Haru: Acolyte 14/Apprentice 7
Optifex: Legionnaire 14/Initiate 7
ErcuEmu: Initiate 14/Legionnaire 7
Alara: Apprentice 14/Acolyte 7
Tacito: Footpad 14/Initiate 7
Haru kept an eye on the Gogo world boss wandering around the meadow on the other side of the dune. In that moment, it was quite far away, but if it had a wander pattern like any of the goblins in other areas, there was a high chance it would soon come close enough to agro. Her casting of Mend on Opti finished, bringing the legionnaire back up to 95% total HP.
Opti used Pummel on the crab they were still fighting, and procced an extra strike, with his auto attack, it brought the creature down to 64% total health.
Alara took a knee into recovery mode to regain her mana after having cast Wind Strike on the crab.
Haru’s Lumen debuff brought the mob down to 63% HP. She took a knee to recover mana.
Taci readied Sneak Attack. Just after it finished charging, he used Pummel, which procced an extra shot. Coupled with his auto attack, he hit the creature for 15% damage, bringing the crab down to 48% total HP.
In the meadow, the boss, Horde Commander Bobi, started to march in formation with the other Gogo that spawned in with him. It looked like he was walking toward the forest. But then the formation started to turn, pivoting toward the dune.
Emu used Pummel. It procced two attacks, and coupled with his auto attack, brought the crab down 8%, to a total of 40% HP.
Alara stood up and started casting Wind Strike.
The crab started to shimmer, and red orbs swirled around its form. It started to cast Big Guard.
The legionnaire used Line Breaker on the creature. The stun didn’t proc. “Argh, one more level for Shield Bash.” Opti grumbled.
The mob finished charging its ability and an iridescent veil descended over the creature’s body. It removed the Physical Defense Down debuff placed on it by Haru’s Lumen spell. Then it auto attacked Opti for 15% of his health, bringing him down to 80% total HP.
Haru stood up and started casting Lumen on the crab and renewed the mild HP down effect along with adding another Physical Defense Down debuff on the crab. Then she knelt to keep her mana high.
The world boss grew closer.
“We might want to watch out,” Haru started, “that boss is getting closer to us.”
“I see it.” Opti’s auto attack triggered, bringing the crab down to 35% HP. “Hopefully it won’t walk onto the beach directly through our camping spot.”
“I thought that thing stayed in the grassland.” Emu’s auto attack triggered, bringing the creature down 5% to 30% HP.
“I did too, but there was one time I watched it wipe out an unsuspecting party near that tree.” She motioned with her chin toward a lone palm tree near the cave at the end of the shore. Her Wind Strike finished charging and struck the crab for 10% HP, bringing it down to 20% HP.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Emu used Accumulate. His fists started to glow red, and a band of energy scintillated on his wrists. “Let’s see if this is better timed.”
Alara continued to stand and kept her eyes on Emu.
Taci’s auto attack triggered, dealing 5% damage, bringing the crab down to 15% HP.
To the party’s left flank, the Gogo boss drew near. It was only a few steps away from them now. Still out of agro range of the closest goblin minion, but not for long.
Haru stood, ready to start healing and casting Lumen on each individual mob in the goblin gang approaching them.
Emu’s accumulate finished, as indicated by the bright glowing band on his wrists. He triggered Pummel and procced an extra attack, dealing 15% HP to the crab.
A cacophony of victory fanfare rang out.
Haru reached level 15!
Optifex reached level 15!
EcruEmu reached level 15!
Alara reached level 15!
Tacito reached level 15!
Haru looked around, expecting to hear Emu call out cheerfully. But this time, like last time was eerily quiet. At first, she thought it was because of her interruption with commentary. But something about the three was different. It was like they were growing distant, for some reason. The air was heavier in the party after Haru and Opti’s return to Fairbank. Something changed, for some reason.
As the party turned and got ready to engage with the goblin boss, the signature red and blue dazzling Provoke sphere appeared in front of one of the Gogo minions’ faces. As the harsh buzz of the ability rang out, the entire formation stopped and turned to look at a different party standing on the dune far away from Haru’s camp. It seemed the legionnaire of that group pulled the boss with his Provoke ability.
“Nope, that wasn’t a good idea.” Alara muttered and shook her head.
“Why, what happened?” Haru looked at the apprentice.
“You shouldn’t pull a boss using one of its minions.” Emu looked at Haru. “It will mess up the enmity table.”
“…enmity table?” Haru tilted her head.
“When a fight starts,” Opti said, “it ranks targets based on their particular vulnerability.”
The horde of goblins began to spread out and engage the other party’s various members, scattering like pollen in the wind.
Emu looked at Opti for a moment, squinted, then nodded. “That’s right. And the puller’s advantage doesn’t apply to adds.”
Haru blinked. “What’s that?”
“When you pull a mob, the first action has its enmity generation reduced. Making it easier for a tank to lure it into attacking them instead of the puller.” Alara continued to watch he fight afar.
The other party’s legionnaire frantically tried to Provoke the adds off the other party members, but its cooldown made that difficult to do quickly. The boss itself struck down one of the party’s casters in one hit.
“We should help them.” Haru said, readying to move into range to heal.
“We can’t,” Opti sighed. “We’ll just end up wiping too.”
Haru hesitated, realizing she’d just leveled up. “But why?”
Opti stepped forward, placed a hand on her shoulder and pointed toward a banner being raised, tied to the end of the spear of the boss. “It’s already charging its abilities. If we rush in there, we’ll get caught up in that too.”
Suddenly a deep baritone horn rang out, and the boss started dancing. It used the ability War Cry. The eyes of the Gogo minions, usually black, turned red and they started swinging at triple speed. Three more of the other party’s members went down within moments of the frenzy.
Alara sighed. “There’s a specific strategy that’s needed for bosses like Bobi. You have to take out the adds as fast as possible. It’s not complicated, it’s just that people rush and don’t think things through.”
“Besides,” Emu started. “We weren’t ready anyways. We should head back to Fairbank and get our new level 15 skills.”
“I know a shortcut.” Opti looked at everyone. “Follow me.”
The party descended the dune into the meadow just as the frenzied horde finished off the other party’s legionnaire. The harsh buzzing sound of him leveling down, along with the text ‘Level Down’ appearing over his body made Haru shudder. She wished there was something that could be done for them.
The goblin horde then calmed and returned to formation with the boss and they marched in lock-step onto the beach.
As the party took the long way around the goblin horde, they returned to the beach and everyone ran along the brim of the sandbank that spanned the length of the shore, between the forest and the beach.
Finally, the group reached a small gateway embedded into Fairbank’s wall that blocked off the rest of the shore.
“Don’t you need a key to use this shortcut?” Alara called to Opti.
The legionnaire shook his head. “You need a key to get into the dungeon proper. Anyone can use this shortcut.”
After opening the metal grate that blocked the way, the party entered the Fairbank Undermoat.
It was a narrow corridor, much like a sewer made from stone brick. Moss lined the floors, walls, and ceilings. In the distance, water dripped at a constant pace.
“Just be careful.” Emu called out. “We need a key to get into the dungeon proper, there are still level 50 mobs in here that will ruin our day.”
Haru swallowed hard as she entered the area, clutching her staff nervously.