🔥 Chapter 51 — Exploiting Overextension
The King's desperate strike rolled through the forest like a storm, waves of soldiers and mages advancing under the illusion of regained control. But Kael and Rhyne watched from the ridge, Ember threads dancing around Kael like fiery serpents, sensing every movement, every pulse of magic.
Rhyne whispered, "He's overextended. The King is pushing too many units into a controlled trap. His front line will buckle if we strike at the right nodes."
Kael nodded, eyes glowing. "Exactly. We manipulate the battlefield, make him fight on our terms. The moment his forces are divided, we hit the weak points and collapse his momentum."
Below, the King's mages attempted to coordinate with his scattered commanders, but the illusions and subtle ward misfires disrupted every signal. Minor traps tripped soldiers into precarious positions, creating choke points and forcing units to bunch up.
Rhyne grinned. "He thinks he can reclaim the hubs with numbers, but he's feeding us exactly what we need: chaos and predictable panic."
Kael extended Ember threads, redirecting magical energy harmlessly, and nudged enemy formations toward the narrow ravines they had prepared earlier. "Watch carefully. Timing is everything. Once they are fully in position, we collapse the chokepoints."
A wave of cavalry attempted to charge through a forest path, only to find the terrain subtly shifted, trees angled, roots and concealed pits funneling them into confusion. Horses reared, riders stumbled, and the coordinated strike dissolved into chaos.
Kael's flames flared higher, Ember threads pulsing in rhythm with the battlefield. "Now, Rhyne. We isolate the commanders—heavily concentrated units, easy to collapse without harming the rest."
Rhyne moved like a shadow, silently incapacitating the exposed officers while Kael directed magical disruptions, causing mages to misfire and panic to spread.
From the ridge, Kael surveyed the battlefield. "Perfect. The King's forces are fractured, morale is low, and he cannot react quickly. Overextension is his weakness—and we've exploited it flawlessly."
The eastern front had shifted decisively again, and Kael and Rhyne's strategy was turning the King's desperate strike into a catastrophic failure.