Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Three minutes before the wave was set to begin, Justin stood at the front, surrounded by his fully prepared pioneers and citizens, all staring toward the city gate. With the city surrounded by the sea on three sides, the orcs had only one route to attack from—the front.

"We're lucky to have such a good position," Justin murmured.

"Indeed," Zachary replied beside him. "If we had to worry about two or three fronts, it would be overwhelming. But with only the front to defend, we can manage."

"In the future, we might have to deal with naval attacks, though."

"That's far off in the future. For now, we're fine," Zachary said with a grin.

"Brothers, it's time," Nathan said, breaking into the conversation.

As I checked the quest, the countdown showed only one minute remaining. I closed the status window and shouted with all the confidence I could muster.

"Prepare for battle!"

"…!"

The pioneers and citizens swallowed hard, their tension rising as the final moments approached. The last minute ticked away slowly, the anticipation thick in the air.

"Ding! The first Green Skin Wave will begin shortly."

"Ding! Certain monsters will now be able to breach the safe zones."

"Ding! The wave will continue until the monster forces are annihilated or a set number of humans are killed."

A monstrous roar echoed from afar, following the system message. The sound sent shivers down the spines of the pioneers and citizens, especially those who had never encountered an orc before. Moments later, the trees began to sway as dust clouds rose from the distant forest.

Nathan muttered under his breath, "This reminds me of an old passage from Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

"What passage?" Justin asked, without taking his eyes off the approaching threat.

"Dust rising from the forest means…" Before Nathan could finish his sentence, countless shadows emerged from the trees, their silhouettes becoming clearer.

"…a hidden army is about to appear," he completed, just as a wave of green-skinned monsters flooded out of the woods.

Justin's eyes quickly scanned the incoming horde. About 200 monsters, consisting of goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs. The majority were weak goblins, but the hobgoblins made up the rest, and five large orcs led the charge. One orc in particular stood out, far stronger than the rest, clad in armor and wielding an imposing weapon.

'A commander.'

It was obvious from the armor it wore and the weapon it carried—far beyond what the typical orc should have. Even the pioneers didn't yet have armor like that, with most still relying on basic weapons.

The commander orc snorted, drawing in a deep breath before unleashing a deafening roar.

"Daaaahhh!"

"Ugh!"

The sheer volume of the orc's shout was overwhelming, making some of the citizens clutch their ears. Even the pioneers winced at the noise that seemed to slam into them like a physical blow. The roar was followed by a booming command as the orc pointed its axe toward the wall.

"Kill them all!"

"Kieeeaaah!"

The monstrous horde responded to their leader's call with their own battle cries. The sheer volume of their voices was enough to make many on the wall turn pale.

"Oh my God…"

"This is insane…"

The sight of such a large force seemed to paralyze everyone, even though many of them knew that most of the enemies were weak goblins and hobgoblins. Justin clicked his tongue in irritation, muttering under his breath amidst the chaos of monster cries.

"Double-Cast: Cursed Lightning."

A low hum filled the air as he extended his hand toward the hobgoblins charging at the wall.

"Cursed Lightning."

Krakoom!

A bolt of lightning shot from Justin's hand, striking the green-skinned army with devastating force. The battlefield fell silent for a moment, and through the lingering smoke, the sound of agonized screams echoed. As the smoke cleared, the lifeless bodies of thirty goblins lay twitching, foam bubbling from their mouths.

"...."

"...."

The battlefield, once filled with the roar of battle, went eerily quiet. Not only the Green Skins, but even Justin's own forces stood in stunned silence, staring at him. Justin looked around at his fellow pioneers and broke the silence.

"The battle's already started. What are you all waiting for?"

"…!"

"Prepare to attack! Kill every last one of them as they come up!"

"Yes, sir!"

The pioneers snapped out of their daze, gripping their weapons and moving into position. Even the citizens, though still shaky, scrambled to follow suit, hastily taking up their roles. The oppressive atmosphere broke, and the orc commander snarled, glaring at Justin. Justin grinned back, raising his middle finger at the orc.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

'What made you think you could take control of this fight, monster?'

The orc's face twisted in anger, and it roared once more.

"Kill them! Kill them all!"

"Kieeeaah!"

The monsters screamed again, but this time, Justin's forces were unfazed. The pioneers remained focused, and even the citizens were no longer as terrified. Seeing the diminished effect of his roar, the orc commander ground his teeth in frustration. The battle had begun, but this time, the momentum was firmly in Justin's hands.

'Ladders.'

As expected, the Green Skins were using simple siege tactics. There were no battering rams or siege towers in this early wave, just crude ladders. But even those were dangerous in such large numbers.

"Kekeke! Raise the ladders! Raise them up!"

"Gaaah! Climb! Climb!"

The ladders clattered against the walls, and the pioneers rushed forward, kicking them down with ease, thanks to their superior physical strength. Each time a ladder was knocked over, goblins screamed as they were crushed beneath the falling wood.

The problem was the sheer number of ladders. For every one they pushed away, more seemed to appear. Discover more content at empire

"Damn it, how many ladders do they have?" Derek muttered, his face pale with frustration.

Even with the enhanced abilities of the pioneers, there was no way to cover the entire wall. The farthest sections were becoming overwhelmed by the flood of ladders, and it was only a matter of time before the weak goblins would breach the defenses.

That is, if not for the citizens helping with the defense.

"One, two—push!"

"Push harder!"

"...!?"

In perfect unison, the ladders all along the wall began to tilt backward, the citizens working together to knock them down.