I Breathe Euro

[ A/N: Thank you for reading This far, This series is about to end, Check out my new book Reincarnated as a Judge with 9-Star Talent. Spacial Thanks : Gordon _de_bruyn, Bro Thank you So much, Try the new book, You'll love it for sure ] Jack stood at the war table, his sharp gaze flicking between the Elven Queen, the Goblin King, and the mysterious warrior clad in dark armor. The scent of battle still lingered in the air, and the tension in the war room was palpable. Katrina adjusted her blade on her hip, eyes locked onto the newcomer. "Who is he?" she asked again. The Elven Queen's lips curled into a knowing smile. "His name is Varian, the Black Hand of the Fallen Kingdom." Jack's eyes narrowed slightly. "A fallen kingdom?" Varian stepped forward, removing his helmet. His piercing silver eyes met Jack's, filled with a quiet storm of power and experience. "My kingdom was destroyed by the same darkness you now face. I swore vengeance, but alone, my strength was not enough." Jack studied him for a moment before smirking. "Then you've come to the right place." The Goblin King chuckled, his sharp teeth glinting under the torchlight. "And here I thought this human couldn't get more interesting." Jack wasted no time. He pulled out a new map, outlining the territories that still stood and those that had already fallen to darkness. The Iron Dome of the Dragons was barely holding on, and the surrounding regions were starting to show signs of corruption. "We need to do more than just defend," Jack declared. "We need to seize control of this war." Katrina crossed her arms. "You're suggesting an offensive campaign?" Jack tapped his fingers against the table. "Not just any offensive. A precise, calculated strike on their strongholds before they can regroup. We cut off their supply lines, sabotage their command centers, and force them into a defensive position." Varian leaned in. "A war of attrition?" Jack nodded. "Exactly. They expect us to hide behind walls. We won't. We'll take the fight to them before they're ready." The Elven Queen exchanged a glance with the Goblin King. Then she smiled. "I see why your enemies fear you, Jack." The Goblin King cackled. "And why your allies love you." Jack simply smirked. "Then let's get to work." Jack knew that a reckless attack would lead to disaster. Instead, he spent the next several days assembling and training an elite force. He handpicked warriors from Katrina's standing army, the best elven scouts, and the most cunning goblin assassins. "We'll be a storm," Jack explained as he walked among the soldiers. "Striking fast, striking hard, and disappearing before they can react." He drilled them personally, teaching them formations that combined elven agility, goblin trickery, and human precision. By the end of the week, they weren't just an army—they were a weapon. Katrina watched with admiration. "You turn soldiers into legends." Jack chuckled. "Legends don't win wars. Smart decisions do." The time had come. Under the cover of night, Jack led his elite force toward the first dark stronghold—a fortress of corrupted knights who had pledged their souls to the dark forces. They moved like shadows. The elven scouts eliminated sentries before alarms could be raised. The goblins sabotaged the fortress's foundations, ensuring its collapse. Then, Jack and his warriors stormed in, striking with terrifying efficiency. The corrupted knights never stood a chance. Within minutes, the stronghold was in flames. Jack stood atop the battlements, watching the darkness burn. Katrina approached him, blade dripping with black blood. "One down. Many more to go." Jack's smirk widened. "Then we keep going." As Jack and his forces returned to the fortress, a rider awaited them. He bore a message—one sealed with dark energy. Jack opened it, reading the ominous words aloud. "You are more dangerous than we expected, human. But the game has only just begun. The true darkness has yet to awaken." Katrina frowned. "What does that mean?" Jack crushed the letter in his fist, eyes gleaming with determination. "It means we're winning." The fortress was alive with movement. Soldiers trained, supplies were stacked, and the air buzzed with anticipation. Jack stood at the center of it all, his mind working through a thousand possibilities. They had struck the enemy hard, but the war was far from over. Katrina approached him, wiping sweat from her brow. "The men are ready, but there's tension in the air. They know this was only the beginning." Jack nodded, eyes scanning the camp. "That's why we don't give them time to fear. We strike before the enemy regains its footing." A scout rushed into the room, breathless. "My lord! Another message has arrived. This one… it came on a raven cloaked in shadows." Jack took the parchment, already expecting the worst. As he unfolded it, the words seemed to writhe on the page, dark magic crawling beneath the ink. "You took one fortress. We will take ten. You think yourself a strategist, but you are a child playing with fire. The true darkness is watching." Jack exhaled, shaking his head. "They're trying to intimidate us." Katrina scowled. "It won't work." Jack smirked. "No, it won't. But we need to push harder." The Elven Queen and Goblin King entered the chamber, their expressions unreadable. "You've stirred the hornet's nest," the Elven Queen said. "They will come in force." "Let them," Jack replied. "We'll break them the same way we broke their fortress." Jack gathered his top commanders—Katrina, the Elven Queen, the Goblin King, and the enigmatic warrior Varian. They poured over maps, considering every possibility. "Their next move will be retaliation," Jack stated. "But they don't know where to strike. We keep them in the dark while we carve through their ranks." Varian tapped the table. "They will expect another fortress to fall. What if we do something unexpected?" Jack's grin widened. "We draw them into a battle they think they can win. A false weakness, a baited trap." Katrina's eyes gleamed with understanding. "We let them believe we're spread too thin." "Exactly," Jack confirmed. "We make them commit their forces… then we crush them." The Elven Queen leaned in. "Where do we make our stand?" Jack's fingers traced the map. "Here. The Valley of Blackened Stones. It's a natural choke point. We let them march in, thinking we're vulnerable, then we slam the gates shut." The Goblin King cackled. "A massacre in the making." "Only if they take the bait," Katrina warned. Jack's expression was unwavering. "They will." The valley was vast, surrounded by jagged cliffs. Jack's forces worked tirelessly, setting up hidden fortifications, camouflaged trenches, and magical barriers. The elves wove illusions to hide the true size of their army, while goblin engineers built traps in the ravines. Jack stood at the edge of a cliff, watching his soldiers move like clockwork. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the battlefield. Katrina joined him. "It's almost poetic, isn't it?" Jack smirked. "War is poetry written in blood." She glanced at him. "Do you ever doubt yourself?" Jack's eyes didn't waver. "No. Because doubt is the first step toward defeat." She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Then let's make history." As dawn broke, the enemy came. A sea of darkness, thousands strong, marching in eerie unison. Cloaked figures chanted in the distance, their magic warping the air. Jack watched from the cliffs, his heartbeat steady. "They took the bait," he murmured. The enemy moved deeper into the valley, oblivious to the hidden forces surrounding them. Jack raised his hand. "Wait… wait…" The enemy commander—a monstrous figure clad in black armor—raised a sword, signaling the charge. Jack dropped his hand. "Now." The valley erupted. Arrows rained from the cliffs, enchanted spears piercing through dark knights. Explosions tore through the ravines, goblin traps igniting in a chain reaction. The enemy's ranks crumbled before they could even raise their shields. Then, Jack led the charge. Swords clashed, battle cries filled the air, and darkness met steel in a violent storm. Jack fought like a demon, his blade carving through enemy after enemy. Katrina fought beside him, her strikes swift and deadly. The Elven Queen's forces rained magic from above, while goblin assassins cut through enemy officers. The battlefield was chaos, but it was Jack's chaos. And the enemy was drowning in it. Hours later, the battle was over. The valley was littered with fallen foes. Jack stood amidst the aftermath, his sword dripping with black ichor. Katrina wiped blood from her cheek. "We did it." Jack surveyed the battlefield. "No. This was just the first real battle. The war is only beginning." A surviving enemy knight crawled toward him, wheezing. "You… you don't understand… You've only angered it." Jack frowned. "It?" The knight coughed, a twisted smile on his lips. "The darkness isn't just an army. It's a being. And now, it knows your name." Jack stared down at him. "Good." And with that, he turned away, already planning the next move. The battlefield was still fresh with the scent of blood and burning ash. Jack stood atop a broken boulder, surveying the valley below. Victory was theirs, but he felt no relief. The enemy's final words echoed in his mind. "The darkness isn't just an army. It's a being. And now, it knows your name." Jack wasn't afraid. But he understood the weight of those words. Katrina approached, her armor stained from battle. "Something's on your mind." Jack nodded. "This war isn't just about taking fortresses or gaining allies. There's something deeper at play." The Elven Queen arrived with the Goblin King beside her. "We need to move quickly," she said. "This victory will send ripples through the land, but the enemy will respond." Jack glanced at her. "And you still think the dragons are the key?" The Queen folded her arms. "They are. If they remain neutral, we risk being overrun. If they join us, we change the tide of war." Jack exhaled slowly. "Then it's time we make them listen." Back at the fortress, Jack called for a war council. Maps of the Iron Dome of Dragons were spread across the table. The fortress was nearly impenetrable, guarded by not only the dragons but also their devoted warriors. "The dragons respect power and gratitude," Jack began. "But that doesn't mean they'll accept an alliance with us. They are proud, isolated. Sending envoys hasn't worked." The Goblin King sneered. "Then force them to bow." Jack smirked. "That's the goblin way. But I have a better idea." He pointed at the map. "The dragons are creatures of honor. They don't fight unnecessary battles, but they do repay their debts. We need to create a situation where they owe us more than they can ignore." Katrina leaned forward. "And how do we do that?" Jack's grin widened. "We stage a war they can't refuse." The room fell silent. The Elven Queen narrowed her eyes. "Explain." Jack tapped the table. "We spread rumors—subtle, calculated. We let word slip that a faction of the dark army is planning to invade the Iron Dome. But here's the trick: we make it real." The Goblin King raised an eyebrow. "You want to provoke an attack?" "Not directly," Jack corrected. "We manipulate the battlefield. We make it so that when the dark forces march toward the dragons, we're already in position to 'defend' them. When we step in to help, they will have no choice but to acknowledge our strength." Katrina smirked. "You're playing with fire, Jack." Jack leaned back. "No, I'm making fire listen to me." Over the next few days, Jack's plan unfolded. Rumors spread in the underground networks, whispers reaching the right ears. The dark army, still smarting from their defeat, was looking for new targets. Jack made sure their eyes turned toward the dragons. Scouts were planted near enemy borders, 'leaking' information to the enemy that the dragons were vulnerable. At the same time, Jack's forces prepared in secret, setting up defenses near the Iron Dome. Katrina watched from a fortress balcony as the final preparations were made. "If this works, we might just pull the dragons into our war." Jack stood beside her, arms crossed. "It will work. They'll have no choice." She glanced at him. "And if they don't?" Jack smirked. "Then we make them." It didn't take long. The enemy took the bait. A dark army, smaller than the one Jack had defeated but still formidable, marched toward the Iron Dome. The dragons, still unaware, were within hours of being attacked. Jack and his forces moved swiftly. They positioned themselves between the dragons and the dark army, disguising their troops to make it seem like a desperate defense rather than an organized strategy. As the enemy charged, Jack gave the order. "Hold the line!" The battle was fierce. The dark army struck hard, but Jack's forces were ready. Katrina's warriors cut through their ranks, elven archers rained death from above, and goblin shock troops hit weak points with brutal efficiency. Despite the chaos, Jack kept his focus on the real objective: drawing out the dragons. The Iron Dome gates finally opened. From within, a massive shadow emerged—a dragon. A magnificent creature, its scales gleamed in the firelight, its golden eyes observing the battlefield. Behind it, dragon warriors stood, watching the battle unfold. The dark forces hesitated. They knew that if the dragons joined the fight, they were doomed. Jack saw the moment of hesitation and struck. He raised his sword high and bellowed, "Press forward! Drive them back!" His soldiers surged ahead, overwhelming the enemy. The dark army, sensing defeat, retreated. The battlefield grew silent. Jack turned toward the dragons. The largest among them stepped forward, its gaze locking onto him. "You fought for us," the dragon rumbled. "But why?" Jack wiped blood from his cheek and smiled. "Because the darkness is coming for all of us. And you know it." The dragon studied him for a long moment before speaking. "Perhaps we should talk." Jack's grin widened. "I was hoping you'd say that."