Resolute and unwavering. Like our armor and weapons, we will last for a thousand years. Forged from the burning flames, we will stand tall in the face of our enemies.

We are Welton.

~ Welton's Code of Chivalry

Far from the chaotic main streets of Welton, another invasion was occurring as the strongest forces of the dwarven city were distracted. The Royal Palace was under attack.

"Mass Hysteria!"

The crystal orb sitting atop the staff glowed a distinct purple shade. Patrol units, sentries, and soldiers all fell prey to madness as they dropped their weapons and began to scream in fright. A minority of the fighters managed to hold their ground, whether through sheer grit or boasting skills which resisted the mysterious attack. They picked up their weapons and began to fight against the spies which managed to trespass into the heart of their kingdom.

Although they weren't the strongest or most skilled, the opponents had a clear advantage in morale.

A woman with light pink skin, and miniature horns protruding from her forehead, licked her lips as the wide radius of her spell destabilized the palace defenses. Due to most priests being on the frontline, they were ill-prepared and had a difficult time recovering from the status ailments she inflicted. The soldiers did their best to protect the few healers that remained on the battlefield, knowing that their losses would be great without them.

"Aura of Protection." A feminine voice said, bringing upon a subtle light that imparted buffs upon the weakened soldiers within her vicinity.

You are under the influence of Aura of Protection.

Increased resistance to status ailments. Stamina depletes at a slightly reduced rate.

Alda Bloodsong carried herself with pride, withdrawing the pole at her waist and unfolding it into a spear. She was prepared for war, wearing a full suit of armor including a helmet. The set was lined with gold and silver, pairing beautifully with her eyes as she stood in front of the invading army.

"You are brave for going so brazenly into the Royal Palace. And stupid, even more so."

"Miss Bloodsong, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I don't suppose you'd kindly step away and let us reach the Vault peacefully, would you?"

The head of the dwarven army was fast, but something stopped her spear from impaling the sickly sweet succubus through the chest. Two daggers cloaked in shadows were wielded by a dark-skinned man with greying hair.

"Soldiers, second formation! Sentries, maintain positions, and don't let a single one pass us."

Emboldened by their superior's commands, the recovered soldiers began to move according to her instructions. She swung her spear once more, blowing back the dual-wielding enemy before raising her armored hand towards the succubus.

"Stone Cloud."

Small chunks of rock and debris from the battle rose in the air and flung themselves at the magic caster. The horned woman stepped back, summoning a shield that took several hits before dissipating. Two of her soldiers flung themselves in front of her, taking the brunt of the damage without regard for their own well-being.

"Don't use my forces as you please, Tinder." The dark-skinned man said, cutting down a dwarven soldier ruthlessly as he returned to face Alda Bloodsong. The soldiers raised their heads, showing blank eyes as though they were in a trance. Despite bleeding profusely, they sprinted forward in an attempt to attack the dwarven general while she was occupied.

"You shouldn't be like that, Kang. We're simply prioritizing the safety of ourselves, aren't we? We're more important to the mission than these rabble." She said off-handedly.

Alda grunted, stepping back to avoid a stab towards her helmet. "Earth Tremor."

The ground shook wildly, but it was a testament to her sheer skill that she managed to incapacitate the enemy forces without hurting her allies. Taking advantage of the unstable ground, she swung her spear and lodged it halfway into the captivated enemy's head.

'A rogue and an illusionist. How should I go about this...?'

"Blacksmith's Will."

Her line of thinking was interrupted by a booming voice. Behind her, a golden sheen covered the armor she wore, giving the woman and the other soldiers around her several buffs. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the large silhouette of Arber Fistpig, wielding his hammer in defense of the Royal Palace. It was beautiful, yet simple. With a hilt lined with a dark red strap and two golden bands circling the inner part of the head, it looked big enough to be considered a weapon in the larger-than-average dwarf's hand. With his muscle-bound arms, he gripped the head of an invader in one hand while carelessly swinging his hammer.

"Lord Arber! You can't!"

"Don't tell me what to do, upstart. I can tell you have your hands full with those two. Let me make it easier for you."

You are under the influence of Blacksmith's Will.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Your armor will never shatter against the weapons of foes. Immunity to critical strikes.

Your weapon will become an unstoppable force. Increased chance to bypass the effects of armor completely when attacking.

Kang, the dark assassin, blocked an errant strike from the half-dwarf general. He winced, despite wearing a full set of protective armor underneath his hood. He withdrew and unclasped a healing potion from his waist, restoring his health as he overlooked the battlefield. The dwarven defenders had regained some of their morale and fought harder than ever, boosted by the presence of Fistpig and Bloodsong. He narrowed his eyes upon seeing them begin to take positions atop the sentries' tower and shooting at their forces.

"Tinder. Focus on bringing down Fistpig, alive. I'll distract this one by myself."

The succubus only smiled in response, summoning more magic power into her staff as she faced the rest of Welton's forces head-on.

"With pleasure."

Alda wasn't ready for the sheer amount of speed the rogue possessed. She stood strong against his barrage of blows but took a step back from the intensity. In an attempt to break the deadlock, she thrusted her spear but was met with thin air. The assassin had left an after-image in his wake.

Hearing a rustling noise behind her, she turned around and tried to slice the man in half. He dodged effortlessly, showing superior speed and agility as he tried to stab through her eye-holes and blind the dwarf. She stopped the dagger with her hand, grunting in pain as it carved up her palm. The familiar drain on her stamina and magic occurred the longer she was in contact, and Alda retreated further back and saw a notification.

"I don't like to rely on Mammon's abilities. But I suppose I'm left with no choice."

You have unequipped Guardian Armlet.

"You cowardly rat. That was a present from my inauguration." Inwardly, she was wondering how it was possible to steal something hidden in her clothes so easily. She knew that if it was possible, the man could've slit her throat whenever he wanted. Alda knew that there was a trick behind it.

Kang equipped the armlet on his wrist, using it to gain minor buffs that only served to make the battle more difficult. Alda was beginning to grow tired, very rarely managing to hit her wily opponent due to his class skills and superior agility. Nevertheless, she pushed on and relied on her skills and strategical mind to bring herself to victory.

”Greater Earth Infusion.”

A greenish aura empowered her, making her strikes more devastating as she crushed the tiled floor with ease.

Despite being a dwarf, the length of the spear eliminated any reach advantage Kang may have had on her. He had to push relentlessly to get a chance to strike, only to be met with uncompromising metal. He had discarded his hood long ago to get whatever bit of speed he needed to keep up the pressure. He could see her nod as Fistpig whispered instructions, and Kang had a sense it was best not to let them interact.

"Shadow Blade." A subtle dagger materialized from his shadow, darting forward with him as he rushed the dwarven general. She made some distance, retreating to the side and deflecting the magical blade with ease. During their exchange of strikes, the assassin noticed her emphasis on trying to strike his left shoulder. Adjusting his stance slightly, he bent down and continued forward with cold efficiency.

"Earth Tremor."

Caught off-guard by the sudden spell, Kang stumbled. It was difficult to expect it when she used it so rarely. Knowing she would likely target his shoulder again, he crossed his blades together in an attempt to protect his side. Unfortunately, the spear was aimed at his right breastplate. Without enough time to readjust, the full force of the strike sent shockwaves through his armor and blew him back forward.

“I told you! Use it to your advantage, General!”

Getting back up on his feet within an instant, he noticed that his chest plate had fallen apart, broken through by the sheer power behind Alda Bloodsong's strike. His right arm was trembling, dealing with the aftershock of the spear thrust. Kang didn't like his odds.

‘Did Fistpig tell her the weak points of my armor? Being able to notice the slightest imperfections from a distance…I need to incapacitate him.’

"I suppose this is where I come and save you. Need some help?"

"I thought I told you to do your job."

"I've done all I can. These soldiers are good at stalling, you know. But I had enough time to sow some discord. See for yourself."

Alda turned to see their soldiers fighting a losing battle. Despite having the superior position, a chunk of their forces had been taken over, forced to fight for the enemies. It was hampering their ability to take out the hooded foot soldiers, especially when they danced around their mind-controlled hostages. Arber was covered in a few cuts, using his hammer to fight off several people at once. She growled in irritation, knowing that despite his status as a legendary figure, he had never been a fighter.

"Mirror Image."

Multiple duplicates of the illusionist and the rogue appeared in front of Alda. She cursed, knowing that Tremor was on cooldown. With six copies of her enemies, she could only swing and hope that one of them landed. But hesitation creates mistakes. Mistakes create opportunities. Amongst the classes, nobody exploited opportunities more than rogues.

The first duplicate came towards her, a spotless image of Kang. It disappeared after a swing of her spear, and she turned her head to see the succubus with a small smile on her face, inviting the dwarven general to attack her. Alda knew that the likelihood of a backliner volunteering herself so openly was low, and ignored her in favor of honing in on the last two

"Hallucinatory Terrain."

The surroundings began to warp, as tiled floors became muddy dirt and the walls turned into rows upon rows of rainforest trees. The massive vault she guarded her whole life had been transformed into an aged, stone temple covered in moss. As the overhead sky became covered in humid greenery, it provided a perfect, momentary distraction that Kang capitalized on ruthlessly. She was unable to parry a strike that was precise enough to slip past her helmet.

You have been blinded in one eye. Accuracy and peripheral vision are decreased significantly.

"AGH! You cursed hogworming prick. Stone Cloud!"

The strike was shallow but still enough to take away her vision. With a singular eye remaining, it made the battle that much more difficult. She knew she couldn't afford to lose more ground against the dark-skinned contractor.

Several pieces of rubble disguised as rocks in the jungle-like terrain rose from the ground and flung themselves at the assassin. She heard boisterous laughter come from behind her, and she could see that the illusionist was enjoying herself as the entire army suffered from the disorienting effects of Hallucinatory Terrain. Only Arber and a few of her elite soldiers managed to regain their balance and keep up the pace. None of the invaders seemed to be affected by the mass illusion, taking advantage of the chaos to deal more damage. The outcome of the battle looked bleak, but Alda knew she had no choice but to push forward for the sake of her people.

"I suppose I should bring one of you down with me at least," Bloodsong muttered to herself. With the conviction to lay her life down for Welton, she rushed toward the illusionist, knowing that her abilities were much more threatening in comparison to the assassin's. She held the belief that even if she were to die, the rest of the army could scrounge up enough force to bring down the injured contractor despite his slippery nature.

Alda dodged another shadowy projectile from the rogue, who realized what was happening. He called out to the succubus, who turned her head to face the frenzied warrior. Her smile quickly disappeared, and she began conjuring a spell within her staff.

Time seemed to stop as Arber's massive metal hammer twirled in the air, unbeknownst to the succubus who had just turned her head. The dwarven general reacted within an instant, knowing that the legendary blacksmith had given her the golden opportunity to achieve victory in such harrowing circumstances.

"Stone Wall!"

A massive barricade erupted from the earth, so large that it disrupted the illusion cast over the terrain. It prevented Kang from cutting off the sprinting dwarf at the expense of her mana reserves. Despite the mental fatigue, she pressed on, hearing before seeing the result of Arber's perfect throw.

BONK!

The hammer, a mystical artifact hand-crafted by the greatest blacksmith of all time, broke through the pitiful barrier surrounding the vulnerable woman like glass and caught her at the side of the face, knocking her down to the ground in a painful fashion. Estimating the amount of time it would take for the assassin to scale the wall, she raised her spear in an attempt to behead the succubus who wreaked havoc through the palace.

A cry of pain echoed throughout Welton's Royal Palace as the battle reached its climax.