The hours before the monster wave felt both endless and impossibly short. Lucas spent them in constant motion—adjusting defensive positions, drilling his skeleton warriors through formation changes, ensuring his vassals understood their roles. Sleep was abandoned entirely; exhaustion could be dealt with after survival was secured.
Selena remained his constant shadow, offering tactical advice and occasionally taking command of specific units to demonstrate proper positioning. Despite her sealed powers, her centuries of combat experience made her invaluable. She could predict enemy movements with uncanny accuracy, spot weaknesses in defensive arrangements that Lucas missed, and maintain an almost supernatural calm that kept everyone focused.
The other Compact Lords had fallen silent in the final hours, each consumed by their own preparations. The shared communication network showed only occasional updates—troop movements, resource redistributions, brief confirmations that everyone remained alive and ready.
Lucas stood on the Dark Crypt's highest battlement as the final hour approached, watching the fog roll across his territory. His forces were deployed in three defensive layers: the outer perimeter held by skeleton warriors and ghouls, a middle layer of Crypt Guards and Bone Archers positioned on elevated positions, and an inner reserve of his strongest units ready to respond to breaches.
His vassals occupied their consolidated positions a half-kilometer away, fortified strongpoints that would serve as fallback positions if his main territory was overwhelmed. David Chen commanded one, the middle-aged woman—Margaret—commanded the other. Both had been equipped with better weapons from his Bone Forge and supplemented with a handful of skeleton warriors for additional defense.
[System Announcement]
[Monster Wave commencing in 60 seconds]
[Wave Composition: Shadow Legion - Corrupted entities led by Umbral Commanders]
[Estimated Duration: 4-6 hours]
[Survival Reward: Territory upgrade, Resource cache, Experience based on contribution]
[Death Penalty: Permanent]
The final warning sent a ripple through the Compact network. Lucas saw status updates flash across his interface as other Lords confirmed readiness. Elena sent one last message to all members: "Hold your positions. Support each other. We survive together or die separately. Good luck."
Then the countdown reached zero.
The fog exploded with movement.
They came from every direction simultaneously—shadow creatures pouring out of the gray mist like oil spreading across water. Dozens at first, then hundreds, their forms barely solid, more like animated darkness than actual flesh. The vanguard consisted of lesser entities, corrupted wanderers and shadow hounds that Lucas's forces had encountered before.
"First wave!" Lucas shouted, his voice carrying through the mental link to all his units. "Skeleton warriors, shield wall! Archers, target the densest clusters! Ghouls, hit their flanks!"
The skeleton warriors locked shields with mechanical precision, forming an unbroken wall of bone and iron. The first shadow creatures hit that wall like water against stone—they crashed against it, clawed at it, tried to overwhelm it through sheer numbers. But the skeletons held, their enhanced strength from the Nightfall effect allowing them to match creatures that should have been stronger.
The Bone Archers loosed volleys of arrows from the battlements, each projectile finding targets with unnatural accuracy. Shadow hounds fell with arrows through their skulls or hearts, dissolving into black smoke that was quickly dispersed by the wind.
The ghouls were pure savage efficiency. They struck from unexpected angles, tearing into enemy flanks with claws and fangs, then retreating before the enemy could respond in force. Their hit-and-run tactics disrupted the shadow creatures' charges, creating gaps in their assault that the skeleton warriors exploited ruthlessly.
[68 Enemies Eliminated]
[Experience gained]
[Death Energy +136]
The first ten minutes were chaos, but controlled chaos. Lucas's forces responded exactly as drilled, each unit fulfilling its role without hesitation. The Crypt Guards anchored critical positions, their massive swords cleaving through multiple enemies with each swing. Selena moved like death incarnate, her shadow blade passing through corrupted flesh as if it didn't exist.
Lucas himself fought from the battlement's edge, the Frost Blade leaving trails of ice across the battlefield. Every strike froze flesh, slowed enemies, created vulnerabilities his units exploited. He'd reached Level 7 during the preparations, and the stat increases made a noticeable difference—his movements were faster, his strikes hit harder, his reflexes sharp enough to parry attacks he couldn't fully see coming.
Then the second wave hit.
These weren't mindless corrupted creatures. These were organized soldiers—shadow warriors in actual armor, wielding actual weapons, moving in coordinated formations. They advanced behind shield walls of their own, their discipline matching Lucas's skeleton warriors.
[Shadow Warrior - Level 12 x50]
[Threat Level: High]
"Crypt Guards, forward position!" Lucas commanded. "Break their formation!"
The three elite skeletons charged, their massive frames crushing through the enemy shield wall like battering rams. They created breaches that regular skeleton warriors poured through, turning the organized shadow advance into a scattered melee.
But the shadow warriors were strong, far stronger than the corrupted creatures. Lucas watched as two of his skeleton warriors fell, their bones shattered by shadow swords that burned with dark fire. Then three more went down. Then five.
[10 Skeleton Warriors destroyed]
The casualties were mounting faster than he'd anticipated. At this rate, his forces would be ground down before the wave's midpoint.
"Selena!" he called. "We need to break their momentum!"
The vampire queen smiled—a terrifying expression of pure predatory joy. "Finally. I was getting bored."
She launched herself from the battlement, dropping thirty feet to land in the middle of the enemy formation with catlike grace. Then she began to dance.
There was no other word for it. Selena moved through the shadow warriors like water through stone, her shadow blade striking faster than the eye could follow. Each movement was economical, precise, beautiful in its efficiency. Shadow warriors fell around her in waves, dissolving before they could land a single blow.
[Selena has activated: Blood Moon Rising (Partially Unsealed)]
[All allied undead units receive +40% combat effectiveness for 10 minutes]
[Enemy morale reduced by 30%]
The effect was immediate and dramatic. Lucas's skeleton warriors suddenly fought with renewed vigor, their strikes hitting harder, their movements faster. The shadow warriors, despite lacking true morale, seemed to hesitate, their coordination faltering.
Lucas pressed the advantage. "All units, general assault! Drive them back!"
The tide of battle shifted. What had been a desperate defense became a counterattack. Lucas's forces pushed forward, reclaiming ground, eliminating enemies with brutal efficiency. The shadow warriors tried to reform, tried to reestablish their defensive positions, but Selena was among them like a scythe through wheat, and her presence shattered any attempt at organization.
[143 Enemies Eliminated]
[You have reached Level 8]
The notification barely registered. Lucas was too focused on the broader tactical situation, watching his interface's map view as it updated with information from across the battlefield. His territory was holding. His vassal positions reported heavy contact but no breaches. And according to the Compact network, most other territories were similarly managing their defensive efforts.
Then Elena's voice cut through the network, urgent and strained: "Eastern sector! Nightveil, we have a massive push coming your way! Something big is leading them!"
Lucas's attention snapped to the eastern edge of his territory. The fog there had grown darker, thicker, almost solid. And moving through that darkness was something that made the shadow warriors look like children's toys.
It was massive—fifteen feet tall and built like a nightmare given form. Its body was composed of layered shadow plates that moved like muscle, and it carried a sword the size of a man. Its head was crowned with what looked like a twisted parody of a royal circlet, and its eyes burned with intelligence and malice in equal measure.
[Umbral Commander - Level 25]
[Type: Elite Boss]
[Threat Level: EXTREME]
[Warning: This entity is significantly beyond your combat capabilities]
Behind the Umbral Commander came a fresh wave of shadow warriors—at least a hundred, maybe more, all moving with perfect coordination under their master's direction.
"Selena!" Lucas shouted, but the vampire was already moving, racing across the battlefield toward the new threat.
"I see it!" she called back. "That thing is too strong for your regular forces! Pull everyone back to secondary positions—I'll engage it directly!"
Lucas wanted to argue, wanted to fight beside her, but he recognized the tactical reality. That creature would slaughter his skeleton warriors by the dozen. Better to preserve his forces and let Selena, with her legendary-tier capabilities, handle the immediate threat.
"All eastern units, fall back to the inner courtyard!" he ordered. "Crypt Guards, cover the retreat! Archers, suppressing fire on the shadow warriors!"
His forces executed the withdrawal with admirable discipline, the skeleton warriors forming a fighting retreat while the Crypt Guards held chokepoints to slow pursuit. The Bone Archers loosed arrow after arrow, not expecting to kill shadow warriors but to disrupt their advance enough to buy time.
Selena reached the Umbral Commander and engaged without hesitation. Her shadow blade met its massive sword with a sound like breaking thunder, and the shockwave from the impact scattered lesser shadow creatures like leaves.
The fight that followed was beyond anything Lucas had witnessed. Selena and the Umbral Commander moved at speeds that made them blur, their weapons leaving trails of darkness in the air. They exchanged dozens of blows in seconds, neither gaining clear advantage, both clearly operating at a level far beyond normal combat.
But Selena was still sealed. Her powers were restricted, her level suppressed to a fraction of her true potential. And the Umbral Commander was at full strength.
Lucas watched with growing horror as Selena began to slow, began to take hits she couldn't fully dodge. A massive sword strike caught her shoulder, spinning her around. Another caught her side, drawing actual blood—black ichor that steamed when it hit the ground.
[Selena Draculea HP: 2100/3000]
She was losing.
"Damn it," Lucas swore. He couldn't just watch her die. Legendary unit or not, she was his commander, his ally, possibly the only thing standing between him and total destruction.
He made a split-second decision that any rational person would call suicidal.
"Crypt Guards, with me!" He charged toward the eastern sector, toward the fight between titans, his three elite skeletons following without question. "Archers, focus all fire on the Umbral Commander! Aim for the joints!"
It was insane. He was Level 8 charging at a Level 25 elite boss. But he wasn't charging alone, and he wasn't planning to fight it directly.
He was planning to distract it.
Lucas reached the combat zone just as Selena took another devastating hit, this one driving her to one knee. The Umbral Commander raised its massive sword for what would clearly be a killing blow.
"Hey!" Lucas shouted, channeling death energy through his Frost Blade until it blazed with cold light. "Over here, you oversized shadow!"
The Umbral Commander's burning eyes fixed on him. Its sword changed trajectory mid-swing, coming at Lucas instead of Selena.
Lucas dove aside, feeling the displaced air as the blade passed close enough to tear his sleeve. The Crypt Guards engaged immediately, their massive frames interposing between Lucas and the boss creature. They wouldn't last long—they were outmatched just as badly as everything else—but they'd buy seconds.
Seconds that Selena used to recover. She rose from her kneeling position, blood streaming from multiple wounds, her expression fierce and defiant. "You reckless fool," she said, but there was something like gratitude in her voice. "That thing nearly killed me."
"Then let's kill it first," Lucas said, raising his blade. "Together."
Selena's smile was brilliant and terrible. "Together," she agreed.
The Umbral Commander roared—a sound that shook the earth and made lesser shadow creatures flee. Then it charged at them both, its massive sword promising death to anyone foolish enough to stand in its path.
Lucas and Selena moved as one, their combat experience synchronizing despite never having fought together like this before. Where Lucas dodged, Selena struck. Where Selena created openings, Lucas exploited them. The Crypt Guards served as mobile obstacles, constantly forcing the Commander to adjust its attacks.
It still wasn't enough. The creature was too strong, too fast, too durable. Lucas landed a perfect strike across its leg and watched his Frost Blade barely scratch the shadow armor. Selena's attacks did more damage, but not enough—the Commander seemed to regenerate almost as fast as they could wound it.
[Umbral Commander HP: 8,200/10,000]
They'd managed to reduce it by less than twenty percent, and both Lucas and Selena were accumulating injuries. This was a battle of attrition they couldn't win.
Then Lucas noticed something. Every time the Commander took damage, shadow energy leaked from its wounds. And that energy dissipated into the air rather than being reabsorbed. Which meant...
"Selena!" he called. "It's losing power! The more we damage it, the weaker it gets—not just from the damage, but from energy loss!"
Understanding flashed in Selena's eyes. "Then we force it to bleed!" She changed tactics, abandoning killing strikes in favor of multiple shallow cuts. Her blade became a blur, striking the Commander dozens of times in seconds, each cut releasing more shadow energy.
Lucas joined the strategy, using the Frost Blade to freeze wounds open, preventing them from closing. The Crypt Guards focused on grappling, holding limbs in place to create targeting opportunities.
Slowly, painfully, the strategy worked. The Umbral Commander's movements became sluggish as it lost energy. Its strikes, while still devastating, came slower. Its regeneration faltered.
[Umbral Commander HP: 4,800/10,000]
[Energy Depleted: 40%]
They were winning. Actually winning.
Then the Commander did something unexpected. It stopped fighting.
It raised its massive sword vertically, point toward the blood-red sky, and began to chant in a language Lucas didn't recognize. Dark energy gathered around the blade, swirling faster and faster.
"Selena, what is it doing?"
"Summoning," Selena said, her voice tight with concern. "It's calling reinforcements. We need to stop it now!"
They both charged, but too late. The Commander brought its sword down in a single devastating arc, and where the blade struck the ground, reality tore open.
A portal of absolute darkness materialized, and through it came more shadow warriors. Dozens of them, all fresh, all at full strength.
And behind them, emerging slowly from the portal's depths, came something worse.
Another Umbral Commander.
[System Notification]
[Wave Difficulty Increased: Second Umbral Commander has entered the battlefield]
[Warning: Current forces insufficient for dual elite boss encounter]
Lucas stared at the two massive creatures, at the fresh wave of shadow warriors, at his own depleted forces. They'd barely managed to fight one Commander to half health. Two of them, plus reinforcements, was impossible.
Then Elena's voice cut through the Compact network, strained but determined: "All available forces, converge on Nightveil's position! He's taking the hardest hit—if he falls, the entire eastern sector collapses!"
Lucas's interface lit up with movement indicators. From the north, Marcus Thorpe's heavy cavalry came thundering through the fog. From the west, Isabella's magical bombardment began raining down, explosive blasts of arcane energy that scattered shadow warriors. From the south, Kenji Yamamoto's samurai charged in perfect formation.
The Eastern Compact, for all its political complexity and conflicting interests, was coming to his aid.
Lucas felt something unfamiliar stir in his chest. Not gratitude exactly—he wasn't that sentimental. But recognition. Respect for allies who kept their word.
"Selena," he said, raising his blade as friendly forces poured into his territory. "Let's show them what the Night Empire can do."
Selena's smile was fierce. "With pleasure, my Lord."
The battle resumed with renewed intensity, but this time, Lucas wasn't fighting alone.