Point of View: Soldier
The second day began with exhaustion. No one had slept well.
The council met at dawn. I wasn't there, but rumors spread quickly. There was talk of an undetected dungeon, a grave oversight.
"They can't just appear out of nowhere," one comrade said."Yet they are," another replied.
The attacks continued. Every time we tried to clear the forest, abominations appeared. They didn't coordinate with the monsters, yet they attacked from all angles.
By afternoon, the Ascended entered combat. Watching them fight brought hope. Each one was worth dozens of us. Yet even they were tense, wary of using all their strength.
By nightfall, the abominations multiplied.
"Why are they only attacking us…?" someone asked, voice breaking.
No one answered. The walls held, but the wounded grew in number, and supplies dwindled. Worse, something even bigger had yet to appear.
Point of View: Sylvanas
On the third day, the pressure became unbearable. Reports were clear: the monsters were now Level 1 Ascended.
"It's a Rank 1 dungeon," I said. "And we let it grow."
That day, we barely left the city. The walls shook under constant blows. Fear and exhaustion became normal.
On the fourth day, the ground trembled. I felt its presence before I saw it. The boss emerged from the forest: a giant lizard, armored in hardened plates, strong enough to crush the wall.
And it did.
I leapt into combat without thinking. Each strike barely cracked its armor; each impact destroyed terrain and lives. I fell. I got up.
"I will not retreat," I told myself.
The Ascended fought at my side, steadfast. The battle was long. Too long.
When my arrow pierced its brain, the monster fell. Silence fell. Then, cheers erupted across the walls. Arcadia still stood.
But the price was high. Many soldiers hadn't survived. The wall was broken. Supplies nearly exhausted. The abominations watched from a distance but did not attack. They waited.
I looked over the city I had sworn to protect and promised: this would never happen again.