Chapter 318
Roar of a King (I)
Move to the flanks!! Emma called out with a shaking roar while stepping back. Right then, Krar rushed forward in front of her and raised his shield, blocking a void-fused strike of a massive, forty-feet tall creatures.
At the sa ti, six others fanned out, with Daniel and Ethan taking the rear, the two shadows gliding and slashing away. Senna positioned herself on the creatures left, sending an army of weapons to rain from the sky at it, with Lek shadowing her, summoning an array of skeletons to act as her safeguards.
On the other end, Jamal, Sigmund, and Elypso ramd at the creature from the right flank, unleashing a barrage of high-damage skills, nearly ripping away aggro from Krar who desperately tried to keep it.
At the far rear, two new additions to the party stood, laly firing off a barrage of skills. Both were Elentalist, a bid to replace the raw magic damage that Cain was responsible for. Despite the fact that this was already the third boss theyve fought with Emma and others, they still werent able to adjust to the sheer level of raw brutality and fearlessness.
The arena around them was a platform suspended inside a dark-dimd void, with the solitary forms of light being the effects of skills, and the creatures eyes. Though this made coordination slightly more difficult, under Emmas leadership, the fight progressed smoothly into the second phase, as soon as the creature hit 50% HP.
It shed its outer layer, almost like a snake, but unlike the expected skeleton, what appeared was an ethereal form of purple-dyed smoke and shadow, an apparition floating and slinging out void-charged strikes over and over again.
EVERYONE WITH HIGH HP TO THE FRONT, THE REST BEHIND, Emma roared, ordering around imdiately. Delilah, give us the shield!
Aye, aye, a golden shine exploded soon after, cradling the group in a gentle embrace and alighting the platform. The void strikes that blew toward them instead glanced off of the shield, disappearing into the mass of nothingness behind them.
The tirs expiring, Senna said. In fifteen.
We rush it? Krar asked, taking a sip of water.
Wouldnt it be better to just have you and Emma tank it while we whittle it down slowly? Daniel proposed. It probably has a final phase. If its a DPS check, were fucked.
Tsk, youre so cautious, Jamal grumbled. We rush the bitch!
I concur! Sigmund exclaid. Rush and beat it up!
Senna, Jamal, Ethan, and Ayna will save their cooldowns, Emma said after a brief deliberation. The rest of us will go all-in. The first phase was so boring Im halfway asleep. Lets just speed it up and have those four as the insurances.
... WHY , THOUGH?! Jamal cried out suddenly.
Five seconds, Senna said.
cause I dont like your face, Emma grinned.
Tsk, I hope Cain returns with six chicks at his side. Jamal was quick to regret his words at her deathly stare, but she couldnt say much as the shield began to expire.
As per the plan, everyone except the four called out started burning their cooldowns, causing the boss HP bar to drop faster and faster. It went from 50% to 40% in a few seconds, and seed to be ramping up as the finishers ca into question.
Thirty seconds later, the group stood sighing around a corpse, having killed it without many issues. The notification popped up, alongside the nurous rewards, while the Tower-wide announcent rang out that theyve cleared the 14th floor of the Tower.
Few cheered here, though, as theyve grown numb to it. Ayna and Gary, however, still hadnt; before joining the group, they were just one of the many trainees under Rick, prospects at best. They had their own pride, especially as they were considered quite talented even among the prospects, and were likely to beco a part of one of the main groups in the future.
However, one day, seemingly out of nowhere, they were called to the main offices and told that theyd be joining one of the vanguard groups by Mr. Garcia himself. What struck them beyond that was the pitiful look and the just try your best that they didnt truly understand at the ti.
Two Elentalists joining a party, especially two of their caliber, seed moronic, but as they were given amazing gear and the opportunity, they werent about to complain. So eight months has passed since then and they still deliberated in a strange, hollow delirium.
Both recalled their first ti eting the group--despite the fact that they were in the Tower, in a hostile environnt where they could be attacked at any mont... nobody was on guard. In fact, they were joking around, taking naps in the middle of nowhere, reading books, drinking, having barbecues, and all around doing everything except what the two of them were taught.
In ti, though, they naturally understood why. This tiny group that nobody seed to be aware of at the ti was made up of monsters that broke the norm. Even today, they were still stunned. The limit for the boss was 80 people. Every, every other group in the world would have taken all 80 people to the raid and prayed they succeed, possibly even sending a scouting party to learn the boss chanics.
They, however, just entered the mont they found the boss room with a party of thirteen people, as though it were the most normal thing in the world. And Emmas words of the boring first phase would have buried all other parties and forced a completely different tactics. After all, the two of them were 100% certain there were no other tanks in the entire world besides Krar and Emma who could face-tank that monster.
Additionally, while most other parties had at least two healers, with the averages actually going up to four and five in boss battles, this one had... well, just one. Yuki. A young, awkward-seeming lad who complained incessantly about being the only healer of the party while still easily keeping everyone alive through abhorrent nightmares.
While all of that would have been enough to awe the two of them, what was by far the most depressing aspects of their experience in the party thus far hurt far more. After all, they were Elentalists, both Awakened as raw spellcasters, prid for damage output. And yet, they were at the bottom of DPS charts, all the ti, standing just above Yuki and Krar. Even Emma, the supposed tank, often dealt more damage than them, not to ntion the rest.
Even in terms of burst damage, Daniel and Ethan were above them, while they stood no chance in drawn out averages against Senna who consistently topped the charts alongside Jamal. The two of them, beyond just raw numbers, also seed to have optimized the way their classes fought perfectly, never wasting a second, dealing damage all the ti.
Guys, seriously, Ill quit this fucking party! Ah, here we go... a consensus thought ran out as a voice began to speak. Yuki walked to the front, airing out his grievances. Do you know how hard I have to work each and every ti to keep you alive?!! Plus, you two idiots! You didnt have to face-tank every single goddamn skill! YOU CAN DODGE STUFF! I had eighteen panic attacks seeing you just casually stand in the path of a skill with no intention of dodging it!
We had faith in you, Emma said casually.
Faith my ass! Youre just bullies! You just bully ! I demand a second healer!
If we get a second healer, youll just slack, Emma said.
So what?! Dont you think I deserve to slack a bit?!
Youre the best healer in the world, Senna said suddenly, grabbing his shoulder. Theres nobody else who could do this. Take pride in that.
... you guys have absolutely no intention of finding another healer, do you? Yuki asked, disgruntled.
Its not that, Emma sighed. But do you really think good healers are that easy to co by? Most already have steady groups. Not to ntion that healers are the fewest in number among the classes seeing as few people enjoy having the fate of everyone in their party in their hands. So, trying to filter out the awful, the psychotic, and the greedy doesnt leave us with many options. Ricks been lookin real hard for one, and Im sure hell find him or her in ti. Until then, just keep us alive.
Tsk, easy for you to say. I hope Cain cos back with six chicks at his side. yelping lowly and hiding behind Jamal, he looked away from the deathly stare, not daring to et it head-on.
Anyway, Senna spoke out suddenly, breaking the awkward atmosphere. That was fairly easy. Id argue that bitch-ass fish was even harder.
The only reason you think it was harder cause you couldnt do any damage to it, Daniel scoffed. Personally, by far my favorite boss.
Of course it is. You get hard at the very thought of beating in a DPS race.
Better than using it as an excuse for not doing literally anything outside of DPSing.
Oh, please, pot and kettle much? Senna rolled her eyes.
Alright, alright, pipe down, Krar said, noticing a portal opening at the center of the platform. Weve been at it a while. Lets take a three-months break.
Yup, Emma nodded. I just hate that I know the boss wont be discovered in that ti. I hate the numbness of looking for the Guardian.
We all know Cains laziness rubbed off on you, you dont have to ntion it all the ti, Jamal said.
At the sa ti, Ayna and Gary remained silent while the rest of the group bickered loudly. The two pondered on the na Cain, having heard it many, many, many tis before. From what they gathered, the two of them were brought in as a replacent for him, and considering the level of respect everyone in the group showed toward him, as well as the implication that was by far the strongest mber of this party... there could only be one, they realized. The inspiration for all the Elentalists and the reason why many selected that class in the first place. The na and the picture long forgotten by the world. All they could do... was pray to et him one day and simply ask How?.
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