Capítulo 9: Chapter 9:YOUR ARMS BACK!
The chaos of the battlefield had finally ebbed, leaving behind a grim silence punctuated by the distant groans of the dying. Smoke curled in lazy tendrils above the scorched ground, and the stench of blood and charred flesh hung heavy in the air. Hadrian sat beneath a gnarled tree at the edge of the field, his body aching from the strain of the day. His sword lay across his lap, its edge dull and nicked from the clash of steel and bone.
He let his head rest against the tree trunk, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. The adrenaline had drained away, leaving him with nothing but the throbbing pain in his arm—the arm that was no longer missing. He flexed the regrown fingers experimentally, marveling at their strength and dexterity. It was almost as if they'd never been gone.
A sound nearby made him tense. He grabbed his sword instinctively, but relaxed when he saw Leon emerging from the shadows. The boy's face was pale and streaked with dirt, but his eyes were alive with concern.
"I've been looking for you," Leon said, his voice quiet as he approached. He stopped a few paces away, his gaze falling to Hadrian's arm. His brow furrowed. "Your arm… it's—"
Hadrian stood up and cut him off with a sharp look, his voice low and commanding. "Don't."
Leon hesitated, glancing between Hadrian's face and his nearly healed arm. "But how—"
Hadrian stood abruptly, his tone hardening. "Leon, I'm only going to say this once. If you tell anyone about what you've seen, I'll make sure you regret it."
Leon froze, his mouth opening to protest, but the words died on his lips as Hadrian stepped closer. The intensity in Hadrian's gaze made his stomach tighten, and the boy suddenly felt far too aware of the distance—or lack thereof—between them.
"Do you understand me?" Hadrian asked, his voice soft but unyielding. His eyes bore into Leon's, and there was something unsettling in the way he held his gaze, something that made Leon's pulse quicken. "Not a word. To anyone."
Leon swallowed hard, his throat dry. He tried to focus on the arm, on the impossible sight of it moving, whole again, but his thoughts kept spiraling, tangled up in the way Hadrian stood so close, in the faint smirk that tugged at his lips.
"But…" Leon stammered, his voice faltering. "It's—it's not normal—"
"Do you really want to keep asking questions?" Hadrian interrupted, leaning in slightly. His tone took on a mocking edge.
Hadrian's faint smirk deepened as he straightened, his presence as commanding as it was unsettling. "Good," he said softly. "Then we don't have a problem, do we?"
Leon shook his head quickly, his heart hammering in his chest. "No. No problem. I—I won't say anything. I swear."
Hadrian stepped back, the smirk vanishing as his expression hardened. "Good," he repeated, his voice flat. "Because you're my friend, Leon. But don't forget—I don't-no I cant tolerate betrayal."
Leon nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as Hadrian turned away. But even as relief washed over him, the unsettling memory of the moment lingered, leaving him shaken and confused.
'this had to happen at some stage' thought Hadrian as he walked away. Hadrian getting access to memories of another world triggered something in him, it was if his mental age was a lot older than twelve, "If I didn't confuse him there getting so close he would start asking questions, cover questions with more interesting ones" Hadrian chuckled, he was in a more focused mind now, he new his goal 'I have to conquer the other races and put Humans back on top of the food chain.
System Revelation
Hadrian stalked away from the tree, his mind already shifting from the interaction with Leon to the faint glow of the system's interface in his vision.
System Notification:
Secret Mission Complete: Convince Others to Follow You into Battle.
Reward: Superior Command Skill (Level 1).
Superior Command Skill (Level 1):
Troops under your command are 20% more loyal.Reduces likelihood of retreat by 15%.Enhances effectiveness of issued orders by 10%.
Hadrian read the notification, his lips pressing into a thin line. Convince others to follow me… that's one way to put it. He flexed his regrown fingers again, the faint ache a reminder of the power now coursing through him.
He looked back toward the battlefield, where the cavalry had begun regrouping in the distance. The men who had followed him—who thought he was their commander—deserved to know the truth. But truth, he realized, was a fragile thing. One wrong word could shatter the fragile respect he'd built.
No, he thought, his jaw tightening. Not yet.
'I cant show my arm to anyone either' thought Hadrian as he covered his arm with a piece of cloth to make it look like a stump.
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Hadrian mounted his horse, his movements more fluid now as he adjusted to the saddle. The beast shifted beneath him, snorting softly as he urged it forward. The ride was short, the distance between him and the gathered cavalry closing quickly.
The men looked up as he approached, their expressions a mix of relief and fatigue. But as he dismounted, the mood changed. Whispers rippled through the group as they took in his appearance—the helmet too large for his head, the youthful face beneath it, and his small stature. Confusion turned to realization, then to anger.
"Wait," one of the riders muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. "You're just a kid."
The grizzled veteran from earlier stepped forward, his face darkening. "What's this? You're not the commander. Who the hell are you?"
Hadrian straightened, his gaze steady despite the tension crackling around him. "The commander is dead," he said firmly. "Someone had to lead, or we'd all be dead too."
The veteran's jaw tightened. "You lied to us. You pretended—"
"I didn't pretend anything," Hadrian snapped, his voice cutting through the murmurs. "You followed because I gave you a reason to. And it worked. We won."
The men shifted uncomfortably, their anger mingling with a grudging sense of respect. The grizzled rider crossed his arms, his glare unyielding. "You're saying you did this for us? Out of the kindness of your heart?"
"No," Hadrian replied coldly. "I did it because it was the only way. You can hate me if you want, but you can't argue with the results."
As the men exchanged glances, the system flickered to life again, the notification glowing faintly in Hadrian's vision.
Superior Command Skill Activated:
Effect in Progress: Loyalty +20%.
The tension began to ease, though not entirely. The grizzled rider exhaled heavily, shaking his head. "You've got guts, kid. I'll give you that much. But don't think this means we trust you."
Hadrian nodded, his expression unreadable. "Trust isn't given. It's earned. And I'll earn it."
The men murmured among themselves, but the hostility had dimmed. As Hadrian mounted his horse again, he felt their eyes on him—not with hatred, but with a cautious respect.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
sean_sheri
sean_sheri because of the system and Hadrian remembering his past life, he is not gonna act as younger as he should, just because of his two conciseness's merging, enjoy the chapter.
[dam this chapter was wierd before being edited]-no chapter today, sorry i was way too busy, Ill post two tomorrow tho
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