After Titus the Shadow came a [Demon Lord] who challenged our preconceived notions of what that class means.
Titania. The first [Demon Lord] of her name.
By all accounts, she would also come to be deserving of the moniker she is known by.
- Excerpt from “History of Demon Lords: Titania the Cruel”
-------
April 12th, 394 AA
After introducing Erica as the savior of the world, everyone was ecstatic… excluding her and the officials.
“Do you have any idea how much danger you’ve put her in?” the [Commander] scowled as he slammed his hand on the table in front of me.
“No more than she was already in,” I replied coolly. “She appeared at your obelisk at the same time as the [Demon Lord] returned to Placeholder, and I needed to say something. Besides, I have no doubt that you’ll be able to swear all of those [Soldiers] to secret without much trouble.”
“Umm,” Erica said. “I didn’t exactly want to be introduced as the [Hero], but if Titania did it, I’m sure it’s for a good reason.”
The [Commander] looked over at her, and his gaze softened slightly. He turned back to me, and it was back to a glare.
“And who exactly are you, Titania?” he asked. “You appear alongside the [Hero] right when the [Demon Lord] is reborn, you have red eyes, and you have no last name.”
Frick. Did he figure me out? I thought to myself while keeping my thoughts off my face.
“Who do you think I am?” I asked Erica. Not particularly because I cared but because I needed time to think.
“Umm… Who is Titania?” Erica asked herself. “Well… she… umm… she’s someone who saved my life, and who taught me magic, and who helped me through that ‘tutorial’ place. I would have never made it through there without her.”
“That’s all well and good, but the question is not for the [Hero],” the [Commander] replied. “Why were you in this ‘tutorial’ in the first place? Are you also not a native of Placeholder? Who are you?”
I finished thinking and came up with my idea.
This is either the most stupid idea I’ve had yet or the greatest.
“I’m the [Hero’s] [Mentor],” I replied. Before the confused [Commander] could ask a follow-up question, I pressed on. “Erica is not yet a legal adult, and yet she has been brought into a new world to fight the [Demon Lord] without any say on her part. As such, the System decided she needed someone to help her adjust to her time here. I am that being.”
The [Commander] raised an eyebrow. “Would you be willing to say that again under truth stone?”
“Sure,” I replied. Frick. Was my last statement true? I don’t know. I remained calm outwardly as they fetched a truth stone and placed it in front of me.
If the OmniverseEngine is the “System,” it controls everything that happens. So, even the decisions I make inside my head are a “decision by the System” because I am, in fact, a piece of it. I reasoned with myself.
I repeated myself under the truth stone, and the [Commander] gave a slow nod.
“But why do you have red eyes?” he asked.
“Why do you have green eyes?” I challenged… mostly to try to buy a few seconds to think.
“Are you stating that you do not know why you have red eyes?” he asked.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t hide behind that defense. I knew darn well why I had red eyes. Instead, I continued BSing my way deeper and deeper into the hole.
“I am chosen by the System,” I replied. “My red eyes and lack of a last name are simply artifacts of that calling.”
“Then the [Demon Lord] is also chosen?” I could practically feel the doubt radiating from him, but I pressed on.
“Yes. The [Demon Lord] is chosen by the System in a similar manner.”
“You aren’t on his side then, are you?”
“How could I be on his side if I saved the [Hero’s] life?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” the [Commander] replied with a gaze of steel. “That’s why I’m asking.”
And just like that, I was stuck in a corner. How can I say I’m not on the [Demon Lord’s] side when the [Demon Lord] is me? I thought frantically. There isn’t any amount of mental gymnastics that will let me get away with that! But I need to say something! Maybe I-
“Umm,” Erica interrupted. “I don’t know much about this [Demon Lord] stuff, but why do you keep asking Titania these questions?” The [Commander] and I looked at her as she continued. “She already saved my life, and has been super helpful with telling me all this stuff about this world! Like, we didn’t have magic back home, but she already taught me five spells and helped me level up enough to pick a 6th one. She even lent me a wand and promised not to abandon me in that dark cave, even when she could fight the monsters all by herself.”
Erica looked down to steel herself before looking the [Commander] in the eye. “So, why do you keep bugging her and being rude? Shouldn’t you be helping her since she’s going to be super important for fighting that [Demon Lord] guy?”
“Will you even be there when the [Hero] fights the [Demon Lord]?” the [Commander] challenged me.
“I can assure you beyond a reasonable doubt. When the [Hero] faces off against the [Demon Lord], I will be there,” I replied.
“See!” Erica pointed at the still-glowing truth stone. “She’s done nothing but tell the truth since we got here, and she’s on my side for fighting against the [Demon Lord]! Don’t we have more important things to do, like gain levels or something?”
The [Commander] slowly nodded.
“Very well, since you’re the [Hero], we’ll get you some levels as soon as possible. We’ll put together a babysitting squad to run you through the Faroff Forest dungeon and-“
“That won’t be necessary,” I interrupted. “Erica’s already level 10 as she has defeated a boss, and she will hit level 11 once she upgrades her class. She doesn’t need to clear the dungeon.”
“Umm, actually-“ Erica tried to interrupt.
“Then she could still use the experience anyway after she becomes a [Grand Sorcerer],” the [Commander] replied. “She will also-“
“She shouldn’t become a [Grand Sorcerer],” I scoffed. “If she wants to become stronger, she should pick a class with more rarity like [Elemental Sorcerer] or [Fire Sorcerer].”
“Umm, is that the class upgrade thing? I had some questions-“ Erica interjected, but the [Commander] and I ignored her.
“You’d limit her to just one type of spell?” the [Commander] snorted. “Some [Mentor] you are! Let me guess. You would limit her to fire spells and make her unable to fight the [Demon Lord] at all!”
I rolled my eyes. “[Elemental Sorcerer] isn’t limited to a single spell school. She would still have [Aeris] and [Terris] options available even if she weren’t the [Hero]. However, since she is, you’ll feel real stupid when she picks up any class she wants, and it doesn’t matter. [No Restrictions]. Innate [Hero] perk-“
“Oh, and what are perks? It said I had gained like 10 points for them? From achievements?” Erica asked.
I ignored her because I was too busy getting in the [Commander’s] face.
“She can use any magic she wants,” I said as I jabbed my finger into his chest. “Any weapon she wants.” Another finger poke. “And any armor she wants.”
The [Commander’s] hard gaze changed, but I didn’t quite recognize the look on his face before Erica interrupted.
“Armor! I know what armor I want!” she yelled excitedly.
That was finally enough for both of us to turn and look at her.
“The System told me about a suit of armor, and it gave me a quest thingy!” she continued in the same excited tone. “Wait. I can share that. How do I?” she paused for a few seconds but then eventually flicked her screen over to me and then to the [Commander].
Compulsory Quest.
“Reclaim the Hero’s Regalia, part 1 of 5”
Quest details - With the passing of the previous Hero, the Hero’s Regalia has been lost to Placeholder. Reclaim the 5 pieces of the armor by clearing the enhanced dungeons.
Next dungeon - Faroff Forest
Reward: 1 piece of beyond-masterwork armor
That would indeed be the best suit of armor for her. I thought as I examined the quest text.
“Oh! And there’s this other one that seemed kinda important too!” she flipped over another screen.
Compulsory Quest.
“Seize the Demon Lord’s Armor, part 1 of 4”
Quest details - With the passing of the previous Hero, the Demon Lord’s Armor has been lost to Placeholder. Seize the 4 pieces of the armor by clearing the enhanced dungeons.
Next dungeon - Deepmine Mine
Reward: 1 piece of the Demon Lord’s masterwork armor
Nice. Thanks for finding them for me. I thought as I breathed an internal sigh of relief.
“So, are these suits of armor ancient relics or something? Why are they in enhanced dungeons? What are dungeons in the first place?” Erica rapidly fired more questions.
I sighed and thought I caught a brief look of pity from the [Commander].
Guess it’s time for another round of Q&A…
------
About an hour and a half later, we had sufficiently answered Erica’s questions. I say “we” because the [Commander] actually pitched in a bit to help.
The next thing on the agenda was to get Erica her class upgrade. That sparked its own argument because the [Commander] wanted to take an entire troop of [Soldiers] with us for Erica’s protection. Meanwhile, I didn’t want anyone else along because there was no point in attracting extra attention.
The compromise ended up being that the [Commander] could come along and that a few [Soldiers] could trail at a distance.
To avoid attracting more attention than necessary, I also put in some blue-colored contacts since the [Commander] pointed out that my red eyes might cause some concern from the townsfolk.
However, as we walked to the center of town to visit the obelisk, I wondered about the efficacy of our precautions.
“Don’t look now,” I murmured to the [Hero] and [Commander]. “But we’ve got some people watching us. Be prepared for a fight if necessary.”
I could practically feel the eyes boring into me.
“I… do not believe they will be of concern,” the [Commander] replied.
“Umm… yeah, I don’t think they’re after a fight,” Erica added.
I remained on edge for the rest of our walk. The [Commander] seemed amused whenever I pointed out the men watching us, while Erica seemed slightly embarrassed.
Eventually, she stopped and tugged on the sleeve of my shirt.
I bent down, and she whispered into my ear.
“Umm… I could be wrong, but I think those men are just watching you because of your… features,” Erica paused.
“My horns?” I asked while standing back up. “Beastborn are rare in Gram, but not exactly unheard of. It shouldn’t be enough to-“
“No, no, no,” Erica shook her head vigorously. “Not that-“
Who knows how long I would have been oblivious if not for the random layabout who interrupted our conversation with a wolf whistle.
“Hey, girl! Nice tits!” he shouted from where he was leaning on a wall next to a few other men.
If I’m being honest, not even that did it. All it caused me to do for the first few seconds was raise an eyebrow and subtly look around for the woman that idiot was stupid enough to catcall.
Fortunately, then it clicked.
“Oh,” I said simply. I couldn’t help my face from slightly flushing. Meanwhile, the smirk on the [Commander’s] face made me desperately want to wipe it off with my fist. “Let’s keep moving then.”
That would have been the end of it if one of the idiot’s friends hadn’t decided to chime in as well.
He whistled. “She looks even better from the back!”
My next action was barely a conscious thought. I [Flash Stepped] towards the most recent offender and reappeared with a flaming fist that stopped an inch from his face.
“Would you care to repeat that?” I asked.
“She’s one of those crazy [Martial Artists]!” one of the guy’s friends said.
“Let’s get out of here!” said the other.
“H-h-huhaaahhhhh!” agreed the man in front of me, who may or may not have lost control of his bowels.
I let the three of them flee and ignored the increasing number of stares that shot in my direction.
“That’s quite the distance for a [Flash Step],” the [Commander] commented.
“Indeed it is,” I replied, ignoring the suspicious undertone of his words. “My apologies for the delay. Let’s get back on track.”
We continued the rest of our walk in silence, which gave me time to think about the encounter.
Never thought that I would get to check off “get catcalled” from my… What’s the opposite of a bucket list? I asked myself idly. Well, whatever it’s called, I get to mark off “get catcalled” and “become a woman.” Oh, and I guess I also have “go to prison with a life sentence” on there from last life.
Fortunately, my introspection was cut short as we arrived at the obelisk.
“So, what should I pick up?” Erica asked after she pulled up the menu.
“You should have… 20 spell points to work with?” I half-said, half-asked. “That’s enough to get you both [Air Cutter] and one of the other spells.”
“[Ice Shards] or [Earth Slam],” Erica replied.
“If your goal is to defeat the [Demon Lord], you should know that he is resistant to ice attacks,” I replied. I gave that away casually because I assumed that much about me was common knowledge. However, the look on the [Commander’s] face told me that that was news to him.
Great. Good job spilling the beans. I thought with a hint of bile. “I know next to nothing about either of those spells, but if that is the case, then it would seem that [Earth Slam] might be your best bet.” The [Commander] frowned, so I added, “Unless you have anything you would like to add?”
“[Earth Slam] is probably the worst of the tier 2 spell options when it comes to dealing with a single target,” he replied. “It’s useful on a battlefield because it can be disruptive, but it has much less value when fighting against a single powerful enemy. Maybe you should save your spell points and get a utility spell like [Message] instead?”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“[Message]?” Erica asked. “What does that do?”
“Purchasing [Message] won’t be necessary,” I replied. Then I sighed. “Exit the obelisk and come over here.” As she did, I toggled [Suspended Spell]. “[Message] Erica…” I paused briefly as I realized I didn’t know her last name. Fortunately, we were in a party, so it was sitting right there in the upper left part of my vision. “Jensen.” I finished. “This is a message.”
Erica walked over and then frowned as she closed her eyes.
“This one’s kinda weird,” she murmured. “It isn’t visible, and I can’t quite tell what it’s doing.”
Feeling a brief spike of hope that maybe there would be a spell that Erica couldn’t pick up instantly, I released the spell.
“Oh! So that’s what it does!” Erica exclaimed.
Erica Jensen: Oh! So that’s what
“It even has a reply feature!” Erica gasped before I could even tell her about it. “That’s so cool! It’s like magical text messaging! Let me try!” She cleared her throat. “[Message] Titania. Earth to Titania, do you read me?”
“Sorry, not going to work,” I replied.
“Aww. Why didn’t it?”
“I don’t have a last name.” Well, technically, I kind of had a last name, but there was no way on Earth or Placeholder that I was handing over that information to Erica. I jerked a thumb in the [Commander’s] direction. “Why don’t you try him?”
“Sure!” Erica replied. “Umm… I don’t think I caught your name [Commander]…?”
“[Commander] Hartfield. [Commander] Lee Hartfield,” the man I now knew as Lee replied.
“Alright, let’s try this! [Message] Lee Hartfield. Is this working?”
“Yes, it is,” Lee replied after a moment.
“That’s soooo cool!” Erica said. “I know six spells now! And I can still pick up two more!”
“In that case, you should pick up [Earth Slam] and [Air Cutter],” the [Commander] stated.
It was my turn to give him a funny look. “Didn’t you just mention how [Earth Slam] wasn’t a good spell for her?”
He nodded. “I did… but… If you do not mind holding your upgrade for a bit, I would like to see something.”
“Oh, umm… sure,” Erica replied. She looked to me for guidance, and I went ahead and gave her a slight nod to go ahead. The young [Hero] picked up those two spells while Lee called one of his men to him and sent him off as a runner.
“We’re going to see if we can’t find you a tutor for [Ice Shards],” Lee stated. “He likely won’t be as good of a tutor as your [Mentor]-“ he gave me a level look. “-but if you are as much of a prodigy as you seem to be, then we can at least give it an attempt.”
Why should she hold off on the upgrade? I asked myself. I couldn’t come up with a reason, but I wasn’t about to ask him. I would have rather eaten my-
“Why should I hold off on my class upgrade?” Erica asked.
Oh. Right. I don’t need to ask. Leave it to the inquisitive little sit.
“We know that a mage who learns all four bolts spells is capable of becoming an [Elemental Sorcerer] or [Elemental Wizard],” Lee replied. “I want to see if you unlock additional options if you also learn all the tier 2 spells.”
Hmmm. Definitely something worth seeing. I thought as I nodded in appreciation. It’s not often you’ll get an adventurer who can learn all of those spells before hitting level 10. I approve.
With that, we left the obelisk behind and went to an area that seemed to be a training ground of some sort based on the uneven ground and scorch marks. We waited there in silence until a slightly irate [Wizard] showed up.
Lee commanded him to cast [Ice Shards] at the area in front of us, and the man did so without further question… He did grumble a bit under his breath about it, though.
“Ice, become a hail of frozen blades that will pierce through my foes. [Ice Shards],” he cast.
As dozens of icicles appeared above the [Wizard’s] head and rained down on the unsuspecting ground, Erica watched intently.
“Umm… I didn’t quite get it. Do you think you could do that spell one more time?” she asked timidly.
Lee nodded, and the [Wizard] cast the spell again after it was on cooldown… and again… and again.
After the 5th time, Lee simply nodded. “You’re dismissed. Good work.”
“But I’m so close!” Erica whined. “Why does he have to leave?”
The [Wizard] rolled his eyes. “Young lady, you are aware that spells have a mana cost, right?”
“Oh, you’re just OOM[1]?” I asked. “One sec…” I opened my inventory and rummaged around in it for a moment. “Here,” I said as I tossed him my 150 mana wand. “I think it still has charge, so go ahead and give it a few more casts.” I pointed at him. “I want that back, though.”
Even if I hadn’t seen the calculating look that Lee was giving me, I probably would have felt it through the back of my head.
Give me a frickin’ break, man! I complained internally. I haven’t given you any reason to still be suspicious of me!
Fortunately, we soon had other things to deal with as the [Wizard] cast [Ice Shards] one last time.
“I think I’ve got it!” Erica said excitedly. “Ice, become a hail of frozen blades that will pierce through my foes! [Ice Shards]!” she cast.
Just like her teacher, the miniature frozen javelins appeared above her head and rained down on the thoroughly defeated ground.
“Let’s go back to the obelisk and see what I unlocked!” Erica said.
She was practically jumping with joy and nearly took off sprinting toward the obelisk.
That left Lee and me to trail behind.
“A true prodigy,” Lee remarked. “Even for a [Hero].”
I nodded. “She probably has the most natural talent for spellcasting that Placeholder has ever seen.”
Before I realized it, a bit of my aura leaked out.
Envy’s a weird one. I thought. I wonder what it does? I pulled it back in and was just in time.
“Hurry up!” Erica replied as she ran back to us, grabbed us both by one of our hands, and started practically dragging us toward the obelisk.
I rolled my eyes but went along with it. Then I noticed a group of smiling and nodding old ladies whispering to each other as we passed by.
Having already failed to account for stupid obvious things like the fact that I was now able to be catcalled, I was kind of on hyper-alert.
That’s why I immediately connected the dots.
Oh. Oh no. I groaned. We look like a married couple with a kid.
“I can walk by myself,” I said as I quickly pulled my hand out of Erica’s grasp. “In fact, I’ll race you there.”
I [Flash Stepped] past her and took off running.
… I did have to wait for several minutes once I got there, but I was pretty sure it was worth it.
After that was the moment of truth.
“Upgrade,” Erica said as she touched the stone. “Umm,” she continued after a moment. “I just go into the class upgrade thingy, right?”
“Correct,” [Commander] Lee replied.
“I have a lot of options… There’s [Grand Sorcerer]-“
“That’s the basic one. Pass on that,“ I replied.
“-[Elemental Sorcerer]-“
“That’s the one I was aiming you for.”
“-[Fire Sorcerer], [Air Sorcerer], [Earth Sorcerer], [Ice Sorcerer]-“
“Those all specialize in a single school,” Lee replied before I could. “So [Air Sorcerer] is the only one I recommend.”
“-and the last one is… umm… [Primal Elemental Sorcerer]?” Erica asked.
“That’s certainly a new one,” Lee muttered, and I agreed.
“Should I take it?” Erica asked.
“You may as well,” I responded. “If a class like that’s unheard of, then it makes sense that it most likely has more strict conditions to get. That also usually makes it more powerful.”
“But that power also comes at the cost of additional restrictions,” Lee replied with a frown.
I just sighed. “It would if Erica wasn’t the [Hero]. If you want to confirm that, just go back into your perks, and you should see one titled [No Restrictions]. That makes it so that you don’t have to worry about any of that stuff.”
“I don’t need to look. I trust you, Titania!” Erica replied. “And if the class is unknown, all the more reason to take it, right? I mean, I’ll die of curiosity if I don’t pick it!”
“Go ahead then,” I replied. “And tell us what perks you get.”
“I picked it! My perks are… ummm… [Increased Elemental Skill Experience]-“
“That’s the one that [Elemental Sorcerers] get,” I remarked.
“-and [Increased Elemental Skill Damage].”
I whistled. “That’s pretty good.”
“Indeed,” Lee replied. “What are the restrictions that it gave you?”
“Umm… let’s see… [Restriction - Elemental Spells Only] and [Restriction - No Low-Cost Spells].”
My eyebrows shot up. “Hold up a second. Does that second perk include [Mage Bolt]?” I asked.
Erica wrinkled her nose. “I… think so?”
I shook my head in amazement. “Wow, that would completely gut a standard [Sorcerer].”
“Agreed,” Lee nodded. “Not having access to their most basic spell would greatly reduce their combat efficiency. They would be useful only for making a few large AOEs and then retreating.” He paused. “And just for my peace of mind, could you please cast [Mage Bolt]?”
“Umm.. sure,” Erica replied. “Should I just… Oh. I’ll just aim it at the ground. [Mage Bolt]!”
The ethereal bolt of black force appeared and slammed into the ground before dissipating.
“Very good,” I replied. “Now, perk time. I would definitely recommend [Enhanced Party]-“
“Shouldn’t she increase her mana?” Lee argued. “A [Sorcerer] is only good as long as he or she has access to their spells.”
I scowled. “Yes, but I was getting there.” I turned back to Erica. “You should have 10 perk points. I recommend 2 for [Enhanced Party] because it makes it 1000 times easier to coordinate combats. Then, I recommend spending 5 to increase your mana. That leaves 3 more, and you can spend them on whatever you want. Either increase the skill experience for one of the skills you like, purchase the [Map Interface] if you think you’re likely to get lost, or get [Enhanced Interface]. I don’t recommend the last one as it seems to have the least use.”
Fortunately, Lee didn’t contradict me about the last point.
I really hope she doesn’t pick [Enhanced Interface]. When Jake had it, it picked up Wrath Aura as a status effect, and I really don’t want to have to explain Envy Aura.
“Umm… I picked up [Map Interface],” Erica replied. “Now what?”
“Last up is skills. You should have options for any of the spell schools that you didn’t already learn-“
“There aren’t any of those,” Erica replied.
Of course. She already has them all. I grumbled internally and had to tamp down my aura again.
“I guess you can just pick up [Dual Cast] then, and we’re good here.”
“Done! What now?”
“That’s up to [Commander] Lee,” I replied as I turned to look at him. “Based on Erica’s quest, we’re going to need to clear the Faroff Forest dungeon. Are you able to get us in for that?”
He nodded slowly. “I will get things together for a clear as soon as possible. I think it’s best to exercise caution for this clear given what your quest stated about the dungeon being enhanced.”
“And how long will that take?” I asked.
“Give me 2… no, 3 days,” he replied.
I nodded. “That should be fine. We have some shopping to do in the meantime.”
“Shopping!?” Erica asked. That was perhaps the most excited I had seen her all day, and we had been doing literal magic. “What are we going to get?”
“Some things vital to our success,” I replied.
-------
I didn’t expect Lee to tag along with our impromptu shopping trip, but it should have been expected in hindsight.
I had two primary goals. The first was armor, and the options for that were sorely, sorely lacking.
I complained about the craftsmanship of most of the work we saw, and there wasn’t a single mithril piece in the entire shop.
… That made sense given Gram’s leaning towards mass-produced items for the every day [Soldier], but it still hurt my soul a bit to realize that the helmet sitting in my inventory had more defense on it than any suit of armor that we could scrounge together for the young [Hero] and me.
Despite my misgivings, we ended up purchasing a suit of light armor each. We weren’t going to wear it for the raid on the dungeon because the wolves there were all elemental damage, but it was good to have for whatever came after that… at least until we got our masterwork+ armor and then tossed out the second-rate garbage.
However, the next purchase was the big one in my opinion.
A bra.
Yes, I could have continued going without one, but those useless sacks of mammalian fat were causing more issues than I thought. Every time I ran or moved in combat, they got in the way, and every time I got in a conversation with a male shopkeep (like back at the armor shop), I had to remind them that my eyes were up here.
… Or down here, actually. There were a fair number of people who stared at my horns too.
Anyway, the main goal for a bra was to strap things down to help with both situations. Unfortunately, the bubbly shopkeep for that store seemed like she was much more interested in making me look cute for my “husband” waiting outside.
… She even asked me if I wanted to show him some of the sets of lingerie.
I said no, of course, but if embarrassment and blushing could deal damage, we would have found out what envy form was right then and there.
I eventually found a bra that I liked and purchased it. Though, I guess “liked” is kind of a strong word.
… Did you know that bras kinda suck?
Anyway, after our little shopping spree, there wasn’t much to do besides wait for the promised dungeon raid.
-----
“It doesn’t seem like there have been any changes yet,” I remarked as our squad of 50 people made our way slowly through the Faroff Forest dungeon.
“If there are no changes, no one will be happier than me,” [Commander] Lee remarked. “But I would rather have to answer to command for being too cautious with the [Hero] than to answer to them after losing her.”
After that, we glanced over at Erica as she enthusiastically shot off [Mage Bolt] after [Mage Bolt] at the spiders and stalagfights.
We lapsed into silence as the group of 5 parties slowly but surely made our way to the dungeon boss room.
This fight will be a piece of cake with this many people. I thought as we entered the boss room.
There is no definitive proof that I jinxed us, okay?
System: You have entered a dungeon boss room! You will be unable to leave by any means until the dungeon boss is defeated.
System: Hero detected. Activating enhanced dungeon boss. Deactivating training mode. All parties except the Hero’s will be expelled from the instance
“Son of a birch!”
“By Jake’s sword!” Lee and I swore in unison.
We tried to head back to the entrance, but it was… uhh… gone.
“Looks like we’re doing this with just the 10 of us,” I remarked.
“Indeed,” Lee replied sourly. “Everyone, we’re moving to the clearing! If the start of the boss fight is the same as always, we’re going to recover all of our resources before the start. If not, we need to know right now.”
Meanwhile, I finally noticed that there was even a slight change to the boss’ name.
“Enhanced Elemental Wolf Matriarch,” I said. I shook my head. The System’s naming sense is almost as bad as mine.
The good news was that the boss fight seemed to at least start in the same way as before. The same stone pedestal with a marker for each of the seasons was in the middle, and there were no monsters that any of us could see.
Well, no hostile monsters.
“I can’t believe you guys are still kicking,” I muttered to myself as I examined one of the daves that was chilling up in a tree. “Have they been using you to help farm this boss all this time?”
I cut my whispered conversation short because Lee walked by, and I didn’t want him to think I was crazy in addition to whatever else he thought of me.
We took our break for about 15 minutes to top everyone off, and then it was time.
Erica was given the honors, and she walked up and pressed the leaf on the stone pedestal.
The forest instantly changed to fall, just like it always did. There were howls in the distance, and 10 air wolves loped into view, just like they always did.
The pillar that appeared to change the season… didn’t show up.
Lee ordered the two [Soldiers] he had sent to take care of pillar to move back to the party through Erica’s [Enhanced Party]. Meanwhile, I ordered everyone to stand down and let me take care of the first wave through the same.
Lee initially tried to argue, but I simply said, “This is the most efficient use of resources,” as I walked towards the mobs.
The good news was that those wolves went down just like always. 10 [Air Strikes] later, and we heard the unmistakable howl of the boss.
The giant air wolf showed up, and it was anticlimactic as we [Air Bolted] it back to being a normal but giant wolf. Then, we baited it under the daves and let them damage it down to three-quarters.
I couldn’t help but throw out an [Identify].
Level 25? I frowned. This boss doesn’t seem to be worth that level.
I understood when the boss disappeared and the second phase began. In the middle of the clearing on the stone pedestal, the snowflake emblem lit up alongside the leaf. There were 20 howls, just like always, but as I took my position at the head of the group, I had to pause.
The wolves that came into view were half ice, half air.
“I… think I can handle this, too,” I said. “But be ready to help out.”
I [Air Strike] punched the lead wolf as it jumped me.
That earned me a face full of ice as the air portion of it dissipated, and it became nothing but an ice wolf.
Ow. Well, that’s annoying. I thought. Fortunately, that’s all it was. Annoying. I could still take them down with limited effort. I just had to make sure that I hit them with an [Air Strike] and an [Ice Strike] simultaneously.
That phase of the boss went down just the same, but I took a bit of chip damage along the way. That led us to the third phase, where the wolves had three elements, and things were too dicey for me to solo.
However, being dicey to solo didn’t mean it was difficult for our group. AOE is one heck of a thing. I just baited the wolves in my direction, and they were obliterated by a rain of [Ice Shards], [Air Cutters], and even an [Earth Slam]… that didn’t work terribly well and forced me to clean up the remaining earth wolves.
The 4th phase started really pushing our resources, though. I couldn’t get all of the wolves headed toward me, and Lee and the [Soldiers] took some damage to get them away from the mages. Meanwhile, all of our mages dropped to below half mana.
However, that was manageable, and we thought we were on the home stretch as the boss appeared for the 4th and final time.
“No need to hold back mana!” Lee bellowed. “Take it down!”
A coordinated barrage of [Fire Bolts] struck the giant 4-element wolf, and the flames dissipated. The slew of [Ice Bolts] that followed immediately after reached it while it still had half the field to traverse toward us.
I added my [Air Bolt] to the mix for the next salvo, and mentally relaxed.
Just another bait under the daves and we’ll be good. The [Air Bolts] hit and the wolf was only earth… until its flames reignited.
“Hit it with all the elements at once!” I yelled.
“Higher tier spells, now!” Lee yelled simultaneously.
While the mages prepped their stronger spells, I sprinted toward the boss to get its attention. It met my charge head-on, but I spun out of the way at the last second and managed to score a glancing blow on it with a [Fire Strike].
The mages hit the wolf with everything they had, and all the elements dissipated.
“Yes,” I said with a fist pump.
However, the boss was determined to prove that we weren’t out of the woods yet. It stopped in place and gave a long howl.
Instantly, it became covered in fire, ice, earth, and air again. To make matters worse, we heard even more howls as elemental wolves started appearing in various places in the clearing and charging the mages.
Well, this may be the shortest life yet. I thought as I examined the situation. The mages had no way to handle the wolves once they got in close, and they started dropping like flies. Meanwhile, we had barely damaged the boss in its brief moment of vulnerability, and everyone was rapidly running out of mana.
It’s not even like I’ll lose much if I die here. I thought idly as the boss charged me once more, and I had to dodge it with a [Flash Step]. I’ll just lose some time and… Erica.
I looked over at the poor girl who was desperately trying to keep the situation together by bolting the mobs.
I need to keep her alive. If she dies, I’ll lose the only lead on my armor. I justified to myself. But how can I-
Inspiration and the realization that I’m an idiot struck simultaneously with great force.
“If anyone has any MP or SP potions, feed them to Erica right now!” I shouted and also said through the party. “Erica, get ready to hit it with everything you’ve got!”
“I’ve got something better than a pot!” Lee replied. “[Squad: Second Wind]!” he shouted.
I watched in fascination as our resource bars started regenerating across the entire party.
I need to see about becoming a [Commander]. However, after about a quarter of our resources were regained, it suddenly cut off.
“That’s it! Whatever you’re going to do, do it now!” Lee shouted.
The boss that I had been kiting around stopped and growled at me.
I stood up straight and beckoned to it. “Come on! Bring it!”
It covered the distance quickly, but I just stood there unworried. I made no move even as it approached 30 feet… 20 feet… 10.
“Now!” I shouted as it leaped.
“[Shining Barrage]!” Erica cast, completely trusting my plan even though I hadn’t relayed a single bit of it to her. Her glowing spell flew on target towards the boss that wouldn’t take a lick in its current state.
Meanwhile, the wolf collided with me and ran face-first into the only thing we had that would be able to deal damage in all 4 elements at once… [Reflect Attack].
As Erica’s MP and SP bars dropped to nil, the boss did us the favor of having its health drop to zero along with them.
“Phew,” I said as the boss disappeared. “Well, that was something.”
That may have been a bit of an understatement. The rest of the party stared at me until Erica broke the spell.
“We did it!” she yelled as she ran toward me.
Well… tried to run toward me. She faceplanted instead.
The level 25 boss was slain. Everyone leveled multiple times. In fact, Erica jumped up to level 21.
I… made do with 18, which meant that experience-wise, that fight was considered the same as fighting a young dragon.
I think something is horribly off with this world’s balance. I thought idly. Level 25 monsters are way too strong. However, my thoughts were interrupted by a glowing pedestal that rose from the ground in the middle of the clearing with a chest piece on it. I looked toward Erica to tell her to go get her prize when she almost knocked me off my feet with a hug.
“You were amazing!” she shouted as she continued grappling me. “You just stared it down, and then you put it out! How did you do that!?”
I sputtered a bit. “Level 21,” I croaked out. “Grip strength is up.”
She released me. “Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to! I didn’t know that I’d get that strong! Sorry!”
I shook my head. “Just go get your prize for the quest, okay?”
“On it!” she said as she practically sprinted toward the middle of the room.
Meanwhile, [Commander] Lee walked up beside me.
“Titania,” he stated awkwardly.
“[Commander],” I replied.
“I… owe you an apology.”
“Oh, whatever for?” I asked. I knew exactly what for, but playing dumb sounded like more fun.
“I… doubted you because of all your similarities to the [Demon Lord],” he replied. “The red eyes… the strange class… the lack of a last name. You can see where I was coming from, right?”
I thought for a few moments. “No, I can’t say I realized how similar we were,” I flat-out lied, just to see him squirm some more.
He cleared his throat. “Well… Anyway… everyone here owes you their lives, so I just wanted to say… well… thank you. And sorry for doubting you.”
“Apology accepted,” I replied. “Now, let’s get out of here, shall we?”
“Of course. Do you want to do the honors or-“
“Erica!” I called out. “If you touch the obelisk, you can tell it to have us teleported out to the dungeon’s entrance!”
“Really!?” she asked as she stuffed her chest piece into her inventory. “Let’s go!” she sprinted towards the obelisk, and we were back outside in short order.
1 down, 4 to go for her gear. I thought. So we’re tied for now. She had her chest piece, and I had my helmet, making it 1 to 1. But that will change soon. Next up, time for Deepmine.
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[1] OOM – Gamer acronym. Out Of Mana.