Chapter 112: The Road to Rivergate

"Another event! The Silverflow Campaign!"

The announcement rolled across the skies, reaching adventurers throughout Frostwatch and Westfall.

Its booming voice cut through the usual noise of busy streets and leveling grounds, immediately drawing the attention of players who had grown accustomed to the routine of hunting monsters and grinding for experience.

Excitement spread quickly.

"Finally, an event I actually qualify for! I missed the entire Strange Tide event by one level last time. Not happening again!"

"Two capitals going to war? Does that mean we’re fighting players from Westfall directly?"

"Who knows? Guess we’ll find out when we get there."

"Don’t care how it works. As long as there are rewards, I’m in. Move it, before the good quests get snapped up!"

The discussion barely lasted a few moments before players began moving.

Groups formed in the streets, equipment was checked, and adventurers abandoned whatever they had been doing to head for the campaign’s designated location.

Soon, a steady stream of players was pouring through Frostwatch’s gates

. Their numbers continued to grow as more adventurers joined the rush, all heading toward the distant plains where the campaign had already begun unfolding.

For many of them, this was exactly the kind of opportunity they had been waiting for.

A major faction event meant new quests, valuable rewards, and a chance to gain an advantage over the players who arrived too late.

Watching the growing commotion, Kael raised an eyebrow."Been so deep in the grind lately that I missed this coming entirely."

The Silverflow Campaign.

Already.

The name stirred memories from his previous life, bringing the details back with surprising clarity. He remembered the event, its general progression, and the role it had played in the game’s development.

At first glance, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about the conflict itself. Two kingdoms were fighting over control of a river, with a relatively small city caught at the center of the dispute.

Compared with the massive wars that would eventually engulf the world, the Silverflow Campaign was little more than a localized military confrontation.

It wasn’t an invasion threatening an entire region, nor was it a battle that would immediately reshape the balance of power across the continent.

Its real significance lay elsewhere.

Since Ascension’s launch, the world had remained relatively stable.

Players had been free to explore, level up, establish guilds, and strengthen their positions without the widespread conflicts that would eventually become a defining feature of the game.

That period was coming to an end.

The Silverflow Campaign marked the beginning of a gradual shift toward a more competitive world, where warfare and territorial conquest would become increasingly important.

Kingdoms would clash over land and resources, while powerful player guilds would begin pursuing ambitions that extended far beyond ordinary leveling.

The lines between individual progression, faction loyalty, and large-scale conflict would grow increasingly difficult to separate.

The campaign itself might have been modest, but what it set in motion was anything but.

A turning point disguised as an ordinary faction event.In his previous life, Kael had participated in this very campaign as an ordinary rank-and-file player.

He’d followed the available quests, scouted enemy positions, gathered resources, and occasionally ambushed enemy patrols when the opportunity presented itself.

It had been useful work. The rewards had helped him progress, and the experience had given him a better understanding of how faction campaigns operated.

But his contribution had never amounted to anything particularly meaningful.

He’d been one player among countless others, completing the same assignments and following the same objectives as everyone else.

Once the campaign ended, he’d moved on to the next stage of his development without leaving any significant mark on the conflict.

This time, he had no intention of repeating that experience.

He had Elara.

With the Third Princess’s position and connections at his disposal, there was no reason to settle for the same low-value tasks he’d completed in his previous life.

He already knew how much the campaign mattered, and he wasn’t about to waste the opportunity by approaching it as an ordinary participant.

Kael summoned Thunder Roc and climbed onto its back.

The enormous bird spread its wings, sending a powerful gust across the ground before lifting into the air.

Its golden feathers caught the light as it climbed, carrying Kael away from Frostwatch and toward the distant battlefield.

The landscape unfolded beneath them as they flew. Ten minutes passed before the destination finally came into view.

A vast plain stretched across the horizon, divided by a slow, winding river. The water cut through the open terrain, while rolling hills rose along the opposite bank.

The surrounding landscape offered a clear view of the territory separating the two kingdoms, making the river’s strategic importance immediately apparent.

Near the sharpest bend stood a small city enclosed by walls of pale blue-green stone.

Rivergate.

The settlement was the reason two kingdoms had committed themselves to war over this stretch of land.

Kael surveyed the city from above as Thunder Roc began its descent. The walls followed the city’s perimeter, their pale surfaces standing out against the surrounding terrain.

His attention soon shifted toward the military encampment occupying the near bank.

The camp sprawled across a considerable stretch of ground, with rows of tents arranged in an organized formation.

A white wolf banner snapped in the wind above the encampment, marking it as the military headquarters of the Kingdom of Northvale.

Cavalry moved between the tents in small, disciplined groups. Soldiers went about their duties while the camp maintained an orderly rhythm, each part of the operation contributing to the preparations underway.

Yet beneath that outward order lay a palpable tension.

The soldiers weren’t gathered for a routine exercise. They were preparing for a campaign that would determine control of Rivergate, and every movement carried the quiet urgency of an army approaching a real confrontation.

Kael had already sent word ahead through the bond during the flight. By the time Thunder Roc touched down outside the camp’s perimeter, one of Elara’s guards was waiting to escort him inside.

He followed the guard through the encampment, passing rows of tents before reaching the command tent.

The moment he stepped through the entrance, the atmosphere changed.

More than a dozen officers stood gathered around a wide war table, their attention fixed on the terrain laid out across its surface.

The miniature formations and marked positions provided a representation of the surrounding battlefield, allowing the officers to discuss their plans while studying the region.

Their expressions were uniformly grim.

Whatever they were discussing, it was serious enough to hold the attention of the entire group.

Their conversation carried the weight of men responsible for the movements and decisions of an army.

At the center stood a broad-shouldered, weathered general with dark skin and sharp eyes. His bearing was firm, his expression composed, and his presence commanded attention without requiring him to raise his voice.

General Aldric Vane.

He was the officer commanding the Kingdom of Northvale’s forces throughout the Silverflow Campaign.

The instant Kael entered, Vane’s attention shifted toward him. His brow furrowed, and the general’s expression hardened.

"Who let you into the command tent? Identify yourself."