[10 minutes left for Tenth Wave]
A new panel appeared.
[ Quest: Eliminate the Boss Monster ]
[ Reward: Mask ]
Raizen smirked.
"A new quest… and the reward is a mask, huh."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Get ready."
David fired up immediately, veins popping slightly.
"Yes, my lord!"
Remi tightened her grip on her sword.
"Yes, my lord."
Nox Reven stepped forward, eyes burning with determination.
"I will show the results of my training, my lord."
Behind them, Rex, Gareth, Roland, Thane, Cedric, Alaric, Brennan, Darian, and Torren all stood tall—each wanting to prove themselves.
[ The 10th Wave has started. ]
The portal expanded—
wider, taller, roaring like a living beast.
Raizen's smile faded.
"That portal… it's now five meters tall. If this keeps going, people will notice it soon."
He clicked his tongue.
"…I have to get stronger before that happens."
Then—
Goblins poured out.
Not 20. Not 40.
100 goblins with worn knives.
50 wolf-riding goblins.
And leading them…
A giant.
An Orc.
Four meters tall.
Muscles like a boulder.
Skin dark green and scarred.
Holding a massive tree trunk like a club.
Tusks dripping with saliva.
Raizen narrowed his eyes.
"A boss orc… perfect."
He stepped forward.
"I'll take the orc."
The knights panicked.
"But My lord—!"
Raizen interrupted.
"No 'but.' I'll handle him."
The knights looked at him, swallowing their fear.
"…We won't let any pests disturb your fight, my lord!"
Raizen smirked slightly.
Silver rank… time to test my mana-enhanced fist.
The monsters charged.
The knights charged back.
DAVID
With one terrifying swing—
SWOOSH!
Ten goblin heads flew into the air.
His sword gleamed with power, muscles flexing as he roared:
"For the lord!!"
REMI
Fast. Clean. Efficient.
She sliced the legs of wolf riders—
SHING! SHING!
Goblins fell and other knights finished them off instantly.
NOX REVEN
Anyone who even looked toward Raizen—
CRACK!
STAB!
SLASH!
He killed every goblin that aligned their eyes toward his lord.
REX (Axe wielder)
He lifted his massive axe and—
BOOOOM!!
One swing crushed goblin AND wolf skulls together.
LUCAN (Spear wielder)
He thrust forward—
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!
Seven goblins were skewered at once like a kebab.
THE OTHERS
Bronze-ranked killers.
Sharper. Faster. Stronger after 100 days of training.
The battlefield wasn't a fight.
It was a slaughter.
Raizen walked calmly.
No weapon.
Just his fist wrapped in swirling mana.
The orc roared and swung the tree trunk—
WHOOM!!
The knights watched nervously even while fighting.
But Raizen—
He stepped forward.
And as the orc's attack reached halfway—
Raizen punched.
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
His fist pierced straight through the orc's chest.
A shockwave of wind burst outward—
dust exploding everywhere.
The orc's massive body froze…
then collapsed backward.
THUDDDD.
Raizen blinked.
"…That was one punch?"
The knights, after finishing the last monsters, stared at him like he was a god.
"WOW!!"
"Our lord is so strong!!"
"Impossible… he killed a boss monster with one hit!"
They sparkled with admiration.
Raizen scratched his cheek awkwardly, smiling shyly.
[ 5000 points gained ]
[ 30 minutes until 11th Wave ]
Raizen nodded.
"Good. More rest time between waves."
The knights dragged corpses aside.
[ Mask obtained ]
[ Item Level: 1 ]
[ Upgrade Cost: 10,000 points ]
[ Effect: Change appearance into any race ]
[ Current: Only Human available ]
A plain white mask appeared in Raizen's hand.
Raizen lifted it.
"This thing… looks simple."
He placed it over his face.
A panel appeared:
[ Select Human Gender: Male / Female ]
"Male."
The mask cracked—
CRACK… CRACK… CRAAAACK!
—and shattered into glowing fragments.
Raizen lifted his head.
The knights froze stiff.
His new face was—
Too handsome.
Sharper jawline.
Smooth glowing skin.
Long eyelashes.
Eyes deep and mysterious.
Hair naturally falling like a model.
A beauty blessed by gods.
David whispered:
"M-My lord looks like… some legendary protagonist…"
Remi whispered:
"…Any princess who sees him will fall instantly…"
Raizen rubbed his new face.
"So this is the mask's true power…"
Then he removed it.
The mask reappeared in his hand.
"Good item."
Raizen asked:
"How far can my knights fight without me?"
[ They can win up to Wave 17 even without you and Nox Reven. ]
Raizen smirked.
"Good. After this, I'll explore the dungeon I have heard about at guild building and farm more points."
[ Summon Feature – Level 1 ]
1. Bronze-1 Knight — 150 points
2. Locked
3. Locked
Raizen: "System,how many points i have?"
[ 5400 points available ]
"Upgrade summon feature."
[ Summon Feature → Level 2 ]
New Troop Unlocked: ARCHER
Raizen grinned.
"Finally."
He summoned immediately.
[Trainee Archer summoned.]
[200 points deducted.]
A young girl with a bow kneeled before him.
Raizen upgraded her twice.
[Bronze-1 → Bronze-2]
[Points now zero.]
[ Name the Archer ]
Raizen typed the first name that came to mind.
Mira.
Mira lowered her head deeply.
"Thank you, my lord… this is the greatest honor of my life."
Raizen waved awkwardly.
"Don't bow so much. Go meet your team."
David ran toward her like a hyper dog.
"A girl!? Welcome! I'm the lord's favorite!"
Remi dragged him away by his hair immediately.
Elara introduced herself warmly.
The knights cheerfully welcomed her into the family.
Raizen watched Mira join the rest of the knights and smiled quietly.
But his curiosity wasn't done yet.
"System," he asked, "what exactly is the difference between an archer and a knight?"
The answer came instantly.
[ Knights and Archers – Comparative Functions ]
[
Knights:
• Use mana mostly to enhance their body—strength, speed, reflexes.
• Infuse mana into swords.
• At high ranks, they can form a sword made entirely from their aura.
• A peak-level knight can slice mountains with a single strike.
]
[
Archers:
• Also enhance their body with mana, but focus more on eyesight and precision.
• Infuse mana into the bow and arrows.
• At high levels, they can create a full bow and arrows made purely from mana.
• A peak-level archer can shoot an arrow that travels kilometers and still strike a single leaf mid-air.
]
Raizen nodded slowly.
"I see…"
He rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
That moment—
A breeze swept across the clearing.
Soft… but chilling.
Raizen's expression shifted.
His brows tightened.
His shoulders stiffened.
His chest felt heavy.
A sudden thought struck him—
A dangerous thought.
"…System."
His voice was low.
Quiet.
Almost afraid of the answer.
"Will my warriors ever… betray me?"
His fingers curled slightly.
His heartbeat quickened.
Even his silver-ranked body couldn't hide the uneasiness spreading through his chest.
The knights were laughing behind him, chatting, comparing strength, and showing off their new abilities… but Raizen didn't turn around.
His eyes stayed on the ground.