The third wave came with only four monsters.

Four Cavernwraiths flew toward Oxdale from all sides. Their presence brought out an unprecedented terrifying gaze of Oxdale’s people, even of those who were considered the strongest of existence. Cavernwraith was said to be the most dangerous, deadly, and gruesome monster in the history of an outback like Oxdale. Their unique physique made them very tough to beat. That was why one was kept in captivity at Lavia Garden, to study them further and educate the youngsters.

Typically, it took five Crusaders to fight a Cavernwraith, an improbable condition at the current moment, considering how the tip of the town’s fighting force had been worn out.

Marvin left the mansion and found Meinhard standing at the north gate.

“I've never seen that before,” Marvin said, looking at the fire-cloaked Cavernwraith drifting toward them.

“Neither have I,” Meinhard said heavily. “But definitely some kind of mutated variation. Either new or old. That does not matter. How many people can we place against it?”

“Unfortunately, my friend,” the Mayor pulled out Warfists of Fleeting Might and strapped it on his wrist, “only you and me for now.”

Meinhard nodded with a frown, then opened the lid of a mana potion and poured it into his mouth.

You have leveled up.

Your level has increased from Level 5 -> Level 6.

Jack immediately abandoned his monster farming and ran back to Oxdale after having seen the Cavernwraiths appear.

The memory of the first encounter with the monster in Lavia Garden was still imprinted in Jack's mind. That monstrous shape made his stomach twist.

Oxdale had conducted its defense quite adeptly since the waves first started. Even though swarms of monsters had flooded in, their threat had been reduced to a minimum. As long as the powerhouses held their ground, this disaster would quickly pass. Then, the arrival of the Caverwraith changed all of that.

According to Jack’s study, Cavernwraith was difficult to deal with because instead of possessing a large mana core like humans or other common monsters, the creature divided it into five parts that lay throughout its bodies. This limited its ability to use mana manipulation capability on offense but greatly increased survivability. When one of these cores was destroyed, the remaining four would kick start the regeneration process, including the destroyed body parts. Therefore, to finish off Cavernwraith, the attackers had to find a way to destroy the mana cores in quick succession. That was the reason behind the five-Crusaders strategy.

The Cavernwraith in Lavia Garden, after being captured, had four of its cores drugged by the Maesters. However, it had somehow managed to fully regenerate itself and was heading to the east gate.

Their roars in the distance really got on his nerves. He used all his speed-boosting skills to return to the town. The night couldn’t last forever, and he would need to utilize what was left of it to help the people. If even these Cavernwraiths weren’t yet the finale, Jack would be forced to choose the option of escorting his family out of Oxdale.

Marvin leaped from the ground when the Cavernwraith arrived at the city gate. He threw his fist, wrapped in a blast of destructive energy, at the monster. The creature raised its limp gently, parrying the puny human’s attack. The air exploded as the two sides collided, creating a crushing wave that toppled the houses below.

The Mayor was pushed away. He did a full spin in the air, his leg bent, then straightened backward, propelling him back up like a rocket. An intricately ornamented blue sword was summoned. With the weapon in his hands, Marvin swung it in an arc, trying to cut through the Cavernwraith. The monsters reacted, blocking the swing with its lengthy claws. Marvin’s blade, though, was no ordinary weapon. It carved deep into the creature’s claws, leaving open cracks of skeletal shards and blood.

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It was the monster’s turn to back off with a screech of rage. It stared at Marvin, a shrill and gritting sound coming out from its mouth.

“D…d…i..e!”

The blazing cloak behind its back vibrated, unleashing a massive wave of flame that almost covered the sky above the town.

Marvin hurriedly readjusted his center of gravity to make himself fall to the ground faster while propelling himself backward.

“Meinhard,” he cried out.

The headmaster reopened his eyes after his brief meditation. He raised his hand, and all kinds of water cyclones were sent out, rushing up to face the sea of fire that was falling down.

Marvin swung his fist, shooting out air bullets, trying to destroy the drops of flame that had managed to penetrate Meinhard’s defense. Still, a few got through, and their destructive capacity was so overwhelming that the lower Arcanists could do nothing but flee in panic.

Behind the Cavernwraith, the lava flow from the volcano was still flowing and trying to boil over the previously created stone wall.

Gaius was forced to abandon his position and went to the south gate, where the Cavernwraith was causing trouble for the forces of the houses. All Crusaders had been deployed against the dangerous third wave, for everyone knew Cavernwraith must be eliminated with priority. As for the other monsters, they were forced to entrust them to the weaker forces.

The warrior guild master spared no effort and unleashed Lion Roar from his arcane shield. The phantom of a lion, even larger than before, appeared, repelling the Cavernwraith. Still, it didn’t buckle much, still flying forward though its limbs and tentacles were all crushed. The Crusaders couldn’t take advantage of the situation and attack, for they were themself exhausted. Rushing in at this state would mean certain death.

The east gate was guarded by the Artificers. They brought out a row of cannons that fired barrage after barrage of mana projectiles at the monsters. When the Caverwraith flew around to dodge them, a team equipped with lightning whips would attack it, trying to hold the creature in place. Still, they dared not enter its melee range since most Artificers did not possess the sufficient Strength stat to withstand a scratch, let alone a bite, from the Cavernwraith. Just the dangling tentacles would be enough to grab a careless body. Then, no matter how much one struggled, the sound of twisted, breaking bones would still be heard amid the screaming and firing.

The west side was being held by the Harpers and Hensleys. No matter how much they were hostile to each other, Abraham and Arnold must join forces to repel the Cavernwraith.

The head of the Hensley household’s eyes flickered when he saw that his arch-rival also owned a Wind-forged Mace. He frowned for a moment while resting to recharge his mana but then shook his head, and once again, his face became more determined than ever.

The fact that the Crusaders had to focus on the Cavernwraith had put more weight on the inferior forces. Casualties continued to rise without the support of powerful commanders. The necessary coordination dissipated, causing the formations to gradually disintegrate into chaotic combat.

The Maesters, who were always guarded in the back line to treat the wounded, were also attacked when the smaller monsters managed to find an opening. The severity of the crisis increased by the minute due to the lack of a claiming presence on the battlefield.

It was at this moment that a swarm of more than twenty flying objects was released from Dan Herring's office. They were about the size of an arm, armed with two small cannons mounted on their edges on either side. The drones controlled by Dan were distributed in all directions. Taking advantage of their high altitude, they opened fire on the ground monsters, as well as drove away the flying ones.

The drones had managed to give the fighting force a chance to catch a breath, though not for long. Every ten minutes, these flying objects had to assemble and fly back to their headquarters to restock on fuel and ammunition. There hadn’t been enough time for them to be upgraded to be more helpful.

Eventually, the Maesters were forced to abandon their healing duty and join the frontline. Since poison proved ineffective, they instead focused on increasing the combat capability of the Warriors, Artificers, and Arcanists. Enhancement potions are constantly being brought to the town's hotspots.

Julia also took the same action, accompanied by Juan, a High Crusader, as a bodyguard. She was too important of a factor because of her rank and experience to go forward alone. The effect she gave was equal to that of ten Maester Heralds combined. Therefore Juan was responsible for making sure his colleague got where she needed to be.

Still, there were simply too many monsters on their way to the east gate, where the weakest of forces was facing a Cavernwraith. The two were quickly surrounded and forced to fight their way out.

Jack arrived at the scene and found his father and Arnold fighting together. He slipped into the night to find Sword in The Forge.

They needed a heavy weapon, something that would turn the situation around.

They needed Black Lightning Blade.