I woke up in the middle of chaos, but it wasn't death or destruction just panic. Soldiers rushed around below me, not in a fight for their lives, but scrambling to prepare for one. They were shouting orders, arming themselves, and gathering in clusters near the fortress walls. I stood high in a tower, overlooking it all, my heart racing as I tried to understand where I was.

Before I could fully grasp the situation, a soldier caught my eye. His armor was slightly better than the others, made of stronger material, and it had a dark blue hue compared to the plain black of the rest. He seemed important - definitely not just another foot soldier. And then, he ran toward me.

Before I could gather my thoughts, a man in armor sprinted toward me, his equipment superior to the others. My body froze in terror he was heading straight for me, sword in hand. Panic surged through me, and I instinctively stepped back, my mind racing. Was he going to kill me? Behead me? What the hell is going on?

But then, just as he reached me, he did something that shocked me even more—he stopped, bowed low, and raised his voice.

"They're attacking us, Captain! The wild beasts there are 10,000 of them, and they'll be upon us in half an hour. It's not just their numbers, sir they're stronger than expected, and we weren't prepared for this. We have 500 archers, 100 cavalry, 1,000 infantry, and 100 cannons. What are your orders, sir?"

Captain?

My brain felt like it had short-circuited. Captain? Did he just call me Captain? My head spun as I tried to make sense of it all. Was this some kind of prank? A nightmare? But everything around me the smell of smoke in the air, the sounds of panic, the cold wind against my face it all felt too real. More real than anything I'd ever experienced.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

I didn't have time to think. The man was staring at me, waiting for orders. Everyone around me was preparing for battle. This is real. And if I didn't do something, I was going to die here, too.

I forced myself to stay calm. I've never been in a battle before, but history lessons… history lessons were important, right? Suddenly, I regretted not paying more attention in class. But I couldn't afford to freeze up now. If I didn't take control, we'd be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, and I'd be killed along with everyone else. i had to think fast.

"Is there oil in the kitchen?" I asked, my voice shaking.

The man blinked at me, momentarily confused. "Oil, sir?"

"Yes," I repeated. "Do we have oil?"

He nodded, still looking a little stunned. "Yes, sir. We have plenty."

"Good. Bring all the oil you can find. And bring mini-barrels, too," I ordered, trying to remember every trick I'd ever learned about old battles.

Within five minutes, they returned with the oil, mini-barrels, and a curious look on their faces, clearly wondering what I was planning. I quickly explained my idea, ordering them to link the cannonballs to the barrels so they'd explode mid-air. I had them soak the barrels in oil, creating what was essentially an aerial firestorm. Then, we'd rain the oil down on the battlefield, setting traps to slow the enemy's advance.

"Scatter anything you can to make their path harder," I added, thinking of how we could funnel the wild beasts into one concentrated area. "Place debris, obstacles, anything that will corral them into a tighter space."

Once the soldiers understood the plan, they moved with speed, their panic turning into organized action. I walked the perimeter, checking on the troops, and stationed 100 archers near the cannons for support. The men were on edge, but there was a strange calm in the air now, like the storm was about to break.

We were as prepared as we could be—and yet, at the same time, I knew we weren't fully ready. But I had done everything I could. I've done my part, I told myself, trying to push down the fear rising in my chest. All that was left now was to wait. I silently prayed to a god might be watching over us, trusting that there was a reason I was brought here.

Somehow, I needed to believe that we had a chance, even against impossible odds.