Mercenary System: I can increase innate potential !

So he began to tell Maxime his story.

In his youth, Dravus was not only a promising warrior, he was also a fulfilled man.

He lived in a lush valley, where every sunrise set the mountains ablaze with a golden glow.

His tribe prospered, and his exceptional talent meant he didn't have to join the army and risk his life.

But what he cherished most was neither his strength nor his status, it was his fiancée, Lyssra.@@novelbin@@

Lyssra was a Dravak of rare beauty, with deep-blue scales that twinkled like stars in the moonlight.

She possessed a gentleness and wisdom that soothed even the most tormented of hearts.

With her, Dravus had dreamed of a simple but happy future.

He believed that once he had passed the warrior's test, he would become a glorious Dravak general in the future, his wife would be invited to every kind of noble gathering, while his children would enjoy the best education, the best resources and the best teachers.

Peace, however, had no place among the Dravaks.

Their society, though proud and disciplined, was dominated by the law of the strongest.

The son of the tribal chief, Korran, was arrogant and cruel, used to getting whatever he wanted.

And unfortunately for Dravus, among his desires was Lyssra.

...

Dravus gritted his teeth as he recounted this, his sharp nails scraping the earth.

"Korran... That infamous son of the chief. He wanted Lyssra no matter whether she consented or not. And clearly she... she loved me. She had chosen me."

Maxime simply listened and remained impassive.

His role was to listen, not to interfere.

...

One evening, Korran used his power and influence to accuse Dravus of treason against the tribe.

The accusations were absurd, but Korran's word carried more weight than that of anyone but the chief.

Dravus was challenged to single combat, but not by Korran. No, the latter had sent his best guard, a 3-meter-tall colossus named Rathar.

Although size was not synonymous with strength among the Dravaks, it was still an indicator not to be overlooked. Find exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

The fight was brutal.

To everyone's surprise, Dravus was extremely tenacious and showed formidable strength.

Unfortunately, facing a powerful and experienced warrior like Rathar, he lost in the end.

Taking advantage of his weakness, Korran declared that Dravus was no longer worthy of protecting Lyssra.

In front of the entire tribe, he demanded that she become his.

Lyssra refused with a firmness that inspired admiration and terror in the other women of the tribe.

But the laws were clear: she had no choice.

The strong had the right to choose their wives, and women could only submit to this.

At the same time, Korran wanted to execute Dravus, but Lyssra threatened to kill herself if Dravus died.

But this was not enough to change Korran's mind.

He had many ways of preventing a woman from committing suicide.

Until the tribal chief intervened, and refused his son's order.

He explained to him in front of everyone that Dravus was a genius of their tribe and could bring many military merits in the future.

Evidently, the tribal chief believed that no matter what Dravus's potential, he could always control him.

So there was value in keeping him alive.

So it was that Dravus saw his fiancée leave with another man before his very eyes, and so it was that a monster was born.

Less than 3 months after this event, he took the warrior's test and passed with flying colors.

Unfortunately, he was not yet strong enough to surpass Rathar, let alone the tribal chief.

So he applied to join the dimensional battlefield.

He knew that on this battlefield, by putting his life on the line, he could obtain many good things that would enable him to become stronger.

...

Maxime listened attentively to the end of his new warrior's story.

"They tore her away from me..." growled Dravus, his voice broken.

"Every time I think of that damned Korran, I can't help but think of what he can do to my lovely fiancée."

But at the same time Dravus smiled at that moment.

"But I also know that Lyssra is a very strong woman. She has a weak physique and on top of that she knows nothing about martial arts. However, her temperament...she's indomitable!"

"I, Dravus, do not betroth just anyone!"

"Only a woman like Lyssra, will be able to give children who can inherit my genius without being weakened by their mother's gentle temperament!"

As he finished, Dravus was short of breath.

Then he raised his eyes and looked at Maximus, still indifferent.

"And here I am, telling my story to a human...I really am the shame of the Dravaks."

Maxime left a few seconds of silence, then said:

"And if I helped you get your revenge, get your wife back, let you start a family and even let you command my men and become a glorious general, would you be willing to follow me?"

Dravus met Maximus's shining eyes at that moment.

"But...you're a human and I'm a Dravak! It's impossible for us to fight together!"

Maxime looked at him with slight disdain, though it was imperceptible to Dravus.

"I'm humanity's greatest genius, and even very powerful Gods have granted me their blessing, nothing is impossible with me."

Dravus was stunned by such words, Maxime's words echoing in his mind.

And yet, having signed this contract, he also felt a mysterious power flowing through his body.

It lent a certain credibility to Maxime's words.

And this guy had no reason to lie to him, so it must really be true, or at least he must be one of mankind's greatest talents.

Faced with him, he was just a simple genius from a medium-sized tribe. There was nothing particularly laudatory about that.

But at the same time, the idea of collaborating with a human, a race he'd been conditioned to despise, seemed absurd.

Yet there was a power in Maxime's eyes, an unshakeable determination that could not be ignored.

Dravus's thoughts were confused, which made him hesitate.

Finally, he asked:

"You want to use me for your own ends, human. Why should I trust you?"

Maximus didn't blink. He knew that, depending on what he said, he might or might not succeed in conquering this Dravak.

"You have nothing to lose, Dravus. Your hatred consumes you and your vengeance is beyond your reach alone. But with me, every battle we fight will bring you closer to your goal. I'm not asking you to trust me blindly. Show me your loyalty, and I'll show you that my promises are not empty."

Dravus watched Maxime in silence, gauging his words.

Mistrust, rage and a glimmer of hope competed in his eyes. Finally, he clenched his fists and replied:

"Very well. But know this, human: if you disappoint me, no matter how powerful and restrictive this contract, you will bitterly regret it."

Maxime smiled in satisfaction.

He didn't care if his new warrior threatened him; on the contrary, it was good news for him.

Behind these threats lay ferocity and a warrior spirit still very much alive.

So this was the best result he could get!

"That's all I wanted to hear. Let's work well together, Dravus." Maxime affirmed with a sincere smile, extending his hand to Dravus.

Dravus shook Maxime's hand fiercely, using much of his strength.

"Let's work well together, boss," Dravus replied with a strange smile.

If he were an apprentice knight, his hand would have exploded into a thousand pieces.

But Maxime simply had to exert a similar force, and nothing would happen.

"Let's go now." Maxime ordered, easily withdrawing his hand.

All around them, the clash of weapons and war cries filled the air as Shibuya's mercenaries struggled desperately to contain the Dravaks' onslaught.

Dravus nodded in agreement.

They joined the nearest shots, arriving between more than twenty Dravaks and a dozen Shibuya mercenaries accompanied by some twenty men from Eternity.

It was easy to distinguish between the mercenaries and their men, as the latter wore equipment designed for hand-to-hand combat.

They could resurrect as well as having superb hand-to-hand skills, and since they didn't know how to handle a gun, it was best to let them handle the hand-to-hand.

Especially as memories of the dimensional battlefield remained, this could also count as life-and-death training for these men.

For his part, Dravus glanced at his fellow Dravaks, enraged, charging into the human ranks.

A moment's hesitation passed in his eyes, but Maxime's voice brought him back to reality.

"You wanted a chance to prove yourself. Here it is."

He hesitated no longer, and without a word, Dravus tightened his grip on the spear he'd picked up earlier, his eyes shining with a new determination.

Especially since, thanks to Viviana's talent, he had already recovered most of his strength and his wounds had closed in less than a minute.

Even his wings seemed undamaged.

Of course, the Dravaks' innate regeneration also helped.

Maxime smiled before turning to the chaos.

Langus and Kaite were also there, helping the Shibuya hold their position, and there was even a tendency to push the Dravaks back thanks to their help.

It was in this kind of situation that Dravus threw himself into the fray.

His former Dravak comrades were the first to notice the strangeness of the situation.

A creature of their own blood, fighting alongside humans?

"Dravus?" grunted one of the warriors, stunned, before receiving a blistering spear blow that forced him backwards.