After settling matters with the other teams, Ryan led his own squad deeper into the dungeon.
It didn’t take long before the first wave of enemies appeared.
---
Corrupted Gelatinous Mass
Elite
Level: 15
Health: 2850
Type: Sli
Polluted Sli
Elite
Level: 15
Health: 2850
Type: Sli
Frenzied Sli
Elite
Level: 15
Health: 2850
Type: Sli
Terrifying Sli
Elite
Level: 15
Health: 3205
Type: Sli
---
Each of these slis, though differently nad, traveled in groups of four, endlessly roaming the area. To reach the dungeon’s boss, Ryan and his team had to clear out these creatures one pack at a ti.
This stretch of the dungeon resembled a dense, shadow-draped forest. Invisible walls hemd them in, forcing them to move forward. The only way out was either through the entrance—or by killing the final boss.
At first glance, the slis looked like they were clumped together in a chaotic mob. But after watching them a little longer, Ryan noticed a pattern. They patrolled in predictable loops, which ant he could pull them one group at a ti if tid right.
Ryan moved ahead, his eyes locked on a group of slis turning at the edge of their patrol. He lifted his shield and, with a swift motion, hurled it forward. The Avenger’s Shield struck the lead Terrifying Sli with a dull, echoing thud, then ricocheted off two others. The three struck slis shrieked and lunged toward him. The fourth sli, untouched but linked to the others by aggro, hesitated before joining in, trailing slightly behind the rest.
"Focus on the last sli that cos in! Wait for to hit it before you attack!" Ryan barked the order as he kited the first three toward the lagging sli. He held off attacking those closest to him, conserving his strikes for the one in the back.
A flare of golden light followed as Ryan’s Fist of Light and Judgnt slamd into the lagging sli, its health dropping sharply as he established aggro. Nightwalker and Moonlight Beauty, seeing his cue, charged in and swung their weapons in unison.
Archress Mageress, however, didn’t open with an attack. Instead, she began channeling Blazing Earth. Flas burst from the ground, searing all four slis, and she imdiately began casting Fireball. Her timing was flawless—Blazing Earth landed just as Ryan finished securing the last sli. The precision of her casting made even Ryan pause for a mont.
Then he realized her plan.
Ryan stopped hitting the slis in front of him, shifting to strike each of them in turn, spreading the aggro evenly so they wouldn’t peel off toward her. As the flas of her first Blazing Earth died down, Archress Mageress, perfectly calm, cast another. The slis writhed under the relentless fire, their health steadily dropping.
One sli collapsed into a pool of black sludge.
With three left, Archress Mageress switched tactics, abandoning area-of-effect spells for a rapid sequence of Fireballs, weaving in other precise fire skills.
It was her.
The na Archress Mageress had sounded vaguely familiar since they’d first t, but now, watching her perfect spell rotations, Ryan finally placed it.
The Computer.
The legendary fire mage who would beco famous in later years. Her full na was Archress Mageress. This was her, and the first part of that na was already here, right in front of him.
"It must be her. Archress Mageress was already a legend in the late 80s era of the ga. Before that, no one had heard of her—but rumors claid she’d played during the early days before disappearing for so unknown reason. When the new expansion launched, she reappeared with a fresh mage character... and rose to fa overnight."
Ryan’s mind raced as he pieced it together. This quiet mage, with her precision and flawless timing, was indeed the future ’Computer.’ The data-obsessed genius who would one day be courted by top guilds, the woman who could break down raids into flawless strategies—she was right here in his squad, and he’d almost missed it.
’I can’t let this talent slip away,’ Ryan thought, the resolve hardening in his chest. ’If I let her go, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.’
"Archress, nice skills!" he called out casually, trying to start a conversation and build so rapport.
"Mm." Archress Mageress gave only a faint, distracted hum, her attention never wavering from her spellcasting.
Ryan scratched the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed. He gave up trying to chat and threw himself back into the work of pulling monsters.
---
The forest held around twenty groups of slis, so tucked away behind thick tree trunks. Ryan thodically rounded them up and dragged them into the team’s path. The others seed puzzled by his persistence until he explained, "These mobs are good experience. Besides, it buys ti for the other teams—let them catch up a little."
"I see, so you’re trying to motivate them to compete?" Moonlight Beauty smirked. "Why not just set up second and third place rewards? A little more gold, and they’d be racing each other."
Ryan shook his head, smiling helplessly. "It’s not about the gold. Even if I don’t rank them, they’ll do it themselves. But if I officially give prizes only to the top three, the fourth team will resent ." He gestured ahead. "Anyway, the first boss should be close. Let’s take a quick breather before we move on."
"How are you so sure it’s a boss? Maybe there’s still a ton of trash mobs waiting to chew you up!" Moonlight Beauty teased, as lively as ever. Always at full health thanks to the healer, she darted forward like an eager scout, determined to find out.
---
Minutes passed, but no word ca back from Moonlight Beauty. Ryan frowned. Nightwalker and the others, looking equally concerned, quickly moved ahead to check on her.
Ryan remained a mont longer, sorting through his inventory, then followed at a asured pace.
---
"Damn, this thing is huge!"
Moonlight Beauty’s voice finally crackled through the party channel, but her tone was sharp with awe. The others froze, trying to picture what she was seeing—until the answer presented itself.
From the shadowy depths of the forest, an enormous shape erged. The ground trembled under its weight. A massive sli, towering several stories high, slithered into view, its amorphous body glistening under the faint light. The sheer scale of it forced them to take a step back, their instincts screaming caution.
---
Sli Lord
Boss
Level: 15
Health: 32,500
Type: Sli
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