All turned their terrifying eyes to ward Julia. Inside her powerful dome of aura, her hair slowly rose up, floating among the splashes of lightning. Everyone could feel the pressure growing on their chest that came from the woman whose eyes were red from all of her overflowing emotions.

Jack gulped, surprised by this new attacking technique from a Maester. He possessed the knowledge to understand that Julia was mixing her own aura with specially crafted compounds, much like the transmitter for contact from the bandits he encountered early on. Reacting with her mana, this substance created sparks, locking the monster in its place. On the other hand, he also realized how this skill put the caster in an equally dangerous position. A few lightning bolts backfired at the teacher's skin and clothes, but she still gritted her teeth and remained persistent.

The chaotic barrage of lightning bolts shot straight at the Cavernwraith, causing it to cower a bit. Its tentacles and claws waved to block the attacks, but there was simply too much to handle. The wounds gradually stacked up, and burns appeared on its face, making it even more hideous.

Julia, on the opposite side, was suffering even worse. Blood leaked from the corners of her eyes, nose, and mouth. Her gaze gradually wavered. Soon, all of this proved insufficient as the lightning gradually decreased and weakened. The Cavernwraith raised its head again, its jagged teeth open to a roar of frenzy. As soon as it felt like it could move, the creature rushed toward Julia.

Before anyone could jump between her and the charging beast, she put her hand up. Even the pair of naked eyes could now see the tiny particles that had been released into the air.

Julia's face slowly loosened, giving way to a smile.

“I’ll see you soon,” she whispered.

With a snap of the finger, her aura returned, forming a vague dome. Threads of mana flowed out from her fingers, connecting to the substance that had just been released. Soon, it was lit, and fire appeared in spots inside the aura area, hitting the monster.

From outside looking in, one could only see Julia as if she was dancing in a sea of fire. Her fingers swung up and down in a rhythm to control the intensity of the attack. Her clothes smoldered, burned to pieces of ashes that drifted backward, her hair covered in the deadly flame that was enveloping her.

Then, everything ended with a big bang. The aura burst out, causing everyone to be pushed back. Even the cannon emplacements and houses were toppled over.

The creature was burned so bad its body parts became unrecognizable. Its teeth bared at the enemy lying a distance away from it.

Julia was convulsing after having collapsed on the ground. Her clothes were charred with blackened holes, her face and body parts covered with burns. The Maesters quickly moved, held her limps steady, and began performing their first aid procedure.

Jack overheard their conversation. Julia's own mana core was cracked. Since mana wasn’t able to be stored there properly, it spilled into her body uncontrollably, causing damage to blood vessels throughout the body. Their preliminary conclusion was that Julia might not be able to use her mana anymore without the intervention of a high-ranking Maester, and their pessimistic expressions said it all.

After having taken a quick scan around, Jack stepped back into the darkness and moved to another position. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't help Julia. But for this town, he still had the ability to contribute.

While running between the roads that were being overrun by monsters, a few rays of light grazed the sky, causing Jack to raise his head. They were like little green snakes slithering towards the South Gate. The source of the shot was the Artifier's rooftop floor.

Jack quickly gave chase. He arrived at the exact moment the rays of light fell on the Cavernwraith fighting Gaius. Those lights repelled the monster but did not disappear right away. They bounced forward, took a turn, then went straight at the creature again.

Gaius cried out, leaping forward to cast another Lion Roar.

“Attack with everything you got. Now!” Gaius spoke as if out of breath, but barely enough for his subordinates to understand the order.

The Crusaders dragged themself forward, their fists clenched, swung backward, and thrown at the monster.

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The airborne fists rapidly fell on the body of the Caverwraith that had been immobilized by the Warrior’s Guild master and the reinforcement from the Artificers in the form of bizarre projectiles.

The monster tried to hold out, but it was under so many attacks that it couldn't even open its mouth to let out any sound of infuriation. It struggled for a while but eventually gave up when all of its strength had been chipped away, helplessly feeling its mana cores being destroyed one by one. It fell to the ground, much like its kind at the north and south gates. The victorious side wasn’t doing any better. Everyone also fell on their knees, panting, losing all capacity to rejoin any fight or help anyone anymore.

The projectiles finally stopped, having finished their mission. They turned into orbs, like balls of polished glass, rolling on the road. There were no more support shots to the west. It seemed as was the last leg of the Artificer Guild as well.

After having made sure that the remaining Heralds could continue defending the south gate, Jack moved in his father's direction.

The Cavernwraith at the west gate was beating the two Crusaders from the town's two top houses to a pulp. They didn’t possess ranks and skills like those of Marvin or Gaius, making their battle completely dependent on their items.

Abraham had already exhausted all his energy as well as his Crusader grenades and other auxiliary items. His face was sweaty, his movement sluggish. His arch-rival, Arnold Hensley, on the other hand, despite showing some signs of fatigue, was still handling the situation quite comfortably.

Jack, seeing his father struggle, snuck into a corner to see how things would unfold.

He held the Black Lightning Blade in his hand, his mind recalling all the information and strategies the sword had bestowed upon him. Since he was one of its two creators, the other being Bastian, his connection with the sword was inherently stronger than others. Still, his rank was still too low for it. That would have been the case had he not had the System.

He quickly opened the Artificer branch and put points in his Weapon Wielder skill.

You have used 6 skill points.

Weapon Wielder (Herald, Active, Single Target – Self)

Level: 6 (Requirement of next level: Spr >= 105)

Effects:

Allow using weapons with lower restriction and damage.

Highest Weapon Rank Able to Wield: Archon.

-80% damage and effect output.

Following is Arcanist’s skill.

You have used 5 skill points.

Lightning bolt (Herald, Active, Magical Damage, Multiple Targets)

Level: 6 (Requirement for next level: Spr >= 117)

Mana cost: Low mana per use.

Cooldown: 5s.

Effects:

Deal Lightning damage upon impact.

+26% Lightning damage.

Jack took a deep breath, commanding his arm to morph. Then, he inserted the handle of the sword into the cannon’s barrel.

This could be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, Jack exclaimed to himself.

He could feel the weight of the Black Lightning Blade and its excessive demands on the user, both in terms of mana and physical exertion.

As soon as he started channeling the Lightningbolt spell, his mana was drained in a blink of an eye. Jack immediately chucked down a level 8 Lesser Mana Potion.

For a brief moment, his robotic arm went beyond its overheating limit. Even so, the lightning had managed to gather and gradually shifted its power toward the tip of the sword. The penalty for using the Archon weapon was massive. Still, he hoped the amplification effect of the arm, as well as his supporting skills, could produce the desired result.

The lightning gradually turned black, releasing a reverberating sound through the air.

Jack moved, trying to point the sword at the Caverwraith that was bullying his father. Then, he let loose all of the repressed power.

The sudden flash of black lightning startled both Abraham and Arnold Hensley. Before they knew it, the monster had already been hit.

Much like its kin at the north gate, the Cavernwraith squealed in agony.

The two Crusaders instantly grabbed their Wind-forged Maces and started swinging at the monster. The attacks left bangs in the air, rapidly falling down on the wavering Cavernwraith. Although Jack's attack couldn't be compared to that of Meinhard, the duration of the stun effect was adequate. The monster quickly collapsed as its five mana cores were devastated.

And just like that, the third wave was dealt with.

Jack's left hand trembled after using Black Lightning. His lungs seemed to be squeezed dry, gasping for whatever they could get. Veins popped up from his skin, crinkling into lines on his forehead, neck, and hands. He gritted his teeth and endured, trying to control the unsettling flow of energy in his body.

Jack leaned against the wall, turning his head to look at the remnants of the battle.

Abraham breathed a sigh of relief, nodding at Arnold. The head of the Hensley household, however, did not respond. His face hesitated for a moment, then his hand tightened on his weapon. Without saying a word, he leaped forward, swinging his Wind-forged Mace at Abraham.

In the distance, Jasmin Hensley stopped pointing her Rapier at the monsters surrounding the Hensleys' men. She changed course, dashing straight to her brother's position, the Winter Cape fluttering behind her.

“Damn it,” Jack gritted his teeth.