[ The First King’s Army ]

[ The Fireborn March ]

A distant rumbling shook the ground beneath them.

Not thunder. Not an earthquake.

It was footsteps. Thousands of them.

[Raine, narrowing his eyes]: "They're here."

Beyond the newly built village walls, a sea of fire stretched across the horizon. Malakar's army had arrived.

The Fireborn Soldiers—twisted beings of molten rock and blazing embers—marched in perfect unison, their hollow eyes burning like dying stars. Behind them, banners of crimson and black fluttered violently in the wind, each marked with the insignia of their ruler.

And then, from the center of the army, a messenger stepped forward.

Draped in ornate armor, his body seemed half-human, half-living flame. His voice, deep and distorted, echoed across the battlefield.

[Fireborn Messenger, voice like crackling fire]: "By order of King Malakar, Ruler of the Nation of Ash—submit or be consumed."

A tense silence fell over the village.

For the first time, the players and NPCs truly realized what they were up against.

A real army. A real war.

And the worst part?

No respawn.

The town square erupted into chaos.

[Random Player, panicked]: "We should surrender! We don't know if dying means we're gone forever!"

[Veteran Player, shaking his head]: "We're not bending the knee to some NPC tyrant. This is our world now!"

The crowd froze.

Raine stood at the center, his presence commanding the room.

[Raine, firm]: "Fear won't save us. Running won't save us. If we don't fight now, we'll be running forever."

[Lyra, arms crossed]: "So what? You expect us to fight an entire army?"

[Raine, nodding]: "Yes. And we're going to win."

[Soren, smirking]: "Heh. Now you're talking my language."

Not everyone agreed. Some players, especially the newer ones, still hesitated.

And Raine understood why.

This wasn't like the old Eclipse Online. There were no safe zones, no resets. If they lost—there was no telling what would happen.

But something deep inside him refused to bow.

Something that told him—if they surrendered now, they'd never be free.

[Raine, glancing at the villagers]: "We're not just fighting for ourselves. We're fighting for them."

He gestured toward the NPCs—the people of this world.

A young boy clutched his mother's hand, eyes filled with uncertainty. An elderly blacksmith tightened his grip on a hammer, determined but afraid. Farmers, merchants, scholars… they weren't warriors.

But they trusted Raine and the other players to be.

[Random NPC Boy, hesitant]: "W-what happens to us if you win? What happens… if you lose?"

Silence.

No one had an answer.

Until Raine spoke.

[Raine, looking at the boy]: "We won't lose."

And with that—the village prepared for war.

There was no time to build a proper army.

They had hours—maybe a day, at best.

So they worked with what they had.

Raine divided the village into three groups:

Warriors – Fighters, ex-PvP players, and NPC guards. Armed with scavenged weapons.Mages – Former spellcasters and those with magic potential. Trained to use ranged attacks.Tacticians – Engineers, strategists, and trap-makers. Their job? Level the playing field.

[Raine, to a group of players]: "This isn't about stats or mechanics anymore. This is about survival. You fight smart, or you die fast."

[Lyra, to the mages]: "Control the battlefield. Fireballs won't stop a Fireborn, but explosions will."

[Soren, grinning at the tacticians]: "Let's give our 'guests' a warm welcome, yeah?"

Barricades went up. Traps were set. The entire village became a fortress in the making.

Yet, even as they prepared, Raine felt it.

A faint pulse in the air.

Something unnatural.

And then—the monoliths appeared.

Towering black stones erupted from the ground, encircling the battlefield. Pulsing with an unknown force.

The moment Raine touched one—a system message flashed before his eyes.

[SYSTEM ALERT]

Siege Monoliths Activated.

The Battlefield is Set.

No Escape. No Surrender. The War Begins.

[Raine, eyes widening]: "It's a trap."

Before he could react, the monoliths shimmered—and a massive red barrier rose into the sky, sealing the village within.

A death arena.

[Lyra, panicked]: "Wait—does this mean we can't retreat?!"

[Soren, gripping his sword]: "Heh. Guess that means no one runs, either."

It was a forced battle.

A game mechanic turned into a death sentence.

And then—the final system message appeared.

[WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT]

The First War Declaration Has Been Issued.

The Siege of Emberfall Begins.

The battlefield erupted into chaos.

The war had begun.

And there was no turning back.