Broken waited by the campfire, finally getting a chance to chat with Starfall after Elincia had left. It seemed that when the most talkative person in the team was gone, someone else would take over the conversation. He found himself talking to the famous celebrity, Starfall, who was surprisingly warm and welcoming. Livelywood, nearby, seemed to enjoy the conversation, too, grinning and chuckling occasionally.
“How do you manage your time between gaming and your tight schedule as a public figure?” Broken asked, diving deeper into the conversation now that Starfall had opened up to him. “Uhm…” Starfall paused, thinking for a moment before smiling. “Honestly, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but… I actually enjoy gaming more than my real-life profession.”
Broken raised his eyebrows, taken aback by her answer. From what Freya had told him, Starfall was exceptionally talented in singing-she was a solo singer, a rarity, and one of the top ones. Besides that, while other singers or artists might venture into acting just to capitalize on their popularity, Starfall excelled in acting, too. Her acting skills were top- notch. With such incredible talent, she says she is enjoying the game more?
Livelywood responded, “Starfall-san is someone who is high up but says she doesn’t really like her job. Hehe…”
“No…” Starfall clarified. “How do I put this… I mean, if I had to choose, I would pick gaming… but it’s not that I don’t enjoy singing or acting… It’s just hard to explain without sounding like I’m making excuses.” She laughed softly.
A while later, Elincia returned, her face lit up with excitement, a wide grin stretching across her features. Broken wondered why she seemed so thrilled, but the others, who understood her personality better, knew that her enthusiasm usually meant tougher challenges.
Elincia eagerly shared a photo she had taken from the air, depicting an open area filled with an enormous concentration of monsters-the largest gathering Broken had ever seen.
“That’s… a lot,” Starfall commented quietly.
“Yes… I think we could start clearing them out tonight to save time. What do you think, guys?” Elincia said, catching Broken off guard.
Broken had initially thought they would rest and log out for a while, but it seemed they planned on tackling the massive horde of monsters during the night. How on earth are we supposed to kill so many monsters? He wondered.
Given their high levels, the monsters’ HP would be substantial, requiring massive area damage to take them down effectively. From what he knew, Elincia was the only one with significant area damage capabilities, while Starfall’s skills, though versatile, didn’t focus on delivering great damage.
“Can we deal enough area damage to kill them more easily?” he finally asked.
Elincia responded immediately. “That’s what we need to discuss, Broken. How should we approach this issue? What do you think? I want to hear your opinion.”
Broken glanced slightly at Skywarden. He wasn’t sure how effective Skywarden’s protective skills would be against such a large number of monsters. He felt it wouldn’t be safe to confront the monsters directly; their numbers were too overwhelming, and the team would be outmatched in resources if they engaged them head-on.
“I have a long-range attack with area damage,” he said, but Skywarden interjected.
“That’s a stupid idea. Do you really think your skill could kill them all at once?” Skywarden said disdainfully.
“Let him talk!” Elincia cut in sharply.
“I mean, the idea is to separate the group into smaller numbers. I can attack them from a distance, which would split them into more manageable groups. Then, we could pick them off more easily,” Broken explained.
Skywarden retorted, “Your explanation shows you really have no experience. That’s a foolish idea!”
Broken knew he lacked experience, but Elincia had asked for his opinion, and he had shared what he thought. “Then tell me your plan,” he said, trying not to sour the discussion.
“If you attack from a distance, the monsters will scatter and be harder to hunt down. We need large amounts of experience points quickly; facing them all at once is the most efficient way,” Skywarden replied.
Isn’t that suicide? Broken thought, but he kept his opinion to himself.
Elincia seemed to ponder Skywarden’s suggestion, but it was clear that someone like Maylock was needed on the team to tackle such issues. It seemed they often approached problems based on their individual preferences.
“I agree with Broken’s idea, but…” Elincia said, glancing at the others.
Starfall responded, “We could try, I guess? Worst case, we just reset the dungeon and come up with a better plan.”
Isn’t that just a waste of time? Broken thought.
Livelywood added, “Uhm… I’m not sure of the best approach, but I don’t mind giving it a shot.”
The group then turned to Charmelyn. “Uhm…” she said softly. “I think I agree with Broken’s suggestion.”
Elincia nodded. “So, three vs. two?” she said. “Convince me more, Skywarden.”
“I’m the tanker! I’m confident I can hold them off. We can approach from the side and take them out quickly!” he said with confidence.
Are they seriously considering confronting such a massive number of monsters head-on? Broken thought, feeling uneasy about the plan.
Elincia seemed to weigh the options, her eyes scanning the group for further insights.
“Alright, here’s what we’ll do. We’ll start by testing Skywarden’s approach. If it doesn’t look promising, we’ll quickly make an escape and try another approach.”
But what if we don’t have time to escape? Broken thought to himself but kept silent. No one else complained, and everyone seemed ready for the battle.
The team set off, walking straight towards the area where they would face the massive horde of monsters. Within a few minutes, they reached a cliff, and as they got closer, they could see below, in the vast open field, dozens or even hundreds of monsters roaming as if they were at some kind of night festival.
Why are they all gathered in one place like this? Why aren’t they spread out? Is this normal for high-level dungeons? Broken wondered.
Skywarden stood confidently, holding his shield and sword. “We’ll attack from that path over there. I think it will be easier to escape if we need to,” he said, looking back at the others.
“Alright…” Elincia responded. “Dungeon exploration wouldn’t be fun without some risk, right?”
The others nodded in agreement.
They descended the hill and moved through the trees. From a distance, they could hear the roars and howls of monsters.
They ran through the forest under cover of night, and now they could clearly see the various shapes of the monsters amidst the distant trees.
“We do it fast! Unleash all your skills!” Skywarden commanded, charging ahead, and
everyone followed.
Are they serious? Broken still couldn’t believe this was the plan they had settled on.
As they ran, Broken drew out his legendary spear, which glowed a radiant blue in the darkness. His body was instantly enveloped in the same blue energy. Elincia glanced his way and smiled. Livelywood’s excitement grew as he saw Broken wield the legendary-grade spear. “Broken- san, I can’t wait to see how awesome that weapon is in action,” he said enthusiastically. When they were close enough, Skywarden cast a skill that added another layer of protection to their bodies, with an aura of spinning shields encircling them. The air crackled with a thunderous noise, and Elincia shot into the sky, accompanied by the sound of rumbling
thunder.
Broken felt a surge of adrenaline. The team was now fully prepared to face the horde, their auras glowing with the power of Skywarden’s protection spell. As they charged into the fray, the ground beneath them trembled with the combined force of their advance and the monsters’ roars.
