Capítulo 13: CHAPTER 13
Rhodes didn't respond to anyone. Instead, a burst of flame erupted from his palm, soaring high into the conference venue's sky.
The flames were tall and majestic, reaching over ten meters high. Their sudden appearance silenced the crowd, who were left in awe, mouths agape.
The fiery light illuminated their faces, casting flickering shadows and heating the air, adding to their fear.
"God! It's a magical warrior!" Someone exclaimed in horror, recognizing Rhodes.
They shrank back, fearing Rhodes might unleash his wrath and incinerate them all.
Rhodes didn't direct the flames toward them, as some had imagined to punish them for their earlier rudeness. Instead, he set a pile of corpses in front of him ablaze. Under the scorching flames, these mortal bodies didn't last a second, reduced to black ashes that slowly dispersed into the air.
Although numerous corpses lay on the ground, there were no ashes left behind, intensifying everyone's fear.
"Everyone!" Rhodes roared.
Startled, they raised their heads slightly to look at him.
"If a family member passes away, their body must be cremated! Sit quietly for a moment, and don't roam. Once you return home, instruct your servants to gather here immediately."
"And..." Rhodes produced a piece of cloth, "Wear this from now on! If a new epidemic emerges, make sure everyone wears it."
In the vast conference hall filled with nearly 10,000 people, absolute silence reigned as they dared not utter a word, fearing they might offend Rhodes and face dire consequences.
With no objections from the crowd, Rhodes activated a sprayer, handing it to an Athenian soldier nearby to distribute the vaccine.
Within the conference hall, a pale blue mist wafted over everyone. After a while, someone exclaimed.
"My wound! It stopped bleeding!"
"I'm no longer vomiting blood!"
"Look, my blood is no longer black!"
After a brief commotion, they settled down again, noticing their bodies felt healed, free of the disease's torment.
"Did Lord Rhodes save us?"
"I feel cured, it must be Master Rhodes's spray, a divine remedy!"
Excitement swept through the crowd, and they knelt down in unison at their seats, showing their respect for Rhodes, a mortal.
Watching his people recover, Forbas approached Rhodes and knelt down, overwhelmed with gratitude.
"Your miraculous intervention saved us humble mortals. I can't express how grateful we are for your benevolence." He leaned over, kissed Rhodes' shoes, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Rhodes patted him on the shoulder and urged him to stand. "Gather all your troops and seek out a frost giant named Laufey. He has blue skin, blood-red eyes, and long elf-like ears. If you encounter him, report to me immediately."
Forbas kowtowed repeatedly, "Your command is a divine order we, the people of Athens, pledge to fulfill."
Athenian soldiers distributed the cloth strips to the citizens. While these people would typically protest against wearing strips with a strong salty taste, witnessing Rhodes' miracle made them ignore the odd smell, eagerly donning the strips like treasures they'd found.
In the wilderness beyond Athens, an army advanced rapidly through the night. These soldiers wore red and white striped turbans and carried rifles and shields. They bore a menacing appearance, akin to wolves on the prowl.
Leading the army were two colossal men who resembled bears. One rode a white horse, brandishing a massive bow adorned in platinum that shimmered conspicuously in the dark night. His attire featured snow-white fur at his neck, an unusual choice for such a hot night.
The other man rode a red horse, and his blood-red skin exuded an eerie and terrifying aura amidst the darkness. A large sword with a broad, red-patterned blade dangled from his waist, displaying strange characters.
Typically, such a sword would be carried on one's back, but he had it straddled on his waist, making it clear that drawing the blade with one hand would be a formidable feat.
"Plague, can you spot the city in the distance?" inquired the man on the red horse.
Plague gazed into the distance and shook his head, replying, "Don't worry, the battle is still far off. The people of Athens have already been infected with my virus. When we arrive, we can capture Athens without a fight."
The man on the red horse, War, curled his lips and wrinkled his nose in dissatisfaction. "I yearn for carnage; going without a battle is dreadfully dull."
Plague smiled, "Then you should pray to Lord Apocalypse that I won't use the Plague and give you a chance to unleash your explosive abilities."
War laughed too. While he had a penchant for bloodthirsty slaughter, completing Lord Apocalypse's mission without much effort left him with no complaints.
Simultaneously, the two of them sensed something strange, their horses responding to their unease. They halted abruptly.
Plague turned to War, "Did you sense it too?"
War nodded, "Someone is watching us from a distance, and I instinctively felt it."
Rhodes, from his vantage point on the Athens city wall, could clearly observe the Egyptian army approaching in the distance.
Forbas, who was next to him, asked anxiously, "Master Rhodes, may I inquire why you have ventured out so late?"
Having already retired for the night, Forbas was abruptly alerted by an Athenian soldier who informed him that Rhodes had ascended the city wall. He couldn't find peace and promptly followed to the wall.
"It's the right time for you to be here," Rhodes remarked, pointing toward the distant horizon. "This is an open plain. What would you do if someone comes to attack?"
Forbas stomped his foot, exclaiming, "We have mighty city walls and thousands of archers. Dealing with ordinary troops is no issue."
Rhodes shook his head. He knew the towering city walls would be meaningless against the Apocalypse's Apostles, especially War, who possessed explosive abilities. Once he got close to the walls and created a breach, it would spell disaster.
"Tomorrow morning, gather all your soldiers outside the city," Rhodes advised, turning away and making his way back to his room to rest.
Forbas couldn't quite grasp Rhodes' intentions, but he was used to the enigmatic nature of this young man. Since the moment they met, Rhodes had consistently remained an enigma.
He appeared youthful, yet he concealed his thoughts like a wily and experienced fox. Facing such an individual was perpetually unnerving.
One night passed in silence, and the next morning arrived.
Rhodes led Sig to the plains outside the city, where Forbas had already assembled his troops, awaiting Rhodes' instructions.
"Sig, teach them some basic formations. These will help them survive when they become bait," Rhodes said, departing after issuing his command.
Forbas observed Rhodes' retreating form, increasingly puzzled. Sig stepped forward, addressing the soldiers, "After a morning of training, it's time to showcase your progress!"
Exhausted from the morning's training, the soldiers were nonetheless brimming with enthusiasm. They could sense the power of Sig's formations and couldn't wait to employ them against the enemy.
The festering resentment in their hearts, born from the loss of family and friends to the plague, only fueled their determination.
"For Athens!"
"For our loved ones!"
"For freedom!"
They raised their spears high, shouting in unison as they marched out of the city gates. Despite the scorching sun, they formed disciplined ranks, ready to face the approaching enemy.
On the city wall, thousands of archers readied their bows, arrows piled beside them. The air shimmered in the sweltering heat, and the approaching enemy forces loomed ever closer.
Finally, within sight, the enemy's army drew nearer, their faces still indistinct. A trail of dust trailed behind them as they advanced, the haze growing denser.
Fobas couldn't help but swallow nervously, realizing the enemy's numbers exceeded his estimates. They appeared to number around 30,000, whereas he had only 8,000 elite soldiers and 1,000 archers to defend the city.
Furthermore, the enemy's troops looked formidable, possibly comprising Egypt's elite forces. In contrast, his army included recent recruits and soldiers recovering from the plague's effects.
The epidemic had depleted the city's military strength, and Rhodes' intervention was the sole reason they had any troops left.
Grateful for Rhodes' assistance, Forbas felt honored to fight alongside soldiers, even if it meant sacrificing his life on the battlefield, at least with the glory of an officer.
Rhodes returned to the city wall, entrusting Sig with the frontline command. He fired a solar fireball into the sky.
The solar fireball illuminated the sky, a beacon to signal his Asgardian soldiers. A thousand of them, clad in bronze armor and armed with spears, materialized before Rhodes in a rainbow light.
"Salute, my commander!" They half-knelt, heads bowed.
These were ordinary Asgardian soldiers, not Odin's elite warriors. Rhodes had refrained from calling in the Pegasus Troop to assist, knowing that their presence would discourage Laufey from acting rashly and delay the use of the ice treasure box.
"You have two tasks," Rhodes stated, raising two fingers. "First, divide into two teams and wait here. Second, once I signal with flames in the sky, proceed immediately to the designated location and prepare for an attack."
"Yes!"
At noon, Sig's training proved exceptionally successful. The Asgardian chief guards had personally taught the Athenian soldiers fundamental tactics, refining their execution of formations.
With their training complete, they now followed orders effectively and could reach their designated positions with precision.
As soldiers, their foremost duty was to obey orders, and they had imbibed this fundamental discipline.
As the Egyptian army drew closer, the anticipation grew palpable among the Athenian troops. Their earlier hesitation had been replaced with resolve.
Plague halted his horse, his eyes scrutinizing the Athenian forces. As an archer, his vision surpassed that of ordinary people.
He expressed disbelief, "How is this possible? They all appear healthy."
War, who was standing beside him, wore a wry smile, "It's a facade. Look, there's an army of fewer than 10,000 here. It's just a small group of surviving patients, that's all."
Despite his lingering doubts, Plague chose to trust in the numerical advantage they held. He smiled, dismissing his concerns, and returned to the Egyptian army's formation. There, they eagerly anticipated the impending spectacle.
A scar-faced Egyptian commander assumed command, raising his spear and shouting at the Athenian troops, "Advance and attack!"
With his command, the 30,000-strong Egyptian army began its advance toward Athens. In the distance, they appeared as a massive, indistinct cloud of dust and smoke.
War and Plague observed from a distance, armed but with no intent to join the battle.
Rhodes had returned to the city wall by this time, leaving Sig to command the front lines. He raised his hand, igniting a solar fireball that streaked into the sky.
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