NOVEL WEB Chapter 32: Chapter 33: The First Strike
The night stretched long and unforgiving over Briarstead County, a vast expanse of cold wind and silent darkness. Ravenwatch Village lay below like a beast at rest — quiet but dangerous. The flickering torches along its walls cast long, dancing shadows, but they did nothing to ease the tension hanging over the settlement. Blackthorn Keep's fall had rippled across the county like a silent warning. Fear festered here.
It was time to make that fear real.
High above on a rocky outcrop overlooking the village, Void God stood with the stillness of a predator. The wind tugged at his cloak, but he didn't move. Beside him, Vos knelt, eyes gleaming under the moon's pale light. They had been his shadow ever since the battle against the Abyssborn Harbinger, and their silence suited him. Words were often a waste when action spoke louder.
"Spies confirmed," Vos reported, voice low and precise. "They're woven through the village — officials, guards, even some merchants. They've been feeding information to the rival lords. Your location, your troop movements… everything."
Void God's eyes narrowed. He had expected spies. But this… this level of infiltration required a response. One that would leave no room for misinterpretation.
"How many?" he asked.
"Twenty-seven confirmed," Vos said. "Another dozen suspected. If we move now, we can eliminate them before they scatter."
Void God's lips curved into a faint smile — one devoid of warmth. "Then we move now."
Vos hesitated. "And the civilians?"
"They'll remain unharmed," Void God said without pause. "But anyone who draws a weapon against me… dies."
Midnight tolled from the village bell. The first strike began.
Void Step carried him across the distance in the blink of an eye. One moment he stood on the cliff; the next, he was within the village walls. The first guard didn't even have time to register his presence before Voidfang bit through his throat. Blood sprayed across the cobblestones, a dark stain on pale stone.
The second turned — but Presence of the Abyss hit him like a physical force. His eyes widened, breath coming in ragged gasps as his knees buckled beneath him. He collapsed without a sound.
Void God moved through the village like a shadow given form. Where he passed, only silence remained. A group of soldiers gathered at the western gate, alerted by some instinct — but they were too slow.
Void Piercer struck first. The air warped and screamed as his blade shot forward — and three fell in an instant, their bodies crumpling like broken dolls.
An archer took position on a rooftop, drawing a bead on him. Void God's eyes flicked upward.
Void Step.
He was behind the archer before the man could loose his arrow. Sword Entropy met flesh — and the archer dissolved into a cloud of withering dust.
The village erupted in chaos. Bells rang, doors slammed shut, and soldiers poured into the streets. It wouldn't matter. The battle was already over.
They just didn't know it yet.
The village captain finally emerged — a broad-shouldered man clad in heavy iron armor, wielding a massive great axe. His face twisted in rage and fear. "Face me, coward!" he roared.
Void God obliged.
The captain charged, axe raised high — and Void God waited. At the last moment, Sword Entropy lashed out. Metal met void — and the axe rotted in his hands. The weapon crumbled into rust and dust before it ever reached its target.
The captain's eyes went wide with shock. He stumbled back, weaponless, as realization dawned.
Too late.
Void Rend struck — and the captain's head fell to the ground.
The village fell into stillness.
As the last spy collapsed, Vos appeared at Void God's side, their breathing calm despite the carnage. "It's done," they reported. "No survivors among the infiltrators. The village remains intact."
"Good."
But Void God's eyes stayed on the horizon. This was just the first strike. The rival lords would learn what had happened here. They would know their spies were dead. They would know fear.
And when fear drove them to act…
The true war would begin.