Towering columns of white stone lined either side of the chamber like silent sentinels. Golden sunlight filtered through the high arched windows, casting elongated beams across the mosaic floor. Dust motes danced in the shafts of light, swirling lazily in the stillness, as if the air itself refused to stir too loudly.
Every seat around the long obsidian table was filled—warriors and heroes alike, clad in the sigils of gold and silver. They bore expressions carved from iron: some stern, others pensive, all expectant. Tension clung to the air like the moment before a drawn blade finds its mark.
At the head of the hall, upon the high seat carved from obsidian oak and inlaid with fragments of starlight crystal, sat Arthur. His bearing was unshakable, a portrait of command. Shoulders squared, spine unyielding, he exuded the quiet, burdened strength of a man who carried the fate of many upon his back. Yet behind the steel in his posture was a weight—a subtle, nearly imperceptible heaviness in his eyes.
He drew a long, steady breath before finally exhaling. It was quiet, but it carried the gravity of a soldier exhaling before battle.
Then he looked up.
His gaze swept slowly across the gathered assembly. One by one, he met their eyes.
Zara, composed but taut like a bowstring. Blaze, unmoving—an embodiment of stoic power. George, fists clenched and brows deeply furrowed, eyes locked on Arthur with unspoken concern. Lily sat still, her fingers folded in her lap, her mind visibly turning behind calm, reflective eyes. Voloric leaned forward slightly, the fire behind his gaze simmering like a forge before the hammer strikes.
Each of them waited.
Arthur leaned forward, steepling his fingers before him. His voice, when it came, was smooth and cold—a razor drawn in silence.
"The goblins have deceived the kobolds."
A ripple passed through the room. Nothing loud—just the sound of shifting weight, a few held breaths released. But it was enough to show the impact of that single sentence. Eyes sharpened. Muscles tensed.
Arthur's gaze briefly flicked toward Seraphina, then back to the table.
"They told the kobold city that we possess a key. A key to a treasure vault said to hold unimaginable wealth—ancient artifacts lost to time. And the worst part?"
He let the silence hang for a heartbeat.
"That part is true."
A murmur stirred at the edges of the chamber. Even the most stoic among them showed a flicker of reaction.
Arthur's voice dropped, heavy with meaning.
"as you all know, It was real. Hidden deep beneath a ruined keep that once belonged to Seraphina's bloodline. And yes, we found it. Just a few hours ago, we breached it and claimed everything inside."
He paused, the bitterness in his tone sharpening his next words.
"So the goblins spread a lie… and in doing so, they revealed the truth."
The irony hung like a sword above them all.
Arthur leaned back slightly in his throne, the shadows of the hall deepening around him as the weight of his words settled into the minds of his commanders.
"To the kobolds, we are no longer simply a threat. We are thieves—plunderers of a legendary inheritance. They believe we must be struck down swiftly, before we can use the vault's power... or escape with it."
His voice grew colder.
"And once they attack, the goblins will not remain idle. They will wait. Watch. And when we are weakened, when the kobold assault has drained us… they will strike."
The words sank into the chamber like stones into deep water.
"It's a trap," Arthur said grimly. "Meticulously planned. Perfectly timed. And vicious in its execution."
He paused again, letting the silence speak. The kind of silence that came when warriors realized they were already on a battlefield—one drawn with strategy instead of steel.
Then, finally:
"We are now in the crosshairs of two monster cities."
The tension in the room reached a breaking point—then fractured.
Arthur raised a single hand.
"Enough."
The murmuring stopped instantly.
"I don't want speculation," he said. "And I don't want discussion without purpose."
He turned his attention to Seraphina and gave her a small, firm nod.
"From the treasure vault, we recovered several assets—many of which will be invaluable in the coming war."
He rose from his seat, the movement fluid and deliberate. His black cloak cascaded down his shoulders, shadows dancing at its hem like a living mantle. Though his voice remained composed, the shift in his presence was palpable. It was no longer the lord who addressed them—but the commander.
"First, we acquired recruitment buildings—ten gold rank, five platinum rank, and one diamond rank—designed for hurricane soldiers of every profession."
Gasps echoed from a few of the captains. Even among elite circles, such resources were beyond rare.
"Second," Arthur continued, "we gained access to trap formations—artifacts of war developed over decades by the Hurricane Kingdom's finest minds. Their efficiency is unmatched. Their lethality, proven."
He let that hang before delivering the final point.
"Third—we now have the blueprints for magic towers and long-range siege weapons. They are capable of being mounted directly onto our territory walls. With these, our defensive power will surpass anything the kobolds or goblins can predict."
There were more treasures, more secrets buried within the vault's depths—tools for prosperity, not war. But Arthur chose not to reveal those now. What mattered was the battle ahead.
He took a step forward, his boots echoing faintly on the polished stone.
"Our plan is simple," he said, his voice like winter steel. "We will not meet them head-on in the field. We will bleed them dry before they even reach our gates. We will break their morale before their blades strike stone. Our walls will become their grave."
The room held still. No one moved. No one questioned.
Then Arthur turned his gaze to Kaelira.
"Diana is already observing the kobold city. She has five thousand Gold Rank assassins under her command."
His tone sharpened, directive now.
"You will take command of both the Shadow Unit and the Ghost Walker Unit. Until the battle begins, your orders are to observe, track, and report. If the goblins begin their march—notify me immediately."
He let the weight of the next instruction press into the room.
"Then, you are to unleash your units. Target their officers. Kill as many as you can without revealing yourselves. Sow confusion. Sow fear."
Arthur's gaze darkened.
"We deal with one threat at a time. The goblins will come, that much is certain. But we cannot afford to fight two cities at once. Divide them. Cripple them. Then crush them."
He returned to his seat, but the aura of command did not wane.
Outside, the sun continued to shine through the stained glass windows. But within the great hall, a storm had begun to form—quiet, patient, and merciless in its intent.
All the heroes left to prepare for war. Then Arthur used his communication skill to contact joseph.
"Joseph, tell all the subjects to continue collecting the stones. But they are not allowed to go outside the territory."
Arthur also explained the situation to him.
Joseph who was in his office, looking at some reports got this message.
"Yes my lord." Joseph said seriously.
Arthur then went towards the summoning portal. He removed all the 20,000 corpses from his inventory.
[Lord, do you want to extract 20,000 monster corpses]
The system promt came.
[Yes]
Arthur replied without any hesitation. Then all the corpses got covered in light and after sometimes the light wore off and many items were pilled up in front of him.
[Congratulations lord, you have extracted 20,000 monster corpses and you got-
1. 30,000 Commoner Recruitment Cards
2. 15,000 Bronze Rank Soldier Cards
3. 15,000 Bronze Rank Archer Cards.
4. 10,000 Silver Rank Mage Cards.
5. 10,000 Silver Rank Assassin Cards.
6. 10,000 Silver Rank Cavalry Cards.
7. 10,000 Silver Rank Guardian Cards.
8. 500,000 units of Stone, Wood, and Iron.
9. 50,000 units of Mithril, Monster Stones. Gold, Black Iron, and Stardust .
10. 500,000 units of Food and Water.
Without waiting any time he threw all the summoning cards in the portal. And after sometimes all the soldiers and commoners came out of the portal.
Arthur has already called joseph to handle all of the soldiers and commoners to their respective units and departments.
Territory Status —
Name: Starblade
Lord: Arthur
Lord's Title: Lord of the Starblade
Territory Level: 05
Area Covered: 5 x 5 kilometers
Special Trait: Fate's Favour (Mythical)
Total Population: 1,565,500 / 10,000,000
Total Soldiers: 937,710 / 5,000,000
Units: 30
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