Praying to the Goddess for her friends' safety, damsel in distress Shadyna is hard at work today as well!
That being said…
_ Miel (Party): The battle will take some time. Should we have lunch meanwhile?
_ Elri (Party): …Does the phrase "read the room" even have any meaning to you?
Something something a caravan marches on its stomach. Receiving a surplus lunchbox from
_ Shadyna (Party): Delicious~
_ Miel (Party): The secret ingredient is hate.
_ Shadyna & Elri (Party): …Wait, what?
_ Miel (Party): Popular demands from our patrons.
That does sound like our degenerate patrons alright~
To be fair, considering how lethal [Love] can be in this game… Hate is definitely the ultimate buff ingredient, isn't it? Sateri, you maniac~!
Questionable food origins aside, I should take advantage of this rare chance to observe large scale PvP combat. They don't happen often, and the few that I saw, I was in the thick of it, which may or may not be because I was involved in creating said battles in the first place.
Being a cute girl admired by everyone sure is tough~
Compared to fighting against dumb creatures who can only charge forward, shield walls or even formations seem to be in short supply in PvP, and I can finally confirm that it's the meta rather than my presence in the vicinity. Maybe it has something to do with the lack of planning and preparation? The glass cannons bandits constantly moving in every which way to avoid getting smashed does not help maintaining a stable battle line either.
While I highly doubt our guild would have to fight another guild on equal footings in the foreseeable future, I should keep in mind that real life humans will ambush, feint, flank, and use whatever nasty tricks they can think of to catch the opponent off guard. That alone puts any plan which involves predicting the enemy's movements in jeopardy…
I don't see any of that happening per se. As always, it is hard to outsmart the opponent when you are busy trying to punch them, isn't it~? That's why I'll stick to ramming all opposition before they can react and leave the complex planning to the experienced people that is my guild members, thank you very much.
On an unrelated note, I think the bandit leader has a crush on (at least) one of us, and that's not based on his depraved conversation with
_ Shadyna (Party): Elri, their leader has been throwing passionate glances at us since the battle started.
_ Elri (Party): …Get your eyes checked. That was anything but passionate.
Harsh~ He could have been born (created) that way you know~?
_ Miel (Party): Love on the battlefield… How romantic, just like mine with
_ Shadyna (Party): Aw, you are making me blush~!
_ Elri (Party): Wait, I am the odd one here?!
I feel a bit sorry for that guy. It's kinda hard to top a lovey-dovey relationship forged from a bonus boss fight, generally speaking.
Then again, getting slapped repeatedly by a chair-ridden handsome man as first impression is probably not going to top any relationship to begin with…
_ Miel (Party): Yes, Elri. Even our most daring members wouldn't attempt murdering their crush on their first meeting.
_ Elri (Party): Stop calling
When you put it like that, Elri's love sure is heavy~
_ Bandit leader: NOW'S OUR CHANCE!
_ Bandits: UUUOOOOO!!!
As we were occupied with sharing love stories (and food), the bandit players pull out a surprising amount of [Alchemy] bombs and go loud. Some of the
_ Olkan: After them!!!
The merchant guildmaster alone got four bombs in his face and is still stan… sitting. Tanky chair, this one is. These top players are really a league above your daily off the shelf outlaws, even if the one in question is not even built for combat.
And running towards us.
…Seriously, why? Did they realize they could not win so they pull a last desperate attempt to at least get trampled by a beautiful elven knight lady instead of greasy merchants? The guard ladies are going to be offended you know~?
_ Bandit leader: AIM AT THAT SHORTY!
…Why the heck is it me again?!
While I was dumbstruck by their genius strategy of bullying little girls, a throwing dagger goes straight to my face.
*THWACK*
The gallant elven knight, who was ordering her trusty salaman… drake to turn towards the incoming hostiles, swats it with her halberd in one swing. A "1" pops up above her head as she does that.
…And that was probably with [Ignore Physical Defense] already. Oof~
_ Elri (Party):
_ Shadyna (Party): Roger~
I for one would not want to be on a bumpy ride in a warzone if possible, it's just that…
Also, isn't this staying on top of the vehicle strategy usually meant for zombie hordes…? Oh well, whatever!
Since we don't have much time before the enemies come into melee range, I stand up on the saddle and do a somersault backwards, not forgetting to spin a three times in the air before spreading my arms and landing softly on the wagon's leather roof.
10/10 landing, if I may say so~
_ Miel (Party): Hold still like that,
_ Shadyna (Party): Eh? Sure…
_ Miel (Party): Elri, we are ready.
For some reason, my mentor is facepalming and sighing in defeat upon seeing my perfect acrobatic jump… Probably just my imagination, un.
_ Elri (Party): It's not my fault if you fall off. Beginning charge!
I wouldn't worry too much about that. It's not particularly hard for me to keep balance with or without CSF's balance control augment, so I'll be… weeeeeeeeeeeeeee~~~!!!
I-I'll be fine!
____________
Seeing the elven knight taking the hit for the little girl gives the bandits hope.
Seeing her taking one damage… less so.
N-nevertheless, if the shorty is so weak that her guards had to physically shield her, the merchants are going to freak out once she's surrounded and kited from all sides! Such an underhanded and brilliant plan that can only be hatched by a mastermind villain like himself!
Actually, the merchants are already freaking out. A dozen faster players in their ranks have disengaged from the main battle and are in close pursuit, screaming. They are truly desperate.
It's a bit strange how their insults include "Are you trying to get all of us killed you maniac?!", "We are so doomed!", or "It's not too late if WE run away now!", as if the girl's safety was none of their concern. However, bandits on the run from the law do not exactly have the leisure to think about tiny details.
_ Bandit leader: Flank her and keep them busy! We can win this!
_ Bandits: OOOOHHHH!
With only a few meters away from their target, the heroic robbers were going to encircle the lone wagon when they start to realize their biggest mistake.
For the unwitting players, namely the bandits, the masked girl in black looked and acted like a frail meek maiden on an important mission. Cue their surprise as she stands up and perform a flipping jump like some DEX-focused builds.
_ Bandit #2: She's…
It's amazing how much one's impression can change simply by not speaking (in general chat).
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_ Bandit leader: Keep going! Do not stop!
Surprised as they are, the bandits cannot afford to stop. They can only move forward, no matter the cost.
_ Bandits: CHARGEEEEEEE!!!
_ Elf: Ren, let's go! [Dark Breath]!
Before they can comprehend the situation they got themselves in, another urgent matter comes up in the form of a fire-breathing salamander.
_ Bandits: AAAAAAHHHHH!!!
Correction: The cost matters.
_ Bandit leader: Why are you running away?!
_ Bandit #2: You are doing the same!!!
The bandit gang heroically charges in the opposite direction, back to where they came from. Sure, the pursuing guards will probably cut them down soon after, but that still beats getting wiped in an AoE!
_ Guards: AAAAAAHHHHH!!!
_ Bandit leader: WHY ARE YOU ALSO RUNNING AWAY?!?!
To the surprise of the bandit leader, the merchant guards have joined them in their escape from the salamander! Isn't it supposed to be on the merchants' side?!
_ Guard: That's why we tried to stop you! Now she's going to kill us all!!!
_ Bandit leader: JUST WHO THE HELL IS SHE?!?!
The upstart bandits' suffering continues.
____________
Run, bandits, run~!
Our allies are running away too for some reason though?!
_ Elri (Party): Tsk! This SPD debuff is more problematic than I thought.
Is that why they are not burnt to a crisp yet? I thought my strict mentor just wanted to instill fear and despair in them for bullying little girls, but it appears that she simply wasn't used to the debuff and let them slip away as a result.
And we are not catching up to them. Welp~
Since these guys attacked us on their own volition, so technically speaking, it's still true pacifism to buff my allies to protect themselves right?
…I was out the moment I used "technically speaking", wasn't I? Oh well, little details~!
_ Shadyna: [Summon]! Ophilie, [Ethereal Form]! [Phantom Edge]! [Devotion]! Lutena, [Soul Ascension]!
Although our lunchboxes are strong as they were made by my crew, they are nowhere near the level of my reusable lunchboxes, and even those are outclassed by the magic buffs I provide in Raid Breakers. Well, that is to be expected.
[Ethereal Form] turned out to boost my attributes and stats while active, which is most likely the bonus Sateri talked about for completing the quests well done.
[Phantom Edge] strengthens my spells as one of its effects, which is pretty much free as I am a bona fide pacifist and never attack anyone.
[Devotion] gives my attributes to Lutena and then some.
Finally, her unique attribute buff spell, [Soul Ascension], will make use of all of those stats boosts and effectively double the target's attributes.
Considering how my handmade lunchboxes had [Alchemy], [Cooking], and magic buffs packed together and can only have similar effect strength… Yup, this is pretty terrifying alright. Both are still fixed values instead of percentage though, so it's not that much of an improvement for me personally.
Good news is that this setup is not the best there is. For starters, calling in the two divine girls in my care for more stats from [Ethereal Form] is one way to do it. Had to refrain since showing off either of them was way too conspicuous, even for my standards.
A bonus boss fight with only my crew in the area will be a different matter however. Ufufu~
____________
At the same time…
_ Bandit leader: AAAAAAHHHHH!!!
_ Olkan: AAAAAAHHHHH!!!
The leadership of the merchants have joined the chase! Not on the side they were expecting though.
_ Olkan: Stop chasing me! I don't want to die with you!
_ Bandit leader: Can't you ask her to stop?! That crazy elf is your friend right?!
_ Olkan: I WISH!
_ Fuelri: Stop running! You are not getting away so just die already!
_ Bandits & merchants: AAAAAAHHHHH!!!
For better or worse, the infamous cavalry elf is struggling to catch up to them, pulling a full wagon with two passengers and all that. Still doesn't make it any less terrifying.
In fact, the impending doom just increases their panic. The bandits were only trying to avoid a seemingly powerful AoE at first. It turned into real terror after seeing the merchants frantically ran for dear life. If that's how her own allies would react, they certainly don't want to get caught in that purple flame!
_ Bandit leader: There has to be a way to get out of this!
_ Bandit #2: Shut up and run. You got us into this mess in the first place!
_ Bandit leader: You guys agreed to it! W-wait… Maybe if we attack the little girl again…
_ Bandit #2: Are you insane?! Just look at her!
It is obviously a bad idea to do so, especially during a chase. That's why the two leaders just have to turn around out of sheer morbid curiosity. It's not like it can make their situation any worse, right?
And they would be correct. That is, them looking at the nightmare descending upon them doesn't make it any worse.
It still descends upon them however.
Behind them, the barren land was dyed purple due to the salamander's constant fire breathing in their vision. Before the two can thank Sateri-chan for the fact that wildfires are not a thing in this game, the sparkling visual effects of buff spells appearing on top of the wagon catches their immediate attention.
Flanked by a ghost-like lady and a tiny fairy, the young girl in black is making a smug face while spreading her arms like a scarecrow to assert dominance over them.
Or to put it in gamers' language, the cheeky little brat is frigging T-POSING!!!
…It really wasn't the girl's intention, but rather a spontaneous idea of the mischievous waitress upon seeing her landing. It is surprisingly hard to realize you are insulting the enemies (and allies) in body language without a mirror. Not that it matters to the poor souls running for their life.
Whether it was in the instigator's plan or not, the posture utterly shattered the bandit leader's fighting spirit in just one look. After all, even the most courageous heroes would have to think twice if the last boss suddenly runs at them in T-pose.
And this one is approaching disgustingly fast.
_ Bandit leader & Olkan: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
____________
Aaaaaand done~
Once Ren got some oil, a new engine, some tires replaced… Wait, it's not a car!
Anyway, Elri made short work of the bandits after I handled her speed issue. Her salamander's average DPS dropped a bit since I replaced the generalist magic buff with SPD-focused one, but I gave the knight lady herself PAT buff as compensation. As a result, some of the tankier victims survived the initial burn long enough to get skewered instead.
Damn degenerate~
While not as visually impressive,
The bandit NPCs retreated and scattered after all of the players got killed, which was quite a surprise for all of us. Some managed to despawn into sparkling mists before Elri could run them over.
What a pity, because the dead NPCs turned into item bags similarly to how creatures used to too~
_ Elri: There is no corpse item, only loot.
_ Miel: Truly regrettable.
Tone down the desecration against the dead, won't you? Is what I want to say, but they will probably call me out on what I did for the [Lady of the Dead] title huh…
_ Olkan:
_ Shadyna: Nope~ Gotta res the fallen and hurry up to our village~ [Blessed Resurrection]!
Let's also ignore how most friendly casualties were from friendly fire, un!
_ Olkan: The bandit just told me how they got the quest.
He's just gonna pretend he didn't hear that huh. How rude~
And yes, we are reviving the bandits too. There are not that many of them, and they are willing to talk. Not sure why they shake like crazy when I look at them though…
_ Olkan: According to them, it looks like the NPCs randomly spawned and gave the quest on their own. What do you think?
_ Shadyna: …We have to worry about hostile players as well?
Come to think of it, players don't have an incentive to attack caravans since they can't actually rob other players. Putting in some quest rewards from NPCs, however, means that all bets are off. It wouldn't surprise me if these bandit quests pay much more to offset the risks too, depending on how sadistic Sateri was feeling when she added those in.
_ Olkan: Yeah. Player tactics, to be more specific. NPCs and monsters are not good at preparing ambushes, so having players lead the attempt increases their overall threat level significantly. Well, supposedly at least.
Can't argue with that. Those guys did reveal themselves to us and provoked Elri after all~ The ambush idea itself wasn't half bad though.
_ Olkan: In any case, long treks in the wilderness without support will be more dangerous than we thought. Players will need a place to rest, resupply, and reinforce after or even during attacks. See where I'm getting at?
_ Shadyna: Hmm… You want me to build rest stops?
Having rest stops on the main trade routes will ensure you have a place within reasonable distance to go or retreat to at all times. As long as the wagons are safe, any loss in personnel and consumables can be quickly fixed by a [Recall] trip or two. Having a sturdy shelter will also be a big help against further attacks while waiting for reinforcements, if not deterring them altogether.
Although not exactly a material gain, I may get to experience the "weary travelers encountering a shelter for the night (ensuing horrible things optional)" cliché someday too~
_ Olkan: Close, but not exactly. We'll build those camping sites ourselves. What I want to buy from you is [Recall] landmarks.
_ Shadyna: [Recall]… landmarks?
_ Olkan: Whatever you use to make your [Recall] network. We can use the [Construction] ourselves, but any bandit with half a brain cell will aim to siege the sites to delay us. That's why I want something that can remain hidden from both monsters and player alike. No need to teach us the techniques. Just the items themselves are enough.
…We actually expected players to figure that out three days in and planned to compete with just my hybrid items' efficiency. How they managed to keep missing the [Construction] furniture is a mystery to me.
I probably should not say anything about that huh.
_ Olkan: I will inform
They really did something to him, didn't they…? As I was feeling a bit sorry for the poor boobs-obsessed maniac, he makes a coin gesture with his hand.
_ Olkan: After all, think of the protection racket money we can make from this.
I worried too much. He can still speak the language of materialism perfectly fine~
____________
The bartender lets out a heavy sigh as she stands on the desolate battlefield. Even though the battle has been won, she feels no joy in her heart. Basking in the sunlight which has finally returned to the land, she grieves for her fallen comrades in silence.
_ Linista: This barely pays for a full party's worth of dumplings!
…Grieves for the lack of material gains more like. And her comrades are definitely not dead.
_ Helen: There there~ We didn't use any potion so it's all good.
_ Thelia: Not to mention that owner's dumplings cost an arm and a leg to begin with.
_ Linista: But who would pay for Raid Breaker service against this kind of "raid"?!
_ Falyn: To be fair, you did charge quite a price for something that amounts to five minutes of owner's time. This is the last corpse. Can you move?
Thanks to a little commotion in guild chat during the fight, they are aware of the logistic change in the latest patch. They have no intention of making a caravan however, and settle with piling everything into
_ Linista: There is no way I can move. I am not guildmaster.
_ Falyn: Oh well. You'll just have to unload at the entrance then. Dimensional transfer gate, open! [Mass Recall]!
*FLASH*
Teleporting across the map back to their village, the party appear at the edge of the floating island, where a bridge connecting it and the land below resides. While half of it is still under construction like the rest of the settlement, the work to turn it into a majestic bridge brimming with trade and visitors is progressing as planned.
_ All: …
They are pretty sure this massive pile of furniture was not included in the bridge's schematics though.
--- Topic: Patch discussion - 1.0df7 ---
…
## GoldBar9999
Watch out guys. There are new quests for bandits now. Our 100-man-strong caravan was attacked and outnumbered by a company of NPC bandits led by human players.
##
## SilentKillerX
Yes! YESSSSS!!! Now we PKers can have quests too!
Tremble and despair, weaklings! We are coming for you and your coins! (≧ロ≦)
##
## Big Hammer
^Go explode, ya darn scoundrel!
There's not going to be a boss raiding caravans because some maniac decides to accept these quests right? RIGHT?!?!
##
## Silver Merchant
It was an NPC-only attack this time with @GoldBar9999, but the one earlier had been a concentrated monster assault, so don't count bosses out yet. (^_-)
##
## WarlordPwnage
If even your massive caravan can get outnumbered, how is anyone supposed to do trading without a big guild escorting them?!
##
## GoldBar9999
By having this: [Pic]
Jokes aside, it is not guaranteed that you get attacked during travels, and not all will have this crazy number of bandits. Not sure if we were just unlucky or the quests somehow scaled with our caravan's strength and gave more bandit NPCs, but it's not like you lose anything but time if you get wiped.
Fun fact: We didn't have much trouble repelling the bandits. Our casualties (half of our total fighting force) were from that terror in the screenshot.
##
## The Dark Knife
I… how… was that girl seriously T-POSING you guys?! (￣□￣;)
##
## OP alchemist
LOLWUT
##
## Heaven Piercer
LOOOOOOOOOOL!!!
So bad-mannered! (´▽`)
##
## Newbie Charisma build
The future of warfare has come! \(^o^)/
##
## Mage of Sin
The weapon to end all weapons! And she has no respect for you at all! (*°∀°)=3
##
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