The war preparations began in full swing.
The camp roared to life. Torches flared as soldiers rushed to reinforce the defenses. The air was thick with the scent of burning oil and fresh steel as blacksmiths worked tirelessly, hammering swords, axes, and spears into shape.
The first priority was the fortifications.
"Reinforce the walls!" barked a knight commander. "Make sure the wooden stakes are layered properly! If those beasts breach the first line, they’ll hit a second!"
The wooden palisades were doubled in height, sharp stakes protruding outward at deadly angles. Heavy iron chains were weaved between the logs, ensuring they wouldn’t fall easily. Behind them, archers took position, checking their quivers.
Massive Bastion Throwers, mechanical siege weapons with reinforced steel arms, were lined up along the walls. Each one was pre-loaded with boulders, spiked iron balls, and barrels filled with flaming pitch.
"Ever seen a titan’s skull crack like an egg?" one soldier grinned, patting the side of a Bastion Thrower. "Well, you’re about to!"
Knights walked out in squads, shovels and pickaxes in hand. The ice field ahead was treacherous, but they made it deadlier.
Albert took a paper of the plan and read it.
[Traps were set in the following way.]
1. Frostbite Pits – Large trenches were dug and filled with freezing water. The moment a monster fell in, the subzero temperature would lock its movements, making it an easy target for archers.
2. Iron Maw Traps – Rows of metallic jaws lined with venom-coated spikes were buried just beneath the snow. Anything that stepped on them would have its legs torn apart.
3. Exploding Frost Runes – Glowing sigils were carefully placed across the battlefield. The moment an enemy stepped on one, an ice explosion would erupt, freezing everything within a ten-foot radius.
4. Firefang Stakes – Long metal rods smeared with highly flammable oil were embedded into the ground. The moment the monsters charged, they would be ignited, turning the battlefield into a burning hellscape.
5. Spike Walls – Rows of retractable metal spikes were hidden within the ice. At the right moment, they would be released, skewering anything in their path.
One of the younger knights wiped the sweat from his brow. "Damn, this is more work than hunting beasts!"
His companion grinned, sharpening a longsword. "Bah! I say let the monsters come. I’ll roast ’em like a fat winter boar!"
"Or slice ’em up like festival meat!" another knight laughed, slamming his gauntlet against his chestplate.
Robert watched silently from a high vantage point, his piercing gaze scanning the battlefield. He knew this was only the beginning.
A war was coming. And they would be ready.
The final preparations were nearly complete. The entire camp was a battlefield waiting to be set ablaze. Soldiers moved with purpose, their boots crunching against the snow-covered ground. The air was thick with tension, but the knights were eager.
On the walls, archers checked their bows, replacing old strings with fresh ones. Below, engineers tested the Bastion Throwers, ensuring the mechanisms were primed for rapid-fire. Blacksmiths handed out freshly forged weapons, their anvils ringing with the sound of steel meeting steel.
Near the front lines, a squad of knights inspected the Frostbite Pits. One of them, a burly man named Gregor, grinned. "I swear, if a Titan falls into one of these, it’ll freeze its balls off before it even has a chance to climb out."
A younger knight, Roland, smirked. "If it has balls. Have you ever seen a Titan up close?"
Gregor scoffed. "Enough to know they bleed. And that’s all that matters."
Meanwhile, a unit of soldiers worked on camouflaging the Iron Maw Traps under thin layers of snow. The sharp, venomous spikes glistened menacingly. A knight nudged his companion. "I bet the first dumb beast that steps on this thing won’t even have time to regret it."
"Unless it’s smart enough to push its buddy forward first," another replied with a chuckle.
Further ahead, mages meticulously arranged Exploding Frost Runes. They drew intricate sigils on the ice, their fingers glowing with arcane energy. One mage wiped the sweat from his brow. "These runes are nasty. If they don’t kill the monsters outright, they’ll at least slow them down enough for the archers to finish the job."
A knight scoffed. "Slow ’em down? Nah, I want ’em to explode into little frozen chunks!"
Laughter erupted around the camp, lifting spirits. The jokes, however crude, kept their minds sharp and their hands steady.
Robert watched from the central command post, his cold gaze fixed on the horizon. He turned to his officers. "Everything is set?"
One of them nodded. "Yes, My Lord. Every trap is in place, and the men are ready."
Robert’s eyes narrowed. "Good. But tell them to stay sharp. No trap is foolproof. If they slip up, they die. Joking is good but carelessness isn’t."
At that moment, a loud horn echoed through the camp, shaking the ground beneath them.
The monster tide was coming.
And the battle was about to begin.
A soldier clenched his jaw. "They’re leading them straight to us like cattle to slaughter."
Another knight exhaled sharply, gripping his sword. "Then let’s make sure we’re the butchers."
The first roars rang out across the frozen battlefield, and the war began.
The night was cold, the wind cutting through the camp like a silent blade. The soldiers stood ready, their breaths visible in the freezing air. Some gripped their weapons tighter, while others whispered prayers under their breath. A heavy silence loomed over them, broken only by the faint howling of the wind.
Then, a low, eerie melody drifted through the darkness. It was unnatural, carrying an unsettling chill that seeped into the bones.
From the far end of the icy plains, dark figures emerged, cloaked in black robes. They held strange flutes and glowing instruments, their music twisting through the air like a spell.
The ground trembled as the first shadows moved behind them. Monstrous figures, their glowing eyes piercing through the night, began to appear. Massive titans, twisted beasts, and creatures born of nightmares crawled forward, drawn by the sound. The enemy was not just the monsters—it was the ones controlling them.