The Angler began to rise from its downed state, even though half of its body was scorched by the injuries, it showed no signs of weakening, quite the opposite in fact. We realized that the final boss was about to enter its next phase, where the course of this battle would once again turn in an unpredictable way.

The first thing we immediately noticed was the stance that the Angler took—it wasn't the stance he had been using against us so far. With a sturdy and imposing physique, his aura grew stronger as those pair of blue eyes gazed in my direction.

"Seeking revenge, huh?" I joked, fully prepared for what was about to happen.

"Prepare yourselves. This guy currently has high resistance to both magic and physical attacks. Our only chance is to knock him down and deal the biggest damage we can," Appa explained.

"Easy for you to say, but there's no other way," Nomad added.

"With the remaining time... this is going to be truly challenging."

I couldn't help but feel a sense of bewilderment as the Angler made a sudden gesture. It happened so fast that before I knew it I was soaring through the air, being pulled by something.

“"Senior?! Blue?!"”

Their voices sounded distant, even though we were supposed to be in formation.

"What the...," I muttered, unable to comprehend what was happening. They now appeared far away from me, or rather, I was the one distancing myself from them.

"Be careful with that whip-like fishing tool. It can pull and throw you far," Appa warned.

You're telling me now, Appa. I grumbled silently to myself. After being launched high up, I crashed into a rooftop and fell down, each impact draining my HP as if I had been hit directly. "Still...Subtle is as sharp as ever. The buff she used saved me," I mumbled.

My muscles were still trembling as I struggled to get up. Perhaps it was the effect of the direct attack. "Haha, playing with your body directly is truly incomparable to playing from behind the screen."

Still unable to stand upright, I pulled the string of my bow and prepared a skill to release. "[Magic Arrow]," I announced. The arrow immediately shot off, diving toward the crowd where my comrades were battling. Although it had aim-assist, the skill missed as the Angler noticed its arrival. It didn't matter. I was just trying to do something rather than staying idle.

Now I truly understood that a character built to face difficult bosses was not suitable for PvP, especially in fast-paced close-distance battles like this. Well, from the beginning, I had always avoided PvP in almost every game I played. Honestly, player conflicts were something that stirred up emotions that I found hard to control.

Our time left before this dungeon session ends is under four minutes while The Angler has already entered its most difficult final phase. If only more of us had experience fighting this boss before, we might be able to exploit a gap and open a bigger path. However, even with Appa and Ritta having that experience, the rest of us have to adapt in a rough way.

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That's one issue, the next one is Versatile that I doubt will last that long. If there's something that must be maximized, it's this unknown buff that ignores FCT attached to me. As long as I have this, I can increase my DPS to the utmost limit. But will my MP be able to withstand all this wasteness?

I still haven't really found a way out of my own deadlock—until I saw it—among us, one who doesn't directly fight the enemy is Subtle. I rarely paid attention to her because of our formation, but in this proximity, it's as if it showed me what has been hidden from my sight all the time.

Indeed, while Appa, Ritta, and Nomad are impressive in fulfilling their positions, they won't last this long without Subtle's performance. I really didn't notice it, it's because Subtle seems to really know what to do even while closing her eyes.

All of our stats are monitored so well. It's too perfect for me to express. Even after all these tough clashes we seem quite stable despite all the damages we sustain. Can one person make all the difference?

If you think about it, I would have died at the start of the game if it weren't for Subtle's sharp preventative actions. If I think a little further, isn't Subtle the same as me? Not adept at close combat, with a big gap when attacked and vulnerable to death? But why is she able to do it while I'm just standing here motionless?

I turn my gaze to my remaining comrades; Appa, Ritta, and Nomad. They seem to never run out of ideas in the face of all the difficulties that get in their way. It's as if they are only focused on their respective tasks and—

And they ignore other aspects... no, not that—they entrust their backs to each other, trusting and believing in one another. And here I am, thinking I can do everything alone? My arrogance is truly invisible to myself.

"What took you so long?" Subtle's soft voice welcomes me, not distracting her from her work at all.

"My connection was faulty," I make an excuse. I take a moment to stop by Subtle's side and ruffle her hair. "Thank you," I suddenly say.

"Wh-what do you mean, don't tease me during these critical moments."

"I entrust my back to you, Subtle."

Only a thin smile that stays in my mind as I leave.

"Huh, you don't need to say it," she mumbles.

As the leader of this party, my role is very minimal without giving a feeling of impact. This is my fault, drowning in my own dilemma. I have many faults, even I can't count them, but that is not a reason why I am not responsible for fixing them.

All my shortcomings... I just need to put that aside for now. Being in this party will be a valuable experience for me in the future.

Magical energy envelops me as I release the string with enthusiasm, without much pause, I aim and release a skill that is instantly casted. "[Magic Javelin]," I announce.

I don't have a correct sight to solely target The Angler, so I release my magic only towards it without thought. My fighting comrades won't know anything until it happens.

But something amazing unfolded.

My three comrades moved simultaneously as the Javelin approached at full speed, just like me, who carelessly released the skill. Their synchronization was so impeccable that it could only be considered sheer coincidence. It was the result of experiencing hundreds of battles together.

As Appa kept The Angler busy, Nomad diverted attention and made deceptive movements, and Ritta performed her main task—a decisive kick followed by a series of punches—successfully knocking The Angler straight into the path of my Magic Javelin.

"It was a close call," they muttered.