Kieran stood in Henrick's workshop, examining the impossible.
A second cannon. Completed in three days when the first had taken nine.
"I don't know how we did it," Henrick said, looking exhausted but proud. "Working around the clock, using every scrap of material, every available hand. But there it is. Your second thunder-weapon."
The cannon was slightly cruder than the first—less refined in its finish, the barrel showing tool marks that the original didn't have. But the core mechanisms were identical. The crystal chamber, the triggering system, the reinforced barrel. Lyra had worked herself to exhaustion enchanting it.
"It functions?" Kieran asked.
"Tested it this morning with reduced charge. Works perfectly. Full power test is ready when you are."
They took it to the testing range—far from the village to avoid alerting any goblin scouts. The crew from the first cannon had trained a second crew in parallel, sharing knowledge, drilling procedures.
The test projectile was loaded. Crystal chamber sealed. Aim adjusted.
"FIRE!"
Thunder. The projectile screamed across the range and demolished the target in an explosion of splinters.
[Second Cannon: Operational]
[Two artillery pieces: Overlapping firing arcs]
[Tactical Advantage: Extreme]
Kieran allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. With complete intelligence on enemy plans and two cannons instead of one, the tactical balance had shifted dramatically.
General Kresh was planning to counter one cannon. He didn't know about the second.
That asymmetry would be lethal.
___________________________
Kieran woke to a system notification he'd never seen before.
[SYSTEM ALERT: CLASS EVOLUTION AVAILABLE]
[Recent Character Development Detected]
[Emotional Growth: Sufficient for Advanced Abilities]
[Commander Class: Skill Selection Available]
[Choose ONE:]
[CRY OF WAR]
[Effect: Massive morale boost to all allied forces, Terror effect on enemies, +30% combat effectiveness for 10 minutes, Cooldown: 24 hours]
[Description: Channel leadership through voice and presence. Rally troops through sheer force of will. Break enemy morale through projection of dominance. Classic warleader ability.]
[LAND VIEW]
[Effect: Gain complete aerial tactical awareness of controlled territory and active battlefields. Pre-program squad commands. View all developments from overhead perspective. Enhanced coordination and strategic positioning.]
[Description: Transcend physical limitations through tactical omniscience. See the battlefield as map made real. Command with perfect information. The ultimate strategist's tool.]
Kieran read both options with his usual analytical detachment. Cry of War was powerful—the morale and combat bonuses would make every soldier more effective. The fear effect on enemies was significant.
But Land View...
Land View was everything his tactical mind had always wanted. Perfect battlefield awareness. No fog of war. The ability to see every position, every movement, every tactical opportunity from an omniscient perspective.
It wasn't even a difficult choice.
[Selection: LAND VIEW]
[Skill Acquired: Land View (Commander - Advanced)]
[Your tactical awareness transcends mortal limitations]
[Territory Control: Thornhaven and surroundings]
[Battlefield Awareness: Complete within controlled areas]
[Command Efficiency: Dramatically Enhanced]
He activated it immediately.
The world... shifted.
Suddenly Kieran was aware of Thornhaven from above—not seeing it directly, but knowing it with perfect clarity. Every building. Every defensive position. Every militia member. The two cannons, hidden behind false walls. The supply depots. The medical stations.
And beyond Thornhaven's immediate perimeter, he could sense the corrupted forest. The goblin camp. Movement in the trees—enemies approaching.
The invasion force was coming.
[Land View: ACTIVE]
[Enemy Forces Detected: 1.2 kilometers north, approaching]
[Estimated Arrival: Noon]
[Your awareness encompasses everything]
__________________________
The final preparations proceeded under Kieran's omniscient coordination, though to observers it simply looked like his usual meticulous planning.
He stood at the command platform, physically present, but his awareness was everywhere. He could sense the militia moving to positions, the cannon crews readying weapons, supply runners, medical teams, civilian evacuations—all simultaneously, all perfectly clear.
But outwardly, he simply issued orders based on "tactical analysis" and "probability calculations."
"Both cannons will fire within the first minute," he told the assembled commanders. "The enemy expects one cannon in the northeast position. They don't know about the second. That's our primary advantage."
"How do you know they're coming at noon?" Marcus asked.
"Their patrol patterns, supply schedules, attack doctrine—all point to midday assault when our sentries are most likely to be fatigued from morning watch. Standard military timing."
It was a plausible explanation. No one questioned it.
Through Land View, he tracked the enemy force: 800 meters out. Forty-three goblins plus General Kresh. Moving in exact formation predicted from stolen documents.
"Enemy will arrive in approximately two hours," Kieran said calmly. "All positions final check. Cannon crews, triple-verify your firing solutions. This battle will be decided in the first thirty seconds."
_________________________
The goblins emerged from the corrupted forest in professional formation—exactly as General Kresh's plans had specified. Three columns of fourteen goblins, each with mobile ice shields providing cover. The General himself rode at the rear, commanding from his corrupted elk.
[Enemy Forces: 43 Goblins + General Kresh]
[Formation: Professional three-column assault]
[Equipment: Ice shields (anti-cannon), Upgraded weapons, Coordinated tactics]
To everyone watching from Thornhaven's defenses, it looked like a coordinated military assault.
To Kieran, through Land View, it was a perfectly mapped approach with every vulnerability exposed.
"Positions," Kieran said quietly, his voice carrying the absolute certainty of someone who could see everything. "First cannon team—target eastern column. Second cannon—target western column. Wait for my command."
The cannon crews adjusted their aim, trusting Kieran's calculations even though they couldn't see the targets yet through the false walls concealing the weapons.
Elara stood beside him at the command platform. "They're spreading out. Three-pronged attack, just like you predicted."
"Exactly as predicted," Kieran confirmed. Through Land View, he watched the formations move into precise positions. "They're following their plan perfectly. Which means we counter perfectly."
The eastern column reached the kill zone—180 yards out, tightly grouped behind their ice shields.
"First cannon: FIRE!"
Thunder split the air. The false wall collapsed, revealing the cannon's position—but not where the goblins expected. The grapeshot erupted from thirty yards east of where their intelligence suggested.
The wooden balls arced over the ice shields, which were angled to block direct fire from the "known" position, and rained down from above.
Fourteen goblins, tightly packed, caught the grapeshot bombardment. Their shields were facing the wrong direction.
[Eastern Column: ANNIHILATED]
[14 Goblins: KILLED]
Three seconds later—perfect timing that seemed coincidental but was precisely calculated through Land View—the second cannon fired.
The western column had their shields raised toward where they thought the first cannon was. The second cannon, whose existence they didn't know about, fired from the opposite angle.
The massive log projectile struck their exposed flank.
[Western Column: BROKEN]
[5 Goblins killed, 4 critically wounded]
Lyra stared at the devastation, shocked by the precision. "That was... how did you time that so perfectly?"
"Calculated firing solutions based on enemy movement speed and projectile trajectories," Kieran said, which was technically true. "Archer teams: LOOSE!"
Fire arrows arced toward the central column, which was now scattered and disorganized. The volley tore through them with brutal efficiency.
[Central Column: DECIMATED]
[8 Goblins killed, 3 wounded]
[Remaining Combat-Effective: 16 + Kresh]
The entire assault collapsed in thirty seconds. Marcus stared at the battlefield in disbelief. "They're... they're already broken. The battle just started and they're already broken."
"The battle was won when we acquired their plans," Kieran said calmly. "This is just execution."
Through Land View, he sensed General Kresh's shock and realization. The General understood: his strategy had been completely compromised.
"REFORM!" Kresh bellowed. "RALLY TO ME!"
The sixteen survivors attempted to regroup around their commander. Through Land View, Kieran could see exactly where they'd form up, how long it would take, where Kresh would position himself.
"Both cannons: Reload. Target coordinates..." He rattled off precise numbers that seemed to come from tactical calculations but were actually from his omniscient awareness. "Forty-five seconds."
"Militia: Advance to positions Alpha through Delta. Surround the rally point."
The orders flowed with mechanical precision. To the militia, it looked like Kieran was reading the battle with supernatural accuracy. They'd learned to trust his tactical brilliance, so they moved without questioning how he knew exactly where the enemy would be.
"First cannon: READY!"
"Second cannon: READY!"
Kieran's eyes were distant, processing information no one else could see. The goblins forming defensive circle. Kresh's exact position. Optimal firing solutions.
"Both cannons: Synchronized fire on my mark." He paused, waiting for the perfect moment. "Three. Two. One. FIRE!"
Double thunder. Two projectiles launched from different angles, converging on the defensive circle with timing that seemed impossibly coordinated.
Both struck simultaneously from opposite directions. Shields positioned to block one angle were useless against the other.
[8 Goblins: KILLED by synchronized cannon fire]
[Remaining: 8 + Kresh]
"How are you doing this?" Elara breathed. "It's like you can see the future."
"Pattern recognition and probability analysis," Kieran replied, his standard explanation for abilities that went far beyond normal tactical skill.
General Kresh survived—his superior level and armor protecting him from the blast. But his corrupted elk was down, his remaining troops scattered and broken.
The General stood alone in the kill zone, surrounded by the bodies of his war band, facing an enemy that had predicted his every move.
Through Land View, Kieran saw Kresh's tactical assessment: the situation was unwinnable. But the General was professional enough to recognize a worthy opponent.
Kresh drew his ice-blade and charged directly at the command platform. Not a suicidal rush—a targeted strike. Kill the tactician, break the coordination, create chaos.
It was exactly what Kieran would have done.
"He's coming for you!" Lyra shouted.
"I know." Kieran had been tracking Kresh's position through Land View for the last five seconds. "Garrett, Marcus, Helen—intercept positions Beta-Four, Beta-Five, and Beta-Six. Now."
The three militia members moved to seemingly arbitrary positions—until Kresh's charge path intersected all three simultaneously. They struck from different angles with enchanted weapons, forcing Kresh to engage in a three-way melee instead of reaching Kieran.
"Finn: Elevation platform three, target the General's back armor joint."
Finn was already climbing to the platform Kieran specified, nocking an arrow. From that exact position, there was a clear line to a gap in Kresh's armor that would be exposed when he turned to block Garrett's hammer.
"Lyra: Fire spell, three-second delay, ground position Delta-Seven."
"That's nowhere near—"
"Three seconds. Trust me."
Lyra cast the delayed fire spell at the designated ground position. It seemed like a wasted shot—Kresh wasn't anywhere near there.
Until he dodged Garrett's hammer, turned to block Marcus's spear, and stepped backward to avoid Helen's axe—directly onto the spot where Lyra's delayed spell detonated.
The explosion caught Kresh in the legs, burning through armor, disrupting his stance.
Finn's arrow struck the exposed back armor joint.
Aldous's lightning bolt, fired at Kieran's signal, caught Kresh full in the chest.
The General of the winter goblins, Level 11 elite commander, staggered. His armor was shattered, his weapon falling from burned hands, his body failing from accumulated damage.
He fell to his knees, looking up at the command platform where Kieran stood.
"You knew," Kresh gasped in accented human speech. "Everything. Every move. Every position. You knew."
"I had your plans," Kieran said simply. "And I had time to prepare counters."
"No." Kresh shook his head. "More than that. You see everything. Command like... like god views battlefield. How?"
Kieran said nothing. Through Land View, he could sense the last goblin survivors fleeing into the corrupted forest. The battle was over. But Kresh's question hung in the air.
The General smiled—a warrior's acknowledgment of superior opponent. "Good. Fire-commander deserves victory. You are... worthy tactician. Better than me."
Elara's spear took him through the heart. The General fell, his tactical mind finally silenced.
[General Kresh: KILLED]
[Enemy Forces: ELIMINATED]
[Battle Result: OVERWHELMING VICTORY]
[Friendly Casualties: 0 Deaths, 2 Minor Injuries]
[Enemy Casualties: 43 Goblins killed, General Kresh killed]
Silence fell over the battlefield. Then someone started cheering. Within seconds, the entire militia was celebrating—they'd destroyed a professional military force without losing a single life.
Lyra approached Kieran, studying him with her analytical mage's eye. "That wasn't normal tactical coordination. That was... I've never seen anything like that. You knew exactly where everyone needed to be, exactly when to fire, exactly where the enemy would move."
"Probability calculations based on observed patterns—"
"No." She cut him off gently. "Kieran, I've watched you command for months now. This was different. You weren't reacting to the battlefield. You were... conducting it. Like you could see everything at once."
Kieran met her eyes, considering how to respond. The truth was impossible to explain. The lie would be detected by someone who knew him this well.
"I can see tactical patterns more clearly during combat," he said, which was technically true. "Enhanced pattern recognition under pressure. It's... hard to explain."
"Like an ability?"
He paused. "Something like that."
She studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright. I won't push. But Kieran? Whatever you're doing, whatever's letting you command like this? It's incredible. And terrifying. You coordinated seventeen different elements simultaneously with perfect timing. That's not just tactics. That's beyond human capability."
"Maybe I'm not entirely human," he said quietly, half-joking.
"Maybe you're becoming more human in ways that matter," she replied. "And developing other abilities to compensate."
The militia began securing the battlefield, collecting weapons, checking for survivors. The two cannons were being moved to new positions—no point leaving them where the enemy had finally learned their locations.
Kieran deactivated Land View, and suddenly his awareness contracted to just his normal senses. The battlefield was visible only from his physical position. He could only know what he could see directly.
It felt claustrophobic after the omniscience. Limiting. But also somehow more real.
Marcus approached, looking shaken. "That was... I've never seen anything like that. Perfect coordination. Perfect timing. Zero casualties on our side. Complete annihilation of theirs."
"Superior intelligence combined with tactical preparation," Kieran said.
"It was more than that. You commanded like you had a bird's eye view of everything." Marcus's eyes were sharp. "How?"
"Practice. Experience. Pattern recognition."
It was clear Marcus didn't entirely believe him, but like Lyra, he chose not to push. "Whatever it is you're doing, keep doing it. You've saved us. Again."
________________________________
The victory celebration was more subdued than after previous battles. The complete dominance had been almost disturbing—the enemy destroyed so thoroughly, so efficiently, with such precision that it felt less like battle and more like execution.
Kieran reviewed the engagement from his quarters, replaying the battle through memory. Land View had been everything he'd hoped for and more. The tactical advantages were overwhelming.
But Lyra and Marcus had noticed something was different. His coordination had been too perfect, too precise. They suspected something beyond normal tactical ability.
He'd need to be more careful. Use Land View more subtly. Make his commands seem like brilliant deduction rather than omniscient awareness.
A knock on his door. Lyra entered without waiting for permission, a habit she'd developed over the past weeks.
"Can't sleep?" she asked.
"Processing the battle. Identifying potential improvements."
"Improvements? Kieran, that was perfect. Literally perfect. Not a single casualty. Complete enemy elimination. What could possibly be improved?"
"Command timing could have been point-three seconds faster in two instances. The second cannon's firing angle could have been optimized for one-point-two percent better coverage. The—"
"Stop." She sat beside him. "You don't need to analyze perfection. You won. Decisively. Completely. Accept it."
"Accepting victory without analyzing it prevents learning from success."
"You're impossible." But she said it fondly. "At least tell me you felt something during the battle. Relief when no one died? Satisfaction at outsmarting Kresh?"
Kieran considered the question honestly. During the battle, he'd been in complete tactical mode—emotions suppressed, analytical processing maximized. But after...
"I was glad no one died," he said slowly. "Not just because it preserved combat effectiveness. Actually glad. Does that count?"
"Yes, Kieran. That counts." She smiled. "You're learning. Slowly, in your own strange way with your mysterious tactical abilities, but you're learning."
"The tactical abilities—"
"I don't need to know the details. I trust you. Whatever's letting you command like that, you're using it to protect people. That's what matters."
She left him to his analysis, and Kieran returned to reviewing the battle. Land View had given him perfect awareness. Perfect coordination. Perfect victory.
But it had also made the battle feel... mechanical. Like playing World.io again. Moving units on a map, executing optimal strategies, watching numbers decrease.
The human element—the fear, the uncertainty, the chaos—had been removed by his omniscient perspective.
Was that good? Bad? Just different?
He didn't know.
But he'd saved everyone. Zero deaths. Complete victory.
That had to mean something.
[Level Up! You are now Level 9 Commander]
[Skill Mastered: Land View]
[New Abilities Unlocked]
[Main Event Progress: Second Wave Complete]
[General Kresh: Eliminated]
[Goblin Threat: Neutralized]
[Next Threat: Unknown]
The notification faded, leaving Kieran alone with his thoughts and his new godlike awareness of the battlefield.
He'd become the ultimate tactician.
Now he just had to remember how to stay human while commanding with the perspective of a god.