NOVEL WEB Chapter 107: First Wave...Completed!
The battle raged on, the air filled with the clang of steel, the roars of monsters, and the grunts of players pushing themselves to their limits.
Among the chaos, Arthur's summons continued their relentless assault, unknowingly drawing the attention of nearby players.
Borak charged forward with a thunderous snort, his tusks gleaming as he rammed into a hulking boar-like monster.
-35 HP
-20 HP
The beast stumbled back, its health bar rapidly diminishing before Borak delivered a final, brutal tusk to the chest.
[You have slain a level 4 Wild Boar]
"Who brought that boar with them?" a nearby player yelled, his shield raised to block an incoming claw swipe. "It's not attacking us—it's helping!"
"Forget it! Just be glad it's on our side!" another shouted, slicing into a wolf that lunged for his teammate.
-12 HP
-18 HP
[You have slain a level 4 Wolf]
Above them, Hank let out a piercing screech, diving like an arrow toward a snake-like monster coiled near the frontlines. His talons dug into the creature's scaled hide.
-15 HP
-25 HP
The snake hissed and writhed, but Hank was relentless, clawing at its eyes until the creature thrashed violently, unable to defend itself properly.
[You have slain a level 5 Venomous Viper]
"Did anyone summon that hawk?" a mage called out, launching a fireball at a nearby rabbit-like creature. "Because it's doing some serious damage up there!"
"It's Fateless's summon, I remember seeing it with him," another player yelled, swinging his axe. "Just let it do its thing!"
Meanwhile, Lupin darted across the battlefield, his agility leaving players and monsters alike in awe.
He dashed past a goblin, his claws slicing through its side with pinpoint accuracy.
-25 HP
-38 HP
[You have slain a level 4 Goblin Scout]
Lupin's howl echoed across the battlefield once more, the boost lifting the spirits and combat capabilities of both players and summons alike.
"Whatever's giving us this boost, I don't want it to stop!" a swordsman shouted, cleaving through a rabbit that lunged at him.
-15 HP
[You have slain a level 3 Corroded Rabbit]
"Push forward!" a tank at the front line yelled, emboldened by the combined efforts of the players and Arthur's unseen hand.
"Borak, another charge. Hank, keep the ranged threats blinded," Arthur muttered under his breath, directing his summons seamlessly as he struck opportunistically from the shadows. His dagger flashed, embedding into the neck of a distracted goblin.
-30 HP
[You have slain a level 4 Goblin Warrior]
"Whoever owns that boar and hawk," a player panted, slicing through a wolf, "we owe them big time!"
Arthur smirked but said nothing, letting the players bask in their supposed teamwork as he continued silently racking up contribution points.
The ground became littered with monster corpses, and notifications flooded Arthur's vision.
[You have slain a level 4 Wild Boar]
[You have slain a level 4 Goblin] Experience more content on empire
[You have slain a level 3 Corroded Rabbit]
Upon seeing that the players were no longer overpowered by the sheer strength and numbers of the monster horde, Arthur quickly snuck away from the main battle as the other players remained focused on the fray.
Slipping into the forest, he moved until he was hidden among the trees. He took a deep breath and extended his hand, summoning four of his strongest companions.
From the swirling dark portals emerged Sunless, Neko, Sylvaris, and the Goblin King.
Arthur didn't waste time. His voice was sharp as he gave his orders.
"Listen up. Monsters are going to spawn in every direction—south, east, north, and west. I need each of you to take a position. Your job is to slaughter anything that spawns, with no exceptions. Make sure they don't get near the village. Also, make sure that players do not see you. If any of the monsters do escape to the village don't follow them, just leave them."
Sunless nodded silently before he marched toward the east. Sylvaris hissed softly, slithering swiftly toward the north.
The Goblin King let out a guttural roar of acknowledgement before stomping toward the west, his weapon resting heavily on his shoulder.
Finally, Neko glanced at Arthur, her feline eyes narrowing as if weighing her pride against the compulsion to obey. With a flick of her tail, she leapt gracefully toward the south.
Arthur watched them disappear into the forest, a small smile playing on his lips as he turned back toward the village. "Time to let them do the heavy lifting," he muttered.
Back at the village, the players stood victorious, panting and covered in dirt and sweat, as the last monster fell.
A notification appeared in front of everyone simultaneously.
[Wave 1 Cleared: Monster Horde Event - Phase One Completed!]
[The second and final wave will begin in 10 minutes. Use this time to recover and strategize. Good luck, players!]
The system's message was concise and ominous, sending ripples through the crowd. Some players collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily in relief, while others nervously discussed the intensity of the next wave.
"That was insane. I thought we were done for," one player said, his voice shaky.
"Yeah, if it wasn't for those random buffs, I don't know if I'd still be standing," another replied, glancing around.
Lieutenant Adam, his face stern, stepped onto the podium at the village. His commanding presence immediately drew the attention of the exhausted players.
He raised a hand, signalling for silence.
"Everyone, listen up," Adam began, his voice clear and firm. "You did well in that first wave. You held the line and pushed back the monsters. But let's not celebrate just yet."
The murmurs among the players quieted as his tone darkened. "We made a few critical mistakes in the first wave. We were disorganized. People were running around without clear roles, and some areas barely held while others were over-defended. If that happens again in the next wave, we won't survive. I guarantee it."
His words sent a chill through the crowd, and the players exchanged worried glances. Adam continued, his eyes scanning the faces before him. "This second wave will be harder. There will be stronger monsters, larger numbers, and possibly even bosses. We need to prepare smarter this time. No lone wolves. No chaos. We will not leave our post no matter how long the monsters take to arrive, we did that on this wave and it almost cost us the event."
"I want no one to make the same mistake as us in the last round, is that understood?"
"Yes!" They shouted, although exhausted.
He pointed toward the crowd. "You all need to regroup and reinforce our strategy. Tanks, take the front lines. Damage dealers focus on the high-priority targets. Supports, stay vigilant and heal your allies. Scouts, I need you to report back any signs of monsters breaching the gates."
One player raised their hand hesitantly. "What about reinforcements? Are we expecting help from the NPC guards or anything?"
Adam shook his head grimly. "No reinforcements. It's just us. If we fail, the village falls, and every single one of us loses five levels. Do you understand the stakes now? Five levels is a death sentence for progress at this stage."
The gravity of his words settled over the crowd like a heavy blanket. The players who had been excited about the rewards now felt the weight of what was at stake.
"Start using these 10 minutes wisely," Adam continued. "Stock up on potions, sharpen your weapons, and solidify your roles in your groups. Communicate with your teammates. This isn't just about survival. The more we work together, the more contribution points you'll earn—and with that comes rewards."
A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the players, their determination slowly returning.
"And one more thing," Adam added, his tone softening slightly. "This event isn't just about loot and levels. It's a test of what we can accomplish together. If we let panic and greed rule us, we'll fail. But if we stand united, we'll prove that we can handle anything this world throws at us."
A roar of approval came from the crowd, their spirits lifting slightly. The tension was still in the air, but Adam's words had sparked purpose among the players.
Arthur, standing near the back of the crowd with his arms crossed, smirked to himself. "Not bad, Lieutenant. But I really want to see your reaction when all the monsters are dead."
Arthur, leaning casually against a wooden post with his arms crossed, allowed himself a subtle smirk. "Not bad, Lieutenant," he thought, his mind already planning his next move. "But I really want to see your reaction when you find out that all the monsters are dead."
Standing tall beside him was Borak, snorting and pawing the ground in impatience, while Hank perched calmly on his shoulder, his sharp eyes surveying the crowd.
After thinking about it for a while, he also decided to summon Lupin. He didn't want to take risks, because he knew things were going to get heated. And, if he was accused of hiding summons, lupin could be evidence against him. Many players saw him killing others after all, it's just that no one paid it attention yet.
Arthur had deliberately summoned them to remain at his side, a sly move to establish plausible deniability. The presence of his summons here would make it harder for anyone to accuse him of orchestrating the next massacre of monsters outside the village.
He was well aware of the suspicions brewing within Adam's sharp gaze, but without hard evidence, there was little the Lieutenant could do.
Arthur's focus, however, was not just on maintaining his innocence but also on solidifying his position among the players. Public approval was a currency as valuable as gold in situations like these, and Arthur was determined to ensure he had it in abundance.