A glowing panel floated in front of Dev's eyes.
[Points Gained: 10]
Dev blinked.
"So I get points from killing monsters…?"
[Yes.]
He looked at the ten trainee knights. Their blades dripped with dark green blood, splattered across their leather clothes. They stood silently, eyes fixed on Dev — waiting for his next command like obedient soldiers.
Before he could say anything, another panel popped up:
[The Second Wave Has Started.]
Dev froze.
What!? The first wave just ended! At least give me a few minutes to breathe!
His voice cracked as he stared at the portal.
The circular portal suddenly expanded — stretching wide like a gigantic opening of swirling green and blue light. Now it was big enough for forty to fifty monsters to walk through side-by-side.
Ten goblins stepped out, snarling, holding sharpened tree-branch spears.
Dev gasped.
Damn… ten this time. And I also have ten trainees… a 10 vs 10? I don't know what's gonna happen.
The trainee knights didn't wait for orders.
They charged forward, swords raised high.
The goblins screeched and rushed in, thrusting their crude branch-spears wildly. The first goblin jabbed at a trainee's chest, but the young knight deflected with a swift swing, cutting the spear in half. Another trainee slashed downward, splitting a goblin's shoulder open as the creature cried out. The goblins fought ferociously, stabbing, clawing, and biting, but the knights' longer swords kept them at a distance.
One trainee blocked a spear, kicked the goblin's knee, and finished it with a clean strike to the neck.
After a minute of clashing steel and splintering branches, the trainees overwhelmed the goblins completely.
A new panel appeared:
[Points Gained: 100]
Dev exhaled shakily.
"Phew… these trainee knights are way stronger than I thought."
His shoulders relaxed, and he wiped the sweat on his forehead.
Another window appeared:
[Upgrade Available]
Upgrade one of the Trainee Knights to Bronze-1 Knight.
Click YES to confirm.
Dev smirked slightly.
Just like a game.
He tapped YES.
One of the trainee knights straightened suddenly. A faint glow wrapped around him. His arms tightened, veins showing, his stance growing firmer as if strength surged through every muscle.
He clenched his fist.
I… feel stronger. Like my body just woke up.
Another trainee laughed casually, patting him on the shoulder.
Good luck, brother! Looks like the lord blessed you first.
They talked like normal young men — relaxed, friendly banter.
Dev's eyes widened.
They… can talk?
[Yes, they can.]
Dev thought,
I seriously thought they couldn't because they were just summons.
Another panel appeared:
[You can now assign a name to the Bronze-1 Knight.]
Dev tapped his chin, thinking hard. His eyes shifted left and right, searching the air for ideas.
Hmm… what should I name you…?
After a few seconds,
David. That should work.
He typed DAVID into the panel.
Immediately, another panel appeared:
[The Third Wave Has Started.]
Dev nearly screamed.
Bro… THIRD wave already!?
David stepped forward, sword ready, his face calm.
My lord, stay behind us.
This time, twenty goblins poured out of the portal — twice the number from before.
The knights instantly formed a line and clashed with them.
Dev watched, his heartbeat racing.
The waves keep coming faster… the number keeps increasing… if this continues, I'm going to die.
A cold shiver ran down his spine. His stomach twisted. For the first time, real fear hit him — this wasn't a game… this was death.
The system answered immediately, as if hearing his thoughts.
[The time between waves will increase as the wave number rises.]
Dev let out a long breath, his shoulders dropping slightly, tension easing from his body.
"Oh… okay… that helps. A bit."
The battlefield was chaos again.
The nine trainee knights fought just as before—tight swings, firm blocks, and clean strikes. Their long swords clashed against the goblins' branch-spears, cutting through them with ease. But David, the newly risen Bronze-1 knight, moved differently. He charged into three goblins at once, parrying two attacks in a single sweep while kicking a third square in the chest. A goblin leaped at him from the side, but he spun, slashing across its torso. With precise footwork, he cut down another attacker, handling four goblins almost effortlessly.
Within a minute, all twenty goblins lay dead.
[Points Gained: 200]
Dev stared with wide eyes, jaw slightly open.
Holy… these goblins don't stand a chance… And David—his upgrade is insane.
His voice was half awe, half disbelief. The fear from earlier faded, replaced by excitement and adrenaline.
Around them, a new problem became visible—piles of goblin corpses from the current wave and the previous two, scattered everywhere like broken dolls.
David stepped forward, bowing slightly.
My lord, the corpses have piled up. What should we do with them?
Dev waved his hand dismissively.
Uh… just throw them to the side or do whatever you guys normally do.
David nodded.
The nine trainees and David immediately got to work, grabbing goblin bodies by the arms and legs, dragging, stacking, and clearing the field with efficient, practiced movements. The thuds of dead goblins hitting the ground formed a grim rhythm.