The other Venerators had to sleep so Joshua was outside the fortress. The Resource Workers needed to sleep as well, where Ferno's flames were giving them warmth despite its dark experience. A literal black flame that swallows the light. Joshua was patrolling outside with Sheena's Love and Todd's Tears. Currently wearing his Coat of Crimson and the Mask of Thorns, he made quick work of any threats that were patrolling the area. His stamina has not drained much if at all.

Just going around hunting the goblins was easy, but they were not a good source of food. Orcs tasted better, goblins just taste like 'cockroach shit on fire'. That was a saying that Joshua tend to hear when anything tasted bad. Something that Barton had said, it somehow made Joshua chuckle a bit. A saying that he thought he forgot, but at the very least he said it out loud. The high orcs, goblins, orcs, hobgoblins were patrolling carefully but Joshua was intent on making sure none of them see anything else. The darkness of the night was perfect cover, his blades thought silver were mere glints to the eyes of his enemies. Not needing to use a skill to take them down. Their red blood splashed over Joshua's mask and body, he could not be bothered.

Continuing on patrol for the entire night, it made Joshua miss the moon back on the other side. There were 3 moons here, though they were beautiful. It could not replace the familiarity of looking up to that one moon every night. The stars that accompanied it, those were the little things. Little things that most people take for granted.

He kept going on fighting for hours until dawn broke out. When the others woke up, Joshua was sharpening his blades with a piece of whetstone. Dawn woke the others up, Joshua was still drenched in blood but that was no different.

"Hey, don't you need rest?" A Venerator asked Joshua who shook his head.

"I'm fine. I can still keep going. We got another 5 hours before the next wave. So get ready." Joshua said as Ferno went over to his arms, just laying its head on him. Joshua put his weapons aside, then watching Ferno clatter its beak. Burning the blood off Joshua's clothes, Joshua was forced to take a break by Ferno, then he turned to Lugasa.

"I will keep watch, master." Lugasa said as Joshua stayed with Ferno, feeding it fruits and watching the surprise that is Ferno being overly affectionate with him. Letting Joshua stroke its beak, then it laid its head to Joshua's chest. Clattering loudly with its beak.

The other Venerators prepared themselves to defend the area. Joshua was still stroking Ferno's beak. The Resource Workers were not able to do much as a result of the ambushes that were imminent. What they could do was discuss on their research to what these fruits were. The ores that have been gathered.

Ferno then stepped out of Joshua's arms, now standing beside him instead. Lugasa was raring to go as Joshua could see Lugasa waiting for the wave to start.

Wave 3 begins in 1 hour

Enemy types : Orcs, High Orcs, Goblins, Hob Goblins. (Inclusive of many other classes)

Named Enemies are spawning into the battlefield.

Warning Ambushes are likely to happen at any given time.

DIFFICULTY SPIKE : Barriers cannot be made

The sudden spike in difficulty brought a change.

"What the hell?! A difficulty spike?! This is an F-Ranked Spire. What the hell does this even mean?!" A Venerator cursed out loud.

"Calm down. We'll just readjust ourselves accordingly. Anyone good at close quarters combat handle the entrances we can't let them inside." Joshua did not listen to the other Venerators that kept hatching their plans, Joshua merely took out Cass's Regret and readied his kit with the Rayland's Unforgiven.

Just making final checks as he loaded the other shells into the side saddle and the stock saddle. Joshua checked the oversized charging handle the bolt release. Keeping the revolver to his chest so he can just use it quickly.

The wave was going to start in 5... Joshua looked at Lugasa.

"Do whatever you want." Lugasa nodded, as Lugasa passed the wolf doll to the child.Lugasa howled to the sky as the wave began then leaping out of the fortress. Ferno just stayed by Joshua's side.

"Ferno, just stay near the children." Joshua said as he readied the shotgun. Only to hear a roar that shook the ground, some of the Venerators and most of the Resourcer Workers fell due to all the shaking. Some of the defenses had also taken some damage as a result.

'Skill Activated : Terrorizing Frenzy' The Venerators all around them froze in place. They were alive, breathing but they could not move their bodies.

"What are you all doing?" Joshua whispered, his words reached the ears of the Venerators.

'Negated by Lord of Thorns : Supreme Rule' The Venerators were back to their senses.

Legendary Orc Lord Garakh has shown hostility because you ate her people.

You will be viewed as an enemy by the Orc race forever. Including goblins, trolls and others of the same species.

Garakh is casting skill Terror to you.

Joshua felt a bit tingle to his neck, the kind like someone's trying to force their way through a nasal swab. Joshua's own insides felt ticklish.

Garakh's skill has failed.

She is reattempting to use the skill again.

Subsequent failures have occurred.

She is located within 200 kilometers within her own village.

What would you like to do?

Now that sounded interesting.

"Lugasa, go wild. Destroy every single thing that is an enemy to these people. Ferno just keep protecting the Resource Workers." Lugasa clenched his paws, grinning at Joshua as he readied his attack.

'Werewolf's Pride' unleashing four flaming wolves that descended to the ground.

"I hate those Orcs anyway. So I'm going to kill them. As many of them as I have to." Joshua said as he vanished. Covering the distance of 200 kilometers within a few seconds. Joshua was standing in front of the Orc village. It was a fortified fortress but this begs the question for Joshua.

How is he going to approach this?

Guns blazing? Swords? Magic? The fortress itself was nothing remarkable. It seemed to be more of a little city instead of a village. Their defenses were made of crudely smelted weaponry, rocks and wooden spikes. A population of 50,thousand.Now that was something interesting. Maybe just to piss Garakh off, Joshua will use something from Barakas.

'Ancient of Spring. Imprison my enemies in this cage.' Joshua said as he the fortress is surrounded by a cage made of roots. He stepped inside and drew his pair of Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossoms. (Awakening 100%) Stage 7

A pair of Shashkas that are part of the Thorn's arsenal. It was owned by the first Thorn's sworn friend and comrade in arms.

The blade belonged to one of the Noir Dancers, a blade that was given to the Thorn as something to remember him by.

The blade has been awakened 7 times.

Attack Power 2275 Sharpness Divine

The Cherry Blossoms were white when he got them, but they've turned completely black. Perhaps due to all the creatures that Joshua has killed? Joshua destroyed the goblins and anything that was hostile to him back in Mulligan. This was just another repeat scenario. Not that he would hesitate because he knows these are orcs.

Joshua continued walking into the fortress seeing the orcs that was in a panic. An entire street filled with them, that's roughly 214 orcs in his path. Before him was a variety of sights. Orc families, orc couples of different genders. A teacher bringing their students out for a walk. Now those things were something that humans did as well but, with what he was seeing. Joshua did not seem to be bothered.

After all the Orcs in Mulligan could not be bothered to stop their slaughter of humans. Joshua was no saint, he did destroy an entire race of Orcs in Mulligan. Here it was no different.

"Who is th-" The child orc that pointed to Joshua was slashed. An entire street worth of corpses was made within a flash. Garakh stepped out of her domain, watching the bodies of orcs fly all around her. Their blood painting the surrounding buildings and pathways with red. The limbs were decorations to what Joshua had done. The other orcs readied their weapons to attack Joshua, only to be left as nothing but limbless corpses.

"You... You dare to attack us hu-" Garakh could not finish her sentence, the leading warriors by her side were all slashed until they were mere skeletons. He grabbed Garakh by the neck and pulling her down to his eye level.

"Of course I dare. I killed a million orcs. Minotaurs, centaurs. I've eaten the flesh of your kind. Why should I, be afraid of what is meant to be my prey?" Joshua asked as 'Cage of Thorns' activated. Seeing Garakh's health fall to zero within an instant. That was very anticlimactic. He was ready for a whole 'How dare you kill us' argument and orcs trying to show they are superior but it ended so fast.

Though he did have Garakh's corpse intact, so he could bring it back with him. Joshua carried the corpse back to the fortress where the orcs were breaking into the perimeter, the Venerators that perished this round were stuck in the dead zone.

Explanation

Dead zones are only for Venerators in Waves.

So when Venerators die in Wave Spires, they have to face a penalty period of 180 seconds.

Does not apply to Resource Workers

They were going to attack the Resource Workers, only to be stopped by something.

"Kneel." Joshua spoke as all of his enemies were flattened to the ground before him, then Joshua threw the body of Garakh in front of them.

"I've killed your lord, Garakh along with the residents. And I am going to kill you all too." Joshua said as he readied himself to fight. Slashing through them all. The orcs, goblins ,high orcs felt fear. Yet they could not do anything but wait for their demise. Joshua was covered head to toe in the blood of these creatures. Then watching the Venerators return after their Dead Zone penalty timer hit zero.

Joshua left an orc, a high orc, a goblin and a hob goblin alone. They were bound by thorns as they watched how Joshua cut up their compatriots and ate them in front of them.

"Isn't it way past your bed time?" Joshua whispered as their heads exploded.

Wave 4 begins in 24 hours

Enemy types : Dark Elves.

Named Enemies are spawning into the battlefield.

Warning Ambushes are likely to happen at any given time.

ENEMY CHANGED HAS OCCURRED DUE TO : GARAKH'S CORPSE BEING PLACED AT THE FORTRESS

Enemy types will reset once the current Venerator team leaves the dungeon.

"Dark elves? They taste a bit sweet, mostly tender." Joshua thought out loud, then seeing Lugasa kneel before him.

"I apologize for failing to fight them all master. I was careless."

"You're a brawler Lugasa, not a defender. It's to be expected."Joshua said as he turned to Carla and the others.

"It might get even more dangerous so maybe not the time to go look for resources. But we did get a lot of things from the first day." Carla said, turning to the other Resource Workers that were concerned and tired.

"I can go ahead and do some mining. So I'll see what I come up with." Joshua told them as he grabbed a pickaxe and went on his way.