Rosalind's boldness is not just a product of her own strength; another reason is that House Brown is one of Merak's nobilities, naturally putting her a cut above the rest.
Rosalind felt John's gaze and merely glanced back briefly before continuing her aggressive casting.
Numerous wide-range skills shot out from her staff, and the boosts she gave her nearby teammates were occasional at best.
John watched for a while, amused, chuckled softly, and spoke no further, instead continuing to clear the monsters in front of him.
Learning from the first day's experience, they implemented a shift system, not replenishing their simulative energy when depleted but meditating to recover instead.
After all, it was only the second day, and using up all their resources at once would spell disaster later.
They now had only the nighttime to venture out, but the forest at night was fraught with danger... better to stay in if possible.
After a whole day of battling monsters in shifts, everyone was utterly exhausted.
Archibald looked at the damage to the walls, his expression growing grave.
"In one day, the wall's damage has reached 5%. Initially, the damage was high because people hesitated to use their skills, but towards the end, everyone regained the spirit they had yesterday."
"Today's monster tide has caused more damage to the wall. We must plan carefully; we might have to activate the protective shields soon."
The damage to the wall wasn't a major issue per se, but the rate at which it was occurring was alarmingly fast.
If this continued, the resources they had accumulated might not hold up.
"How are things on your end today?"
John inquired about Isabella and Cecilia's situation.
Both Isabella and Cecilia had just finished a day's battle, and it was clear they were both extremely tired.
"The monsters on our side today were somewhat different from yesterday; their level seems to have increased, and both their attack and defense capabilities have risen to some extent."
Isabella's tone clearly carried a hint of fatigue, and Cecilia didn't even bother to speak, simply giving a thumbs-up in agreement.
"That's what I feared, that each day the monsters would become stronger than the last. If this continues, we might not last the 15 days before the level of the monsters becomes truly terrifying!"
If today, the second day, they are already at level 31, wouldn't the monsters be over level 40 by the 15th day?
Even monsters in their forties are a formidable presence for them, not to mention the possibility of encountering elite-tier or boss-level monsters later on!
Upon hearing John's words, both fell silent.
"My brother went beyond the walls today."
Cecilia's remark snapped John back to attention.
"How did it go?"
"Honored Commander, what brings you here?"
Upon seeing John, Old Nick quickly set down his hammer and bowed respectfully.
At the same time, a slightly younger-looking dwarf also bowed to John, his beard quirking up in a way that was both comical and endearing.
"Good day, Honored Commander!"
John also adopted their greeting, clenching his right fist and placing it over his left chest, slightly bowing, "Greetings."
Both individuals were thrilled to see John perform their gesture. They knew John was not of their race, but his respect for their customs was greatly appreciated!
The other dwarf, named Wayne, was a master blacksmith of the same rank as Old Nick but slightly younger.
"Honored Commander, what brings you here so late?"
Old Nick could almost instantly tell that John seemed preoccupied with something.
"It's like this; I need your help with something."
John paused briefly before stating his request.
He planned to venture into the forest at night but was not very familiar with the nearby paths, thus needing Old Nick and Wayne's assistance.
Old Nick and Wayne exchanged a glance, their beards twitching, "Honored Commander, the forest at night is fraught with dangers, including the pervasive Shadow Slayer... For your safety, we urge you not to go."
Shadow Slayer? John furrowed his brows, what was that?
Seeing John's unfamiliarity with the Shadow Slayer, Old Nick stroked his beard.
"We don't know when it started, but at night, a kind of invisible, intangible creature began to appear. It completely devours a person's essence and then takes their place."
"Because it's invisible and intangible, there's no way to guard against it. By the time you realize what's happening, all your defenses have been drained, your mind power drastically reduced, leaving you just waiting to be replaced."
"Is that so?"
John furrowed his brow slightly, suggesting that this so-called Shadow Slayer might be capable of mental attacks.
"The most terrifying part is that they mimic everything about their host, even infiltrating the host's community before proceeding to slaughter them en masse."
"After killing someone, the original entity splits, creating a new Shadow Slayer that latches onto the next person, continuing until the entire community is transformed. Only then do they seek a new target."
It seemed to be a novel form of reproduction.
John grew more perplexed.
"So, there's no way to combat it?"
His mind power was high and his mental resistance robust, so he still wanted to give it a try.