Legion

While Damon was drying himself off, Hero appeared.

Some blood still decorated Damon's face as he smiled. "What do you think?"

Hero stared at him blankly. "It was a good execution of basic tactics and you exploited your powers decently. But don't be arrogant. That was only a Monster, which has subhuman intelligence and mostly fights reactively. You also seemed to bet on that fact as you charged into the beast's zone of control without any back-up plan. Some beasts are mutants and can be much smarter and stronger than their counterparts."

Damon contemplated for a moment. "I just… don't quite understand how I'm supposed to train my instincts and reaction speed. If I had tried fighting the beast up close, I would have been slaughtered by it. I can't properly wield three weapons to counter the eagle's limbs."

Hero shook his head. "You're thinking about it wrong. You can't match the beast in strength. Normally. This time, you did it correctly but unconsciously. You used the momentum of the meteor and your own flight speed in order to quickly cut through the eagle. If you had instead tried a hit and run strategy, you would have been able to train your instincts and reaction speed better."

Damon's eyes lit up. "So you're saying that I could have used my superior energy to drag out the battle, training my reaction?"

Hero smiled proudly. "Exactly. The whole point was to use it to gain experience, not beat it. Next time, I'm sure you'll do better."

Soon, the manor came into view. Damon still admired its rudimentary design, especially when under the pale purple glow of the moon.

"While you study the knights, we should discuss your relationship with the council. They can be important allies but also deadly enemies." Hero said ominously.

Some time later, Hero approached Damon as he was studying the knights.

"What kind of hierarchy do you plan to have once you conquer the city? Most of the council members are young, and likely ambitious. If you don't have a plan, the city will be engulfed in violence." Hero questioned.

Damon looked over. "To be honest, I was planning on making myself the leader while giving the council some power. Such as having them manage their soldiers and the populous. I might also implement some checks on my power, if they demand it."

Hero was silent for a few moments. "It would be best if you prepare for the worst. Betrayal is…very common."

Seeing Hero's mood sour, Damon stayed quiet.

After some time, Hero seemingly recovered. "I've always had the philosophy of hope for the best, prepare for the worst. It has served me well."

Damon smiled. "I think I like that. It helps reflect the dual nature of people. People like the "Almighty One" may be cruel and uncaring, but others, such as you, can still surprise and delight us."

Hero's slight grin widened. "I'm glad someone else can appreciate my ideals. Many in this world get so used to the darker things, that they shy away from the light."

With this closing remark, Hero slowly walked away, humming as he went.

With this routine of hunting, studying, and discussion, a month passed.

—

Under the harsh glare of the golden sun, Damon inspected his knights.

They were lined up, in rows, along a massive field of grass. Around them, the green grasslands stretched for a distance beyond imagination.

The golden knights, shimmering under the light of the sun, stood a thousand in number.

This grand formation was led by ten men. All of them had similar armor to the knights, but had removed their helmets. Their hair, which shined a myriad of colors, was surrounded by a golden circlet, made entirely of universal energy.

Unlike with the knights, one could see a glimmer of intellect reflected in their silver eyes.

These men stared, high into the sky, towards a black haired man adorned with glowing golden armor. His purple eyes, once dark and insidious, now shined with a beautiful violet.

"Begin!" Damon commanded.

The Centurions each gathered 100 knights of the legion and shot off in different directions.

If one followed them closely, they could see each group closing in on a different beast.

From humongous oxen to large packs of wolves, the chosen targets seemed to have nothing in common. Everything about them was different, except for one thing.

They were all materials.

Within minutes, the violent battles across the plain quieted and settled. Blood now flowed across the once green and verdant land, now polluted with it's ilk.

Each Century brought back it's respective target and set it down before Damon. For the purpose of this exercise was manyfold.

Damon wanted to help train the Legion as a whole but it would be very difficult to command such a large number of soldiers by himself. Instead, he had his Centurions, or Knights that had become a true living creature, lead one hundred men each. This would help each Century become more independent and thus maneuverable and flexible in battle.

The materials would serve multiple purposes. If a Centurion was able to get the final hit on the beast or beasts, then he would be allowed to use that beast as cultivation material. Like Damon once did.

Or, if they failed to get the last hit, the beasts could be used for experimentation or trade with the people of the fortress city. It was a valuable resource since many of their buildings were made from animal remains.

As Damon looked down, he saw that only 3 sets of beasts were placed before him.

He grinned slightly. "Not bad."

In the past month, he had worked hard to create the thousand knights and was even able to create ten of the sentient knights. That was until what Hero had warned him about came to bear.

On his 990th knight, he felt a burden upon his soul. It felt like it was being held down by a great weight. Even then, he was able to create ten more knights before the true side effects began to show.

Upon his attempt to create the 1001th knights, he was met with a great pain. It felt like his soul was being torn apart, right at the seams. Many different threads pulled from different angles as they began to distort his soul.

Fortunately, once Damon halted the attempt, his soul returned to normal and the pain receded.

He had reached his limit.