As the countdown hit zero, everyone was taken aback by the absence of any monsters.
They had anticipated an overwhelming swarm of creatures rushing towards them the moment the timer expired.
But the emptiness before them left them completely dumbfounded.
What was going on?
Everyone exchanged puzzled looks, unsure of what had just happened.
The feeling was uncomfortably peculiar, akin to winding up for a powerful punch only to find it landing on a cushion.
"What's happening?"
Even Archibald couldn't help but furrow his brow.
He and John stood on the high platform of the city wall, a vantage point that allowed for a better overview of the area.
Moreover, as individuals with level-one clearance, their panels included a detailed map of the vicinity.
Blue dots represented their teammates' locations, green dots were friendly NPCs, and red dots indicated monsters.
"Stay alert at all times."
Since the countdown had ended, it meant that monsters could attack at any moment, and they absolutely could not afford to let their guard down.
Despite murmuring among themselves, everyone eventually suppressed their doubts and remained vigilant.
Soon, they felt the city walls beneath them begin to tremble.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know, it feels like the walls are moving."
"My goodness, what is that?"
"Oh my!"
Upon hearing the cries of alarm, everyone instinctively turned their gaze toward the distance.
Outside their fortress lay a vast forest, but at this moment, the edge of the forest was engulfed in billowing smoke.
The smoke-filled area had flattened the forest, and vibrations transmitted through the city walls, stirred by the countless monsters running toward them.
"Alert!"
"Magi, prepare!"
At Archibald's command, everyone shifted from a state of relaxation to combat readiness.
John could see clearly the myriad of monsters charging toward their location from afar.
[Name: Titanic Ape]
[Name: Night Wolf]
[Name: Cunning Fox]
[Name: Ferocious Rabbit]
...
As the monsters drew closer and were identified, one after another appeared before them.
The sight of these monsters made everyone gasp.
Seeing other people's scores and experience continuously rising on the leaderboard, they felt increasingly anxious about being stuck in place.
"Captain, let's go too!"
"Yeah, Captain, if this continues, we'll end up at the bottom of the scoreboard."
"I wish I wasn't melee!"
Some began to grow restless.
Archibald quickly noticed their unease and sharply reprimanded them over the chat channel.
"It's only the first day, and you're already eager to rush to your deaths?"
"You only earn points and experience if you're alive. I'm certain it won't always be like this. Even if it continues in this manner later on, I'll make sure to distribute points and experience to you all."
Archibald, now the steward of the fortress, spoke with authority akin to John's, and his words managed to quiet some of the discontent.
However, there remained some who were inwardly unhappy, naturally feeling uncomfortable as they watched others gain points while they got none.
But some quick thinkers had already picked up bows and arrows to start shooting.
Though they weren't archers, hitting just one monster would allow them to share in the experience and points.
Every little bit counts, and accumulating slowly would eventually give them an edge over others!
John looked at the monsters before him and felt a slight relief.
If the attacks continued at this level, they wouldn't be much of a concern.
After all, this was not particularly challenging for them.
They might not even need everyone to fight; instead, they could manage with a rotating shift system.
However, he worried that things might not be as simple as they seemed and that these monsters wouldn't let them off so easily.
It was only the first day, after all... the challenges might increase as time went on.
The monsters, seemingly tireless and impervious to pain, continuously slammed into their city walls.
Yet, an hour of battering only reduced the wall's durability to 99.95%.
Archibald was also promptly monitoring the durability of the wall.
Seeing the current durability, he too breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, the damage was within an acceptable range; otherwise, repairs would be another hassle to deal with.
John unleashed two large-area attack skills.
Boom, boom, boom!
High-damage explosions erupted among the monsters, with a single skill wiping out a whole group instantly.
The people around him hadn't even launched their skills before the monsters were already dead.
They looked at John in disbelief.
Though these monsters were only elite-tier, their HP was not to be underestimated.
That John could kill so many with just one skill spoke volumes about the terrifying level of his damage.
Some shifted uncomfortably to the side.
With such a powerhouse standing nearby, they were hardly getting any points!