The soldiers of Qingyang Province would remember this day as the strangest battle of the war. What should have been a straightforward clash of steel turned surreal the moment he appeared—twice.
First Appearance: The Pajama Phantom
Location: Materialized at the battlefield's exact center
Apparel: Unrecognizable soft garments (later identified as "sleep clothes")
Actions:
✓ Caught and returned an arrow to kill an Ocland archer
✓ Spoke in guttural, alien syllables
✓ Vanished mid-charge
Though the engagement lasted mere minutes, not a soldier present could shake the image from their minds. Something in their warrior's instinct whispered: He will return.
Second Coming: The Steel Reaper
When Matthew Ho rematerialized, he came transformed:
[Modern Tactical Gear]
Digital camouflage combat uniform
Kevlar vest/helmet with retractable goggles
Cut-resistant gloves
[Anachronistic Armament]
2.8-meter fangtian ji halberd (hyperalloy construction)
Weight: 48 kg (unusable by normal humans)
Edge: Monomolecular sharpness
The absurd juxtaposition would have drawn laughter in his homeworld—a futuristic soldier wielding ancient steel. But to the warriors of this era, he radiated only lethal intent.
Battlefield Reactions
Tianhua Spearman #407: "Is this... one of our secret weapons?"
Ocland Cavalry Officer: "Sorcery! Tianhua's mages have joined the war!"
Zhao Zheng: "He Chuan! You said the scouts cleared this area!"
Matthew spun the halberd in a blinding arc, its tip carving a crimson line across the mud. The unspoken question hung heavier than his weapon:
Friend or foe?
The moment Matthew appeared, the surrounding battle froze. Every weapon within twenty paces swung toward him—soldiers from both sides recognizing the lethal potential radiating from this strangely armored figure wielding a general's weapon.
First Blood (Literally)
When Matthew charged the Ocland lines, the nearest spearman lunged with practiced precision. Time dilated in Matthew's enhanced perception:
The Thrust: Spearhead gliding toward his face like a slow-motion viper
The Dodge: A sidestep so fluid his Kevlar didn't even whisper
The Counter: The fangtian ji whirling in a brutal arc—
—not with the finesse of a trained warrior, but with the crude, overwhelming force of a god playing mortal.
The halberd's blade smashed (not sliced) into the spearman's ribs. The impact:
Bone Compression: 12 ribs flattened into a single cartilage pancake
Organ Displacement: Spleen relocated into lung cavity
Visual Effect: Human torso folded like an accordion
Even battle-hardened veterans retched. An Ocland sergeant later wrote in his campaign journal: "We've seen men split in twain by axes, but never one packed into himself like salted fish..."
Improvised Carnage
Matthew's next moves proved equally unorthodox:
The Impalement: Thrusting the halberd clean through a second soldier's sternum
The Projectile: Using the skewered man as a human javelin to crush a third
The Charge: Plowing forward like a combine harvester through wheat
Tactical Impact
Ocland Morale: Shattered (Three units began retreating without orders)
Tianhua Momentum: "By the Ancestors! Follow the Demon Halberd!" (Recorded battle cry)
Zhao Zheng's Reaction: Immediate flag signals to exploit the breach
System Alert
[War Points +450]
[Reputation Gained: "Reaper of Lance Province"]
[New Achievement: "Butcher's Debut" (Kill 3+ enemies in 10 seconds)]