Dawn broke with a fiery hue, bathing the small village in golden light. But despite the beauty of the morning, a heavy silence loomed over the land. The Blackstone Lord was coming. Twenty thousand soldiers. Armored beasts. Siege weapons. And they had barely a fraction of that number.
Arjun stood at the edge of the village's wooden palisade, his eyes fixed on the horizon. In the distance, the earth trembled faintly—a subtle, ominous sign that a great force was moving.
"Any scouts return?" he asked one of his lieutenants, a burly man named Bhanu who had shown promise during training.
"Not yet, My Lord," Bhanu replied grimly. "But the villagers are readying traps as you ordered. The terrain favors us. We might not have numbers, but we'll make every inch cost them blood."
Arjun nodded, his gaze never wavering. His Tactical Leadership skill was active, and through it, he could sense the nervousness of his people—but also their determination. With his 1000x Multiplier, he had trained them at a pace no other Lord could dream of. What would take months elsewhere took mere hours here. Farmers now wielded spears. Hunters moved like shadows. The village was no longer helpless.
"Arjun," Priya called out, approaching swiftly on Raavi's back. She slid down the beast's side and strode up, her eyes gleaming with a mix of excitement and concern. "The valley we scouted—it had more than just ruins."
Arjun turned to her. "What do you mean?"
"I touched a stone altar while gathering herbs. It activated something—a system message. It called me a Beast Mother, and since then…"
She opened her palm, revealing a pulsing, iridescent egg nestled in her hand.
"That's your new skill in action," Arjun breathed. "Beast Egg Random… it works."
Priya nodded. "It's just the beginning. There are more altars in the region. I can feel it. I might be able to raise an entire beast army."
Arjun's heart surged with hope. This was the edge they needed.
"We'll protect you. Start the incubation. If we can hatch even a few powerful beasts before the Blackstone forces arrive, it might shift the balance."
The village was cloaked in moonlight. Arjun walked through the central square, inspecting preparations. Barricades were reinforced. Oil traps and spike pits lay hidden across the main approach. Hidden archers waited in the treetops.
Still, his heart was heavy.
He made his way to a small cabin near the edge of the village—the one he'd had built for Meera, one of the herbalists they rescued from a burned outpost a week ago. She was intelligent, fiercely brave, and had become close to him. Too close, perhaps.
She was outside, tending a line of medicinal herbs by moonlight. She turned as she heard his approach.
"You should be resting," Arjun said softly.
She smiled, brushing her long braid over her shoulder. "I could say the same to you, Lord Arjun."
He chuckled, but there was no joy in it. "The Blackstone army could be here within two days."
"And yet, you came here," Meera said quietly.
Arjun hesitated. Then: "Because I wanted to see you."
There was silence between them for a moment, then she stepped forward and took his hand.
"I know you're carrying everything on your shoulders. The village. Priya. The future. But don't forget you're human too. Let someone carry part of it with you."
Arjun's chest tightened. In this world of blood and survival, she was warmth.
He pulled her into his arms. "Stay with me tonight."
Meera looked into his eyes and nodded. "Always."
Priya barged into the war tent, an egg cradled in her arms. "It's hatching!"
Arjun followed her to the incubation chamber. Cracks webbed across the shell, and with a burst of light, a massive feathered beast with obsidian claws emerged. Its presence filled the room with primal power.
[You have gained a Tier 5 Beast Companion: Dreadclaw Roc][Priya's Beast Mother skill has evolved. Hatch rate increased. New slot unlocked.]
Priya stared at the newborn beast, awe in her eyes.
"We're not losing this war," she whispered.
Arjun looked at the majestic creature, then at his people gathering outside.
"No," he said. "We're just getting started."