MMORPG : Ancient WORLD

It did not take long before the second summon arrived, a man standing nearly four meters tall, clad in crimson and black, heavy armor that matched his own blood-red skin, covered head to toe in dark tattoos.

He wielded a greatsword made of sleek red crystal, with its handle chained to his right arm, his name being Keldrek, and his specialty being a berserker.

The third summon was a merfolk named Selvryn, his appearance resembling unlike that of any creature Alex had ever seen before.

Selvryn towered nearly five meters tall, an imposing figure that defied easy description. His face, eerily human-like, appeared as if it were a mask yet also a natural part of him, just like his skin, which appeared like armor if not a housing that kept his form in place.

Every inch of his body except the joint area was covered in a gleaming silver carapace, and in those open areas, his nearly transparent white flesh could just be seen, strands of thin fibers and thick tubular tubes twisted and coiled together, resembling muscles.

In addition to his unique appearance and immense strength, he was just like the other two, saying nothing more than his name before walking just far away to keep everyone in his line of sight.

All three summons were best of the best below the third major threshold, and each of them could easily tell that they had a war fight in, but what really piqued their interest was their summoner capabilities.

Being able to summon a single creature equal to one's own level was a remarkable feat accomplished by only a rare few, but summoning four such beings simultaneously was an achievement bordering on the impossible.

Not only was the act of summoning extraordinarily rare, but the sheer amount of mana required to sustain all four entities would be immense.

However, Alex was not worried about getting his secret revealed because he was prepared for such a situation since he had the perfect skill in the form of Dragon Monarch Aura to bail himself out and not make anyone suspicious.

As the final pool of darkness faded away, it revealed a stunning figure whose beauty was undeniable, and the only thing that stopped someone from assuming that she was a dark elf was the sleek, onyx-black horns that curled gracefully from her head.

Though she radiated no wild energy or monstrous aura, she commanded unwavering attention. All eyes remained locked on her, not just because of her striking appearance but because her summoning circle was the largest.

"You sure have gathered a crowd," Nyla said as he appeared before Alex, greeting him with a smile and a hug.

Even in the tense atmosphere where death loomed over their heads, Alex could hear many soldiers grasp in shock before blurting out the first thing that came to their minds.

Alex smiled while Nyla chuckled as she let go, but her smile quickly stiffened before her head jerked to the left, her eyes freezing on the monstrosity suspended mid-air outside the city, radiating an aura that was invisible to nearly everyone but to the few who felt it, it was sickening.

Nyla looked at him before her gaze swept over the soldiers, seeing some standing with vacant eyes, waiting for orders, while others hurriedly moved about, blocking every street and path with makeshift barricades and supplies.

Observing the chaos, she didn't need to ask what fate awaited the city, and seeing three other summons standing to the side with Alex wearing the dragon mask, on top of the sadness she saw in his eyes, she got the picture.

"Everyone, we have a few minutes before we fight for a chance of survival, for the protection of our loved ones, or just to do our duty, so listen well," Alex said, his voice echoing through the surroundings, reaching every soldier in the vicinity and bringing the bustling activity to a complete halt.

"Those who wish to stay behind and guard their position can do just that, but those who wish to fight on the frontline, to die on their own term fighting, they are welcome to join me,"

"Both choices are honorable ones, and no one would dare claim otherwise," Alex said, knowing how the soldiers were feeling and that he was not going to rob them of their last wish.

"Selvryn, you will stay behind and secure the left half of the parameter, save anyone who you can, but also make that no damm rating reaches the other side on your watch,"

'Nyla, you will be responsible for the right side, and I also need you to use the Grim Resurgence on me,' Alex said telepathically, and Nyla nodded, understanding what he was aiming to achieve.

"Keldrek, you can do whatever you want, but you harm a single individual of mine, and I will personally claim your head," Alex said, shifting his eyes to the berserker, who scoffed but kept his silence.

"Veritas, you are coming with me to the frontline, and Vakkan, you will be in charge of leading those who wishes to take the battle head-on,"

"Any Questions?" Alex said as he scanned his surroundings, and Veritas was quick to raise his voice.

"I don't have a question. I just want to warn everyone," Veritas said, his voice unexpectedly bright and cheerful, completely unlike what Alex had anticipated.

"My abilities do not work well with any allies around me, so I just want to tell everyone not to get near me because if you do, then death would be the last of your concern," Veritas said, the unsettling calm in his voice not hiding the threat it relayed.

Alex looked around one final time before he ordered the platoon leaders to move out and finish blocking and fortifying various parts of the city center.

In mere minutes, the face of the city sector was transformed as buildings were demolished, massive pits were dug, traps were set, and blockades were built. Just in time, every preparation was complete, and everyone was in position.

The tension was palpable, and the city was engulfed in momentary silence as the final seconds ticked down before the city shield was lifted and the Skaven tide came for their lives.

As only ten seconds were left, Alex walked toward the barrier, closely followed by Veritas, and stopped tens of meters away from the towering city wall.

A large section stretching of the nearly invisible barrier stretching nearly fifty meters that stopped might and magic in its place suddenly got lit with countless runes, appearing like a massive door of silver light, only for the runes to slowly fade away.

The same phenomenon occurred on two other sides of the massive dome barrier, and moments later, the glowing runes faded completely, taking the barriers in all three sections with them.

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

As the barrier disappeared, the roars of countless Skaven and wrath of their elements were first to let loose into the city, stoking a wave of fear and paranoia to spread through the masses.

However, the feeling of fear was little compared to seeing the wave of Skaven, ruthless creatures whose eyes burn crimson gush into the city without care for order or their own life.

It was a blood-curdling sight to see countless gleaming eyes emerge from the dust and rubble of the demolished city wall, accompanied by terrifying roars that struck fear into the hearts of all and made their blood run cold.

The Skaven ruthlessly rushed forward, crushing countless of their own beneath their feet, painting a bloody and terrible sight for the defenders who stood ready, some holding their breath in with their teeth clenched, ready to face the approaching horror while others shivered in fear as they questioned their life choices.

They had lost all reason, and all they wanted was to turn the city into dust and butcher its population to the last man standing.

Alex and Veritas were only given a second before they were drowned head-deep in the wave of ratings, the two figures draped in dark vanishing within the tide of ratlings.

"Darkness Embrace"

Darkness surged out from amidst the rushing skavens, engulfing even the towering Ironclad Behemoths and swallowing the broken remains of the city wall.

It spread like an insatiable beast, creeping over rubble and struggling ratlings alike, blotting out the faint light of any spell.

The darkness moved with a life of its own, swirling and expanding in a nearly four-hundred-meter radius, devouring everything in its path.

It only halted when it almost reached the first line of defense, just a breath away from the rear guard, while stretching far beyond the city limits into the open land, consuming a mass of rushing skaven in an oppressive void.

There were frantic movements and struggles from the ratlings embraced by the darkness, some breaking free from the dark blanket into the sky while others failed to break free from their binds.

Their forms diminished beneath the blanket of darkness, shrining at an alarming speed as thousands were being dragged into a bottomless abyss connected to it.

Their struggles were left unanswered, their screams of helplessness getting drowned, their bodies swiftly getting erased by the overbearing darkness, all while they were dragged into the dark swamp beneath their feet by unseen hands.