"John, what did you do?" Asked the steely voice of a man who used to give orders his whole life.

"I didn't do anything, Colonel. That monster attacked the Valiant's stand at the end of every wave… You didn't have to fight any until now?" Shaking his head in disappointment, John sighed and mumbled just loud enough for the Colonel to overhear, "If they can't handle a single Deathfiend, how do they want to compete with the other shelters."

"I know you are trying to bait me, but it doesn't change anything. We will take that monster down and then we will continue this conversation."

After that, Reeds turned to the four military men standing to his left and gave them new orders.

"Stay here and make sure nothing happens to our guest. I will take command over the situation personally."

Four quick salutes later, John was left in the company of four stern-looking men who spread around the wall, blocking the way down.

"No sudden movements, kid. We will all calmly stay here, and wait for the Colonel to get back."

"Sure, I am here only to enjoy the show."

The defenders remained on the wall and waited for the monster to enter their range, wasting half of their distance advantage. The first abilities flew out at the sixty-meter mark but did barely any noticeable damage.

The monster was not exactly fast, but it definitely wasn't slow, and because no one interrupted its momentum, it was barreling forward on its three massive pairs of legs like a freight train.

From fifty to forty, to thirty, and to twenty. By that time the monster showed the first signs of injuries, but nothing major and the panic was slowly starting to settle in.

Looking to the side, the two groups that protected the other sides were now rushing to help, but unless they had some extremely powerful cards hidden in their sleeves, they would end up in a desperate struggle inside the shelter as everything collapsed around them.

"They aren't going to make it."

"What?" One of the soldiers asked but was hushed down by their captain and they continued watching in silence.

The last barrage flew out, and then two-thirds of the people abandoned the wall, leaving only the close-combat fighters standing firm.

At first, John thought they all went mad, but that was the time for their first trump. A three-by-three shimmering barrier appeared between them, and he watched in amazement as they continued attacking through it unimpeded, but the massive skeletal club only elicited booming sounds as it impacted the other side.

That shield held well, but over the following twenty seconds the light cracks turned into long spiderwebs, and as if on cue, the whole lineup suddenly jumped down, abandoning the wall and letting the next strike fall on top of it.

It was attacking the section above the gate, and the hit formed cracks all over the top of the wall, launching small chips of rubble into the shelter.

Unfortunately for the defenders, they haven't retreated far enough, and a shower of rocks peppered over their backs, leaving behind over a dozen light injuries.

This wasn't what I wanted, John thought as he watched the people flee further away from the wall.

During that time, the Colonel remained in the safety of a raised platform near the middle of the shelter with hands interlocked behind his back, looking like a famous general from a Chinese historical film.

Turning back toward the defenders he watched as the monster slammed its club into the weakened structure in an earth-shattering boom, broke the whole section off, and gained access inside.

No, it is exactly what I wanted… or isn't it? John observed the first lumbering steps and heard the scraping of bone as the colossus squeezed through the demolished gate, barely fitting through the two meters wide gate.

He was becoming more and more hesitant about what to do. On one hand, he wanted to have his revenge, but on the other, was it fair to let everyone else pay the price?

The Colonel's stoic indifference drove him crazy, but there was nothing he could do about that.

No, this is not who I want to be!

Turning to face his four guardians he spoke out in a confident tone.

"We need to help them!"

"We have our orders, besides if those men aren't able to stop it, what makes you think you can do anything differently?"

"I can. This wouldn't be the first time… I have faced that monstrosity before."

The defenders took the first casualties, as a disabling skill failed to take hold, and it turned two men into paste under its bulk.

"C'mon, we can save their lives. My ability is extremely powerful against skeletal enemies. All I need is forty seconds—or less now that it's damaged—and it's dead."

The three others remained silent, waiting for their captain's decision, but it was easy to see what they thought from their hopeful expressions alone.

"Go!"

John nodded and jumped over the wall. Breaking the drop into a roll, he was on his feet in a second and running toward the desperate defenders.

He entered the fifty-meter range in a couple of seconds and was about to send his stiletto out, but the ingrained need for secrecy made him reconsider and grab it by the handle instead. Pretending that it couldn't fly by itself, he leaned back and tossed it toward the monster's head.

His aim was slightly off, but the light change in direction was barely noticeable, and the stiletto became lodged deep in its skeletal jaws.

"Why did you stop?" Asked the voice of the captain who just caught up with him.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"It's done. As long as my stiletto remains lodged in, the damage takes hold."

"How does it work?"

"Hmm, I am not sure. Maybe you can think of it as a poison against the undead? Either way, they just need to buy time, can you let them know?"

The captain fought with indecision. Breaking his orders was risky enough, but changing the strategy mid-battle…

"Can you guarantee that it will work?"

"Absolutely."

The fight was very chaotic now, with the majority of people either trying to attack from range or desperately hoping to escape the thing's attention. The deathfiend wasn't unhurt either, with large breaks all over its front, and heavy damage to one of its legs, but overall it still seemed filled with plenty of energy.

The captain's orders came fast, and the people quickly shifted their strategy, using most of their abilities to slow it down or disrupt the movement.

A blob of liquid slammed in front of its leg, turning the dirt into a small puddle in which it got stuck, giving the poor woman in front just enough time to get up and escape. As more people focused wholly on making its movement more difficult, the monster was finally forced to slow down.

Sure, they lost the majority of their damage potential, but the orders were clear, and they trusted the captain with their lives.

Twenty seconds in, the golden lines were all over its skull, and starting to spread down the ribcage.

Almost there.

It was impressive to watch. There were over a hundred people, and everyone was trying everything they could think of to buy their friends extra seconds of safety.

Unfortunately, the monster must have felt its imminent demise and threw its club into the crowd of people harassing its left side. The massive bone-club flipped end over end and barreled into three unfortunate people, who weren't fast enough to react.

A sudden flash of golden light finally announced the success, and the people watched in wonder as the massive monster crumbled into dust, leaving behind a shining golden ball of ash that aimed directly toward John's chest.

[Congratulations! You have successfully survived the fourth wave of the Restless assault.

Points:

Zombie: 1

Rothound: 25

Rothound Alpha: 100

Deathfiend fatebreaker: 1250

Your contributions:

Zombie: 0

Rothound: 0

Rothound Alpha: 0

Deathfiend fatebreaker: 0.37

Total points 462.59

Note: The final fifth wave will begin six hours from the previous wave's announcement]

John felt that he made the right decision. Looking back, he was angry at the Colonel, but using the Fatebreaker as a means of revenge was not only cowardly but also wrong.

There were many dozens injured, and at least seven people dead. Was this the brilliant revenge he imagined on his way here? No, and worse yet, the bastard remained in safety the whole time, looking over his people like the disposable pawns he believed them to be.

This was the showing of how you are going to be the one in charge, huh?

"Thank you for helping us," the captain's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "I don't even know how we would pull through without your assistance."

Unable to muster any response, John nodded and continued walking to the short man currently holding his golden stiletto.

"Stop!" A steely voice boomed from the left. "This man is responsible for the calamity that befell us. Arrest him, gag him, and bring him to the cells for questioning!"

"But sir, he saved us. He was the one who…" the captain attempted to explain.

"Silence! He is a spy from a different shelter, and is actively trying to sabotage our efforts."

"Don't do this Colonel, you…"

"On the ground, hands behind your back! No sudden movements!" The soldiers started heading toward him, making him momentarily freeze in indecision.

Fuck!

He started to slowly lower down to his knees, but before lying down, he gave the command to the wisp that was flying high in the sky to fire.

The bolt struck the top of the Colonel's head in a small flash of light, making him collapse to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut off.

At first, most people hadn't noticed, and because John didn't make any movements, the soldiers only pushed him into the dirt.

"Colonel?"

"Mr. Reeds!"

"What happened?"

"Did you see anything?"

The voices spread out as people turned, and ran to help their commander, who was convulsing on the ground and having charred black skin all over his head.

"Medic! We need a…"

After another second, the body seized up one last time and then stilled.

[Attention Iron Citadel!

The previous owner of the shelter has died, and your pillar is now vulnerable.

Anyone who can remain in contact with the pillar for thirty minutes without any interruptions can claim ownership and become the new owner of Iron Citadel.

Note: Should the shelter remain unclaimed in the next twelve hours, it will lose its status and be destroyed]

Everything quieted down as the people read through the unexpected announcement, and John remained on the ground for the next couple of seconds until the voice of the captain spoke out.

"You bastard! Did you kill our commander?"

Thinking about lying, he was about to deny it but then changed his mind. It was a risk, but he obtained so many benefits, he should be able to make it out alive even if they escalate into a full-out fight, and he was done pretending to be weak.

"Yes I did," John said and pushed himself up while calling his stiletto back to him, eliciting a loud yelp from the short man currently trying to stuff it into his pocket.

The poor soldier who was keeping him down was lifted up with him as if he weighed nothing, and John calmly looked into the captain's eyes and continued even through the threats the surrounding soldiers were loudly shouting to him.

"Your commander was a liar and a scum. I visited your shelter in an attempt to form new relationships and trade, but he attempted to get me killed instead. You have seen me help your men, and you know I didn't have to, so now the choice is yours. Are you willing to let this go or will you die with your convictions?"

The confused soldier tried to get him into a chokehold, but during his speech John also used his stiletto to press into the man's neck, making the poor sod freeze up and gently lift his arms up.

"Do… Do you have any proof of what you are saying?"

"Hmm, there was this guy… Farsworth, I think? And some lady with us, and I am certain they were well aware of the Colonel's plot. Hell, even you might know about it. They told me to go into Charles' castle and enter the inner courtyard."

"They what?! That place is a death trap! We lost the majority of our fifth company to…" He took a pause to think and then steeled his resolve. "Listen up! First, we secure the pillar and then we will get to the bottom of this!"

The soldiers answered in a loud chorus of "Yes, sir" and headed out.

Huh, the beacon of light is not active, John observed.

"You… What is your name?"

"John, you?"

"Captain Morgan... and don't say it! Whatever you're thinking of, I've heard it before. Anyway, I think you should leave, John. We have this mess to take care of, and hopefully enough time to make it before the last wave."

"Very well Captain, and good luck with the last wave. I hope you can show better care for your men than the Colonel."

John was allowed to leave without any more complications and was soon standing outside the walls, but without any ideas on what to do next.