The dawn broke red over Ashkar's desolate plains. Smoke rose in the distance — a village, perhaps, or the remnants of a skirmish. Kael stood at the ridge, his stolen band of raiders assembled behind him.
Their eyes — once filled with contempt — now gleamed with fear and awe.
Kael spoke, his voice cold steel.
"Today, we march. Today, we take what we want. No more scraps. No more hiding. You are my blades. Fail me, and I'll cut you down myself."
A murmur of assent rippled through the ranks.
---
The march was swift. By midday, they reached the village — a walled settlement of mud-brick and timber. Smoke rose from blacksmiths' forges. Farmers tilled the fields beyond the palisade.
Kael studied the defenses. Crude, but functional.
> [System scan complete. Estimated enemy strength: 70 defenders. Civilians: 200. Risk: Low. Reward: High.]
Kael drew his blade.
"Leave none who resist. Take what we need. Burn what we don't."
The raiders surged forward, a tide of steel and fury.
---
The battle was brutal. Arrows hissed from the walls — Kael swatted them aside or let the Bloodfang absorb the strikes, its dark steel drinking in the pain.
> [Bloodfang Greatsword: +15 HP drained]
Kael smashed through the gates with a single sweep of his blade. Wood splintered, men screamed, and he was among them — a whirlwind of death.
His system chimed again:
> [Skill Unlocked: Crimson Reaper — +30% damage against groups]
The defenders fell like wheat before the scythe.
---
By nightfall, the village burned. Kael's banner flew above the ruins. The survivors knelt before him, eyes hollow with terror.
> [Quest complete: First conquest achieved — +2,000 XP, +10 Strength, +5 Skill Points]
> [New item acquired: Warlord's Sigil (boosts army morale +20%, intimidation +15%)]
Kael stood over the fallen, the wind tugging at his black cloak.
> "One village… soon a kingdom. And after that — the world."
The Supreme Tyrant's legend had begun.
Night deepened, and Kael stood at the heart of the conquered village, watching his new subjects rebuild under torchlight.
The System's voice echoed in his mind:
> [Warning: Local warlord detected approaching your position. Estimated arrival: 3 hours. Prepare defenses or ambush.]
Kael's crimson eyes narrowed.
> "Let them come. I'll send their heads back as a message."
He called his raider captains, hardened men who once led small bands but now bent to his will.
"We set the trap tonight. Archers on the roofs. Pitfalls at the gates. I want their leader alive — I'll break him myself."
The men nodded, moving quickly. Kael watched them scatter, his mind already crafting the next phase of his campaign.
---
Three hours later, dust clouds marked the warlord's arrival.
A mounted force of fifty — well-armed, disciplined, flying blood-red banners. Their leader, a scarred giant clad in bone armor, rode at the front, axe resting across his saddle.
Kael stepped forward alone, his black cloak billowing.
"Who dares challenge Kael Draven, Warlord of the Wastes?" he thundered.
The giant laughed, voice like thunder.
"I am Varnak of the Bone Clans! I'll mount your head on my spear and take your women as spoils!"
Kael grinned — a dark, wolfish grin.
"Then come try."
---
The ambush was flawless.
Arrows rained from rooftops, cutting down the front line. Pitfalls swallowed horses whole. Kael moved like a storm, his blade carving through armor and flesh alike.
> [Crimson Reaper activated: +30% damage in group combat]
> [Bloodfang Greatsword: +30 HP drained]
In the chaos, Kael faced Varnak, their weapons clashing in sparks and fury. Varnak's strength was monstrous, but Kael's speed and skill outmatched him.
With a final savage blow, Kael disarmed the giant and drove him to his knees.
---
"Swear to me," Kael hissed, blade at the warlord's throat. "Swear your clan's loyalty — or die."
Varnak spat blood but nodded.
"I yield… Supreme Tyrant."
> [Quest complete: Conquer rival warlord — +3,000 XP, +10 Strength, +1 new subordinate commander]
> [New skill unlocked: Tyrant's Aura — Intimidate enemies, lower enemy morale -20% in battle]
Kael raised his sword, the fires of the village reflecting in his eyes.
> "Another piece on the board. Soon, Ashkar will kneel."
The night after the battle was far from quiet. Kael sat in the warlord's longhouse, now his by right of conquest. The fire crackled in the pit as he stared at the map Varnak had kept — a crude but useful sketch of the surrounding territories.
> "Three more villages. Two forts. And one city."
Kael's eyes gleamed.
Outside, his new army gathered. Varnak stood at their head, bruised but loyal — for now.
> [System notification: Army morale +20% — Warlord's Sigil effect active]
> [New quest: Claim the Blackstone Fortress. Reward: +5,000 XP, rare item, title upgrade.]
Kael rose, draping his black cloak across his shoulders.
"I want scouts sent tonight. I want plans drawn by dawn. And at first light… we march again."
The men roared their approval.
---
The following day, as the sun bled into the horizon, Kael's forces crossed the wastelands. His name spread like wildfire ahead of him. Villages submitted without a fight, raising his black banner in exchange for mercy.
Those who resisted were given no second chance.
By dusk, Kael stood before Blackstone Fortress — an ancient structure of obsidian rock, built into the cliffs. Torches burned along its walls. Soldiers in black armor manned the battlements, bows drawn.
A voice boomed from the walls.
"Who dares approach Blackstone?"
Kael stepped forward, his voice carrying like thunder.
"Kael Draven! Supreme Tyrant of the Wastes! Lower your gates, or I'll bring your walls down around you!"