MMORPG : Ancient WORLD

There was no sound coming from outside the city even when the surroundings were engulfed in domes of plasma beams, as countless skaven were exterminated in mere moments.

After the first volley of fire, another followed right behind, and then another, with the cycle continuing for seven straight rounds until the canons reached their limits and entered a cooldown period.

As the thousands of Skaven were losing their lives, turning to dust under the heavy fire, Legion Commander Thane’s voice rang through the city, reaching every individual present inside the city.

“Citizens of Xarentol, I cannot promise that all of you will survive, but I can promise you that none of us will if we don’t give it our all and fight to the last breath,” Legion Commander Thane said, and after a moment of silence, he continued.

“There are 1.6 million Men, Women, Elderly, and children in this city, and over 8 million ratings are waiting outside, their claws itching, their mouths salivating as they think of digging into our flesh,”

“Rip us piece from piece, kidnap our wives, children, and young, to become their food, their slaves, their play things,”

“Yes, out there stands their king, and Yes, I know I could not stand against him, let alone win, but do you think that I will just allow that fate to fall on MY PEOPLE,”

“NO, I will not do it. I will fight till my last breath escapes my body, my hatred for those vermins burns out, my consciousness turns dark, and I am no more than a cold corpse,” Thane’s telepathic voice echoed through the minds of every individual, powerful yet remarkably clear, resonating without causing the slightest discomfort.

“All civilians who will not fight for their lives, the lives of their loved ones, and this city should gather in the core area, while every able individual, man or woman, would join the nearest group of soldiers to protect the lives of their loved ones and other innocents,”

“There is no time for a strategic meeting, but everyone should already know what role they need to play. Those who do not know, just follow the lead of your assigned commander.”

“I will open three sides of the Aegis shield in fifteen minutes because it is destined to fall under the constant assault of those vermins, and we are better off dealing with them on our terms rather than worrying about getting overwhelmed from all sides.”

“The outer and inner areas of the city will be divided into three and two sections, while each major point is blocked or isolated using barriers, traps, and golems to keep the core area safe,” Thane said, his powerful voice and choice of words making even the covering mortals cheering for a fight.

“The outer city section will be protected by Brigade Captain Marcus, supported by Company Captains Eris, Tlaric, Hidden One, and two-thirds of Platoon Leaders and Squad Captains under their command.”

“The inner section will be protected by Brigade Captain Rhea, who will also hold the chain of command, and supported by Captain Licinia and the remaining army personnel.”

“No one will be leaving the boundaries of the city except me, Brigade Captain Valen and Dalia to deal with the Skaven King.”

“We will battle until our last breath for our own survival and the glory of our Empire.”

“May the Arcane light guide us all,” Commander Thane roared, ending his speech, and the soldiers and more than half of the city roared with him, even when everyone knew that most likely only death awaited them.

It was abundantly clear that someone could not leave using teleportation, but someone could come to the city without restriction, and if the Empire wished to send help, it would have arrived long ago.

Ratanak clearly wanted something, and that was the reason that the city was still standing and not turned to dust.

While the Aegis shield was great, and Commander Thane was an early Eight Rank individual with a vast reserve of resources that could allow him to go against even a Ninth Rank, the Skaven King was a completely different beast.

Everyone, whether crushed with despair or fueled by the motive of fighting for their loved ones, also understood this simple reasoning, and because of that, only three types of people were left in the city.

Those who had slumped to the floor, their minds gone blank with despair and strength sapped away from their bodies. Those who were panicking and rushing to safety, hoping for a miracle, and those who were either desperate or had just accepted their fate and were willing to put up a fight before death claimed them.

It was a soul-crushing feeling for even the bravest of individuals, including Alex, because even though he had seen death, never had he experienced it so close and on such a scale.

No matter how this encounter ended, Alex knew he would come out as a changed individual, just like everyone else who would survive this nightmarish event.

‘This is not going to end well,’ Alex thought, seeing the faces of everyone moving through the city as he stood atop a building and stared into the pupilless eyes of the Skaven King Ratanak.

Seconds passed when Alex’s communication badge came to life, and he and every individual in power were ordered to come to the Legion building by Captain Rhea.

Alex made his way to the Legion building and received a space ring containing his share of resources to use against the incoming horde.

Although it was a large amount, he quickly realized that he had fewer supplies than everyone else, and what he did have was of lower quality.

The sole reason he was given less than everyone else, on top of being appointed to defend the right side of the city, which housed animal farms and a small number of civilians, was because his life was not on the line.

Even though they knew he was better than his competition, they were not going to place the lives of their people in his hands, more than it was necessary, knowing he could just die and come back to life.

Alex was guaranteed to live through this ordeal, so in their eyes, he would not do his absolute best or could just throw away his responsibility anytime he felt that the city was doomed, so giving him too much responsibility was not the ideal option.

Once the resources were distributed, only a simple command to do their absolute best for the one million eight hundred thousand citizens of the city was given before they were told to leave and prepare to welcome the tide of Skaven bastards.

As every captain was leaving, Licinia made her way to Alex, a calm smile spread across her beautiful face, not showing a hint of grief, anger, or panic, unlike quite a few of the other army personnel.

“Hidden One, it was a pleasure knowing you,” Licinia said with a smile as she moved in for a hug. Alex accepted it with a calm smile, but on the inside, he was feeling gutted.

Alex had spent an entire week wandering the wasteland of Enekia with Licinia, fighting with her to defend their lives, and while not very close with her, she was one of the few individuals he was acquainted with in the ancestral realm, so her death was going to sting and sting badly.

“You better live through this one,” Alex said, his voice carrying a mix of determination and concern.

“I will do my best, but you know how it is. We are soldiers, we fight and survive to fight another day, or we die trying.” Licinia said, her smile widened slightly, her eyes reflecting a steely resolve.

Alex nodded, not having any words to say to her, and after a long pause, he accepted their situation and forced a smile out of himself.

“If you dont want me to write chatterbox on your grave, you better survive,” Alex said, with a forced smile.

“You do that, and I would haunt you in your dreams.” She replied, chuckling softly, a rare sound in the tense atmosphere.

After giving him a final nod, Licinia turned and left with her assigned group, while Alex was approached by his assigned personnel, each one wearing a grimmer expression than the last.

Alex felt a pang of sorrow but buried his emotions under the thought of saving as many as he could and butchering as many slaves as he could.

As Alex reached his assigned side, he was greeted with the sight of a mix of chaos and preparation. Soldiers were setting up defenses, civilians and livestock were being escorted to safer areas, and the air was thick with tension and the scent of impending battle.

Alex stood high in the sky, looking down at the nearly two kilometers of land that he would need to cover to stop most, if not all, of the Skaven in their tracks.

As he thought of how he would deal with an unending tide of relentless ratlings, Alex looked outside the city, watching a dark, seething mass of eyes and bodies tirelessly throwing themselves at the invisible barrier, ready to engulf the city.