Chapter 27 – Clash at the Border
The fog rolled thick across the Shadow Forest, weaving between towering trees. The pale moonlight slipped through the canopy in fractured beams, casting long shadows that stretched like specters over the ground. The woods were silent that night—eerily so, as though the forest itself was holding its breath.
Valdyn stood at the edge of a low ridge, emerald eyes narrowing southward. A scroll of hide rested in his grip, its short message carved sharply into the surface:
"Human forces detected at the southern border."
His jaw tightened, knuckles whitening on the bow slung across his back. Arvennia… so they've come this far already.
---
Behind him stood two small groups of youths — the foundation of what he had built.
Shadow Battalion I — five Forest Elf youths, loyal followers who had trained under him even before he ventured into Dark Elf territory. Young, raw, yet steadfast.
Shadow Battalion II — seven Dark Elf youths, new recruits gathered after his duel with Nymeris. Awkward, hesitant, but their eyes burned with fierce resolve.
Twelve in total. Too few to be called an army, yet to Valdyn, they were more precious than gold.
Nymeris leaned against a black-barked tree nearby, silver hair shimmering in the moonlight. Her gaze was cold, watchful, as though weighing Valdyn's every choice.
He raised his voice, calm but firm.
"Tonight we march. This is no drill. For the first time, the Shadow Battalion will taste blood."
The twelve held their breath. Their faces were pale, their hands shook — yet not a single one turned away.
---
Their march was soundless, their formation loose, spread thin to avoid detection.
It wasn't long before signs of intrusion became clear: broken branches, bootprints pressed deep in the soil, and the faint remains of a campfire.
One Dark Elf youth whispered, "At least twenty… maybe more."
Valdyn crouched, brushing the soil with his fingers. The impressions were deep, measured. His lips thinned.
"Soldiers. Not hunters."
Nymeris's voice dripped disdain.
"They mean to carve a road through this forest. Bold… and foolish."
---
Torchlight flickered in the distance. Harsh voices echoed through the trees.
"Move it! Cut that tree down! We'll set up camp here!"
Valdyn raised a hand, halting his band. He turned to the Forest Elf youths.
"Shadow I — extinguish their torches. Steal their sight."
Aelric, the youngest, swallowed hard. His hands shook as he drew, loosing a wind arrow. The torch sputtered out, plunging the clearing into partial darkness.
"What was that?!" a human shouted. Confusion rippled through their line as some fumbled to relight torches.
Valdyn's whisper was sharp.
"Now. Strike from the right."
The seven Dark Elf recruits melted into the underbrush, loosing arrows from the gloom. Screams erupted as shafts found flesh, shields splintered under impact.
---
"Elves! Elves are here!" the human captain roared, raising his blade.
The soldiers formed ranks, shields locking together.
Valdyn stepped forward, his tone steady, cutting through the chaos.
"Shadow I, keep their lights down. Shadow II, strike from the flanks. Confuse them. Break their rhythm."
Forest Elf youths targeted torches and the hands that tried to raise them. Dark Elf youths moved like shades, firing from shifting angles.
The humans faltered. "They're on the left! No — the right!" Their line wavered, panic spreading.
---
Nymeris raised a pale hand, her voice like steel.
"Veil of Shadows."
A thick shroud of darkness surged outward, swallowing the clearing whole. Human soldiers cried out, stumbling blind.
"I can't see!"
"Hold the line — agh!"
Valdyn seized the moment. His bow thrummed, loosing a triple-fused arrow — fire, wind, and stone intertwined. It struck the earth before the human line, exploding in flame and dust.
The captain was hurled back, his shield shattered. Chaos erupted.
Some soldiers fled into the forest. Others crumpled under the relentless hail of unseen arrows.
---
Silence returned within minutes. Bodies lay scattered, torches smoldered out, and only a handful of survivors limped southward.
The twelve youths gasped for air, pale and trembling. Yet their eyes blazed with something new — the fire of triumph.
"We… we really won?" a Dark Elf whispered.
Valdyn lowered his bow, gaze sharp.
"From this night on, you are no longer children cowering in shadows. You are the Shadow Battalion."
---
A whisper resonated in his mind.
[DING! Hidden Quest Complete: First Deployment of the Shadow Battalion]
Reward:
– +20 Attack
– +15 Vitality
– Active Skill Unlocked: Phantom Arrow (C)
(A shot fused with shadow, invisible until the moment it pierces the target.)
Valdyn exhaled slowly, feeling the surge of strength. The system… it's shaping me into more than a fighter. Into a leader.
---
As they prepared to retreat, one Forest Elf youth retrieved a leather pouch from the fallen human captain and handed it to Valdyn.
Inside was a crude map, red ink marking paths deep into the Shadow Forest — lines pointing straight toward the heart of Dark Elf lands.
Nymeris's expression darkened, her voice cold.
"This wasn't a patrol. They carried plans. Arvennia seeks to cut a road into the heart of the forest."
The youths exchanged uneasy glances, their faces paling.
Valdyn clenched the map in his fist, emerald eyes glowing fiercely.
"Then this is only the beginning. The true storm is coming."
---
Status Update: Valdyn Thalorian
Age: 17 (920)
Occupation: Arcane Archer
Attack: 140 (+20)
Vitality: 230 (+15)
Magic: 285
Intelligence: 220
Endurance: 110
Magic Resistance: 140
Passive Skills:
Reproduction (S)
Nature Magic (A)
Forest Affinity (B)
Keen Sight (B)
Active Skills:
Windpiercing Arrow
Flameburst Shot
Stonebind
Triple Volley
Phantom Arrow (C) (new)
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