The dawn broke over the jagged ridges of the Ashen Valley, a pale light stretching across the scarred land. Smoke from the night’s battle still curled lazily into the sky, mingling with the sharp scent of blood and charred wood. Ren stood at the highest point of the captured mining outpost, his hands braced against the crumbling stone wall, staring down at the men and women moving restlessly below.
His first battle as a commander had been a victory, but victory came with its own burdens. Fifty survivors of the outpost—miners, guards, exiled wanderers—now looked to him with a mixture of fear and expectation. The System window floating before his eyes reminded him just how precarious his position truly was.
[Territory Captured: Ashen Quarry Outpost]
Population: 87
Morale: 34% (Unstable)
