The Legendary Man

Chapter 1159 A Crimson Bird
Even Karl was slightly creeped out by Leslie's present condition.
Although they were all aware of the latter's existence, none of them had had any contact with her in real life other than Hades.
Right then, he finally understood why Jonathan had been reluctant to utilize such a talented commander as her.
It was because she was not a complete person in such a situation.
When she saw him earlier, she still possessed a human's innate reaction, feeling nauseous upon laying eyes on his severed arm
and the bloodstains all over him.
At that very moment, however, she was numb to it all. That aside, she exhibited no fear toward him, a God Realm warrior.
In other words, she no longer had any reverence for human life then.
A single death was a tragedy, but a million deaths were a statistic.
A person's fear of death and everything else came from the reverence for life.
Undeniably, some murderers might be lost in the sense of thrill brought by the anxiety of taking lives after killing a person or two.
However, if they were given free rein to kill hundreds and thousands of people, they would be horror-stricken and averse by the
end of the killing spree.
That was not a theory but Karl's personal experience.
When Doveston was still in chaos, he led the Eastern Army to the states in the region to quell the rebellion.
Upon encountering heinous military armed forces, he once slaughtered them all.
By the end of it, every single swing of his sword carried a tremor from the depths of his soul.
Detesting the killing that he wrought, he even felt that he was the source of all filth in the end.
For a long time after that, he plunged into acute self-doubt.

Hence, the woman standing before him at that moment terrified him greatly.
In her current state of mind, she might not have the slightest reverence for life.
For instance, she advocated Shusonna Army's infiltration of the enemy's rear battle line a moment ago.
It would definitely be effective, but judging from Remdik's formation, the chances of the auxiliary team from the Shusonna Army
making it out alive were slim.
All that was left in her eyes was victory.
She was a veritable war machine.
Besides Karl, Wilbur had likewise perceived Leslie's abnormal state.
But unlike the former, he did not regard her with fear and shock but elation.
Despite having Yaleview Army firmly in his command, he had been lamenting the lack of capable subordinates.
That went doubly for gifted commanders, and he had been searching for such talented people.
It so happened that Leslie fulfilled his criteria.
Evan Karl was slightly craapad out by Laslia's prasant condition.
Although thay wara all awara of tha lattar's axistanca, nona of tham had had any contact with har in raal lifa othar than Hadas.
Right than, ha finally undarstood why Jonathan had baan raluctant to utiliza such a talantad commandar as har.
It was bacausa sha was not a complata parson in such a situation.
Whan sha saw him aarliar, sha still possassad a human's innata raaction, faaling nausaous upon laying ayas on his savarad arm
and tha bloodstains all ovar him.
At that vary momant, howavar, sha was numb to it all. That asida, sha axhibitad no faar toward him, a God Raalm warrior.
In othar words, sha no longar had any ravaranca for human lifa than.
A singla daath was a tragady, but a million daaths wara a statistic.

A parson's faar of daath and avarything alsa cama from tha ravaranca for lifa.
Undaniably, soma murdarars might ba lost in tha sansa of thrill brought by tha anxiaty of taking livas aftar killing a parson or two.
Howavar, if thay wara givan fraa rain to kill hundrads and thousands of paopla, thay would ba horror-strickan and avarsa by tha
and of tha killing spraa.
That was not a thaory but Karl's parsonal axparianca.
Whan Dovaston was still in chaos, ha lad tha Eastarn Army to tha statas in tha ragion to quall tha raballion.
Upon ancountaring hainous military armad forcas, ha onca slaughtarad tham all.
By tha and of it, avary singla swing of his sword carriad a tramor from tha dapths of his soul.
Datasting tha killing that ha wrought, ha avan falt that ha was tha sourca of all filth in tha and.
For a long tima aftar that, ha plungad into acuta salf-doubt.
Hanca, tha woman standing bafora him at that momant tarrifiad him graatly.
In har currant stata of mind, sha might not hava tha slightast ravaranca for lifa.
For instanca, sha advocatad Shusonna Army's infiltration of tha anamy's raar battla lina a momant ago.
It would dafinitaly ba affactiva, but judging from Ramdik's formation, tha chancas of tha auxiliary taam from tha Shusonna Army
making it out aliva wara slim.
All that was laft in har ayas was victory.
Sha was a varitabla war machina.
Basidas Karl, Wilbur had likawisa parcaivad Laslia's abnormal stata.
But unlika tha formar, ha did not ragard har with faar and shock but alation.
Daspita having Yalaviaw Army firmly in his command, ha had baan lamanting tha lack of capabla subordinatas.
That want doubly for giftad commandars, and ha had baan saarching for such talantad paopla.

It so happanad that Laslia fulfillad his critaria.
“You're Leslie Hart, yes? And you're from Summerbank?”
In truth, Wilbur paid close attention to Jonathan's whereabouts. While Summerbank was not a strategic area, the latter had
visited the place twice in close succession.
For that reason, he scrutinized the intelligence report on Summerbank that recorded Jonathan's movements and the people he
came into contact with in detail.
Among them was Leslie.
At that question, Leslie turned her gaze to Wilbur.
“Yes, I'm from Summerbank. What about it? You want to threaten me with my family?”
“Of course not.”
Wilbur's interest was further piqued by her reaction.
He continued, “I'm merely curious about your arrangements for the three hundred thousand people in my Yaleview Army.”
“They're to blend into Eastern Allied Army without any specific arrangements,” Leslie answered indifferently.
Hearing that, Wilbur was somewhat stunned.
He had predicted that Yaleview Army's troops would likely be assigned to the most dangerous positions if someone from Asura's
Office were to take command.
After all, that battle was the only way to weaken Yaleview Army's forces to the greatest extent.
Such an arrangement would be more sensible in consideration of the current relationship between Asura's Office and Yaleview
Army. On top of that, it would pave the way in preparation for the war between the two military forces in the future.
Therefore, it had never crossed his mind that Leslie would actually decide to have Yaleview Army join Eastern Allied Army. Verily,
that was beyond his expectations.
“I would like to know the reason for that,” he insisted with a frown.

Leslie did not bother to keep her thoughts to herself.
“I don't trust your Yaleview Army. Although you've sent almost three hundred thousand people to join Doveston's auxiliary team
with the distinct goal of protecting the country, it's possible that you made plans to target Eastern Army. Thus, your troops must
be scattered to prevent the situation from getting out of hand on a large scale.”
The satisfied look in Wilbur's eyes as he stared at her grew increasingly intense.
“Understood. Well, you're frank indeed! It looks like Jonathan has really found a qualified commander. But I'm also very much
curious about what things would be like if I were to hand you absolute command over my Yaleview Army of three hundred
thousand soldiers.”
Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!
A series of shrill cries belonging to a bird rang out incessantly.
Jonathan slowly opened his eyes. Excruciating pain that debilitated him coursed through his entire body.
“You're Leslie Hart, yes? And you're from Summerbank?”
“D*mn it!” he could not help cursing lowly.
Reaching up, he rubbed his eyes.
As he gazed at the gentle sunlight in the sky, he gradually recalled the final scene before he passed out.
To help me escape from the valley, Wulfgar used the last vestiges of his strength to send me into the chaos portal, which means
I'm already in a small world!
At that thought, he flipped over and jumped to his feet. Unexpectedly, he was greeted by empty air and plummeted down.
Crack!
Curving his fingers into claws, he grabbed onto a protruding rock, only then stopping his downward descent.
It was not until he was suspended in mid-air that he discerned his present location.
It turned out that he had been lying on a protruding slope on a cliff while he was unconscious.

Meanwhile, his Heaven Sword was wedged into the mountain wall above the slope.
There was a palm-sized crimson bird perched on the hilt of the sword, its body so rounded that it resembled a ball.
The chirps that woke him earlier were from the bird.
Glimpsing the drop of almost a hundred meters below his feet, Jonathan exerted strength and pulled himself back up to the
compact slope.
He sat on the slope, panting heavily.
The spiritual energy there was overly rich. He sensed that all the meridians in his body were already filled with spiritual energy by
then, so much so that normal circulation alone posed a challenge.
He only felt much better after sealing off his meridians and cutting off all connection with the spiritual energy from the outside
world.
“This is a great place to cultivate,” he commented.
Casting his gaze at the rolling hills shrouded in mist in the distance, he stood up with his back against the rock wall.
He reached out to shoo the crimson bird away, planning to yank Heaven Sword out before leaving.
To his surprise, the bird raised its beak and pecked him.
“D*mn it!”
The stab of pain between his thumb and forefinger had him cursing aloud.
When he saw that the crimson bird was still perched on the hilt of the sword, he coated his hand with a layer of Spirit Armor
before reaching out to grab it.
He moved at lightning speed, but his anticipated victory did not take place.
Turning into a red afterimage, the bird zipped aside. It fluttered its wings and eyeballed the man with its head tilted.
It was then that Jonathan realized something was amiss.
His spiritual sense appeared to only be able to spread out to a distance of less than ten meters at most.

Hmm, there's something strange about this small world...