Novel Full Chapter 45: Start Of The Shadow Horde Event, Killing Shadow Wolves
Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Start Of The Shadow Horde Event, Killing Shadow Wolves
Fwoosh!
The moment the last event panels vanished, the air around [Hub City] shifted in a way that everyone could feel.
It wasn’t subtle. The temperature dropped slightly, the light dimmed, and a heavy pressure settled over the land like an invisible dome pressing down from above.
Far in the distance, a thick, rolling fog began to form.
It wasn’t normal fog. It was darker, denser, and it moved with intent, spreading outward until it completely surrounded the city from every direction.
Within seconds, the horizon disappeared, replaced by an endless wall of shadow.
This was the event’s boundary.
Once the fog finished closing in, a clear realization struck everyone present: this entire area had become an arena. Anyone inside it was now locked in.
There was no walking out, if you were here, you were participating, whether you wanted to or not.
That was exactly why the system always gave a thirty-minute warning before an event began.
It wasn’t just a courtesy for eager players to gather. But also was a final chance for anyone uncertain to leave while they still could.
Because once the event started, there were no second chances.
During events, death was final.
Emilia stood beside Leon, slowly turning in place as she took in the fog encircling them.
Her earlier excitement faded, replaced by a more cautious expression. Even someone as composed as her could feel how serious this was.
Then another panel appeared.
Ding!
[As the event progresses, the monsters that appear will become stronger and grant more points.]
[They will be unable to enter the city unless too many of them approach the gate.]
[Hub City] was technically a safe zone, but only under specific conditions.
If too many people chose to hide inside, refusing to fight, eventually, sheer pressure would overwhelm the gates, allowing the horde to flood in and slaughter everyone inside.
The event didn’t allow cowards. It punished them.
“We move now,” Leon said calmly.
Emilia nodded without hesitation, gripping her scepter more firmly as they left the main square and headed outside the city.
Thousands of players were already gathering there, forming loose lines, small squads, or standing alone with weapons drawn.
No one joked anymore. Everyone stared at the fog.
And then—
Ding!
[The “Shadow Horde” has appeared.]
The fog churned violently, as if something massive was breathing within it.
A second later, shapes began to emerge, one after another, moving faster and faster until the ground itself trembled.
They came in waves.
Shadowy figures sprinted forward on four limbs, their eyes glowing faintly as they burst out of the fog in overwhelming numbers.
Leon activated [Appraisal] instantly.
—
[Shadow Wolf]
[Level: 10]
[Combat Power: 5,000]
[Details: Born from shadow fog. Highly aggressive and driven by bloodlust.]
—
At the sight of the panel, fear rippled through the crowd.
For some, it was reassurance. A combat power of 5,000 wasn’t low, but it wasn’t impossible either.
These monsters relied on numbers more than individual strength, and with tens of thousands of players present, the balance could still hold.
For others, though, the sheer volume of wolves pouring out of the fog made their legs feel heavy.
A group of elves near the front suddenly surged forward.
“Charge!” one of them shouted loudly. “We elves will prove our superiority today!”
Emilia watched them go, her expression tightening slightly, “They sound exactly like the people who betrayed me,” she muttered. “Same confidence. Same arrogance.”
“It’s fine,” Leon grinned.
Before anyone else could react—
Fwoosh!
Leon shot forward, becoming a blur as he closed the distance between himself and the advancing horde.
Sword in one hand, staff in the other, he didn’t hesitate for even a moment.
This was an event built around points. And points were earned by killing.
Powerful Fireball!
The air condensed in front of his staff before erupting outward in a blazing sphere of compressed flames.
The fireball slammed into the front of the horde and exploded, instantly incinerating five shadow wolves where they stood.
Their bodies dissolved into black smoke before they even hit the ground.
Leon followed up immediately, channeling energy through his sword.
Crescent Slash!
A wide arc of compressed force tore through the air, cutting through a dozen wolves in a single sweep before dissipating.
Ding!
[You have killed x17 “Shadow Wolves” and gained 340 experience points.]
Leon smiled faintly. Another panel appeared almost immediately.
Ding!
[You have obtained 17 Points.]
“Good, though it seems these wolves don’t have any drops.”
He opened the leaderboard without slowing his movements.
—
[Event Leaderboard:]
[1. Celestial – 17 Points]
—
“Perfect.”
Not only was he in first place, but he had done it before most players had even properly engaged.
The experience gain was mediocre, but that didn’t matter. Events were about rankings, not levels.
Behind him, Emilia raised her scepter.
“My turn.”
Divine light gathered at its tip, condensing into a blinding beam.
Divine Beam!
BOOM!
A column of radiant energy shot forward, piercing through the horde and erasing more than a dozen shadow wolves in its path.
Where the light passed, nothing remained. Shadow-type monsters were naturally weak to divine energy, and Emilia exploited that weakness perfectly.
Her name climbed rapidly on the leaderboard.
Seeing Leon and Emilia take the lead snapped the rest of the players out of their hesitation.
“Move!”
“Don’t let them take all the points!”
Skills erupted across the battlefield.
An elf leapt into the air and brought his blade down in a powerful overhead strike, cleaving through several wolves at once.
Mages unleashed spells, though none matched the sheer efficiency of Leon’s attacks.
Leon didn’t slow down. If a wolf closed in, his sword flashed, cutting it down instantly.
If they clustered together, fireballs and crescent slashes tore through them.
He avoided using [Lightning Strike]; single-target skills weren’t ideal when facing a tide like this.
Emilia stayed close, her spells sweeping across wide areas, [Divine Beam] and [Spectral Flames] working together to erase groups of enemies before they could overwhelm nearby players.
Their combat power made the difference obvious. They weren’t just participating. They were dominating.
By the time the last shadow wolf dissolved into smoke, the battlefield was littered with fading remains and exhausted players.
A few corpses lay among them, low-level players who had rushed in without preparation, but casualties were far fewer than expected.
A brief lull followed.
“Is that it? Already?”
“I need more points…”
People began checking the leaderboard.
—
[Event Leaderboard:]
[1. Celestial – 248 Points]
[2. MightyElf – 196 Points]
[3. ILoveExplosions – 193 Points]
[4. Saintess – 184 Points]
[5. HighUnity – 179 Points]
…
—
Whispers spread instantly.
“Who the hell is Celestial?”
“All the others are from high-level worlds. He has to be from one too.”
“Maybe even eternal-level.”
Leon ignored the murmurs. He was more surprised by Emilia’s ranking than his own.
Her area control and damage were exceptional, far beyond what most support-type players could achieve.
“That wasn’t the whole thing, right?” Emilia asked quietly. “It’s only been thirty minutes.”
Leon smirked. “Not even close.”
As if responding to his words, the air trembled again.
Ding!
[The Second Wave of the “Shadow Horde” is coming.]
Leon tightened his grip on his weapon.
“Of course,” he muttered, “Here it comes.”