The Church of Pernatia has evolved and become a continental conglomerate that offers a wide variety of services; ranging from exorcisms, blessings, healing potions, and even alcohol! Pernatia, the figurehead of the organization, has used its healing prowess and business acumen to form the most widespread organization in the history of Aetheria. Their power cannot be underestimated. Without a doubt, the legendary pope could have the world in the palm of their hand if they chose to. Despite this, they instead choose to nurture budding kingdoms and forge alliances whenever possible. We are lucky the Church of Pernatia is governed by such a benevolent individual.

~ Behind the Golden Veil; Pernatia by Hayward Maccabee

Damien didn't know anything was wrong until the alarms started blaring. It was a high-pitched noise that cut through the bustling atmosphere of Welton and immediately put everybody on high alert. He turned his head to a nearby civilian, who seemed panicked upon hearing the noise. He didn't recall anything like that being mentioned by his relatives when they had taught him about how to help around the kingdom.

"Hey! Sir! What does that mean?! We're under attack, aren't we?"

The dwarf looked at the prince with a fearful expression.

"It's the alarm for a full-scale invasion! I haven't heard it in over a decade..."

The boy wasn't able to ask any more questions before the man rushed off with the others. Several soldiers were taking charge and sending them to the residential areas, looking worried themselves. Damien cursed and hastily made his way towards the barracks. He did his best to send those who were lost or in danger of being trampled underfoot to an area where they'd be safe.

It was as though he had teleported to a different world. The barracks, which had looked so normal were now geared for war. Every soldier's face was set in stone, getting ahold of their weapons in a calm yet efficient manner. Lieutenant General Jensen was rallying the troops with Major General Brigatin, positioning them to wherever they needed to be. It was the most crowded the barracks had ever been, with the total soldier count in the triple digits.

The Church's paladins, armed with heavy armor were shining brilliantly in their marble-white attire at the front, marching towards the front of the kingdom. Wisperium's forces, which was divided between a large number of melee combatants, beast tamers, and a condensed force of elite mages in the middle. Welton's own dwarven soldiers were at the flanks, making up the bulk of the military. Damien could see the priests and Archbishop make their way from a distance away.

The boy crane his neck to look for General Drake, who was seemingly missing from the crowd. It wasn't until he did a double-take did he notice the massive panther seated atop the kingdom fortifications, legs bent and ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Before he could call out to the woman beside it, Archie blasted out a bolt of lightning from its mouth, incinerating an incoming projectile that was too fast to see. Damien could only see a blur before the panther reacted.

"BALLISTA! RAISE THE CANNONS! SENTRIES! AIM FOR THE BACKLINE!"

Natalia Drake's commands reverberated throughout the kingdom, as though it was magically reinforced. The soldiers atop the castle walls began firing, and a slew of arrows, spells and other projectiles began flying as the invasion began. Natalia jumped down while Archie began to emit an aura of lightning, deflecting projectiles and launching arcs of electricity at the unseen army.

She noticed the vampire noble and raised her voice, a far cry from the voice she used conversationally with him.

"Damien! Stay near Jensen and follow commands! You understand the weight you hold if you're placed in danger, correct?"

His posture became ramrod straight, and he gave her a salute. The black-haired boy couldn't imagine standing up to the intimidating woman who moved on and began to bark out orders to the others. Following her direct instruction, he unsheathed his sword and headed for Lieutenant General Jensen, who had placed himself closer to the backlines and ensured the soldiers were in their positions. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, and his already domineering face looked even more severe.

"Lieutenant! I'm under your command!"

He swung his neck and Damien stared resolutely into his eyes. Jensen looked at him, pausing for a brief moment to think about where the boy's contributions would be most valuable.

"Help along the backlines! Your priority is to protect the mages and priests, do not engage unless directly attacked." The commander pointed at a section along the right corner of the army, where priests and mages began casting their spells and buffs to empower the soldiers around them. Archbishop Romero could be seen from several meters away, wearing an ornate black and gold outfit with a staff at his side. His usually placid expression was replaced by a stern one, as he made conversation with General Drake.

"GO!"

Damien was woken from his stupor and ran off to where he was designated. Within ten minutes, the bustling city was now a ghost town. He could see a scant few peeking through the windows of closed shops and houses but didn't focus as he made sure his equipment was battle-ready. The foreigners who came from different kingdoms were corralled into a safety barricade designed for this specific purpose.

Max HP has risen by 10% for 10 minutes. Minor resistance to status conditions: Stun, Shock, Paralysis.

Your stamina depletes at a reduced rate.

"It's an honor to fight by your side, Prince Rose."

The priest in the area he was protecting spoke briefly, and he returned the greeting with a smile, trying to hide the unease. Amidst the group of soldiers and mages, he couldn't see a certain curly-haired figure.

'Where's Chester?!'

Damien could see the defenses being worn down. A few sentries were struck by projectiles, either retreating downward or falling off completely and being rescued. The doors shook with every strike, holding steady as it was secured by a wooden beam holding them together. Metal grates were dropped down from above; a portcullis, which added a layer of protection to the door that separated the invaders from the defenders.

BOOM

An impact unlike anything they had ever heard before occurred, shaking the very kingdom to its core. General Drake shouted out orders and the sentries from above retreated as they prepared for the inevitable. Archie dropped down and hung alongside the rooftops,

BOOM

The wooden beam holding the door closed began to splinter, letting out a thunderous crack as the entirety of Welton's forces encircled the entrance.

BOOM!

It exploded, blasting the doors and portcullis into pieces from the sheer amount of power placed into the attacks. Dust and smoke covered the area, making the frontliners hack and cough as the debris entered their lungs. The vampire boy's nerves were beginning to fray, and he squinted his eyes in order to pierce through the soot which covered his vision.

Several silhouettes became visible as the dust settled. There were at least a hundred hooded figures present, with three standing out from the front of the invading army. Behind them, Damien could see a massive construct obscured by the debris, which he assumed was the ballista they had been firing for the past several minutes.

"People of Welton! Stand down, and surrender! We will guarantee your life as long as you cooperate!"

A wide-eyed blonde, with pointed ears that signified she was of elven descent, spoke aloud. Her emerald-green eyes sparkled as she overlooked the tense population, but didn't falter in any way whatsoever. It was as though she was staring at a particularly entertaining group of bards, with a wide grin of joy on her face. Behind her were two other hooded figures that hardly moved. The one on the left was two meters tall, with a build that remained visible despite loose clothing. The other figure was more inconspicuous, about the size of a regular person. Both their faces remained covered.

Silence greeted their loud proclamation, before Lieutenant General Jensen shouted from the back, clutching his war axes so tightly that it looked as if the handles were going to snap.

"Where do your allegiances lie? You understand the consequences of your invasion, don't you?"

It was a dumb decision to invade Welton's Furnace for many reasons. Not only would invading kingdoms see that their armor and weapons export would see a sudden drop in quality, but they'd also turn Welton's foremost allies, the Church of Pernatia and Wisperium, into their enemies with the said attack. That was one of the reasons why large-scale invasions were so rare; not even Idil would dare try their luck against the dwarven kingdom, no matter how many mythical resources they held at their disposal. Without any insignias or emblems showing which kingdom they belonged to, it was ideal for attackers to avoid revealing their affiliations to avoid incurring penalties upon their homeland

"We understand perfectly. That is why we're giving you a chance to yield." Her eyes were unsettling, meeting the vampire commander's obsidian eyes without flinching. "Jensen Vernicus. Natalia Drake. Archbishop Romero. We are well aware of your capabilities, strengths, weaknesses. Unconditional surrender is beneficial to both sides. What do you say?"

"Fire!"

Archie belched out another bolt of lightning from its mouth, but it was blocked by a nearly invisible barrier that glowed translucently as the attack dissipated hardly less than a foot away from the mysterious elf's face. She didn't even flinch, grinning even wider and staring directly at General Drake, who issued the command. A hail of arrows and spells came down on the invading group, but none of them even looked phased.

"War it is, then."

You are within the confines of the Improved Dispersion Barrier.

Within this area, lower-tier status ailments are negated completely and HP is healed at a rate of 1% per second (to a maximum of 100HP/sec).

All members affiliated with 'Church of Pernatia' will receive significant bonuses for their stats and skill effects.

Cooldowns of all skills are reduced slightly in this area, and beings listed as enemies inside of the premises will suffer from 'Holy Burn' status effect.

Every soldier affiliated with Welton received notification as Archbishop Romero's magic worked to empower the entire army. Noticeably, none of the invaders suffered from the status effect, protected by the mysterious barrier. With superior numbers and a massive boost in power, Damien felt as though they had the upper hand.

"BEAST TAMERS!"

From war horses to bloodhounds, all the vampire beast tamers moved forward and began putting pressure on the sides alongside the dwarves. The invading forces were pushed back slightly, but the defenders were met with another notification from the system, and Damien's heart sank.

Improved Dispersion Barrier is being influenced by Marbas' Analysis.

Resistance against lower-tier status ailments is removed.

Cooldown reduction is removed.

All entities within the barrier will receive HP regeneration.

"HAHAHAHA! You thought we didn't have a way to counter your skills, Archbishop?!" The woman cackled, unveiling an ornate, white, and gold tome from her robes. It floated casually in front of her as the invading forces were empowered even further. They began to resist and push back the beast tamers, using swords and magic to fend off the attempt at breaking their ranks.

"A demon contractor! Focus your fire on the elf!" General Drake barked out, as the soldiers promptly responded and fired their spells. Even with reduced buffs, the might of Welton's army was still significant. Arrows and spells flew at rapid speeds, aiming to break through the barrier which would inevitably give out once attacked enough times. The concentrated attacks were more than enough to break through one point of the barrier.

The hulking figure behind her moved at break-neck speeds, unleashing a massive, golden spear that stopped everything from striking the barrier. The wind from the attacks moved the hood and revealed the person's face. A thick neck, coupled with an angular face and narrow nose. He was objectively attractive, but his most defining traits were jet-black hair and blood-red eyes. The traits of a vampire.

"Focus, Irene. Keep yourself away from the front." He said in a dull voice. The man flicked his spear, before thrusting it forward in Jensen's direction. A yellow bolt of lightning sprung out and pierced the Dispersion Barrier surrounding the defenders, striking dozens of soldiers along the way in a straight line. Although his armor seemed to absorb what was left of the magical attack, it reached Jensen and he gritted his teeth.

"Why of course, just keep protecting me as you have, Delont."

Damien readied his shield and sword, watching as the invasion unfolded. He knew it wouldn't be easy with the presence of demon contractors. The vampire prayed for their victory, keeping his eyes peeled for anything of significance.

'Damnit, Chester...That bastard is always gone at the worst time possible.'