Gareth strode forward and swung his sword in a wide horizontal arc.

  An enchantment flared across his Bronze Tier greatsword; flames erupted from the blade, cleaving three Corrupted Zombies clean through their waists.

  An instant kill!

  Gareth was a high-level Swordsman, after all. His Strength stat utterly crushed the Corrupted Zombies, and he carved through these low-level Elite Mobs like wheat before a scythe.

  The other Knight made his move then, shield in one hand and spear in the other. He activated the Knight skill [Charge], slamming into the three Corrupted Zombies at the front and knocking them back.

  However, he lacked Gareth’s raw power. Though his spear thrust drew blood after the knockback, it wasn't enough to secure an instant kill.

  The Archers and Mages in the backline unleashed their volleys. Arrows wrapped in swirling gales whistled through the air, followed by a barrage of fireballs that slammed into the Corrupted Zombies with pinpoint accuracy.

  As Elite Tier monsters, the Corrupted Zombies’ stats weren’t terrible, but they stood no chance against the onslaught of Class Awakened warriors who outleveled them.

  Gareth, the Mages, and the Archers weren't the only ones dealing damage; Chloe finally joined the fray.

  Chanting an incantation, Chloe waved her staff. Dozens of fist-sized orbs of white flame materialized in the air, raining down upon the battlefield like a meteor shower.

  To Lucian’s surprise, the white flames didn't distinguish between friend and foe, engulfing Gareth and the Knight as well.

  Strangely, while the white fire scorched the Corrupted Zombies for massive damage, Gareth and the Knight remained unscathed, continuing their relentless assault as if nothing had happened.

  Noticing Lucian’s confusion, Chloe explained while maintaining her spell, "This is the specialty of my class—it balances healing and offense."

  "My skills damage enemies while simultaneously restoring my allies' status. Of course, compared to a true Mage, my Damage Output is lower, and I lack the raw Healing Output of a Cleric."

  "I see..." Lucian gave a curt nod.

  It seemed Chloe’s Hidden Class was a hybrid of a Mage and a Cleric.

  Although she lacked the specialized peaks of either class, her versatility was her strength. Having Chloe in the party was like filling two roles with a single person.

  As her level increased and she unlocked more powerful skills, she could potentially turn the tide of a massive war with a single spell.

  The group cleared the first wave with ease.

  Lucian checked the combat statistics panel. As expected, Gareth—the highest-level Swordsman—was at the top, his Damage Output far exceeding the others.

  While Chloe’s Damage Output fell behind the Mages and Archers, her Healing Output was staggering. When the two metrics were combined, she secured a firm second place, trailing Gareth’s total contribution by only ten percent.

  The Mages and Archers followed behind her in the rankings.

  Lucian and Celia had remained in the second line to protect the rear. Since they hadn't seen action yet, their Damage Output was still at zero.

  Once the last Corrupted Zombie was dealt with, Gareth pulled a piece of leather from his inventory and wiped the thick, foul-smelling black blood from his greatsword. "Stay sharp," he told the group. "That was just the appetizer. There are over a thousand more waiting for us."

  No one needed the reminder. Without a moment's hesitation, the party followed Gareth and the other Knight deeper toward the Village of Despair.

  Lucian had no intention of coasting. Although everyone in the eight-person party shared experience—meaning even Nyx in his pet space was leveling up—he wanted to pump up his Damage Output to ensure better rewards for clearing the Secret Realm.

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  He quickened his pace, moving up to the front line to take his position as a primary Tank.

  Gareth glanced at Lucian but said nothing. He was curious to see just how powerful this Hidden Class was—powerful enough for Lucian to grind solo in the depths of The Stony Barrens.

  They pushed forward another two hundred meters until the silhouette of the Village of Despair loomed ahead.

  It was a small, dilapidated settlement. The houses were low-slung structures of mud and stone, their interiors swallowed by darkness. Muffled groans and guttural roars echoed from within, betraying the sheer number of monsters lurking inside.

  The zombies sensed their presence. With bone-chilling shrieks, the doors of several houses burst open. A tide of undead surged out, their numbers several times larger than the previous wave.

  Lucian noticed a different kind of monster mixed in with the Corrupted Zombies—the Blood Zombie.

  Blood Zombie (Elite Tier, Aggressive)

  Level: 20

  Strength: 71

  Agility: 82

  Spirit: 34

  Endurance: 50

  Skills:

  Corpse Toxin: Claws and teeth carry Corpse Toxin, causing continuous health loss. Slain victims rise as Blood Zombies.

  Grappling Bite: Pins the enemy down to deliver a vicious bite.

  Blood Frenzy: Enters a berserk state, increasing Strength and Agility by 40%.

  "Level 20 Elite Mobs?!" Gareth gasped, his expression darkening with grim resolve.

  He stepped forward, speaking without looking back. "The Strength on these things is already at 74. Get back to the second line."

  "Jared, with me! We can't let this heap of rotting meat break the line!"

  Knight Jared raised his shield and followed Gareth into the fray without a word.

  The two of them led the charge, slamming into the wave of zombies as the slaughter began. There were nearly ninety of the creatures in this wave, and they came with terrifying momentum. Among them were over a dozen Blood Zombies.

  Level 20 Elite Mobs were not opponents to be taken lightly.

  Gareth swung his greatsword, cleaving through three Corrupted Zombies at the waist, but he immediately found himself face-to-face with a Blood Zombie.

  With a guttural roar, Gareth swung his blade.

  A metallic clang echoed as the blade struck home. Black blood erupted from a massive gash in the Blood Zombie’s torso, but the creature didn't fall.

  "Roar—" A rasping howl escaped the Blood Zombie's throat. Blood geysered from its wound, coating its entire body until a faint, crimson mist swirled around it, making it look even more monstrous.

  This was its signature skill—Blood Frenzy. It boosted its Strength and Agility by 40%.

  The Blood Zombie’s Agility was already high; with the buff active, its speed reached a new level. The creature lunged at Gareth.

  Drawing on his years of experience, Gareth countered with a horizontal sweep, his blade biting into the monster's side.

  Clang! Another metallic impact. This time, while the Blood Zombie was knocked back, the recoil forced Gareth to take a step back as well. It was clear that with the Blood Frenzy buff active, the creature's Strength was now nearly on par with his own.

  One Blood Zombie was manageable, but with so many others swarming in, Gareth knew he couldn't hold the line alone for long.

  Just as the pressure mounted, a barrage of white fireballs rained from the sky, engulfing him and the surrounding zombies. The jarring vibration in Gareth's arms vanished instantly. The Blood Zombie, reeling from his two previous strikes, stood no chance against the holy flames and finally collapsed into the dirt.

  Chloe’s backline support had provided the necessary finishing blow at the perfect moment.

  But the danger was far from over.

  In the brief seconds of the exchange, the horde had closed the distance. Gareth abandoned any thought of conserving his Stamina. He gripped his sword with both hands, stepped forward, and unleashed a massive circular swing.

  A brilliant white light flared from his blade like a rising full moon, shredding the oncoming zombies into pieces.

  "Full Moon Cleave!"

  Gareth’s Stamina bar plummeted with the execution of the skill. However, the strike had instantly pulverized at least ten Corrupted Zombies.

  Chloe and the other backline Mages and Archers opened fire, raining down destruction to relieve the pressure on the frontline. As an established leveling party, they didn't lack firepower; the only question was whether the frontline could hold.

  Gareth intended to hold his position and keep every zombie at bay, but a desperate cry came from his side. "Gareth! Help!"

  Gareth whipped his head around, his heart sinking at what he saw.

  Jared was braced behind his shield, struggling against a Blood Zombie that had activated Blood Frenzy. The Strength gap was too wide; the knight was being physically shoved back.

  Worse yet, two Corrupted Zombies had flanked him, their jaws unhinging for a Grappling Bite. Their fangs were inches from Jared’s flesh.

  Corpse Toxin required a Cleric's Purify to cleanse, and Chloe—a Holy Light Mage—didn't have access to that skill. If those teeth sank in, Jared was in serious trouble.

  Without a second thought, Gareth dragged his blade across the distance and slammed it into the Blood Zombie to draw its aggro and bail Jared out. Jared seized the opening, unleashing Holy Trample to blast the two flanking Corrupted Zombies backward.

  Jared was safe for now, but Gareth knew he had compromised the formation by leaving his post. A gaping hole now existed in their defensive line.

  Chloe and the other casters were now completely exposed.

  Drawing on his combat instincts, Gareth scrambled to return to his position. "Fall back!" he roared. "Celia, take my spot! Seal the gap!"

  Right then, a calm, steady voice cut through the chaos. "No need for an Assassin. I'll take the front."

  Gareth froze. Lucian was already there, standing exactly where Gareth had been. He gripped the Obsidian Dragonscale Greatsword, facing the encroaching tide of undead alone.