Mercenary System: I can increase innate potential !

One of them, a young man with a sweaty face, stopped when he saw him.

"Hey, you there!" he shouted, wiping his brow.

"You're the guy everyone's talking about, the one who beat Warrick last night, right?"

Maxime shrugged, a slight smile on his lips.

"Yeah, that's me."

The soldier looked at him admiringly.

"Man, you have no idea how many guys tried to beat him. Especially since that guy was so insufferable at chill parties...And that in every dimensional battlefield, tch."

"How did you defeat him?"

Maxime pretended to think, then answered with a falsely serious air:

"It's because I'm a genius."

The group burst out laughing, lightening the mood a little.

"Well, genius, if you've got some free time, we could use some arms to move all this stuff," the soldier offered with a smile.

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It was common practice in the fortress for everyone to help each other, otherwise if a detail wasn't carried out in time it could delay the deployment of a battalion outside and therefore cause the death of many soldiers.

Particularly during a rescue operation or to secure an area.

However, the soldier had suggested this offhandedly, as it was also common for strongmen in the army to refuse this kind of arduous task in order to conserve their physical strength.

But Maxime nodded.

"Why not? I've got nothing better to do, anyway."

And best of all, he didn't have to obey army orders so he could manage his own physical strength and get out of the fortress when he felt fit.

His equipment, accommodation and food were, of course, paid for by the army, but that was the minimum to give when someone from outside the army came to reinforce while knowing the risks.

He spent the next hour helping the soldiers prepare their equipment, mingling with them in good spirits.

These soldiers had already heard about a very energetic and sociable young man from their comrades who had gone out to the relaxation area the previous evening, but hearing about him and feeling him were two totally different things.

This task, which was usually boring and tiring, suddenly became rather fun with Maxime with them.

After an hour, the equipment crates were finally lined up and ready for deployment. The soldiers present, out of breath but in good spirits, gathered around Maxime, some clapping his hands or shoulder in thanks.

"Hey, seriously, man, you really don't look like an outsider." declared one of them, a broad smile on his lips.

"Are you sure you don't want to sign a contract with the army? With your energy and strength, you'd have a squad under you in no time."

Maxime shrugged with a laugh.

"Sorry, guys, but being stuck in a hierarchy isn't my style. I prefer to keep my freedom."

The soldiers weren't surprised; it was normal for geniuses not to have the same desires as ordinary people.

Maxime continued chatting with the soldiers while glancing towards the main gate of the fortress.

The preparations around him seemed to be intensifying. NCOs were passing by giving quick orders, troops were regrouping, and armored vehicles were being loaded with ammunition and weapons.

The hustle and bustle brought him back to reality. These people were getting ready to leave on a mission where death lurked around the corner. His role here remained unclear, but one thing was certain: he couldn't remain inactive while so much effort was being expended around him.

At the earliest opportunity, he would join an army detachment and go outside.

At the same time, a familiar voice sounded behind him.

"Well, you seem to be integrating easily, Deputy Chief of the Shibuya."

Maxime turned to see Leïla, a mischievous smile on her lips but a gleam of determination in her eyes.

She was wearing her full outfit, her perfectly fitted uniform and a saber hanging from her belt.

"You're joking, I hope?" replied Maxime, his tone light but his features a little more serious when he saw her expression.

Leïla approached, crossing her arms.

"No, I still want you on my team."

"And I refuse, I don't want to join the army." Maxime continued, shaking his head.

"You know we're not from the army, don't you?" asked Leïla in surprise.

Maxime frowned, even though he'd more or less guessed it.

"Then what are the Shibuya?"

"The Shibuya are a mercenary group, just like the Juggernauts are in your hometown."

Maxime was surprised, but that was all.

Mercenary groups also imposed restrictions on their members, just as he did with the Saber-toothed Tigers.

"Still not interested."

Leïla was disappointed, but added all the same:

"That's a pity, but know that my offer still stands if you want to join us in the future."

Just then, an idea occurred to Leïla:

She tilted her head slightly, smiling.

"Otherwise the Dravaks are already on the move, and our battalion of 300 elite men has been ordered to leave immediately to stop one of their detachment, you could come with us."

"Dravak? I imagine they're our adversaries on this battlefield..."

Maxime thought for a moment.

He already had the idea of going outside to accumulate Eternity coins, so this was an interesting offer.

Finally, he nodded slowly.

An hour later.

Maxime found himself in an armored vehicle with twenty or so Shibuya soldiers, all concentrated but rather relaxed.

Everyone was equipped with sophisticated ranged weapons and armor, as well as melee weapons.

After all, they were all seasoned Eternity players, with physiques above 2.5 and hand-to-hand skills and experience.

"These guys are undoubtedly much stronger than standard soldiers." Maxime quickly analyzed as he observed them.

One look at them was enough to know that these guys were not to be messed with on the street.

And when 300 of them were together, no one would dare look down on them.

There were more than thirty vehicles of all kinds, all of them highly mobile and fast at the expense of firepower.

That was the point of the Shibuya, to be faster and more flexible than an army battalion.

A battalion could number anywhere from 300 to 1,500 men.

But they were all elite mercenaries, so even if they faced a regular army battalion of 1500 men, they had the confidence to defeat them.

Especially as they only appeared to be 300 men, but most of them had men in Eternity, so the 300 men could quickly turn into 3000.

So, for the moment, the danger was relatively low.

The atmosphere in the transport was therefore calm, despite the imminent approach of the enemy.

The soldier driving, a veteran named Aric, glanced curiously at Maxime through his rearview mirror.

"So, you're the new kid who impressed Leïla? I hope you're as good as she says you are, because where we're going, there's no room for error."

Maxime crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall of the vehicle.

"I've done a lot of shadowing in the past, so I'm pretty good now at not disturbing others while they're working."

A burst of laughter rose among the soldiers, breaking the tension a little.

Everyone could tell that Maxime was speaking in the second degree, otherwise their captain wouldn't have dared ask him to become their deputy chief.

Indeed, the news that their captain had found a young deputy chief had spread very quickly through their ranks, the information having leaked out one way or another.

So everyone had their guards up against Maxime, and at the same time, they were watching him.

But despite the banter, the atmosphere became more urgent as they neared their objective.

The vehicle finally came to a halt, the brakes squealing slightly.

Through a small opening, Maxime saw a dark clearing surrounded by steep hills. The place was eerily silent, but an oppressive energy hung in the air.

Leïla jumped out of the vehicle first, her saber drawn and her gaze sweeping the surrounding area. She motioned for the rest of the squad to follow.

"Hide the vehicles as usual, then move into formation."

Maxime went out in turn, gritting his teeth as he felt the dampness of the forest stick to his skin. His senses were already on full alert.

He didn't dare take his life lightly, especially as with today's technology, a shot could come from very far away.

The soldiers dispersed efficiently, each one knowing his task. The vehicles were quickly covered with camouflage netting and moved under dense tree cover to make them invisible from the air. Meanwhile, Leïla continued to observe the surroundings while holding her energy assault rifle.

These assault rifles not only released destructive, corrosive energy on enemies with every shot, but there was also no risk of jamming like some firearms of the past.

Maxime stayed close to her, also holding his rifle given to him by Chief Engineer Karad, while silently watching the mercenaries in action. He was impressed by their discipline and coordination.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to show us what you're made of?" quipped Leïla, smirking as she teased him.

Maxime shrugged.

"I don't know your methods, so I'd better not get too clever."

Leïla nodded, which was exactly what she expected from Maxime.

Her mercenaries worked in formation, so if Maxime walked anywhere, he could destabilize the formation from the inside.@@novelbin@@

Once the vehicles were camouflaged, the squad formed up. Leïla led the way with palpable assurance, her movements silent and precise, while her men stretched out particularly in length and width.

This method covered a fairly limited field of action, but enabled them to react more quickly in the event of danger.

Maxime stood vigilantly beside Leïla.

The clearing stretched out before them, flanked by steep hills covered in dense vegetation.

The atmosphere was oppressive, as if the forest itself were holding its breath.

"Something's not right here." muttered one of the mercenaries beside Maxime.

Ahead, Leïla stopped dead in her tracks, raising a hand to signal everyone to stand still.

"It's strange, our scouts come back exactly every 15 minutes."

"But this is 16 minutes."