Kael walked forward into the clearing and slowed as the fog thinned. He could now see the army in full formation. Soldiers arranged in ranks: shields at the front, swordsmen flanking them, spearmen forming the second line, and archers set on a raised line behind.
It looked like something out of a movie, a disciplined battlefield array brought to life.
A shout rang out. "Giants! Two front, three fast approaching left!"
The ground shook beneath the weight of something massive moving in the mist. His eyes darted toward the approaching forms. He could just make out the outlines. The two towering creatures, their limbs too long, backs hunched, with long sharp claws and three faster ones moving like shadows ahead of them, their forms looked like tigers, were running towards the shield formation.
Kael's breath caught as a ring of searing flame exploded across the front line, halting the towering beasts in their tracks. Shock rooted him in place. The attack had carved through the mist.
He turned sharply in the direction it came from.
A woman with dark skin and long braids pulled back in a knot raised both hands toward the sky. Light coiled around her fingers before scattering in waves toward the front lines. Three mages surrounded her, each with hands lifted toward her back, murmuring in sync, their support channeling into her like silent pillars. A glowing magic circle lit the ground beneath her boots, etched with runes that pulsed in rhythm. Other mages held positions along the outer circle, but the woman at the center radiated such focus and force that even without speaking, she looked like the source they all followed.
Kael muttered under his breath, "What the fuck is that..."
One of the soldiers with a thick bandage over his right eye and looked about thirty behind him flinched like he'd been jabbed. He blinked, as if remembering he'd forgotten something obvious.
"Those are mages," the soldier said, rubbing the back of his neck. "And that woman in the center is Lady Bella. She's... one of the strongest mage we've got. Some say the strongest in the western front. You don't forget her work unless you've had your skull rattled."
Kael nodded once, though his eyes were drawn past the front line. The flaming arc from earlier still flickered in the edges of the mist. He felt the realization settle in his gut like a stone, this wasn't just a trick or illusion. These were mages. Real, trained mages with power that bent the battlefield.
He'd imagined war as steel and muscle, not spells and light sigils. The ground itself seemed to hum beneath their casting. It made the world feel larger, more dangerous, and suddenly he understood how little he knew about the rules he was playing under.
A shout split the air. "Left flank! Intercept those beasts—don't let them reach the mages!"
The smaller ones had closed the distance. Fast. A blur of movement barely seen through the mist. The command line reacted. Fighters from the second line surged forward, breaking formation in practiced waves. Steel met speed. Swords and spears clashed with shadow.
The beasts were agile—too agile. They ducked low, leapt high, twisting unnaturally as they struck. Their strength matched their speed, and every blow they delivered sent men staggering back or down altogether.
Medics rushed in from the flanks, dragging wounded fighters away under shield cover while replacements stepped in without hesitation to plug the gaps. Two of the creatures went down eventually, one pinned through the chest by a spear, the other slashed apart by coordinated blades. The last one skidded back, crouching low, no longer attacking. It waited just beyond reach, its glowing eyes fixed on the formation.
Kael stood rooted. This was no drill or skirmish. This was war. A real battle unfolding before him, brutal and alive with danger. He couldn't look away.
"They are good," he whispered.
"They are," the soldier behind him agreed, voice quiet. Then his gaze shifted toward the looming shapes in the mist. "But those beasts are nasty."
Kael turned, eyes narrowing. "Why do they look different from the ones in the first breach?"
The man shook his head. "We've never seen beasts like those," he muttered. "But monsters, like those smaller ones... they're always the kind that comes for us. These giants, this is new."
"Giants! Two incoming—straight ahead!" A shout resounded in the front.
A short horn sounded, sharp and commanding. The front line split open in practiced rhythm, revealing the mages behind. Another wave of spells ignited, beams of slowing magic cascading across the battlefield. The giants shuddered, slowed under the weight of enchantments, but they did not fall.
Kael's eyes darted to Bella. The air around her had grown heavier, tense as if reality itself strained around her. Then she opened her eyes, bright, enchanted, and raised both hands. A single word echoed from her lips.
A pillar of light burst forward, too fast for the eye to follow. It struck one of the giants square through the chest, burning a hole straight through its body. The creature let out a thunderous cry and collapsed, shaking the ground.
"Goddamn," Kael muttered, breath low.
The soldier beside him gave a sideways glance. "Bella is good," he said, tone measured, "but that spell takes ten minutes to cast."
Another shout rang out. "Strengthen the shield line! Hold them back!"
The remaining giant pressed forward. The shield line met it, but the force of the creature's charge scattered the front rank like pins. Men were thrown aside, steel clattering against stone.
One of the smaller beasts, quick and predatory, darted past the broken defense, veering toward the mages.
A hulking figure stepped into its path, shield raised. The creature slammed into him with a snarl. The man didn't move.
The beast's eyes fixed on him, and the two locked into a brutal contest of will and force.
The line was breaking and chaos bloomed.
Kael turned to the cards hovering faintly at his side.
He reached toward it.
The moment his fingers brushed the air near it, the surface of the card shimmered and tilted, showing a faint inscription:
Card 5: Redraw Trigger
Type: Passive
Effect: Once per day, after a failed activation of a chance-based card, this card can be tapped to grant one retry with a +10 probability bonus. Must be used immediately after failure. Cannot be stacked.
As he watched, a thin line of red shimmer passed from the card toward the golden coin and the glowing probability number.
He stepped back instinctively.
He looked at Card 3 and tapped it first.
[Card 3: Awareness Pulse]Probability: 38% - FAILED
Kael exhaled slowly. That was fine. Based on the name, 'Awareness Pulse' sounded like the one that showed where everyone was.
He clenched his teeth and glanced toward the Jack.
He reached out and tapped it, brushing the card's surface. The glow shifted. He touched the coin.
It spun.
Tails.
His stomach sank.
"Shit," he hissed under his breath. Around him, the formation was crumbling—shouts, screams, steel meeting muscle and losing. He couldn't afford a miss.
He slammed his fingers against Card 5.
[Card: Jack of Flowers]
Summon Skeletal General – Duration: 60 seconds
The Jack activated.
A portal tore open in front of Kael. Bones rose from nothing, wrapped in armor, crowned with a skeletal helm. The summoned general raised a greatsword and charged forward without a sound.
The soldiers backed away, startled.
"Did he—?"
Kael said nothing. He was staring at the general as it moved with brutal precision, almost effortless in its destruction. The Skeletal General was massive, easily ten meters tall, and ran with terrifying speed across the field, its armor clattering like thunder. Kael watched in awe as it charged toward the remaining giant, the ground cracking beneath each step.
It wasn't just the card.
It wasn't just magic. It was raw power.
He could feel the strain crawling up his spine now, like the edge of exhaustion. His fingers trembled. His vision flickered.
Was this what magic cost?
The clash was brutal and swift. The general slammed into the giant with such force that the larger beast reeled backward. The skeletal warrior didn't relent as it drove its greatsword into the giant's thigh, tearing muscle and staggering the creature, then turned with unnatural speed and slashed upward in a devastating arc that severed the giant's arm at the shoulder.
The giant roared in pain, swinging wildly, but the general ducked low, drove its blade up through the exposed ribs, and twisted hard. The light behind the giant's eyes dimmed.
Within ten seconds, it collapsed to its knees and fell face-first into the earth.
Kael was breathing hard, stunned, unable to believe what he'd just seen. The Jack was not just powerful, it was overwhelming.
He turned his gaze toward the smaller beast, but it was already dead, its body lying motionless behind the fighters who had managed to finish it off during the chaos. Yet no one was looking at the corpse.
All eyes were fixed on the Skeletal General.
It turned its head.
And sprinted toward Kael.
The sound of its charge was like thunder cracking through the air. Kael's body locked in place. He wanted to move, to duck behind the other soldiers, but fear held him still.
The towering skeleton stopped just short of him and dropped to one knee, head bowed.
The battlefield fell silent.
Every eye was on Kael.
The prince swallowed and straightened his spine. His voice came out steadier than he felt. "Good job."
The general lowered its head further in acknowledgement.
Then its form unraveled into ash and light, dissolving into the wind.