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Chapter 17: Operation Shadowstrike
Scene 1: A Whisper in the Woods
Vicky was reviewing a new blade design with Thomas in the bustling courtyard forge when Sofia approached, her expression sharp and focused.
"Vicky," she said, her voice low. "My scouts have reported something significant from the deep woods. Lin family soldiers are using a hidden cave entrance. They're moving large crates—weapons, armor, and what looks like raw mana crystals."
Thomas's eyes gleamed with a craftsman's interest. "An armory! And a stocked one. If we could hit that... it would be a blow they wouldn't soon recover from."
"Striking their supplies is a wiser move than facing their full strength head-on," Reman's voice echoed in Vicky's mind. "Speed and silence will be your allies. They must not see you coming."
A plan solidified in Vicky's mind. He turned to Gideon, who had been listening intently. "Gather twenty of our best. The quiet ones. We move at dusk."
Scene 2: The Silent March
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Vicky's strike force assembled. They were a diverse group: ten of his most agile Arkaan knights, five of Thomas's stout Dwarves carrying tools for breaching and breaking, and five Elven scouts led by Sofia, their eyes already adapted to the growing dark. Their faces were smudged with charcoal, and their dark cloaks made them one with the shadows.
"This is not a mission for glory," Vicky addressed them, his voice a low murmur. "This is a mission for results. We are the shadow that will choke the Lin family's light. We are Operation Shadowstrike. No engagement unless absolutely necessary. Our target is their supplies. Understood?"
A series of grim nods was his answer.
Led by Sofia's Elves, they melted into the Forest of Whispers. They moved like ghosts, the Elves pointing out hidden Lin patrols which they effortlessly avoided. The Dwarves identified and disarmed subtle magical traps near the cave entrance with a quiet expertise that surprised even Vicky.
Scene 3: The Lin Armory
The cave entrance was cleverly concealed behind a thick curtain of vines, but the well-trodden path leading to it betrayed its importance. Two bored-looking Lin guards stood watch outside.
Vicky gave a series of hand signals. Two Elven archers notched their arrows. A soft thwip sound, and the guards slumped to the ground, fast asleep thanks to tips dipped in a gentle Elven sedative.
Inside, the cave opened up into a vast, naturally formed cavern. It was a treasure trove of war. Stacked from floor to ceiling were crates of finely crafted swords, spears, and shields bearing the Lin family crest. Barrels of black powder were lined against one wall, and shelves were laden with mana crystals glowing with stored energy. A handful of storekeepers were busy cataloging the inventory.
"Now," Vicky whispered.
The strike force erupted into action. It was a whirlwind of controlled chaos. The Arkaan knights efficiently and silently subdued the storekeepers, binding and gagging them before they could raise an alarm. Thomas and his Dwarves moved with brutal efficiency, using their hammers not to forge, but to smash. They shattered weapons, cracked armor, and ruined the mechanisms of siege equipment.
Sofia's Elves, with their innate connection to natural energies, gathered the mana crystals. They didn't destroy them. Instead, they began channeling the raw power out of them, causing the crystals to dim and crack, rendering them inert and useless.
Vicky himself headed for the most volatile section: the black powder. He ordered his men to move the barrels outside. "We'll take the weapons and crystals we can carry. The rest... we leave them a message."
Scene 4: A Message in Flame
Under the cover of night, Vicky's strike force retreated, their packs heavy with confiscated Lin weapons and the now-drained mana crystals. They left behind a scene of utter devastation.
As a final act, Vicky took one last look at the plundered armory. He picked up a lone, discarded Lin sword and plunged it into the ground at the cave's entrance. It stood as a stark, metal grave marker.
Then, he gave the signal.
An Elven archer fired a flaming arrow into the distance, not into the cave itself, but into a prepared pit where the stolen black powder had been dumped safely away from the trees.
WHOOM!
The ground shook with a deep, muffled thunder. The explosion lit up the night sky for a brief moment, a brilliant flash that was seen for miles, including from the distant Lin estate. It was not an explosion of destruction, but a declaration. A signal fire announcing that the hunters had become the hunted.
Scene 5: The Aftermath
Lin Beilong was jolted from his sleep by the distant rumble. He rushed to his balcony, his heart pounding with a dread he hadn't felt in years. He saw the fading glow on the horizon, roughly from the direction of his most secret armory.
A horseman, covered in dirt and panic, arrived at the estate gates not long after.
"My Lord! The... the armory!" the soldier gasped, falling to his knees. "It's gone! Wiped out! They left no one... and they left this."
The man held out a single, slightly scorched Arkaan arrow, its fletching distinctive.
Lin Beilong's face turned ashen. He hadn't just been attacked; he had been humiliated. His securest location had been found, plundered, and taunted. The Arkaans were no longer just defending; they were striking back with terrifying precision and audacity.
He crumpled the arrow in his fist, his knuckles white. The war had just changed.