Elincia, the mage dressed in a blue outfit, stood silently before Broken and then offered a faint smile.
“May I join you?” she asked softly.
“Sure…yes,” Broken replied, shifting slightly to make space for her on the large, protruding
root.
She sat beside him, pulling something from her inventory. It was a long loaf of bread.
Elincia smiled gently as she handed him a piece of the bread. “Take it,” she said warmly. “It can temporarily boost your Strength stat; it’s good for you.”
Broken accepted it reluctantly, nodding silently. “Thanks…” he murmured.
The two of them ate the bread in silence, savoring each bite.
In truth, Broken found the bread exceptionally delicious. Its blend of sweetness and savory warmth was comforting in his mouth. While it wasn’t as perfect as Ivana’s, it had its own unique and excellent flavor.
“The bread is… really good,” he said.
Elincia chuckled at his words. “Thanks for liking it.”
They continued to sit quietly beside each other.
Eventually, she broke the silence. “What do you think about the team?”
Broken hesitated, unsure how to respond.
“I hope you feel comfortable, and I’m sorry if some of them seem to speak without thinking,” she said softly.
“No, it’s okay. They’re very friendly, especially Maylock, Goldrich, and Kingsley,” he replied. “And you, too.”
Elincia paused for a moment, taken aback by Broken’s words. She felt awkward about it. She had attempted to clear up any misunderstandings between them and hoped her efforts would prove successful. She turned and smiled at him, and, to her surprise, Broken returned her smile.
She was usually cheerful, but in this situation, Elincia felt a bit tense, which made her more self-conscious. Nevertheless, the warmth of his smile made her heart flutter. She nervously averted her gaze.
“Thank you for being so generous and trying to forgive me in this way,” she said.
Broken nodded, though his true intention was to leverage their abilities to defeat the raid boss.
“This will benefit me a lot,” he said. “I’m the one who should be thanking you all for your efforts.”
Elincia excused herself, and Broken continued to check over all his armor and weapons. He had repaired everything, and their durability was back to 100%. He had also reached level 71, but unfortunately, he still couldn’t use the ring he had received from Melliandra, which required a level of 172. The skills of that ring seemed incredible and would be extremely useful if used at the right moment.
[Name: Broken]
[Level: 71]
[Class: Super Novice | Royal Blacksmith]
[Health: 2,380 | Mana: 2,628]
[Strength: 465 | Agility: 214 | Intelligence: 224 | Constitution: 188 | Stamina: 190]
[Charisma: 50 | Luck: 25 | Dexterity: 40 | Survival: 20]
[Available Stat Points: 0]
[Weight: 1,460/2,790]
There was one thing he had forgotten to check for some time.
[Self Transcendence Blessing Activation Progress: 96%]
For some reason, he felt that the progress of the Self Transcendence Blessing was slowing down. Could it be that each time the effect was activated, the progress slowed as well? But now it had reached 96%. He wondered if he could unlock something interesting from it soon. He then double-checked all his preparations: Mana Potions, Health Potions, and Food Buffs. Although this would be his first time joining a raid battle of this scale, and he was with the top guild of Immortal Legacy, he felt determined to survive until the end and deliver the finishing blow. Only by doing so could he maximize the potential rewards from the monster’s dropped items.
A few minutes later, the members of the Ass Guild began to return and started gathering. All the party members had assembled, and the time for the monster’s appearance was drawing near. Maylock gave a signal, and, as if they had planned, everyone moved to their respective positions.
Skywarden, equipped with his massive shield, and Kingsley, in his gigantic bear form, stood at the forefront, with another close-range fighter positioned nearby.
Livelywood, the young swordsman prodigy, took a mid-position between the front and back lines, ready to provide backup for the long-range attackers.
According to the strategy they had discussed at length, Broken was positioned close to the front line. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Maylock gave a final warning. “Focus on attacking its massive vines, pay close attention to all situations, and don’t act rashly. We have no room for errors!”
A loud explosion of lightning filled the sky, lifting Elincia into the air. Elincia would control the battle from above, balancing the battlefield and ensuring every member held their
positions effectively.
Meanwhile, Melliandra appeared to ascend an invisible staircase made of transparent platforms, sprinting high into the air. She positioned herself at a considerable distance, preparing to unleash her long-range attacks. From that vantage point, she could comfortably fire without interference.
Broken took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the upcoming battle settle on his shoulders. He glanced around at his teammates, drawing strength from their readiness. The fight was about to begin, and he was determined to play his part to the fullest.
“Ten,” Maylock counted down.
“Nine. Cast the buffs, eat the food buffs, prepare everything, final check!” he continued.
“Five,”
“Two, the monster is coming!” he gave the final warning.
The ground beneath them began to shake, cracks forming all around, accompanied by a loud
roar.
“Let’s make this fight count. Let’s show them what our Asses are made of!” Elincia cried out, and her comrades responded in unison.
“Kick the monster’s ass back underground!” they shouted.
The air around them thickened with tension as the ground began to rumble and shake. Everyone immediately tensed, their eyes narrowing in anticipation of what was to come.
Elincia exclaimed. “No matter what, we must come out victorious!”
A loud roar erupted from the depths, shaking the air. A giant vine-like root stretched out from the earth, twisting and writhing. It was the first of many, and soon, more vines began to
intertwine.
“The monster is coming!” Maylock shouted. Everyone was instantly focused and unified in their resolve. “Stick to the plan and be prepared to improvise if anything unexpected happens! We must kill this monster to its very core!”
The ground cracked open, and a towering tree monster emerged. Its branches reached for the sky, adorned with deep, lush green leaves. Perched on top of its head were two ruby-red eyes, with a single horn curving from its forehead. The monstrous figure stood over 7 meters, 27 feet tall. Its top resembled a gaping mouth, roaring loudly and shaking the ground around
them.
[Epic – Vine Horror Treant Lv. 200 has appeared]
But then something unexpected happened.
“Level 200?!” some of them muttered in shock.
“It’s level 200, not level 180!” someone exclaimed.
Maylock had predicted the monster might level up, but he expected an increase of only 5 levels, maybe reaching 185 or 190 at most. But now, the level was 200, which brought two
significant concerns.
First, the monster’s level was 20 levels higher than their prediction. Second, level 200 was a threshold where monsters typically received significant upgrades, either in their skills or attack patterns. This clearly indicated that the challenge they faced was far greater than anticipated and carried unforeseen risks.
Maylock’s face tensed, and everyone stood ready, awaiting the command to attack. What decision would the team make? Would they advance or retreat? If they retreated, they would have to wait again before they could challenge the monster. However, if they advanced and failed, the losses could be immeasurable, especially if some of them were killed.