The ground trembled beneath their feet. The monstrous second wave thundered toward the city, dust clouds rising like a storm on the horizon.
"All of you—prepare for battle!" the S-rank warrior roared, his voice cutting through the tension.
Steel rang as swords were unsheathed. Mages steadied their staffs, channeling their magic. The adventurers, though outnumbered, stood firm.
"Hold the line!" the S-rank mage commanded, gripping his staff. The air around him crackled as flames coiled around his fingertips.
The first wave of monsters crashed into them like a tidal wave.
A pack of Dire Wolves led the charge, their glowing red eyes filled with bloodlust. They pounced—only to be met by a blinding gust of wind.
The S-rank warrior spun like a storm, his wind-imbued sword slicing through the beasts in a single arc. The air pressure alone sent the wolves tumbling back, stunned but not dead.
"Archers, fire!"
Arrows rained down, piercing the wounded wolves before they could recover. The adventurers held formation, pushing forward with shields and spears.
Behind them, Rock Golems lumbered forward, their massive stone bodies shrugging off normal attacks.
"Earth Shatter!" the S-rank mage slammed his staff into the ground. Jagged spikes of earth erupted beneath the golems, cracking their legs and forcing them to a halt.
"Don't let them recover! Focus on their weak points!" he commanded.
Swordsmen rushed in, striking at the exposed cores of the immobilized golems. With precise teamwork, the adventurers brought them down one by one.
The Terror Harpies shrieked from above, diving toward the rear line.
"Shield bearers, up!"
Metal clashed as adventurers raised their shields, blocking the harpies' talons. But the monsters were too fast, weaving through the defenses.
"We need air support!"
"On it!" The S-rank warrior jumped into the air, using wind bursts to propel himself higher. His sword became a storm, slashing through the harpies mid-flight.
But then—a shadow loomed over the battlefield.
A Wraith Knight emerged, its spectral body flickering between reality and nothingness. Normal weapons passed right through it.
"Damn it! Our attacks aren't working!" an adventurer shouted in panic.
"I got this," the S-rank mage said, raising his staff.
He combined fire and wind magic, creating a spiraling inferno. The flames wrapped around the Wraith Knight, forcing it into physical form—where the S-rank warrior delivered a decisive blow, cleaving it in two.
The ghostly knight screamed and faded into the void.
The battlefield was chaotic, but no one had fallen. Despite the relentless assault, the adventurers fought with discipline, supporting each other.
The Venomous Basilisks slithered in next, their deadly fangs glistening. The adventurers dodged and counterattacked, cutting through the scaled monsters with precise teamwork.
"Keep pushing! We're holding!"
The fireborn hounds howled, their bodies engulfed in flames, charging toward the mages.
"Not so fast!"
The S-rank warrior swung his blade, generating a burst of wind so strong that it extinguished the hounds' flames mid-charge. The adventurers finished them off swiftly.
Minutes passed like an eternity. The monsters kept coming, but they never broke through.
Then—the horde began to thin.
The second wave had spent its strength, and the adventurers stood victorious.
Panting and drenched in sweat, the adventurers looked at each other in disbelief.
"We... we did it!"
A victorious cheer erupted. They had held the line.
The S-rank mage wiped his brow, looking toward the dungeon. "Now we just have to hope the others finish the raid quickly."
The battle was won, but the war was not over.
Meanwhile, As Draven and his elite team approached the Ironclad Dungeon, they could already see the massive entrance looming ahead. The once-foreboding dark opening now seemed almost ominous, framed by the distant rumblings that echoed from deep within. The air around them was thick with mana, heavy and palpable, as if the land itself was suffocating under the pressure.
But what truly struck them was the sight that awaited them. A monstrous stampede of monsters surged from the dungeon's entrance, unlike anything they had encountered before. The sheer number of creatures was staggering—far more than any regular dungeon break.
Sofia's voice trembled slightly as she whispered, "This isn't just a break… this is an assault. How many monsters are pouring out of there?"
Draven's face tightened with determination as he scanned the unfolding chaos. "This is worse than we expected. We need to end this fast—before the city is lost."
He motioned for the team to ready themselves, the urgency in his eyes clear. The monsters were only the beginning. The real battle awaited inside the dungeon, and they couldn't afford to hesitate.