Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Cave of the Orc King
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[Entry Level: 15]
[Elite Dungeon (4-Player Party Recommended)]
[Cave of the Orc King]
The entrance to the Cave of the Orc King, Astria Online's first Elite Dungeon.
Players who had quickly reached level 15 were forming parties to take on the challenge.
"Looking for a Swordsman or Fighter tank!"
"Need a ranged DPS!"
Among the players searching for party members, some had already formed dedicated squads aiming for the first clear.
While some items dropped in the Elite Dungeon were bind-on-pickup, there was also tradable gear.
Clearing the dungeon quickly and farming it meant a chance to earn a massive amount of gold.
The common interest among the vanguard of players gathered around the Cave of the Orc King was clear.
'Which party will be the first to clear this Elite Dungeon?'
If one had to pick the party closest to achieving the first clear, it would undoubtedly be this one.
"Wow, her character customization is gorgeous."
"Isn't that 'Chris'? The party leader who got the first kill on this dungeon's first boss during the beta test."
"Whoa."
A tall female player with fiery red hair named 'Chris'.
The surrounding players seemed to have many questions for her, but everyone gathered here was a competitor vying for the first clear. No one would give away information so easily.
Besides, her current aura was enough to keep other players at a distance.
Tap, tap, tap.
In contrast to her blazing red hair, Chris, a cool beauty, had a calm, composed expression that radiated an icy chill.
She rhythmically tapped her foot, checking the time again and again.
Tat-tat-tat.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting! The great Cherni has arrived, so you can all relax now!"
Thwack.
"Whoa, oof! What the—I took damage! Is PK enabled in this game?!"
"Quiet. You're the last one here, Cherni."
"Chris-sunbae! You know my situation! I was working the night shift at a convenience store until recently to save up for a personal capsule. I couldn't just skip my last day, could I? I've already pulled two all-nighters just to keep up with everyone else's leveling pace!"
The male player, having been smacked on the back of the head by Chris, grimaced.
The man called 'Cherni' had a face that might seem frivolous at first glance, but the rippling muscles beneath his clothes did much to offset that impression.
Chris scanned Cherni from head to toe with a sharp gaze.
"What's with the muscle customization? You're not this built in real life, are you? What about your synchronization rate?"
"What are you talking about! I've been working out hard lately, you know? You just can't tell because I have my clothes on, but if I took them off, I'm pretty ama—oof!"
Chris kicked Cherni in the leg.
"You're a Spirit Master, right? How is it? Much different from the beta test?"
"The core mechanics seem pretty similar. Aside from Swordsman, the other classes feel about the same as they did in the beta."
"Good."
Chris turned away from Cherni, looked down slightly, and broke into a bright smile.
"How about our little Beimerung? Have you gotten used to being a Mage?"
"Yes, Chris!"
The short, pink-haired female Mage called 'Beimerung' nodded, her eyes sparkling up at Chris.
Cherni, despite his bulky frame, whined at Chris with a tearful expression.
"Geez, Chris-sunbae! Beimerung and I are both your juniors, so why do you treat us so differently?"
"Shut it. You and Beimerung aren't the same. Beimerung is cute."
"Bleh."
Beimerung stuck her tongue out while clinging tightly to Chris.
"Alright, looks like everyone's here."
"Is Death of Death-sunbae here already?"
Chris gestured with her chin toward the cave entrance.
Leaning against the wall with his eyes gently closed was a tall male player.
"...I can hear the cave's howl. It seems to have granted us permission to challenge it."
"There that sunbae goes again."
"It's a role-playing game, so Beimerung thinks it's fine."
"Stop talking in the third person!"
After mediating between the bickering Cherni and Beimerung, party leader Chris began the pre-dungeon briefing.
"The strategy for the first boss might have changed since the beta, but we'll stick to the basics for now."
*Bleep.*
With a notification sound, an interface window popped up between the four party members.
[Vanguard - Fighter, Death of Death]
[Mid-Guard - Yin-Yang Master, Chris]
[Rear Guard 1 - Mage, Beimerung]
[Rear Guard 2 - Spirit Master, Cherni]
"As we expected from the beta, this game doesn't have a dedicated healer class. That means we can only afford to take as much damage as we can cover with potions."
"So for bosses without attacks that hit the back line, the tank in the vanguard will have to handle all the damage."
"Right. That's why the tank's skill is crucial. The mid and rear guards will have to focus on mechanics, dealing damage, and handling adds."
The party members all nodded.
They reviewed the patterns of the first boss they'd figured out during the beta and prepared for the unknown bosses that lay ahead.
At last, 'Chris's Attack Squad' stood before the cave.
Before entering the dungeon, Cherni spoke to Chris.
"By the way, Chris-sunbae, you never touch your other customizations, but you went with red hair again this time. Do you like the color red?"
"No, I just thought it would go well with my favorite color."
"Oh? And what color is that?"
As she stepped into the dungeon, Chris left them with one word.
"White!"
***
White hair fluttered in the wind.
My bangs, which slightly covered one eye, tickled my nose as they swayed.
"Achoo!"
I sneezed.
Virtual reality is amazing. You can even sneeze.
After finishing my usual routine of jumping in place and stretching my small body, I headed straight for the Cave of the Orc King.
My first attempt at an Elite Dungeon.
I'd heard that the true hellish difficulty of Astria Online began with the Elite Dungeons.
"They said only a few parties managed to clear even the first boss, which was the only one available during the beta."
I was thoroughly prepared.
I'd used the money I saved while leveling up to buy plenty of potions, and I'd also collected a full set of gear from the 'Orc Warrior' field boss.
*Sniffle.*
My nose was running.
Was it because I sneezed?
I sniffled, wiped my nose, and rubbed it on my Orc Warrior skirt.
I peeked around.
Peeking out from around the corner of the cave, I could see quite a few players in front of the dungeon entrance.
Players who had reached level 15 were already getting ready to tackle the dungeon.
Some parties had probably already gone inside.
I clenched my tiny fists.
My goal for this dungeon run was not just to farm gear; gold was the most important thing.
If I succeeded in an early clear, I could sell the tradable gear for a lot of gold.
"A-and then cash it out."
Chicken.
I wanted to eat chicken.
This world had plenty of delicious food, but unfortunately, there was no chicken.
The game was being needlessly realistic in that respect.
The crispy batter, the juicy meat, the unique, hard-to-replicate seasoned flavor of franchise chicken.
I beamed.
"Heh."
Just imagining it made me happy.
My mouth watered without me even realizing it.
Alright.
I'm going to clear this dungeon, make a lot of money, and order some delivery chicken.
Avoiding the other players' eyes, I carefully moved forward and finally reached the dungeon entrance.
[Entry Level: 15]
[Elite Dungeon (4-Player Party Recommended)]
[Cave of the Orc King]
Standing before it, I...
*Hop.*
...pushed off my small feet and leaped into the dungeon entrance.
Into the place that would bring me my chicken.
Clang, clang!
"Ugh."
Having boldly entered the dungeon, I immediately ran into trouble in the section leading to the first boss.
My 'Block' skill was already at D-rank, but the damage from the regular orcs inside the Elite Dungeon was beyond imagination.
Fortunately, the damage I took while blocking was manageable with potions, but a boss's attacks would be much stronger and sharper.
If I failed to block an attack and took direct damage, it would mean an instant wipe.
"This is almost on the level of a Souls-like game."
I barely managed to deal with the mobs and let out a sigh.
I proceeded cautiously, slowly recovering my health.
Before long, I reached the first boss.
The first boss was an orc whose upper body was covered in solid muscle.
It wore iron gauntlets on both hands.
Its HP was 10,500.
"Gasp."
Considering the field boss had around 3,000 HP, this amount was staggering.
No wonder they called it an Elite Dungeon.
It was the kind of HP that a party of four level-15 players would have to attack relentlessly for over five minutes just to whittle down.
"So much for '4-player recommended.'"
Can I really clear this dungeon by myself?
I shook my head.
Shaking my head vigorously, I tightened my grip on the Orc Warrior's sword in my hand.
Then, I smiled confidently.
'Astria Online.'
This world was made for me.
As the former Hero of Astria, there's no way I can't overcome a challenge like this.
I took a step forward.
*Beep.*
The sound of aggro being drawn chimed, and the Orc Fighter turned to look at me.
A grin.
The Orc Fighter's pig-like face broke into a smile.
'Cave of the Orc King'
Entry Level: 15.
The first Elite Dungeon in Astria Online.
The battle against its first boss had finally begun.
[First Boss]
[Level 16 Orc Fighter]
[HP 10500/10500]