Chapter 57: Turning the Tide

Focus fire! Take down that second-tier creature in a single blow!

That Howling Banshee is charging in!

On the battlefield, a small banshee with a protruding chest bone hurtled at high speed, bypassing several melee interceptors as it raced toward the rear defense line.

Hoarse with exertion, the burly Strength Type man standing beside Yenir fixed his gaze on the rapidly approaching banshee and hurled his spear like a speeding cannonball.

Keep it away! That thing spits out acid!

Ah!

A piercing screech erupted.

The Howling Banshee, its chest bone jutting out, emitted grating sonic waves while continuously spewing clumps of green mucus from its chest.

Like acid, the mucus that splattered on the wall burst into white smoke on contact, completely corroding the hard bricks.

No way! It’s moving too fast! Those archers, take your shot—I can’t hit it!

His head was slick with sweat.

The burly man, repeatedly tossing his spear and watching his attacks fly wide, grew increasingly anxious.

He wasn’t a dedicated thrower; he was merely holding back to conserve his strength out of fear.

Against slower foes, his raw power could pack a punch, but against these lightning-fast mutants, his attacks just couldn’t keep up!

Handle it yourself!

We’ve got mutants too!

Meanwhile, several second-tier archers shouted fiercely from the other side; they were under far more pressure than the burly man.

At once, four second-tier and six first-tier creatures appeared, forcing them to concentrate their firepower to take down one enemy at a time.

Damn it! Damn it!

After his last spear missed, the burly man’s face turned ashen.

Though he was formidable—adept in both close and long-range combat—a melee clash with the Howling Banshee was destined to leave him wounded, and any injury could be fatal!

In desperation, he glared at Yenir, who was still methodically picking off zombies, and burst out with curses.

Can you fucking be of some help?!

A second-tier guy with a crappy bow! Are you trying to get me killed?!

Damn your skills! Get them into action already!

Veins bulging, the burly man clutched his battle spear and furiously berated Yenir, whom he considered utterly useless.

In the next second, there was no time for more words.

The banshee, now at the base of the wall, scurried up it like a spider without missing a beat.

Ah!!

A piercing shriek tore through the air. In his frantic counterattack, the burly man managed only a single thrust before the banshee’s long, matted hair swept him away and its gaping chest spat out acid with a resounding ‘pfft’.

Pfft.

White smoke billowed as the unable-to-dodge burly man screamed in agony; half of his face was pitted with acid burns, and his left eye, wracked with pain, transformed into a murky pool of pus.

He’s charging!?

In the distance, awakened fighters furiously firing noticed the agonized screams and were struck with horror.

None had expected that the spear-wielding awakened fighter would so easily breach the defenses. If things went south, they’d all be dragged down.

Grimacing in pain, the burly man struggled to pull his spear free. But under the banshee’s crushing bite, his spear just wouldn’t budge.

It’s over!

In a daze, the burly man felt a deep despair. With strength only of a lower second-tier fighter, facing equal-level mutants alone left him virtually no chance.

Just as the others were eager to rush in for support, a flash of silver light—swift as lightning—pierced the banshee’s head.

Pfft!

Thick, dark, tainted blood trailed in a long line from the dagger.

In the next moment, the slain Howling Banshee slowly released its split, bloodied maw, which dropped limply like a shattered doll.

Surviving the ordeal, the burly man withdrew his weapon and instinctively glanced toward the source of the silver light with his remaining right eye.

There, beside the worthless figure he had dismissed, Yenir had a palm-sized dagger levitating on its own.

Wait… did that kid just save him!?

In disbelief, the burly man watched as the dagger darted out like a swimming fish—and finally realized that Yenir was manipulating the weapon to rescue him.

Th-thanks…

It was him after all!?

Stammering, the burly man swallowed hard and offered a stunned thank you.

What kind of ability is this? How can he control objects in the void?! That silver flash’s speed truly gave him a massive shock.

At the same time, a few of those who had intended to rush in for backup stared in astonishment at Yenir.

One strike to kill a second-tier enemy? Such power in a lower second-tier fighter is just too outrageous!

Watching Yenir deftly manipulate the dagger to dispatch foes, their hearts filled with shock.

They never expected that Yenir, who appeared to be the weakest among the Willpower Types, would possess such formidable strength.

No need to thank me—just mind your mouth.

In a low voice, Yenir replied, paying no heed to the burly man’s mix of embarrassment and awe.

He had planned to hold off on revealing his hidden skills until later.

But with the Farming Team having upped the dungeon’s difficulty and hesitating to act, the situation before him was far worse than expected.

If he didn’t step in soon, the battle line would surely crumble.

The situation was like a paper bowl—once a hole forms, it only grows. If heavy casualties occurred in the initial rounds, he wouldn’t be able to wait for the perfect moment to take down that third-tier enemy and monster in one fell swoop!

No matter how wide the reach of Sword Storm, you must find the right timing!

With vigilant eyes, he realized his trump card had already been revealed. Yenir could only hope that his abilities wouldn’t provoke the Blood Wolf Squad’s murderous intent.

Otherwise, he’d have no choice but to forcefully strike and take that woman out.

The Forbidden Sword Techniques have an unbearably long cooldown. If he attacked the Blood Wolf first, the rest of the dungeon would be impossible to clear.

Under such circumstances, Yenir was unwilling to waste any more valuable time.

Now that’s interesting.

Not far away, the imposing Blood Wolf Leader watched Yenir’s retreating back with keen interest, a playful smile gracing her attractive face.

She had thought Yenir would have been dead by now, but was astonished by his sudden burst of power.

Anyway, controlling objects in the void is a relatively rare skill—it boasts impressive power and speed.

Compared to ordinary Willpower Types who become useless after burning through their skills, Yenir’s method of sustained output was clearly superior.

No wonder a Willpower Type like Yenir dared to enter the dungeon alone.

Still, after a light laugh, the woman seemed unbothered—a second-tier skill, no matter how unique, is just that.

Given the vast difference in physical prowess, a single hit from her could have killed Yenir instantly.

Keep an eye on that kid.

Report any unusual movements to me immediately.

Casually issuing orders to her subordinates, the woman shifted her attention back to the two peak second-tier fighters.

For the Farming Team, if the other awakened fighters fought desperately, the dungeon’s pressure would naturally be greatly reduced.

By holding back their strength, clearing this dungeon wouldn’t be too difficult.

The only risk was the desperate counterattacks these fighters might launch before dying.

More than Yenir’s performance, she was more concerned about the two peak second-tier fighters.

After all, they were the only ones with even a glimmer of hope to challenge her.

….

Beep—Round Three of the assault has begun. Get ready!