Chapter 36: The Second Wave
Inside the dungeon, The Hollow Bone Cemetery, Fate and his group were resting.
While the others checked their equipment, recovered their mana, and steadied their breathing, Fate simply stared at the System Window floating before him.
His gaze remained fixed on the blue transparent box where a timer slowly counted down.
System Window
[Wave 2 starting in: 0:23]
Fate quietly watched the numbers decrease.
Seconds passed.
Then suddenly—
Isabelle's voice broke the silence.
"Everyone, stand up and return to your positions."
Her tone was firm.
"Wave two will begin in less than twenty seconds. Move now."
Everyone immediately obeyed.
Kyle stepped forward and took position at the front once again.
Behind him stood Fate and Isabelle.
At the rear, Chloe and Autumn moved into position, while Lisa stood slightly ahead of them.
Their formation was identical to the one they used during the first wave.
Meanwhile, Eugene remained at a distance, calmly observing the group.
His eyes moved toward the timer.
System Window
[Wave 2 starting in: 0:14]
Eugene crossed his arms as a thought passed through his mind.
(Less than fifteen seconds before the second wave begins.)
(Hopefully there won't be any other monster types besides skeletons attacking these youngsters.)
While Eugene continued watching from afar, Fate and the others prepared themselves once again.
The tension in the air grew heavier.
System Window
[Wave 2 starting in: 0:03]
The moment the timer reached zero—
The dungeon reacted.
System Window
[Wave 2 starting in: 0:00]
[Warning!]
[Second wave has started]
Kyle immediately steadied his stance.
He tightened his grip around his claymore Vanguard.
Fate and Isabelle stood quietly behind him, their breathing slow and controlled.
Lisa raised her staff.
Once again, she began summoning five fireballs.
At the rear, Chloe and Autumn prepared themselves.
Then—
Heavy stomping noises echoed through the cemetery.
Soon after, everyone saw them.
A horde of skeletons rushed toward them through the fog.
Isabelle narrowed her eyes and began counting.
(1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 20!)
After confirming the number, she quickly informed the group.
"I counted around twenty skeletons charging at us!"
Everyone heard her clearly.
But this time—
Instead of waiting for the skeletons to reach them…
They charged forward.
Eugene's eyes widened slightly as he watched.
(Charging straight into a horde of skeletons would normally be suicide...)
(That only applies to ordinary adventurer parties, of course.)
Kyle was the first to close the distance.
Mana surged through his body.
He activated one of his skills.
Sword Aura
Rarity: Rare
– A condensed mana that engulfs the sword in powerful concentrated energy, shrouding the blade in highly compressed mana.
Kyle's weapon, Vanguard, became coated in a sharp glowing aura.
Immediately after activating the skill—
Kyle triggered another one.
(Sword Strike!)
With a powerful swing, he unleashed the attack.
The impact shattered several skeletons instantly.
Bones scattered across the ground.
Some skeletons collapsed completely.
Others attempted to stand again despite their damaged bodies.
At that moment—
Fate and Isabelle arrived to support Kyle.
Isabelle moved with precision.
Using her rapier, she quickly eliminated skeletons that managed to slip past Kyle.
Then she activated a skill.
(Pyro Nail!)
Pyro Nail
Rarity: Uncommon
– Conjures flame energy at the tip of the weapon, allowing the user to pierce enemies with a destructive flame strike.
The tip of Isabelle's rapier ignited with intense heat.
She thrust forward.
The rapier pierced straight through the chest of a skeleton.
A beam of fire burst out from the creature's back.
Not only did the attack kill the skeleton in front of her—
It also burned through two more skeletons standing behind it.
While Isabelle fought on the left—
Fate positioned himself on the right.
With his Cold-Steel Sword in hand, he cut down every skeleton that approached.
At the same time, he activated one of his skill.
Flowing Butterfly Sword
A faint mirage of a small green butterfly appeared, swirling around Fate's blade.
As Fate swung his sword left and right, the illusionary butterfly followed each movement like a graceful guide.
Skeletons collapsed one after another.
Meanwhile—
At the rear, Lisa, Chloe, and Autumn continued supporting the frontline.
Lisa began casting several magic skills.
Fireball
Gale Lance
Light Arrows
She launched all three spells at the same time.
The attacks slammed directly into the center of the skeleton horde.
A powerful explosion erupted.
Bones were blasted apart.
The number of skeletons decreased rapidly.
Behind her, Autumn focused on supporting the team.
He continuously handed Mana Recovery Potions to Lisa.
At the same time, he protected Chloe using his defensive skill.
Aegis Ward
Rarity: Uncommon
– The caster conjures a sturdy magical barrier made of condensed mana that surrounds the user or a chosen ally.
– The shield absorbs incoming damage and disperses excess force into the surrounding mana, greatly reducing the impact of attacks.
A hexagonal-pattern barrier formed around Chloe and Autumn.
The shield glowed faint silver.
Whenever an attack struck it, ripples spread across its surface.
The battle continued.
Skeleton after skeleton fell.
Twenty minutes later—
The second wave was finally cleared.
Everyone looked exhausted.
Kyle in particular collapsed onto the ground.
For most of the battle, he had been holding back large numbers of skeletons from breaking through the front line.
While Kyle lay flat on the ground, Autumn approached him and handed over a bota bag — a leather water skin.
Kyle accepted it gratefully.
"Thanks."
Autumn smiled slightly.
"No problem."
Kyle drank deeply.
The cool water helped ease his fatigue.
While drinking—
Kyle noticed a blue transparent screen appear before him.
System Window
[Wave 2: Complete]
[Wave 3 starting in: 10:00]
Fate, Kyle, Isabelle, Chloe, Lisa, and Autumn were not surprised.
They had already expected it.
They were no longer inexperienced beginners.
They had already become accustomed to clearing Survival-Type Dungeons.
They had adapted.
Ten minutes passed.
Soon—
The third wave began.
Fate and the others returned to their positions.
But this time, their posture was different.
They looked calmer.
More focused.
Instead of gripping their weapons tightly, they now allowed them to rest naturally in their palms for smoother movement.
In the distance—
Another horde of skeletons charged toward them.
Meanwhile, far from the battlefield—
Eugene observed everything while activating one of his skills.
Eagle Eye
Rarity: Rare
– The user sharpens their vision by channeling focus and mana into their eyes, allowing them to perceive distant targets, track subtle movements, and identify weak points with exceptional clarity.
Eugene's eyes glowed faint green.
Distant objects appeared magnified and outlined in his vision, much like a predator focusing on its prey.
Through his enhanced sight, Eugene counted the skeletons.
(26… 27… 28… 29...?)
His brow slowly furrowed.
(Why are there only twenty-nine skeletons?)
(In the previous waves, the numbers were always multiples of ten.)
Suspicion crept into his thoughts.
"This is getting suspicious..."
His aura began to leak out slightly.
"It looks like I'll have to step in."
While Eugene prepared himself—
Fate and his friends braced themselves for another battle.
But—
Somewhere within the darkness of the cemetery…
Something else was waiting.
Hidden deep within the shadows.
A vicious creature lurked silently.
Its eyes glowed with an eerie bright green light.
Chapter 36 End