🔥 Chapter 46 — The First Strike
The first wave of the King's reinforcements crested the forest ridge, unaware of the traps waiting for them below. Soldiers marched in disciplined lines, magical wards glowing faintly as scouts scanned the terrain, expecting the Eastern front to be lightly defended.
Kael crouched in the shadows, Ember threads flickering like coiled serpents. "Here they come. Trigger the first phase—slow, confuse, but don't destroy immediately."
Rhyne nodded, signaling with a subtle hand gesture. The magical markers they had planted along the path pulsed softly. Almost imperceptibly, illusions shifted the ground under the enemy's feet. Soldiers tripped, patrols collided, and minor wards misfired harmlessly, causing flashes and sparks that drew attention and panic.
Rhyne whispered, "Perfect. The first cracks in their formation are appearing. Keep the chaos contained—don't let them recover too quickly."
Kael's Ember threads coiled higher, sensing every pulse of magic. He redirected minor energy discharges harmlessly, manipulating the King's mages into targeting empty spaces. Green arcs of magical energy leaped across the trees, confusing and disorienting the reinforcements further.
A lieutenant shouted orders, but his voice was drowned out by the clamor of misaligned troops. Soldiers stumbled, wards misfired, and the carefully crafted illusions amplified their disarray. Kael's pulses nudged the chaos forward, keeping it precise and controlled.
Rhyne grinned, sliding silently along the trees. "They're walking right into the next phase. The bottleneck we prepared will funnel them exactly where we want."
Kael's eyes glowed, flames flickering with anticipation. "Good. Once they enter the funnel, we hit the controlled strikes—disruptive but non-lethal. Confusion, fear, and delay are our weapons this time."
From the ridge, Kael and Rhyne watched as the King's first wave stumbled into the traps, their momentum fractured, their coordination collapsing. The eastern front was being reshaped, not with brute force, but with strategy, precision, and fire.
Kael whispered, "This is only the beginning. Once the full force moves in, the King will realize too late that we control the battlefield."