The Bone Bastion Tower pulsed with a soft, rhythmic glow atop its ridge. Its skeletal frame towered silently over the trees, casting long, watchful shadows. Within its 200-meter radius, nothing escaped the gaze of Iden's growing fortress.
And yet, something had entered its vision undetected.
A flicker moved past the edge of the patrol.
The Scout Skeleton twisted its skull sharply. Motion?
A dagger brushed its throat before it could react.
The blow was perfectly placed, but…
Clink!
The new reinforced neckplate saved it by a hair. The Scout staggered, giving a mechanical hiss and immediately signaled alarm.
Alarms triggered across the field.
Alert: Hostile Contact – Eastern SectorClass: Unknown | Intent: Testing | Force: Non-lethal
The Bladeguard Warrior and Bone Juggernaut emerged from the treeline moments later—shields drawn, energy pulsing faintly.
And standing calmly, hands raised, was Nyra.
Her eyes gleamed under the moonlight, lips curved faintly upward.
"Impressive. They work like they think for themselves."
Iden stepped out from behind his advancing line, expression unreadable."You attacked my scout."
Nyra nodded. "If I'd meant to kill it, I would've used poison."
She sheathed her dagger slowly, stepping forward.
"My name's Nyra. Class: Shadowbound. I'm not here to fight… not really. I saw your name in the announcement. Your defenses. Your organization. And I had to know—was it skill, or luck?"
"And?" Iden asked.
"It's skill," she said simply. "And that means you're valuable."
Before Iden could reply, the sky above shimmered.
A crimson wave rippled across the interface.
WORLD EVENT: Invasion Protocol: First Trial
In 48 hours, all candidates will face:– Wave 1: 50 E-tier Monsters– Wave 2: 75 E-tier Mutants
Rewards: Class Upgrades upon survival.
Warning: Permanent Death is enabled. Cooperation is advised.
World Chat exploded with chaos.
[CraterSoul]: 125 monsters?! We're level 6 at best![SickleQueen]: Who triggered this event!?[BlightCrone]: Upgrades? Finally![SilentRoot]: Building a wall now. Everyone else good luck.
Nyra's expression turned more serious.
"I have speed, silence, traps, and terrain control. You have numbers, structure, and power. Separately, we might survive. Together?" She looked at Iden with cool intent. "We dominate."
Rael stood beside Iden, arms crossed, but her aura held no malice.
Iden looked from Nyra to his map interface. She was right.
The monster wave was no joke—and the summons needed to level quickly if he was to survive.
"All right," he said. "Stay. We'll test this alliance in battle."
Nyra smiled.
Temporary Alliance Formed: [Iden + Nyra]Buff: Shared Vision Radius | Shared Camp Interface (Limited)
Later that night, Iden opened his private class tree. A small glow blinked under his Summon Management tab.
Summon Evolution System UnlockedExclusive to Class: Summoner of Bone
Effect:– When any summoned unit reaches Level 10, it may Evolve into a specialized version of its Class.– Evolution paths vary based on behavior, gear, and exposure.
[Locked from Public Disclosure]
Iden grinned faintly."Let them think the reward is just a class upgrade."
Current Progress:– Bladeguard Warrior: LV 6– Scout: LV 4– Woodcutter: LV 5– Miner: LV 7– Builder: LV 4– Forgemaster: LV 3– Juggernaut: LV 3
He turned to his skeletons.
"Two days to reach Level 10."
That night, Nyra walked silently through the camp perimeter, watching the skeletons train, rotate tasks, and exchange tools.
"This… is a system," she whispered.
Her Shadowbound Class pulsed with recognition.Her trap glyphs could tag enemies and share positions with scouts. Her veil could hide entire patrols. And most of all—
She didn't feel alone anymore.
"You're strange, Iden. Ruthless, logical… but not heartless."
Maybe this place is where I survive too.