The forest was unnaturally quiet.
No birds.
No rustling.
Only the distant doom… doom… doom of heavy footsteps drawing closer.
Kael stood atop the wooden palisade his troops had hastily reinforced, Aeris beside him, her bow already drawn. Lunaris crouched at his feet, silver fur bristling with static energy. The baby dragon had perched on the railing, tail flicking nervously.
The tension in the air felt like a drawn blade.
[Hostile Lord — 20 minutes until arrival]
Kael observed the treeline.
"It won't be a weak one," he said calmly. "Not if they're confident enough to blow a war horn this early."
Aeris narrowed her eyes.
"Only Lords with strong backing attack on day one. Either they're hiding a high-tier unit… or they're reckless."
Kael smiled coldly.
"In both cases… they'll regret it."
Below them, the newly evolved Vanguard troops tightened their formation.
Shields locked. Spears braced.
Rune patterns glowed softly across their armor.
A sudden rustling came from the left flank.
Kael raised a hand.
Everyone froze.
A shadow stepped into the clearing.
Then another.
And another.
Until more than fifty armored soldiers emerged in formation, their armor blackened with soot, their helmets shaped like horned beasts. Behind them walked a tall man—broad-shouldered, scarred, and smirking confidently.
His aura was heavy.
Oppressive.
A Lord with a Rank-B presence.
He raised his hand in greeting.
"Yo. So you're the upstart causing all the light shows."
Kael said nothing.
The stranger laughed.
"Name's Garron Bloodhammer. And congratulations—your territory is now mine."
His troops thudded their spears once, unified.
Aeris whispered, "His units… they're B-Rank Brutalists. Monstrously strong in close combat. More than a match for regular forces."
Kael's lips curved faintly.
"Then it's good mine aren't regular."
Garron pointed at Kael with his axe.
"Give up your resources and bend the knee. I'll even let you live as my subordinate."
Kael tilted his head.
"Why do you assume you can win?"
Garron grinned.
"Because I've wiped out three territories already. And because this world is simple—strength decides the truth."
Kael's eyes glowed faint gold.
"Then allow me to correct yours."
Garron clicked his tongue.
"Last chance, kid."
"No," Kael said quietly. "Last chance for you."
A breeze swept across the clearing.
Aeris's aura intensified like a rising moon.
Garron's expression tightened for the first time.
"You have an elf…? How?"
Kael stepped forward on the wall, voice calm as still water.
"Vanguards—ready."
"Sentry Archers—aim."
"Lunaris—hold."
"Aeris…"
Her bow thrummed like a living thing.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Do not kill their Lord. I have questions."
Aeris nodded.
Garron snarled.
"Arrogant little—BRUTALISTS! BREAK THEM!"
The enemy troops roared and charged like a stampede of iron beasts.
Kael raised his hand.
"Archers—FIRE."
Aeris released her first arrow.
It wasn't a normal shot—it split into five glowing streaks midair, weaving between trees, curving around shields, striking five Brutalists square in the chest.
Five bodies dropped instantly.
The enemy formation shattered.
Kael didn't stop.
"Vanguards—ADVANCE!"
His evolved troops surged forward, shields slamming into the Brutalists with thunderous force.
The ground cracked beneath their feet.
Despite the Brutalists' raw strength, Kael's troops held the line—
and pushed them back.
Garron's eyes widened.
"What the—How are your soldiers that strong?! They're—
Those aren't D-Rank anymore!"
Kael's smile deepened.
"Correct."
The baby dragon fluttered up, inhaling sharply—
—and unleashed a burst of blue flame across the left flank, forcing a third of Garron's troops to scatter.
Lunaris leapt from the wall like a falling star, tackling a Brutalist twice her size, silver energy exploding around her.
Aeris's arrows flashed nonstop, each one dropping a soldier with surgical precision.
Garron stumbled back, panic creeping into his voice.
"This… this isn't possible."
Kael jumped down from the wall, landing lightly.
"Garron Bloodhammer," he said softly, walking toward the terrified Lord, "you made a mistake."
Garron swung his axe desperately.
Kael caught it with one glowing hand.
The axe cracked.
Kael's gaze burned gold.
"You attacked the wrong territory."
Aeris appeared behind Garron in a blur, her blade at his throat.
He froze.
Kael spoke calmly:
"Your troops are dead. You've lost. Now tell me—
Who sent you?"
Garron's mouth trembled.
"I… I don't know his name," he stammered. "But he warned us—every Lord on this continent—that a dangerous anomaly was summoned this cycle. One that had to be eliminated early."
Kael's heartbeat slowed.
Anomaly.
He knew exactly who that meant.
Aeris looked at him sharply.
"My lord… they're hunting you."
Kael exhaled.
"Let them come."
His eyes hardened like steel.
"I'll break every one of them."