The screen flashed red. Village Preserved. Barbarian Casualties: 88% Village Casualties: 12%
Suddenly, the village's hidden variable triggered. The 142 villagers hadn't run; they were in the cellar networks. At 0200 the following night, the "pixelated ants" emerged from the ground like ghosts.
At 0400 simulated hours, the barbarians appeared at the ridge. They weren't just raiders; they were a calculated force of chaos. The simulation rendered the smell of smoke and the sound of iron on hide.
