If We Just Cooperate
"If we just cooperate... 'No choice. Let's switch to Formation 2.' 'To your positions!'
After Yugi's noble sacrifice, the players moved to their assigned spots without hesitation. Failing to block the Ogre Lord's phase 2 'Revenge' stung, but it was expected. During Revenge, attacking the Ogre Lord sent sword energy flying at the attacker too, so there wasn't much you could do. The best was to shield the one who'd dealt the most damage—like Yugi—and if that failed, cut losses cleanly.
Shring.
The Ogre Lord, having successfully unleashed Revenge, flashed crimson eyes and turned to the opposite side. The heroes were scattered apart to avoid getting swept up all at once.
Tat!
The Ogre Lord's speed surged, its greatsword slamming down toward Haring in an instant.
BOOM!!!
Haring barely dodged the strike.
'Phase 2 has no Revenge, but the speed and mass become ridiculously overpowering. Melee dealers can't even trade blows.'
'Just kite it as much as possible.'
"Easy for you to say..."
Kwang! Kwang! KWAANG!!
"How the hell do I dodge all this?!"
"Haring!"
"Kill it faster! I'm gonna die for real here!"
Haring gritted her teeth and kept running. The more she dodged, the more glancing sword energy grazed her, piling on wounds—but nothing lethal. Iri Style Swordsmanship, with its defensive prowess, helped a bit too.
While Haring kited desperately, NyaNya, Kazen, and Yongba—who'd been resting—unloaded attacks nonstop. A barrage of over a dozen spells and arrows poured in, making the Ogre Lord halt and glare at the ranged dealers. It glanced down at Haring.
"Gruk."
FWOOOSH!!
"!"
"NyaNya!"
The Ogre Lord leaped past Haring in a blink, its sword swinging toward NyaNya and Kazen. Insane speed for a 10m-plus behemoth.
NyaNya raised her staff cautiously as the blade hurtled her way.
6th-circle magic: Teleport.
FWAH!
The greatsword smashed only the empty ground.
"Grrruk?!"
"Phew! Nailed it!"
"Success. Well done."
NyaNya and Kazen reappeared about 20m from the attack zone. 30m was the limit, and overuse risked overload, but spatial magic like Teleport was gold in fights like this.
NyaNya clenched her trembling hands and traced several spell formulas in the air. Then she let out a sigh of relief.
'At least I nailed that one...'
Compared to basics like Shield or Mana Wave, Teleport's formula was complex—5th-circle level in difficulty alone. Her focused study on it after basics was paying off now.
While the Ogre Lord faltered, charging Haring and Hidni smashed its back. Yongba fired arrows calmly from max range, and NyaNya with Kazen followed up with spells.
Swaaa...
"Sword energy pattern!"
"5 o'clock for me! Heading there!"
"3 o'clock's clear!"
"7 o'clock too! NyaNya and Kazen, come this way!"
"Move!"
Once phase 2 hit around 50%, an ominous aura built, and the Ogre Lord shifted to the altar room's center. Then it attacked like Revenge.
Slash! Slash! SLASH!!!
Sword energy sprayed in three directions, blanketing the room. Hajin had called it instant-death damage. A classic 'learn or die' pattern—if they'd gone in blind, someone would've eaten it for sure.
But Lea's disciples knew it already, including the safe spot behind the overturned goddess statue where the black magic didn't flow. Specifically, only the statues untouched by the black magic.
"Sword energy! Sword energy!"
"Argh! How many times?!"
"Three total! Move fast!"
"8 o'clock... crap, it's flowing."
Crunch!!
In the chaos, Yongba picked the wrong overturned statue and ended up like Yugi—half "Yong" half "ba"—but it didn't derail the strat much.
How much time passed?
Shatter!
Six Mana Waves shattered the Ogre Lord's sword to pieces.
Thud!
The altar room shook.
"Phase 3."
"...We clearing this on first try?"
"Cut the jinxing."
Phase 3 began.
＊
'Phase 3 strat's iffy.'
'The alliance raid barely hit it, but last-hit greed botched proper analysis.'
'We only got to like 20% anyway, so details are scarce.'
'Phase 4? If it's fair, nah. Phase 3's insane enough.'
Phase 3. Maybe the final form of the Ogre Lord.
Lea's disciples, including Haring, had huddled before entering the altar but drew blanks. No more intel, few chances. Sure, they could farm keys, but Hajin said the ogre horde had eyes everywhere. Hajin drew attention last time, but more runs meant rankers or top guilds noticing? They'd interfere or crash for last hits, obviously.
Plus, phase 3's quake was detectable outside. So they had to finish now.
"We... gotta see it through?"
"Two more won't change much. We do it."
"Fair point."
"Then I'll go. Everyone back up."
Step. Step.
NyaNya stepped forward, drawing a staff like a blue crystal.
Shh...
Frost trailed her steps, freezing the ground she touched. Players bundled up and retreated as the transformed Ogre Lord flinched, eyeing her.
Or rather, her staff—and charged.
"Krarrara!!"
'End of Frost.'
Before it connected, glacial power froze the Ogre Lord and the entire altar room.
＊
Rumble rumble rumble...
"...!"
"What the?"
"Someone hit phase 3? Hajin?"
"He's the one hunting the horde today."
At the forward base before the ogre horde, about forty top rankers—including Suinjoa—prepping their raid after two months of gearing turned at the sudden quake. Epicenter: the Ogre Lord's altar. A phase 3 entry meant someone triggered the big awakening shake.
"They muster like us? Or an alliance?"
"Hajin's not streaming."
"Side raid, probably. No way they clear."
"Nah..."
The rankers shook their heads. They'd geared hard too, but phase 3 spooked them. 1-2 doable, but phase 3? No intel, abnormally strong. Even a quick peek showed 20-man raids needed 3-4 groups to even viably kill it.
Click.
"Hehe. No worries. They'll fail."
"Yeoje."
"With Cheon-sang, the glory's yours. Not Hajin's crew."
So top rankers like Suinjoa allied with Cheon-sang. Joint raid, split shares. They knew the prior alliance imploded on last-hit drama, but...
'Can't pass it up.'
Suinjoa and the rankers craved the Ogre Lord kill. Infighting risked the other side snagging it first. So they agreed to team up.
"We really getting 80% share?"
"Of course. If Cheon-sang lands the killing blow."
"...If you screw us."
"Perish the thought. Trust us. We're desperate too."
At an antique table, Yeoje smiled, lifting her teacup. Suinjoa's raid, Husk's replacement crew, and Cheon-sang's—60 total. Cooperate, and it'd clear easy.
'If we just cooperate.'
Tragically, this new alliance was doomed to fail. They'd hit late phase 3, but sudden last-hit greed and the boss's freak strength WIPED them. Minor gripes snowballed to disbandment.
Then Cheon-sang quietly clears with the intel.
'Neat.'
She dreamed of sweet futures, setting her cup down. Time for Cheon-sang to soar. For her territory's 'expansion' works, the corrupted Ogre Lord must fall to their hand...
Fanfare!~
"Huh?"