**Chapter 51: Clash at the Eastern Forest**
The forest lay silent under a shroud of pre-dawn mist, its branches veiled like ancient sentinels watching from the shadows. The air was tense, heavy with anticipation and laced with the scent of moss, pine, and blood yet to be spilled.
Kael stood upon a rise at the edge of the eastern woodlands, flanked by his First General, a towering man with dark iron armor and a hawk-like gaze. The generals had gathered at midnight and finished the final preparations. Now, the trap was set.
"They're coming," the First General murmured, eyes fixed on the distant horizon where faint thunder rolled—not from the skies, but from the charge of hooves. The Galdar cavalry was on the move.
Kael's system flashed before his eyes.
> **System Alert: Enemy Detected Approaching Eastern Forest Barricade**
>
> **Engagement Level: High**
>
> **Recommended Action: Initiate ambush trap protocol.**
>
> **Note: Successful execution will grant 3% progress toward 'City Blueprint: Fortified Urban Core'**
A slow smile crept across Kael's face. *Let it begin.*
He gave the signal.
A shrill whistle rang through the trees.
From the shadows, camouflaged soldiers of the Fangblade Unit—trained in forest warfare—moved like ghosts. Tripwires were tightened. Spikes hidden beneath leaves stood poised. Explosive rune stones were buried along the main paths. The entire forest had become a death trap.
The Galdar cavalry thundered into the narrow pass between two rocky outcrops, oblivious to the silent death surrounding them. Their banners fluttered—black steeds armored in silver greaves, riders with long sabers drawn, confident in their strength.
There were nearly 400 cavalrymen, elite warriors trained for shock and momentum. Their leader, Commander Vassik of Galdar, rode at the forefront astride a beast-like steed with curved horns and crimson armor.
"We break their eastern line and ride through their heart!" Vassik bellowed, raising his blade. His men cheered.
They reached the choke point.
A hidden rune detonated.
A section of the forest floor erupted, sending flames and shrapnel into the front riders. Screams tore the quiet as horses reared and crashed into one another. Then came the second wave—ropes snapped tight across trees, yanking riders from their saddles with bone-snapping force. Wooden spikes impaled dozens.
Arrows rained from above.
Kael's archers, hidden in the trees, unleashed volley after volley with surgical precision. Every arrow was enchanted—some exploded on impact, others pierced through two targets at once.
From the left flank, the First General led 100 shock troopers clad in black armor with axes that glowed faintly with runes of impact. They surged into the disoriented cavalry like a tide of steel.
Vassik tried to rally his men, but chaos had already taken root. The narrow forest paths offered no room to maneuver, and his cavalry was built for open-field domination, not close-quarter forest warfare.
Kael activated his War Commander's Aura.
> **System Passive Activated: War Commander's Aura**
>
> **Effect: +15% Attack Power, +10% Defense, +10% Morale for all allied troops within 500 meters.**
His soldiers moved like an extension of his will. The tide turned lethal.
Vassik, bloodied and furious, fought his way through a throng of Kael's soldiers. He saw a dark figure watching calmly from a tree limb.
Ashira.
Before he could shout a command, she vanished—and reappeared behind him, twin blades out.
The duel was brief. Ashira flowed like wind, blades dancing in and out of Vassik's guard. He was a powerful warrior, but Ashira was speed and lethality incarnate. A single spinning slash severed the reins, another cut across his side.
Vassik fell, a scream strangled in his throat. His elite cavalry, leaderless and caught in a slaughter, began to crumble.
Kael's voice boomed from the treeline.
"Fall back and surrender, or die where you stand!"
Some dropped weapons. Others tried to flee but found the forest gave no mercy.
In under an hour, the once-feared Galdar cavalry had been shattered.
---
**Elsewhere in the camp...**
News of the forest victory reached the central command tent. Kael's remaining generals—Tavon the Earthshaker, Lady Morwenna the Icebrand, and others—were poring over maps.
"First blow dealt. The eastern flank is secure," Kael said calmly as he entered, wiping blood from his glove.
General Tavon grunted. "The Galdar won't recover from that. They were the fastest unit the enemy had."
Lady Morwenna smiled faintly. "The message is clear—we're not a simple town anymore."
Kael nodded. His system chimed again.
> **System Update: Town Defense Successfully Maintained**
>
> **Enemy Unit Destroyed: Galdar Cavalry – 372 Units Eliminated**
>
> **Progress toward City Blueprint: +8%**
>
> **New Unlock: Tactical Upgrade – Forest Ambush Mastery**
> **Your generals have learned from the execution of the forest trap. Future ambushes in forested regions will gain +20% effectiveness.**
Kael dismissed the panel and looked toward the west. "Now they'll test our walls."
---
**Nightfall. The Battlefield Sleeps...**
The dead were gathered and burned. The eastern forest now smelled of smoke and ash, a grim warning.
Kael stood upon the ramparts of the fortress with Ashira at his side. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a light in her eyes—the thrill of battle had awakened something in her.
"They'll come harder next time," she said.
"I know."
"They think we got lucky. They haven't realized yet that we're not reacting. We're shaping the war."
Kael turned to her, the wind tugging at his cloak. "Then let's give them another lesson tomorrow."
The torches burned along the walls, casting long shadows across the stones. Far in the distance, enemy fires glittered like embers. Varnic's army still had thousands—but Kael had shown them the cost of underestimating him.
And tomorrow, he'd show them again.
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