🔥 Chapter 47 — Escalation of Chaos
The forest echoed with shouts, clashing steel, and magical sparks. The King's reinforcements, already disoriented by the initial traps, were now funneled into the narrow ravine Kael and Rhyne had prepared. Every step was calculated, every misstep amplified by the Ember's guidance.
Kael crouched on a ridge above, Ember threads flickering like serpents of fire. "Phase two begins. We increase confusion without allowing them to stabilize. Timing is everything."
Rhyne nodded, blending into the shadows. "Once they realize the first traps, panic will spread rapidly. The moment fear takes hold, coordination collapses entirely."
As the bulk of the army entered the funnel, minor wards and controlled discharges ignited. Green arcs of misdirected magical energy sizzled across the rocks, harmless yet disorienting. Soldiers tripped over fallen trees, stumbled into hidden pits, and collided with each other as illusions distorted the terrain.
Rhyne whispered, "Their cohesion is breaking. Look at them scramble—none can see the full battlefield."
Kael's flames flared, Ember threads weaving through the air, nudging the magical chaos like a conductor directing a symphony. "Keep their mages distracted. Make them waste spells on illusions. Every wasted spell weakens their offensive potential."
A cavalry unit attempted to charge through the ravine, but the trees' subtle manipulation and the Ember-guided traps forced them off balance. Horses reared, soldiers tumbled, and the charge turned into a tangle of limbs and confusion.
Rhyne grinned, sliding silently behind a group of disoriented soldiers. "Every step they take, we predict. Every mistake, we exploit. They'll never recover before nightfall."
Kael's eyes glowed, Ember pulses syncing with the flow of the enemy's fear. "Exactly. The King thought he could strike us with overwhelming force—but precision, patience, and manipulation of the battlefield will defeat him instead."
From the shadows, Kael and Rhyne watched as the King's army faltered further, their numbers intact but rendered ineffective by chaos and fear. The eastern front had been transformed into a controlled battlefield, and every move the King made now played directly into their hands.