The second wave did not rush in blindly like the first, and the difference was obvious the moment the gates opened wider, and the ground trembled under heavier steps, as Tier-7 monsters entered with sharper awareness, spreading out instead of charging mindlessly, circling and probing as if testing how far they could push before the group broke.
The crowd leaned forward with visible anticipation this time, sensing that the rhythm of the battle had changed, and unlike the first wave that ended too quickly to satisfy them, this one stretched out, giving them exactly what they wanted, a fight that looked uncertain, unstable, and slowly tilting toward collapse.
Almond stepped forward again, but his movements had changed in a subtle yet deliberate way, as his blade no longer carried that overwhelming dominance, and though his strike still cracked the ground and disrupted the front line, it did so within a smaller radius, controlled enough to look insufficient rather than absolute.
