‘If the boss is assassin-type…’ Almond’s heartbeat quickened.
[You have one minute to prepare. The Heroic Challenge Boss will spawn after one minute.]
“Everyone!” Almond shouted, snapping everyone out of the reverie of watching this hall as they turned to Almond.
“Listen to me carefully. Those in charge of control, get ready with your attacks. Noah, Kira, and Eliara, when the Heroic Boss appears, do whatever you can do to cage it from outside the Arcane Storm. With Lily and I, the five of us will surround it and keep it at bay. Kayla, keep flying around the backliners in your Griffon form and get ready to parry any sudden attacks.”
“You sound urgent?” Kira blinked.
The others also noted the urgency and trepidation in Almond.
“My guts are also churning,” Lily narrowed her eyes. “This Heroic Boss could get very annoying if it’s an assassin-type. The chance of death significantly increases. We fought with a warrior and a mage…so it wouldn’t be strange if this Heroic Boss is an assassin.”
“Exactly,” Almond nodded.
“Fuck,” Natalia cursed as her lips trembled. “A heroic boss of assassin role?! We gotta kill it fast!”
Marcus and Maya also nodded, their expressions grave.
Almond continued speaking, making a slight change in the strategy, “We have to make our move fast, and we only have one chance. I failed to strike three times properly against Verenoor, but that cannot happen again here, or some of us will die! We are more in numbers, so Noah, Kira, Eliara, and Jemma, hurl your skills and item effects right off the bat when the boss is in the Arcane Storm.”
Almond waved his hand as he summoned his Spirit Wraiths.
Lily started using her skill on Viperfiend to fill up her Dreadspire Call’s gauge to summon the Gloombound Earth Golem.
“Galvaren, Ashkar, Starlight, Crystalist, and Benedict, you five will support Noah, Kira, Eliara, and Jemma as they hurl their attacks. Go into the Arcane Storm that Jemma will create and do whatever you can to keep the Boss there.”
“Amir, your role is different. You’re no longer a support driver, but you will also empower the Arcane Storm with your wind-based skills and use your item’s effects on us instead. Keep your focus on us and the boss’s attack only. Don’t think about attacking the boss, as that will distract you.”
“Roger!”
“Sylvia, come to me and Lily at the frontline. Work with Lily’s golem and keep the boss rooted if possible. Your second trait will also recover our Mana, and your new third trait will help keep our mind cool.”
“Understood, Master,” Sylvia nodded.
“Nyssara, you will work with Maya as usual. Make the best freezing shot together.”
Maya and Nysarra nodded.
“Marcus, your job is the same.”
“Talia and Xavier, you only have offensive skills, but don’t use them and waste your Mana. Just use the armors’ effects properly and your class buff skill if you have any.”
“I have a debuff skill that can cause blindness,” Xavier said.
“I have one that can increase the action speed of everyone around me by 50% for 10 seconds,” Talia said.
Almond’s eyes glinted. “Stay at the backline and use it only if I am within the range.”
“That’s all. But we don’t know what will happen, so improvise and make good decisions, please.”
When only thirty seconds were left to the countdown, Almond turned to the magic circle at the center of the floor and walked towards it as he activated Espada Ad Grimveil.
Kira, Kayla, and others who hadn’t seen this power were surprised as they saw eye-shaped cracks appear around him within a 200-meter radius.
“Woah, what’s that?” Amir exclaimed.
“We don’t have time for questions now. Just watch and focus on the fight,” Lily said as she followed Almond with her Gloombound Earth Golem. “Let’s go.”
With her Grimlord Apocalypse Set, Lily was ready to go all out right off the bat with its powerful debuff effects and rein down on the boss right away with a boost from her S-rank Darkness elemental mastery.
Kira, Noah, Amir, and Eliara followed her as they went towards the circle where the boss would spawn.
Jemma stood in mid-range with Talia slightly behind her, and behind Talia was the backline of Kayla, Maya, and Natalia.
Nyssara was with Maya while Sylvia, Dark Pope, Crimson Skylord, Starlight Beast, Crystalist, and Infernal Knight joined Almond and others at the frontline.
Maya targeted Almond for the Oathbound Enchant passive effect, boosting Almond’s Focus and Perception as per his plan.
She also planned to use Almond’s Mana and Focus to boost herself when using her main control-type attack with Nysarra.
When the countdown neared 0, everyone used their items’ buff effects.
Almond drank the Elixir of Skybord Reflexes while Marcus used Sigil of the Guardian Flame as a big flaming bird appeared and supercharged Marcus with flame element.
Everyone activated their Focus Field as this became necessary due to the low lighting in this hall, which meant their Mana would constantly drain, so they had to be on their toes when using active effects or skills and using potions quickly in an emergency.
Almond’s five Spirit Syringes also floated. Lily didn’t have to use one this time since Sylvia was healing Lily while she sacrificed her blood for the Golem summoning.
[The Heroic Challenge Floor Boss—Shourded Blades Ervagus of Evernight Domain.]
When everyone heard the name, they knew it was the goddamn assassin-type heroic Boss.
A hazy storm of darkness appeared in the magic circle as the floor boss spawned.
‘Jemma, don’t be in a hurry and observe first before using the Crystal of Arcane Storm,’ Maya said to Jemma as she could see that Jemma was a bit nervous from behind based on her body language.
As the hazy storm of darkness subsided, everyone saw a faint figure of a two-meter-tall humanoid wearing a mask and a black robe with embroidery design, his hands holding two long curvy daggers.
But as Almond and others were about to attack, Ervagus vanished like a mist.
Almond was fastest as his Focus Field captured the boss appearing at the backline. ‘No!’
Ervagus appeared right behind Natalia like a death reaper, ready to cut her down.