Chapter 208: The Door

Chapter 208: Chapter 208: The Door

This was the trap of this instance.

If the three uses of Clear Kill were exhausted on the first three waves of monsters, then for the fourth wave, you would either have to sacrifice a teammate or fight with all your might. ℯ

And as for what those who used Clear Kill right from the start would choose...

It was all too obvious.

Seraphina Sinclair said nothing, simply standing up and pacing around the outpost.

They had already held out against three waves of monsters, yet the outpost hadn’t changed at all. It probably wasn’t going to change, either.

What changed with the waves was definitely the situation outside the outpost.

They hadn’t used a single one of their three Clear Kill opportunities. With this ace up her sleeve, Seraphina Sinclair wasn’t the least bit flustered.

Unlike the other two’s composure, Victor Warner, despite his burly build, had a personality and temperament that didn’t quite match his appearance.

Now, upon discovering the system had tricked them, he was squatting in a corner, wiping away tears all by himself.

This time, it was Seraphina Sinclair’s turn to be speechless.

She stared at the man’s back for a moment before taking out some Blank Talisman Paper and tools to begin rune painting.

She did indeed have a lot of runes, but her supply wasn’t infinite. It was best to restock sooner rather than later.

This action immediately caught Selene Lawson’s attention. She leaned in closer and, after watching Seraphina Sinclair paint several runes, finally spoke up. "Ma’am... is this something, uh, you already knew how to do?"

Seraphina Sinclair glanced up at her, her meaning perfectly clear in her gaze.

Selene Lawson immediately felt awkward. After a while, she tried again, "Ma’am, did you learn this on your own?"

Seraphina Sinclair’s brush never stopped moving as she gave a soft "Mm."

Watching her fluid, practiced movements, a complex emotion flickered in Selene Lawson’s eyes.

Her rune painting technique was so masterful she couldn’t possibly be a novice; she looked more like an expert who had been immersed in the art for many years.

But Seraphina Sinclair looked so young...

"You’re truly a hidden expert, Ma’am," she finally remarked, not pressing any further.

Everyone has their secrets. Prying too much is never a wise move.

Victor Warner, still in the corner, seemed to have heard the conversation. He stealthily wiped his face and shuffled over, his voice thick and muffled. "Ma’am, did you really paint these runes yourself? That’s incredible!"

Seraphina Sinclair ignored him, concentrating on sketching the final stroke.

The moment the rune was complete, a faint light flashed and vanished.

She put away the newly painted runes, then finally looked up at Victor Warner. "Done crying?"

Victor Warner’s dark face flushed red. He stuck his neck out and stammered, "W-Who’s crying! I just got some sand in my eye!"

Seraphina Sinclair couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. She sorted the finished runes and put them away, her tone calm. "The fourth wave is coming."

No sooner had she spoken than the churning of the thick fog outside the window intensified. This time, the silhouette that emerged from the mist wasn’t a single monster, but... a moving, twisted forest?

No, those definitely weren’t trees.

They were writhing, dark purple vines, like giant tentacles!

They spread out from the fog, and everywhere they passed, the ground sizzled and corroded, leaving pockmarked holes.

Hanging from the vines were sacs that looked like fruit, and inside them, you could vaguely see the curled-up, twisted, and horrifying embryos of monsters.

And in the very center of this bizarre forest of vines, the color of the fog deepened, becoming almost ink-black.

Within that inky blackness, an enormous and indescribable silhouette slowly appeared. A physical object like this shouldn’t have been able to inspire such fear in humans, but a single glance at it was enough to make one’s heart pound in their chest.

It seemed to have many eyes, pair after pair, all fixed on the humans inside the outpost.

[Fourth Wave of Attack Begins!]

The system notification was the same as ever, but Seraphina Sinclair knew things were different now.

She was finally about to see what this instance had been hiding.

"Wh... what the hell is that thing?!"

Victor Warner’s voice trembled, all his earlier grievance and embarrassment instantly washed away by the horrifying scene before him.

Selene Lawson also sucked in a sharp breath. She adjusted her glasses, trying to get a clearer look at the silhouette in the ink-black fog, but after just a couple of seconds, she felt a wave of dizziness and nausea and quickly looked away.

"This is too freaky. Just looking at it gives me goosebumps," Victor Warner said, rubbing his arms. He couldn’t resist another glance, then immediately dry-heaved. "It’s so bizarre, just looking at it makes me dizzy. How can something like this even exist?"

"This..." Selene Lawson looked at Seraphina Sinclair, her tone questioning. "It couldn’t be... the door, could it?"

"The door?!"

The hair on Victor Warner’s arms stood on end. He pointed at the thing outside and yelled, "How could that possibly be a door?! What kind of door is that terrifying and looks like... that?! Doesn’t it feel ashamed when it looks in the mirror?"

"Why would a door look in a mirror?" Selene Lawson retorted, then couldn’t help but frown and add, "Can you please focus on what’s important!"

"Stop arguing," Seraphina Sinclair finally cut in, pointing outside. "A few more words and we’re all dead."

Because the dark purple vines were already spreading toward the outpost like living creatures!

These monsters were incredibly fast. The moment Seraphina Sinclair finished speaking, a thick vine shot into the outpost like a viper!

"Watch out!" Victor Warner, forgetting their argument, roared and charged forward, slashing down viciously with his dagger.

"CLANG!"

The sound of metal striking stone rang out. The dagger only left a shallow scratch on the vine, and the recoil made the webbing of his hand go numb. At the same time, one of the sacs hanging on the vine burst with a POP, and a twisted, carapace-backed monster lunged straight for Victor Warner’s face!

Selene Lawson’s shortsword shot out in a precise, killing strike. Foul-smelling juice splattered all over Victor Warner’s face.

"Thanks!" Victor Warner was still shaken and wanted to thank Selene Lawson properly, but this wasn’t the time for talk.

Seraphina Sinclair tore several runes, and flames instantly engulfed the entire doorway, forcing all the monsters back out!

"We can’t go on like this!" Victor Warner shouted. "This wave of monsters has already reached the door! The next wave will get inside! And the one after that will reach the second floor, won’t it?"

Selene Lawson blocked a vine’s attack and found a moment to reply, "This is no time for pointless chatter. What are you trying to say?"

Victor Warner turned his head to Seraphina Sinclair. "Use Clear Kill, Ma’am!"

Before Seraphina Sinclair could respond, Selene Lawson kicked Victor Warner, leaned in close, and hissed in a low voice:

"Are you insane? Use that pig brain of yours before you speak, why don’t you? She’s Blacktiger Ford! The two of us combined are no match for her! If Clear Kill is used now, what about the next wave? And the wave after that? She’s trying to clear this instance!"

"When we’re truly at the end of our rope, do you think she’ll use a second Clear Kill? And whose second Clear Kill do you think she’ll use?"

"You can die if you want, but I plan on staying alive."