Helliana activated her own skill, [Shadowstep], and her form shimmered as she became a blur of motion. She reappeared behind Kraggul, her knife aimed for his spine. But Kraggul anticipated the move, pivoting with a speed that belied his bulk, and blocked her strike with the t of his de.


    Their weapons shed in a flurry of blows, each strike faster and more precise than thest. Helliana''s [de Dance] skill allowed her to weave intricate patterns of steel, her sword a blur as she pressed the attack.


    Kraggul, however, met her every move with an unyielding defense, his halberd a fortress of metal. With a grunt, Kraggul activated [Iron Fortress], a skill that enhanced his defense and made his skin as hard as steel.


    Helliana''s de skittered off his armor, failing to find purchase. She darted back, breathing hard, her mind racing for a strategy. Kraggul seized the moment,unching into his [Whirlwind Strike]. He spun in ce, his halberd a deadly arc of destruction.


    Helliana ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding the lethal edge, but the sheer force of the skill created a powerful gust that knocked her off bnce. She tumbled to the ground, but quickly rolled to her feet, her eyes zing with determination to kill Kraggul at all cost! Summoning her inner spirit energy, she activated [Spirit de], her knife now wreathed in ethereal mes.


    With a fierce cry, she charged at Kraggul. Thetter met her charge head-on, his halberd crackling with the residual energy of his earlier skill. Their weapons collided in a shower of sparks and me, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the ground. Helliana pushed with all her might, the ethereal mes of her Spirit de licking at Kraggul''s armor.


    If only he could still activate his domain, Kraggul thought bitterly. His fight with Kargoth had drained most of his mana reserves. Domain activation demanded an immense amount of mana, and using it now would deplete his spirit energy, possibly leading to his death.


    He couldn''t afford to die now. There was still so much left to do, so much to aplish for his race. He couldn''t fall here!


    With a roar, he activated [Warlord''s Fury], his halberd igniting with a fierce, red me. He swung with all his might, the sheer power of the skill overwhelming Helliana''s defenses. Her sword shattered under the onught, and the force of the blow sent her sprawling to the ground.


    Helliana struggled to rise, her body aching and her vision blurred. Kraggul loomed over her, his halberd raised for the final strike. Desperation wed at her, and she summoned thest of her strength, her hand closing around a hidden dagger at her belt.


    With a swift motion, she hurled the dagger at Kraggul, aiming for his throat. But Kraggul''s reflexes were lightning fast. He deflected the dagger with a flick of his halberd, and then brought the weapon down with lethal precision.


    The halberd''s de stopped inches from Helliana''s throat, its edge crackling with residual energy. Kraggul''s eyes bored into hers, his expression a mix of triumph and respect.


    "You fought well," he said, his voice a low growl. "But this is the end."


    Helliana''s breath came in ragged gasps, her body trembling with exhaustion and pain. She looked up at Kraggul, her defiance unbroken even in the face of death.


    "Even if I die today the Orcs will live on," she spat, her voice hoarse.


    "Not your n — every member of your n will die by my hands!" Kraggul snarled, raising his halberd for the final blow, his eyes glinting with cold fury. But before he could strike, a blinding light engulfed the battlefield, forcing him to shield his eyes.


    "Looks like we''rete."


    Everyone''s eyes turned to the source of the voice, and what they saw was nothing short of astonishing. At least a thousand Ebizo soldiers were gathered on the east side of a small hill, and at the center stood a human.


    "A . . . a yer?" Helliana uttered, surprised. It was his first time seeing a yer in the wastnd.


    They usually didn''t venture into these parts, but on the maind, they were numerous, as their elders had warned. These invading yers were a significant reason some Orcs had left the maind, seeking refuge from the relentless conflicts.


    They were part of those Orcs that escape the maind. Their ancestors had migrated to this corner of the map to escape the perpetual wars of the maind, carving out a new life away from the chaos.


    But what''s a yer doing in this parts?


    Rain''s face was serious as he addressed Kraggul, his voice cutting through the battlefield like a knife. "Are you King Kraggul?"


    Kraggul, equally shocked to see a yer in these parts, narrowed his eyes. "You . . . you''re Rain, the leader of Silverstone Oasis."


    "That''s right," Rain confirmed.


    "How are you alive?" King Kraggul demanded, eyes narrowing. His two generals and ten thousand Hobgoblins sent to the south should have finished them off.


    "Don''t underestimate the power of the Seadwellers and a warship," Rain replied, a hint of a smile ying at the corners of his mouth.


    King Kraggul''s eyes widened as the realization struck him. His two generals had been killed along with his 10 000 Hobgoblin army!


    No . . . Kraggul was stunned as the realization struck him. He had believed that sending two of his generals and ten thousand Hobgoblins would be more than enough to wipe out the south, especially with the new lord just starting out and the port town unguarded.


    The Seadwellers, with their slow movement onnd, should have been easy prey. He had clearly underestimated them — and this yer called Rain.


    However, there was something that didn''t sit well with Kraggul. "How can you travel here so fast?" he asked, confusion and frustration mingling in his voice.


    They shouldn''t have caught up to him if they hade from the south, especially with the notoriously slow Seadwellers. This should have given him plenty of time to annihte the Orcs and prepare for another assault.


    Right now, facing a fresh wave of enemies was thest thing Kraggul needed.


    Rain''s grin widened slightly. "We had a shortcut." He pointed towards the sea.


    Kraggul''s gaze followed the gesture, andprehension dawned on him. With the thousand Seadwellers, traveling by sea was ten times quicker than ovend.


    "I see . . ." King Kraggul''s initial surprise melted away, his expression hardening into a steely mask. "And I suppose you''re here to im my head?"


    Rain''s demeanor turned grave as he stepped forward, his voice carrying a solemn weight. "That''s right. Your reign of terror ends today."