The Area 1 Raid (2)

"What... what the hell is that?"

A gigantic white tiger.

I'd heard its identity, but now that it stood right before my eyes, my entire body froze solid.

It felt like a tank was staring me down.

The teeth bared from its gaping maw, the claws sunk into the earth. Its size made the bear we'd faced yesterday look cute by comparison, and an instinctive terror surged through me.

Could we really defeat something like this? No—could we even survive it?

At that moment, the lord of the forest raised its claws. A storm of death surged toward us.

-Kyaaaak!

Screams erupted.

With a single swipe, the formation we'd prepared lost all meaning.

The fear of death gripped everyone.

"Get a hold of yourselves!"

The first to regain her composure was Emily, the leader of this raid party.

"Tanks, all to the front!"

Stepping forward, she raised her shield and blocked the next claw strike.

-Kwa-ga-gak!

A deafening crash rang out as if the shield would shatter, but Emily did not fall. Gritting her teeth, she poured every ounce of strength into holding her ground.

Seeing her, the others who had barely recovered their senses advanced behind her.

Thanks to that, the remaining members could reorganize.

They healed the wounded, recalled the promises made in the meeting, and moved to their assigned positions.

"Pour on the arrows and magic!" "Melee dealers on standby! Watch for the opening when the tanks lock down its movement!"

Arrows and spells painted the sky. Various weapon skills pierced and tore through the white tiger's hide.

-Kraaaaa!

The white tiger thrashed in agony and roared. The players, now riding the momentum, relentlessly pressed their assault.

It was a spectacular sight.

Dozens of people working in unison to drive back a creature that had seemed impossible to defeat.

Good. We can win.

I swung my sword with everything I had alongside the others.

At this rate, confidence swelled that we could liberate Area 1, which had tormented us for an entire month.

At that moment, something black rose from the white tiger's shadow.

"Everyone retreat!"

Sensing the anomaly, Emily kept her shield forward and ordered the party members to pull back.

In that brief opening, the white tiger leaped high into the air and roared.

"What is it? Some kind of Fear?"

In many games, bosses had roars that inflicted status effects on players.

But no abnormalities appeared among the people.

Was it just a simple roar? Setting the question aside, I prepared to resume the fight as the white tiger landed.

"Wait, the ground is shaking?"

"Did that tree just move?"

"Behind us! Something's coming from behind!"

Fierce winds howled from every direction. Trees and leaves shook violently. It was as if the forest itself was screaming.

"Those are... bears?"

As the wind died down, Forest Bears emerged from the depths of the woods.

But not just one. A full twenty black bears had surrounded the players.

Truly worthy of the title lord of the forest.

The start of phase two. With the white tiger behind us and a pack of bears charging from the front, they closed in.

"Each party take two!"

Emily shouted urgently. Even in the crisis, it was a rational call.

But the real problem was the white tiger. If it began rampaging in earnest, the party would collapse in moments.

Then Emily placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Ian, I'm counting on you to handle the boss."

"...What?!"

"Just buy us time. Please."

"W-wait! Hey!"

Even Emily had struggled against that thing.

And now she was telling me to face the boss? Against something two levels higher?

Fuck—this was just a death sentence!

At that moment, the white tiger's claw descended over my head.

"Sis..."

Mugi looked at Ian and then at Emily with anxious eyes.

Even to her, the order Emily had given Ian was no different from telling her to die.

"It's fine. That's why we brought her."

But Emily patted Mugi's shoulder reassuringly.

In this raid, Ian's role was nothing more than a sacrifice. That was why she'd even given her accessories to lure her in.

Besides, when a player died in this world, their belongings could be looted by others.

In other words, the accessories given to Ian could be recovered.

If one death could clear the boss, Emily was prepared to send Ian to her doom anytime.

"So for now, focus on the enemies in front of you."

The opponents were two level-8 Forest Bears. By level difference alone they weren't overwhelming, yet Emily calmly raised her shield.

-Ka-gak!

She deflected the ferocious claw strike and shouted.

"Naira! Mugi!"

"I know!"

Naira's bowstring drew taut. The arrowhead glowed green.

Basic Archery Skill, First Form. Single-shot attack.

Not missing the opening, Mugi's staff glowed violet.

Basic Magic Skill, First Circle Flame Magic. Flame Projection.

The remaining bear charged at Naira and Mugi.

Emily lowered her stance and thrust her shield forward.

Basic Shield Skill, Second Form. Unidirectional Charge.

Naira and Mugi unleashed their skills on the now defenseless bear.

After quickly eliminating the two bears, Emily scanned the battlefield.

Are the others still struggling?

The average party level hovered between 8 and 9. Unlike their group that had reached level 10, several parties were still engaged with the bears.

The silver lining was that the white tiger had not yet begun attacking the players.

She's at least doing her job as bait.

Still, Ian could die at any second. They needed to finish the bears and reorganize before that happened.

Emily spoke to Naira and Mugi.

"I'll support the left flank. You two help the right."

"Got it."

"Y-yes!"

With their assistance and help from the parties that had already finished, the players quickly drove back the pack of Forest Bears.

But there was no time to regroup.

"A second wave?"

A fresh pack of bears had emerged from the forest and was charging straight at them. There was no room to breathe.

Emily checked Ian's condition on the left side of her vision and the white tiger behind her.

She's holding up better than expected.

Even as the white tiger continued its threatening movements, Ian's state wasn't terrible. If she survived this, Emily wanted to keep her in the party.

But right now they had to endure the second wave.

Emily raised her shield once more.

"Fuck, what the hell does she expect me to do?"

The white tiger's claws kept slamming into the ground.

All I could do was dodge with everything I had.

One thing was certain—if I failed to hold its attention, the people behind me would die.

There was no other choice. Die here, or kill the boss and survive.

The white tiger's foreleg came down over my head again.

I quickly slipped into the space between its legs.

-Bang!

Dirt exploded upward. The spot where I'd stood a second earlier was now a deep paw-shaped crater.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

Given the level gap, even one solid hit meant instant death. Unfair as it was, I had to dodge every single attack to survive.

The one saving grace was the size difference between us.

Just as it's hard to swat a fast-moving mosquito, the boss momentarily lost sight of me after I entered its blind spot.

Of course I couldn't hide forever. My job was to keep the boss's attention.

"Slash!"

-Kraaa!

The wounded white tiger howled. Having finally noticed me, it lifted its foot high.

But the instant my attack landed I was already sprinting toward its hind leg. The only thing I could rely on was the speed granted by my 17 Agility.

"Slash!"

"Haa... haa..."

I couldn't keep this up forever.

Even in a virtual world, Arcadia Online made your breathing grow ragged and your strength fade just like reality.

"When the hell are they coming... ugh!"

The white tiger's attacks were gradually catching up. It was only a matter of time before one connected.

Yet there was still no sign of the others joining the fight. The second wave must have left them with no breathing room either.

I had to find a way. I pushed my legs with every last drop of strength, searching for an opening.

Then the white tiger's undefended back caught my eye.

Normally an unreachable height. But if it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lowered its body even a little...

My decision was instant. With no better option, I had to trust my gut.

I slipped beneath its belly. Its enormous size gave me plenty of room to maneuver.

I need to make it slam down on me.

If I attacked the belly, it would definitely lower its stance to crush me.

I raised my sword vertically.

The basic sword skill Slash was a cutting technique, not limited to horizontal swings. I'd mostly used it sideways until now, but it could create vertical arcs too.

"Slash!"

The wounded beast howled. I sprinted out with all my strength.

-Kuung!

As expected, the white tiger sat down to crush me.

I pointed my sword downward.

"Sword Rush!"

Landing on the broad back was easy despite the constant movement.

I drove my sword straight down.

-Kwajik!

The white tiger thrashed violently. I gripped the sword with all my might to avoid being thrown off.

I glanced at the health bar in the upper left of my vision.

Health at half. Mana at zero.

During the brief lull, I downed a mana potion and sprinted across the white tiger's back.

My target was the neck. No matter how strong a boss it was, the neck remained a vital point for any living creature.

I leaped high and swung at the thick neck.

-Chwaak!

Blood sprayed from the wound.

I couldn't sever it completely—the neck was thicker than I was tall—but the white tiger's thrashing grew far more violent.

"Ugh!"

My feet couldn't reach the neck because of its massive body. Hanging on was safer than being underneath, as long as I could endure the shaking.

The question was whether I could hold on. Without the sword embedded deeply, I had only the white fur to cling to.

"How long do I have to wait, damn it?"

She'd said just buy a little time. That holding its attention would be enough.

Yet the others remained far from the boss. They didn't even support me with arrows or magic, as if they'd agreed to move only after I was dead.

"Yeah... fuck. What was I expecting?"

I'd played solo after the first week.

I knew I couldn't rely on anyone's help, yet I'd chosen this path anyway.

I knew it was insane. I knew it was the wrong choice in this death game.

But this was the smallest atonement I could offer.

Then there was only one thing left to do.

"Let's see who wins."

Buying time? That goal had vanished from my mind.

I drove the sword deeper into the back of the white tiger's neck. It rampaged again.

Still, holding the sword made it easier to endure. Even if my feet slipped or I lost my grip on the fur, I could recover.

Of course I couldn't swing the sword in this position. The blade embedded in its neck was my only lifeline.

But I had a spare. I'd bought a second sword just in case the first broke.

I opened my inventory and drew it. In my free right hand appeared an identical blade.

Naturally I couldn't use skills while dual-wielding. This game had no such technique.

However, nothing prevented me from swinging with pure physical strength.

Skills only adjusted damage and stance—the swing itself was up to the player.

-Thud!

Hanging on and swinging one-handed, the blade bounced off the hide without reaching the wound.

But with constant swings, the sword occasionally dug in and tore at the flesh. It didn't deal massive damage, but it was enough to torment the white tiger.

The once-white fur was now drenched in blood. My own body was soaked in the beast's blood as well.

Even so, I didn't stop.

My heart felt ready to burst, my arms trembled, yet I kept slashing and slashing at the neck.

Then a sudden fierce storm nearly tore the sword from my grasp.

"What the—?"

The anomaly didn't end there. Shadows that had risen like haze now completely enveloped the white tiger.

Pure white fur turned pitch black. Crimson light blazed from its eyes.

This was unmistakably the sign of phase three. The moment it transformed into something on an entirely different level.

"Why the hell does an Area 1 boss even have a phase three!"

Strength left my hands. I could feel the malice declaring that none of us would leave this place.

"No! Snap out of it!"

I barely clung to my sanity.

Its appearance had changed, but the wounds hadn't healed. Blood still poured from its neck, and I was close to cutting off its breath.

Yes—the boss didn't have much left either. Phase three was nothing but its final desperate struggle.

Then my task remained the same. I would swing and swing my sword until I severed its neck.

"Die!"

I cut. The beast rampaged and the storm howled. Even as hot blood drenched my entire body, I kept swinging...

-Kwajik!

Cut and cut and cut and cut and cut and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cut and cut and cut!

I would not stop until my own breath ran out.

Just then, a welcome voice rang across the battlefield.

"Everyone fire! There's not much left—pour everything into it!"

I was told to hold on a little, yet they only arrived after an entire phase had passed.

Still, the fact that they'd finally come felt like rain on parched earth.

Arrows and magic slammed into the boss.

"Tanks! Block with everything you've got! Melee dealers, focus all attacks on the legs!"

The boss's body shook violently under the barrage of skills from swords, spears, axes, shields, and gauntlets.

-Kraaaaa!

The boss roared once more.

But this time the roar sounded like a final death cry.

Yes. Even the lord of the forest had reached its limit.

"Push harder!"

Emily's scream-like shout echoed. Everyone attacked with vengeful fury.

And so did I.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

I squeezed out the last of my strength and swung the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sword.

-Chwaak!

Suddenly the boss's movements stopped. The continuously swinging claws, the howling storm—everything halted as if it had all been an illusion.

At that moment, the tiger's body began to tilt. The black fur reverted to its original color, and it collapsed to the ground in an enormous cloud of dust.

With no strength left, I rolled across the grass like a soccer ball when the boss fell. Blood filled my mouth, dirt stung my eyes, but all I could do was gasp for air.

Before me, a window appeared.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

May 10, 2038, 4:42 PM.

The two hundred thousand players were liberated from Area 1.