"Steel alone doesn't hold the wall. It's the will behind it that stops the storm."
— Captain Garron, before the First Fall
00:00:00
The clock struck zero.
The eighth wave began—not with horns or howls, but with the rumble of earth breaking beneath armored weight.
From the southern ridge, the enemy surged.
Massive, organized, and silent.
[Wave Begins]
– 40x Bonecrush Raiders (Tier II Infantry)
– 20x Siege Beetles (Tier II Armored Siege-Class)
– 4x Towerkillers (Elite Unit – Anti-Structure)
Danger Level: Class B++
• Siege Objective: Breach the Central Wall
• Estimated Time to Breach (Unaided): 04:20
All Units Auto-Deployed.
Jag stood atop the inner tower, sweat sliding down his back. The new Musketeer Tower fired first—its sharp crack echoing like thunder through the storm-drenched air.
A Bonecrush Raider's helmet split in two.
But more came.
[Tower Output: 35 DMG, Pierce Successful]
The Barracks Guards formed a tight phalanx just behind the outer gate. Recruits, now hardened by trial, carried shields with no insignia—just dents and dried blood.
Captain Garron limped into position beside them, axe in hand.
[Garron – Status: Lightly Wounded]
Buff: "Loyal Veteran" (+10% DEF to nearby units)
Jag activated the Command Interface.
He had one Skill Point, and a battlefield crying for survival.
Available Skill Tree – Commander Tier 1
– Tactical Reinforce (Passive): Increases wall HP by 15%
– Emergency Rally (Active): Restores 25% HP to all units, 1x/day
– Mark Target (Active): Designates one enemy to take 25% more damage from all sources for 10s (CD: 3 min)
Jag chose Mark Target.
[Skill Learned: Mark Target]
– Assigned Hotkey: M
– Morale Boost: +2%
00:01:03
The first Bonecrush Raiders reached the kill zone.
These weren't mindless beasts—they moved in squads, flanking toward the archer tower while using debris as cover. Each wore crude but thick iron plates and carried cleavers half as tall as a man.
The Mage Tower unleashed its arcane burst.
[Arcane Burst – AoE Splash: 33 DMG]
Targets Hit: 6
Kills: 3
Remaining Raiders: 37
But behind them came Siege Beetles.
Juggernaut creatures the size of oxen, with bronze-shell plating and drill-like limbs. They dug into stone as they moved, ignoring damage entirely.
[Siege Beetle – Status: Unstoppable While Drilling]
• HP: 180
• Armor: High
• Weakness: Explosives, Magic Flame
Jag grit his teeth. No Flame Trap this time. But he did have Mark Target.
He locked onto the leading Beetle.
[MARK TARGET: Siege Beetle Alpha]
All towers and heroes deal +25% DMG to target
The Musketeer fired.
[Critical Hit!]
– 48 DMG
Mage Tower responded with focused burst.
– 45 DMG (Magic Bonus)
The Beetle screeched as its forward legs buckled.
Then Garron charged it.
He slammed his axe into the leg joint, and the entire creature toppled into the path, crushing two Bonecrush under its weight.
[Siege Beetle Alpha: ELIMINATED]
Morale: 92% → 94%
00:03:00
The battle intensified.
Remaining Enemies:
– 27 Raiders
– 14 Beetles
– 4 Towerkillers (Unrevealed)
The Mage Tower pulsed again, thinning the Raider line.
But then—the Towerkillers arrived.
[ENEMY TYPE: Towerkiller]
– Classification: Siege Elite
– HP: ???
– Description: Enormous, two-legged siege constructs with pincer arms and ground-quaking strides
Special Ability: Siege Pulse – Disables one structure for 10s
First Action: Targeting Musketeer Tower
A loud clang sounded as one Towerkiller released a deep-frequency pulse. The tower's gunner froze mid-aim. The weapon jammed.
[Musketeer Tower: OFFLINE – 00:10 Countdown]
Jag shouted, "Garron, left flank! Protect that tower!"
The old captain complied, leading three shield-bearers toward the construct. One was crushed instantly.
Still, they fought.
Garron's Axe: 19 DMG
Musketeer Tower: OFFLINE
Mage Tower: Overheated
"Damn it," Jag muttered. Then turned and hit the next switch.
[Command Surge: ACTIVATED]
– All Units: +20% ATK / +20% DEF for 20s
Barracks Militia surged forward, screaming into the rain, knocking Bonecrushes off balance.
Then—
[Ashra has Returned]
• Status: Wounded
• Escorting: Hero – Branwyn the Breaker
Entry Gate Opening…
The eastern gate slammed open, and through it limped Ashra, supporting a woman with white braids and a broken shield across her back. Her left leg was wrapped in bloodied cloth, but her eyes were clear.
[New Hero Joined: Branwyn the Breaker]
– Class: Shield Maiden
– Role: Tank / Defender
– Skill: Iron Stand – All nearby units gain +DEF, +Stun Resist
Branwyn: "I saw the smoke. Figured it was either a funeral or a good fight."
Jag grinned. "It's both."
She walked to the Towerkiller Garron was stalling—and slammed her broken shield directly into its knee.
A thunderous snap.
[Towerkiller: Staggered – Systems Offline for 6s]
The Mage Tower, now cooled, unleashed a charged shot.
Critical Hit – 72 DMG
Then—
[Musketeer Tower: Back Online]
Headshot: Towerkiller Destroyed
00:04:13
ENEMIES REMAINING:
– 8 Raiders
– 4 Beetles
– 1 Towerkiller
Branwyn slammed her shield into the ground. "Cover the mage. Give her time."
Ashra flicked her blades. "With pleasure."
The two warriors moved like twin storms—Ashra slicing through the final wave of Bonecrush, Branwyn holding three Beetles at bay with just her presence.
Jag stood behind the command panel, blood on his gloves, rain in his eyes.
Then—silence.
[Towerkiller Eliminated]
[Last Raider Slain]
[Final Beetle Collapsed]
[WAVE COMPLETE – VICTORY]
• Units Lost: 3
• Heroes Injured: Ashra (Moderate), Garron (Light)
• Citadel Damage: Minor (Outer Barricade Cracked)
Rewards:
– +200 Gold
– +250 EXP
– Stormwatch Morale: 95%
Branwyn Loyalty: "Cautious Ally"
Night fell again.
The forge fires were relit. Banners re-raised. Bodies wrapped. The people did not cheer.
They rested—the kind of rest earned with blood, not celebration.
Jag walked the walls alone. His hand pressed the cold stone of the northern parapet. His eyes stared into the black forest, lit only by starlight and the orange flicker of tower braziers.
[System Alert: Invasion Repelled – Class B++]
Progress to Next Tier: 85% → 100%
Stormwatch Upgraded to Tier C
New Benefits:
– +2 Tower Slots
– Unlocks Citadel Trait: "Beacon of Resistance"
– Grants Fortification Option for Inner Gate
– Hero Limit +1
Jag didn't smile.
He just stood taller.
Stormwatch wasn't surviving anymore.
It was resisting.