Dawn broke over the Kingdom of Merch, casting pale light across tents and scorched earth. The battlefield had long been cleared, yet the lessons of the night before lingered. Soldiers, both veterans and youths, moved with a careful diligence, practicing formations and drills under the watchful eyes of Red Flags commanders. The teleport gate, still under construction, gleamed faintly as magical energy pulsed through its framework, promising rapid travel and the consolidation of human forces.
Daniel's presence remained unseen, yet it influenced everything. Orders flowed through the battalion with precision, and morale remained high even amid exhaustion. The soldiers, inspired by the tales of courage and feats beyond imagination, now carried not just swords, but ideas—ambition, loyalty, and the promise of power for those willing to earn it.
Workshops had been set up alongside the camp. Red Flags alchemists mixed Warrior Pills, carefully regulating doses and marking who could take them. The pills, potent and dangerous, expelled fear from the user, granting them the courage to press through wounds and exhaustion. Yet the commanders reminded all: the pills came with a cost. Overuse dulled emotion, interfered with the natural development of the mana core, and risked preventing a warrior from ascending the cultivation ranks. Only the disciplined, the patient, and the willing could truly turn pills into progress rather than dependence.
Young soldiers listened with wide eyes as instructors explained the ranks of cultivation. Fifth rank allowed the awakening of elemental abilities—fire, water, earth, air—while the Qwii level, or tenth rank, permitted unity with the element itself, further amplifying power and reflexes. Beyond this, the Vast Realm offered city-level destructive potential, and the God Realm granted the capacity to raze kingdoms in days. Yet exceptions existed: those with black cores and god-pacts, like Daniel, could bypass traditional elemental cultivation. Their agility, weapon mastery, and dark pact energy made them undetectable through mana sensing, and their strategies relied on cunning and instinct rather than raw elemental might.
The younger recruits marveled at these explanations, glancing at the older Red Flags warriors who had survived the previous night. They remembered the story of the warrior who had fought on even while holding his own guts in one hand, still swinging his sword with the other. They whispered among themselves, admiration sparkling in their eyes, and a hunger for greatness began to take root.
Meanwhile, Prince Eloween, still recovering from her wounds, walked through the camp alongside her attendants. Soldiers bowed as she passed, and whispers followed her every step—not just for her status, but for the growing rumors that she had begun spending time near Daniel. Eyes flicked between the young princess and the silent, unseen general who guided the battalion, and conversations grew speculative. Some praised the potential alliance, others worried, and many simply wondered how the boy had achieved feats so far beyond comprehension.
Arrielle and Maria moved among the soldiers, assessing injuries, guiding training, and ensuring the effective use of the Warrior Pills. Each lesson was paired with cautionary tales. They explained that courage alone could not replace skill, that mana cores required patience, and that elemental mastery came only to those who endured hardship and control. For every soldier who dreamed of power, there was a reminder: without balance, the pills, the training, and the ambition could destroy as easily as they could elevate.
Telegraph posts and magical conduits were erected to support the teleport gate, connecting the Kingdom of Merch with Knightfall and beyond. Trade agreements followed, and alliances formed quickly as humans recognized the benefits of joining under the Red Flags' guidance. Resources, knowledge, and labor flowed more freely, and even minor noble houses found themselves bending toward cooperation, drawn by the Red Flags' reputation and Daniel's subtle, unseen influence.
Training grew more intense each day. Warriors practiced against illusions, constructs, and summoned beasts, learning to balance fear, aggression, and control. The Warrior Pills allowed them to maintain focus and stamina in extreme conditions, yet commanders watched carefully to prevent overuse. Recruits were taught to sense mana flows, to feel the subtle currents of their own cores, and to recognize when they could push past limits safely. With each successful lesson, their understanding grew, though only a few reached the stage where elemental awakening became possible.
Evenings were reserved for reflection and storytelling. Around the campfires, soldiers recounted the previous night's feats, always returning to the same awe-inspiring moments: the warp portal, the hills of corpses, and the endurance of Red Flags warriors. Young men and women absorbed the tales, comparing their own struggles and imagining the day they might surpass them. Meanwhile, Arielle's valor remained a common topic. Her name inspired devotion, not just for her beauty, but for the courage she displayed in battle, the precision of her strikes, and her ability to remain composed under chaos.
All of this unfolded under the quiet influence of Daniel. While the soldiers trained and alliances solidified, he moved through the shadows, unseen, monitoring the camp, and nudging events with subtle precision. He ensured that no one overstepped bounds, that discipline remained strict, and that the pace of human unification progressed efficiently. His god-pact abilities allowed him to sense threats beyond mortal perception, and his strategy extended beyond the battlefield to the growth of the human continent under Red Flags leadership.
Yet even as peace seemed to settle over the Kingdom of Merch, subtle tensions persisted. Rumors about Princess Eloween and Daniel's closeness lingered, whispers about power and potential alliances carried on the wind, and the younger warriors' ambitions continued to grow unchecked. The teleport gate, still in its final stages, promised connection and convenience but also became a symbol of rising influence, drawing the attention of neighboring kingdoms.
At night, the camp fell silent, yet it was a quiet filled with potential. Wolves patrolled the perimeter, the young soldiers meditated under the moonlight, and Red Flags commanders made final adjustments to formations, drills, and patrols. Every heart beat in rhythm with possibility, every mind aware that the unification of humans would demand more than courage: it would demand control, strategy, and, most of all, trust in those unseen forces guiding them.
The Kingdom of Merch had survived the miasma disaster, secured a powerful alliance, and begun its path toward unification, but the true test of strength and leadership had only begun. Daniel, silent and unseen, observed all of it, knowing that the foundation had been laid. The soldiers learned, trained, and grew, while the people whispered and hoped, and the seeds of power, loyalty, and ambition spread throughout the land.
The first phase of human unification had ended in survival, awe, and cautious optimism. Phase Two had begun in training, cultivation, and alliance-building, setting the stage for the continent-wide arc that would reshape kingdoms, forge loyalties, and test the limits of both mortals and those touched by the god-pact.
And Daniel, unseen, god-core hidden, continued to weave his strategy, ensuring that the Red Flags Battalion would not only survive the next wave of threats but would become the undeniable force to unify all humans under one banner.