‘’You are never safe’’ - Invading K247

My last invasion was a complete disaster. I traveled for hours and spent millions of resources to bring new men, only to arrive there and see our target activating the bubble and fleeing from the battle… that was humiliating. I do not know if it was planned to harm an invader or if it was just a coincidence, but it left me furious.

Being a merit hunter teaches you that situations like this can happen. You also learn that many times you are not strong enough for a target and that you may need help. Being a hunter teaches you that sometimes you will suffer heavy defeats and be mocked for many days or weeks. Because of this, every invasion and every attack must be carefully calculated and planned.

We had been on the road for days, and we did not want to return home without any results. That was when I ordered ravens to be sent to all my spies in the nearby kingdoms, asking about unprotected targets. Less than two days had passed when a raven returned.

“My lord, I have found what you are looking for, but the news may not be so good…”

When I began to read that letter, I felt fear. In most cases, my spies find bow traps or castles with spear commanders and troops on the wall. In both situations, I do not attack.

“The two castles are infantry, exactly the type of target that I know you like. However, both have two billion power and solid formations. With all due respect, my lord, but knowing you very well, I believe this is not the kind of target you can defeat alone.”

He was right, I could not do that alone. That was when I began to ask for help from friends who were in nearby kingdoms. At that time, I was not expecting help; everyone I knew would be sleeping. But not everybody…

‘’How much merit are we talking about?’’ Dragonk1ller, from the KFr alliance, surprisingly answered me.

‘’I would say around 82-85 million merit, and it will cost you one scroll only.’’ I replied.

A few minutes passed, and we entered Kingdom 247; the mission had begun. I joined the KFr alliance so that I could open a rally, and the five minutes leading up to the impact were intense.

ANCIENTJERRY and m3lll from the BDR alliance were there, and they could end our invasion at any moment. Dragonk1ller had millions of troops inside his castle and would need only a single attack for all of his soldiers to be wiped out.

I opened the rally. The tension was at its peak.

Four minutes…

Three minutes…

What if one of the two from BDR attacks them?

Two minutes…

What if someone sends a garrison or reinforcements?

One minute…

“Phantom, I think it is better to give up. I have a bad feeling.”

30 seconds…

We were deep in enemy territory. The DaC alliance is strong and has two BDR protectors in that kingdom. At that moment, we were relying purely on luck. The rally would be launched in fifteen seconds, and it was too late to cancel it.

The attack was launched. The suspense reached its limit.

More than 2.5 million cavalry soldiers struck, and WildJohn’s wall could not withstand the impact and eventually collapsed. WildJohn’s numbers were impressive; he had Jon Snow as one of his defensive commanders and more than five million T5 troops on the wall.

In that first impact, WildJohn received no reinforcements or garrison support, but everyone in that kingdom now knows about the presence of invaders, and that could make all the difference in the second attack.

We attacked using female synergy and cavalry troops, giving us a clear advantage over WildJohn’s infantry troops. More than 2.5 million troops were sent, with 1.8 million of them being T5 units. By the end of the battle, WildJohn had lost more than 7.1 million men, while on our side, only 206 thousand T4 troops were lost.

We were euphoric. The first attack was a success, and it did not take long for the second rally to be opened, with another five minutes separating us from the second impact.

Dragonk1ller changed his position several times before sending his troops to the rally to avoid being captured. That made me anxious and deeply afraid. There were fewer than 30 seconds left before the rally would be launched, and I still could not see his troops.

He noticed that ANCIENTJERRY was online and switched his equipment from rebel leader gear to a full battle set. Something was about to happen, and it was not good. I was afraid that Dragonk1ller would be captured, because that would bring our invasion to an end.

With only 10 seconds remaining, he finally sent his soldiers, which brought me great relief.

The rally was launched, and the second impact took place.

The second attack was lethal. WildJohn no longer had a wall to hold the impact, and his castle began to collapse from the inside out.

While I was calculating the numbers, Dragonk1ller kept changing his position relentlessly. He was also watching for any unusual movement. Some players from DaC were online, and if anyone sent a garrison or reinforcements, we needed to know immediately.

The report came in, and another successful attack was confirmed. WildJohn lost more 7 million soldiers, and this time, on our side, only 155 thousand troops were lost.

WildJohn had very few troops still alive inside his castle. Opening another rally would be a waste of time and would have put us at serious risk.

I ordered two solo attacks to kill the remaining soldiers.

After two rallies and two solo attacks, WildJohn was defeated. Despite all the tension, the first target of our mission was destroyed. However, the invasion was not over yet, and the second target remained intact.

I opened a rally on YoungJohn, the second target. The tension and the atmosphere of suspense filled the air once again, but this time it was worse.

YoungJohn had anti-scout activated, so we had no information about what was inside that castle. At that moment, we were expecting the worst. It was a shot in the dark.

Three minutes remained before the attack would be launched. That invasion was close to becoming a nightmare. BDR was only minutes away, DaC could send reinforcements at any moment, and there was the most dangerous detail of all: we did not know whether YoungJohn was a bow trap or not.

“Phantom, are you sure you want to do this? This is far too risky,” Dragonk1ller shouted, fearing the worst.

I did not respond. The rally would be launched in twenty seconds, and canceling it at that point would only show weakness.

The rally was launched.

More than 2.5 million cavalry troops attacked once again, and another brutal impact was recorded.

DaC did not know what to do. Some castles changed their positions, and they could have sent reinforcements at any moment. However, there was a very important detail: none of them knew Dragonk1ller’s current location, and that gave us a significant advantage.

If any weaker player decided to send reinforcements, they would immediately lose their bubble, which would create a great opportunity for Dragonk1ller to attack.

I opened the second rally to accelerate the attack.

The second rally struck, and once again, YoungJohn’s wall and defenses could not withstand the impact.

Kingdom 247 had been a land of peace, but a single dawn changed everything, and now the ashes beneath the sky could be seen by everyone in that kingdom. No one dared to interfere in that conflict, not a single soul.

The final rally was opened. We needed only one more attack for the mission to be completed. The tension was at its maximum, but we could already feel a sense of relief approaching.

The rally was launched.

The final rally finally struck, and a wave of relief took over.

YoungJohn finally fell. All of his troops were eliminated, and his lord was captured by me.

The fall of WildJohn and YoungJohn proved that no one can ever be one hundred percent 100% confident. Even if you have powerful defenders in your kingdom, there is always someone brave (or crazy) enough to challenge that strength.

Invasions like this are always tense. The five minutes of each rally feel like an eternity, and it is almost impossible not to have negative thoughts. This time, the mission was a success.

The fall of WildJohn and YoungJohn sent a message to all kingdoms: watch your bubbles, or the Phantom will come for you.