Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Looking at the three remaining orcs, Justin smirked.

"Hello there."

The two orcs said nothing, simply staring at the approaching group of thirty-two Pioneers.

The three orcs, including the commander, were swept away with ease. It was almost anticlimactic. The orc commander, in particular, roared in frustration, as if furious at how unfairly it had all ended. It seemed to believe that if it had been in full health, things wouldn't have ended so pathetically.

Of course, Justin didn't care about a monster's sense of injustice.

"Well, at least the rewards are as good as the trouble they caused."

He muttered quietly as he gazed at the two pieces of equipment in front of him, looted from the fallen orc commander's corpse—a suit of armor and an axe.

〈Armor of Savagery〉

Category: Warrior-exclusive EquipmentRarity: RareDescription: An armor clumsily woven by goblins. While it provides good mobility, its joints are weak, and it's clear that the parts other than the vital areas were hastily made. But armor is armor. No matter how poorly made, it serves as an extra life for a warrior.

〈Axe of Savagery〉

Category: Warrior-exclusive EquipmentRarity: RareDescription: An axe forged from meteorite iron. The craftsmanship is poor, but the material gives it the cutting power to slice through steel. Sometimes, the difference in material is enough to compensate for the difference in skill.

It wasn't bad. The description made the equipment sound subpar, but having fought against the orc commander firsthand, Justin knew the performance was quite decent. The armor, in particular, had excellent protective capabilities, easily blocking most weapons and magic.

The only downside was its lack of impact absorption. It was clear the orc's durability played a big role in its effectiveness, as it was designed to block sharp weapons and protect vital areas while relying on the orc's natural toughness.

"But still, armor is armor," Justin thought. As the description stated, no other equipment provided a warrior with the same sense of security as armor. Just protecting the vital areas was enough to call it an extra life.

He considered giving the armor to Derek as he glanced at it.

"Lord, we've finished clearing out the last of the goblins," one of the Pioneers reported as they approached, wiping their weapons clean.

Justin looked around, confirming that there wasn't a single goblin left standing.

"Good work."

"It wasn't much trouble, to be honest. They were stuck inside the safe zone and couldn't even escape."

In response to Justin's compliment, the Pioneer replied with a sheepish expression. Normally, when enemies were affected by intimidation, they fled in a panic. But none of the goblins in this wave had managed to escape beyond the safe zone. A thin wall had formed, preventing their escape.

"It must be because the wave's clear condition is total extermination," Justin thought.

"The system must've taken care of it in advance."

Whatever the reason, it was a good thing for them. It would've been a hassle if they couldn't complete the quest because of one goblin that got away.

"By the way, how's the leveling going? During the monster wave, we're supposed to get five times the experience. Has anyone leveled up?"

"That's the strange thing. No one has leveled up yet."

"What? Not a single person?"

"Yeah. Even those who played an active role in killing the orcs haven't leveled up."

Now that was odd. The system had clearly stated that the monsters in the wave would give five times the usual experience. Had Justin misread it? Just as he was about to check his status window, the system message appeared.

"Ding! You have successfully repelled the first Green-Skin Wave."

"Ding! Since the monster wave has ended, the accumulated experience will now be calculated."

"Ding! Your level has increased. You have gained 1 ability point."

"Ding! Your level has increased. You have gained 1 ability point."

Justin froze as the belated message hit him. He looked around and saw that the other Pioneers were also receiving the same message, their faces showing a mix of surprise and confusion.

But the confusion didn't last long.

Soon, cheers erupted as everyone saw their new levels.

"My level shot up just from killing those things!"

"Level 20! I've finally reached level 20!"

"The job selection window has popped up. What should I choose...?" Read exclusive adventures at empire

It wasn't just the Pioneers who were excited. Some of the civilians, suddenly faced with the job selection window, were also a bit bewildered. They hadn't expected to reach level 3 and gain access to a job class after contributing only minimally to the battle.

"For those civilians who've leveled up, choose the job you want! But remember, if you pick an artisan job, you won't get full noble treatment!"

Artisans were still a somewhat ambiguous class when it came to nobility. Even if they were officially promoted to nobility, they wouldn't receive the same treatment as those in combat classes. If they wanted a safe artisan job, they were welcome to it, but they'd have to accept the consequences of lower status.

Fortunately, no one seemed interested in picking artisan jobs. Considering that these people had risked their lives during the defense to become nobles, it wasn't surprising.

"Brother!"

"Justin!"

Amid the cheers, Nathan and Nina came running toward Justin. Despite the battle being over, they both had urgent expressions on their faces.

"What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"It's Derek and Ethan! Something's wrong with them!"

"What do you mean, wrong?"

"You should see for yourself. It seems similar to what you experienced before..."

Similar to what I experienced before? Justin followed his companions, still puzzled.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

There he saw Derek and Ethan, both staring blankly into space with pale, vacant eyes, as if someone had unplugged the power from their bodies. The other Pioneers were just as shocked by their sudden change.

But Justin had an idea of what was happening.

"Calm down, everyone. What's going on?""You suddenly froze up, and your eyes turned completely black. No matter what we said, you didn't respond.""How long was I like that?""About a minute. What happened?"

It was exactly like when Justin had temporarily been pulled into the Grand Arena of Ten Thousand Demons after reaching level 25. The worried voices he had heard when he returned echoed in his mind, and the current situation matched that experience perfectly—except for the eye color.

Justin's eyes widened with realization.

"Both of them are going through their second advancement!"

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