The fortress of Blackstone had gone eerily quiet after the storm of steel and blood. Smoke still curled from shattered battlements, mingling with the metallic tang of spilled lives. Ren stood atop the central wall, the cold wind biting against his skin as he surveyed the aftermath. The System’s interface still lingered before his eyes, glowing faintly like a reminder carved into his soul.
[Notification: Fortress Secured.] [System Influence: +1,200] [System Resource Points: +3,500] [Warning: Enemy Forces in Retreat. Anticipated counterattack ETA: 48 hours.]
Ren exhaled slowly, the words cutting into him like both a promise and a curse. Victory, but at a cost. Behind him, the courtyard was littered with the wounded and the dead. His people—miners turned fighters, deserters turned brothers—
