Live Dungeon!

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Orbis looked up at the sky, where a flock of Carrier Birds, monsters with talons large enough to grasp an adult man with ease, was descending. These beasts, with their formidable wings and powerful bodies, were notorious for their cunning, killing their prey by dropping them from great heights.

The flock, gliding through the air, clutched goblins and orcs in their talons, hurtling towards Orbis. Christia, along with other Black Mages, shot down the Carrier Birds, but they could not get them all, and some monsters landed on the ground. Meanwhile, the larger group of monsters in the distance showed no sign of moving.

“Leon and I will hold Orbis off. Everyone else, exterminate the monsters,” Christia commanded.

“Man, I wish you’d at least give me something easier!”

“You waste too much effort. Focus on the enemy in front of you.”

“…Easier said than done,” Leon, grumbling at Christia’s blunt criticism, eyed Orbis, who loomed with a massive frame.

Unlike typical monsters driven by aggro mechanics, Orbis’ thought process was that of a human, making his attacks unpredictable. Only a Tank could withstand Orbis’ direct hits; a Healer would be killed instantly, and an Attacker would suffer severe injuries even if they avoided a critical hit. A Healer’s relatively low physical status ratings made it difficult to react to Orbis’s movements, so they had to rely on Attackers or Tanks for protection.

Leon, with his AGI at S rank, was capable of saving those targeted by Orbis. However, Orbis anticipated Leon’s interventions, leading to a challenging battle.

Seeing Leon still distracted by the surrounding Explorers, Christia loosed a green arrow at him. The arrow, aimed with precision, embedded itself deeply in Leon’s back.

“Hey, that the–!? …Wait, it doesn’t hurt?”

“That was a > spell.”

Christia had mimicked Tsutomu’s quickshot skill, using an arrow-shaped > shot on Leon. She proceeded to point her iron arrows at Orbis. Her centuries of combat experience and the immense power of her bow, crafted from the Devourer Dragon, made her strikes formidable. Orbis, despite his Tank-like endurance, was forced to take flight under the barrage of arrows.

“To have come this far without divine favor is… impressive, to say the least,” Orbis called out as he approached.

“Divine favor…?” Christia muttered, straining to draw her bowstring tight enough to split her fingers.

The sheer power of her arrow, loose with unerring accuracy, struck Orbis in the shoulder.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GROUND!”

In the air, Orbis could not utilize his muscular strength effectively. Wounded by the arrow in his shoulder, he faltered. Leon seized the opportunity, diving from above and driving his sword into Orbis, sending them both plummeting to the ground. The massive Orbis crashed into the earth with a thunderous impact, sending shockwaves through the vicinity.

“Tch!”

Even after being slammed into the ground, Orbis swiftly swung his massive arm. Leon evaded the blow, but sharp claws emerged from the earth, forcing him to twist his body and leap into the air. But then, a Carrier Bird targeted him from above, prompting Leon to speedily dart away.

“Whoa–!”

“Dammit! He’s never letting me take a break, huh!?”

But if Leon distanced himself too much, Orbis would immediately target someone else, compelling him to close the gap again. With Orbis and other monsters simultaneously attacking, Leon had to yank a vulnerable Attacker out of harm’s way, repositioning them as if he were doing a magic trick.

Orbis anticipated Leon’s interventions, exploiting this knowledge to make the battle increasingly difficult.

“If you abandon the notion of getting through this without casualties, we’ll have a good chance at victory,” Christia remarked.

“Hell nah! Better if no one dies!” Leon retorted.

“……”

Seeing that Leon’s speed was only useful for evasion, Christia decided to give up on defeating Orbis for now. She switched to hindering Orbis’ movements with her arrows, preventing him from acting as he wished.

Christia’s new strategy was to buy time. Reinforcements, including nearly a hundred Explorers, members of the Scarlet Devil Squad, Absolute Helix, and Golden Tune, would soon arrive from the Royal Capital. Until then, they needed to hold the line.

Freed from the intense pursuit, Orbis glanced at the Royal Capital’s residents watching intently from behind the barriers. Thousands of monster corpses littered the area, with more being felled by the Explorers, forming gruesome piles.

Orbis touched the scarf around his neck and then checked on Meena, trapped within the black Shield perimeter. Afterward, after swatting away an arrow flying at him, he fixed his gaze on the castle.

“Let us begin.”

As Orbis murmured these words, thousands of monsters, previously in wait, began to move all at once. At the same moment, numerous Explorers reached the battlefield.

▽▽

[What an ominous feeling.]

The overwhelming horde of monsters suddenly stirred behind the ranks of the Explorers. The battlefield, with Orbis at its center, teemed with too many monsters to control aggro effectively. As such, Tsutomu quickly called out to his comrades,

“Xeno, Leleia. Head to where Orbis is and buy us some time. Amy and Amira, you’re with me.”

“Leave it to us. Now, Leleia, make haste!”

“…Fine. I understand.”

Xeno cheerfully beckoned Leleia, who grudgingly followed. Tsutomu watched them for a moment, then glanced at the Scarlet Devil Squad and Golden Tune behind him.

“The rest of you, follow Miss Christia’s lead.”

“Leave the monsters to us.”

“Let’s see what you got!”

Tsutomu gave a quick nod to the burly Attackers of the Scarlet Devil Squad and then called out to Eunice, who was among the Golden Tune.

“With the Scarlet Devil Squad and Golden Tune here, Leon will have some breathing room. Once Leon can move freely, Eunice, you head over to where we are.”

“Got it!”

Eunice, wiping the tear marks from her eyes and perking up her fox ears, responded without a hint of her usual sarcasm. After confirming with Eunice, Tsutomu took the Black Staff and ascended into the air, casting multiple > shots at Leon.

“Whoa–!” Leon, hit by the shots on his back, let out a surprised shout as his stamina significantly recovered.

With the Black Staff enhancing his healing power, Tsutomu’s > shots were highly effective.

Next, Tsutomu cast > on the others, the spell shots weaving through the battlefield like living creatures, dodging monsters and reaching the Explorers, restoring their strength. With dozens of Tanks drawing the monsters’ attention, Tsutomu could heal without becoming a target.

“…Creepy,” muttered Amira as she followed Tsutomu.

She watched as his myriad skills, in various forms, hit the Explorers with uncanny precision, never striking a monster by mistake. The battlefield was chaotic, with nearly forty Explorers, including the Scarlet Devil Squad and Golden Tune, facing hundreds of monsters.

Despite the chaos, Tsutomu’s skills landed flawlessly on the Explorers. Amira, accustomed to seeing Tsutomu heal in smaller, five-person parties, was taken aback by his efficiency in this larger, more chaotic setting.

Considering the fact that they were in a group of around forty, his handling of the situation was exceptional. The skills were flying as if they had a mind of their own, dodging monsters with eerie precision — but before Amira could be impressed, she felt a shiver of unease.

“I can hear you, you know?” Tsutomu responded to her muttered comment.

He cast > and > on Xeno and Leleia as they reached Orbis’ location. The music from the marching band played continuously, boosting the explorers’ powers, so Tsutomu’s buffs were not strictly necessary. However, the Black Staff allowed support effects to stack, so his buffs could be layered on top of the music’s effects.

Tsutomu’s >, >, >, and > all came in different colors, putting on a light show as they were guided precisely to their targets. Amy watched the display with a grin.

“…Here comes another nuisance.”

The way Tsutomu’s flashy support and healing spells filled the sky drew Orbis’s attention. As the only entity not driven by aggro, Orbis naturally felt compelled to eliminate the one providing large-scale support. But Christia was aware of this and kept Orbis distracted with her powerful arrows.

And now, thanks to Orbis being distracted, Leon gained some breathing room. With the increase in Explorer numbers, they managed to control the monsters’ movements better, keeping a safe distance from Orbis. This reduced the occasions where Leon had to create openings by rescuing others.

“Tsutomu!” Eunice called out as she approached, noticing Leon’s improved situation. Tsutomu descended to the ground and lightly planted the tip of the Black Staff into the earth.

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