The night sky burned with banners once more. The stars themselves dimmed as the system unfurled its judgment across the world, carving names, numbers, and gifts into the heavens. Men and women fell silent in Sparta's streets, staring upward, their breath caught in their throats.
Leonidas stood among his Iron Cohort, eyes raised. He already knew what he would see—but the truth still hit like a spear.
---
[System Announcement: First Wave Complete.]
[Congratulations, Survivors. Gifts Distributed.]
[The Second Wave will arrive in 24 months. Prepare.]
[Global Leaderboard Update.]
The sky split into banners, brighter and more detailed than before. Each bore the emblem of a transmigrated ruler, their forces swelling, their gifts sharpening.
---
1. Knights of Europe – Evelyne
Army Size: 1,200 (700 knights, 300 squires, 200 levies)
Cohesion: 74% (cap reached)
Gifts: Blessing of Steel (Durability) | Fortress Doctrine (Defensive bonus)
Hero: Dame Seraphine – Champion of the White Lily (SS-ranked stats, Loyalty 100%)
Notes: Armor glimmers under divine light. Knights near-impervious to arrows in full formation.
Leonidas's breath caught as Seraphine's name burned across the sky. A Hero unlike any he had seen, a towering female knight whose image glowed briefly in the stars—raven hair, pale skin, steel gaze. And beside her, Evelyne's radiant face, proud, regal, untouchable.
Theron muttered under his breath. "That Hero will not leave her side. Not now. Not ever."
Kyros smirked faintly. "We'll see about 'ever.'"
---
2. Rome – Marcus
Army Size: 1,000 (750 Legionaries, 250 Auxiliaries)
Cohesion: 73% (cap reached)
Gifts: Eagle's Rally (Morale boost) | Stone Roads (Logistics bonus: faster movement)
Notes: Roman legions now march twice as far on half the food.
Leonidas's jaw tightened. Stone roads. A gift of infrastructure. That means Rome can bring weight where others cannot.
---
3. Egypt – Nefara
Army Size: 950 (600 Spearmen, 200 Charioteers, 150 Archers)
Cohesion: 75% (hard cap reached)
Gifts: Sand's Endurance (Desert terrain bonus) | Nile's Bounty (Food supply doubled)
Notes: Can sustain campaigns nearly indefinitely in desert terrain.
Damon, the farmer, muttered from the crowd. "If they can feed armies like rivers, they'll never starve."
Leonidas nodded grimly. "Then we must build fields that rival the Nile."
---
4. Persia – Darius
Army Size: 1,100 (800 Immortals, 300 Cavalry)
Cohesion: 70% (cap reached)
Gifts: Immortal Terror (Fear debuff to enemies) | Chain of Command (Captains auto-buff nearby troops)
Notes: Armies strike with coordination, fear aura weakens resistance.
Leonidas frowned. Fear breaks walls faster than arrows. But only if loyalty is weak. My men will not bow to terror.
---
5. Norse – Erik
Army Size: 900 (500 Huskarls, 400 Berserkers)
Cohesion: 69% (cap reached)
Gifts: Blood Rage (Berserk frenzy, triple strength for short duration) | Sea Wolves (Naval raids enhanced)
Notes: Berserkers terrifying in short bursts, vulnerable after frenzy.
Doros laughed grimly. "Madmen with axes. Let them rage. Rage dies faster than iron."
---
6. Samurai – Takeda
Army Size: 950 (600 Samurai, 350 Ashigaru)
Cohesion: 75% (hard cap reached)
Gifts: Honor's Blade (Dueling advantage) | Cherry Blossom Discipline (Boost to individual agility)
Notes: Exceptional individual fighters; duels often end battles before they begin.
Theron's jaw clenched. "One duel can end a line. We must be ready for champions."
---
7. Sparta – Leonidas
Army Size: 50 Iron Cohort, 10 Riders (in training), Support from artisans (Phokas the Smith, Damon the Farmer, Eryx the Trainer)
Cohesion: 97% (no cap)
Gifts: Rally Pulse | Steadfast Step | Iron Cohort | Shared Breath | Traitor's Mark
Faction Upgrades: Equipment Durability +10% | Food Supply +20% | Cavalry Integration In Progress
Notes: Smallest army, but cohesion unrivaled. Artisans provide sustainable growth unseen in other factions.
The men exhaled, some laughing bitterly. Doros barked, "Seventh again. Fifty against thousands. But look—none stand tighter than us."
Kyros smirked. "Let them have size. We have iron."
Theron's eyes lingered on Evelyne's banner. "She grows faster than anyone. That Hero… she'll be the wall between us and her."
Leonidas said nothing. His eyes stayed fixed on Evelyne's name, glowing brighter than all others, her blue-eyed face shimmering faintly in the heavens.
---
The system whispered one last time:
[Second Wave Parameters: Elite enemy detachments will test faction strongholds. Survival required.]
[Bonus Objective: Conquests between waves will now yield additional gifts.]
[Warning: Rivals may now directly target each other's strongholds.]
The message faded, but the weight remained.
---
The overseers shifted uneasily, muttering. Some cheered Sparta's survival, others scoffed at Leonidas's tiny force.
The narrow-jawed elder sneered. "Fifty against thousands. When the wave comes, his wall will drown."
Damaris, for once, said nothing. His eyes lingered on Leonidas, hard and searching, as though measuring iron he could neither sharpen nor bend.
Leonidas turned back to his men. The Iron Cohort stood silent, waiting for his word. Behind them, sparks from Phokas's forge lit the night. Eryx's riders worked horses in tight circles. Damon spoke quietly with villagers, pointing at soil, planting seeds.
Leonidas's voice carried low, steady, unbreakable. "Look at their banners. Look at their gifts. See their numbers. Now look at ours. We are fewer. We are smaller. But we are iron. And iron does not bend. Not to fear. Not to tradition. Not to numbers. Not to gods."
The men roared, shields thundering in answer. The noise echoed through Sparta, rattling even the bronze hall where overseers muttered in fear.
Leonidas lifted his eyes once more to Evelyne's radiant banner. Steel bends. Iron does not.
And the Second Wave drew nearer with every heartbeat.