The horizon shimmered with heat as Kael and his group materialized just outside Iron Fang Outpost, their boots hitting the parched sand with crunching precision. The teleportation gate closed behind them with a final hiss, sealing off the desert beyond like a tomb.
Before them, smoke curled into the sky, dark and thick. The fortified outpost—a series of sandstone walls, bone reinforcements, and spiked towers—was surrounded by waves of grotesque creatures. Rotting beetles the size of hounds clawed at the walls, spitting acid, while skeletal plagueborn hurled disease-ridden bones like javelins.
Kael's jaw tightened.
Nira stood beside him, holding Lyssa's hand. The fusion girl's hair had turned an eerie shade of storm-gray, her eyes glowing like lanterns in the dusk. Behind them, Sera and Aria unsheathed their weapons.
"First battle," Kael said, placing a hand on Nira's shoulder. "Let's make it one she never forgets."
[System Alert: Territory Defense Mission Initiated!]Objective: Repel invading Lord – Zerek (Plague Prophet)Time Limit: 55 minutesVictory Conditions:
Defeat Hostile Lord
Maintain Integrity of Core Outpost (Above 50%)Rewards:
EXP Boost x2
100x Resource Return for Defensive Structures
Special Drop: [Zerek's Plague Core]Danger Level: High
Kael's undead army surged forth first—shadowed knights and bone-laced hounds barreling across the dunes. With a wave of his hand, he activated his personal combat formation.
[Skill Activated: Sovereign's Command – Formation: Reaper's Spearhead]Effect:
Undead Units Gain +20% Movement & Penetration
All Fusion Units Receive Tactical SyncDuration: 15 minutesCooldown: 1 hour
Lyssa stepped forward. "I'll summon now."
She raised both hands, her voice like rushing wind.
[Skill Activated: Storm of Souls – Tier II Fusion Ability]Caster: Lyssa (Fusion Companion)Elemental Type: Wind + NecroticEffect: Summons a cyclone of spectral blades that track and dismember non-spiritual enemies.Mana Cost: 30%Status: Active – Devouring Hostiles
A shrieking tempest exploded from Lyssa's palms, forming a massive spectral vortex that scoured the battlefield. Plague insects were torn apart midair, their acidic blood evaporating before it could land. Nira's eyes widened.
"You… you're amazing!"
Lyssa smiled faintly, already drawing a glyph for her next spell.
At the rear of the battlefield, Kael spotted a shadowed figure mounted atop a plague-bound centipede—Zerek himself.
The Plague Prophet raised his staff, and the air darkened. A rain of filth cascaded from the sky toward Kael's undead.
"Not today."
Kael raised his left hand—and unleashed one of his newest skills.
[Skill Activated: Necroveil – Passive Converted to Active]Effect: Forms a protective shroud of necrotic mist over summoned undead.Bonus:
25% Damage Reduction (Plague & Acid)
Immunity to Affliction-Type DebuffsRange: 40mCooldown: 1 hour
The mist blanketed his frontlines, shielding them just in time. Screeches rang out as plagueborn tried to chew through bone armor, only to be repelled by empowered death essence.
Then came Nira's move.
"Fusion—Engage!"
Her Wraith Zephyr returned, spinning rapidly in front of her. She fused it with an enchanted stone Kael had given her—a Firecore.
[System Alert: Fusion Skill Activated!]User:Nira [Adopted Kin of Lord Kael]Skill: [Elemental Fusion: Undeath + Wind + Fire]Resulting Entity:Ash Wraith – Tier II Fusion ConstructStatus: Stable | Loyalty: 100% | Growth Potential: Volatile AdaptiveEffect: Leaves burning necrotic trails; explodes on death, causing Fear (AoE)
The new Ash Wraith burst into existence, a flaming specter that screamed across the battlefield like a comet. It incinerated everything in its path, leaping from beetle to plagueborn, leaving scorched corpses in its wake.
Kael seized the moment. "Sera! Aria! With me!"
They dashed through a channel carved by the Ash Wraith. Kael's sword, Abyss Fang, ignited with necrotic flame. Sera danced around bolts of disease magic, slashing down cultists. Aria flanked them from the shadows, crippling key enemies.
Then Kael reached Zerek.
"You've overstepped," he growled.
Zerek laughed, covered in weeping sores. "Your empire of dust will fall, Sovereign."
Kael activated a combo skill.
[Combo Skill Activated: Grasp of the Fallen King + Sovereign's Grasp]Effect:
Instantly drains the necrotic essence of a non-boss target within melee range
If used on a corrupted Lord, can suppress Class Skill for 15 secondsResult: Zerek's Staff Disabled – Corruption Surge ReversedBonus:
EXP +500
Fusion Core Material Acquired: Plague Heart (Unstable)
Kael's blade plunged into Zerek's chest.
The plague prophet howled, essence tearing from his body in spirals of corrupted light.
Zerek fell—his centipede mount screeching and dying in tandem.
[System Alert: Hostile Lord Eliminated – Zerek (Plague Prophet)]Reward Distribution:
Kael: +2200 EXP
Aria: +1200 EXP
Sera: +950 EXP
Nira: +1700 EXP
Lyssa: +1300 EXPItem Drops:
Zerek's Plague Core (Rare)
Corrupted Insect Husk (Crafting Material)
Tarnished Lord TokenOutpost Status: Secure – Integrity 72%Return Multiplier Active: x100Resources Recovered:
Bone Reinforcements x100
Mana Crystals x1200
Structural Stone x2000Quest Complete – Title Progress: [Defender of the Sands – Tier I Unlocked]
As the battlefield settled into silence, the survivors cheered.
Kael looked around at his party—scarred but victorious.
He caught Nira grinning as Lyssa leaned into her side, drained but content.
Even Aria looked mildly impressed.
"You've proven yourself again," she said.
Sera nodded. "That's two Lords in three weeks. Your legend's growing faster than the desert storm."
Kael exhaled, the tension slowly unwinding.
"Let it grow. We have a long way to go before we reach the Supreme Lords."