The underground chamber fell silent.
Before them stood a warrior clad in black armor, his crimson eyes burning like embers.
Ghost of Warrior
Boss Monster
Level 90
Tanaka swallowed hard.
His grip tightened around the Burning Sword +3 he had obtained only a few days earlier.
“This... is a Boss?”
Reina nodded.
“Yes.”
Tanaka forced a smile.
“Even back when I played Cosmic Online, I never fought a Boss even once.”
“Then think of this as your first experience.”
Reina drew both of her daggers.
“Mina.”
Mina immediately understood.
Without waiting for another instruction, she raised her staff.
“HP Buff!”
A white light enveloped every member of the party.
“Mana Buff!”
Another wave of light followed.
“Accuracy Buff!”
One buff after another settled over their bodies.
Mina took a deep breath.
“I'm ready.”
Reina nodded.
“Then... let's begin.”
Tanaka was the first to move.
He raised his shield high.
“Hey!”
The Ghost of Warrior immediately turned its gaze toward him.
The Boss lifted its massive sword.
BOOOM!!
The ground shook as the blade crashed against Tanaka's shield.
He was pushed back several meters.
But he held his ground.
“Good!” Reina shouted.
“Don't let it chase anyone else!”
Tanaka immediately began circling the chamber.
The Boss relentlessly pursued him.
Meanwhile...
Reina, Lisa, and Rian attacked from three different directions.
Armor Break.
Critical.
Slash.
Fire Ball.
Bolts of lightning from Hana struck the Ghost of Warrior again and again.
Several times, the Boss tried to turn toward them.
But Tanaka always managed to draw its attention back.
“Tanaka!”
“Move!”
The gigantic sword smashed into the ground once more.
Exploding rocks filled the chamber.
“H-Heal!” Mina cried.
A green light immediately enveloped Tanaka.
His HP, which had dropped dangerously low, quickly returned to full.
The battle dragged on.
The Boss possessed an enormous amount of HP.
Several times, their rhythm nearly collapsed.
But whenever it did, Mina stabilized the fight with perfectly timed Heals.
The Mana Potions in Mina's inventory steadily disappeared.
Beans.
Soya Milk.
Clean Water.
One after another, she consumed whatever could restore her Mana.
Reina silently thanked Mina for never ignoring the simple drops that most players considered worthless.
Without those supplies...
They would probably have lost long ago.
Nearly an hour passed.
The Ghost of Warrior's HP bar finally entered its last segment.
“Now!” Reina shouted.
Armor Break!
The Boss's Defense dropped once more.
“Everyone, attack!”
Hana's magic exploded.
Lisa's slash.
Rian's thrust.
Tanaka's Burning Sword.
And...
Reina's Jumping Dagger.
BOOOM!!
The Ghost of Warrior let out one final roar.
Its massive body slowly dissolved into countless particles of light.
Then it disappeared.
Silence returned to the chamber.
Krsssh...
A large wooden chest dropped onto the stone floor.
“We... won.”
Tanaka immediately collapsed onto the ground.
“I seriously can't move anymore.”
Mina sat down as well, still clutching her staff.
Her hands trembled from repeatedly casting Heal.
Hana leaned against the stone wall, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
“I'm exhausted...”
Meanwhile, Reina, Lisa, and Rian walked over to the chest.
Reina placed her hand on its lid.
Click.
A system window appeared.
Need a Key
“Huh?”
Rian froze.
“What?”
“It won't open?”
“Seriously?”
Nearly everyone cried out in disappointment.
Only Reina and Lisa remained calm.
Lisa smiled faintly.
“I expected this.”
“Boss Chests have always required a key.”
Reina nodded.
“Fortunately, the chest itself can be stored.”
She immediately placed it into her inventory.
“So... what now?” Tanaka asked.
“We're almost out of Potions,” Hana added.
Mina checked her inventory.
“I'm almost out of Mana Potions too.”
Reina remained silent for a moment.
Then Lisa spoke up.
“I have an idea.”
Everyone turned toward her.
“The four of you should head back to Salia City.”
“If all of us leave, it'll take forever to travel back here.”
“Reina and I will stay.”
“We'll look for the Chest Key while gathering more Potions.”
Reina immediately nodded.
“I was thinking the same thing.”
She turned toward Tanaka.
“Tanaka.”
“Yes.”
“You'll lead them back.”
“Don't fight any Mostro unless you absolutely have to.”
“We're too low on Potions.”
Tanaka nodded firmly.
“Understood.”
Reina then looked at Mina, Hana, and Rian.
“Be careful on the way.”
The three of them nodded.
Not long afterward, the four left Esmen Mine Cave.
Only two people remained.
Reina.
And Lisa.
“Our levels are the same now.”
Lisa opened her status window.
Level 75
Reina smiled.
“Looks like you got the last hit on the Boss.”
Lisa laughed.
“Boss EXP is incredible.”
Reina sheathed both of her daggers.
“Come on.”
“Let's not stay here too long.”
Lisa nodded.
“If the mechanics are still the same as before...”
“The Boss should respawn in about an hour.”
The two of them quickly left the Boss chamber.
Then they resumed hunting Mine Ogres throughout the tunnels.
Just the two of them.
Without a Cleric.
Without a Tank.
The battles became far more dangerous.
Yet their coordination hardly required words.
Lisa held the line.
Reina shattered the enemies' defenses.
One Mine Ogre after another fell.
They continued collecting every Potion dropped by the Mostro.
Time slipped away unnoticed.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Neither of them knew how many Mine Ogres they had defeated.
Until finally—
Ding!
Something gleamed on the ground.
Reina immediately picked it up.
Chest Key
A golden key about the size of her palm.
Reina and Lisa looked at one another.
Then they smiled at the same time.
“Finally.”
“We found it.”
Reina gripped the key tightly.
“We should open the chest together.”
Lisa nodded.
“The others are definitely going to want to see what's inside.”
Without wasting another second, the two of them left Esmen Mine Cave.
They began making their way back toward Salia City.
Inside Reina's inventory now rested two items...
...that might change the course of their journey.