It didn't take long for the scenery to change, throwing Herman in a daze. Seconds later, he shook his head violently and found himself in the middle of a big battlefield.

"What the..."

[Dude! Wake up and pay attention! To your left, to your left!!!](?)

"Huh!?"

Turning to his left instinctively, he found a large cleaver was aiming for his head. With no time to spare, he raised his sword to parry and used his left to support the blade. Infusing large amounts of Qi in the blade, he was certain that it would be sufficient to hold off the attack and give him enough time to retreat to a safe dist...

*CRACK*

Reality proved otherwise though, as the cleaver snapped the blade in two and cut through his upper torso as if it was tofu. A large gnashing wound was bleeding black blood from his left shoulder all the way to his navel. He dumbfoundedly fell on his back, seemingly losing control of his body. There was no pain just yet, but he knew that was only because of the shock. The same cleaver from before appeared in his vision once more and swung down hard towards his head.

"*Sigh* In the end, I couldn't even last a week here, huh?"

Mocking his own lack of strength, he gazed past the cleaver at the four-meter monster wielding it. A commander! Honestly speaking, from his experience with games back on Earth, this monster looked like an orc. He fought just as fierce as one as well!
Just behind this orc, there were the last three servants he managed to keep alive for so long, collapsed in a pool of blood. Some had limbs missing, while others were disfigured beyond recognition. Those three were hanging on a thread, managing to cling onto life with everything they had.

That's why he couldn't help himself but jump on the field and try rescuing them. When he first saw them being surrounded, his heart froze, and asked others for help, only to be turned down. There weren't any spare forces or hidden aces kept for situations like this, and it was more of an all-hands-on-deck type of fight.

"Fight!? This is nothing short of a massacre..."

Unable to hold himself back, he stepped on the fray and released his cultivation to its max. His upper-level Half-Immortal realm aura washed upon the nearby troops, but they weren't fazed by it. Rather, the enemies became even more frenzied and attacked with much more vigor. Unsheathing his sword, he took calm steps towards the location where his over twenty servants were encircled by many soldiers, warriors, and elites.
The weakest of the bunch were minions that he easily began dispatching. Seeing them so closely packed, he used up 25% of his total Qi reserves and stomped the ground hard. A fraction of a second later, steel spikes rose from the ground at breakneck speed, impaling every creature in his surrounding 200 meters. The spikes stood eight meters tall and each one had a body on it, allowing blood to drip down towards the ground.

A terrifying forest of corpses suddenly appeared in the enemy's ranks, forcing a tyrannic roar to shake the battlefield.

[This idiot! Why did you intervene!? Now the commanders and the generals will show up as well!](?)

[F*CK! Back! Retreat now and gather up the troops! F*CK! Who's the moron that broke the agreement!?](?)

Different cultivators were spewing profanities and roaring at the top of their voices, yet he paid them no mind. He only focused on the servants that already saw him coming over and began fighting even fiercer, hoping to break past the encirclement and reunite with their trusted master.
There was an unspoken rule of this Void Battlefield, where only Servants were allowed to participate and the masters had to stay on the sidelines. If this rule would be broken, instead of minions, soldiers, warriors, and elites, there would also be commanders and generals stepping in.

The fighting strength of the first four was manageable by the Servants, but once the top brass of the monsters stepped in, they would undoubtedly start a massacre. That's why everyone was worried about breaking the status quo.

"Haha! Just because those monstrous geniuses aren't here and you're afraid to step in, you're asking me to sacrifice my people and throw them away like some disposable garbage! I'd rather die with them instead! Haha! Commanders and generals, huh!? Let this lowly one see if your blood has a different color than the rest of these mobs!"

The massacre continued and more monsters died at his hand. When droves of minions weren't enough, soldiers and warriors were thrown in the mix as well. Seeing himself only a hundred meters away from his Servants, he used up more than half of his Qi reserves left and roared towards the heavens. A ripple was formed and began moving outwards in a circle around him.
Seeing him use 'that' move, his Servants changed their positioning and formed a defensive array. They were trained by him previously, knowing what to do in order not to be affected as well.

Countless monsters fell on the ground bleeding from their orifices, signifying burst blood vessels. Even elites were majorly wounded and were on their knees, but they couldn't be given any respite. Moving like the wind, he harvested life after life, dancing on the battlefield like a veritable grim-reaper!
He wasn't stupid and was aware that his massacre couldn't continue unhindered, therefore he used the only Qi recovery technique he knew: Blood Conversion!

He had learned it from Mio after he helped her track down and butcher some of those responsible for the deaths of her friends at the beginning of the recruitment period. After experiencing loss after loss of her loved ones and even close friends, she descended into something that the natives called 'the demon path'. She became more ruthless and bloodthirsty and acquired this particular technique after wiping out a demon sect. It worked by drawing the blood of the dead and refining it into Qi.

"It isn't pure Qi though and it does have side effects. With my current strength level, I won't be able to hold on for longer than fifteen to twenty minutes. Hopefully, it will be enough time for them to fall back and join the others."

Streams of blood vapors began to eerily float into the air and towards him. His previously clear eyes began showing traces of red and every step he took would leave a deep footprint on the ground. With his Qi beginning to overflow, his cultivation my go berserk and force him to demonize. That would be the worst-case scenario, as in that state he couldn't tell apart a friend from a foe and would just become crazed for slaughter... a monster himself.
Since it would defeat the purpose, there was only one thing he could do now: use up as much Qi as possible, at a rate that would match the Qi he's intaking and refining.

Like so, every skill and immortal spell he knew started being thrown left and right on the battlefield, throwing it in utter chaos. For the first time in a while, the monsters were being slaughtered instead of the humans and their Servants. Such a big commotion though couldn't stay hidden from the top brass of the invaders and soon, three commanders descended near him.
Affected by the bloodlust, he grinned at them and immediately engaged in close combat. With his poor aptitude and crappy talent, the skills and spells he could learn were at best able to showcase 75% of their normal strength. If someone like LinkWill, Bian Hua, UX, or Envy would use them, even going past their normal strength wouldn't be a surprise.

"Hahaha! Come, come, come! Let this weakling show you how weaklings fight!"

With a peal of crazed laughter descending in the silent surroundings once the commanders appeared, he already began thrusting his sword left and right, fighting them without a care in the world. Everyone knew how terrifying this man became once he was fighting with a clear goal in mind. There wasn't a person in the Heavenly Realms that didn't hear of his fighting methods while out searching for medicine and treasures for his disciples.
The sect he established didn't have the backing of kingdoms, empires, or even smaller countries, yet it had him!

They knew how hard he fought for his people and that every time he returned he was on the verge of being crippled, covered in blood with limbs missing. Yet even then, even in situations like that, he still returned with spoils of war. A mad dog! The entire Heavenly Realms labeled him as a mad dog, biting at anyone it saw until either of the parties died. That's why those that were willing to offend him from the 'player' faction (those that participated in the race for Heavens) were few and rare in-between.
Such was the situation right now on the battlefield and the three commanders were finding out the reason behind that nickname. The puny human in front of them was fighting as if his own life was on the line and it looked as if he had a grudge deeper than the heavens and sees with them. Did they massacre this small pipsqueak's entire line of ancestors or something!?

Even the other 'players' in the back that refused to help him before were watching with widened eyes and gaping mouths, cussing the same 'mad dog' at him. They hoped that this crazed demon won't turn around and vent on them afterward since they didn't want to participate in the rescue plan he's currently acting out. Nevertheless, seeing his fighting style made goosebumps appear on the skin of the spectators.
The three commanders each had a spear in their hands, so his reach was shorter by at least a meter. Not to mention he was outnumbered! That's why the tactic he adopted was to trade flesh for rendered bones.

[F*CK ME! Is there a need to be so merciless to yourself!? I can already see five holes in his body...](?)

[Damn... this is beyond being ruthless to yourself and even more ruthless to your enemies.](?)

[Shit! Two commanders are already done for!](?)

The insane tactic he was playing out was exchanging blow for blow. His attributes were less than the opponents though and monsters had an innate defense that was much more difficult to deal with than that of a regular human cultivator. That's why he would allow the enemy's spear to pierce through areas that wouldn't be fatal and in exchange he would be able to directly target weak points of the commanders. A piercing spear through the abdomen, in exchange for a sword through the left eye! Another spear through the right shoulder, in exchange for a stabbed sword in the enemy's left armpit, crushing the heart.

The final commander saw his ruthless plan and pretended to fall for it, only to deal three consecutive heavy strikes to the enemy's right calf, left hip, and left arm. Unfortunately for the commander, its hubris got the better of it, and upon a thunderous roaring attack, he found himself swallowing the enemy's blade. His skin was as strong as iron on the outside, but the inside of his mouth wasn't. As result, he fell and joined his other two companions in death.

With only ten meters or less from his Servants, the surrounding invaders gave way and didn't dare tangle with this mad dog, heavily intimidated by the crazed look in his eyes. With blood covering his entire body, vapors of blood continuously replacing the Qi he lost, and his eyes that were almost fully red at this point, there wasn't a sane monster that would dare to approach him. Why would they willingly throw their lives away for no benefit!?
Even the monsters surrounding his Servants dispersed, giving them a way out.

A toothy grin was plastered on his face as he approached his friends. Yes! Friends! Not servants. He never saw them as such and instead, he saw them as companions that fought by his side again and again, for countless years in a row, never complaining and never abandoning him. Never losing trust in him! They knew that as long as he drew breath, he would stop at nothing and won't be stopped by anything until his goals were achieved. His goal right now was saving them!
Before he could speak to them, he waved his hand telling them not to worry, since their eyes were plastered on his many wounds. At this point, his body had more scars than clear patches of skin, but it didn't bother him. As long as they were safe...

*CRASH*

With a loud crash, a monster over ten meters tall dropped on top of the defensive formation, thoroughly crashing it. With a wave of its cleaver, blood and bones were sent flying in each direction. A gust of cold air crept down the spines of the spectating 'players', drawing gasps from everyone. Some of the girls began shedding tears, while the guys shook their heads in dismay. His Servants were done for! He broke the unspoken rules and massacred his way into the invading army trying to save his people, while the enemy's general dropped in and massacred his Servants as payback. Such was the horror of the battlefield.

Everyone's eyes, human and monster alike were placed on the terrifying demon that now stood frozen in place.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

A yell filled with grief, anger, reluctance, and impotence shook the space. The bodies of the dead creatures and humans near him began oozing blood, all of which was flowing like a river towards him. Whatever human traits his face held before... were now gone. Instead, he looked more like a devil than a human. Driven by intense hatred and grief, his cultivation went askew and he fully demonized. He didn't bother to stop it, nor did the players in the backlines.
They instead give the order to retreat, since they knew that that mad dog from before just became a full-fledged hellhound.

Like a bullet from a gun, the devil rushed at the general with breakneck speed. His power increased by one rank and so did his other attributes. In exchange, he lost his sanity...

Minutes later, the same devil was looking down on his body that was riddled with holes and had a long gnashing wound that almost bisected him. His good sword was cut in two and was almost useless, while the beating he was given before by the general even woke him up from his demonized state. The barely alive Servants were trying their hardest to get up to their feet and help him out, only to see him shaking his head.
With a hoarse voice, a few words escaped his lips.

"Get the others and retreat. That's an order..."

A blood glow covered him for a second, signifying a blood order. A command that cannot be defied by the Servants since the System restricted them. Seeing the maggots that he crushed previously squirming to their feet, the general gave a cruel grin and prepared to smash them back to the ground and watch them die painfully.
Since this garbage in front of him dared to massacre so many of his troops, as well as three of his commanders, he should punish him in the cruelest way he can.

He didn't get the chance though. As soon as he showed the intention of turning around, the bug he was ignoring before appeared in front of his face. With his right hand, he stabbed at the temple but was quickly swatted down. Before he was hit, however, a shard covered in blood turned into a red streak and smashed itself into the general's left eye.
A roar filled with pain and indignity reverberated once more, shaking the entire battlefield. The wrath of a general wasn't something a ragdoll on his last breath could possibly hope to endure, but when seeing his pride tarnished, he decided to capture this human bug and torture him until his anger subsides.

"You're late..."

Falling to the ground like an overused dust cloth, only two words were heard among the giant's heaven shaking roars. Even the humans on the side were wondering if he went fully crazy because of despair. What was late? The general? His death?
As confusion took over the masses, a gentle glow covered thousands of kilometers, healing wounds for the allies, and burning the enemies to ashes. Seeing the general's despairing face, he didn't feel and pleasure or relief. Only an even deeper despair and powerlessness coming deep from his soul.

"Once more... I have to rely on you."

[Is that so bad? It's not like I ever asked anything in return.](?)

"..."

[Come on, say something! You're not dead, you know!?](?)

"How are they?"

[...six dead, fifteen critically wounded, three heavily wounded, and those three only moderately.](?)

"Mhm..."

A sharp pang of pain assaulted his heart upon hearing that six of his friends died. As for the reason why... his lack of strength! If he was stronger, he could've gotten better results in the System's Events, therefore gaining better rewards. The resources he would gain could be used to nurture his Servants further, increasing their chances of survival. If this was not his fault, then whose was it?
Wasn't it him that asked them to follow? Wasn't it him that promised to take them to the peak of cultivation and bring them glory? Wasn't it him the one that killed them?

[You have that dead-fish look in your eyes again... It's disgusting!](?)

"This is why I hate you, Laura. You could never understand this..."

[And I don't need to. What's the point in wallowing in self-pity? Is it going to change the past? No! Is it going to affect the future? Definitely! Six died, but 21 survived. With you mopping about, do you think they will fare better in the future?](Laura)

"..."

[Again, with the same look that screams 'I'm dead inside'. You're really making me want to hit you in the face. Repeatedly! And violently!](Laura)

"*Sigh* This should be enough, right? I won't allow you to dig in deeper than this."

The previously spent voice regained some strength and the entire world seemed to freeze. Herman got up to his feet and examined his body that was slowly healing with a bitter smile on his face. Raising his head and seeing his past life's Servants regaining their strength slowly, he couldn't help but sigh again. In this life, he would find them again and fulfill the promise he made them. Illusion, cultivation demon, or otherwise, this memory would serve as a sufficient reminder of why strength is important. He wouldn't want to find himself on the same battlefield in the future and have to go through the same pain and suffering. Nor those that follow him!

As for the beautiful angel-like woman in front of him... she was the empress of an upper-rank Holy Empire as well as one of the few acquaintances Herman had and surprisingly was (or at least she considered herself) a friend. He, on the other hand, hated her. Or at least that's what he kept telling himself.

"It's not that I hated her, but rather that I hated myself. I despised how strong she was when compared to myself. She was a genius that would put even LinkWill and Dragity to shame, had the backing of a huge empire, and could drown thousands of Servants in resources. Me on the other hand, mediocre talent that had to bleed myself to death each time in order to keep advancing, barely managed to establish a sect and had to keep putting myself in danger each time for resources, and finally, barely had any pills to help my companions advance in their cultivation. My shitty situation is what kept them back from soaring in the skies, yet they never complained or blamed me for it. Not even once!"

It's that attitude that made him hate himself even more, therefore projecting it onto others such as Laura. There's no doubt that she had her own flaws since she was human, and she did have a hand in killing UX, but... there are always two sides to a coin.
Sighing at the slowly vanishing illusion, he reached out and moved his hand close to Laura's face. Stopping only a breath away, he shook his head and turned around, leaving two words that he couldn't say back then behind.

"Thank you!"