"Every fortress has two walls: stone… and spirit. Lose one, and the other crumbles."
— Tower Scholar Merien, Notes on Frontier Warfare
Snow fell like ash.
From the high parapet of Stormwatch Citadel, Jag surveyed the trail once more. The gnoll warbands were gathering again—bigger this time. No mere raiders. This was coordinated.
His hands clenched the frosted edge of the stone.
The enemy didn't want just victory. They wanted obliteration.
[Wave Forecast: BEGINNING]
• Enemy Composition:
– 40x Gnoll Marauders (Fast, Aggressive)
– 5x Warbeasts (Siege Beasts, High HP)
– 1x Shaman (Mystic Class – Unknown Spells)
Weather: Blizzard Winds (-10% ranged accuracy, -5% move speed)
Time Until Contact: 00:11:43
[Objective: Repel Second Wave]
• Bonus Objective: Prevent Shaman from Casting
• Morale Threshold: Keep above 60%
• Failure Penalty: Mass Panic + System Downgrade
Trait Points: 1 (Unspent)
Available Tower Sites: 2
Available Gold: 250
Jag took a deep breath, then opened the Command Grid again.
TOWER BUILD OPTIONS
Archer Tower: 200 Gold
Mage Tower: 250 Gold
Artillery Bombard: 300 Gold
Reinforced Barracks: 150 Gold
Rune Trap (One-Time Use): 100 Gold
His eyes lingered on the Mage Tower.
"Magic against a shaman... poetic."
He selected the Cliffside Roost, where height gave advantage despite blizzard winds.
[Mage Tower Constructed – 250 Gold Spent]
Basic Spell: Arcane Bolt (25 damage, 2s cooldown)
Effectiveness: +25% vs Magical Units
Gold Remaining: 0
One tower site remained unused.
He'd need more gold—or better yet, time—which he didn't have.
Captain Garron joined him, hands behind his back.
"New construction?" the veteran asked, eyeing the arcane glow across the cliffs.
"Mage tower," Jag replied. "Focus fire on the shaman once he enters range."
Garron grunted. "We don't know what kind of magic he'll throw. Might be fire, might be blood curses. I've seen them call lightning once."
Jag looked him in the eye. "Then we kill him first."
Below, in the courtyard, the three newly trained Militia Recruits drilled awkwardly with wooden swords. Beside them, Ashra the Unbroken practiced her blade-dance, her footwork slicing frost from the stones. She was faster than anything Jag had ever seen.
[Hero Skill: Dance of Crimson]
– Area Slash (50 Damage to all nearby enemies)
– Cooldown: 60 Seconds
– Passive Effect: Nearby allies gain +10% Evasion
Jag opened her stat window:
[Ashra – Blade-Dancer]
• HP: 150
• STR: 18
• DEX: 24
• INT: 10
• Loyalty: NEUTRAL → WARMING
• Traits: Cold-Blooded, Iron Focus
• Affinity Growth Possible: Bond Quest Unlocked (Not active)
[Leadership Trait Unlocked!]
• Tactical Instinct (Lv. 1)
– Passive: +5% tower response rate
– Active: Identify priority threat during battle
– Trait Cost: 1 Point
He accepted immediately.
[Trait Assigned: Tactical Instinct Lv. 1]
Time ticked forward. Snow thickened.
A shrill horn echoed from beyond the ridge.
[ENEMY WAVE INCOMING]
– ETA: 00:01:00
Jag descended the stairs to meet his units.
The three militia recruits stood with spears—hands shaking, but their eyes locked on his. Ashra leaned on her curved sword with one leg forward, eager, almost grinning.
Jag faced them all. "No fallback. We hold this line. If that shaman casts a single spell, we lose more than a wall—we lose control. Strike hard. Strike fast. Don't let them breathe."
Ashra nodded. "I will take its head."
The three recruits saluted in sync. Garron adjusted his grip on a war axe and muttered, "Reminds me of Deadwood… and that's not comforting."
Then it began.
[Wave Two Engaged]
Enemy Units: 46
Initial Contact: West Ridge Barracks
Tower Status:
Archer Tower (Cliffside): Operational (Accuracy reduced)
Mage Tower (Cliffside): Operational
Morale: 76% → 70%
The first wave of Gnoll Marauders charged through the snow-draped pass.
The archers fired—arrows deflecting off tusks and striking joints. Two gnolls fell early. More surged forward, teeth bared, axes raised.
[Barracks Under Attack]
• Recruits: Holding Line
• Damage Dealt: Minimal
• Unit HP: 33 / 40 / 27
Jag narrowed his eyes.
"Where's the shaman?"
A flicker of flame pulsed at the rear of the enemy ranks.
And there—taller than the rest—stood a gnoll wrapped in wolf-pelt, bone charms hanging from his arms. His eyes glowed red. He raised a crooked staff toward the sky.
[SHAMAN: ENEMY BUFF INITIATED]
• All Gnoll Marauders gain +10% speed and +5% damage
• Time Until Next Spell: 00:45s
"Focus fire on the shaman—NOW!" Jag barked.
[Tactical Instinct Activated]
• Priority Target Assigned: Shaman
• Mage Tower Damage Bonus Applied
The mage tower fired a bolt of purple energy that exploded across the rear line, searing fur and snapping bone. The shaman staggered but did not fall.
Ashra moved.
She became a blur—cutting past the melee. Gnolls tried to intercept but missed her completely.
[Hero Skill: Dance of Crimson – ACTIVATED]
A crimson arc cut the air.
Five gnolls collapsed, their throats opened mid-scream.
Ashra leapt through the carnage—spinning, twisting—and then she was upon the shaman.
They clashed.
[Hero vs Elite Unit]
Ashra HP: 112 / 150
Shaman HP: 63 / 90
Shaman Buff: Active
Danger Rating: Moderate
Jag watched, teeth gritted.
A militia recruit fell—impaled on a gnoll spear.
[Unit Lost – Morale Decrease: -5%]
Current Morale: 65%
The warbeasts appeared.
Massive quadrupeds, hide armored in bone plates, barreled down the pass. One slammed into the barracks, splintering the walls.
[Barracks HP: 73% → 44%]
Another recruit was thrown aside, unconscious or worse.
"Archer Tower—focus on the warbeasts!" Jag ordered. "Mage tower, stay on the shaman!"
[Priority Shift: Confirmed]
In the next instant, Ashra landed a critical strike—her blade plunged into the shaman's chest.
[SHAMAN ELIMINATED]
Buffs Cancelled
Bonus Objective Achieved
Morale Boost: +10%
Ashra stood among the corpses, panting. Covered in blood—not hers.
[Ashra Loyalty: WARMING → LOYAL]
"Your orders save lives," she muttered. "I follow them."
The tide turned.
Without the shaman, the warbeasts became disoriented. The archer tower brought one down with a final volley to its spine. The mage tower helped finish the other with two bolts to its flank.
The remaining gnolls fled.
Stormwatch stood.
[WAVE COMPLETE]
Enemies Defeated: 46 / 46
Towers: 100% Operational
Barracks HP: 44%
Units Lost: 1 Militia
Victory Bonus: +100 EXP, +1 Trait Point, +150 Gold
Morale: 75% (BOLSTERED)
Level Up Achieved: Jag Arclight – Lv. 2
– Skill Point Gained
– New Title Available: "Commander in Embers"
Later that night, Jag sat alone in the council chamber. His sword rested across his lap. His hands no longer shook.
He reviewed the new screen.
[Jag Arclight – Lv. 2]
• Leadership: 9
• Tactical Instinct: Lv. 1
• Skill Points: 1
• Traits Available:
– Inspiring Voice: +10% morale gain from speeches
– Combat Orders: Units move 15% faster when commanded directly
– Mental Map: See enemy movements in fog of war (Passive)
He chose Mental Map.
The next wave would not be blind.
[Skill Assigned: Mental Map (Passive)]
Ashra entered quietly, her sword sheathed, armor wiped clean.
"You lead like a man with nothing to lose," she said.
Jag didn't look up. "That's because I don't."
She tilted her head. "But perhaps you have something to gain."
He looked at her then. Tired, but resolute.
"Maybe. But not if I die tomorrow."
A horn blew in the distance. A scout entered breathless.
"Prince! Something new approaches from the west. Not gnolls. Bigger."
Jag stood.
[New Threat Detected]
• Estimated Class: Elite or Higher
• Name: UNKNOWN
• Time Until Contact: 08:00:00