The storm clouds gathered like coiled serpents above Sanctum. The northern horizon shimmered not with light, but with hunger.
In the watchtower of Sanctum's central spire, Iden stood cloaked in reinforced shadowweave, his gauntlets buzzing faintly with core-fed energy. Below him, Sanctum had grown—a settlement no more. Fortified walls stretched around the now-recognized Large Town, segmented by sectors: Trade, Defense, Research, Housing. Gleaming spires of mana-reactive turrets pulsed on standby.
They had dug roots. They had evolved. And now, the world had noticed.
"Sir!" A scout sprinted up the inner stairs, a green-band sash tied to his shoulder. "We have movement from the Frostline—at least two hundred signatures. No flags. Just monsters."
Iden didn't blink. "Tier?"
"Tier B... some nearing Tier A morphology."
A hush. The air itself thickened.
Kael stepped in behind the scout, his cloak dusted with the pale ash from the new Furnace Labs. "Looks like it's time we test those upgraded defenses."
Iden glanced at the world map that floated before him, runic projections mapping enemy clusters. "Mobilize Alpha and Beta teams. Keep the advanced spellcores loaded in Tower Group Three."
"Already done," Kael replied with a grin. "The Tyrants are bloodthirsty."
Rael's voice came over the crystal link. "Healer posts are in position. Shield nodes ready for link-up."
Nyra appeared silently at the tower's ledge. "I'll manage the east gate. We just reinforced it. If it breaks… we make them pay."
The roar hit first—a mix of shrieking wind and warped howls. From the icy ridge, twisted hulks emerged. Tier-Bs, mutated by Abyssal corruption. Frost-furred bears with bone-spines, flying wolves with flame-webbed wings, and a towering deer-like creature with crystal thorns growing from its skull.
The wall cannons didn't wait. Mana-charged bolts screamed into the sky.
BOOM—THOOM—CRACK!
The battlefield lit in pale blue and red. Spells launched from the mage towers. Gunner skeletons opened fire. The upgraded arc repeaters Arlen had spent weeks calibrating spat glowing bullets across the terrain.
But the monsters pressed forward—shrugging off hits that would have killed lesser beasts.
Iden clenched his jaw. "Deploy Warlords. Ikaros leads Vanguard Protocol One. Kael, your Tyrants are with me."
The gates opened.
And like death given form, Ikaros, the Mythical-tier Commander, led a 120-unit detachment into the fray. Behind him moved warriors bearing newly-forged glaives, archers cloaked in camouflage bone-armor, and siege units loaded with explosive bolt arrays.
Warlord Skeleton [Lv. 24] → EXP: 95%Archer Elite [Lv. 22] → EXP: 84%Tyrant Rhask [Lv. 29] → EXP: 98%
Kael sprinted forward with his Tyrants, wielding new bloodsteel chains forged in the upgraded furnace. With each strike, the corrupted monsters screamed.
[Tyrant Wrynn has reached Level 30. Class Evolution Available.][Tyrant Rhask has reached Level 30. Class Evolution Available.]
Behind them, Nyra's assassins emerged from the flanks, slitting through beasts with agility that left even the scouts breathless. Rael was at the heart of it all, healing with radiant pulses.
[Rael: Class Skill – Sanctum Pulse: Activated][AoE Buff to All Allied Units within 50m: +12% Attack Speed, +10% Mana Regen]
Iden grinned. He could feel it. The push. The rhythm.
And then the sound came—the ding of a threshold passed.
System Notification
[You have reached Level 46.][EXP: 12%][Summon Capacity +1][Double Effect Activated – Current Capacity: 172,032 → 344,064]
The rush hit him like a roar of fire. Inside his mind, skeleton after skeleton stirred—waiting, ready. This was power. This was legacy.
"Double the frontline presence," he ordered immediately. "Scouts, mages, warriors—max spread. Let them feel the weight of our empire."
The monsters were still strong, but they were overwhelmed.
Sanctum had grown too fast. Too smart.
The new summons joined the fray, skeletons wielding sniper-grade weaponry crafted under Arlen's new Arcbolt directive. Some had hoverboots powered by core fragments. Mages wielded focused elemental beams, slicing through beast hide like butter.
Even the cannon skeletons—normally used for siege—were turned into walking flamethrowers, thanks to Kael's blood-core attachments.
Iden watched with calm focus.
General Skeleton (Lv. 39) → EXP: 99%Scout Class (Lv. 22) → EXP: 90%Tank Unit (Lv. 25) → EXP: 88%Melee Warlord (Lv. 26) → EXP: 76%
One by one, they ascended.
The battlefield wasn't a field anymore. It was a forge. A place where weakness was burned away and strength tempered.
By dusk, the last corrupted beast lay still, bleeding crystal and ichor. Sanctum's outer field was scorched, but the walls stood tall. Only 8 casualties—none permanent. Every summon could be restored, evolved.
The people of Sanctum gathered near the Plaza of Valor, cheering, weeping, honoring the fallen and the risen.
And deep within the spire, Iden stared out at the night, numbers swirling behind his eyes.
[Level 46 – Total Summon Capacity: 344,064][Next Double Trigger: Level 48]
He let out a breath. "This was the warm-up."
Beside him, Nyra leaned against the wall, her blade flickering. "The world's watching now."
"And it better keep watching," Iden said, eyes narrowing. "Because we're just getting started."