Void commanded the army of Western Wallachia with the iron hand of Adam Wolf, but in the face of the cunning of the Silver Legion, even the best made mistakes. And this was about to cost dearly.
In Sector 4, Legionary C waited motionless, his cracked mask reflecting the moonlight in three glowing scars. When the scout stepped into his range, the movement was so fast that not even the echo of footsteps had time to fade. A cold hand, with long black nails, wrapped around the soldier's neck – a precise grip, a clear fracture. The bone sizzled, and the body collapsed like a handful of rags.
The red alarm exploded into the night, a metallic scream scratching the sky. Void heard the signal and clenched his sword. "To Sector 4!" The army charged in the indicated direction, horse hooves crushing the earth in a deafening thunder. But when they arrived, they found only the scout's body – neck crushed at an impossible angle, mouth still open in a silent scream.
Two soldiers raised the horns to their lips and blew a short signal – two descending tones, a coded message: "We found the corpse."
Void listened to the echo answering through the night. The silence that followed was more frightening than any noise. Then, the domino began.
A first explosion burst from the east – a blue fire. Then another, and another, each detonation perfectly synchronized, like a string of invisible cannonballs. The ground cracked beneath the soldiers' feet, and their screams blended into a chorus of agony.
Void blew into the horn again, this time a long, desperate sound – calling for answers that no longer came.
Silence was the answer.
All across the Exile, now other sounds could be heard: hoarse laughter, chaotic stomping, the clatter of broken chains. The protective runes at the border with the Valley of the Dead went out one by one, like candles blown by the wind. Only Sector 3 still resisted, an island of order in an ocean of chaos.
Void stood motionless, watching as the Legion's plan unfolded with diabolical precision. They not only wanted to break the barriers – they wanted to turn the entire battle into an organized massacre.
And now, when the first wave of exiles began to pour out of Sector 4, Void understood with horror that this was only the beginning.
After the runes shattered, a new rumbling sound filled the air – a deep roar, like a sick bear shaking itself from slumber. And then... a second howl, stronger, closer, making the trees tremble.
Adam Wolf leapt between trunks like a black stormwind, every movement calculated with deadly precision. His black hair streamed behind him like a banner of death. When the second howl echoed, his golden eyes widened – now he understood the true purpose of the invaders.
In the center of the Exile, Centurio raised a hand in command. His perfect mask reflected the moonlight as he watched the runes go out one by one.
"Phase three begins," he whispered, his voice resonating under the mask like clattering chains. "But we wait... the ace is still missing."
Legionaries R, N, and Pi appeared from the shadows. Behind them, the last two legionaries emerged like ghosts from the mist.
Adam kept running, his muscles stretched to the limit. A leap over a fallen trunk, a spin through branches – every movement a step closer to Void. When he finally saw him, Void's silhouette was surrounded by half the remaining soldiers.
"Do you know their goal?" Adam asked, his breath barely quickened despite the run.
Void turned his head, his dark eyes heavy with worry: "The intruders want to break the Exile's barriers and cause chaos."
Adam shook his head, fists clenched.
"You are absolutely right, but this is only a diversion. They want more than it seems."
"Then they are after…?" Void asked.
"To awaken the Gauntlet of Defense," Adam answered, his voice taking on an unusual note of fear.
Void raised an eyebrow: "What is this Gauntlet?"
"Have you ever wondered what keeps the runes that form the barrier always active?"
"No..."
"It is a source of energy from the heart of the Exile," Adam explained, gazing into the distance where the ground seemed to pulse. "They want to wake it from its sleep."
"Then they want to control the Gauntlet of Defense..."
"I believe they are after something else..." Adam murmured, his eyes flashing with cold intelligence.
Void bit his lip: "And if they succeed? Do you have a backup plan?"
Adam gave a nod: "Sapphire is on her way to us with the solution. But let's hope it won't be needed."
Then, with a sudden movement, Adam raised his sword and roared: "TROOPS, FORWARD!"
The echo of his roar shook the forest, the sound waves reaching the Legion's camp. Centurio heard and tilted his head, his voice ringing like an icy bell:
"Let's move. The ace has arrived. It is time for Phase Three."
In perfect synchronization, the Silver Legion dispersed again, each legionary vanishing into the night like liquid shadows. Their colored cloaks left behind only sparks of light, like flickers of hope in the darkness spreading over the Exile.
The Exile breathed chaos. The air was soaked with the smell of blood and bone dust. Men and monsters whirled in a deadly dance, swords clashing, claws tearing flesh, battle cries and wails of pain mixing into an infernal chorus.
Adam Wolf advanced through the exiles like a dark lightning bolt. His Ancient Aura pulsed in violent waves, a force field that paralyzed anyone who dared stand in his way. Exiles fell to the ground like cut puppets, their eyes still open but without will. Not even Void had ever felt so much condensed rot in his master – it was as if the entire Exile was breathing through Adam.
And then… the world seemed to stop.
Centurio appeared from the mist, his immaculate white cloak in the middle of the carnage, like a fallen angel in a hell of blood. His perfect, smooth mask, with that glowing gemstone on the forehead, showed no emotion. His green eyes, visible, did not even blink when Adam's Aura struck full force.
The two royal figures now stood face to face, separated only by a few meters and by hundreds of corpses.
"Tell me what you seek in this place, intruder," Adam roared, his voice echoing like distant thunder.
Centurio answered calmly, his crystalline tone cutting through the battle noise:
"I have come to free the Exile."
A wave of silence fell around them, as if nature itself was listening.
Adam arched his eyebrows:
"I am Adam Wolf. Here I rule. You may leave peacefully – I will overlook the disaster you caused. But if you refuse... death will be your punishment."
Centurio did not move. When he spoke again, his voice was like a cold wind through the cracks of a tomb:
"I am Centurio, leader of the Silver Legion. I have come to bring justice. I will not leave until the last exile has departed this place."
A pause. Then, a dry, mechanical laugh burst from under the silver mask:
"In fact… I lied. I am here for something else."
Adam clenched his fists:
"I know what you are here for, Centurio. You came to steal the Gauntlet of Defense."
Then, Centurio took a small step forward. The stone on the forehead of his mask began to pulse with a bloody red light.
"You are wrong, Adam Wolf. I am not here to steal it..."
The red light intensified, filling the entire battlefield with an infernal glow.
"...I am here to CONSUME it," Centurio continued with a final chuckle.
The air froze. Centurio now seemed taller, his silhouette distorting, his white cloak gradually turning blood red. The tension between them was palpable, an electric current that could trigger the end of the world.
Adam Wolf drew his Claw-Blades. Centurio spread his hands, revealing long, black claws glistening under the red light.
The battle for the Exile… began now.