Jinyoung, can you scan it?

Give me a second. Okay, here.

[SCAN+]

Monster: SIN DRACONIAN

Recommended Level: 49

Health: 100%

Attributes: SHIELDED, BATTLE HARDENED, SIN*

Weaknesses: ELECTRICITY, ICE, ARCANE

For all its faults, the Academy only chose qualified instructors to train the next generation of players. And Hana, while an experienced warrior in her own right, had an encyclopedic knowledge of monsters and dungeons Right off the bat, she knew that the “battle hardened” attribute was only available for monsters that had defeated other players, usually in large numbers. But…

Hana, what is the “sin” attribute?

All her experience in the field had taught her one thing above all else: expect the unexpected. The trouble with experience is that you start to rely on what you know. Just knowing can give you comfort in the heat of battle. But now, a very real chill made its way down Hana’s spine.

I have no idea.

Right on cue, the scholars unleashed a barrage from the upper levels. The players on the ground floor watched as the scholars unleashed a light show and a cavalcade of colors that crashed down on the dragon.

GRAAWWRRR!!

The roar shook the cave, sending a few stalactites from the ceiling crashing down on the ground and sending the warriors looking for cover.

The dragon’s face shifted up, looking for the scholars hidden amongst the buildings. While its attention was elsewhere, the sharpshooters let off a small barrage of arrows. Most bounced off harmlessly while two or three charged arrows exploded with sparks and electricity on impact. The arrows were incredibly effective, shocking the dragon and stunning it for a precious few seconds.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

The fighters on the ground level made use of those seconds and closed the gap quickly, making quick strikes and knocking the dragon off-balance. When the dragon got back to its feet, a well-placed [shock arrow] stunned it and the soldier swung his war hammer with a [stun strike], knocking it back off-balance.

A group of players who had never fought together had immediately come together to take on a massive dragon. And most impressive of all, it was working.

Willow, how are things up there?

We’re fine sunbae. We’re taking turns so no one drains too much mana.

As if to punctuate her point, an [arcane shot] flew down accompanied by a [fire bolt] and collided with one of the dragon’s wings. The archers followed that with another volley to distract and confuse the monster further. Meanwhile, the spellcasters displaced from their initial position while the fighters closed in again to deal more damage.

This was Willow’s first foray into battle with a boss. At the Academy, they were trained on stamina specifically for fights like these. Low-level monsters, while dangerous, rarely engaged in long battles. But boss and mid-boss battles were known for lasting for long stretches of time.

The fight had already run 12 minutes, significantly longer than the 5 minute scuffles that had defined the outbreak quest until now. The other magic casters were more experienced and thus accustomed to situations like this while Willow was finding herself short on breath.

The wizard laid a hand on her shoulder, “Take a breather until we move again.”

At this range, none of them could cast anything stronger than a mid-level spell. Too powerful and they risked a cave-in or, worse still, hitting one of their allies on the ground.

CRUNCH!

The dragon swung a tail at the monk and war knight. They both dodged out of the way, but the impact sent tremors up the building shaking the rooftop the scholars were standing on. The impact not only shook the building, but also the cave itself. A shower of rocks and rubble fell to the ground floor.

Willow reached up to her head and felt wetness.

Is that blood? No, she hadn’t taken any injuries this far from the battle. Then, what?

She looked up and saw the source of the wetness. The ceiling of the cavern was leaking water. Even the walls at this point had sprung massive leads sending a steady stream of water down to the cavern floor. By the looks of it, there was a lot of water up there.

Sunbae, we might have a problem up here.

What is it?

The cracks were hairline fractures. But the volume of water could only mean that there was a massive volume of water above the chamber. Most likely a buildup due to the blocked tunnels.

How long do we have, Willow?

It should be okay, but I'll let you know if it gets worse.

"Well, if it's between drowning in a cave underground or being fried by a dragon..."