TWANG!
The man was startled as a crossbow bolt whizzed close to his head.
Drenched in cold sweat, he looked up towards the wall and shouted in frustration, "Hey, don't shoot randomly!"
Meanwhile, Circe confronts the wolfrider.
She clawed forward, but the wolf dodged her attack. The goblin rider retaliated, thrusting its spear towards Circe.
SWOSSHH!!!
She nimbly ducked, narrowly avoiding the strike in a heart-stopping close call.
Not missing a beat, she leaped upwards, her claws slicing through the wolf's flesh and bone before cutting effortlessly through the goblin's armor as if it were made of tofu.
Green and red blood spurted out, splattering the ground.
After her successful attack, Circe sees the notification:
[You killed the first wave boss, the Wolfrider.]
[Counting contribution, you have earned 10 points.]
[Your experience has increased by 10%.]
[The One That Creates Hope tells you to Try to find a crystal in the Wolfrider's body.]
Circe looks at the remaining. Using her razor-sharp claws, she tore through the bodies.
The goblin yielded nothing of interest, so she turned her attention to the wolf.
As she dissected the creature, she found a clear crystal shard, about the size of a finger, nestled within its innards.
[Consume it].
Circe hesitated, looking skeptically at the crystal shard.
"Eat this? But it's so hard," she murmured, her expression one of disgust as she glanced at the wolf's remains.
"And it came from inside the wolf's body."
[Use your sharp finger to poke it, then drink the liquid inside.]
"Liquid?" Circe was doubtful, inspecting the shard closely but seeing no sign of any fluid.
Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she poked the crystal with her sharp finger.
As she withdrew her finger, a clear liquid appeared on the tip.
With another deep breath, she tentatively tasted the liquid.
Almost immediately, she felt invigorated, a surge of energy coursing through her body.
Encouraged, she drank the remaining liquid directly from the crystal.
Although only a small amount was present, it was sufficient for her to notice a significant difference.
Curious about the effects, she Checked her status:
__________________________
Name: Circe Livia
Profession: none
Level:2
Stats Point :0
Exp:10/100%
Str:3
Agi:5
Int:6
_________________________
Faust watches from the screen. 'Layla was right. It enhanced her strength by 1 and agility by 2. But she didn't gain any new abilities,'
He glanced at the timer. One hour and 23 minutes remained in the current wave.
Suddenly, a new notification popped up:
[The wave has been cleared; casualties: 0.]
[Do you want to proceed to the next wave early?
[Everyone will receive 1 bonus point if the wave starts early.]
[Yes/No]
Faust didn't hesitate; he immediately selected 'Yes'.
[You have earned 1 Point!]
[25 people have selected 'Yes', and 5 have selected 'No'.]
[The next wave will proceed in 5 minutes.]
Nex handed a water bottle to Leslie, who was now sitting with her back against the fence.
Sipping from his hip flask, Billy took a moment to look at the group.
After a gulp, he asked. "What did you all choose?"
Nex responded first, "Yes."
Leslie, in contrast, said, "No."
Faust replied. "What about you? What did you choose?"
"No," Billy replied, pointing towards Aurelia, who was busy looting the goblin bodies.
"We should take some time to collect what we can from them and take a break."
"We don't know the strength of the next wave. It's better to be safe than sorry."
Nex shook his head. "If we take a break now, we'll probably miss out on the bonus points."
"And those could be crucial for surviving the next wave."
Faust chimed in. "I agree with Nex. We should capitalize on the opportunity for extra points."
"We also still have our traps ready in case anything unexpected happens."
Meanwhile, Circe, relishing in her new power, confidently made her way back to the wall, with the man following closely behind her.
As they reached the area, they noticed Asura standing atop the wall, observing the battlefield.
His gaze turned to Circe. "You've done well."
"You should have come out as a mutant from the start. Why hide it?"
With a confident smile, Circe said, "I prefer to prove my worth through my actions."
Asura seemed pleased by her response. "That's good. Come here."
Circe walked over to Asura, who then casually placed his hand on her waist.
She managed a flirtatious smile, though internally, she felt repulsed.
'Disgusting, but just be patient Circe. He'll meet his end in a few days.'
Asura, oblivious to her true feelings, spoke with an air of grandiosity.
"Do well, and you can be my queen in this new world."
"Just stay still for now; I'll show you the extent of my power."
Circe, playing along, touched Asura's face gently with a flirtatious tone.
"Of course, my king. I look forward to seeing your strength."
Internally, she was lamenting her situation, 'My experience, points, and crystals...'
"HOOONKK!!!"
The horn sounded once more, and the shimmering portals came to life again.
This time, the emerging goblins were noticeably larger, with a group of about 150 formidable creatures stepping out.
Among them were two wolf riders.
Then, Emerging from the portals was a giant goblin, towering over twice the height of a normal human.
Its entrance was marked by the heavy thud of steel boots, causing the ground to crack slightly under its weight.
The giant wielded a massive wooden club adorned with spikes.
Its muscular green body was sparsely covered, with only a steel shoulder piece for armor.
The creature's long, unkempt hair fluttered in the wind, and its green eyes glinted ferociously.
Two sharp teeth protruded from its lower jaw, adding to its menacing appearance.
"Roarrr!!!"
The goblin army was divided into two, each led by a wolfrider.
The towering orc slammed its club onto the ground, its sharp gaze fixating on the village wall.
Asura is standing on the wall beside Circe.
"Seems you can't just watch this time, Circe," he remarked as he released his hand from her waist.
He then began to channel his energy, focusing intently as he conjured a fireball between his hands.
The fire ignited, gradually growing more extensive and more intense in his palms…