"If I open it just a little… can he handle it?" he murmured, his voice filled with quiet mystery. He took a slow sip of his drink, his eyes shining with intrigue.
Suddenly, a woman with a gentle yet seductive voice approached him. Her long, wavy hair shimmered under the lights, and her eyes glowed with irresistible charm.
"Come on, Johan. Let's do what we did yesterday again. I enjoyed it," she whispered, her fingers brushing lightly against his arm.
Johan smiled softly. Six years ago, he had been nothing more than a child. Now, at nineteen, he was a young man wrapped in secrets. Behind his handsome face, a vast and dangerous game was unfolding. But for now, he allowed himself to sink into temptation, while far away, another battlefield was growing ever more violent.
Kaivan tightened his grip on the twin chained kujang blades wrapped around his arms, holding his breath against the biting mountain wind. Snow drifted gently from the sky, while the air carried the scent of gunpowder and blood. From afar, piercing screams echoed through the mountains, their vibrations reaching deep into the bones. Under the pale moonlight veiled by thin clouds, Darial Pass looked like an ancient battlefield brought back to life.
Fabrizio ran down the snowy slope, his breath freezing in the night air. Behind him, the remaining soldiers struggled to keep up. Their steps were heavy, their faces marked by wounds and fear, yet their resolve had not faded. Snow clung to their steel helmets, mixed with the blood of fallen comrades.
But the threat was far from over.
Ahead of them, at a narrow passage leading toward a deep ravine, thirty-two gigantic figures charged like a raging storm.
Ya'juj and Ma'juj.
They wore nothing but tattered cloth fluttering in the wind. Their massive bodies were covered in dull gray skin, and their crimson eyes burned like starving embers. Each of their footsteps struck the snow like thunder from hell.
"Prepare your weapons!" one soldier shouted, his voice trembling as he tried to sound firm.
Triggers were pulled. Barrels were raised.
They formed a barricade in the narrow pass, knowing that if those creatures broke through, no one would survive.
Kaivan turned to Fabrizio, who stood trembling, holding the Tome of Omnicraft in his right hand and a supply bag in his left.
"Fabrizio! This isn't the time to hesitate," Kaivan called out, his voice firm yet warm. "You know what to do. Create something that can save us!"
Fabrizio swallowed hard and opened the Tome. His trembling fingers touched the glowing pages, and complex diagrams rose into the air like holograms—war machines, weapons, combat vehicles—waiting to be brought into reality by his resolve.
Without hesitation, Kaivan dashed toward the approaching horde.
His body was small, barely reaching their waists, yet every step he took was fearless and determined. He became a swift shadow weaving through snow and moonlight.
The first spear flew toward him.
He ducked, slid across the snow, then rose again in one smooth motion.
The second spear struck the ground, triggering a small explosion.
Kaivan rolled and kicked up snow, creating a white curtain that blocked the enemy's vision.
The monsters' roars answered his battle cry.
One of them leaped forward, swinging a massive wooden weapon.
Kaivan jumped high, evaded the strike, and hurled one of his chained kujang blades.
The blade spun like a boomerang of death, smashing into the creature's head. Blood sprayed into the air, yet the monster only staggered for a moment before rising again.
"What kind of monster is this?!" Kaivan growled, pulling his bloodstained weapon back with its chain.
He slipped between two creatures and slashed at the tendons behind their knees.
They groaned in pain—but did not fall immediately.
A massive explosion shook the valley. The thunderous roar echoed as snow collapsed from the cliffs.
"FIRE!"
Flashes of flame burst in the distance. Steel shells tore through the right flank of Yajuj and Majuj's ranks. Five massive bodies were hurled into the air, torn apart in blazing fire. Black smoke swallowed the moonlight.
Kaivan turned sharply, eyes wide. "What the hell was that?!"
Behind him, Fabrizio stood trembling—but his gaze had changed. His hands were still spread over the open pages of the Tome of Omnicraft. Before him stood a colossal steel tank, solid and imposing. Its treads crushed the frozen ground, its barrel still releasing smoke from the recent shot.
"I… I made this!" Fabrizio shouted, his face soaked with sweat yet shining with determination.
The tank roared and fired again. A second explosion shook the night sky, blasting apart two Yajuj and Majuj that leapt toward Kaivan. Shattered flesh scattered across the snow like fresh meat.
Kaivan seized the opening. He leapt onto a fallen monster, sprinted across its back, then sprang toward the next enemy. His twin chained kujang spun rapidly, slicing tendons in arms and legs with lethal precision. Several creatures collapsed, writhing in agony—yet still attacking with terrifying madness.
Snow continued to fall. Beneath the pitch-dark sky, the thunder of battle became a symphony of death echoing through the Darial Mountains. Kaivan did not stop. Fabrizio kept creating weapons through the Tome of Omnicraft—automatic grenades, armed drones, and countless war machines that helped the troops endure.
The mountain wind howled wildly, carrying the scent of gunpowder and death. Snow danced in the air, torn apart by biting gusts. The white earth was stained with blood, mixed with debris and the lifeless bodies of giant Yajuj and Majuj. Cracks and craters formed a map of wounds across the frozen land.
Amid the chaos, Kaivan stood still. His body trembled—not from fear, but from cold and exhaustion. His breath was heavy, releasing thick clouds of steam. Blood dripped from the chained blades in his hands, the links rattling softly as if demanding more victims. His uniform was torn and stained, yet his eyes still burned fiercely.
Nearby, the sound of fractured metal rang out. Fabrizio leaned against the side of his creation—the massive war machine born from the Tome of Omnicraft. Sweat covered his pale face, wet hair clinging to his forehead. His hands shook violently, magic still lingering within him, but his eyes glowed with quiet satisfaction.
"You were incredible, Fabrizio," Kaivan said hoarsely, trudging through knee-deep snow.
Fabrizio slowly lifted his head and gave a weak smile. "We did it… The breach… I sealed it, Kaivan!" he cried, raising his hand despite being on the verge of collapse.
Kaivan patted his shoulder over the steel plates of his uniform. "Good. But we can't relax yet. We need to reach the main wall and make sure they can't break through again. Let's go."
Their steps were heavy as they left the silent battlefield behind. Snow fell thicker, covering blood and debris like a merciful curtain hiding tragedy. The wind roared between the cliffs, sounding like an ancient beast mourning the fallen.
Meanwhile, deep underground, within a secret bunker, the atmosphere was entirely different. Cold steel walls and bluish holographic light made the room feel like a command center from the future. At its center stood Levan, the cold-minded strategist. His eyes were fixed on a massive screen displaying two tiny dots in the sea of white—Kaivan and Fabrizio.
Technicians moved back and forth, their fingers dancing across keyboards as they adjusted coordinates, measured snow pressure, and monitored field signals. The constant hum of machinery formed a tense symphony within the vibrating steel chamber.
Levan grabbed the radio from its metal stand on the main table. His voice was firm, yet trembled faintly at the end of each sentence.
"Fabrizio, hold on for thirty more minutes. After that, move to the summit. The air unit will extract you."
A few seconds passed before Fabrizio's voice answered through the speaker—tired laughter slipping between his ragged breaths.
"Thirty minutes, huh… Alright, Commander."
Levan turned toward Kaivan, who was kneeling near the wall. His fingers glowed blue as the Tome of Omnicent activated. Streams of magical patterns spread across stone and metal, reinforcing the structure that was close to collapse.
"Kaivan, we need to move to the summit now. They'll be here in thirty minutes," Levan whispered, his voice carried away by the storm.
Kaivan nodded. "Okay. Let's go."
But their steps stopped abruptly.
Fabrizio's body swayed. He dropped to his knees in the snow, his face pale and tinged with blue. Instinctively, Kaivan grabbed his shoulders, holding him before he could fall.