The air was thick with the scent of smoke and iron.
Even though the battle had ended just an hour ago, Hikaru wasted no time. The village walls were intact, but barely. Scorch marks marred the eastern towers, and charred corpses still littered the fields beyond. The villagers, battle-worn and bleary-eyed, moved in somber coordination—repairing barricades, tending to the wounded, and preparing for what might come next.
But Hikaru's attention was fixed on a single spot in the heart of the village: the summoning platform.
A violet beam of light shone down from the sky, illuminating the center of the glowing rune circle. The System's reward was here—and the name echoed in Hikaru's mind like a drumbeat.
Hero Unit Unlocked: Duskblade, the Phantom Vanguard
The light coalesced into a humanoid figure—tall, lean, and cloaked in midnight armor that shimmered like oil on water. Two curved blades hung at the figure's hips, and a spectral mist drifted off his shoulders. When the light faded, he lifted his head, revealing a pale, scarred face with crimson eyes.
"Who dares summon Duskblade?" the hero's voice was calm, quiet… but sharp enough to cut steel.
Hikaru stepped forward, eyes locked with the assassin-like warrior.
"I'm Hikaru Tanaka, Warden of this village. I earned the right to call you."
Duskblade tilted his head. "I see. Then I serve… for now."
System Alert: Hero Contract Established
Hero: Duskblade
Type: Vanguard Assassin
Tier: Epic
Traits: Shadowmeld, Soul Reaver, Loyalty Conditional
Abilities:
– Phantom Step: Teleports to any visible enemy within 30 meters, stunning them.
– Reaper's Dance: A flurry attack that targets up to 5 enemies.
– Shadow Cloak: Becomes untargetable for 10 seconds.
– Soul Chain (Passive): Grows stronger the more enemies he kills in one battle.
Illya approached cautiously, studying the new arrival. "He's… dangerous."
Kora frowned. "I don't like his energy."
Hikaru nodded. "I don't either. But we need power. And right now, he's the strongest weapon we've got."
Duskblade glanced at the two women, expression unreadable. "Fear not, ladies. I only kill when ordered. Or… if I'm bored."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Then I better keep you busy."
The next few hours passed quickly.
Hikaru and his command team met in the war tent, reviewing intel gathered during and after the Iron Tide assault. Something strange had occurred—several other player-controlled villages had been wiped out during the same event. The System hadn't just targeted Hikaru. It was a continent-wide purge.
"What's the endgame?" Kora asked, arms crossed. "If the System wants us to build and thrive, why try to kill us off now?"
"It's selection," Illya said grimly. "They're culling the weak. Only the strongest leaders—those who can evolve beyond survival—will be allowed to keep growing."
Hikaru exhaled, his thoughts heavy. "Which means… phase one is over."
System Message: Global Phase Transition
Congratulations to surviving leaders.
Phase 2 Initiated: Territorial Expansion Unlocked
– You may now scout and annex new zones adjacent to your village.
– Resource nodes and wild monster lairs can now be controlled.
– Caution: Zones may be occupied by hostile players or factions.
New Objectives:
– Establish 2 new outposts.
– Defeat at least 1 rival player in territorial combat.
– Survive enemy retaliation.
Hikaru felt a pulse of adrenaline.
"This changes everything."
Expansion meant more than land. It meant mines, magical springs, lumberyards, and arcane relics. More units, more defense, more power.
But it also meant war.
By morning, scouts had returned with a detailed map of the surrounding region. Three zones lay adjacent to Hikaru's village:
Deadroot Hollow – A foggy marsh teeming with undead creatures and necrotic energy.Verdan Spires – A forested ridge with rich mana stones, but rumored to house rogue elves.Blisterfang Dunes – A desert area containing old war ruins, likely guarded by ancient constructs.
Hikaru pointed to the Deadroot Hollow. "We take this one first. The undead won't negotiate, but they don't retreat either. If we clear them out, no one else will contest us for it."
Kora nodded. "And if we take it fast, we'll gain necrotic essence—a rare upgrade resource."
Duskblade stood behind them, arms crossed. "You want an army of corpses? How charming."
Hikaru smirked. "I want control. And if that means gutting a few undead kings, so be it."
Three days later, the expedition was ready.
One hundred trained troops. Five siege golems. Kora and Illya leading separate flanks. Duskblade, assigned as forward scout.
They entered Deadroot Hollow under a gray sky. The air was thick, foul. Bones cracked underfoot. The deeper they went, the louder the whispers grew—ghostly, unintelligible, maddening.
They hit resistance within hours.
Zombies by the dozens. Wights that shrieked and spit acid. And worse—dark-hooded necromancers hiding in the shadows.
But Hikaru's forces pressed forward, blades shining, magic roaring.
Then, as they reached the center of the Hollow, the earth trembled—and from a blackened crypt emerged a hulking monstrosity.
Boss Encounter Detected: The Grave-Tyrant
HP: 55,000
Type: Undead King
Traits: Aura of Decay, Soul Devourer, Bone Shards
Abilities:
– Corpse Rain: Summons a barrage of corpse meteors.
– Necrotic Blast: Deals massive magic damage in a cone.
– Tyrant's Command: Revives nearby undead units once.
The battle began in chaos.
The Grave-Tyrant swung a scythe the size of a carriage, wiping out ten frontline soldiers in one sweep. Magic exploded across the battlefield. Units died and were raised again—on the enemy's side.
Hikaru activated multiple support skills from the rear, but it wasn't enough.
"Kora, pull back! Illya, drop the wards!"
Then Duskblade moved.
He darted forward through the chaos, each step a blur of shadow. With Phantom Step, he appeared behind the boss's skull, slashing deep into its spine.
Reaper's Dance followed—five precise strikes, each glowing with soul energy.
The Grave-Tyrant howled.
As it raised its scythe, Duskblade vanished—Shadow Cloak—then reappeared behind its knee, severing tendons.
The giant toppled.
Hikaru saw his chance.
"All forces, focus fire! NOW!"
Arrows flew. Fireballs detonated. The siege golems unleashed a coordinated barrage.
The Grave-Tyrant let out one final screech before it exploded in a cloud of bone shards and soul mist.
System Alert: Zone Cleared
➤ Deadroot Hollow conquered.
➤ Outpost Construction Unlocked.
➤ Special Resource Acquired: Necrotic Essence x120
➤ Bonus: Hero Unit Duskblade gains +1 Evolution Point.
As the dust settled, Duskblade walked past Hikaru, covered in black ichor, expression unreadable.
"Not bad," he muttered. "If you keep feeding me enemies like that, I might stick around."
Hikaru nodded, watching as his troops raised the village's banner over the now-cleansed land.
One zone down.
Many more to go.
And the war… was only beginning.