[Danger!]
[Valkeries City is under attack!]
[Hero's Protection is temporarily lifted.]
[All missions are temporarily paused.]
[Tower Portal is temporarily locked.]
Ring—Ring—
*********** Global Mission: Defend Valkeries City ***********
Valkeries City is under siege. Aid the town's forces in repelling the monster wave, or protect the city until the timer expires.
Difficulty: B
Time Remaining: 4 hours.
Rewards: Will be calculated based on each hero's contribution.
Warning: If the mission fails, Valkeries City will be destroyed.
****************************
"Wave Attack!!"
The knight's frantic cry rang through the room, silencing the chatter and clinking of mugs. In an instant, the cheerful atmosphere flipped.
Cling— Clang—
Everyone in the inn had their weapon drawn as Rollo's voice boomed from the back.
"Valkeries Knights! Tonight we feast!"
The knights roared in unison, downing their drinks before storming out.
Erza rushed out of the kitchen, already in full armor and ready for battle.
"Sophia, Maria, Jan!" she barked in a commanding voice.
"Yes, Guild Master!" The three of them stood at attention.
"I'm joining the Knights. You three will get the townsfolk to the church. Maria, you are the leader of this party. Understood?"
[A party has been created. Maria Lv.70 has been chosen as the leader.]
"But Mom, I want to fight—" Sophia tried to argue.
"No!" Erza's cut her off, "You will follow orders. Is that clear?!"
"Listen to the Guild Master, Sophia," Maria said, glancing at her sister, who lowered her head in frustration.
Erza shifted her focus. "Jan, whatever happens, do not join the fight."
"Y-Yes," he stammered.
Erza nodded, her expression softening for a moment before she turned and sprinted out.
The inn that had been so lively moments ago fell silent. The only ones still standing were Jan, Sophia, and Maria—even the innkeeper had disappeared.
"Come on, Jan, Sophia, we need to go," Maria urged, already moving toward the door.
Jan quickly followed, while Sophia hesitated—still bristling at her mother's orders.
But whatever resentment she felt vanished the moment she stepped out of the inn.
"What—" Sophia gasped, joining Jan and Maria. They stood frozen, eyes wide with shock.
Valkeries Town—the place Sophia had known her entire life—was barely recognizable. It felt like stepping into another dimension. The sky, once clear, had darkened prematurely, casting an unnatural gloom over everything in sight. It was as if a storm were brewing, yet there were no clouds—only an oppressive darkness that seemed to swallow the light.
[Due to the unique domain of the monster wave, vision is reduced by 50%]
Sophia’s breath hitched as she noticed how the shadows had stretched unnaturally long, twisting and pulsing with a life of their own. Buildings, trees—even the smallest objects—cast impossibly deep silhouettes, warping the familiar streets into something alien and menacing. The nearby torches flickered weakly, their light struggling to pierce the thickening darkness.
[You have fallen into fear due to the enemy's ability. All stats decreased by 20%]
[Party Member Sophia has fallen into fear. All stats decreased by 20%]
[Party Leader Maria has fallen into fear. All stats decreased by 30%]
'Huh?!' Jan noticed the abrupt appearance of these new messages, and a heavy sensation settled over his body.
Hum—
Maria, who was a bit ahead, shivered uncontrollably as the temperature dropped. A clammy, cold mist crept in from the outskirts, swirling around their feet like it had a will of its own. It clung low to the ground, twisting into strange, almost sinister patterns that blurred the world beyond a few steps. It felt as if the town was being consumed by some abyssal force, drawing them deeper into its grasp.
Hum—
Hum—
"W-What... what is this?" Maria whispered, her voice barely audible over the low, resonant hum that filled the air. The sound seemed to rise from the very earth itself, a deep vibration rendering the ground unstable beneath their feet. The hum grew louder with each passing second, reverberating through their bodies and clouding their minds.
[You have fallen into fear due to the enemy's passive ability. All stats decreased by 30%]
[Sophia has fallen into fear. All stats decreased by 30%]
[Maria has fallen into fear. All stats decreased by 40%]
Hum—Hum—
Hum—Hum—
Their stats were dropping steadily as the hum grew louder, as though something was drawing near.
Jan's heart raced as he scanned the area, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. "This isn't normal," he muttered, his voice laced with unease.
Even the system messages felt ominous, amplifying the dreadful atmosphere.
Sophia clenched her fists, her usual bravado fading as she took in the nightmarish scene. "We need to move," she said, her voice trembling slightly as she stepped forward. "Something's coming... and it's not good."
"Stop!" Jan thrust his arm out, blocking Sophia's path.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she barked.
Hearing their bickering, Maria instinctively turned around—and in that moment, the shadow beneath her feet trembled as a dark figure rose behind her.
[Nightmare Wraith LV.???]
"Maria!"
Acting on instinct, Jan hurled a dagger at the shadowy form behind Maria.
Whoosh!
The dagger flew with deadly precision, slicing through the darkness as it aimed directly for the creature’s chest.
But just before impact, the shadow twisted unnaturally, evading the strike with eerie grace. It reformed a short distance away—then vanished into the darkness.
[Enemy is immune to physical damage!]
[You have fallen into fear due to the enemy's ability. All stats decreased by 20%]
[Sophia has fallen into fear. All stats decreased by 20%]
[Maria has fallen into fear. All stats decreased by 20%]
Maria gasped as she backed away behind Jan. "What just happened?!"
"Something was behind you," Jan said, his eyes scanning the shadows.
"I saw it too." Sophia added, gripping her sword tightly. "But didn't you hit it with your dagger?!"
Jan shook his head. "No, it's immune to physical damage."
"That's impossible!" Sophia dismissed with a scoff and stepped forward.
"What are you doing? Aunt Erza told us not to fight!" Jan called out.
"She didn't mean this," Sophia snapped, pointing into the distance. "She was talking about whatever they're facing over there."
Jan followed her gaze. It was distant, but he could make out the silhouettes of knights battling enormous creatures, their forms illuminated by the glow of magical circles. The sounds of combat—the clashing of weapons, roars of monsters, and the terrified cries of townsfolk—finally reached him in full force.
"We can't stay here. We have to save the townsfolk," he urged.
"Yes, but we need to deal with this first," Sophia replied, her eyes narrowing. "I can sense them. They're still around—that one and a few others."
"I already told you, it's immune to physical attacks."
Sophia sneered as she ignited her sword in flames. "Let's see if it's immune to this!"
"Sophia, wait! We need to stick together!" Maria called out, her voice full of worry.
"I don't need his help. I can handle this alone!" Sophia declared, charging straight into the darkness and vanishing from sight.
[Sophia has fallen into fear. All stats decreased by 30%]
Maria groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Why do I always have to deal with this stubborn idiot." She glanced at Jan. "Come on, we need to follow her. She's going to get herself killed."
"Yes." Jan nodded.
As they ventured into the shadows, Maria held her staff out, [Holy Light!]
A radiant glow burst forth from the staff, bathing the area in bright light.
[Due to the unique domain of the monster wave, vision is reduced by 10%]
The area was now bright and clear, but Sophia was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is she?!" Maria asked, her voice tight with concern.
Jan looked around and spotted a faint glimmer—the flicker of Sophia's fiery sword. "There!" he shouted, charging toward her with Maria close behind, illuminating their path.
As they neared, they saw Sophia swinging wildly at nothing, shadowy figures lurking just beyond her reach.
[Nightmare Wraith LV.???] x 2
[Abyssal Striders LV.???] x 8
[Holy Light!]
The monsters recoiled as Maria's light spread over them. Seizing the chance, Sophia dashed forward with an aimed swing, while Jan hurled his last dagger to drive the monsters away.
[-2]
[-8]
Though they barely grazed the creatures, their retreat into the darkness gave them some breathing room. Jan and Maria quickly joined Sophia.
"T-Thanks..." she mumbled, still catching her breath.
"See?! This is why I told you to wait!" Maria scolded. "Ugh. Why do you always make me worry like this?"
"Hehehe..." Sophia chuckled, scratching her cheek.
"Now, let's finish them off!" Maria grinned.
"Yeah!" Sophia exclaimed.
"But we barely scratched them," Jan couldn't understand where their confidence came from. "Yes, we managed to hit them this time, but how are we supposed to defeat them?"
Sophia stared at him, her mouth hanging open. "Seriously man, how could you be so ignorant!"
Maria chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Jan, you've already seen it, these things are weak to my light."
"So that's why we could finally hit them!" Jan exclaimed, realization dawning on him. Yet he still wasn't convinced. "Even with that, we hardly did any damage!"
"You really think that little bit of light is all I can do?" Maria smirked, raising her staff high. "Watch this!"
[Holy Enchantment!]
Light rippled from Maria's staff, enveloping both Jan's and Sophia's blades.
[You have received a buff, your damage against dark-type enemies is increased by 120%]
"Whoa, you're amazing!" Jan exclaimed, gripping his newly enchanted sword tightly.
Maria chuckled softly at his praise, but Sophia scoffed, turning away to scan for the monsters prowling in the shadows.
"Now, let's chase them," Maria said, her smile brimming with confidence.
Jan's gaze flicked to the creatures lurking just beyond the reach of Maria's light.
A familiar tension knotted his stomach—this was the same pattern he'd seen with the Shade Hoppers. These monsters reluctantly stayed just out of reach, ready to lure their prey back into the shadows if provoked.
"No," Jan and Sophia replied in unison, their voices cutting through the tension.
Sophia raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at Jan. "Look at you. Maybe you're not as clueless as I thought," she grinned slyly, before turning to Maria. "Kill the light."
"What?!" Maria's eyes widened. "The moment I do that, they'll swarm us!"
"Exactly," Jan replied, peeking behind. "That's what we want. It's a trap."
"See? Even our 'clueless hero' understands the plan." Sophia shot Jan a teasing glance. "This is why I keep telling you to stop hiding behind that counter and go on missions—you need more field experience!"
"Alright, alright! Sheesh, no need to sound so smug!" Maria shot back, rolling her eyes.
With a quick nod, she dispelled the light, plunging the area back into the dark. As if released, the shadows morphed and thickened, swallowing their surroundings.
[Due to the unique domain of the monster wave, vision is reduced by 50%.]
The shadows rippled with an eerie pulse, and the monsters that had been visible moments ago vanished into the abyss.
"Stay alert, they're in the shadows," Sophia warned, her voice steady but tense.
Both Maria and Jan nodded, their gazes darting around the blackened landscape.
Hum—Hum—
'It's that sound again…' Jan glanced toward the flickering of the nearby shadows.
[You have fallen into fear due to the enemy's ability. All stats decreased by 40%.]
[Party Member Sophia has fallen into fear. All stats decreased by 40%.]
[Party Leader Maria has fallen into fear. All stats decreased by 40%.]
A chilling wave of terror gripped them, but Maria gritted her teeth and shouted, slamming her staff into the ground, "Not this time!
[Purify!]
A warm light flared impact, wrapping around them like a protective shield.
[Fear has subsided. All stats are restored to normal.]
Hum—Hum—
Jan’s eyes widened. The fear was gone, but the hum remained! He quickly pieced it together—"They're still here!" he shouted, spinning around.
Hummm—
Just as he turned, a shadow loomed behind him, and a massive figure emerged from the darkness, jagged claws ready to rip him apart.
"Move!" Sophia yelled, yanking Jan back with one hand as she raised her sword with the other to block the incoming strike.
Her blade clashed with the creature's claws, flames erupting from the impact. "Stay focused! I'm not saving you twice!"
Thrown to the ground, Jan looked up at the monstrous being Sophia held at bay.
[Abyssal Strider Lv.???]
The creature towered over them, at least seven feet tall. Its elongated, skeletal body was covered in cracked, obsidian-black armor. Its hollow eye sockets absorbed all light, and its gaping maw was filled with rows of needle-sharp teeth, gnashing hungrily.
Maria helped Jan to his feet, her voice trembling slightly. "Be careful. These monsters... they're strong."
"Y-Yes," he stammered, eyes glued to the Abyssal Strider.
Clang—Cling—
The creature slashed with its claws, but Sophia blocked both strikes effortlessly. With a powerful front kick, she sent it stumbling backward.
Not wasting the opening, Sophia dashed forward, her blade drawing a majestic arc of flames.
Whoosh!!
Light and fire surged outward on impact, a brilliant flare exploding from her blade as it struck the creature.
[-185]
[Critical Hit!]
Sophia's blade swung again repeatedly, burning through the Abyssal Strider as it shrieked in agony.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
...
A flurry of notifications flooded Jan's vision, too fast to keep track of.
"What?!!" he gasped, overwhelmed as his level soared.