Chapter 31 – Eyes from the Shadows
The sun dipped beneath the horizon, casting an amber hue across the cracked earth as Kael and his forces began their return to the ruins—their home, for now. The wind was dry, rustling through the ragged flags held by the soldiers who marched with pride behind their lord. Dust clung to their boots, their armor still stained from the blood spilled in the name of rising power. Behind them, the captured town of Durnholde stood under new rule.
Kael rode at the front, his expression calm but contemplative. The System had rewarded him once more.
[System Notification]
Task Complete: Seize a Border Town – Durnholde Captured
+2,400 EXP
Skill Unlocked: "Commander's Intuition" (Passive) – Increases leadership effectiveness in battles by 10%.
Troop Morale: Greatly Increased
The system bar faded from his sight, but the feeling of power lingered. It had become a quiet companion to his ambition, always watching, always guiding.
Yet Kael's senses were sharp, and he could not shake the subtle itch beneath his skin—he was being watched.
Miles away, hidden behind an outcrop of rock and bone-colored thorns, a group of cloaked figures observed the return of Kael's army through a polished spyglass. They were draped in desert-toned leather and armor etched with the insignia of the House of Mervak, a militant force that operated in the shadowy territory of Redhollow Province—a district notorious for its lawless borders and aggressive warlords.
Their leader, a lean scout with deep scars across his lips, lowered the glass. His breath quickened.
"That's no longer a wandering band," he muttered to the others. "They've taken Durnholde. He's raising a force."
A younger scout blinked. "Just weeks ago that ruin was a ghost town…"
The scarred one clenched his jaw. "And now it has a banner."
They packed swiftly, slipping into the dusk like wolves. Within hours, the scouts returned to their base—Skarm Reach, a fortified town nestled into a jagged ridge overlooking the lowlands, veiled in crimson mist and ruled by Lord Thandek Mervak, the Warlord of the Crimson Crest.
Inside the stone keep, torchlight danced against the walls as the scouts knelt before the warlord. Lord Thandek was a brute of a man—broad, iron-haired, with a jagged pauldron on one shoulder and a beast's skull adorning his throne. His yellow eyes gleamed under the flickering light.
"Well?" he growled.
The scarred scout bowed lower. "He's real. The man from the slave rumors… Kael. He commands over a hundred now. Disciplined, loyal. He's seized Durnholde and fortified the ruins. His soldiers call him 'Lord of Ash.'"
Thandek leaned forward. "And he flies no noble crest?"
"None, my lord."
The warlord's fingers tapped the bone armrest of his throne. "A ghost prince, crawling from the dirt… interesting."
He stood, voice booming. "Send word to our neighboring allies in the Shadow Ring. If he thinks the border is his playground, he'll learn otherwise. And… keep watching him. No one rises so quickly without reason."
Back in the ruins—now beginning to resemble a fortress—the gates opened as Kael and his army marched through. The townspeople and craftsmen, those who had followed Kael or joined after his victories, paused their work and looked up in admiration and awe. What was once broken stone was now a place of rebuilding—barracks taking shape, walls reinforced, and watchtowers rising like silent sentinels.
Kael dismounted and gave a brief nod to one of his lieutenants. "Ensure the supplies from Durnholde are secured. No waste. Begin distributing rations."
"Yes, my lord."
As the troops disbanded to their respective quarters, Kael stood at the heart of his stronghold, eyes scanning the skyline. The moon hung high now, casting light on the ruined statues that still littered the area—remnants of an older civilization.
A notification shimmered before him once more.
[System Notification]
New Task Unlocked: "Secure the Border" – Fortify the Ruins against Recon and Invasion.
Reward: +2,000 EXP, Construction Blueprint: Defensive Outpost (Tier I)
Kael narrowed his gaze. "So, they were watching after all…"
He turned to his first general—still unnamed in the records but fiercely loyal—and said, "Tomorrow, we begin phase two. The age of hiding ends here."
From the edge of the stronghold's walls, torches flickered to life. The night stretched outward like a sea of unknown dangers. But Kael's flame had been lit—and soon, all would see it burning.