The Siege of Server 254

The war room was silent, but Dae's mind wasn't. His gaze rested on a map laid across his desk as irritation mounted with each ticking second. His kingdom had seen peace for far too long, and that peace had grown dull an made him feel bored.

"I need a hunt," he growled low, his eyes narrowing.

He scanned the server list tacked to the wall, his imagination building targets for each name. His eyes stopped on server K254. Among the hive, one fortress shone bright. The reports said that spear player owned it, and the scout showed a formidable force inside.

Dae leaned back in his chair, grinning. "This one's worth it."

By the time Dae reached the vicinity of the fortress, a battle lay spread before him as if upon a wide stage. The high fortress rested on a rocky hill with imposing stone walls, tha became rusted by years. A plain sprawled around the fortress, sprinkled with wild grass and siting farms for the enemies castle. Overhead, the sky was grey as if it was going to rain and sent a reflected dull light onto the land.

Dae sent his scout ahead. When the report came back, it was better than he'd hoped. Six million troops waited inside. Infantry, spears, and bows—all ready to fight.

"This is it," Dae said, a fire lighting in his eyes. He turned to his soldiers. "Get ready. This won't be easy."

The first assault came at sunset. Dae's army surged over the flatland. Their shields shone red with the dying light. The foe's infantry were the front rank; their shields interlocked, spears bristling above their heads.

The fighting was loud. There came the crashing of swords against shields and screams and groans filled the air as wounded troops fell. Dae's forces pressed hard, but enemy infantry would not break. After a bloody struggle, Dae pulled his troops back.

His commanders huddled around him, awaiting his reaction. Dae studied the battle report, his jaw tight.

"T1 and T2 meat shield," he said, shaking his head. "They're soaking the hits. We need to bleed them dry before we can get to the real fight."

He readjusted his lineup, going with heavy infantry to squash the weaker tiers by increasing the number of soldiers sent to fight. This wasn't going to be about brute force; it was going to be about precision, wearing the enemy down.

The second attack came at dawn. The air was cold, and a light fog rolled across the field. This time, Dae struck like a hammer. His infantry smashed through the front lines of the enemy - what was once a solid wall of shields - weakened now.

Cheers erupted as Dae’s soldiers surged forward, clashing with the enemy spears. The fight was fierce, with neither side giving an inch at first. But slowly, the enemy ranks began to falter.

From his throne that was on a hilltop, Dae watched the battlefield with a sharp eye. He saw the cracks forming in the enemy’s defenses and allowed himself a small smile.

“We’ve got them now,” he said.

With the lifting of the fog, the third attack showed the fortress in its full battered glory: smoke rising from the outer defenses and the din of battle carrying across the plain. There was nothing for the enemy but bows now-their spears and infantry had been wiped out.

Dae knew this was the final push. "No mercy," he told his commanders. "We end this now."

His army surged again toward the fortress. Arrows rained down, filling in the sky, but his troops surged forward. They reached the walls and started to climb-scaling ladders and launching down the gates.

Inside, the bows were scattered and disorganized, their defense crumbling. Dae's forces ripped through them with unyielding efficiency.

His infantry bleed lineup and commanders were no match to the enemy.

It took two more assaults to sweep aside the final few bows. Relentless, with arrows severing into Dae's ranks, they couldn't hold without support.

The climax came as Dae's soldiers stormed into the inner sanctum of the fortress. The enemy lord was waiting for him, his armor dented, his sword lowered in a gesture of surrender. Dae stepped forward; his boots clanked on the stone floor.

"You fought well," Dae said, his voice even. "But this is the end."

The lord was taken prisoner and dragged back to Dae's dungeon. The heavy iron doors slammed shut, and Dae smiled.

As the smoke cleared and the field fell silent, Dae stood on top of the hill, overlooking his victory. In a ruin of its former self-the walls broken, the banners torn-the fortress now lay there shattered and with no troops at all inside.

The open, sweeping kingdoms stretched before him, awaiting his next challenge. He looked down at the map in his hands, already searching for his next target.

"This is what I live for," Dae said to himself. "The fight. The thrill. The hunt."

His soldiers started to regroup below, their banners fluttering in the breeze. Dae felt the rush of victory coursing through him, yet he was not satisfied.

The hunt was over, but the fire in his veins burned hotter than ever.

And he was just getting started.