Eren stood on the palisade overlooking Gravemire, the faint creak of the wooden boards beneath his boots mingling with the sounds of the villagers preparing for war. The sky above the Ashveil Highlands burned with twilight hues, casting long shadows over the clearing. Despite the tranquil backdrop, tension hung heavy in the air.

The countdown timer glimmered in his HUD.

[Bandit Raid Begins: 4 Hours Remaining.]

He clenched his fists. In his past life, he had underestimated the first raid, dismissing it as a minor tutorial event. He remembered the screams of villagers, the fires consuming makeshift homes, and the bitter taste of failure. But this time, Gravemire would hold.

Eren turned to the small group of villagers gathered in the square. Their faces were a mix of fear and determination. Most were armed with crude weapons—wooden spears, rusted pitchforks, and battered shields scavenged from earlier skirmishes. Behind them, the forge’s flames roared, casting flickering light over Torvald as he hammered out arrowheads with frantic precision.

“Listen up,” Eren said, his voice steady but firm. The murmurs stopped, and all eyes turned to him. “We don’t have numbers, and we don’t have experience. But we have resolve. Stay close, fight together, and Gravemire will stand.”

He opened his Command Menu, distributing roles:

* Torvald and the archers would hold the rooftops, picking off bandits as they approached.

* The villagers would form a defensive semicircle in the square, guarding the forge and wounded.

* Shadow and Fang, his Dire Wolves, would patrol the perimeter, ambushing any stragglers.

“Torvald!” Eren called as he approached the forge. The blacksmith, sweat dripping down his soot-streaked face, looked up from his work.

“Milord,” Torvald said, his tone both deferential and grim.

“How many arrows do we have?”

“Enough to last a skirmish, but not a siege. I’ve started reforging the bandits’ armor we looted earlier—might give us a slight edge.”

Eren nodded, patting the man’s shoulder. “Good work. Let’s make sure Gravemire survives the night.”

The final hour crept by with excruciating slowness. Eren paced the palisade, his Basic Sword sheathed at his side and a borrowed Bandit Dagger strapped to his thigh. He checked his stats again:

[Eren: Level 6 Lord]

* Strength: 12

* Agility: 14

* Charisma: 18 (+10% NPC morale, +20% XP gain).

* Abilities Unlocked:

* Command Aura: Boosts allies’ combat efficiency.

* Iron Resolve: Resists fear effects for allies within range.

The Dire Wolves prowled nearby, their glowing red eyes scanning the treeline. Shadow let out a low growl, his ears flattening. Fang sniffed the air, his hackles rising.

“They’re here,” Eren muttered.

The HUD pinged with an alert:

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

[Wave 1: Bandit Raid Detected.]

* Enemies: 20 (Mixed Fighters, Archers)

* Boss: Bandit Warlord Grathar (Level 6)

* Objective: Defend Gravemire. Protect Villagers. Survive.

Torches flickered among the trees, their fiery glow revealing the shapes of leather-clad figures emerging from the shadows. The bandits moved with feral energy, their jeers and taunts echoing through the clearing.

“Come out, little lambs!” one bandit shouted, brandishing a rusted axe. “We’ll make this quick!”

Eren raised his hand, activating Command Aura. A golden shimmer radiated from him, bolstering the morale of the villagers as they tightened their grips on their weapons.

“Torvald, take the first shot,” Eren ordered.

From the rooftop, the blacksmith loosed an arrow. The twang of the bowstring broke the silence, and a bandit screamed as the projectile pierced his throat. He collapsed, clutching at the wound as his comrades faltered.

“Loose!” Eren shouted.

Arrows rained down, striking two more bandits. One fell clutching his chest, blood pooling beneath him. The other staggered, pulling the shaft from his shoulder with a snarl.

But the bandits recovered quickly, charging the palisade with bloodthirsty cries. Axes hacked at the wooden barricades, splinters flying.

Shadow and Fang darted into the fray, their snarls cutting through the chaos. Shadow leaped onto a bandit, his jaws closing around the man’s neck. Blood sprayed as the bandit’s screams turned to gurgles. Fang targeted another attacker, his fangs tearing into the man’s thigh before dragging him to the ground.

Eren vaulted over the palisade, landing amidst the chaos. His Basic Sword flashed as he parried an overhead swing from a rusted axe. With a quick step forward, he drove his blade into the attacker’s chest, the tip emerging slick with blood.

Behind him, a villager screamed as a bandit’s blade carved into their shield, splitting the wood. Eren turned, intercepting the follow-up strike with his dagger. He twisted the blade, slashing across the bandit’s forearm, then finished him with a thrust to the gut.

“Fall back to the square!” Eren shouted, realizing the palisade wouldn’t hold.

The villagers retreated in an organized scramble, dragging the wounded with them. Shadow and Fang flanked the retreat, harrying the pursuing bandits and forcing them to slow.

A deep, guttural laugh silenced the battlefield. The bandits parted as their leader strode forward—a towering brute with scarred arms and a spiked mace slung over his shoulder. His beady eyes locked onto Eren.

“You must be the Lord,” Grathar sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “I’ve killed men like you before. Weaklings pretending to be kings.”

Eren stepped forward, his sword glinting in the torchlight. “Let’s see if you’re as tough as you look.”

Grathar roared, charging with his mace raised high. The weapon came down in a deadly arc, and Eren barely sidestepped, the ground splintering where it struck. He countered with a quick slash, scoring a shallow cut on Grathar’s arm.

The warlord retaliated with a backhand swing that caught Eren across the ribs, sending him sprawling. Pain flared as he rolled to his feet, narrowly avoiding another crushing blow.

Shadow leaped onto Grathar’s back, sinking his teeth into the warlord’s shoulder. Grathar roared in fury, grabbing the wolf and hurling him aside. Fang darted in, snapping at the warlord’s legs, forcing him to stagger.

Eren seized the moment, driving his dagger into Grathar’s thigh. Blood poured from the wound as the warlord dropped to one knee, his mace slipping from his grip.

“For Gravemire,” Eren said, before plunging his sword into Grathar’s chest. The warlord gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief as he collapsed.

The remaining bandits fled into the forest, their morale shattered. The system chimed:

[Bandit Wave 1 Defeated!]

* XP Gained: Eren (Level 6 → Level 7).

* Loot Acquired: Spiked Mace, 50 Gold, Leather Armor.

* Gravemire Status: Morale Boosted (+20). Villagers Gained +1 Level.

Eren leaned on his sword, breathing heavily as he surveyed the battlefield. The village square was littered with bodies, blood pooling beneath them. But Gravemire had survived.

Torvald approached, his hammer resting on his shoulder. “You saved us, milord. Gravemire owes you everything.”

Eren shook his head. “We saved ourselves. But this was just the beginning.”

Shadow and Fang howled into the night, their cries a warning to any who dared challenge Gravemire again.