Ethan stood atop the wall once more, but this time, the battlefield below was empty. The soldiers were no longer scattered across the ground; instead, they stood in a perfectly straight line. At various points along the defensive line, massive, crude trebuchets had been set up. Each one held a rge, heavy sphere, their surfaces rough and uneven.

  At the very edge of these war machines, several buckets sat filled with a thick, molten orange liquid that radiated heat, resembling va.

  Ethan narrowed his eyes at the strange sight before turning to Michael.

  "What is all this?" he asked, his grip tightening on his sword.

  Michael barely gnced at him, his focus still on the preparations. "These are a kind of grenade our bcksmiths managed to create. As for the liquid in the buckets, it’s va, extracted from a magma stone. Elemental stones are things the system generates in areas with high concentrations of a specific element." His tone was calm but carried an underlying tension.

  [1 minute until the battle begins.]

  Ethan exhaled, gripping the hilt of his weapon as he leaned against it. Just two more levels. That was all he needed to unlock a new ability. He could only hope it would be something useful.

  [A second battle has begun. May the blood soak your skin and elevate you through agony.]

  The moment the message appeared, the Drenkar army surged forward. This time, they had brought fifteen Warhorns, their monstrous forms moving in perfect sync with the advancing troops. The wyvern and its general wasted no time, charging ahead alongside them.

  The trebuchets fired.

  The massive grenades hurtled through the air before crashing down with earth-shaking force. Deafening explosions tore through the battlefield, throwing debris and bodies in all directions. The ground trembled under the sheer impact, and the screams of the wounded filled the air like a twisted melody.

  Three Warhorns fell instantly, their enormous bodies colpsing amidst the chaos.

  Lisa and Michael wasted no time.

  Lisa’s arrows rained down in a relentless storm, each bolt splitting into water-serpent illusions that twisted and coiled as they struck their targets.

  Michael, standing firm, unleashed a barrage of powerful projectiles, his precision unwavering. The battlefield was drowning in destruction.

  But the Drenkars did not falter.

  They pressed forward, their numbers unshaken, their war cries growing louder.

  The real battle was just beginning.

  Ethan and Jason lunged forward, their bodies cutting through the battlefield like twin shadows, closing the distance between them and the Drenkar general in mere moments.

  Before the csh could begin, the general spoke, his voice deep and ragged, like the edge of a bde dulled by countless battles.

  "Warriors... since we are about to kill or be killed beneath these fleeting suns, I propose we exchange names—a courtesy of honor before fate takes its due."

  He paused, his rough voice carrying an unexpected weight, something bordering on mencholy.

  "I am Frerart of Drakan, son of a concubine and a noble warrior. I serve my kingdom with unwavering conviction."

  Ethan exhaled. "Ethan... Engnd."

  "Jason, United States."

  Frerart nodded solemnly before raising his sword. Pointing it toward the heavens, he performed an eborate flourish—one final ritual before violence resumed. Then, in an instant, his stance hardened, the pyfulness vanishing like mist beneath the morning sun.

  The wyvern screeched and lunged forward.

  It was wary now, its reptilian eyes fixed on Jason’s staff, remembering the pain it had suffered. Taking advantage of its momentary caution, Ethan unleashed three Blood Sshes in rapid succession.

  The crimson arcs carved into the same spot on the beast’s fnk, tearing open a wound deep enough that even its unnatural regeneration would take seconds to mend.

  Jason followed up immediately, channeling his essence into his staff. The weapon swelled in size, an illusionary mirage of the legendary Ruyi Jingu Bang forming around it. The moment it struck, raw heat poured into the wyvern’s body, searing its insides.

  Frerart, watching the battle unfold, finally moved.

  With a single sweep of his bde, a crescent of pure golden light streaked toward Ethan, fast as lightning.

  Ethan twisted, dodging by a hair’s breadth, only to meet the force of Frerart’s next strike. Steel met steel in a csh that sent a shockwave through the battlefield.

  Jason, meanwhile, was locked in a brutal struggle with the wyvern, dodging its snapping jaws as his staff cracked against its armored hide.

  Their battle had drawn the attention of every soldier on the field.

  Unconsciously, the armies gave them space. The battlefield bent around them, creating an arena within the chaos of war.

  A notification flickered across Ethan’s vision.

  [Life Force: 1,476/2,600]

  [Blood Essence: 1,348/2,200]

  Both were depleting at a steady pace—his relentless offense and the wounds he healed consuming his reserves.

  But Frerart was not unscathed either.

  The once-pristine gold of his armor was now stained red, its luster dimmed by the weight of his own blood.

  "You are a worthy opponent," the general muttered, his voice thick with something that almost sounded like sorrow. "Good… very good."

  Ethan didn’t respond. He didn’t need to.

  The fight was far from over.

  _______________________________________

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