The war room was a bastion of focused silence, broken only by the faint, ever-present hum of the Viewing Room's magical surface. Ray "Thorzen" Silver stood before it, his hands clasped behind his back. The image displayed was no longer the idyllic clearing of his village, but the stark, moonlit overlook of Grull's Maw, a perspective shared by his distant scouts. The data stream in the corner of his vision was a stark, numerical heartbeat counting down to chaos.
[Protective Barrier Integrity: 0.4%]
[Estimated Duration: 1 Hour, 58 Minutes, 11 Seconds]
Two hours. The number was both a deadline and a starting pistol.
The scouting party's report had been thorough, painting a picture of a dire threat. A necromancer shaman attempting to forge a Corrupted Dungeon Core was an existential danger, not just a military one. It demanded a response far beyond a simple raid. It required annihilation.
"Athena," Ray said, his voice cutting through the quiet. "A tactical query."
"Ready, Ray," her voice responded, calm and present in his mind.
"Necromancy. Based on the divine knowledge and our observations of Veldrak, what is its strategic value? Should I pursue it? Or is it a power better delegated?"
A holographic projection of Athena flickered to life beside him, her form composed of light and data. "Analysis: Necromancy is a high-yield, high-risk school of magic. Its primary advantages are numerical superiority through the creation of undead armies, psychological warfare, and the ability to turn an enemy's fallen soldiers against them. Its disadvantages are significant: it is often slow to cast, relies on a steady supply of corpses, is vulnerable to holy and light-based magic, and carries a heavy moral and reputational cost that can turn entire populations against the user."
She paused, her luminous eyes meeting his. "Recommendation: For you, personally, it is a suboptimal path. Your strength is versatility and rapid adaptation through Assimilation. Learning necromancy would divert precious Skill Points and time from leveling your core abilities. However, for the clan, it represents a potent force multiplier. The ideal candidate is one who already has an affinity for shadow and death magics."
"Fan," Ray stated, the conclusion inevitable.
"Affirmative. As a Warlock, her class is already aligned with esoteric and often dark energies. Granting her the knowledge of necromancy would be a natural evolution of her power set, allowing her to counter Veldrak on his own terms and provide our forces with a dedicated magical artillery and support unit we currently lack."
"Then it's settled. When we assimilate Veldrak, Fan will be the inheritor of his knowledge." The decision felt right, a clean allocation of resources and roles. He was the strategist, the creator, the champion. Fan would become his mistress of shadows and death.
His mind, now free of that quandary, turned to the immediate practicalities. His scouts were his best agents, operating deep behind enemy lines. They deserved the same advantages he was giving the Sentinels at home.
"Prime," he summoned telepathically.
The guardian, who had been standing sentinel by the door, turned its head. "Thorzen."
"The template for the new guardians. We have three more to build. For Zog, Guy, and Fan."
"Materials are sufficient. Proceeding to the Armory."
Ray followed the massive construct out of the war room and down into the expansive, empty hall he used for fabrication. The three Sentinels currently at base—Hector, Wan, and Torac—were already there, running silent diagnostics with their own new guardians, Bulwark, Bastion, and Juggernaut. The air thrummed with dormant power.
"One for each of the scouts," Ray announced. "They'll receive them at the rendezvous point."
He began the now-familiar process, his mind a conduit for vast energies. First, he focused on Zog. The kobold scout was a warrior, but his true strength lay in agility and perception. Ray didn't need a brute. He needed a guardian that could keep pace.
"Creation."
A stream of purified metals flowed from his void. He willed the form to be sleeker, its limbs proportionally longer for a greater stride, its sensory arrays enhanced. For a control focus, he crafted not a torc or a bracer, but a pair of vambraces, designed to be worn on the forearms without hindering movement. They were inscribed with subtle runes for enhanced perception. The guardian that materialized was a lithe, predatory version of Prime, its optics glowing a sharp, focused yellow.
"He will be called 'Vigil'," Ray declared, the name coming to him as he observed its form.
Next was Guy. The goblin assassin required a guardian that embodied his own philosophy: silent, precise, and devastating. Ray poured the materials forth again, envisioning a form with a lower profile, its plating matte black and non-reflective. Its fists were smaller, but the fingers were longer, capable of delivering pinpoint, armor-piercing strikes. The control focus was a set of thin, black metallic rings for Guy's fingers, almost invisible when worn. The guardian that formed was a phantom of polished obsidian and shadow, its optics a dim, barely perceptible violet.
"This one is 'Stalker'," Ray named it.
Finally, for Fan. A warlock's guardian needed to be a bulwark against magical retaliation. Ray focused on layering the stone and metal with magically-conductive ores, creating a innate resistance to spells. Its most distinctive feature was a larger, centrally located "eye" on its chest, capable of projecting a minor defensive ward. The control focus was a delicate silver circlet, designed to rest on Fan's brow without interfering with her concentration. The guardian materialized with a more elegant, almost arcane architecture, its optics a swirling, mystical blue.
"And for Fan, 'Aegis'," Ray said, completing the set.
Three new Shield Guardians now stood in the Armory, bringing the total under his command to seven. A formidable force.
"Prime," Ray commanded. "You will transport Vigil, Stalker, and Aegis to the rendezvous point at the base of the northern cliffs. Await the scouting party's arrival. Once they are bonded, you are all to hold position and await our signal."
"Acknowledged, Thorzen." Prime moved with a purpose, his telepathic command directing the three new, inert guardians to follow him. They marched out of the fortress in a silent, ground-shaking procession, disappearing into the pre-dawn darkness beyond the barrier.
The clock was still ticking.
[Protective Barrier Integrity: 0.1%]
[Estimated Duration: 28 Minutes, 03 Seconds]
Ray ascended back to the war room, his mind shifting to the final, lingering piece of the puzzle: Rosa Lightbringer. The human priestess was a captive, a potential asset, and according to the subtle nudge from the gods, a possible personal connection. He accessed the Census panel Athena maintained.
Clan Census - Notable Outsider
Name: Rosa Lightbringer
Race: Human
Level: 10
Class: Priest (Level 1)
Job: Healer (Level 1)
Status: Captive (Grull's Maw), Diseased, Malnourished
Disposition: Hopeless, Fatalistic
Note: Displays strong affinity for Light Magic. Potential for high Charisma and Wisdom. Psychological profile suggests loyalty to those who show her genuine kindness.
A Priest. A Healer. These were things his clan desperately lacked. Fan would handle the dark arts; they needed someone to handle the light. And the gods... they had placed her in his path for a reason. A romantic interest? Perhaps. But more immediately, a strategic one. A healed and fortified Rosa could be the cornerstone of his clan's sustainability, a moral center, and a direct counter to Veldrak's necromancy.
"Sentinel General is a position of immense power and trust, earned through trial," he mused to Athena. "She has not earned that. Not yet. But she can be more than a regular clan member."
"Proposal," Athena responded. "Upon rescue, utilize a Fortify Seed on her. It will enhance her capabilities without the spiritual binding of a Life Seed, allowing her to retain her full autonomy and potential for growth. She can serve as the Clan's Head Healer, a position of honor and importance. Her integration and any... personal developments... can then occur organically."
"Approved," Ray said. It was the perfect compromise. He would save her, empower her, and offer her a place. The rest was up to her.
His preparations were complete. All that remained was the final, tense wait. He watched on the Viewing Room as Prime and the three new guardians reached the rendezvous point, melding into the shadows of the cliff face. He watched the scouting team's vital signs, all steady. He watched the countdown.
[Protective Barrier Integrity: 0.0%]
[Estimated Duration: 00:00:00]
There was no sound, no flash of light. The gentle blue dome that had shielded them for thirty days simply... winked out. The familiar hum vanished, leaving behind the natural sounds of the forest—sounds that now seemed louder, more threatening. The village was exposed.
It was time.
"All personnel, final combat check!" Ray's voice echoed through the fortress, carried by the very stone. "Hector! Wan! Torac! To me!"
The three Sentinels and their guardians arrived in the great hall within seconds, their faces set in grim masks of readiness. They were armed and armored, their gear reflecting their weeks of training. Hector hefted a massive new greataxe Ray had forged for him, while Wan carried a tower shield that was nearly as tall as he was.
Ray didn't give a rousing speech. They were past that. He simply met each of their eyes and gave a single, sharp nod. They returned it.
"Athena, open a Teleportation Gate to the rendezvous point. Maximum capacity."
"Channeling. Stand by."
The air in the center of the hall began to shimmer and tear, a rift of brilliant blue energy ripping open the fabric of reality. Through it, they could see the dark, rocky ground at the base of the cliffs and the massive forms of Prime and the other guardians.
"Zel," Ray sent the mental command through the communication stone. "We are inbound. Status?"
A wave of relief and tension came back from the kobold hunter. We are here, Chief. The new guardians are... incredible. Bonding now. The goblins are ready. They await your signal. The sky... something is wrong with the sky above the compound.
Ray looked at the Viewing Room, which was still linked to Zel's perspective. He saw it. A sickly, greenish-purple light was beginning to pulse from within Grull's Maw, casting an unnatural glow on the low-hanging clouds. Veldrak was beginning his ritual.
"Move out!" Thorzen commanded.
He stepped through the Teleportation Gate first, the transition a momentary disorientation. The cool air of the mountains hit his face, smelling of pine and dry stone. In an instant, he was no longer in his secure fortress, but on the edge of a battlefield.
His scouts were there, along with Prime. Zog, Guy, and Fan were just finishing the bonding process with their new guardians. Zog slid the vambraces onto his arms, and Vigil's yellow eyes snapped to life. Guy slipped on the finger rings, and Stalker seemed to dissolve further into the shadows. Fan placed the circlet on her brow, and Aegis took a protective step closer to her, its central eye glowing softly.
Their faces, tired from days of stealth, were transformed by awe and newfound confidence.
"No time for pleasantries," Ray said, his voice low. "You have your orders. Fan, the moment we breach, you find a perch and shut Veldrak down. The rest of you, with me. We hit the northern wall. The goblins will rise up when they hear the commotion. Our objective is the center of the camp: the altar. Hector, you have point."
The Minotaur grinned, hefting his axe. Bulwark stepped forward, its red optics fixed on the flimsy-looking section of the palisade two hundred yards away.
"Then let's begin," Thorzen said, his own body already beginning to shift. His skin hardened, taking on the stony texture of his Shield Guardian form, while his right arm elongated and sharpened into the blade of the Great Axe. He was no longer just their chief; he was a weapon of war.
He looked at the pulsating, corrupted light in the distance, then at the loyal, powerful faces of his clan.
"For Aethelgard!" he roared, his voice no longer a whisper but a challenge that echoed off the cliffs.
As one, the war party surged forward, a tidal wave of stone, steel, and fury, crashing towards the walls of Grull's Maw as the first sliver of true dawn touched the highest peaks. The barrier was gone. The war had begun.
Stats & System Update - End of Chapter 16
Ray "Thorzen" Silver
Level: 13
XP: 20,305 / 120,000
HP: 1,400 / 1,400 | MP: 350 / 350
Skill Points: 144 (Held for Assimilation Lvl 8 - 640 SP cost)
Attribute Points: 20 (From Level 12 & 13. Allocated evenly: +3 to each stat)
Attributes:
· Strength: 150
· Constitution: 150
· Dexterity: 150
· Intelligence: 150
· Wisdom: 150
· Charisma: 150
New Shield Guardians Created & Bonded:
· Vigil (Bonded to Zog) - Scout-spec.
· Stalker (Bonded to Guy) - Assassin-spec.
· Aegis (Bonded to Fan) - Mage-defense-spec.
Active Quest:
The Orc Threat - In Progress. Assault on Grull's Maw commenced.
Barrier Status:
Protective Barrier: DISPERSED. Village is now exposed.