Aenon sat on a chair atop the fort's wall, holding a bowl of soup while looking out over the horizon. The enemy army was barely visible at the edges, and the two fronts had started to merge to the south of Pinespire. At the rate they were going, they would be upon them by nightfall. The nervousness in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

And yet Aenon quietly enjoyed his dinner by his lonesome. The others had all gathered in some kind of feast taking place just inside the walls. He could hear the merry mood even from the top of the wall. He had been invited of course but had gracefully left after showing up for a few minutes. He much preferred the solitude over the boisterous party. The dwarves had transformed the initial somber mood into a full-blown drunken brawl. Their infectious laugh had completely wiped away fear and uneasiness. Add to the fact that the gathering had a few adventurers, people who were used to living their lives to the fullest, things had escalated quickly.

Aenon took a deep breath as he looked to the stars, imagining himself amongst them for the zillionth time. No one had discussed what would happen after the tutorial ended, but many had hinted that the planet would be open to all as soon as it ended. Most were worried about the future threats, but Aenon's entire focus was on something else. Since opening the planet would mean he would be free to go out exploring foreign lands of unimaginable beauty. A smile bloomed on his face as he tried to imagine what the big red planet would look like.

"You are welcome to join me," Aenon called into the darkness.

"Eh," came the startled reply from behind him.

Aenon knew who it was, and so he waited patiently for the woman to gather herself. Slowly a woman walked into the light, carrying a spear in her hand as she nervously looked around. Aenon didn't push her, waiting while continuing to look skywards. The woman finally managed to bring herself near him but kept fidgeting nervously.

Looking at her nervousness, Aenon conjured up another chair from inventory, waving at it for her to sit.

"That…," she stuttered. "That would be improper. I merely wanted to…"

"Sit," Aenon commanded softly. Through it all, he had not looked at her once.

The woman hesitantly sat at the edge of her seat, taking nervous peaks at him occasionally. But Aenon still didn't look at her. He kept his gaze locked on the cosmos. As the silence became uncomfortable, she too turned to see what had grabbed his attention. And gradually, tranquility returned to the quiet atmosphere.

Aenon could feel the woman's soul start to unwind. The fear was starting to taper down.

"That red one is my favorite," Aenon commented out of nowhere. "Reminds you of Mars, doesn't it?"

His sudden statement startled the woman, who turned to him fearfully. But as the words registered in her mind, she too looked at the other worldly planet.

"Yeah," she said weakly, lost in her own thoughts.

"What's your name?" Aenon asked.

"Huh? Oh. I am Yoon On-Ji," she responded quickly.

"Korean, huh? Well, it's nice meeting you. I am Fenrast Aenon."

His observation startled the woman. She had probably not believed that Aenon was from Earth. But the fact that he knew her name's origins, as well as the customary placing of surnames first, dispelled that thought.

"You…you are so young," On-Ji blurted out before slapping her mouth shut.

"Not gonna make me call you Noona, are you?" Aenon said cheekily. As she started shaking her head frantically, he burst out laughing.

"Relax On-Ji-ssi," Aenon said with warmth.

He purposefully used the suffix to show respect, since he knew that Koreans were big on formality in speech. "On-Ji-ssi" was the Korean equivalent of "Ms. On-Ji". And even though he was younger, his position was much higher than hers.

On-Ji seemed to be having an internal debate of some kind as he looked at him with a complicated gaze. Most likely she was trying to connect the images of Aenon's public persona with their current casual encounter.

"How's the spear, On-Ji-ssi?" Aenon asked calmly.

"It's an excellent weapon, Aenon-nim," she managed to blurt out after a moment's hesitation.

Aenon put down his bowl before reaching for the weapon, which she handed over with a respectful bow. He grabbed it in a similar fashion and walked forward to have more room. With that he started swirling it around with ease. Aenon's moves weren't graceful in any way—his spear proficiency was relatively low after all. But he made up for it with his high reflexes and battle sense.

He played around with the spear for five minutes, making flashy moves that had no purpose. Aenon was sure that a true spear master would have a brain aneurysm at his display. But his moves had the exact effect he was looking for. The showmanship captured On-Ji's attention like a performance. Her wide eyes and open mouth said it all.

"You are right, On-Ji-ssi," Aenon said while returning the weapon carefully. "It is a good weapon. Well balanced. Although it's not what I am proficient at. I prefer daggers."

Aenon took his seat again. But before grabbing his soup, he pulled out another bowl and handed it to her. The twenty-something woman looked alarmed but took the bowl with a formal bow. Only after he started drinking his own soup did she try hers. Her eyes widened in surprise at the taste.

"Made it myself," Aenon quipped. "Hope you like it."

"It is good, Aenon-nim," she replied with a complicated look. She was still not able to connect the different versions of him.

They sat there in companiable silence while they finished their soup. He offered her seconds, which she gracefully accepted. Once they were done, Aenon finally sensed her soul start to relax. Like his mother used to say, "Nothing warms a heart more than good food."

As Aenon was reminiscing about his family with a sad smile, On-Ji finally managed to speak with some confidence.

"Aenon-nim?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Aenon let the silence linger as their eyes met.

"It's my honor."

The duo continued sitting quietly after that. Watching in silent contemplation as the horde got closer. Eventually the sun begun to set, and when Aenon turned to the woman, she was sleeping peacefully. He got up slowly and covered her in a blanket before walking to the inner edge of the wall.

The revelry was starting to die down as several people started to slumber from exhaustion. Ghostly footsteps appeared from behind him.

"The attack will probably commence at dawn," Thalindra said as she joined him.

Aenon nodded as he observed the souls of the weary within the city walls. The impromptu gathering had decompressed weeks of pent of stress, finally letting them sleep peacefully. Satisfied, Aenon walked to the other end. The enemy army had begun to enter his Soul Sense range. At this distance, he could not gauge their emotions, but from the disorganized march he could guess at the levels of stress they must be under.

Their enemy had assembled but would need a night's rest before being in any condition to fight. Something Aenon had no intention of allowing.

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"You up for a nightly haunting?" he asked with a smile.

Thalindra looked in his eyes, a wicked grin forming on her face. She transformed into a wraith as she said sweetly, "Always."

With that, the two specters jumped off the wall, dissolving into nothingness before hitting the ground.

As the city slept, oblivious to the incoming danger, two nightmares descended on the battered enemy.

They had chosen to siege Aenon's city, deciding to crush their spirits with superior numbers. Little did they know, it would be their spirits that were at risk of shattering.

For nothing embodied horror more than death and the void.

And they had managed to anger and challenge both.

* * *

Yoon On-Ji

The sharp rays of the foreign sun woke On-Ji from her peaceful sleep. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts, unable to recall where she was. But when she did, she stood up in a panic. Desperation clawed at her as she looked over the wall with fear. She hadn't meant to fall asleep. She just wanted to show gratitude to the boy who had given them all hope.

But his gentle kindness had thrown her off guard. Something that was symbolized in the cloth that fell off her. She gingerly picked up the blanket, her mind trying to reconcile the two images of the same boy. A war general and a mirthful youth.

Like the boy had accurately guessed, Yoon On-Ji was from Korea. North Korea to be exact. Life there was…difficult. Not unlike the conditions she found herself in after this so-called System integration. The biggest difference was the source of death and danger. While on Earth, starvation and the attention of the ruling class were things to look out for. Here, it was deadly monsters and societal rules that made no sense to her.

She had tried adapting with her limited world view, but it had been a challenge. The talk of something called game-mechanics was completely foreign to her. As was the case with fantastical things like magic. But she was happy that one thing hadn't changed. They were still expected to show reverence to the leadership. It was something familiar in a land filled with the unknown.

Until last night at least. Having a supreme leader of a nation show compassion towards a nobody was yet another shock to her strained mind. And yet, she felt at peace. As she caressed the rough texture of the cloth, she reminisced the dream from last night. It was…surreal to say the least.

Unfortunately, reality hit hard as loud booms shook the very air around them. War drums.

She stored the blanket as she hastily ran for her designated spot in the army. The soldiers were already being organized into orderly lines. And the one at the lead was none other than Jenny-nim.

"Form a straight line," her cold voice bellowed. "You…straighten your helm unless you want to lose your head to a stray attack."

On-Ji ran to slip in without getting noticed. Something she apparently failed at as Jenny-nim glared at her for a moment. But thankfully the scary woman didn't reprimand her directly as she continued to whip others in shape.

The cacophony of noises assaulted her senses, making her wonder how she managed to sleep through it all. She gripped her spear tightly, while looking at those who were beside her. To her left was an eager young man, maybe a year or two younger than her. But on the right was the father from before. The halberd in his hand was clutched just as tightly, turning his knuckles white. But the determined look in his eyes clearly showcased the protective instinct of a father.

"Hey, eyes up front," Jenny-nim barked in her face, snapping her back to reality.

"Yes, Jenny-nim," On-Ji said with a bow.

On-Ji stood straighter while wielding her spear. Jenny-nim's eyes narrowed for a moment, but she looked at her form instead of saying anything. The blue-eyed woman adjusted On-Ji's posture, making her stand in a more relaxed fashion. With a satisfied nod, she went over to the next combatant. The eager youth got an earful for his improper wielding of his oversized sword.

"Nervous?" the man to her right asked. "The name's John."

On-Ji looked at him nervously before bowing her head timidly. "Yoon On-Ji."

The Ahjussi wasn't as intimidating as Jenny-nim, but he was much older and wiser. The man eyed her from the side, not in a rude way. He was analyzing her.

"Mind watching my back out there?" John-ahjussi asked softly. "I will have yours."

It was only then that she noticed the deeply hidden fear in his eyes. Behind the brave front was a man barely holding himself together for the sake of his son. The boy was probably housed with the elderly at the mansion.

On-Ji didn't know what to say, so she simply nodded. The simple act made the man smile as his shoulders relaxed a tiny bit.

"Alright, listen up!" Jenny-nim's authoritative voice cut through the whispers like a blade. "In a moment we will be marching out the gates. Even though we are in a fort, the defenses won't reduce the enemy's numbers. And against a monster horde, which will include creatures that can scale the walls, turtling up is a bad idea. We have ranged fighters to deal with that. But since you lot chose melee weapons, you are coming with me."

On-Ji blinked before looking at the spear in her hand. She had chosen the weapon to keep the monsters away from her. Had she known, this would be the outcome, she would have picked a bow or something. But before she could think of a way to get out of this situation, Jenny-nim went on.

"I know what you are thinking," Jenny-nim's voice was sharp. "That maybe it would have been better to pick a ranged weapon too. You would be thinking wrong. Ranged weapons lie bows, require far more training to be used effectively. The kill potential, which directly correlates to how much XP you can farm, will be negligible when compared to foot soldiers like us."

On-Ji listened attentively but still couldn't shake off the feeling that she had made a mistake. She was about to speak up when Jenny-nim locked eyes with her. And her next words made On-Ji's voice die in her throat.

"Everyone in this group was personally handpicked by me to be the vanguard," Jenny-nim's piercing gaze rooted her. "For I saw something greater in you. Something that you yourself can't see yet."

On-Ji noticed the glint in Jenny-nim's eyes. The look was mystical, and it gave her an indescribable feeling. Her grip on the weapon tightened as she stood firmer, her chest puffing out on its own. For a moment, On-Ji thought she saw Jenny-nim smile. But she couldn't be sure, as the woman turned away towards the three hundred warriors. Untested, and untrained. But warriors, nonetheless.

"We are the tip of the spear," Jenny-nim's voice echoed. "The part that makes first contact. The part that the enemy will fear the most. You may be weak now. But given time, I will whip you into shape. So don't trust your instinct. Trust my judgment."

Jenny-nim's voice reverberated in the air. Her group, a company someone had called it, started ramming their weapons with loud clanks. On-Ji looked around in confusion, before she too started hitting the ground with the butt of her spear.

The blows were unsynchronized at first. But slowly, they started to meld. The random beats became a chorus. Till a rhythmic boom started to spread.

A beat that shook the very ground around them.

Despite herself, On-Ji began to smile. The simple act felt powerful, connecting their fighting spirits. Jenny-nim also had a vicious smile as she observed the cohesive display.

Jenny-nim walked up to On-Ji with something in her hand: it was a banner. Before On-Ji could react, the flag was tied to the head of her spear. Jenny-nim gave her an encouraging smile before taking her place at the start of the line.

On-Ji stared speechlessly at the symbol on it, many looking at her with envy. The banner had a symbolic design. A pitch-black cloth with a pair of grey eyes on it.

"Head out," Jenny-nim bellowed as she started to march towards the gate.

Crowds of fighters lined the streets on either side of them, looking on in wonder. Some cheered, others bowed solemnly. But through it all, On-Ji's gaze was fixated on the banner she now wielded. The pride she felt was indescribable. As was the weight of the responsibility.

She wasn't just a face in the crowd anymore. She was the face of the people. By choosing to step forward first, she had taken up that mantle. Something Jenny-nim must have realized since she handed over such a crucial position to her.

On-Ji's held the spear with a firmer grip. For it was no longer just a weapon. It was the culmination of their hopes. A sigil of their defiant spirit.

As the company assembled outside, the gate closed behind them with a resounding thud. The time to hesitate was gone; their way back shut.

The scene that greeted them though, was straight out of a nightmare.

Monsters of all sizes and forms were gathered half a kilometer out. The scene was enough to make anyone's knees buckle in despair. And yet, everyone's eyes were drawn to the dome of absolute black right in the middle of the horde. Despite their superior numbers, everything was avoiding the area like the plague.

The moment anything was touched by the void, shrill screams of pain rang out.

But the most horrifying part was that the dome was moving towards them. And yet Jenny-nim didn't make a move. Neither to attack, nor to defend. She stood stoically for the darkness to consume them. On-Ji felt the wills of her comrades shake.

She couldn't blame them, for she too felt existential dread as the darkness approached them. But before she lost her nerve and abandoned her post, she saw them.

A pair of cold grey eyes.

On-Ji felt her very soul lay exposed to that gaze. She couldn't move; couldn't think. The reaction of the monsters made more sense now. No one would want to step into the abyss with whatever was hidden within it.

But just as the darkness was upon them, it popped like a bubble. And from it walked out one lone fighter.

A boy wielding twin daggers; dripping with blood and gore. In fact, his entire body was covered in it. Realization stuck her as On-Ji turned to the symbol on her banner. She understood what it truly meant.

A predator hidden in the shadows. His grey eyes the only warning to any foolish enough to intrude upon his domain.

A clear representation of Aenon-nim.

A ghostly form appeared next to him. Equally bloodied, but hauntingly beautiful. Thalindra-nim walked a step behind Aenon-nim. Neither of them showed any emotion on their faces.

Jenny-nim took a knee in front of Aenon-nim. His empty eyes didn't show any emotion to the trails of blood dripping from his eyelids.

"We have softened them enough," his calm tone rung louder than any battle cry. "Have at it."

With that declaration, he walked past them before disappearing completely. Thalindra-nim lingered a moment longer, patting Jenny-nim on her shoulder before she too vanished.

"You heard him," Jenny-nim declared as she turned to them. "Let's go."

An icy mist emanated from their commander's body, as she gripped her sword and shield. On-Ji felt her heartbeat accelerate as the drums of war echoed in her psyche.

As Jenny-nim strode into the pits of hell, On-Ji made sure she was the next to follow.

Her banner head high; On-Ji charged ahead.

It was time for the world to know the might of the broken.

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