Multiversal Ascension-Chapter 88: An Unpleasant Surprise (1)

The tenuous calm shattered. The beasts lingering at the forest edge suddenly surged forward, charging straight toward Willowbrook Town!

Behind them, a sea of other beasts pushed forward in a frenzy. Some students froze at the intimidating sight, but some of the braver long-range fighters immediately launched attacks.

Arrows and elemental attacks rained down. The sight of these attacks jolted the frozen students into action, and they began unleashing their own ranged strikes.

Boom.

Boom.

Explosions erupted as fireballs and other mage attacks landed in the beast wave, killing and injuring some. Despite this, the tide seemed endless, their attacks barely making a dent.

The beasts soon closed the gap and neared the wall. At this point, shadow mages on the wall used Projected Taunt on the tanks positioned on the ground.

The spell had an immediate effect. The beasts, previously charging aimlessly, redirected their focus to the tanks with heightened aggression.

The tanks raised their shields as waves of flesh slammed into steel. Though the tanks were pushed back slightly by the impact, they held their ground. Nearby warriors counterattacked, slashing and killing the beasts that had been stopped by the tanks.

Amid the seemingly endless assault, the tanks appeared as though they might be overwhelmed. Yet they stood firm, their backs to the wall to avoid ambushes, while the warriors supported them.

Meanwhile, long-range attacks continued to rain down on the horde. Still, about 20% of the beasts were unaffected by the taunt spell and reached the wall. Some began scaling it with sharp claws.

Most of these climbing beasts were killed by long-range fighters before reaching the top, but a significant number succeeded. Once at the top, they faced the first- and second-year warriors, who engaged them in battle. Although some warriors struggled against the beasts, they managed to prevail with the support of the long-range fighters and the height advantage provided by the wall.

For most warriors, these fights were arduous and draining—except for Mikael. He cut down the beasts with ease. The moment one climbed near him, it fell in a single strike. Amelia and Lyra, positioned behind him, didn't need to support him even once. And that was Mikael fighting casually, without using techniques or unleashing the full power of his aura.

Despite this, Mikael was undoubtedly the strongest warrior on the wall. He even had time to assist nearby warriors, cutting down the beasts threatening them. His strength drew admiring gazes from those around him.

Time dragged on, each minute a grueling fight against the beasts. Yet the situation remained positive. While some beasts managed to climb the wall and overpower a few warriors, Mikael quickly intervened, ensuring the wall's security.

The tanks on the ground played a critical role, drawing the majority of the beasts' attention and reducing damage to the wall.

"Squelch."

Mikael's blade severed the neck of another climbing beast. Just then, a loud sound echoed in the sky. Looking up, he saw a green smoke bomb explode above the northern wall. He frowned but, seeing that it wasn't yellow or red, chose to ignore it for now and continued cutting down the beasts.

The bodies of slain beasts began piling up at the wall's base, creating makeshift ramps that allowed more beasts to climb. The difficulty of the fights increased, requiring Mikael to assist more frequently.

Still, this was a sign that the beast wave's numbers were dwindling. No more beasts emerged from the forest. What had once seemed an endless tide was now finite.

Minutes later, after a series of bloody battles, the last beast fell. The students stood, exhausted, before a battlefield littered with corpses. Despite their fatigue, they wore triumphant smiles. They had defended the town with minimal injuries, and the teachers hadn't intervened once needing to save somebody—guaranteeing them high marks and higher mission rewards.

The bond between the trio grew even stronger, fortified by the camaraderie forged through battle. Amelia and Lyra, who had only recently met and begun forming a friendship through their mutual connection with Mikael, now shared an even deeper connection, born from experiencing this "life-and-death" situation together.

From the beginning, there had been no rivalry between the two women. When they first met, Amelia had naturally taken on the role of a big sister, guiding and supporting Lyra with her calm and collected demeanor. This dynamic only deepened as they fought alongside each other, their shared affection for Mikael creating a sense of sisterhood that felt natural and unforced. Their bond was not one of competition but of mutual respect and trust, as they stood united by their feelings for Mikael and the trials they faced together.

"That wasn't too bad," Amelia said, a satisfied, battle-hungry grin on her face. "For a beast wave, I mean."

Mikael chuckled lightly. "True, but that's because we were sixty. If it had just been the three of us, the wall would probably have been breached."

Amelia adjusted her bow before leaning against the wall. "I don't think so!"

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The two gave her an inquisitive gaze, prompting her to explain. "I mean, we have you," she exclaimed, looking at Mikael.

He was momentarily speechless at her words before playfully flicking her forehead. "I'm not that strong yet. Against approximately two thousand beasts, most at E rank, with some reaching C rank, I probably wouldn't have been able to stop them before the wall was destroyed and the beasts overran the town."

Amelia recoiled playfully at his flick, giving him an unconvinced look. Lyra, however, was surprised by Mikael's statement, which implied that, with enough time, he might have been able to take down the army of beasts on his own.

Meanwhile, Mikael turned toward the forest, a serious expression crossing his face. An uneasy feeling churned in his gut. 'Could it be...?' he wondered before deciding to trust his instincts. Without hesitation, he launched a energy detection spell toward the forest.

A wave of mana radiated from him, passing over the terrain littered with beast corpses before quickly reaching the forest and spreading further within.

"What is it?" Lyra asked, noticing his use of the spell.

His expression hardened. "Another wave is coming."

Hearing his words, Amelia appeared partially excited, while Lyra looked more timid and apprehensive.

Without wasting a moment, Mikael roared, "THERE'S ANOTHER WAVE COMING! TAKE YOUR POSITIONS!"

"What's he on about?" a clueless student muttered, but most of the others quickly grasped the gravity of the situation. Their expressions shifted as they stared at the forest, with those capable casting detection spells of their own.

"Damn it, he's right! There are more beasts coming out of the forest!" cursed a mage.

The confirmation spurred the students into action. They scrambled to their positions as someone launched a green smoke bomb into the sky, signaling that their side was under attack again.

Moments later, the first beasts emerged from the forest, rushing toward the wall. This time, the situation was direr—the beasts reached the wall before the students could fully prepare. Many broke through the defenses held by the tanks and melee warriors on the ground.

The beasts began scaling the wall in an unrelenting swarm. Mikael wasted no time, decapitating a climbing beast with a swift slash. Ducking, he avoided a claw that swiped through the space where his head had been an instant earlier. With a quick counter, he delivered a deep cut to the attacking beast, forcing it to retreat with a pained roar.

Using the brief respite, Mikael scanned his surroundings and frowned. The wall was gradually being overrun, the students unable to keep up due to the accumulated fatigue from the earlier battle.

'This won't do,' he thought, deciding to escalate his efforts.

Wind-Explosive Style.

Wind- and fire-attributed mana surged together, boosting his movement and attack speed while significantly increasing his attack power through momentum.

Moving like a blur, Mikael cut down the beasts scaling the wall with ease. His swords flashed as he prioritized clearing the area around him while keeping an eye on Amelia and Lyra. They were his priorities on this mission. Even if the town fell and everyone else perished, he wouldn't care much—at worst, he'd feel a little bad. But Amelia and Lyra? They were different. They mattered to him, which made him move with extra caution to ensure their safety.

Even while holding back—neither using the full extent of his aura and mana nor employing the chained sword style—Mikael mowed down the beasts like grass. Beasts up to E+ rank fell with a single strike, unable to comprehend what hit them. Stronger ones required multiple attacks, but Mikael's speed made it appear as though they had been killed in a single blow.

The other students were flabbergasted by Mikael's prowess but felt encouraged. They fought with renewed vigor, inspired by the powerful warrior among them. However, even with Mikael's strength and speed, he couldn't be everywhere at once. Some students were overwhelmed by the beasts, forcing the teachers to intervene.

The injured were evacuated, further increasing the pressure on the remaining students. Still, they gritted their teeth and persevered. The mages unleashed wide-area spells, archers supported with precise shots, tanks and melee fighters on the ground held the line, and those on the wall fought desperately against the beasts climbing over.

Their collective effort kept the town defended. If even one group faltered, the others would inevitably fall. As the situation grew increasingly dire, a student launched a yellow smoke bomb into the sky, signaling a call for reinforcements.

However, their hope was short-lived. Green smoke bombs appeared over the north, west, and south walls, indicating those sides were also under attack. Realizing they were on their own, the students fought on, despite their numbers dwindling and their injuries mounting.

After a long and bloody battle, the final beast fell. Exhausted, the students didn't celebrate, too wary of the possibility of another wave. Beast waves were supposed to come all at once, not in multiple waves, which left them uneasy and fearful. If another wave came, they likely wouldn't be able to defend the town.

Mikael stood atop the wall, his swords planted like crutches to feign exhaustion. In truth, he wasn't that tired. His mana and aura reserves remained high thanks to their exceptional quality from his SPI stats.

A thoughtful expression crossed his face as he came to a decision. "I think I should investigate the forest," he said aloud, more for Amelia and Lyra than for himself.

"Huh? What?" Amelia asked, panting and out of breath.

Lyra said nothing, only staring at him with an incredulous gaze.

He elaborated, "I mean, this battlefield..." He gestured to the countless beast corpses below and on the wall. "It's not normal. A beast wave is supposed to arrive all at once. For there to be a second wave so soon after the first feels off. I'd rather investigate the forest to make sure there isn't a third wave coming at us right now."

His reasoning was sound, but what he didn't mention was that investigating the forest might earn him additional LP from the system mission.

"I don't think it's a good idea. It's too dangerous," Lyra said, her voice breaking through her usual reserved demeanor.

"If you're going to investigate the forest, I will come with you!" declared Amelia firmly.

Lyra turned to Amelia, her expression incredulous. "Not you too?" she said, shocked that not only was her "sister" not supporting her caution, but she also wanted to venture into the forest.

Mikael intervened, his tone calm. "It's not as dangerous as you think. Investigating the forest does carry risks, but if we ask a teacher to accompany us, we'll be protected in case we encounter a beast too strong for us."

He continued, "And waiting here without knowing whether another beast wave might strike isn't a solution either."

His explanation was logical, but Lyra couldn't help but worry. "Are you sure about this?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," he affirmed without hesitation.

Author Note:

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