The lie held for six months.
Six months in which roads hardened under frost and stone.
Six months in which iron rang day and night in Krujë's workshops.
Six months in which young men learned not how to die bravely, but how to live through battle.
Then the system chimed.
Not softly.
Not politely.
[Major External Event Detected]
Ottoman Empire
Military Mobilization Confirmed
Commanding General Identified
Name: Iskender Pasha of Adrianople
Title: Sword of Rumelia
Traits: Aggressive, Glory Seeker, Veteran of Three Campaigns
Estimated Force
Infantry: 28,000
Cavalry: 6,000
Artillery: Minimal
Target
Albania
Primary Objective
Decapitation Strike on Krujë
Blendi did not react at first.
He simply stared at the numbers.
Then he spoke.
"Open full battlefield projection."
War Interface Activated
Enemy Forces
Total Strength: Overwhelming
Morale: High
Supply Lines: Extended
Terrain Familiarity: Low
Albanian Forces
Total Strength: Inferior
Morale: Exceptional
Terrain Mastery: Absolute
Battle Outcome Projection
Direct Engagement: Defeat
Guerrilla Defense: Survival
Layered Defense Strategy: Victory Possible
Victory Possible.
That was enough.
Blendi turned to Captain Arben Kelmendi, who stood like a carved figure of stone.
"They come for my head," Blendi said calmly.
Arben nodded.
"Then we will let them look."
War Council Named
The system registered new titles as commands were issued.
Captain Arben Kelmendi
Title Updated: Marshal of the Eagle Guard
Lord Mark Lleshi
Title: Warden of the Northern Passes
Traits: Defensive Genius, Patient
Lady Mira Kastrioti
Title Updated: Grand Chancellor of Albania
Traits: Administrative Mastery, Strategic Foresight
The Strategy of Layers
Blendi spoke slowly, clearly, as the system recorded each command.
"Phase One. Let them enter."
Gasps followed.
"Phase Two. Bleed their supply lines."
"Phase Three. Break their confidence."
"And only then," he paused, "do we fight to win."
[National War Doctrine Activated]
Layered Mountain Defense
Effects
Enemy attrition increased
Supply disruption amplified
Albanian casualty reduction increased
Phase One: The Empire Enters
Ottoman banners appeared on the horizon like a dark tide.
Iskender Pasha rode at the center, armor polished, banners raised.
"This land breaks today," he declared.
They marched unopposed.
Villages abandoned. Roads empty. Fields silent.
The Ottomans smiled.
[Enemy Morale Increased]
Enemy Misjudgment Level: High
Phase Two: The Mountains Close In
The first supply convoy vanished.
Then the second.
Then scouts stopped returning.
Night attacks without battles.
Arrows without bodies.
Traps without warnings.
[Guerrilla Engagements Ongoing]
Enemy Supply Efficiency: Decreasing
Enemy Morale: Unstable
Albanian Losses: Minimal
Iskender Pasha frowned.
"This is not resistance," he muttered.
"It is harassment."
Phase Three: The Eagle Descends
Blendi stood atop a ridge as drums echoed through the mountains.
Arben knelt briefly.
"The Eagle Guard awaits."
Blendi nodded.
"Release them."
[Elite Unit Deployed]
Eagle Guard
Size: 700
Combat Mode: Decisive Strike
They did not charge.
They descended.
Steel met confusion.
The Eagle Guard struck command units, artillery teams, messengers.
Iskender Pasha barely escaped with his life.
Mid Battle Evolution
The system blazed gold.
[Elite Unit Evolution Triggered]
Eagle Guard
Evolution Path Available
Option Selected Automatically
Mountain Reapers
Bonuses
Command Unit Assassination Bonus
Enemy Morale Damage Increased
Fear Spread Effect
Ottoman lines buckled.
Men ran.
Orders contradicted.
Iskender Pasha shouted until his voice broke.
Battle Resolution
Engagement: Battle of the Broken Pass
Outcome: Albanian Strategic Victory
Enemy Casualties
Killed: 9,400
Captured: 2,100
Albanian Casualties
Killed: 870
Enemy Retreat Confirmed
Rewards Cascade
[Major Achievement: Empire Bled]
Rewards
Permanent Guerrilla Effectiveness Increase
Foreign Fear Index Surge
Military Experience Multiplier Increased
[Hidden Achievement: The Mountain Does Not Move]
Rewards
Defensive bonuses permanently increased
Enemy invasion costs doubled
[Title Acquired]
Shield of the Balkans
Effects
Allied respect increased
Enemy aggression delayed
Diplomatic pressure eased
Nation Status Update
Standing Army: 10,800
Elite Units: 780
Gold Reserves: 3,900
Monthly Balance: Positive
Unity: Unbreakable
Foreign Fear Index: High
Ottoman Awareness: Shocked
Eternal State Route Progress
18 percent
Iskender Pasha fled.
But he carried something with him back to the empire.
Fear.
And fear, once learned, does not fade.
Blendi looked down at the valley littered with abandoned banners.
"This is not the end," he said softly.
"It is the announcement."