At the Mouth of the Valley
Caden stood ten ters from the gates of the fortress, his heavy infantry arrayed in neat ranks, unmoving like a mountain.
The orcs' arrows bounced harmlessly off their shields and armor. Even the stones they hurled from atop the walls failed to find their mark.
This baffled the orcs.
"What in the blazes are those bastards doing?"
The orc commander was at a loss.
All eyes were locked onto the motionless human formation. No one noticed that, behind the fortress gate, the Rangers had already crept silently into position.
Creak—
The gates of the fortress slowly opened from within.
In that instant, the pupils of every orc dilated in horror.
"Damn it!"
"Who opened the gate!?"
"Do you think they're our reinforcents?!"
The orc commander flew into a rage.
But Kaen gave them no ti to react. The mont he saw the Rangers, he drew his sword and bellowed:
"For Eowenría—CHARGE!"
"CHARGE!"
Caden and his heavy infantry broke formation and stord the gate with full force.
Behind them ca 200 spearn and 50 light cavalry who had dismounted to fight on foot.
Led by Kaen, Mundar, and Cathril, they surged into the fortress like a roaring tide.
Zakri and his hundred archers loosed volley after volley of arrows onto the walls.
Once their quivers emptied, they slung their bows onto their backs, drew their swords, and joined the charge without hesitation.
….
"CHAAARGE!"
Caden led his heavy infantry into the heart of the fortress. After linking up with the Rangers, the combined forces turned their blades on the orcs rushing to seal the gate.
"SHIELDS!"
Caden's command rang out as his troops raised their shields, forming an impenetrable wall.
"SPEARS!"
A second shout. The spears shot forth like fangs, skewering the orcs who dared co close.
"PUSH!"
With a shove of their shields, they flung the orc corpses aside.
They repeated the rhythm—stab, push, close ranks. The orcs couldn't even get close. Step by step, they were driven backward.
With the heavy infantry opening the path, all of Kaen's soldiers stread into the fortress, rushing toward the battlents.
Many were experiencing their first battle. Fear had gripped them only monts ago.
But now, seeing their kingdom's banners flying, their commanders leading the charge without hesitation, cleaving through orcs like a storm—
Their spirits ignited. Confidence surged.
The fear lted away. They roared, thrust, and slashed, fighting with renewed fury.
Unlike the disorganized orcs, these soldiers had endured long, rigorous training. They never fought alone—they moved like a single organism.
Each bore fine weapons and sturdy armor, their minds and bodies tempered by discipline.
Now, in battle, their true potential awakened—they no longer fought like green recruits, but like an elite force in the making.
….
Caden's battleaxe was unstoppable, his strikes broad and mighty.
Mundar's coordination between spear and shield was seamless, like extensions of his limbs. His killing technique was both swift and subtle.
Zakri, at so point, had switched back to his bow. He weaved through the chaos along the battlefield's edge, calmly and precisely reaping orc lives with each shot.
Cathril moved with grace, her sword flashing like lightning. She was the very image of valiant beauty—every bit the equal of her male comrades.
These four—hero units—were growing ever more fearso with each clash.
Their auras surged higher with every kill, now approaching the pinnacle of elite warriors.
Especially Caden.
Having fought alongside Kaen in countless battles, he was now on the verge of advancing from Elite Hero to Epic Hero.
….
The fortress was falling fast. Total collapse was only a matter of ti.
Witnessing this, the orc commander swiftly ordered a retreat, leading his battered forces out of the fortress.
As the enemy scattered in flight, Kaen's soldiers climbed the battlents and erupted into cheers.
Exp 1
Level: 3 (76 / 400)
Kaen finished off the last orc in front of him, then turned toward the distant forest.
He gave a cold, decisive order:
"Bring all the fire-oil. Ignite the trees inside the valley. We will burn the darkness with holy fla."
…..
The soldiers carried barrels of fire-oil to the rear of the fortress, pouring it onto tree trunks and thick carpets of dry leaves.
Then ca the torches.
Flas rose from the valley floor.
It was winter. The air was dry. The forest—filled with brittle branches and leaves—was a tinderbox.
With a series of crisp crackles, the fire roared to life, climbing higher with terrifying speed.
But Kaen found this still too slow.
He walked up to the burning trees.
All eyes turned to him.
He slowly raised his arms.
His lips moved in a whisper.
A torrent of unseen fire elentals gathered from the air, flooding into the flas on the trees.
Wind gathered too—summoned by his will. A gust swept through the valley, stoking the inferno and driving it deep into the forest.
Behind him, the soldiers stood in the biting wind, watching their king command both fire and wind.
Their jaws dropped in awe.
In that mont—
One thought rose in every heart:
The King is divine.
"Eowenríel!"
"Eowenríel!!"
Soone shouted, and then everyone joined in, their voices shaking the heavens.
Not only was this the nasake of their kingdom—
It was the na of their king.
And at that mont, nothing ant more to them than those four syllables.
….
anwhile…
In the heart of the valley, beside the lake, a clearing hacked out by the orcs—
A dozen figures moved along the edges, torches in hand, setting fire to trees and dry brush.
It was Lairon and his Rangers.
Earlier, when the orcs had ceased their pursuit and turned back toward the valley entrance, Lairon suspected Kaen had launched his assault.
And when flas began to rise at the gate, he understood—the fire trap had begun.
He knew the orcs might try to flee through this large clearing.
So he made a ruthless decision.
Strike from the rear.
Burn it all.
He and his Rangers ignited the forest from behind, cutting off the orcs' last escape route.
He was certain that with fire front and back, even if any orcs survived, they'd pay a heavy price.
….
Deep in the burning forest, the Orc King, who had led reinforcents to reclaim the fortress, stood aghast at the inferno consuming the valley.
His face twisted with rage and disbelief.
"Elves! The blasted elves are burning the forest?!"
Weren't they supposed to love nature!?
When orcs fled the fortress, chased by fire and smoke, they stumbled into their king's camp.
The commander fell to his knees.
"Your Majesty—it was the humans! They took the fortress and lit it ablaze!"
"Humans," the Orc King hissed.
That explained it.
He'd been puzzled—since when had so many elves entered the Troll-woods? The elves of Rivendell were cowardly and aloof, careful not to provoke others.
He hadn't crossed them—why would they co for him?
"Filthy humans!"
ROAR!
The Orc King howled in fury, the sound echoing through the burning trees.
He drove his sword through the throat of the commander kneeling before him and growled:
"You lost the fortress and still dare return?"
The gathered orcs trembled in fear.
The king wrenched his blade free and looked out at the encroaching fire, unwilling to give in—but knowing he must.
With a snarl, he spat the word:
"Retreat."
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