It was now day 4, and Randy had summoned another 15 troops, keeping things balanced as he had planned. His army now consisted of:

  ?13 Cavalry

  ?13 Ranged

  ?13 Infantry

  Randy paced around his stone hut, considering his strategy. “That’s not very impressive,” he muttered, “but it’s best to keep things even. You never know what the other lord might send.” He had learned enough to know that a march full of Cavalry could easily destroy a base if there weren’t enough Infantry to counter them. Balance was the key, at least for now.

  As he stared out from his lookout tower, Randy found himself questioning his choices. “Why does it feel like I’m building to play defense instead of attack?” he asked aloud, frowning. “Will I end up being the kind of lord who focuses on defense rather than offense?”

  The thought was strange to him this world was designed for lords to fight and conquer one another. But what if he did things differently? “It would be kind of fun,” he mused. “At least the other party wouldn’t expect it.” He smirked at the idea of becoming a fortress lord, hard to break through, always holding his ground while the others wasted their resources trying to take him down.

  Besides, how could he possibly compete with the pay-to-win lords who already had Tier 2 troops? Some might even have Tier 3 by now, he realized, thinking of the billionaires who had plenty of resources in real life. They would dominate in power.

  “I can’t fight them head-on,” Randy muttered. “But maybe I can find another way… and use this upcoming battle to test it.”

  The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. The idea of commanding his own castle, with thousands of troops under his command, was thrilling. He could see himself at the top, seizing resources, becoming untouchable, with everyone, even the women, desiring to be his.

  “I have to win this battle against the other lord, no matter what,” he said with determination.

  Day 5 arrived—the final day of the protection period. Randy summoned another 15 troops, bringing his total to:

  ?18 Cavalry

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  ?18 Ranged

  ?18 Infantry

  He was feeling more confident now, ready to face whatever came his way. Suddenly, a loud voice rang in everyone’s ears, echoing across the land:

  “Hello, Lords. The 5-day protection period is now coming to an end in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…”

  Randy watched as a huge jail cell rose from the ground inside his fortress. The voice continued:

  “Alliance Features are now open and a jail has now been placed in all lord fortresses. You can now capture other lords and do whatever you want with them. You can kill them directly or imprison them. However, if you capture a lord, a red beacon will shine over your fortress, alerting others to your location. Please be cautious, as other lords may attack to save the captured lord. Let the World Tower Defense begin!”

  Randy stared at the jail in his fortress, his mind racing. “So we can capture other lords now and join alliances? That changes things.” But he knew the beacon would make him a target. He couldn’t afford to be reckless.

  He opened the world chat, curious to see what others were saying now that the protection was gone. It was in complete chaos.

  ?Lord King: “Hey guys, please don’t attack me! I only have a few Tier 1 troops. Don’t bully the weak!”

  ?Super Strong Man: “I have Tier 3 troops. I was a billionaire before coming here, LOL. I feel bad for y’all.”

  ?Troop Slayer: “You’re lucky. I only managed to get Tier 2 troops, I just sent a march out to attack this lady fortress I can’t wait into my troops bring her back I haven’t had fun in a long time .”

  ?Lady Boom: “You disgusting perv! If I find you, I’ll kill you. I have Tier 3 troops as-well.”

  ?Leader Kong: Join my alliance let’s team up and share resources will get stronger together

  Randy’s heart sank. “People already have Tier 3 troops,” he muttered. He had suspected as much, but seeing it confirmed was disheartening. “I need to find a way to get more resources fast. I have to summon more troops if I want to stand a chance.”

  Suddenly, Randy’s thoughts were interrupted by movement in the distance. He climbed up his lookout tower and saw a march of troops heading straight for his fortress. His blood ran cold.

  “Damn it, that bastard’s already planning to attack me!” he shouted. There was no time to strategize further. “Troops, get ready! We’re going into battle!”

  A teleportation light surrounded his troops, and they materialized in front of the fortress, their shabby gear glinting in the light of the sun. From across the battlefield, Randy could see the enemy troops clearly now—15 Tier 2 soldiers, 5 Cavalry, 5 Ranged, and 5 Infantry. They were equipped with proper armor and weapons, far superior to Randy’s army. The confidence on their faces showed they expected an easy victory.

  Behind them, the fat lord stood, grinning wickedly as he shouted, “Charge! Capture that fool and bring him to me!”

  Randy clenched his fists and shouted, “Charge!” His troops surged forward, ready to meet the enemy head-on, their rusty weapons gleaming in the harsh daylight.

  Despite the obvious advantage the enemy had in gear, Randy still had hope. “I have more troops,” he muttered to himself. “Let’s see if numbers can close the gap between the tiers.”

  The battlefield was about to erupt into chaos, and Randy’s future hung in the balance.