Chapter Summaries

Roland and Yun Feng planned to establish a village near the centaurs’ settlement, while postponing plans for a southern hub. After White Wing King visited, Roland recounted the Orc attack and discussed the threat of the spatial Nazgûl, Uwasa.

• Roland and Yun Feng agreed to begin with a village outside Tupte Forest and consider a southern hub later.
• White Wing King visited Roland and asked about the Orc attack on his territory.
• Roland described the heavy losses and explained how Uwasa rescued the Nazgûl and Black Knights while sparing the Dragon Knights.
• Bai Yi proposed alerting the Twin Kingdoms of Erebor and the Elven kingdoms and forming a coalition to hunt Uwasa.
• Roland dismissed the idea of easily defeating a sixth-tier spatial fighter and said the region had a year or two to develop before the Orcs and Nazgûl could threaten them again.

Roland arranged to relocate two hundred farming households from Flowing City to land near Tupte Forest, exchanging their cultivated land for fields south of the city. He assembled cavalry to escort the men and unexpectedly found Yun Feng had left him in charge of the settlers.

• Roland and Yun Feng agreed to move two hundred households and transfer the farmers’ current fields in exchange for cultivated land south of Flowing City.
• Yun Feng assigned Roland to lead cavalry and escort the settlers to Tupte Forest to begin building houses, but Roland dodged Yun Feng’s paperwork.
• Roland ordered Omsk to assemble the cavalry and decided to bring Reno back from Lulong Fortress to command the Holy Radiance Knight Order.
• Roland gathered the knights at the east gate, where Omsk arrived heavily armed despite the escort not being a combat mission.
• Yun Feng brought the settlers to Roland, declared them his responsibility, and used a skill to flee.

Roland led more than two hundred citizens to Tupte Forest to establish a village, promising kingdom support and protection. He named the settlement Delvin and left Baron Badel’s centaurs to guard the settlers until the kingdom’s garrison arrived.

• Roland assured the citizens that the kingdom would help build their new home and station troops to protect them, then led them toward Tupte Forest.
• Omsk and the Holy Radiance Knight Order cleared Orcs and magical beasts from the route.
• Roland told Ajax she could visit Caslo after the work was finished, and she eagerly agreed.
• Baron Badel welcomed Roland’s plan to build near the centaurs, provided it did not disrupt their lives.
• Roland supplied planks, named the settlement Delvin, and told the young men to build its basic facilities before their families moved in.
• Roland asked Badel to protect the settlers and dispatch scouts to hunt down scattered Orcs until the kingdom’s garrison arrived.

Roland returned to Flowing City and arranged garrisons for Delvin and Lulong Fortress. After signing the transfer orders, he learned that an envoy from Erebor had arrived.

• Roland left Delvin, told its residents to build a village under the centaurs’ protection, and promised to send soldiers and bring their families later.
• Roland consulted Yun Feng and assigned all ten Woodland Warriors to protect Delvin and help clear nearby magical beasts and Orcs.
• Roland ordered the Bannaria Archers, Crusader Archers, and Swift River Infantry to reinforce Lulong Fortress, while bringing the spearmen back to Flowing City.
• Roland signed and sealed the troop transfer orders, then received word that an envoy from Erebor had arrived.

Roland met Kili and Fili, who brought five hundred dwarf Warriors from Erebor to help against the Orcs of Dol Guldur. After learning that the threat near Roland had been dealt with, they returned north with warnings about the Nazgûl and advice to support Balin's people in Moria, leaving Roland concerned about the worsening danger in the Northern Territory.

• Roland welcomed Kili and Fili, who explained that they had brought five hundred dwarf Warriors in case he needed help against the Orcs of Dol Guldur.
• Roland told Kili and Fili that the Orcs had been dealt with but warned them about four Nazgûl, including Uwasa, and urged them to warn Thorin and king Bard.
• Roland reassured Kili and Fili that Balin, Ori, Oin, and the other survivors were safe, with only several dozen soldiers lost in Moria.
• Roland warned Kili and Fili to stay in close contact with Moria because its small population could not easily withstand another Orc attack.
• Kili and Fili declined Roland's invitation to eat and hurried back to Erebor, while Roland noted that Orcs were increasingly threatening the Northern Territory.

As autumn arrived, Roland reflected on the growth of the Lagrange Kingdom before learning that increased Orc activity was stretching its patrol forces dangerously thin. Nyx suggested calling on Baron Badel’s soldiers and centaurs, giving Roland a way to reinforce the border.

• Roland and Nyx shared an affectionate moment on the castle terrace before Omsk interrupted them.
• Omsk warned Roland that the autumn harvest was near and Wandering Orcs were appearing more often, while the kingdom lacked enough mobile troops to patrol its territory.
• Roland and Yun Feng discussed the shortage of soldiers and considered using cavalry and Knights to hold the border despite the strain.
• Nyx suggested summoning Baron Badel’s forces, and Yun Feng calculated that they could add at least two hundred fighters, including centaurs.
• Roland ordered Baron Badel to bring his troops to defend the king, while Omsk sent a cavalry messenger and Yun Feng went to reorganize patrols.

Yun Feng sent Lavien to summon Badel and his centaurs to reinforce the Northern Territory as Wandering Orcs surged south. After joining Omsk’s scattered forces, the newcomers heard Omsk announce an unauthorized charge toward Erebor, despite Lavien’s reminder of the king’s orders.

• Yun Feng ordered Lavien to bring Badel’s centaurs to the Northern Territory border, and Lavien rode to Tupte Territory with the royal summons.
• Badel accepted the decree and gathered two hundred centaur Warriors to accompany Lavien.
• Omsk and Holyn prepared to intercept more than a hundred Orcs that had crossed Dale’s defensive line.
• Lavien and Badel found Orc corpses marked with Fortress of Gundabad totems and met a Junlin Knight patrolling alone.
• Omsk welcomed Lavien and Badel, then ordered his troops to charge toward Erebor with a thousand riders, despite Lavien’s objection.

Omsk and the Iron Hooves fought their way through the Northern Territory and reached Dale, where he confronted King Bard over the Orcs crossing the weak defenses. Bard admitted Dale lacked the strength to stop them and explained that even the Dwarves were struggling to cover the long frontier.

• Omsk directed nearly five hundred Iron Hooves to clear the battlefield after they defeated several Orc forces, and Holyn reported another Orc army ahead.
• Omsk led the cavalry to Dale and ordered them to kill Orcs passing beneath the city walls.
• Omsk demanded to meet King Bard, and Commander Raven informed Bard that the Lagrange force had arrived.
• Bard acknowledged Dale had failed to fulfill its role in the alliance and told Omsk that fewer than a hundred soldiers remained in the city.
• Bard explained that the Dwarves had a thousand troops guarding Erebor’s northern foothills but could not cover the long defense line without leaving gaps.

Omsk and Lavien left Dale to investigate the Orc threat, while Dwalin struggled to contain Orcs crossing the Dwarven defensive line. After the Lagrange cavalry routed an Orc force and found Gundabad Orcs among it, Omsk met Dwalin and learned the Dwarves were already having trouble stopping the Orcs heading south.

• Omsk declined Bard's offer to escort them and set out with Lavien to inspect the Dwarven front line.
• Dwalin learned that more than three hundred Orcs had slipped past his undermanned patrols and hoped Dale's troops could stop them.
• Omsk led the Lagrange cavalry in a charge that routed an Orc force, and Lavien identified Gundabad Orcs among the enemy.
• Lavien urged Omsk to scout for a larger Gundabad force, but Omsk chose to find the Dwarves and assess the situation.
• Dwalin mistook the approaching Lagrange cavalry for enemies before recognizing their banner and welcoming Omsk.
• Omsk told Dwalin they had come to stop Orcs heading south, and Dwalin admitted the Orcs were already causing trouble.

Omsk decided to lead the cavalry into the Northern Territory to attack Orc tribes, despite Lavien's warning that the campaign could provoke a wider war. Lavien sent Holyn to report the decision to His Highness, then followed the army to keep the cavalry safe.

• Omsk rejected Dwalin's apology and asked for information about Orc routes and gathering places so he could take the initiative against them.
• Lavien warned Omsk not to provoke the Northern Orc tribes, but Omsk challenged the knights' courage and rallied them to defend the Empire's former glory.
• Dwalin showed Omsk a map marking two Orc tribes near the Grey Mountains, and Omsk refused dwarf reinforcements before ordering the army toward the southern foothills.
• Omsk told Lavien he intended to sweep the Northern Territory clean, and Lavien sent Holyn to report the plan to His Highness.
• Badel supported Omsk's campaign, and Lavien followed the main force, fearing the attack could spark a devastating war.

Omsk led the hungry Lagrange force in an attack on an Orc tribe, gambling that they could defeat it quickly and take its supplies. The cavalry routed the Orcs, killed their lord, and pursued the survivors.

• Lavien warned Omsk that the force was nearly out of food, but Omsk pointed to the Orc tribe and ordered a swift attack.
• Omsk assigned the Knight Order to lead the charge, the cavalry to hold the center, the centaurs to follow, and Lavien and Baron Badel to cover the rear.
• Omsk led the charge, followed by the heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and centaurs, as the Orcs scrambled to defend their tribe.
• Omsk killed the Orc Lord with a spear aura, then ordered his soldiers to pursue the fleeing Orcs and leave none alive.
• Lavien arrived after the battle had turned into a rout and joined the pursuit.

Omsk’s cavalry raided an Orc tribe, slaughtered its survivors, and burned the settlement as Lavien objected to the torture of the defenseless. Roland learned of Omsk’s campaign and decided to reinforce him, sending Ajax north and giving Holyn supplies and orders for Lavien to follow Omsk’s command.

• Omsk ordered his troops to seize the Orcs’ food, then commanded them to kill every Orc they found and build a Jingguan from the severed heads.
• Lavien objected when centaurs tortured Orc women, children, and elders, but he accepted Omsk’s orders to attack another tribe.
• Holyn reported Omsk’s campaign in the Northern Territory to Roland, who decided to support the offensive rather than recall him.
• Roland considered attacking Fortress of Gundabad, but Yun Feng explained that the autumn harvest left them without enough forces.
• Roland ordered Ajax to join Omsk and gave Holyn a Space Ring with arrows, tents, and rations, instructing Lavien to obey Omsk.

Omsk led Lagrange’s cavalry and centaurs into the Northern Territory, where they ambushed and destroyed the Stonebone Tribe before it could raid human settlements. After finding a chest of Gold Coins, Omsk ordered his troops to continue north in search of more Orc tribes.

• Omsk ordered his knights to search the Northern Territory for Orc tribes.
• The Stonebone Tribe’s lord rallied its warriors to head south and plunder humans.
• Omsk, Lavien, and Badel found the Stonebone Tribe preparing to depart and attacked its camp.
• Lagrange’s cavalry and centaurs slaughtered the Orcs with few losses, surprising Lavien with how weak the tribe was.
• Badel found a chest of Gold Coins, and Omsk ordered his troops to keep moving north.

Omsk’s Lagrange Iron Cavalry massacred Orc tribes across the Northern Wastes, while Lavien worried about the consequences and Badel welcomed the violence because of the Orcs’ past atrocities against Centaurs. After learning that about five hundred human cavalry had returned, a powerful Orc Lord killed the survivor who warned him and planned to unite nearby tribes to destroy them.

• Omsk and his troops crossed the Grey Mountains, raided five Orc tribes, slaughtered their inhabitants, looted their camps, and burned them.
• Badel complained that he had yet to find an Orc worthy of fighting, while Lavien feared Omsk’s campaign would provoke a bloody response.
• Badel recalled how Orcs had hunted Centaurs and captured their young as food, fueling his hatred of them.
• A surviving Orc told a powerful Orc Lord that about five hundred human cavalry had entered the Northern Wastes.
• The Orc Lord killed the survivor, then ordered his two fifth-tier brothers to summon nearby tribes so they could join forces against the humans.

Rumors reduced Omsk’s five hundred cavalry to a band of armed civilians, prompting Orc tribes to gather at Panya Creek. With Ajax and a Dragon Knight at his side, Omsk planned to lure the Orc coalition into a concentrated target for a forbidden spell.

• Orc tribes across the southern Northern Territory heard of Omsk’s force and began gathering Warriors at Panya Creek.
• Ajax found Omsk, delivered Roland’s supplies, and joined his command as a Dragon Knight.
• Ajax warned Omsk that Orc tribes were marching west to assemble, and Omsk realized a coalition was forming.
• Omsk rejected a direct attack and proposed using a feigned defeat and a major victory to herd the Orcs together.
• Ajax, Lavien, and Omsk planned to strike the gathered Orcs with a fire-element forbidden spell.

Lod and his brothers prepared to lead the Frost Bone Tribe in an alliance against the humans, while Ajax and Omsk readied a plan to lure the Orcs to a chosen battlefield. The chapter ended with Ajax pointing out that someone was missing as Holyn galloped across the wasteland, trying to catch up.

• Lod declared that the Frost Bone Tribe would claim half of the humans' equipment, and his brothers praised his ambition to become king.
• Ajax had her troops carry defective weapons and armor so they could scatter the equipment during their planned retreat.
• Caslo arrived as Roland's reinforcement, agreed to serve under Omsk, and urged the group to take the Orcs seriously.
• Caslo reported that more than ten thousand Orcs had gathered at Panya Creek, most with metal weapons but very little armor.
• Omsk ordered the forces to head for the Orc gathering point, but Ajax stopped them and asked whether they had noticed someone was missing.
• Holyn rode across the wasteland, exhausted as he tried to reach the others.

Lavien and Ajax waited for Holyn to catch up while the Orc tribes gathered to attack the human force. Once Holyn had rested, Omsk led the soldiers out to lure the Orcs into their trap.

• Lavien realized Holyn had not returned, and Omsk estimated the Orcs would take at least a week to assemble.
• Holyn arrived after riding hard for four days and was given a day to sleep while the Orc forces continued gathering.
• Lord and Lov discussed the human camp, then Lord decided to wait for the smaller tribes and summon the other large-tribe chieftains.
• Omsk told his troops to make their planned retreat convincing, then led them out of camp to lure the Orcs.

Omsk led the Lagrange cavalry to exploit the Orcs’ tribal marching order, pretending to engage them before drawing them toward a basin where the Dragon Knights could attack. After striking the Orcs’ weak left flank, Omsk’s force annihilated one small tribe and charged toward the next.

• Omsk reminded his cavalry to strike and withdraw while luring the Orcs toward the basin selected for a fire-type forbidden spell.
• Caslo reported that the Orcs were marching by tribe, with small groups of a few hundred warriors exposed on the edges of the army.
• Omsk decided to attack the isolated tribes and make the charge look like a desperate retreat from overwhelming numbers.
• Omsk led the cavalry through the Orcs’ weakest left flank and trampled one small tribe before the wider army reacted.
• Omsk cut down dozens of Orcs with a single lance strike and continued toward the next tribe.

Omsk led the Lagrange Iron Cavalry in a series of devastating attacks, then deliberately let the Orcs surround them to draw the pursuing army close. After baiting the Orcs with discarded armor, Omsk ordered the cavalry to break out and continue the deception.

• Omsk led the Lagrange Iron Cavalry through an Orc tribe’s formation, splitting it apart and leaving many Orcs dead or wounded.
• Ajax and Caslo watched the Orcs’ morale collapse, while Omsk prepared to draw the Orc Lords into a closer pursuit.
• Lod ordered the Orcs to surround the cavalry, and Baron Badel used Battle Qi arrows to strike down dozens of attackers.
• Omsk had his soldiers discard battered armor, causing Orcs to fight over the loot until Warg-riding chieftains restored order and sent them after the cavalry.
• Baron Badel saved a Light Cavalryman from an Orc ambush, and Omsk then led the cavalry in breaking through the encirclement.
• Lavien ordered the soldiers to throw out more junk so the Orcs would think the cavalry was lightening its load.

The Orc alliance fractured over the spoils, and Han Xuyang led the Barren Stone Tribe away while Ajax and Caslo chose not to pursue them. Meanwhile, Lagrange’s cavalry kept up its feigned retreat, drawing the pursuing Orcs toward their burial ground.

• Lode, Lov, and Lor intimidated Han Xuyang into accepting a smaller share of the armor and mocked him until he ordered his tribe to leave.
• Han Xuyang led roughly three thousand Barren Stone Tribe soldiers away from the main Orc army, and Lode decided not to chase them.
• Ajax wanted to intercept the departing tribe, but Caslo stopped her to avoid alerting the more than twenty thousand Orcs still pursuing the cavalry.
• Badel ordered Lagrange’s soldiers to return fire, and their mounted archers killed more than a hundred Orcs while the others’ arrows mostly missed.
• Omsk watched the Orcs grow confident and urged the retreating cavalry to lead them to their burial ground.