The Masked Man

2 Months later

Within the Dothraki Sea, Maximus's power continued to grow. He now had a massive army of 100,000 men and secured the loyalty of more than 500,000 Dothraki who he sent back to Heaven's Reach to start contributing to the construction of the city.

His campaign of unification, while brutal, was undeniably effective. Smaller Khalasars stood no chance against his own, even the largest Khalasar had no chance of beating him forcing many of them to join him without fighting. The Khals of said Khalasars still dueled Maximus so that he can show his strength in front of his newly acquired warriors.

Stories had already traveled not only through the Dothraki Sea but spilled into the Free Cities as well. The self-proclaimed Khal was gradually becoming a legend.

However, during one battle, something unforeseen happened. He was fighting against a Khalasar who refused to join him, but during the battle he received a warning from the system.

[WARNING!!! Outside interference detected, New Quest: Survive the battle]

Rewards:????

Before Maximus could fully process the warning, an arrow whistled through the air. He managed to deflect it, but more followed, raining from the sky in a deadly hailstorm. He quickly realized these weren't ordinary arrows, they were surrounded by a mysterious green flame.

Shields were raised and horses whinnied in terror as the fiery rain descended upon them. Maximus tightened his grip on his mount, giving out orders amidst the chaos. The Dothraki who didn't use shields were at an disadvantage as their bodies were pierced by these strange arrows.

Using his sword, he had cut down arrow after arrow which emboldened his army after many of them died by the unforeseen attack. They had charged forward together alongside him over the dead bodies of both their comrades and their enemy.

The barrage of arrows had not only killed some of his men but also that of the enemies. As he was riding forward towards the enemy who were attempting to flee, he had seen a group of rogue riders emerge, their faces concealed by masks.

Leading them was a man whose stature towered above the rest. He rode forward, brandishing a weapon Maximus had never seen before: a blazing whip that danced like dragon fire.

Olorin had appeared next to him just as the masked man's whip flew through the air like a fiery serpent. The soldier behind Maximus took the brunt of the whip, falling from his horse with a loud cry.

"Archers!" Maximus commanded, his voice cutting through the sounds of battle. An immediate volley of arrows shot towards the masked group, but they moved like shadows, swiftly dodging with unnatural speed.

"My lord, I think these might be forces far powerful than anything we have encountered before." said Olorin observing the masked men.

Maximus nodded his head agreeing with what Olorin said, he had received a warning from the system about outside interference. The only logical thing he could think of was one of the magical forces hidden within the background of the world had interfered with his battle or perhaps seen him as a threat.

The masked man had drove his horse forward as he slashed through the air towards Maximus, killing anybody in his way. However, Maximus was ready. With a swift sidestep on his horse, he evaded the strike and countered with a ferocious swing of his own sword. However, to Maximus's surprise, the masked man deflected it effortlessly and struck back immediately.

This was no ordinary enemy. Olorin had started fighting the group of other masked riders while still keeping an eye on Maximus. He knew his lord could handle himself, but this was no ordinary adversary they were dealing with.

Part of the battle felt like a dance, a dance of death where every misstep meant mortality. The clashing of steel reverberated through the air, punctuated by the screams of men and horses alike. The enemy was agile, and his strength seemed to match that of Maximus. The fire-whip left nothing but ashes in its path.

Maximus grunted as the masked man pushed him back with a strong kick. His horse reared up in fear, nearly forcing him off of his horse. But Maximus held on, his grip never weakening.

He counter-attacked with a powerful sideways swipe which the masked man narrowly escaped.

The clash between Maximus and the masked man intensified. With his dragon-like whip and agility, he moved with a precision that defied ordinary combat.

Maximus's blade cut through the air, meeting the masked man's whip. The fire-whip sizzled around Maximus's sword, its flames dangerously close to his skin. The masked man's eyes glowed through the slits of his mask, showing that he was indeed not a normal person.

Maximus's thoughts raced. He needed to adapt quickly. The masked man was clearly a formidable foe, potentially enhanced by whatever magical forces were at play. His conventional tactics might not suffice.

As his mind was elsewhere, the masked man had managed to make a swift move and was about to land an attack directly against Maximus. He didn't have enough time to block with his sword so the only choice he had was to use his arm.

As the whip wrapped around his arm, he screamed out in pain as it began to burn the entirety of his left arm. Even though he was in pain, Maximus still spotted the opportunity that had just appeared right in front of him. Not worrying about the safety of his arm, Maximus used all his strength and pulled the masked man off his horse forcing him onto the ground.

At the same time, he charged his horse forward and as he got close, he jumped off, raising his sword in the air hoping to deliver the finishing blow.

The masked man barely managed to deflect the blow, but Maximus's strike was enough to cause him to stagger. Realizing that the fight might soon turn against him, the masked man let out a low growl. The ground around him seemed to shimmer with a faint, otherworldly light.

At that moment, Olorin fought with equal ferocity against the other masked riders, his movements a blur as he fought through their ranks. He glanced towards Maximus, seeing that his lord was gaining the upper hand. Olorin charged through the remaining masked riders, his magic cleaving through their defenses as he made his way towards Maximus.

The masked man, sensing the shifting balance of power, made a decisive move. He lashed his whip with one final, powerful strike, sending a wave of fire towards Maximus. The attack was intended to overwhelm him and end the fight in a blaze of fury.

Maximus, eyes blazing with determination, lifted his sword in a desperate block. The heat of the fire-whip seared against his armor, but he held his ground. His arm which was burned from the previous attack was still healing as he had to use it once again.

However, this attack was more ferocious than the previous one and had caused him to fall unconscious. Olorin who was behind the masked man had delivered the finishing blow causing his body to disappear entirely.

After that Olorin reached Maximus and started to cast healing magic on him, but he noticed that his wounds were already healing thanks to his Super-Healing. With the masked man dead the battle was basically over so Olorin issued orders to the commanders to return to their camp while he teleported Maximus back to his tent so he can rest.

Maximus had survived his first encounter with one of the few magical forces of this world, but this encounter was only a test conducted by the Great Stallion himself.