I Breathe Euro-Chapter 229: War.

For months, the looming war had been a dark cloud over the continent. Jack had known that the Shadow King was no ordinary foe. He was a master of deception, a ruler of unseen horrors, and a force that even the elves and dwarves had feared for centuries.

But up until now, he had only acted through his puppets—the Dark Elves. Never before had he shown himself in battle.

That changed today.

It was dawn when the alarms blared across the Dwarven-Elven war camp. The scouts returned, their faces pale, their bodies trembling.

"He’s here!" one of them gasped. "The Shadow King himself has come!"

Jack, standing at the edge of the war table, immediately turned to the map. He had expected another wave of Dark Elf forces, but this… this was different.

"How many soldiers?" Jack asked, his voice calm but sharp.

The scout swallowed. "None. Just… him."

A chill ran down Jack’s spine. Only one man? No, that wasn’t possible. There was no way the Shadow King had come alone. It had to be a trick.

Aureliana, standing beside him, her emerald eyes burning with energy, frowned. "If he has come in person, it means he is either arrogant… or wary of us."

"We will find out soon enough," Jack muttered, strapping his anti-gravity pistol to his side and stepping out of the tent.

Outside, the once-clear sky had darkened unnaturally, swirling with thick clouds. A black mist slithered through the air like living smoke, crawling toward the war camp, infecting the very air.

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Then, the mist parted, revealing a figure cloaked in pure darkness.

His armor was deep obsidian, absorbing the faintest light. A crimson crown of jagged spikes sat upon his brow, and his eyes… they were hollow pits of swirling shadows.

Jack instinctively clenched his fists. This was no ordinary enemy.

Every elf and dwarf in the camp froze as an overwhelming aura of dread crashed upon them like a tidal wave. Their breaths grew ragged. Some even collapsed to their knees.

"So, this is the new power you’ve mustered?" The Shadow King’s voice was deep, slow, and filled with an eerie calm. "Machines. Steel. Powder and smoke."** His gaze swept across the war camp, lingering on the newly built tanks, the missile launchers, and the armed dwarves.**

Jack stood his ground, his eyes locked onto the Shadow King. "Impressive, isn’t it?" Enjoy exclusive chapters from novelbuddy

The Shadow King chuckled—a low, sinister sound that sent shivers down even the bravest warriors’ spines. "You amuse me, mortal. You think these weapons can defeat me?"

Jack didn’t flinch. "They worked well on your Dark Elves, didn’t they?"

For the first time, the Shadow King’s expression changed. A flicker of… doubt.

His gaze moved from the armored dwarves carrying Jack’s newly designed pistols to the high-speed underground tanks parked in formation, their cannons aimed at him.

Then, to the Elven mages wearing reinforced battle armor—armor designed by Jack himself.

This was not the weak alliance he had once faced. This was something else.

A force too powerful to challenge head-on.

A long silence stretched between them. The air grew thick with tension. The elves and dwarves held their weapons tightly, waiting for the Shadow King’s response.

Finally, he tilted his head, his red eyes narrowing.

"Not yet."

The mist swirled violently, wrapping around him like a living shroud. In an instant, his body began to fade into the shadows.

"Enjoy this moment, mortal," his voice echoed, deep and menacing. "But know this—war is inevitable. Your machines will crumble, your armies will falter, and when the time comes… I will drown your world in darkness."

With those final words, the Shadow King vanished. The mist evaporated, and the sky cleared, as if nothing had ever happened.

But the weight of his presence remained.

Jack exhaled slowly. He had expected a battle, but instead… he had forced a retreat.

And that was even more terrifying.

The moment the Shadow King disappeared, cheers erupted from the dwarves and elves.

"He backed down!"

"We made him run!"

"Jack’s weapons worked!"

Jack, however, wasn’t celebrating. His mind was racing.

Why? Why had the Shadow King left so easily? Had he underestimated them? Or… was he planning something worse?

Aureliana placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder. "You forced his hand today. That is a victory in itself."

Jack nodded, though his gaze remained distant. "Yes… but it’s not over yet."

He turned back toward the war table. If the Shadow King was truly scared, then that meant only one thing—

He was going to return. And next time, he wouldn’t hold back.

The war was far from over.

Jack knew it. The dwarves knew it. The elves knew it.

The Shadow King had retreated, but that didn’t mean he had been defeated. No, he had simply gone back to prepare. And when he returned, Jack had no doubt that he would unleash something far more terrifying than before.

Jack wasn’t going to wait for that day. He was going to be ready.

So, he got to work.

A week had passed since the Shadow King’s retreat, and a war council was being held inside the Royal Hall of the Dwarven Capital.

The chamber was carved deep into the heart of the mountain, with golden chandeliers glowing dimly, illuminating the room in an ethereal light. The King of the Dwarves, Thorgar Ironbeard, sat at the head of a massive stone table. His thick, braided beard rested on his armored chest as he listened intently.

Seated beside him were the Elven Queen Lysaria and her daughter, Princess Aureliana, both draped in emerald robes that shimmered like the leaves of their sacred forest.

Jack, standing at the opposite end, looked around. Every powerful leader in the continent was present.

The war had united them. Now, Jack had to convince them of the next step.

He exhaled and spoke.

"The Shadow King won’t make the same mistake twice." Jack’s voice echoed across the hall. "Next time, he will come with an army. And this time, he will aim to destroy us in one decisive strike."

The room fell into a deep silence. The tension was heavy.

King Thorgar slammed his fist onto the table. "Then we will fight! My warriors will not run from a battle!"

Jack nodded. "Yes, but bravery alone won’t be enough. If we face him head-on, we will be slaughtered."

The elves exchanged nervous glances. The dwarves frowned.

"Then what do you propose?" Queen Lysaria asked, her golden eyes narrowing.

Jack took a deep breath. "We need something bigger. Stronger. Something the Shadow King cannot ignore. Something that can strike before he even reaches our gates."

He unfurled a massive blueprint onto the table.

The room went silent.

Then… gasps.

What lay before them was a design unlike anything this world had ever seen.

Jack had designed the ultimate defense system—massive artillery machines that could rain down destruction upon any invading force before they even got close.

The Titan Cannons.

Standing over 60 feet tall, these mechanical behemoths were designed to fire explosive shells the size of a boulder.

Using a mix of gunpowder, magical amplification, and kinetic force, the shells could travel over several miles and obliterate enemy formations.

Their foundations were reinforced with dwarven stone and enchanted elven metal, making them nearly indestructible.

These were not ordinary weapons.

These were war machines capable of leveling an army in minutes.

King Thorgar stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming with admiration. "By the Forge… this is madness!"

"Madness that will save us," Jack corrected. "If we build these, the Shadow King will no longer be the hunter. He will be the hunted."

Queen Lysaria nodded slowly. "You propose turning the tide of war before the battle even begins."

Jack met her gaze. "Exactly."

A moment of silence passed.

Then, King Thorgar rose to his feet. "Then let’s get to work!"

The hall erupted in agreement.

For months, the dwarves worked tirelessly.

Under Jack’s supervision, the great forges of the Dwarven Kingdom roared to life, melting metal, forging gears, and assembling the behemoth artillery.

Dwarven blacksmiths hammered away at steel plates, crafting reinforced armor for the cannons.

Elven enchanters infused the artillery shells with magic, ensuring they struck with devastating precision.

Jack worked day and night, designing, modifying, and perfecting each part.

It was a task that had never been attempted before.

And it was draining.

Jack barely slept, barely ate. His mind was constantly racing. Every detail had to be perfect. Every calculation precise.

Even Aureliana, who had grown closer to him, grew concerned.

"Jack, you need to rest," she pleaded one evening, finding him hunched over blueprints, dark circles under his eyes.

He looked up, exhaustion evident. "Not yet. If I rest, we fall behind schedule."

She sighed, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You can’t do this alone."

He smirked tiredly. "I never do anything alone."

And he was right.

The dwarves, the elves, the humans—everyone was working together for the first time in history.

For survival.

The day finally came.

On a massive testing ground outside the capital, the first Titan Cannon stood—completed.

It was a thing of awe and terror—a towering monstrosity of steel and stone, reinforced with layers of magic. Its barrel alone was large enough for a man to walk inside.

The first test fire was about to begin.

The target? A massive abandoned mountain miles away.

Jack stood beside King Thorgar, Aureliana, and Queen Lysaria. Thousands had gathered to watch.

The cannon was loaded. The shell—engraved with dwarven runes—was carefully inserted.

Jack raised his hand. "Fire."

The engineers activated the cannon.

A thunderous explosion shook the ground as the Titan Cannon roared to life. The force alone sent shockwaves through the earth.

The shell cut through the air like a meteor, its speed beyond anything seen before.

Seconds later…

BOOM!

The distant mountain erupted in a fiery explosion, its peak disintegrating instantly. A massive crater formed, smoke rising into the sky.

Gasps filled the crowd. Even the dwarves, who had built the cannon, stared in disbelief.

Jack turned to them, his voice calm but firm. "Now imagine that aimed at an army."

King Thorgar let out a deep, booming laugh. "By the gods, we have built a monster!"

The dwarves cheered. The elves applauded. The first true weapon of war had been born.

Jack, however, merely looked at the destruction in the distance.

The Shadow King would see this. He would know.

And next time… he wouldn’t just bring an army.

He would bring everything.

Jack had to be ready.