A new day arrived, with Ilaria walking aimlessly through the streets of Torinelo City. It was a really pleasant design–she had to admit it–even though the symmetry and cleanness were actually failings of the simulation, making it less real.
Ilaria hadn't checked her friend list yet; she didn't want to be the one initiating contact. I hope Diana is free today.
It wasn't like last night's date with Kyle was bad; it was actually pretty good, if she could say herself. Although, they hadn't said more than a 'goodbye' afterwards; it just felt a little awkward. It must have been the pictures. Anyway, she was sure that, after a few grinding runs, things would get back to normal.
As Ilaria was ruminating on last night's, the twinkling red button made its appearance. She made a little jump in surprise before accepting the call.
“Hello! Wanna go grinding?” The cheerful voice sounding right in her ear filled Ilaria with relief.
“Of course; I'll be glad,” answered Ilaria. She couldn't help but smile when listening to Diana's voice at the other side.
“Great; I'll drag Kyle right away,” said Diana. “See you at the plaza!”
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When Ilaria arrived at the meeting point, Kyle was already standing next to Diana, clad in his usual plate armor. If clothes for male characters worked similar to female ones, he could probably wear armor shaped like jeans or slacks, even shorts. That he chose to use the classical heavy armor said a lot about his priorities.
After beating the lizardmen boss yesterday, they were due for a change of grinding location. Surprisingly, Kyle had been the first to suggest it.
“Goblins are level 14, and shamans level 15,” said Kyle, making his case to Diana. “Both Ilaria and I are already at 15, and you will get there soon. Besides, we have killed them easily enough in the Dungeon Date.”
“Yeah, I also would like a new challenge,” said Ilaria.
“The Goblin Encampment is it then. I would have said it myself, but I found Kyle endearing,” said Diana, smiling. “Going for the One-eyed Wand, huh?”
“What's that?” asked Ilaria.
“A rare drop from the goblin boss,” said Diana, glancing at Kyle. “The best weapon for a hybrid mage around your level.”
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Having decided their destination, the three of them left Torinelo City through the east gate. In Virtual Connection–for local areas within a region–you needed to physically walk there the first time. Later, you could attune return scrolls to the location to teleport yourself instantly.
The members of the party were walking side by side, Diana in the middle, planning their grinding strategy. Beating the normal goblins didn't seem too different from what they had done for the lizardmen. The shamans were tougher than the slingers, but they weren't that numerous. Soon the topic changed to the One-eyed Summoner, the goblin boss.
“It summons more monsters,” said Diana. “That's why it's called a summoner.”
“Like the Broodmother?” asked Ilaria.
“Something like that,” answered Diana. “But its most powerful attack is akin of a death ray, at least for non-tank characters.”
“I see,” said Ilaria. “Can we beat it?”
“Probably,” answered Diana, excitement reflecting on her face. “Might be close though.”
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The Goblin Encampment was an extensive plains, in which heart laid a walled complex of tents inhabited by goblins. The soil was mostly barren, a few small bushes here and there, wind currents carrying reddish powder around. Around two meters tall stone formations dotted the terrain, giving cover from the winds and the scorching sun.
In the outer border of the goblin's territory–akin to the first level of a dungeon–there were groups of 5-to-7 goblins, including one shaman, rarely two. They were going to grind on those mostly, crossing to the inner complex only if they felt they were ready.
“Now.” Diana whispered almost soundlessly–more like mouthed really–from her cover behind a stone formation.
Ilaria and Kyle–who were crouching side-to-side under a smaller rock further to the left–nodded in understanding. Ilaria gave a brief glance, trying to locate the shaman, while the patrol was still unaware of their existence.
“Mana bolt!” The magical girl jumped over the rock and shot the shaman point-blank, which knocked him backwards. Kyle had made his move at the same time, getting between Ilaria and the rest of the patrol.
The dagger-wielding goblins turned with a hiss and jumped to attack Kyle. Ilaria ignored them–Diana would surely be already there–and shot again, killing the shaman before it could make any lightning.
Only after finishing the ranged menace, Ilaria could spare attention for Diana and Kyle. Not that they needed it, being already almost finished with their foes themselves.
With Diana's guidance, the party blitzed through the outer section of the Goblin Encampment, taking out any patrol appearing in their way. Two shamans weren't too much trouble since Diana could take on one of them. When they got the wall to the inner complex within sight, there wasn't any discussion as if they should cross over or not.
“Inside the complex we should be extra careful,” said Diana. “Only engage after I have checked the surroundings. It won't be fun if we get into a pincer attack.”
“Got it,” said Kyle. “As for our formation?”
“You engage the melee goblins while Ilaria and I take on the shamans,” answered Diana.
“So, the same as we have been doing?” asked Ilaria, confidently.
“Yeah, but now we might get three or four of them at the same time,” answered Diana. “You might get targeted, so it's imperative to kill them as fast as we can.”
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“Understood.”
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Their first fight inside the walls went as well as it could. Diana noticed the patrol before turning a corner, so the group could target the shamans at the back first.
At the signal, Diana jumped on one shaman, while Ilaria shot the one next to it. The other two shamans turned around and shot at Diana, who had already felled the first one. Ilaria winced as Diana was hit on the leg, but the mage didn't stop aiming towards her target, killing it with her second shot. Diana hadn't stopped moving, landing on the offending shaman with daggers in both hands.
Ilaria quickly re-aimed on the last unattended shaman, while taking a quick look sideways–a pair of dagger-wielding goblins were getting really close–but she trusted Kyle. As the mage made her shot, Kyle shield bashed one goblin, following with a body slam towards the one closest to her.
The last shaman was readily bolted by Ilaria, ending the dangerous part. Then it was just picking out the goblins one by one, while healing Kyle before it got dangerous.
“Not bad,” said Diana, nursing her bootless left leg.
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The party continued taking out patrols in the same manner, Diana guiding them straight through the encampment towards the boss room. They had taken a fast paced approach, that got faster as they approached their destination; the catgirl determined to get to the boss before lunchtime. It had been obvious even for the newbie Ilaria, but neither Kyle nor her pointed it out.
And it got dangerous a few times, Diana's recklessness in full display. In the last fight before getting to the big tent, Ilaria had to get in between her and the shamans to heal her, almost getting shot herself.
“You really should be more careful,” said Kyle, reprehending Diana. “You were within a sliver of your HP bar.”
“Don't be so serious,” said Diana, not sounding remorseful at all. “We are fighting in an area designed for players 3-to-5 levels over us; of course it'll get dangerous. That's the fun of the game.”
They kept walking until having the central tent of the complex directly on sight. Unlike the hut-like structures they had passed by, the goblin boss' tent was a wooden, rectangular building, with a tall roofing made out of patchwork leather. It could barely qualify as a 'tent'.
Turning around the corner, they came in front of a heavy golden cloth curtain, which covered the entrance. The equivalent of the boss room's door.
Ilaria, now walking in the middle, looked sideways without saying anything. The atmosphere had gotten strained after Diana and Kyle's discussion. Suddenly, she didn't know if fighting the boss was a good idea anymore.
“Here's the boss, the One-eyed Summoner,” said Diana, smirking. “I say we try it; I know we can beat it.”
“But maybe Kyle wants to play it safe and call it a day,” added Diana, looking towards him.
“What do you think?” asked Kyle to Ilaria, ignoring the needling of Diana.
“Since we are already here, I want to try it,” answered Ilaria, smiling uncomfortably.
“Alright,” said Kyle, preparing himself.
“Then it's decided,” said Diana, looking as excited as Ilaria had ever seen her.
Ilaria thought things would still be uneasy for a time, but–after having committed to it–Diana and Kyle discussed the strategy seriously. They really were like pros, no matter what they said.
Before opening the door, Diana approached Ilaria and gave her two pairs of glass vials; one pair filled with red, and the other with blue liquid. They identified as low grade health and mana potions.
“Feel free to use them as you will,” said Diana in a low voice. And this time she really sounded remorseful.
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The One-eyed Summoner was a tall goblin, clad in dark brown robes; sitting in a throne chair, located at a raised dais in the back of the room. As its name predicted, it appeared to have only one eye–the left one–the other one permanently closed. The patchwork roof let the sun illuminate the room by areas, making it a bit difficult to get used to. After the curtains closed themselves, the boss stood up, pointing his wand towards the middle of the room.
“Go!” exclaimed Diana, as she started towards the right side.
Ilaria and Kyle also ran towards their predetermined locations, the warrior to the center and the mage to the left. Ilaria was already aiming before the goblin materialized, killing it instantly. Diana and Kyle had taken out their targets too, quickly jumping back before the next summoning.
The boss summoned three waves of three goblins each, which were quickly dispatched by the party. After the last one, the girls took cover behind Kyle.
The One-eyed Summoner finally opened his right eye. It was bright red, pulsing light from within. Suddenly, the boss raised his ruby-topped wand, shooting straight at Kyle's shield. He grunted, sliding back from the power of the shot.
“I'll go now,” said Diana, running towards the boss with a mischievous grin in her face.
Diana got to the raised dais just before the room was flooded with goblins. Now there were twelve dagger-wielding goblins between where Ilaria and Kyle were, and the raised dais with Diana and the boss. Ilaria quickly shot the ones closest to the dais; she couldn't let them target Diana.
The dagger-wielding catgirl engaged the boss in a frenzy. She slashed and whirled with reckless abandon, not caring about the wand strikes she was receiving.
Kyle and Ilaria got into their familiar grinding: Kyle in front, pushing back the goblins one by one, enabling Ilaria to shoot them cleanly from the back. She was worried about Diana, wincing each time she got hit, but she couldn't afford to get distracted; Kyle needed her full healing attention.
Ilaria ran up of mana after killing the fourth goblin, leaving eight to gang up on Kyle while she drank a mana potion. Fortunately, he could endure the hits for a bit.
In the raised dais, Diana was still doing circles around the boss. As Ilaria was preparing to aim again, the catgirl was hit, leaving her within a sliver of her hit points. If she gets hit again, it'll be all over.
The mage quickly crossed glances with Kyle, who nodded at her. And then, Ilaria started running.
She went in a straight line–crossing right in front of the normal goblins– Kyle having made her the space with his body. Having the summoner in front of her, Ilaria didn't waste time and shot it. The boss got knocked back, giving Diana time to drink a potion.
The One-eyed Summoner, also freed from Diana's frenzied slashing, turned towards Ilaria and shot her. Ilaria tried to evade to the right, getting hit only in the leg–it still took more HPs from her than all the rest of battle combined. She immediately shot again.
“It's enough; get back,” yelled Diana, jumping the boss again with her daggers.
Ilaria drank a health potion, saving her mana for shooting, and started targeting the melee goblins. Kyle had tried to go around but he was quickly being overwhelmed. I need to get to him now.
Following Ilaria's intervention, Diana got just enough health to barely finish the boss. Fortunately, Kyle resisted the time required to let Ilaria get back into position. After that, it was going through the motions to mop up the leftover goblins.
“That was so thrilling!” exclaimed Diana, sitting in the former summoner's throne, her armor cracked and falling to pieces.
“We were really lucky to pull it out,” said Kyle, trying to not smile. “And even so, it was because Ilaria went against the plan and charged forward to save you.”
“She's like a guardian angel,” said Diana, grinning. “No wonder you're so fond of her.”
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Diana excused herself shortly after finishing the boss–she was going out for lunch–which left Ilaria and Kyle alone for their Dungeon Date. It was a mindless grind at this point, the two of them killing the monsters while chatting; the goblin grinding having resolved the awkwardness.
“It's a pity we didn't get the wand from the boss,” said Kyle, while stabbing hogs casually.
“We can't always hit the jackpot,” said Ilaria, shooting a bear as it appeared.
“We can try it again in the afternoon,” said Kyle. “Diana should be up to it.”
The mage didn't know why, but the catgirl seemed fixated on that particular boss.
“I thought you didn't approve,” said Ilaria.
“I don't know how to feel about it. It just seems like bad gaming, taking a risk and wasting items,” said Kyle. “Although, if we fail, we're just going to lose a level; it isn't like we're gonna die for real.”
“Yeah, it's just a game,” said Ilaria. “Even so, getting hit doesn't feel great.”
“You could never tell by looking at my sister,” said Kyle, laughing.
“She's unlike anyone I've met before.”