For those of you still in the dark, each week @splinterlands will host 3 weekly challenge which is the Battle Challenge, Social Media Challenge, and the Art Competition challenge, and everyone is welcomed to join in 2 weekly and get some delicious Hive upvote! So without further ado, let's jump to it!

Another Splinterlands Weekly Social Challenge! Believe it or not, I'm actually writing this 2 days before deadline, not the usual last 2 hours rush! Trying to be more disciplined here XD. Following my last weekend post of our super eventful brawl, I would had loved to do a sequel of how we beat those Llamas in the rematch but sadly it didn't happen so we will skip that. Maybe on the next encounter for sure 🤣 . Instead, for this week I will publish another of my scribed fanfic, a tale of a young recruit, enlisted to protect Praetoria from the invasion of Chaos.

“Your first crusade? The battle might start anytime soon, so you had better stop looking at your wife’s picture dude, ease up a bit.”

“It’s not my wife, and it’s not a locket picture either. My daughter crafted and gifted me the pendant. Said it is a comeback safely charm.”

“Ah well, that's one cute daughter you have there. Then you should get back safely for sure right? Anyways, what’s the deal with all these? 'Close the chaos rift' they say, ‘stop the creeping plague’, but this land is like so weird, and creepy, I’m getting bad vibes from all these.”

“I thought you were here to encourage the new recruit, not to scare him lol. What’s there to be scared about? We even got Lord General Reinold of the order of the Silver Shield himself here. And look at all those phalanxes of shining armor reaching the horizon. With these much manpower and arms, even a few herds of Rexxes will be mere chickens against us! Just think of the pay they promised us.”

Mention of the bags of shining golden coins from the 2 veterans brought back smile to the previously anxious man’s face. He is a single father of 2 children, a young girl and an even younger boy. He had been struggling to make ends meet, especially with academy reopening and her daughter's birthday coming up, so when he heard that the usual Supply Runners had gone nuts, and due to that some spots in the logistic support section had opened up, and that the Order had started the enlistment for some extra manpower for the crusade to the unveiled land, he knew it was a godsend opportunity, despite his daughter stern objection. He thought he can finally make things right for once, redeem himself. How happy they will be when he returns triumphantly with those money.

While he was contemplating the thought, suddenly the surrounding turned darker as a cloud passed before the sun… no wait, not a cloud. What could be so vast that it could completely blocks the sun from the sky? He lifted his head and stared at where the enormous silhouette moved. Jagged spikes jutted from the body and he- No, he got no time to stand in awe and describe the monster. Without even realizing it, his body subconsciously already started backing off, soon breaking into a run, with beads of cold sweat started forming.

The next thing he knew, a decaying blast of necrotic energy swept across the entire army. And then he was down rolling on the ground. The scene he saw all around him was nothing short of nightmare, one he can’t wake up from.

“AARGHHHHHHHHH”

“KYAARGHHHH”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaa"

The highly polished plate armors a moment ago instantly dissolved in the caustic discharge, skin and flesh bubbling beneath before soon putrefying into liquid filth. Not a soul was left standing, not one single soldier.

The battlefield, if it can even be called one, was instantly filled with hysterical screams of pain and anguish. And just as instantly as it started, it went dead silent.

““………………...........................................……………………………..””

Maybe because the pendant her daughter gifted him was made with enough love, it somehow had the property of cleansing, and shone brightly to cure him from his plight. Or at least it was supposed to. Ironically, all it did was to prolong his suffering, as the Chaos Dragon decay wasn’t something a child’s innocence can deter. In the last moment of his blinking consciousness, he could hear the rushed footstep of someone running, mouth frantically muttering.

“T-Thi-this w-was all a m-mistake, the entire crusade was a m-mistake! T-that’s not something we can fight! Impossible! Prae-Praetoria is doomed!! N-No, the whole Splinterlands is doomed!! L-lord Reinold is right! K-Khy-Khymeria.. I must warn Khymeria!!”

“Damn, right, this was all a mistake, I shouldn’t have enlisted. I- should have listened to you. I’m sorry Anissa.. I guess I couldn’t do something nice for your birthday yet again this year…. I’m truly sorry………………….”

-- New Recruit #748

STATUS: KIA

Welp there goes! I might try to write another if the ideas come by. If you guys noticed, I find it fun, and thus try my best to insert references to the game skills and mechanics besides using the official lore for the story! Feel free to leave any comments. Also for those who missed it, feel free to read up my previous post of another Chaos Legion invasion story, one where the beautiful Adelade Brightwing had to clash head to head with Alvar the Legionnaire!. Till next time~