The Extra Wants Control

Chapter 185: Lara

The dwarves, once a reclusive people only found in their mountainious strongholds in their Dwarven continent, were now claiming vast swathes of the plains, it seems not only I was placed in a ' disadvantageous' area.

Astrid as the dwarven sole princess, was a formidable leader, her strategic mind a match for any challenge.

The thought of facing her in battle made me feel nothing. Though the dwarves, with their unparalleled engineering and runic knowledge and were a force to be reckoned with but that's all they had. Its not that they were not good at battle they were but compared to other races, their battle talent was almost last.

But that doesn't mean they were weak, they have their golems and ballistas but knights and mages who were strong enough could render them useless. I also know that their King is a 10 star but he's old, he doesn't have that long to live. They did come with an 11 star at the first meeting of race leaders but not much is known about him and mother says he doubts that that man was a dwarf.

Speaking of alliance.

The so-called 'alliance' of races was a facade and they know it, what was underlying was competition and distrust. Even we, the Blessed, are just a collection of individuals, each with our own agendas, our own goals and ambitions.The public may think of us a some kind of super team chosen by the goddesses but we aren't.

But beneath the surface, we were all playing our own games, vying for power and influence.

The incident with Neveah, when the blessed first worked together and had banded together to confront the vampire prince, only to get humiliated and beaten up. Resulting in the vampires who were once our allies, to withdraw from the alliance, a blow to our 'collective' strength. And the awakening of the vampire queen herself. Honestly I don't know how that didn't turn into a disaster.

I was caught in a web of intrigue and deception, a world where nothing was as it seemed. The lines between friend and foe were blurred, and trust was a luxury I could not afford. Yet, despite the complexities of the situation, I was excited. This was a challenge, a test of my abilities, and I was ready to face it head-on.

So as I stand here at the precipice of this harsh reality, a world where power was the ultimate currency and the Blessed, a group of individuals granted extraordinary abilities, were at the forefront of this battle for supremacy.

Yet, even among us, there were disparities, differences in talent and potential that would ultimately shape the outcome of this grand game. We are indeed VERY much talented than the rest of our peers but between us there's no equality.

Astrid, the dwarven princess, possessed a strategic mind and a warrior's spirit, but her combat abilities were limited compared to the rest of us. She was a leader, a unifier, but her lack of raw power could be a liability in the long run. But it's not my place to tell her that, in time she will realize this on her own.

Kim, the tigerkin, was a force of nature, her physical prowess unmatched. But compared to her aunt, the legendary Kali, she was still a cub. The shadow of her aunt loomed large, a constant reminder of the heights she had yet to reach.

Axl, the dragon prince, a disappointment. His potential was undeniable, but his brother, Draven, seemed to have surpassed him in terms of raw power and strategic acumen. Axl was a skilled warrior, but he lacked the ruthless efficiency that defined his brother. Although he's been quiet lately I don't believe he's changed.

And then there was Azrael, a wildcard in this high-stakes game. Unlike the rest of us, he was not born into a world of privilege. He rose from obscurity, a nameless village, to become one of the most powerful students on campus. His talent was undeniable, his potential limitless. I had crossed paths with him briefly, a fleeting encounter that had left me intrigued. But it's only that.

He is special but that's just it.

If I were to be interested in someone it would definitely be Neveah. I longed to understand him better, to measure my strength against his. But for now, I had to focus on the task at hand. The sub-dimension was a battlefield, and I was a leader. The time for contemplation would come later. For now, I had to be ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

The future was uncertain, filled with both promise and peril. But one thing was clear: the battle for supremacy had just begun.

I stood at the precipice of a new reality, a world forged in fire and shaped by blood. My opponent, Astrid, the dwarven princess, was a formidable foe. Her reputation as a skilled tactician preceded her, and I knew I was facing a battle of wits as much as a battle of force.

The dwarven fortress, a marvel of engineering, was a testament to their resourcefulness. I had tried to infiltrate their defenses using my plant magic, but their countermeasures, a complex system of vibrations designed to disrupt magical signatures, had thwarted my efforts. I couldn't see what lay beyond those imposing walls, a blind spot in my strategy.

To attack blindly would be foolish. I needed information, a clear picture of their defenses. But sending scouts was risky. The dwarves were known for their traps and ambushes. A direct confrontation was inevitable, but I had to choose the right moment to strike.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the task at hand. I needed a strategy, a plan that would give me the advantage. The dwarves were strong, but they were not invincible. There had to be a weakness, a flaw in their defenses. I would find it, and when I did, I would exploit it mercilessly.

The battle for supremacy was just beginning. And while I was prepared to make sacrifices, I would not be defeated without a fight. The fate of the sub-dimension hung in the balance, and I was determined to be the one to shape it.

With a renewed sense of purpose, I turned my attention to the task at hand. The time for planning was over. It was time to act.

************

In the quiet plains, once a symbol of peace and tranquility, had transformed into a battlefield. At the heart of this conflict stood the dwarven fortress, a bastion of human ingenuity and resilience. But now, a new threat emerged, a force unlike anything they had encountered before.

An army of armored warriors, their forms shrouded in metal, marched across the horizon. They seemed like a formidable force, their ranks disciplined and their movements synchronized. The dwarves, hardened by countless battles, watched with a mix of awe and trepidation. This was no ordinary army; they were too many as if some factions had made an alliance which to Astrid was cowardly.

Astrid bserved the approaching army with a keen eye. She recognized the danger, the sheer scale of the threat. But she was also a warrior and most importantly a leader. She would not be intimidated.

As the enemy army drew closer, Astrid gave the order to deploy the golems. These colossal constructs, made of stone and metal and some elemental runes, were the dwarves' ultimate weapon. They lumbered forward, their massive forms blocking the path of the advancing army.

The enemy, however, had anticipated this move. A group of knights, their armor gleaming in the light, charged forward. Their target was clear: the golems' cores. With precise strikes, they shattered the chests of the mechanical giants, sending them crashing to the ground. Also revealing a small gap to their cores which were immediately shattered by arrows.

Astrid watched in grim silence as her creations were destroyed. It was a setback, but it was not a defeat. The enemy had shown their strengths. Their reliance on ranged attacks suggested a vulnerability to close combat.

As the enemy army pressed forward, Astrid gave a new order. Her faction warriors, armed with axes and hammers, were to engage the enemy in close combat. But Astrid decided it wasn't the time yet.

The dwarven fortress, a bastion of human ingenuity, stood against the encroaching tide of enemy soldiers. Astrid, the dwarven princess, stood at the heart of the command center, her gaze fixed on the battlefield. The enemy, a formidable force, was pressing forward, their numbers overwhelming. But Astrid was not one to back down.

With a decisive nod, she gave the order to activate the fortress defenses. The massive cannons, embedded into the fortress walls, rumbled to life. Their barrels glowed with an inner fire as they were charged with a powerful magical energy. A moment later, the cannons fired, sending a barrage of explosive projectiles towards the enemy ranks.

Simultaneously, the ballistas, positioned at strategic points around the fortress, unleashed a hail of arrows. The arrows, tipped with dwarven steel, were not ordinary projectiles. Infused with magical energy, they were capable of piercing even the thickest armor.

The enemy formation was thrown into chaos. The cannons and ballistas had inflicted heavy damags, breaking the momentum of their advance. But Astrid knew that this was just the beginning. The enemy would regroup, and they would counterattack.

She also noticed something, that the ballistas could only get past certain areas but other areas were protected by shields.

" Zoom in to the areas hit." She ordered.

" Yes."

Zooming in she noticed it, " puppets, masked as an army, and they aren't even combat puppets. They are bluffing. So the protected areas must be the real army..." She thought.

"Continue firing don't stop." She ordered.

To reinforce the fortress defenses, she ordered the deployment of additional golems. These massive constructs, imbued with dwarven strength and resilience, were the ultimate expression of dwarven engineering. They would serve as a bulwark against the enemy onslaught, buying precious time for the dwarven defenders to regroup and plan their next move.

As the golems lumbered into battle, Astrid watched with a sense of grim satisfaction. The enemy had underestimated the dwarves, a mistake they would soon regret.