As I watched Ganesha Tripathi head back to the Ark, I looked down at the pendant he had left behind—the pendant engraved with the emblem of the Tripathi Family.
A triangle with three stars.
The symbol of the Tripathi Family.
'It's genuine.'
Although I didn't get my hands on Ganesha Tripathi's ID card, I at least managed to prevent one of the Shadow Order's schemes and gained something valuable.
'No matter how cunning the Shadow Order is, they won't be able to touch Ganesha Tripathi once he's inside the Ark.'
Even though he had been alone in Heshbon, likely because his guards were all dead, very few people in the Ark would dare lay a hand on him.
Or rather, even if they could, nobody would be able to handle the aftermath.
'An assassination might be a different story, but that would only make security around his ID card even tighter.'
An ID card belonging to someone who went missing outside the Ark and one belonging to someone murdered within the Ark were two entirely different problems.
In many ways, the Shadow Order's plot had been thwarted.
'The only thing that bothers me... is that I don't have a weapon to protect myself.'
Originally, I planned to use Ganesha Tripathi's ID card as a trump card against the Shadow Order.
But since that plan fell through, I needed to come up with another approach.
'Of course, it's different from last time.'
Unlike when I first encountered the captain, I now possessed the powers of three enhancement serums.
I still wouldn't be able to completely defeat the Shadow Order, but I certainly wouldn't be as powerless as before.
'Anyway... it's almost time.'
My visit to Heshbon, which should have been wrapped up quickly using Horus, had been significantly delayed.
Which meant that the fifth wave was approaching.
'Guess I should be grateful I made it back before it started.'
The wave seemed slightly delayed compared to my predictions, but I decided not to dwell on it.
What mattered more was how I would face the upcoming wave.
'Facing it outside the Ark would be the best option.'
There were many reasons for that, but the biggest one was avoiding both the Ark's scrutiny and the eyes of the Shadow Order.
'I've already drawn too much attention.'
My actions within the Ark were a double-edged sword—gaining attention also meant attracting the interest of those who shouldn't notice me.
It was that very attention that entangled me with the Shadow Order in the first place.
'Anyway... time to head back.'
After making sure Ganesha Tripathi safely entered the Red Line Gate, I finally turned away.
He would normally return to the Rose Line Gate, his district, but since the front lines of the Rose Line were still crawling with beast packs, he had no choice but to head for the relatively safer Red Line Gate.
'No need to risk his life by choosing a dangerous route.'
With Ganesha's return safely taken care of, I started walking again.
It was time to head back to the hideout.
*
Screech!
When I finally returned to the hideout, I was greeted by none other than Horus.
Horus had neatly gathered the supplies I had brought from Heshbon and was waiting for me.
"Good job."
I glanced at the piled-up supplies from Heshbon.
Even though I had grabbed them in a rush, there was still a considerable amount.
'This much should be valuable—even if selling to the Ark is difficult, the Sandstorm Guild would pay well for it.'
While Ark-made weapons and equipment were the best, that was only true when comparing items of the same grade.
If the Grade-was significantly different, equipment from other sources could still hold plenty of value.
Plus, I already had a decent stockpile of Ark-made gear, so combining them with these new supplies would make for a solid trade stock.
'It's about time I made contact with the Sandstorm Guild.'
Naturally, that would be a task for after the upcoming wave.
But for now, there were more pressing matters to handle.
The first thing I did was sort out the newly acquired equipment and supplies from Heshbon.
Since I would likely be leaving the hideout from time to time, I needed to make preparations just in case.
["...Are you planning to become an arms dealer or something? Where did you get all this stuff?"]
Esther looked at the pile of equipment with her mouth agape.
The sheer volume of gear—both from Heshbon and my previous stockpile—was overwhelming.
"That's why I'm organizing it."
["Good luck."]
"Where do you think you're going? You're helping too."
["Huh?"]
I enlisted the help of both Janus and Esther, as well as the ether entities, to move the supplies.
We dug a pit, laid down waterproof tarps, moved the equipment inside, and covered it again with more tarps.
["...You're like a slave driver."]
"Consider it optimal labor distribution."
["How can you work us so hard without even a word of thanks?"]
"Good job."
["Aagh!"]
After finally finishing the sorting, I didn't stop moving.
Knowing the wave could hit at any moment, there was still plenty to prepare.
["...What are you doing now?"]
"Farming."
["Why the heck are you farming here all of a sudden?"]
"Fresh produce is expensive even inside the Ark. Buying it is a luxury. Plus, it's a kind of experiment."
["An experiment?"]
"If the soil from the Great Forest works, I want to see if farming is viable even within Mount Noah."
This idea wasn't entirely unproven—some users had already tested it.
But whether I could actually pull it off was another matter.
'If it works, I could grow more than just basic crops.'
One of the first things I needed from the Sandstorm Caravan was seeds.
If I could turn this land into farmland, I could grow valuable crops as well.
After making a makeshift field with the Great Forest soil and planting seeds from Ark, I used hot spring water for irrigation.
'Looks good enough.'
It might have been a bit rough around the edges, but it was a decent setup.
Whether the crops would actually thrive remained to be seen.
["Surprisingly, it looks pretty satisfying now that it's done."]
"You didn't even help."
["Huh? Are you serious right now? I'm demanding proper compensation for my labor!"]
"Just kidding."
After some banter, I quietly looked out at the horizon.
The unnatural silence outside the Ark was almost eerie—like the calm before a storm.
*
Three days had passed.
At first, I thought the wave might just be slightly delayed.
But as the third day went on, a strange unease crept into me.
Everything was... too quiet.
'What's going on?'
The horizon remained still.
Even the ground seemed untouched by movement.
It was time for the beast hordes to surge in, yet nothing was happening.
It was unnaturally peaceful—too peaceful.
Only then did I instinctively realize that something was seriously wrong.
["What's the matter? You're just standing there, lost in thought."]
"...Something's bothering me."
["What is it?"]
"The wave hasn't started."
["Isn't that a good thing? Why worry?"]
Esther didn't seem to think much of the eerie calm, but this wasn't something trivial.
'Now that I think about it...'
The timing for the fifth wave had already long passed.
According to my original estimate, the wave should have hit just as Ganesha Tripathi and I were returning, barely making it back in time.
But there had been no sign of the wave, even after I got back to the hideout.
'No way...'
Waves always happen—whether early or late, it's an absolute rule of this world.
There was no need to entertain some foolish hope that the waves had just stopped entirely.
That was simply impossible.
If the wave had started earlier than expected, it wouldn't have been a problem.
But if it was delayed, there was only one possible explanation.
'Multi-Wave.'
A Multi-Wave is a phenomenon where two or more wave stages occur simultaneously.
Multiple waves come crashing down at once.
There had been countless theories among players about why Multi-Waves occur.
One of the most widely accepted hypotheses was that Multi-Waves are triggered by a low damage accumulation in the Ark.
In other words, if the damage the Ark sustains during a wave falls below a certain threshold, it automatically triggers a difficulty increase.
'But... that's impossible.'
Multi-Waves typically occur midway through a stage and only in rare cases.
Even after 488 attempts, I had encountered only a handful of them.
'It's not certain yet... but...'
There was no other explanation for why the wave was being delayed so unusually.
'Prepare immediately.'
If I hadn't figured it out, I could afford to hesitate. But now that I knew, I didn't have a moment to waste.
"Horus."
[Screech!]
I grabbed the TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket and mounted Horus.
Ideally, I would have taken the NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun as well, but that would have hampered Horus's mobility. I had to settle for just one heavy weapon.
["W-What's going on? Where are we going all of a sudden?!"]
Esther seemed flustered by my sudden movements, raising her voice in confusion.
"There's a place we need to go."
["Where to?!"]
"You'll see."
["Oh, come on!"]
I gripped the bone tendrils protruding from Horus's back, using them as makeshift reins.
"Let's go."
[Screech!]
Horus shot up into the sky, cutting through the air at terrifying speed.
Even though the wind felt like a knife slicing against my skin, I urged Horus to go even faster.
"Faster."
As I soared through the sky, I desperately hoped my instincts were wrong.
If I was right, the Ark was about to suffer irreparable damage.
'I can't let that happen.'
And then...
As the landscape beyond the horizon slowly came into view—
I saw it.
[Screeeech! Screech! Screeech!]
[Squawk! Squawk!]
[Gyahoooooo—!!!]
Beyond the Ark's surveillance range, the landscape was filled with an overwhelming number of beast hordes, encircling the Ark.
I knew it.
That number was only the beginning.
As if proving that point, the beast horde was steadily growing in size.
It looked as if they were waiting for a critical mass before launching their attack.
["What the hell... is that..."]
Even Esther couldn't hide her shock—this was her first time witnessing a Multi-Wave.
'I guess there's no other choice.'
I stared at the enormous horde.
The number of beasts already far exceeded the capacity of a single wave.
In other words, at the very least, two waves' worth of forces were about to hit the Ark.
"Let's go."
["Finally coming to your senses? Yeah, let's head back. If we stay here, we'll be in danger too!"]
"Not that way."
["...What?"]
As if understanding my intent, Horus turned his head to face the beast horde.
["Y-You're insane!"]
Esther's scream echoed in my ears, but I tightened my grip on Horus's reins.
Attack first. Victory goes to the one who strikes first.
The best defense is a strong offense.
The sky tore open as Horus soared above the approaching beast horde.
My eyes scanned the battlefield below.
'I have to disrupt their formation before they completely surround the Ark.'
If they succeeded in completely encircling the Ark, the defense lines would collapse instantly.
This wasn't just an ordinary wave—it was a deliberate and coordinated offensive.
"Focus on the leader. It'll be among the largest ones."
I tightened my grip on the TITAN-17 and aimed.
The rocket launcher was already locked and loaded, ready to blast the core of the beast swarm to smithereens.
Click—
["Are you seriously going to fire that from up here?!"]
"Do you see any other way?"
["I get that, but...! Just don't blow us up too!"]
Ignoring her frantic plea, I took a deep breath and steadied my aim.
The beasts swarmed in a chaotic mass, but some movements clearly showed signs of organization.
'That one.'
A massive Grade-6 Named Beast leading a pack of lesser creatures.
If I took out the leader, it would disrupt the entire formation.
Boom—!!!
The TITAN-17 roared as it launched a high-explosive rocket.
The projectile spiraled through the air before slamming into the target, detonating with a deafening explosion.
Kaboom—!!!
A fiery shockwave erupted, incinerating the leader and dozens of nearby beasts.
["Holy crap...! You got it!"]
But I didn't even have time to savor the hit.
In the aftermath of the explosion, countless beasts scattered in confusion—but not for long.
Soon, new leaders took the place of the fallen one, and the swarm reoriented itself.
'Not enough.'
Eliminating a single leader wouldn't change much.
This horde was too organized, too systematic.
There had to be another primary leader controlling the whole swarm from the rear.
"One more sweep."
I adjusted my aim, looking for another prime target.
'Where is it?'
And then I saw it—a colossal figure far at the back, moving with a calm and commanding presence.
'That's it.'
I signaled Horus to shift his position for a better angle.
Screech!
Horus deftly maneuvered, evading the chaotic beasts still thrashing about.
Once in position, I prepared another shot.
"Hold steady."
Click—
With one more pull of the trigger, the second rocket blasted forward.
Boom—!!!
A direct hit.
The massive beast collapsed, its charred body crumpling to the ground, and the horde instantly fell into disarray.
"Now's our chance. Charge in."
["Are you nuts?!"]
"We'll shatter their morale before they regroup."
["Ugh... Fine! Just don't get us killed!"]
With Horus diving toward the panicked remnants of the swarm, I readied the rifle, determined to strike before they could reorganize.
It was time to take the offensive—if I could shatter their command structure, the entire wave might collapse.