The cheers from the nearby defenders were quickly swallowed by the renewed roars of the Beast Tide. David's spectacular kill of the Armored Tuskgor Behemoth had bought a brief respite for that section of the wall, but the waves of mutated creatures were relentless. He quickly scrambled back up a hastily lowered rope, his grin still in place despite the ache in his ribs.
Victor Sterling awaited him, his usually composed features twisted in indignation. His crimson and gold robes flared slightly with residual magic, though the faint crackle of fire around his staff felt more like a manifestation of his temper than focused spellcraft.
"You insignificant upstart!" Victor spat, his voice tight with fury. "How dare you interfere? That kill was mine! I had it perfectly under control!"
David raised an eyebrow. "Under control? Looked more like it was about to turn that section of wall into rubble, and you into a mage-pancake. You're welcome, by the way."
"My [Grand Fireball] had it on the ropes!" Victor insisted, stepping closer, his voice rising. "You merely swooped in like a common vulture to steal the glory!"
Around them, the battle continued. Katrina sent David a quick, concerned glance before loosing another arrow into a Shrieking Skymantis that was dive-bombing a group of militia. Hailey, who had just turned a Razorback inside out with a well-placed smoke pellet and a flurry of dagger strikes, paused to watch the confrontation with undisguised amusement. Beside her, Isaac drove his axe through another Tuskgor, sparing no thought for the squabble - his only concern was keeping the enemy off the wall.
"Glory?" David scoffed. "I was trying to stop that thing from breaking through. The 250 EP and the [Behemoth's Bloodied Tusk] were just nice bonuses." He couldn't resist a slight smirk.
Victor's eyes blazed. "You mock me? Do you have any idea who I am? My family practically owns half the merchant district in this city! My power is renowned!"
"Impressive," David said drily. "My system just gave me a shiny new tusk. Seems like a fair trade."
"This isn't over, swordsman," Victor seethed, his knuckles white on his staff. "When this accursed tide recedes, I, Victor Sterling, publicly challenge you to a duel! For the honor of Newhaven and to teach you a lesson in respecting your betters!" His voice was loud, deliberately carrying over the sounds of battle, drawing the attention of nearby defenders.
A public challenge. Just what David needed. He glanced at the ongoing slaughter. This wasn't the time or place. "Maybe later," David said dismissively, turning his attention back to a fresh wave of Razorbacks attempting to scale the walls. "Kind of busy right now, you know, defending the city."
Victor looked like he was about to explode, but another massive roar from the plains drew his attention. A new, even larger wave of beasts was approaching, spearheaded by creatures that looked like enormous, mutated wolves with shadowy fur and glowing green eyes.
With a final, venomous glare at David, Victor turned and unleashed his frustration on the approaching horde, fire erupting from his staff in spectacular, if somewhat uncontrolled, bursts.
The Beast Tide raged for another grueling hour. David and his party fought relentlessly, their teamwork becoming more intuitive with each passing moment. David's [Parry Stance] and [Riposte Strike] combo became second nature, his [Blade Dance] cut down wounded foes, and [Nova Strike] was his go-to for any particularly resilient or shadowy creature. His [Riftward Bulwark] took a serious beating but held firm, its Void Dampening proving surprisingly effective even against some of the bizarre energies radiated by the more heavily mutated beasts. The small mana siphon from its Rift Siphon property triggered a few times, a welcome little boost.
Finally, as the sun began to dip towards the horizon, the waves of creatures began to thin. The last few stragglers were picked off by exhausted but triumphant defenders. A ragged cheer went up along the walls of Newhaven. They had held.
David sank onto a crate, every muscle aching, his EP total having skyrocketed. The sheer volume of kills, even if many were lower-tier, had added up significantly. He estimated he'd gained well over a thousand EP during the defense.
Veteran Kaelen made his rounds, his face grim but satisfied, offering praise and commendations. When he reached their section, he clapped David on the shoulder. "Well fought, Mccabe. That takedown of the Behemoth was… unorthodox, but undeniably effective. You've certainly made a name for yourself today." His gaze drifted toward Victor Sterling, who was preening amidst a small group of admirers further down the wall, occasionally casting disdainful glances David's way. "Looks like someone's taken quite an interest in you."
"More like a very loud detractor," David muttered.
"A public challenge from Victor Sterling is no small matter," Kaelen said, his voice serious. "He's talented, backed by a powerful family, and extremely proud. Refusing will damage your reputation. Accepting will be a dangerous fight. Choose wisely."
Before David could ponder that, his system panel lit up with an entirely unexpected notification, one he hadn't seen before.
[Evolution Points accumulated have reached a significant threshold!]
[Ultimate Evolution System is preparing for a core function evolution attempt!]
[Warning: This process requires a substantial amount of focused EP. Insufficient EP may result in a failed or partial evolution.]
[Attempt System Evolution (Function: Adaptive Resonance) - Cost: 1000 EP? YES/NO]
David stared at the notification, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Evolve the system itself? He'd unlocked skills, evolved gear, boosted stats, but this was different. "Adaptive Resonance"… he remembered the temporary [Root Hold] skill his shield had manifested. The outline had said it was "a small chance for gear to temporarily gain synergistic properties when used with certain skills." If he could make that a permanent, more reliable feature…
One thousand EP. It was a massive chunk of what he'd just earned. But the potential…
Katrina, Hailey, and Isaac had gathered around, noticing his sudden stillness. "What is it, David?" Katrina asked, concern in her voice.
"My system…" David said slowly, a thrill coursing through him. "It wants to evolve one of its core functions. Adaptive Resonance. It's going to cost a thousand EP."
Hailey's eyes widened. "Evolve the system itself? That's mega-zippy!"
Isaac grunted. "Better be worth it, for that price."
This was a huge decision. A thousand EP could buy a lot of stat points or several skill/gear evolutions. But to improve the fundamental workings of his SSS-Rank system? It felt like a leap he had to take. This could be the key to unlocking even greater, more unpredictable power.
With the cheers of Newhaven's victory still echoing around him and the shadow of Victor Sterling's challenge looming, David Mccabe faced another critical choice. He looked at the prompt, a determined glint in his eye.
He selected YES.