Hitman with a Badass System

Albert Mertz was a hot-blooded young man in his youth. He was one of the men who received the gift of Cosmic energy thanks to his undying loyalty toward King Maxim Barnes. As a result, he became a Soul Refining stage cultivator. With his cultivation level and years of training from his grandfather, he climbed up the ranks in the army and became the second in command to his grandfather himself. The ocean breeze disturbed Albert's wavy silver hair. He joined his grandfather on the upper deck, near the rudder.

"Everything seems to be calm," said Albert.

"For now," said Hubert.

"Power always comes with a cost, Albert,"

Hubert was taken aback by surprise. For some reason, Albert couldn't see the absolute resolve to win in his grandfather's eyes.

"General, what do you mean by that?" asked Albert.

Hubert sighed. He was one of the first people who went to the Cosmic stream in person with King Maxim Barnes. While everyone praised King MAxim for acquiring such a power source, Hubert was the only one worried about the consequences of having such a power source. Although Hubert did not know how King Maxim managed to acquire the Cosmic stream, he felt death around it. He lived and faced enough battles to know the smell of blood even though the place was cleaned up well. Deep down, Hubert felt this was the consequence he was worried about.

"I had many disciples in my life, Albert, and I've told this to each and every one, including our king. Never lust for power and revenge," Albert said in a gentle tone.

"Grandpa," Albert stepped closer to Hubert.

"What's going on? You talk like we're going to lose this battle," Albert whispered.

"We are just mere pawns in a larger game we don't and can't see. Our orders are clear, we will fight this battle to win. But in case," Hubert turned around. He looked his grandson in the eyes and smiled.

"This turned out to be my last battle, I want you to leave all this fighting," Albert creased his brows. He was completely stunned by his grandfather's words.

"Do not seek revenge. If I die, let me die with honor. Do not sully my death seeking revenge against the one who bested me," Hubert put his hand on Albert's shoulder. He had a peaceful moment with his grandson. His life flashed across his eyes. He recalled every happy moment in his life, and none of those moments included battlefields or wars. He had won countless battles, but nothing made him happier than holding his newborn son or his grandson.

"Grandpa, we are about to head into a full-scale war. Everyone wants you to be the General who won battles against all odds,"

"There will always be a war to win, Albert. You are my greatest disciple, not King Maxim and not General Booth. You must be better. Better than me, better than your father, and better than everyone,"

Albert smiled and felt proud of his grandfather's words. The two of them only had each other. All the other Mertz' gave their lives to the betterment of Thusia. Albert was the last Mertz of the long, proud family of Mertz. Hubert wanted his grandson to carry on the legacy of Mertz.

"I will, grandpa. But don't talk like this. We will win this war and send those bastards to hell. Ghost won't survive our death squad,"

"Hmm," Hubert nodded. Although he didn't believe mortals could defeat a Half Immortal, especially a powerful one like Ghost, he didn't want his grandson to lose morale.

"But heed my words one last time, Albert. If I fall today, don't fall in my footsteps," said Hubert with a heavy heart.

Albert took a deep breath,

"I won't be the last Mertz, grandpa. I promise to honor your words,"

Satisfied with Albert's answer, Hubert patted him on the back before turning his gaze back to the ocean. As Hubert was staring at the calm sea, something suddenly appeared on the horizon.

"They are here," Albert mumbled under his breath. He quickly took the spyglass dangling on his waist. He used it to take a closer look at the horizon. As he expected, it was a war frigate. It almost perfectly blended with the darkness. He had never seen a ship completely painted black. Even the sails were as black as midnight.

Albert saw silhouettes of several people on the deck. One by one, many warships appeared behind this black ship.

A thunderous horn echoed through the air, alerting the soldiers of the enemies.

"Take position!". General Hubert's domineering voice resonated through the air as loud as the sound created by the array itself. His previously worried eyes turned predatory.

"The moment they come into the firing range, unlead everything you have on them," ordered Albert. The Thusian ships were built with longer and wider fire ranges than any other ships in this world. Best blacksmiths, runemasters, and engineers worked day and night to strengthen their firepower. Thus, the thusians could destroy their foes from out of the hostile ship's fire range. None of the kingdoms in Ozer survived the assault of the Thusian naval army.

To attack the thusian ships, the hostile ships had to sail forward. The trident formation was to flank them from left and right, while the center point was to destroy them head-on.  According to the strategists of Thusia, it was a powerful lethal formation. To their shock, the black ship or the others did not even drop its sails. Instead, they just hovered over the water, doing nothing.

"Are they expecting us to make the first move?" asked Albert.

"No," Hubert shook his head. Since he was at the Fusion stage, he was able to see the hostile crews running around the upper deck, carrying wooden crates despite the snow affecting everyone's sight. Hubert noticed they were unloading the crates near the front of the black ship. But to his knowledge, there were no cannons in the front, and even if there were, they wouldn't be able to shoot more than two or three cannonballs.

But suddenly, a red spotlight fell on a ship far right from Hubert's. They were bewildered by the spotlight. When Albert looked closer at the black ship, he noticed a red light shooting toward the sky. Soon, they heard a sound resembling a rumbling thunderclap. At the same time, Albert sparks of fire and smoke emerge from the black ship.

He followed the sparks of fire until they flew right above the ship with a red spotlight on. In mere seconds, countless fireballs rained down upon the ship like tiny meteors. Wood and body parts flew out of the ship as the fireballs destroyed everything they touched. It was as though countless cannons fired cannonballs from directly above. They had never seen such an attack before. The screams of the soldiers filled the air, along with the smell of gunpowder, burning flesh, and crackling wood. Finally, under their shocked gazes, the ship sank into the sea.

When several red spotlights fell on their ships, the soldiers felt a chill running down their spines.

"General your orders!" Albert shouted.

"Set sail. Avoid the spotlights at all costs!" Hubert snapped out of his shock and quickly issued his orders. The crews frantically run around the upper deck, setting sail forward. But once again, the sound of thunderclaps resonated through the air. This time, the dark sky lit up with fireballs. Hundreds of mortar shells glistened like stars in the sky. When they landed on their targets, ships and mortal bodies exploded.

The red spotlights targeted the ships with weak soldiers. Although many soldiers cast defense spells around the ship, the mortal shells destroyed their shields as though it was nothing. The thusians were thrown into chaos. However, General Hubert managed to lead the ships closer to the hostile ones. Once they were in the firing range, they could finally return the favor by bombarding them.

"Soul Refiners!" Hubert shouted.

"You're clear to fly and engage the enemy crews. Destroy their red weapon!" His order echoed through the air. A couple of soldiers on his ship shot toward the sky. They soared through the sky, heading to the hostile ships. As nature itself feared their battle, the clouds began to swirl, indicating an imminent storm. The howling wind carried a sense of threat as flashes of lightning struck across the sky. Every time lightning flashed, they saw the dark clouds swirling in the sky as though it was opening a giant portal to the higher realms.

The Soul Refining stage warriors disappeared into the dark clouds. The thusians could differentiate between the sound of natural thunder and the sound of mortar firing. The soldiers prayed that the red lights would not fall on them. But the gods did not answer their prayers. Compared to the cannons, the mortals had faster reload times. Hence, they rained death upon the thusians before the Soul Refiners could get close to the pirate ships.

"What is that thing?!" Albert shouted. He cast a golden shield around him and his grandfather. Still, they couldn't help but be afraid of the red lights.

"They are raining death upon our men!" Another soldier shouted.

"Don't lose hope. Our men will destroy their weapons!" Albert shouted. He really hoped the Soul Refiners could end the threat before they lost more ships. Everywhere he looked, he saw fire and smoke. They were slowly moving closer to the hostile ships. Suddenly, Hebert looked at the sky as he sensed a powerful presence. He heard a powerful roar resonate through the air. At that same time, a lightning struck across the sea, illuminating a dragon's shadow above the clouds.

"She is here," Hubert mumbled under his breath.

"It's that damn dragon!" Albert growled. The soldiers stationed at the Golden Port a few days ago couldn't forget the terrifying roar of the dragon. A mere shadow of it was enough to terrify them.

"Fire the signal!" Hubert amplified his voice with Celestial energy. Despite the exploding ships and thunderclaps, everyone was able to hear his words loud and clear. Alber did not waste any second. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a bright blue orb of light. He raised his hand above his head, firing the orb of light into the sky. As soon as the blue light hit the sky, another roar echoed through the air.