🔥 Chapter 57 — Crushing the Eastern Army
The forest echoed with chaos. Soldiers of the King's army stumbled through illusions, narrow ravines, and controlled wards that Kael and Rhyne had laid with painstaking precision. From the ridge above, Kael's Ember threads flickered like living serpents, sensing every disruption, every pulse of fear.
Rhyne whispered, "They're fractured. The King's formations are gone. Every attempt to regroup fails. Now is our chance to dismantle them completely."
Kael's eyes glowed, flames coiling around his arms. "Exactly. Isolate pockets, neutralize key units, and force the rest into panic. Control the battlefield, and victory will follow without a single reckless charge."
The first unit, trapped in a narrow forest passage, collided with another, officers shouting orders that could not be followed. Kael nudged the Ember threads, subtly redirecting minor magical bursts to amplify confusion without causing lethal damage. Soldiers fell over hidden roots and fallen trees, while illusions made the ravines appear deeper than they were.
Rhyne slipped through the shadows, incapacitating the scattered officers with precision strikes, leaving the soldiers leaderless. "Each fallen leader spreads more chaos. They're collapsing without realizing we're here."
The King's elite mages attempted to counter, but Kael anticipated their every move. Ember threads redirected energy harmlessly into trees, making spells misfire and creating disorienting flashes. Panic spread further, soldiers tripping over one another, morale shattering with every misstep.
Kael whispered, "We don't need to destroy them. Fear and confusion are more powerful than steel. Once the command is gone, the army falls apart on its own."
Rhyne grinned. "And it's happening exactly as planned. The eastern army is nothing but fragments now. The King underestimated us."
From the ridge, Kael extended Ember threads across the battlefield, guiding the King's forces into pre-set choke points. By the time the King realized the depth of his defeat, the eastern front would be completely under Kael and Rhyne's control.
The forest echoed with chaos, but above it all, two figures watched calmly. Strategy, patience, and manipulation had turned the King's overwhelming force into scattered remnants. The eastern front was theirs.