Liam moved fast, boots slamming against cracked pavement, each breath tight in his chest. The cold of the Ice Queen's domain still clung to him, but it didn't matter now. All that mattered was getting back.
Even if all he could think about at the moment was that cold elegant woman's eyes...
The Mall Fortress was under attack.
The system's alert pulsed in his mind, sharp and constant, matching the pace of his heartbeat.
> [System Alert]
Mall Fortress – Breach Detected
Enemy Force: 10+ Raiders
Estimated Time to Full Capture: 42 Minutes
Warning: Territory Claim at Risk.
Loss = Bond Revoked, System Penalty Active.
Rena ran beside him, eyes focused, sword already drawn. She hadn't said a word since the alert hit, but Liam could feel her tension. This wasn't just a raid. It was a challenge. Someone was trying to take what little they had earned.
There seemed to be something flickering in her eyes... competitiveness..?or...jealousy.
And Liam was not about to lose his first territory.
They moved through the ruins of the city, weaving through twisted metal and broken concrete. Smoke rose in the distance, dark and steady. The fortress was burning. Liam's jaw tightened.
"We're close," Rena said.
Liam nodded.
"Ready?"
She gave him a shy glance.
"Always."
They crested a hill overlooking the mall... or what was left of it.
The makeshift walls Liam had reinforced were damaged, breached in two places. Smoke drifted from the west side, where fire had taken hold. Inside the walls, figures moved quickly, gathering supplies, dragging crates toward sleds rigged for quick escape.
Raiders... Rena had said...Other people with systems.
Liam spotted at least six on the main floor. Two guarded the entrance. Another stood near the supply crates, shouting orders. He wore better armor, system-forged, with glowing sigils etched across the chestplate.
Liam narrowed his eyes.
"That one's the leader."
Rena scanned the perimeter.
"No sign of survivors."
Liam clenched his fists.
"Then we hit them now."
They moved down the slope quickly, sticking to shadows until they reached the outer wall. Liam knelt beside a fallen guard... one of theirs. The man's armor was scorched, cracked open.
Liam touched the wound. Burnt clean through.
"Energy weapon," he muttered.
Rena crouched beside another body.
"Always with system users..." she said.
Liam stood.
"Time to use what we have."
He raised his hand, focusing on the new power pulsing in his chest. The Ice Queen's gift. Icebind.
Power surged forward.
A blast of frost shot from his palm, slamming into one of the entrance guards. The man froze in place, encased in thick ice from head to toe.
His partner shouted, raising a rifle.
Rena moved faster.
She darted forward, sword flashing, cutting him down before he could aim. The raider dropped, blood staining the snow.
> [System Update]
Icebind – 1 Use Remaining
Remaining Raiders: 8
Leader: Unknown Level – System Bonded
Liam stepped into the courtyard.
"Move fast," he said. "Before they regroup."
Rena nodded.
They pushed forward, cutting through the wreckage. Another raider appeared near the supply crates, shouting an alert. Two more came running, weapons drawn.
Liam didn't hesitate.
He charged the nearest, blade slicing through his guard with a clean strike. The man dropped, clutching his side.
Rena took the second, deflecting his blade and slamming the hilt into his skull.
They way she did it while still looking beautiful was a thing to be admired.
Liam turned, ready for the next, when the leader finally noticed them.
The armored man raised one hand, power gathering around his fist.
"You're the Overlord," he said. "This is your claim."
Liam said nothing.
The man smiled.
"Then I take it from you."
The raider leader surged forward.
Liam barely blocked the strike, steel clashing hard against his blade. Sparks flew as the man pressed the attack, swinging with strength enhanced by his own system. Liam stepped back, boots sliding on scorched stone.
"You're not the only one with a bond," the raider snarled. "My system gave me everything I need to crush you."
Liam didn't answer. He couldn't waste the breath. He ducked low, sweeping the man's legs, but the raider jumped, slamming a fist down. Liam rolled aside, the impact cracking the ground where he had just stood.
The system pulsed in Liam's head.
> [System Alert]
Energy Remaining: 22%
Skill Available: Icebind (1 Use)
Bond Buff: Rena – Active
Strength Boost: 15% (30 seconds)
He called Icebind.
Cold surged through his arm. Liam raised his hand and fired. A burst of frost shot forward, slamming into the raider's side. Ice spread rapidly, locking the man's arm in place.
Liam charged.
His sword struck the frozen armor. Cracks split across the surface. The raider screamed, lurching back, but Liam didn't let up. He swung again, driving the blade into a weak point near the shoulder.
The ice shattered.
The raider fell to one knee.
"You... bastard."
Liam pointed the sword at him.
"You're done."
Behind him, Rena fought two more raiders, her blade cutting through one and slamming into the second's chest. Blood sprayed. She turned, eyes scanning for more threats.
"Liam!"
He glanced back.
Four more raiders poured in through the breach in the wall. Reinforcements. Armed, armored, and moving fast.
Liam grit his teeth.
"Fall back to the center."
He ran to Rena's side. Grabbing her hand.Together they retreated toward the mall's central floor. The enemy chased them, shouting. Arrows flew past. One clipped Liam's shoulder, tearing fabric and skin.
He stumbled, but kept moving.
Rena reached the main hall first, planting her feet and raising her sword. Liam stood beside her, blood dripping from his arm.
The raiders hesitated.
Liam pointed his sword at them.
"You want this fortress? Come and die for it."
> [System Update]
Icebind – Cooldown Active
Bond Charge – 75%
Trigger Unlocked: Last Stand Mode
Buff: Defense Boost 20%
Duration: 5 Minutes
The raiders charged.
Liam and Rena met them head-on. Blades clashed. Liam fought with every ounce of strength left, each swing fueled by the system's last reserves.
He cut one down, then another. Rena held the flank, moving with precision and grace. Blood soaked the stone beneath them. Screams echoed off broken walls.
One raider broke through, lunging at Liam's back.
Rena moved fast, cutting the man down mid-strike.
She seemed to cut him down a bit more vengeful than the others..
Liam turned.
"Thanks."
"Don't die."
He nodded.
"Not planning to."
Only one raider remained. The last man dropped his weapon and ran.
Liam raised a hand, ready to chase...
> [System Alert]
Enemy Force Eliminated
Mall Fortress – Secured
Ice Queen Bond Progress: +5%
Timer: 66 Hours Remaining
Liam dropped to one knee, exhausted.
Rena knelt beside him, breath ragged.
Chest heaving..
A distraction he thought...
"We held it," she said.
Liam looked toward the sky.
"For now."
Smoke still rose. Bodies littered the ground. Supplies were damaged, walls broken.
But they won.
> [System Alert]
Zone Four Unlocked
New Bond Target Detected – Distance: 5 Kilometers
Status: Hostile
Ice Queen Reminder – Trial Ends Soon
Liam stood slowly.
"One fight ends. Another begins."