The destruction inflicted upon the Ancient Forest looked impressive on paper and records. Seven thousand square kilometres of the Ancient Forest were directly destroyed by missiles while another three thousand burned before Vestargo, somehow, managed to put out the flames. The area destroyed by my retaliation was bigger than Yellowstone National Park and we used just twenty percent of Arcadian’s missile stockpile. The pillars of smoke reached high into the sky and were visible from the furthest reaches of Arcadia and even Metaka. However... We hadn't even scratched its surface. The Ancient Forest was as big as Everlight province. We couldn’t be sure how many of Vestargo's minions we killed but our most meticulous estimations say about a million. What was more important was one of our missiles splashed over a very crude barrier. The fact a barrier was there suggested something was important enough to warrant that simple protection. I spent additional mana to respawn the Legionnaires and Praetorians killed with Galahad but, even then, they would need an additional twenty-four hours to respawn. In the meantime, I started devising plans to peek at what was under the barrier.

Our war became hot and continuous. The absolute lack of care for soldiers’ welfare was something I hadn’t experienced and the Vestargo's forces seemed to be endless. Wave after wave crashed upon my fortifications and, while the swarm attacks looked scary, they were usually manageable. Usually... but as I moved nearly eight hundred kilometres into what was once considered Ancient Forest, there were places where my advance was far more fiercely resisted than others. There seemed to be no visible pattern as to what places were more defended than others and it drove me and my military advisors mad. While one place that seemed to be some ancient ruins of a city was, almost, handed over to me, fairy rings made of stones or mushrooms were defended as if Vestargo's very survival depended on it. Some primitive structures, which were obviously used as slave camps or towns, were given up with minimal resistance while the barrier that piqued my interest was protecting a particularly old and large oak tree. Vestargo wasn't trying to flank my forces in his counter-attacks but, instead, he besieged my forces and attacked until he or I lost. I had already lost four forts but he was bleeding territory and forces faster than me. My momentum was slowing but my enemy was unable to properly counterattack. However, the delay in my advance was only temporary - four more Legions were deployed straight into the warzone. With eight Legions and forty-three airships, of which twenty were modern constructions, I was going to deal a serious blow to Vestargo.

I moved my forces deeper into the area taken from Vestargo and entrenched them one kilometre from the tree line. Purely out of spite, I ordered my Legions to build fortresses made from wood cut in the Ancient Forest. The fact we were fighting bugs, classic fortifications seemed to be more troublesome to build and maintain than for our enemies to breach. I wasn't a big fan of fighting in the forest but, as long as Vestargo adhered to the Geneva Conventions, I wouldn't destroy his forest on an industrial scale. He was on his heels in defence and I wasn't going to give up my momentum. Janet enjoyed using our newest toys, like ice warheads, which were as destructive as the incendiary warheads used to intimidate Vestargo but, obviously, they couldn't create fire. I also had less invasive insecticides ready to use in the form of grenades and warheads. I bought them in the interdimensional store but I thought I would use them to fight off mosquitoes or ticks, not giant monster bugs. However, Aurora was ready to produce industrial amounts of DDT, Sarin, and VX. I wasn't a chemist but, since they were weapons, I had the necessary knowledge to produce them. I wasn't particularly eager to employ chemical warfare so I had very mixed feelings about them. However, one wrong move from Vestargo and he would beg me to burn his forest instead... Tixlon submitted to me upon learning that Vestargo killed his mistress. He transferred all his memories and knowledge to me under the condition that we would send forces to investigate if his Lady was truly dead. Investigating her fate may not be my priority but, nonetheless, it might help us reveal new things about our enemy, so I agreed.

I created a new operation team tasked with reviewing all the information obtained from Tixlon. I focused mainly on enemies and their ways of waging that war because the Gryphon was purely a combat scion and those memories were the most fresh and extensive. Tixlon, after his submission and upon ensuring that I obtained everything I wanted from him, immediately rebelled and broke from under my command. It was so unexpected that I was unprepared to stop him. He declared that, if his Lady was truly dead, he would like to die attacking Vestargo. I understood his feelings. Ruiell built a Gryphon spawner and it seemed that she loved the presence of the constantly growing population in her new city. Pyonta and John were quick to move to the Crystal Forest and nearly one hundred thousand people followed them. Terion was in the middle of building new shipyards and I observed, with curiosity, his modifications. The Dwarves of Hammerdeep sent ten mining teams into Iceleon. Sigismund promised me that iron would start flowing in one week...

"Theon?" Irene was standing at the door to my study room holding two cups in her hands. She entered and gave me one as she sat on my lap. "How are you feeling?"

"Awful..." I admitted and took a sip of the herbal tea she gave me. I had not tasted this one before but it was pleasant and calming. "Thank you, Irene."

"Amber and Cahrona are worried about you." She said quietly.

"I'm sorry..." I closed my eyes.

"Theon..." Irene's voice was warm and full of care. "You can't change how this world works, my Dear. I know that you are trying and, by the Heavens, you have unbelievably improved our lives! But... Some people will just die."

"I don't want to accept that..." I whispered and lowered my head.

"The world itself is spawning ore deposits where there were once none and dens of monsters right next to frequently traveled roads." Irene gently pulled my head until it rested on her chest. Her heart was beating softly. "No one is blaming you for that attack. In fact, all our people are impressed that our enemy wasn't able to overrun the city. So stop blaming yourself. I know that, as we speak, the war machine of Arcadia is constantly arming for war and you are not just brooding in the corner."

"No... I'm not." I admitted in a sad voice.

We sat in silence for a while and she just held me in her arms. I took a deep breath and slowly raised my head. I looked into her shining eyes and kissed her. "Thank you, Irene."

"Let's go." She brightened. "Don't make us more worried..."

•••

Verni threw himself into his work while still feeling a horrible emptiness. Because of him, his brother died. Because of him, Lilly and Iris perished. Beryl wasn't blaming him; in fact, no one blamed him, not even Rubby, but it was he who sent Vernon to Westwood. It's been a week since. A week that weighed heavily on his shoulders and he spent it designing entirely new defensive systems. Much smaller than the massive twin-rotary CIWS that showed tremendous success cutting down monsters outside Westwood. But using them against the targets inside a city was just asking for friendly fire. That was why the CIWSs on the inner wall were mostly useless - they would destroy more buildings than bugs and would kill the people hiding in them. Verni was designing a much smaller turret, one that could be hidden almost anywhere. Of course, such a weapon would be far less powerful than wall-mounted turrets but it would be good enough to kill any person or monster who tried to hurt the people of Arcadia. But once the Emperor approves the building of his sentry guns, there will be far fewer deaths...

"My Lord!" One of the miners ran into his office. "You won't believe what we just found!"

"I'm really not in the mood for guessing games, Lars..."

"It's a mithril vein!"

"Come again?" Verni pinched the bridge of his nose.

"We found a mithril vein in the mine we received from the Iceleonians! We have no idea how rich it is but it was just below a few metres of iron." Lars was grinning like crazy.

"Show it to me..."

It took them half an hour to walk to it. The mine was slowly awakening to its full potential and the sound of explosions shook the air but those were expected. The veins were so deep that turning the mine they received into a surface mine would be unprofitable. However, using new mining techniques from Lord Theon's world combined with magic, skills, and Dwarven ingenuity allowed them to make leaps in the quantity of resources they mined. The shafts were cleared and widened, a new ventilation system was installed, and a new transport system allowed them to send tonnes of resources home each day. All the while, they hadn't even started true mining yet. In the light of the latest events, the Desolate Forest Dungeon was subjugated; its core, Torgirm, simply surrendered to Leo. Empress Fryea instantly ordered the building of a massive Ironworks that covered almost the entirety of the old Dungeon but, surprisingly, Torgirm was happy with the change. The Ironworks was powered by a mana power plant - a facility equally as impressive as the Ironworks itself. Arcadia was hungry for steel and the Iceleonian expedition was going to try to sate that hunger.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Verni looked at the barely lit wall and couldn't believe his eyes. The unmistakable blue-green hue of the dark silver metal slightly glistened in the dark. The uncertain crew made up of the most experienced miners gathered around trying to decide how to proceed. They weren't arguing whether they should mine the incredibly precious metal but how to do it. Verni touched the wall and felt tears falling down his cheeks.

"It should have been you who found it, Brother..." The Dwarven Lord whispered, feeling the cold metal ore under his fingers. "Record the vein and make pictures of the deposit. I want to add it to the report for the Emperor."

"Yes, Sir!"

"Danan, Erwig, what's your plan?" Verni asked, vividly remembering how Vernon planned to excavate mithril if they ever found a vein.

"We... Haven't agreed on anything yet. I would like to bring the most experienced miners and excavate it manually-" The older of two Dwarves started to reply but the younger mining master huffed.

"That's a waste of time! We should crack the wall with explosives and take it away before anyone from Iceleon discovers what we have found!" Danan interrupted his elder.

"Mhm." Verni bit back strong words for the younger Dwarf but he took a deep breath and decided on a calmer approach. "My late Brother told me that if we ever find mithril, we should excavate it carefully so as to not waste even a single gram of it. That's exactly what we will do. Erwig, you are responsible for the careful excavation of this vein. Danan, do you really think that our Lord would hide like a thief with this discovery?"

"I..." The Dwarf lowered his head.

"I don't have patience and it appears you don't have it either. That's why you will be tasked with iron excavation. We need to start serious mining operations. I don't have to remind anyone that we are at war, do I?"

•••

Captain Mark Ulman was sitting on his command throne of HMS Warrior and observed the screens in silence. The bridge was quiet and every report echoed unnaturally. Longsword and Gladius were following in a defensive formation with all their combat systems active. They were above one of the two biggest cities of Navell and it was desolate and ruined. The walls were breached, however, the bug tunnels scattered across the city were a clear indication that defenders were, most probably, taken by surprise.

"A faint contact, Captain. City centre." The sensor officer reported with a hushed voice.

"Send Marines with their familiars and a team of Mobile Infantry," Ulman ordered. "Take us fifty metres above the contact."

"Yes, Sir!"

The assault forces were already packed on the CB-90, waiting to be deployed. Five assault craft, three from Warrior and one from Longsword and Gladius, left the hangars and, in moments, reached a building that could have been city hall or a noble’s mansion. The soldiers deployed in mere seconds and the CB-90s took orbiting positions to protect the perimeter. Mark focused on the view from the Mobile Infantry Lieutenant and, on a second screen, he had an active radar warning screen. Fifty Marines led by a squad of ten Mobile Infantry slowly entered the building. It was dark inside and, like outside, there were visible traces of fighting everywhere. Broken furniture, torn fabric that once could have been drapes and carpets, old stains of blood, and weapons cluttered the floors and stained walls. There were no bodies but that was something expected after a Dungeon attack.

"Team one, up, team two, ground floor, team three basement." Lieutenant Adams ordered, and the group split.

His view followed the third, biggest, team towards the basement. The wooden stairs moaned under the weight of the Mobile Infantry and the group was moving slowly. Their familiars, mostly various Wolves, constantly sniffed around and led the team inside each room as the soldiers cleared the area. They swept room after room finding nothing noteworthy until they found an intact set of large iron doors.

"Locked." One of the Marines pressed the handle and looked at his colleague. "Kelly?"

"Cover me." The private took out a small toolkit and started picking the lock. "The fucker is magically tripped. Give me two minutes."

"Take your time." The Lieutenant nodded and patted the side of his Frost Great Wolf.

In the meantime, "Team one, clear," came the first and, moments later, the second teams’ reports. "Team two, clear."

"It's too narrow for all of us in the basement. Team One, you are securing our exit. Two, you are our backup." Lieutenant Adams instructed calmly as he waited until Kelly raised his thumb up. "Team Three, moving in!"

The doors opened and the Arcadians moved in. The room was as dark as the rest of the basement but it was just a minor inconvenience for the Imperial soldiers. They were elite with years of experience, through every cruelty of war, but what they found was unnerving even for them. The floor was gone, replaced by a deep tunnel, which made the room two times deeper than it should be. The walls were covered in something that resembled giant honeycombs and most of them were still closed. What gave the Arcadians pause were clearly humanoid skeletons picked clean of most of their soft tissue only leaving a little hair or remnant of clothes. The team looked around, realising they were in a hive, and decided to act quickly. The life sign was in front of them and, without hesitation, the Lieutenant took out his dagger and opened the wax seal. Inside they found a young, unconscious, Human woman who seemed to be pregnant. She was bruised and her clothes were torn but she was breathing steadily. She was half submerged in honey and the moment the soldiers grabbed her, she started screaming.

"Fuck..." Kelly and four other Marines took out the gas grenades and turned toward the tunnel exit.

"Quiet! We are here to help you!" The Lieutenant kneeled near her as two other soldiers took out a stretcher.

"Kill me..." She sobbed, and as her hands went down, she started hyperventilating. "Gods, save me..."

"Calm down; we are going to evacuate you and your baby-" The team healer started but the woman started clawing at her belly.

"THAT'S NOT MY BABY! KILL IT! KILL ME!" She panicked and, at that point, the Priest used a Sleep Spell.

"Let's get fuck out of here..." He said nervously and everyone heard a distant buzzing.

"Grenades! Now!" Lieutenant Adams ordered. "Set the charges-"

"Negative! Override order!" Captain Mark Ulman interrupted. "Get the fuck out of there. We will send that fucking hive to hell using onboard artillery!"

"Yes, Sir!" All the Marines yelled and everyone tossed their insecticide grenades into the tunnel as they quickly got out of the room.

The team evacuated, as quickly as possible, the building and quickly boarded their assault crafts. They secured the girl and covered her with a warm blanket. As the last Marine set foot inside the craft, the pilot sped away as the mansion was instantly bombarded by the overwatch ships. Once the building was mostly rubble, Warrior fired a single missile that penetrated straight into the hive and exploded. The rest of the mansion collapsed as well as several nearby buildings. The unmistakable Brrrr of a working CIWS indicated that some hornets survived the explosion. The internal screens showed the Marines a group of monsters that tried to give chase.

"She is going to give birth!" The Healer announced as the hangar gates of HMS Warrior closed behind them. "We won't make it to the infirmary!"

"Get her out of the CB-90!" Lieutenant Adams ordered and the team disembarked the craft in record time. "Sandra, Jane, Carrie, and Jana! Take the blankets and give us some cover!"

The Healers from the Warrior were informed about the situation and they were waiting to assist in the hangar. A group of seven women quickly approached the Marines and took over. They had everything they needed to deliver a baby while the Marines started securing the assault craft.

"Adams, your group stays in the hangar in case something breaches the outer doors." Captain Ulman ordered through the internal speakers.

"By the Gods! What in hell is that?!" Sandra screamed while most of the women vomited with horror painted on their faces.

The privacy screen held by the women fell aside and everyone saw how the Healers tried to fend off four large, white maggots. The Lieutenant cursed and started yelling at his soldiers. "Capture those things alive!"

"PARALISE!" One of the mages targeted the maggots that turned towards the unconscious host.

"Grand Heal!" One of the Healers attending to the woman looked nervously at the Lieutenant. "She is stable, for sure in shock, Gods, that... Why are you keeping these things alive, Sir?!"

"We can always kill them. But I have a feeling we need to... need to... Fuck, I don't know!" Adams' voice was disgusted.

"Good call, Lieutenant." Captain's voice was similarly disgusted. "We are heading straight to Natika, the nearest city-state, and I hope it is still standing. We sent the news to Avalon and... the Emperor was pissed..."