The March Begins
The gates of the manor opened with a groan, and Sam's army poured into the Forest of Torment. One hundred and sixty soldiers marched in disciplined ranks: ninety Solar Warriors in rose‑gold armor, sixty Lunar Lizard Knights with gleaming spears, and ten Shade Assassins melting into shadow. Their boots and claws pressed into the damp earth, the rhythm of their march echoing like a heartbeat through the trees.
Sam walked in the middle, Sun Blade at his side, lightning sparking faintly across his fingers as he conjured and dismissed spears of stormlight. The egg he had bonded with pulsed faintly back in the manor, waiting to hatch. Above, the sky was gray, the air heavy with the scent of rain.
The villagers watched from the walls as the army departed. Some whispered prayers, others clutched their children. Twilight Town — as they had begun to call it — was alive with hope, but also fear.
In the town hall, a group of villagers gathered around the endless flasks. The water poured clear and cold, better than any river or well they had ever known.
"It tastes… pure," said a young mother, filling a jug. "Safer than the streams. No sickness, no mud."
An older dwarf nodded, stroking his beard. "The Twilight Lord provides food every day. Bread, meat, vegetables. We never starve. Twilight Town is blessed."
Children played in the streets, chasing each other between the new homes. Merchants began setting up shops in the small business buildings, hammering signs into place. The innkeeper polished mugs, preparing for travelers.
For the first time since their village's destruction, life felt normal. Twilight Town was becoming more than a refuge. It was becoming a home.
The army reached the first wolf den by dusk. The forest grew darker, the air filled with growls and the stench of beasts. A pack of wolves emerged, led by a massive Tier 4 Alpha Wolf, its fur bristling, eyes glowing red.
Sam raised his hand. "Formations!"
Solar Warriors locked shields, forming a wall of rose‑gold steel. Lunar Lizard Knights hissed, spears leveled. Shade Assassins vanished into shadow, circling unseen.
The wolves charged. Claws scraped against shields, teeth snapped at spears. The Solar Warriors held firm, sabers flashing in disciplined arcs. Knights drove their spears into the beasts, hissing as they struck. Assassins appeared from the shadows, blades cutting throats before vanishing again.
Sam conjured a Lightning Spear, the weapon humming with stormlight. He hurled it into the Alpha Wolf. The spear struck with a thunderclap, lightning exploding across its body. The wolf convulsed, paralyzed, before collapsing under the knights' assault.
The battle ended swiftly. The pack lay dead, the Alpha slain. The army cheered, morale rising.
later on that evening, the army reached the second den. This one was larger, deeper in the forest, and guarded by a Tier 5 Alpha Wolf. The beast was massive, its fur black as night, its howl shaking the trees.
The pack surged forward, more coordinated than before. Wolves leapt over shields, breaking formations. Solar Warriors struggled to hold the line, their sabers flashing desperately.
Sam activated Eyes of Horus, his vision sharpening. He saw the Alpha's weakness — a hesitation in its left leg, a fracture in its stance.
"Strike the left flank!" he shouted.
Knights surged forward, spears piercing the Alpha's weak side. Shade Assassins appeared behind it, blades sinking into its flesh. Sam hurled another Lightning Spear, the weapon exploding against its chest.
The Alpha roared, staggering, before collapsing under the combined assault. The pack broke, fleeing into the forest.
As the Alpha fell, the Shade Assassins froze. Their bodies trembled, shadows swirling around them. Red eyes flared brighter, their forms shifting.
[Shade Assassins have reached Tier 6.]
Sam watched in awe as his assassins grew stronger, their presence darker, more lethal. They melted into shadow completely, becoming almost invisible.
Then, suddenly, they stopped. Their eyes turned toward the trees.
"Overlord," one whispered. "A scout."
From the shadows, a Tier 6 Goblin Scout emerged, its eyes gleaming with malice. It had been watching, measuring, waiting.
The Shade Assassins struck. Blades pierced its body, shadows tearing it apart. The scout fell, blood pooling beneath it.
But as it died, it whispered a haunting message: "The Shaman sees you… the Shaman comes."
Sam felt a chill. His battles were being watched.
The battlefield was littered with bodies. Solar Warriors and Lunar Lizard Knights tended to the wounded, gathering fallen comrades. The army had taken losses, but their discipline had held.
System messages flooded Sam's vision:
[Loot Acquired: Beast Cores.]
[Loot Acquired: 1 Beast Lord Core.]
[Loot Acquired: 3 Troop Tokens.]
[Loot Acquired: 20 Wolf Pups.]
[Loot Acquired: Low-Tier weapons.]
Sam stared at the wolf pups, their eyes wide, their bodies trembling. They were young, untrained, but they could become mounts or companions. The weapons were crude, but they could arm villagers or be traded.
The army regrouped, morale high despite losses. Sam tallied his growing collection of Beast Lord Cores, knowing he was closer to Tier 3.
Far away, deep within goblin territory, a towering figure stirred.
The Tier 8 Goblin Shaman sat in a ritual chamber, surrounded by chanting goblins. Its staff dripped with blood, runes glowing faintly.
It sensed the death of its scout, eyes glowing with fury.
"The Human Overlord…" it muttered, voice dripping with contempt. "A puny human dares to slay my wolves, dares to kill my scout."
The Shaman rose, towering over its followers. "He will learn what it means to challenge the goblins. He will learn despair."
The chamber shook as goblins howled, their voices echoing into the night.
Back with Sam, the army regrouped after the wolf den victories. The soldiers stood tall, their morale high, their strength proven.
Sam looked to the horizon, knowing the goblin riders and orcs awaited.
"The wolves are dead," he whispered. "Next, the goblins."
The army marched onward, silver and rose‑gold armor gleaming, shadows stretching, lightning crackling above.
The war for Beast Lord cores had only just begun.