Haru: Acolyte, Level 6/20
Optifex: Initiate, Level 6/20
ErcuEmu: Legionnaire, Level 7/20
Alara: Apprentice, Level 7/20
Tacito: Footpad, Level 4/20
Haru watched, helplessly stuck casting, as the Milkie spun up into the air and readied its Flutter ability. The red orbs which spun around it, signifying the ability was charging dissipated and the puffball ascended higher for a moment. The creature was about to use its attack.
Just as Flutter was about to deal damage, Haru’s Mend triggered. Emu’s health jumped from 1% to 100%.
Healing Magic level increased to 1. Mend gained trait: Anti-Stun.
Then the Milkie slammed its rotund body into the ground. The impact produced a squeaky noise that echoed up and down the mountain. Pink dust clouds kicked up on each side of the puffball.
Emu, Opti, and Taci took 1% damage each. Then they fell asleep.
Haru panicked. “What do we do?” She turned to Alara.
“Just wait for it to melee EE, then heal the others out of their sleep state.” The mage canceled her casting and took a knee. “If you heal a sleeping party member without an active tank, you’ll take all of the enmity.”
But before the Milkie could attack, it started casting Fire I on Emu again.
“Oh, come on!” Opti shouted through his slumber.
“Just like the ones near the end game.” Emu chuckled.
Haru came up with an idea. She would try to time her Mend to land just after the monster’s Fire I would go off. If she did it right, Emu would only be down to 1% for a split second before jumping straight back to full health. She waited and took a guess when to cast.
The Milkie’s ability landed just as Haru’s Mend hit 75% completion. She waited just a little too long. But the legionnaire was only at 1% health for a few moments before the heal hit and brought his HP back to full. Then the monster tumbled forward and smacked into Emu’s leg, dealing 1% HP worth of damage.
In response, with gritted teeth and a playful grin, the legionnaire used Line Breaker to keep enmity. The Milkie was down to 5% HP.
Haru worked quickly to heal Opti in order to wake him up.
The initiate immediately used Pummel. It procced as normal and the monster went down.
Cacophonous rumbles from the Victory Fanfare tune filled the area.
Haru leveled up.
Opti leveled up.
Emu leveled up.
Alara leveled up.
Taci leveled up.
Emu smiled. “Ding!”
“Phew,” Opti stretched, “that was a lot of exp.”
“I like these better than the Gogo.” Alara nodded, satisfied.
Opti leaped toward her and shook his fist. “That’s easy for you to say! You’re not the one getting tooted with sleepy gas.”
“I thought you were Mr. Tough Guy and taking on all challengers?” Alara smirked smugly, her voice mocking.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Haru started to cast Mend on Taci.
Opti scoffed. “I didn’t sign up for nappy-nap time simulator. Fending off a horde of goblins is way more fun.”
With the wag of her arm, the acolyte healed and woke up the footpad.
“I like these things.” Taci placed his bow on his back. “They’re cute and don’t agro. Much easier.”
Alara and Opti stopped arguing to look at him.
“See? The world’s best DPS is always right. These are better.” Alara placed her fists on her hips and splayed her arms.
“But Emu almost got blown up! Twice!” Opti held out his arms toward the legionnaire.
“That’s my job.” Emu stated flatly.
“That’s his job.” Alara said in tandem with Emu.
“The tank’s job is to take the hits.” Emu started. “And everyone else is supposed to deal the damage.”
“Even me?” Haru piped up.
“Well, yeah. You have offensive magic too.” Alara nodded.
Haru opened her menu and reviewed her list of spells. Sure enough, at level 5 she unlocked the opportunity to learn the spell, Lumen. It wasn’t usable yet, she had to visit the job trainer.
“It does Holy damage. Is anything weak to Holy?” Haru thought out loud.
“No,” Alara responded, “but nothing is strong to it either. It’s a very middle-of-the-road damage type. Good enough for healers and the Arcane Fencer job.”
Haru wondered what being an Arcane Fencer would be like. The idea of having a stylish, feathered cap for Artifact Armor and a pretty dueling sword seemed enticing. A hybrid of melee DPS and ranged magic DPS. ‘Arcane Fencer Haru’ had a nice ring to it. She tapped her fingers together excitedly at the concept.
“It seems like everyone is healed up. Shall we try another one?” Emu interjected.
Everyone but Opti nodded in agreement. The initiate sighed in resignation.
“I can pull.” Taci brandished his bow at the nearest Milkie, a bit farther away than the last one, lingering near the center of the area.
Emu nodded. “Just do it at max range. That way you have a decent chance to not get blown up by its spells.”
The footpad seemed to heed his warning. After walking toward the mob, he nocked an arrow and readied to strike from afar. Just before the bow loosed, the Milkie moved out of range, canceling Taci’s attack. The footpad waited for the monster to settle before adjusting himself and trying again. And once more, it moved before he could strike.
Finally taking a risk, Taci got just a little closer, enough that when it predictably moved, his attack still would connect. The arrow smacked the Milkie for 10% of its health.
As soon as the footpad’s strike landed, the monster turned and began casting Fire I on him. Without hesitation, Taci turned and used his dash ability to flee back to the group.
The red orbs spun around the creature then dissipated, signaling the coming of its attack.
Nothing happened.
The Milkie began waddling toward the group.
“Good job,” Emu said. “You got out of range in time to cancel the monster’s spell.”
As the monster neared, the legionnaire used Line Breaker and charged toward the foe. The stun procced, and the Milkie locked in place. With his auto-attack then triggering, the creature fell to 80% HP.
Alara rushed forward and began her volley of ice bolts. “I got four in me now, guy.” She shouted at the Milkie.
Opti charged forward and used Pummel. It procced an extra strike. Then his auto-attack followed up, bringing the creature down to 60% HP.
The mage’s ice bolts began slamming into the mob, bringing its HP down to 20% after all four attacks landed. She took a knee to change to recovery mode just after.
Taci attacked with his bow, bringing the Milkie down to 10% HP.
Then the Milkie’s stun wore off and it began casting Fire I on Emu.
Haru readied to time her heal. But the legionnaire’s auto-attack finished off the mob before she had to cast at all.
The Victory Fanfare theme played.
Haru leveled up.
Opti leveled up.
Emu leveled up.
Alara leveled up.
Taci leveled up.
“Ding!” Emu smiled. Then he looked around and sighed with amazement. “These really do give a massive amount of experience, don’t they?”
“Let’s do one more and then continue the main quest.” Alara said. “I want to get to Fairbank before I log off so I can get rested state. We can always come back if we need to grind more.”
Emu nodded. “It is starting to get late, isn’t it? I was having fun and lost track of time. Alright, one more and then let’s continue the main quest.”
They fought one more Milkie and using the same strategy, managed to down it without much trouble.
Haru leveled up.
Opti leveled up.
Emu leveled up.
Alara leveled up.
Taci leveled up.
“Ding!” Emu smiled. “Alright, let’s get a move on.”
The group departed the small grove and descended the mountain via the paved road. They traversed through the dead wood forest, careful not to agro any Gogo when passing the encampment and returned to the T-intersection near watch tower. They then departed for the meadow, which was down the only path the group hadn’t traveled down yet.
In the meadow, it was vast, with a slight slope that created a foothill in the center. The deadwood forest was in sight, at the far end of the grasslands. The mountain upon which Haru’s tower stood was in view on the horizon. Halfway into the meadow, the paved road ended and turned into a dirt path. This trail led to the cave where the main quest target waited.
They reached the entrance and found it empty.
“That’s strange.” Emu looked around. “Usually there are a bunch of mobs here. It’s the whole reason that this area is difficult, they all link and are super close quarters.” He stepped inside and beckoned the rest of the party. “Maybe someone already cleared it. Which is good, that means we’ll only have to fight our way out.”
As the party entered the cave, Haru recognized it. This was the place that the demon first scarred. Pain from the infection welled in her chest. It was a deep throbbing sensation.
Whatever damage Irae did was still here and caused Haru’s affliction to surge.