The manor erupted into controlled chaos as Elion's warning spread through the household. Mira appeared at his side almost instantly, her usual composure cracking just enough to show alarm.
"How many?" she asked, already moving down the corridor toward the armory.
"I counted at least thirty torches, maybe more." Elion followed her, his mind racing. The barony's forces consisted of maybe a dozen guards, most of them aging veterans or inexperienced youth. Against thirty or more raiders, they wouldn't stand a chance.
"Bandits from the Verdant Forest, most likely," Mira said, throwing open the armory door. The room was small and poorly stocked—a handful of rusty swords, some spears, and a few pieces of leather armor that had seen better days. "They must have heard about your father's death and decided the barony was ripe for plunder."
She wasn't wrong. Silverwood had been declining for years, its reputation as an easy target spreading throughout the region. Raiders, monsters, and rival nobles had all been circling like vultures, waiting for the final collapse.
Elion grabbed a sword, testing its weight. The blade was dull and nicked, but it would have to do. "Gather everyone who can fight in the main hall. We need to fortify the entrances."
"My lord—"
"I know what you're going to say," Elion interrupted, buckling on a worn leather breastplate. "We're outnumbered and outmatched. But we don't have a choice. If we run, they'll burn the manor and hunt us down. At least here we have walls."
Mira's tails flicked with agitation, but she nodded. "I'll rouse the guards. But Elion..." She paused, her amber eyes meeting his. "Don't do anything foolish. The barony needs you alive."
He offered what he hoped was a confident smile. "I'll do my best."
As Mira hurried off, the system text appeared again in Elion's vision:
╔════════════════════════════════╗ ║ TUTORIAL GUIDANCE ║ ╚════════════════════════════════╝ The Shadow Extraction ability allows you to claim the essence of defeated enemies, transforming them into loyal shadow soldiers. To unlock this ability, you must survive your first combat encounter. Shadows are immortal as long as you possess sufficient mana to maintain them. They will regenerate after being defeated, though this process consumes mana proportional to their strength. Current Mana: 100/100 Note: You have not yet unlocked Shadow Extraction. Survive this encounter to gain access to your primary ability.
Elion read the text twice, trying to make sense of it. Shadow soldiers? Immortal warriors? It sounded like something from a child's fairy tale, not reality. But then again, the floating text in his vision shouldn't be possible either.
He pushed the thoughts aside. Whether the system was real or not, the raiders certainly were, and they'd be here soon.
The main hall filled quickly with the manor's defenders—twelve men and women in total, ranging from grizzled veterans to teenage stable hands. They looked scared, and they had every right to be. Elion recognized most of them: old Garrick, the gate guard who'd taught him to hold a sword; young Thomas, barely sixteen; and Elena, the head cook who wielded a cleaver like she was ready to butcher raiders the same way she did livestock.
"Listen up!" Elion called out, and the room fell silent. "Raiders are approaching from the forest. I won't lie to you—we're outnumbered, and our chances aren't good. But this is our home. These walls have stood for three generations, and they'll stand tonight."
He saw some of the fear in their eyes transform into determination. Not much, but enough.
"Garrick, take four men and barricade the main gate. Thomas, you and two others cover the east entrance. Everyone else, with me at the west side—that's their most likely approach."
As his people moved to their positions, Mira approached with two other figures—a man and a woman Elion didn't recognize. Both wore the practical clothing of travelers, though the man's leather armor and the woman's staff suggested they were more than common merchants.
"These two arrived this afternoon seeking shelter from the storm," Mira explained. "They've offered to help defend the manor."
The man stepped forward, offering a slight bow. He was human, perhaps in his early thirties, with dark hair and the confident bearing of someone comfortable with violence. "Name's Kael. Mercenary by trade. Your steward here mentioned you might need an extra sword."
The woman was taller, with the pointed ears and elegant features of a Wood Elf. She appeared to be in her late twenties, though with elves it was always hard to tell—she could be fifty or a hundred and fifty. Her staff was carved from ancient oak and topped with a crystal that pulsed with faint green light.
"Lyssa Greenthorn," she said, her voice carrying the slight accent of the Verdantis continent's western forests. "I'm a druid. My magic might help even the odds."
"Any help is welcome," Elion said, relief flooding through him. Two experienced combatants could make the difference between survival and massacre. "Take positions on the west wall with me. We need to hit them hard when they breach—"
A shout from the watchtower cut him off.
"They're here! Gates are under attack!"
The sound of splintering wood echoed through the manor, followed by rough voices shouting battle cries. Elion rushed to the west windows, peering out into the rain-soaked night.
The raiders had arrived in force—not thirty but closer to fifty, armed with crude weapons and burning torches. They swarmed the gates like ants, axes and hammers smashing against old wood that had never been meant to withstand a siege.
At their head was a massive figure, nearly seven feet tall, with the characteristic green skin and brutal features of an orc. He wielded a great axe that he swung with casual strength, each blow splintering another section of the gate.
"Orc chieftain," Kael muttered, joining Elion at the window. "Bad luck. Those bastards are tough as dragon scales."
The gates shattered inward with a final thunderous crash. Raiders poured through the opening, their torches casting wild shadows across the courtyard.
"Hold positions!" Elion shouted. "Archers, loose!"
Three arrows flew from the manor's windows—pitiful compared to the flood of enemies, but two found their marks. Raiders screamed and fell. The others barely slowed.
Lyssa raised her staff, and the crystal atop it blazed with emerald light. She spoke words in a language older than human kingdoms, and the very earth answered. Vines erupted from the courtyard soil, thick as ship's cables, wrapping around the legs of the closest raiders and dragging them down.
It bought them seconds—precious seconds.
The orc chieftain roared, his voice shaking the windows, and chopped through Lyssa's vines with contemptuous ease. He pointed his axe at the manor's entrance.
"Kill them all! Burn everything!"
Elion's hands tightened on his sword as the raiders charged. This was it—the moment where he either proved himself a leader or died trying.
The system text flickered in his vision:
╔════════════════════════════════╗ ║ COMBAT INITIATED ║ ╚════════════════════════════════╝ Quest Progress: Survive the Night Enemies Remaining: 48 Current Status: Active
"For Silverwood!" Elion roared, and threw open the manor doors to meet the enemy head-on.