System Alert:[Threat Level: High]A Tier 4 Lord, [Vargan of the Scorched Crown], is sweeping eastward.Your region is projected to be within his path in 72 hours.
*Warning: This enemy employs Death-type Units and Flame-bound Siege Engines.Probability of mass casualties: 86%.
Mission Generated: "Hold the Eastern Bastion"Objective: Survive the Scorched Crown's invasion.Rewards: 2x Territory Upgrades | 1x Heroic-Class Recruitment Token | ???*
The message slammed into Arjun's mind like a hammer to the skull.
The moment he stepped outside the Command Pavilion, his advisors were already waiting.
"Everyone saw it," Shayra said, her expression grim. "We have three days."
"Vargan," Tarun said, eyes hard. "The butcher of five zones. He razes everything, then curses the ashes."
Priya held a parchment filled with frantic notes. "Brother… even beasts are avoiding his path. The land is… wrong where he walks."
"We'll hold," Arjun said simply. "And we'll prepare."
Arjun called for an emergency village-wide gathering at the central square. Villagers, fighters, and workers filled the space, buzzing with tension. Fear shimmered in their eyes, but also determination.
"We've come too far to kneel now," Arjun began, his voice amplified by the Command Pavilion's newly-installed Voice Crystal. "This land is ours, not his. And we have something no one else does—multipliers."
A collective breath passed through the crowd.
He raised his hand.
System Use: 1000x Multiplier Applied – Fortress Walls (Tier 3 → Tier 5)Construction Time Reduced: 48 hours → 4 hoursBonus Defense Enchantment Applied: Molten Shield
Massive rumbling echoed across the territory as stone reshaped, walls thickened, and towers doubled in height.
The villagers gasped. Even Meera, standing in the shadow of a newly formed battlement, muttered, "Gods… he really can make a miracle feel normal."
"And we're not done," Arjun continued. "Priya!"
She stepped forward, clutching a trio of radiant beast eggs.
System Use: Sister Skill – "Beast Egg Roulette"Combination Used: Fire Griffin + Rockscale Rhino + Wind LynxResult: Epic-Class Hybrid – Stormhide DracowlType: Sky-Tank BeastEffect: AoE Defense Aura + Mid-Air Combat Support*
The egg hatched instantly, revealing a majestic creature—like a feathery dragon with plated rock armor and glowing wings.
The crowd broke into cheers. Hope roared in their chests.
As dawn broke, messengers from Iron Hollow and Verdant Song arrived. Lord Aditya had sent fifty Steelbringers—elite soldiers in steam-powered armor—and siege engineers.
Lady Miraya's envoy brought two Spirit Beast riders and a crate of alchemical bombs.
"Your neighbors heed your call, Lord Arjun," said Javed, Aditya's emissary. "But they'll expect results."
"They'll get them," Arjun replied. "We fight as one."
Alliance Skill Unlocked: Regional Defense AccordEffect: All allied units within your territory gain +10% HP and +5% Resistance.
The army now numbered nearly 700 strong, combining villagers, summoned beasts, and allies.
Even better—Meera and Shayra were now coordinating drills, setting up choke points, and integrating formations.
By evening, Arjun stood atop the watchtower, gazing eastward.
And saw the fire.
A line of crimson smoke painted the horizon—slow and steady—like death itself marching toward them.
In the war camp, as commanders planned late into the night, Meera cornered Arjun near the forge.
"You're holding up well."
"I have to."
"I know," she said. "But I want to make sure you're not just carrying weight. You have people to lean on too. Don't forget that."
She took his hand and pulled him behind the forge tent, where the flickering shadows offered rare privacy.
"You inspire people," she said, brushing her fingers against his chest. "But even you need moments."
Her lips found his again—slower this time, not the fiery dominance of their first union, but something tender, reassuring.
This time, Arjun didn't hold back.
*System Alert:Bond Level with Meera Deepened.Companion Effect Enhanced:– Combat Synchrony: 30%– Emotional Link Strengthened.
Offspring Probability: 17% – Conditions Optimal*
They came with banners of bone and blood—chariots of fire dragged by skeletal horses, and warriors clad in scorched gold.
At the front stood Vargan himself—massive, horned, wielding a glaive twice the size of a man. His presence burned like a furnace. The very air twisted around him.
He raised his hand.
And the earth answered.
System Alert: Tier 4 Lord Skill Activated – "Flamewake Army"Enemy troops summoned: 1200Units include: Deathflame Spearmen, Bonecrush Charioteers, Pyrelings
Territory Buff Active: Fortress of Dawnwatch – Tier 5Defender Advantage: +20% Defense | +30% Morale | +10% Regeneration
"Hold the line," Arjun commanded.
Shayra and Meera took their flanks. Priya, protected in the rear, had three eggs pulsing with power.
The first wave hit like a thunderclap.
The deathflame spearmen struck with supernatural speed, but Arjun's walls, newly reinforced, held strong. Archers rained arrows, enchanted with ice essence provided by Miraya.
The air lit up with clashing energies.
System Use: Hero Token Activated – "Rana the Blade Revenant"Class: Undead DuelistLevel: 48Special: Counters Pyre-based enemies with 2x damage
A ghostly swordsman erupted onto the battlefield, slicing down Pyrelings with flashing crimson blades.
Still, the Scorched Crown forces surged like a tidal wave.
And then Vargan moved.
With one swing of his glaive, he carved through an entire row of allied troops. His aura ignited trees, melted steel, and forced the frontlines back.
"Shayra!" Arjun shouted.
"I'm on him!"
The cat-eared berserker launched forward, her twin blades glowing blue.
They clashed in a storm of sparks and fire, their duel shaking the earth.
Arjun called upon his trump card.
System Use: 1000x Multiplier Applied – Spirit Beast ContractTarget: Stormhide DracowlEvolution Activated: Mythic-Class AscensionResult: "Zephragon, Guardian of Thunderstone Sky"
The skies split as the beast grew larger, its wingspan expanding, bolts of blue lightning dancing across its feathers.
With a deafening cry, Zephragon dove into the enemy ranks, scattering siege chariots and frying undead soldiers.
Vargan looked up—and for the first time—smiled.
"Good. Now it's a real war."