Free Web NovelChapter 13: Chapter 13: The Third Wave
The roar from the western ridge was different from the howls before it.
The first wave had sounded wild. The second wave had sounded violent. But this new roar carried weight. It rolled through the valley like a drumbeat from underground, causing loose stones to tremble and dust to fall from the broken walls of the Western Broken Gate.
The exhausted students lifted their heads one after another.
Some faces turned pale.
Even Zhao Tianyu, who had been glaring at the contribution ranking moments earlier, stopped thinking about Qin Yuheng and looked toward the ridge.
The academy observer standing on the wall frowned for the first time.
"Third wave incoming," he said, his voice amplified by a communication talisman. "All students, reorganize your lines. Those unable to continue may activate signal flares now."
No one moved immediately.
But fear spread.
The first two waves had already pushed many teams close to their limit. Defensive talismans had been consumed. Recovery pills had been used. Weapons were chipped. Armor was dented. Several students were sitting against the wall, their faces pale from blood loss or mana exhaustion.
Wei Chen planted his cracked shield into the ground and forced himself to stand upright.
"Those who can still fight, form behind me!"
His voice was steady.
That steadiness helped.
Three students who had been hesitating clenched their teeth and stood.
Zhao Tianyu wiped blood from his arm and shouted, "Zhao team, right side! Anyone who runs before the beasts arrive will answer to me later!"
His method was harsher, but it also worked.
Qin Yuheng said nothing at first.
He stood at the left breach, eyes fixed on the distant ridge. His breathing was calm, but his thoughts moved quickly.
The third wave would decide the hidden event.
If it was only a larger number of beasts, they could endure with formation support and careful use of talismans.
If there were elite beasts, they would need coordinated killing.
If a boss appeared, then the safe zone might collapse unless the academy intervened.
But if the academy intervened, their additional rewards would likely decrease.
Qin Yuheng glanced at Qin Mo.
His cousin was leaning against the damaged formation pillar, face pale, fingers trembling slightly from overuse of mana. The temporary reinforcement he had built had already cracked during the second wave. If another strong impact hit the left breach, the formation would shatter.
"Can the formation hold?" Qin Yuheng asked.
Qin Mo looked at the flickering lines under his palm.
"For ordinary beasts, yes. For elite beasts, maybe once. For anything bigger, no."
"How many formation crystals do you need to stabilize it?"
Qin Mo looked at him. "More than we should have."
Qin Yuheng took out two more D Grade Black Iron Formation Crystals from his sleeve and handed them over.
Qin Mo stared at them.
"Cousin."
"Yes?"
"How many things did you secretly take from that cache?"
"Enough."
"That is not an answer."
"It is the answer you are getting."
Qin Mo sighed, but his eyes became sharper as he accepted the crystals.
"With these, I can make the left breach survive one heavy charge. Maybe two if the heavens are kind."
"The heavens rarely are," Qin Yuheng said.
"Then one."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
Qin Lian returned from the outer edge, her dark-blue sleeve torn and stained with beast blood.
"Movement pattern changed," she said. "The beasts are no longer scattered. They are gathering around something."
Qin Yuchen’s expression sharpened.
"A commander beast?"
"Likely."
Qin Yuheng looked toward the ridge again.
At that moment, the first beasts appeared.
Ironhide Wolves.
Rockhide Boars.
Black-Claw Hounds.
But unlike the earlier waves, they did not rush forward immediately. They spread across the ridge in a rough arc, snarling, clawing at the ground, and waiting.
Then the ground shook.
A massive beast stepped out from behind the ridge.
It looked like a bull, but its body was covered in black iron plates. Two curved horns extended from its head, glowing with dark red lines. Its hooves crushed stone with each step, and hot white mist leaked from its nostrils.
The recording badges flashed violently.
[Warning]
[Level 18 Black Iron Horned Beast detected.]
[Elite Commander Beast.]
[Danger level: High.]
[Safe Zone Three defense difficulty increased.]
A wave of panic swept across the students.
"Level 18?"
"That is beyond the normal range!"
"How are we supposed to stop that?"
The academy observer’s hand moved toward a signal talisman, but he did not activate it.
The beast was dangerous, but still within the upper limit of the hidden event.
Han Shuren’s voice came through the observer’s talisman.
"Safe Zone Three, continue defense. Senior observers are on standby. Students may withdraw with signal flares."
Still no one moved.
Not because they were not afraid.
Because the moment someone ran first, the morale of the entire safe zone might collapse.
Qin Yuheng understood this clearly.
He raised his voice.
"We do not need to kill it immediately."
The nearby students turned toward him.
Qin Yuheng continued, "Its charge is the threat. If we break its momentum, Wei Chen can hold the center. Zhao Tianyu can attack from the right. My team will cut its legs from the left."
Zhao Tianyu frowned. "You are giving orders again?"
Qin Yuheng looked at him calmly.
"You can refuse and let it crash through your side."
Zhao Tianyu’s jaw tightened.
Wei Chen spoke first. "I agree."
That ended the argument.
Qin Yuheng pointed toward the front.
"Do not spread too wide. The smaller beasts are bait. They want us to break formation before the Horned Beast charges."
Some students swallowed nervously but adjusted their positions.
The beast tide began.
The smaller beasts rushed first.
The battlefield fell into chaos again. freēwēbnovel.com
Claws scraped stone. Swords flashed. Shields shook. Talismans broke with sharp bursts of light. The Western Broken Gate became a storm of blood and black iron energy.
Qin Yuheng held the left breach with controlled precision.
He no longer hid as deeply as before.
The situation did not allow it.
His A Grade Black Thunder Pattern Sword remained outwardly plain, but each time it struck, it found gaps in beast armor. He avoided flashy thunder arcs unless necessary, relying instead on speed, timing, and the terrifying sharpness of the enhanced weapon.
Qin Yuchen fought beside him, his eyes cold and focused.
Every time Qin Yuheng created an opening, Qin Yuchen entered it.
Every time Qin Yuchen drew a beast aside, Qin Yuheng finished it.
Their cooperation became smoother with each exchange.
Qin Lian moved like a shadow outside the breach. She did not fight for attention. She killed wounded beasts, disrupted charges, and rescued students who were about to be overwhelmed.
Qin Mo stood behind them, one hand pressed against the formation pillar, sweat sliding down his face.
The left breach held.
Then the Black Iron Horned Beast moved.
It lowered its head.
The red lines on its horns brightened.
The beasts before it scattered to both sides.
Qin Yuheng’s pupils narrowed.
"It is charging!"
The ground exploded beneath the Horned Beast’s hooves.
It rushed toward the center-left of the gate, not directly at Wei Chen, not directly at Qin Yuheng, but at the weak point between their positions.
Smart.
Too smart for an ordinary beast.
Qin Yuheng immediately shouted, "Wei Chen, shift left! Qin Mo, activate!"
Qin Mo slammed both palms onto the formation pillar.
The two new formation crystals shattered at once.
Black iron light rose from the ground, forming a slanted barrier in front of the breach.
Wei Chen roared and moved left, shield raised.
Qin Yuheng stepped forward from the breach.
Qin Yuchen’s expression changed.
"Brother!"
Qin Yuheng did not answer.
He could not let the Horned Beast hit the barrier at full strength. Even with Qin Mo’s reinforcement and Wei Chen’s shield, the defensive line might collapse.
He needed to cut its momentum first.
The Primordial Thunder Emperor Body awakened inside him.
A controlled surge.
Not full power.
But far beyond what he had shown before.
Violet-gold lightning flowed through his bones.
For a moment, the world slowed.
Qin Yuheng stepped into the charging path.
Gasps and shouts erupted behind him.
Zhao Tianyu’s eyes widened.
Wei Chen’s expression changed drastically.
The Horned Beast’s horns descended like two black iron spears.
Qin Yuheng gripped his sword with both hands.
He did not block head-on.
That would be foolish.
At the last moment, he shifted sideways, allowing the horn to pass inches from his shoulder. His sword flashed downward, striking the joint above the beast’s front leg.
The hidden thunder pattern inside the blade erupted.
A violet-gold arc tore through black iron armor.
Blood sprayed.
The Horned Beast’s front leg buckled.
Its charge tilted.
At that exact moment, Wei Chen slammed his shield into its side.
Qin Mo’s formation barrier rose.
The Horned Beast crashed into the barrier at an angle instead of head-on.
Boom!
The entire Western Broken Gate shook.
The barrier shattered.
Wei Chen was thrown back several steps, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
But the gate did not collapse.
"Now!" Qin Yuheng shouted.
Zhao Tianyu moved.
To his credit, he did not hesitate.
Crimson beast energy erupted around his arms as he leaped toward the Horned Beast’s wounded side. His fist smashed into the cut Qin Yuheng had opened.
The Horned Beast roared in pain.
Qin Lian struck its rear tendon.
Qin Yuchen pierced beneath its armor plate.
Other students attacked wildly from a distance.
The Horned Beast staggered, but did not fall.
Its eyes turned completely red.
Qin Yuheng felt danger before the system warned him.
[Warning: Beast blood frenzy detected.]
The Horned Beast swung its head.
One horn swept toward Zhao Tianyu.
Zhao Tianyu tried to dodge, but he was too close.
A defensive talisman flashed and shattered.
He was still thrown across the battlefield, crashing into the broken wall with a heavy sound.
"Brother Tianyu!"
The Zhao students panicked.
The Horned Beast turned toward the fallen Zhao Tianyu.
Qin Yuheng moved again.
He did not like Zhao Tianyu.
But if Zhao Tianyu was seriously injured or killed here, the defense line would collapse, and the Qin team would be dragged into greater danger.
Qin Yuheng appeared between the Horned Beast and Zhao Tianyu.
This time, he released more thunder.
His sword rose.
A vertical line of violet-gold light flashed across the beast’s face.
The Horned Beast roared and reared back, one eye bleeding.
Qin Yuheng’s arm went numb from the impact.
The system flashed.
[Primordial Thunder Emperor Body compatibility increasing.]
[Combat pressure detected.]
[Thunder circulation efficiency improved.]
Qin Yuheng ignored the message.
"Everyone, focus its wounded leg!"
Wei Chen recovered first.
He slammed his shield into the ground and led the remaining students in a coordinated push.
Qin Yuchen and Qin Lian attacked from opposite sides.
Qin Mo, nearly collapsing, threw the last temporary formation mark under the beast’s hoof.
It froze for half a breath.
That was enough.
Qin Yuheng stepped in.
His sword pierced deep into the wounded joint.
Zhao Tianyu, blood on his lips, forced himself up and struck from the other side with a furious roar.
Crack!
The Horned Beast’s front leg broke.
Its massive body collapsed forward.
Wei Chen shouted, "Finish it!"
All attacks landed at once.
Steel, mana, beast blood, thunder, and shield force erupted against the commander beast.
After a final roar, the Black Iron Horned Beast crashed to the ground.
The battlefield fell silent for a breath.
Then every recording badge flashed with bright light.
[Level 18 Black Iron Horned Beast defeated.]
[Third Wave Commander Beast slain.]
[Safe Zone Three defense successful.]
[Hidden Event completed.]
A second message appeared.
[Safe Zone Three Contribution Ranking]
1. Qin Yuheng Team
2. Wei Chen Team
3. Zhao Tianyu Team
4. Liu Team
5. He Team
No one spoke.
Everyone stared at Qin Yuheng.
He stood beside the fallen commander beast, sword lowered, cloak torn, black hair slightly messy, breathing heavier than before.
He looked tired.
But not defeated.
The academy observer above the wall stared at him with undisguised shock.
Far away, on the command platform outside the valley, Han Shuren looked at the live projection and slowly narrowed his eyes.
Beside him, the silver-haired Tower Affairs Vice Principal, Yu Qingmei, tapped her finger against the table.
"This student," she said softly, "is not simple."
Han Shuren nodded.
"No," he said. "He is hiding more than we thought."
Inside the safe zone, Qin Yuheng looked at the fallen commander beast’s core as it was extracted.
His panel appeared.
[C Grade Black Iron Horned Beast Core]
[Commander-level beast essence.]
[Contains concentrated black iron energy and violent blood force.]
[Eligible for Evolution.]
Qin Yuheng’s eyes became calm again.
The danger had passed.
Now came the harvest.
