before it was ready to be used, Ethan could feel it, how the blood magic gathered, it was fast but still too slow.

Sighing he wanted to step out of the pulsing circle, stop the ritual and maybe run away with his soldiers, use their time to reform and plan a new attack. But before he could move a muscle he heard it, the stomping off feet, the rattle of blades. His head turned to the army, he commanded them to wait off to the side as this wasn't their place. His general had different plans, Kra'kulgar marched forward, slowly at first but soon the entire force sprinted towards the Wight King without even thinking about their own lives.

They didn't care as the skulls of their comrades burst apart in their midst. When the Wight King attacked, dozens of them fell to the ground, decapitated. Blood spurted from their necks like water fountains while their heads rolled around in the sand.

Crocodiarii and Brammgestir died for Ethan without caring for their lives, they screamed in rage, pain and determination. Tears streamed down his face as he watched them being maimed, arms and legs flew around when the King ripped them from their sockets, entrails got used as garrottes to strangle them. The horns of Brammgestirs were broken off and used as crude daggers to gouge out the eyes of the Crocodiarii.

The bodies that were somewhat intact rose again as a zombie to act as a buffer between his army and the King. Again he needed to watch them kill their own for a second time in this war. Ethan knew he hadn't earned it, nobody should earn the right to play with their lives like chess pieces. He was disgusted that his soldiers sacrificed themselves for him. Due to the system they deemed him worthy of protection, that his life was more valuable and important than theirs.

Those soldiers were here for the tutorial and served no purpose outside of it but something felt off about the entire situation. They were real enough for him and he suffered with them as he watched them getting killed. Nevertheless, their sacrifice was in vain, the King was too powerful compared to a foot soldier, compared to Ethan. Compared to the rest of the multiverse he was just a bug that could be crushed with a thought by the powerful power outside his universe. He didn't even know if his plan could work, the ability that nearly killed him before was a gamble at best, especially when drawing power from blood magic instead of pure mana.

During his thoughts the mages stepped forward, encouraged by their comrades they decided to help as well, not caring about the blood magic that was involved. Forming a circle around the ritual they all saluted to Ethan before taking out daggers, knives or other sharp objects. "We die for you my liege, so you may live, so please remember us, we place our legacy in your hands."

Giving Ethan a low bow before they gave the blood mage a nod and he pulled a dagger from his robe, resting it on his neck, a smile on his face. "Remember us, my liege, for you gave us purpose in this cruel world. Our families will speak in reverence of this day, we saved our people and you shall live to tell the tale."

Shocked, he didn't even know how to answer, then the first of them slit his throat. A scream escaped Ethan's mouth, he wanted to run to them, stop them from doing something so foolish but after the first step he fell to his knees, his reserves still empty, his muscles sore and overexerted, his mana more smoke than a liquid at this point, his stamina burned up and his health was still decreasing ever so slowly due to his foolish use of magic.

He just sat there, watching as they killed themselves one after the other. Their mana and their blood strengthen the ritual, getting drawn into the pulsing ritual circle. Ethan watched each of them killing themselves, his eyes glued to their bodies. Lastly he stared at the blood mage, a man shunned for his practices, so far in the background Ethan barely noticed his existence. Even he killed himself for Ethan, finishing the ritual with a smile and a nod.

Crying he sat there, it was stupid, they weren't real but his emotions got the better of him this time, his nerves were frayed and he couldn't help it, the cold was absent in his mind and the fire of guilt burned bright. He missed Nora's company but even though she fought to help him, she knew to keep her distance only using her frozen breath to attack the Wight King and his newly risen minions.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The ritual thrummed with power, blood red lines pulsing around him. It was ready for him to be used but he just sat there, his mind blank, his eyes unfocused. Deep down he knew what he had to do but it would kill the hundreds of soldiers still fighting, they were too close to the King.

Someone called him, one voice then more and more, he didn't understand what they wanted from him, they should just leave him alone! He thought back to his last day on earth and wished he had that pill bottle to just sleep and never wake up from this nightmare, this was no world he wanted to live in where hundreds died for his sake.

Lumbering steps approached him and he lifted his head, tears clouding his vision as something stopped in front of him and suddenly something slammed into his face, his head got thrown to the side, his cheek burning from the punch.

He groaned and held his cheek, trying to breathe normally but that one hit had so much force behind it that it rattled his skull. Wiping the tears away he saw a bloodied Kra'kulgar standing over him, he was missing a part of his lower jaw and his right arm was gone, ripped straight from the socket.

"My liege, you need to snap out of it and cast your magic. We already made our peace. Don't disgrace it with your indecision, we die today and pray that you keep our legacy alive." Ethan saw how scales from Kra'kulgar's body withered away, the ritual circle he stood on drawing his life force away, he didn't fight it, only then did Ethan realize that he actually embraced his death.

"I can't Kra'kulgar, so many people died, I don't want to doom all of you with my magic, I was here to help you not kill you! How can you force me to do such a thing!"

The general laughed, teeths started to fall from his mouth and he dropped to his knees, he grabbed Ethan's shoulder with the remaining arm. "Because we're your soldiers my liege, we die for our own and you're one of us. I know you don't think that yourself but we feel it, our destiny lies with you. We might be gone but our people will live, they will keep going and you need to do that too."

He grabbed Ethan's arm, pointing his hand to the fighting soldiers, the ones that were still alive fought more like animals than soldiers. In their midst stood the Wight King, laughing while he ripped bodies apart, a hill of corpses underneath him. The sand was so soaked with blood it was more of a quagmire than a desert at this point.

Ethan didn't want it but Kra'kulgar was relentless. Forcing Ethan to keep his hand aimed at the King, his arm turning red from the pressure he put on it. "It was just a few weeks but I'm proud that I served under you Ethan Delaney. May you live a long and happy life, far away from the cruel world of war and death, alas we both know that won't happen."

Kra'kulgar slumped against him, his body a mere husk compared to his former self. Ethan wiped the tears away and stopped hesitating, he wouldn't tarnish the soldiers' sacrifice any longer. "I will always remember you, my soldiers!" his voice was hoarse and weak but it carried his honest feeling to everybody that would listen

They gave Ethan their best war cry and charged the Wight King one last time, burying him under their bodies. "May you remember us!" He heard one of the remaining commanders that still managed to fight even with one of his legs twisted at a weird angle. A chant slowly started to build up. "Brave in Life, Eternal in Honor! Brave in Life, Eternal in Honor! Brave in Life, Eternal in Honor!" With one last tired smile Ethan slammed his hand in the middle of the circle, drawing on its power and cried out his spell.

"[The Abyss of Winter]"

For a moment nothing happened, then the ground started to shake and just like before a massive maw pushed itself from the ground, this time, with all the energy available it was even bigger and blood red from the used energy. Nora managed to slip away before it was too late, her connection to Ethan giving her an early warning. The massive teeth pushed themselves from the ground and the creature slammed his mouth shut in the blink of an eye, just like that the sound of fighting vanished.

Slowly it sank back into the ground, leaving only a massive hole that slowly filled itself with sand again. Ethan just sat in the magic circle, his fingers moving through the dust that was Kra'kulgar's body, he pulled a long tooth from the dust and held it in his hand, the only thing left over from his general.

He crawled over to the mages and pulled the dagger from the Brammgestir's neck and cut a thin piece of leather from their bag. Laying there he made a necklace from the tooth and looked at it, it was crude and amateurish but it would always remind him about his soldiers that died for him. Curious he analyzed it, surprised he got a response.

[Crocodiarii Tooth Necklace(Basic)] [A memorabilia made from the tooth of a brother in arms, a friend. A legacy of the ones who sacrificed themselves so that another might live on. Hoping he would always remember those who died for him.]

Ethan sighed and put it around his neck, the tooth felt cold on his skin. Laying there in a circle of death he stared into the sky. The Wight King had died, he was certain about that when he saw the notification sitting there in his vision.

[You killed Enok, The Wight King - Level 65 | You gained experience!]

*Update* You reached Level 30! Stat points allocated! Free points received!

"I will remember you, all of you. For you were my soldiers."

*Update* Skill acquired - [Leadership(Advanced)]

"The next time I lead someone in battle, I do it the right way."

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