Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Party Play
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Long ago, Ryu Ye-rin had once called her older brother a "historical accuracy patient."
She figured he obsessed over details that didn't need nitpicking, ending up with needless annoyances.
In truth, this stemmed from a difference in perspectives between the two.
Ryu Ye-rin believed games should be enjoyed as games, and as long as players found them fun and convenient, some historical accuracy could be ignored.
On the flip side, Ryu In-seo wanted the world he created to be as perfect and cohesive as possible, striving for realistic implementations across the game's elements.
Though Ryu Ye-rin dominated in eloquence and public reputation, it was Ryu In-seo who actually built the game—and once he dug in his heels, he didn't back down easily.
In some areas, his little sister's persuasion won out; in others, his stubbornness prevailed to the end.
In that sense, Beyond Elysion's party system was a draw between the siblings.
The system existed, but it lacked standard features other games took for granted—like checking party member info, equitable EXP distribution, or random loot allocation.
Instead, various types of "party contracts" existed as items in the game. Using them added those "basic functions" to the party system. Even then, the EXP distribution contract was absurdly expensive, making it horribly inefficient.
Ryu Ye-rin sighed at the half-baked compromise, while Ryu In-seo let out a breath.
Amid it all, both siblings flatly rejected Kaedics' suggestion to make the contracts purchasable with real money. Birds of a feather, after all.
And naturally, Nadia—who had just dived into the game—had no access to advanced party contracts.
'Hmm.'
Nadia flicked her eyes toward the upper left.
The screen, shrunken to a dot in the corner, detected her gaze and expanded prominently into view.
👥 PARTY STATUS 👥 👑 Party Leader: Nadia (Hunter) ❤️ HP: 100% 🔮 MP: 100% 👤 Party Member 1: Erin (Dark Knight) ❤️ HP: 100% 🔮 MP: 100% It was a party window so bare-bones it begged the question of whether it served any purpose at all.
Shouldn't it at least show levels, like any decent game?
'...Should I ask? Will she get annoyed?'
One might think asking about a level in party play wasn't a big deal, but after over 30 party invites rejected, Nadia's mentality was as fragile as soft tofu.
She pondered briefly, then decided to keep quiet.
'Her gear looks basic, and we're heading to a beginner zone, so she's probably a newbie too.'
"You seem lost in thought. Feel free to ask if there's anything you want to know."
"Uh, ah, huh?"
Caught off guard by Erin's sudden question, Nadia stammered, then quickly pivoted to another topic in case her inner thoughts had been exposed (though it wasn't anything problematic anyway).
"No, I just wondered why you're not recruiting more party members. I heard four to six is the usual sweet spot."
"Serious party play doesn't kick in until after level 30, so no need to worry about it at the start. In this game, more people aren't always better—positions and synergy matter more."
As they headed to the hunting grounds, Erin continued in a gentle, lecture-like tone.
"Basic party limit is eight. But filling it with nothing but Warriors? You won't hit a monster simultaneously with many. Allies get in the way when swinging weapons, or you bump into each other. Splitting up for multiple monsters defeats the party purpose."
"What about ranged attackers?"
"Sure. But Mages, the poster children, guzzle MP and lack sustained combat. They need efficient MP use. Against regular mobs, multiple Mages blasting spells often overkills. Hold back, and the contribution system denies you EXP.
Best efficiency: Mage lands a big hit, Warriors chip away the rest. Warriors tank upfront, so lower DPS share still nets solid EXP. A Priest handling heals and buffs makes it even stabler.
For aggressive setups, swap pure Warriors or Priests for Holy Knights and fill the rest with DPS. For stability over firepower, toss a Bard in the Mage slot.
Key is minimizing position overlap to max contribution, syncing paths and skills without interference. That's true party play. So we're syncing you and me first, then adding more later. Got it?"
Naida nodded vigorously, a bit dazed by Erin's teacherly demeanor.
Something about her...
'...She reeks of game pro!'
Naida struggled to shed her newbie label in Beyond Elysion, but she had plenty of experience elsewhere. She'd even hit top ranks in Starving Shadow, her company's FPS.
Enduring as a middling VTuber without backing, charm, or RP wasn't random.
And her gamer instincts screamed it: different genre aside, Ye-rin was an expert here—a true veteran.
To be precise, she transcended veteran into source-spring territory, but the direction held.
Choosing Dark Knight—a class that screamed high difficulty from its description—bolstered Naida's conviction.
'Jackpot!'
Light pierced her darkness, her heart pounding.
Or so it felt, for about 30 minutes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The battle's early phase was ordinary.
"I'll tank upfront, so attack from behind."
"You sure? I heard Dark Knights are squishy."
Dark Knight combined Warrior physical prowess with Mage magic attacks.
Weak to physical? Fight as Warrior. Magic-weak? As Mage. At higher levels, swing sword and cast simultaneously. Top-tier pure DPS.
But drawbacks were stark.
Unlike free-equip Warriors, armor was heavily restricted.
Base: cloth. Leather costs magic penalty. No plate at all.
Not pure ranged either—lower max power and half range vs. Mages.
Glass cannon melee specialist. No tank fit.
"It's fine. Beginner zone."
"Hm."
Naida nodded.
Paper-thin or glassy chars rarely died here anyway.
RPGS designed beginner zones for solo class clears.
Thud. Thud.
Beginner zone greeters: "Blue Rabbits." Blue-furred bunnies, but melee powerhouses.
Not cute hoppers—Golden Retriever-sized leapers body-slamming rookies into rolls. Daily sight.
Naida, who'd solo-lost before, inwardly flinched but steeled seeing Erin hold the front.
Shoulder shotgun firm. Aim. Fire.
Bang!
Bullet nailed the Blue Rabbit's head perfectly, but no instant kill.
White light (blood off—Naida wasn't a death-game psycho) overflowed; it shook, then glared at her, fired up.
'Realistically, this size gun at this range should one-shot a mid-large dog, right?'
She knew game balance demanded nerfs vs. real guns, but grumbled anyway. Most FPS did it too.
<@^#!!>
The Blue Rabbit leaped at Naida, but Erin blocked.
Not aggressively swinging—wary of counter? But enough to halt it.
Naida sidestepped, fired again.
Bang!
Another hit; rabbit shuddered.
It tried breaching Erin's wall, but she dodged cleverly, denying path while guarding rear.
Naida felt budding awe.
Solo: Shoot, flee rampaging rabbit, pant exhausted, get pummeled, wrestle close for first kill. Second: cocky shot + backpedal, trip, repeat hell.
With a tank? Breeze!
Bang!
Third shot silenced it; Naida beamed.
"Great job! Party makes a real difference!"
Erin flashed a briefly odd expression, then smiled softly.
"You too. Nice aim, though. Thought manual aiming tanked your accuracy."
"Ah—I'm decent at FPS."
Naida skipped her bunny-eared ex-military schoolgirl VTuber bit.
Avatar choice hoped for fame perks, but party reveals got "So?" shrugs. Soul-crushing flops.
"No burst fire? Recoil or gun delay?"
"Delay. Can manage recoil, but this game caps fire rate per gun. Skills speed it up, but low level now."
"Hm. Other skills?"
"Extend range, auto-aim assist, MP instant ammo, etc."
"Thanks. Shall we?"
"Yes!"
Hunting continued; Naida hit level 3 safely.
Issue: Ammo depleted.
"Sorry. Out of bullets—back to town."
"No crafting here?"
"Rabbit drops make materials, but need city tool borrow... Oh, level 5 unlocks tool-free crafting! Just till then..."
Naida's voice trailed weakly.
Hunter seemed trash-tier.
What RPG locks combat this hard? MP for ammo, no real fight skills—wasteful.
"Skip that. Experiment?"
"Huh?"
"Guns don't have to shoot bullets, right?"
Then what?
Naida panicked, but Erin scanned, grabbed a Blue Rabbit by the scruff.
<@^#! *#$%#!>
It flailed wildly, but neck-held, limbs useless.
Naida gawked—'That easy?'—but her shock was premature.
"Hold it. Bash its head with the stock."
"Pardon?"