The gates of the village stood tall—formed of bone-laced Cryptwood and reinforced with Builder-forged hinges. They looked ordinary, even inviting.
To the three Candidates, it was laughable.
"This is all he left behind?""One gate, a few shacks, and bone puppets? He's even more foolish than I thought.""Let's burn the heart before he even knows it's bleeding."
The mage-type stepped forward, lifting a gleaming staff.
"Allow me."
With a whisper of incantation, a blast of compressed mana struck the central gate—hard.
For a moment, the village was silent.
And then the gates exploded outward.
But not from the attack.
Far from Ironrest, marching through the forest with Rael and Nyra beside him, Iden's interface pinged with a single silent line:
[Village Intrusion Detected — Summon Trigger Activated][Deploying: Token of the Mythical-Class — Bone General, Ikaros]
Iden exhaled slowly, never breaking stride.
"Let them try."
Bone General Ikaros Has Been Summoned
From the smoke of the shattered gate, bones began to spiral.
Not assembled by Builder. Not formed by spellcraft.
Summoned by power ancient and absolute.
The air turned cold. The dirt cracked. Black fire rolled from the ground as a figure emerged—seven feet tall, draped in crimson-tattered bonecloth, a helm carved from a drake skull fused with a humanoid crown.
Two glowing red eyes snapped open in the darkness of his socketed helm.
Ikaros, Bone General of the Undying MarchTier: MythicalLevel: 25 (Commander Class Active)
His chest was plated with dragon-scale rib armor, and in his left hand he carried a halberd bound with chain-runes that shimmered with offensive inscriptions. On his back, a bone shield wide as a door bore Iden's crest.
"Intruders in the master's haven," Ikaros spoke, his voice both metallic and ghostly. "You trespass upon sovereign bone."
He slammed the halberd to the ground.
[Commander Aura Activated: Grave Discipline]→ All skeleton units in range receive +25% DEF, +15% ATK, and heightened coordination.
From beneath the earth, twelve elite skeletons rose—Deathreavers and Sentinels, already in formation, waiting to serve.
The three Candidates froze.
"What… what is that?""This wasn't part of the report!""He left a general behind?! That's a mythical summon—that shouldn't even be possible yet!"
Ikaros took a single step forward. The air shook.
"You brought war," he said. "Now, I bring your end."
Iden turned toward Rael, eyes shining with cold satisfaction.
"The trap is sprung," he said. "Now let's finish collecting our people—then we'll deal with the ashes left behind."
Rael looked both proud and awed. "You really planned this?"
Iden gave a small smile. "I don't gamble. I prepare."