kscans

Chapter 805 - O Long-Awaited Ones, Roar Forth and Reign Supreme - Part Four

Defeat the boss = clear the dungeon. This is the common path in all games where combat is a primary element, a promised finish line that is rarely ever betrayed.

However, this particular raid has a step that comes after that.

"Alright, got it!"

From within the phosphorescence scattered by the giant exploded caterpillar, a crystal pillar emitting a brilliant green light emerged. In other words, this thing I grabbed the instant it appeared is… whoops.

Before I had time to examine my spoils, a blue light swelled to fill the entire space, instantly engulfing my vision—the dungeon was closing.

Another severance. A brief moment later my avatar was thrown outside… and as the wind running across the world above the clouds brushed my cheek, the return process completed without a hitch.

And with that!

"I'm baaack!"

"Ehh…???"

"What an idiot…"

Getting back up into the sky and following the markers on my radar made rejoining them a piece of cake. When I returned to Sapphire's back, spoils firmly in hand, my squadmates' reactions were pure, unadulterated shock.

Truly regrettable. Never mind Nia, even Natsume-senpai could probably crush a non-high-difficulty dungeon at lightning speed with just her fingertips.

Well, that aside.

"Here, I'm counting on you, our dear artisan."

"W-Whoa!? Don't throw it!"

I casually tossed over the crystal pillar, which was still glowing even after being brought outside. Nia fumbled but managed to catch it, rewarding me with a complaint and a sharp glare.

Unfortunately, we don't have time for playful banter…

"Any problems?"

"Nope! If that was the biggest reaction around here, then just as predicted, we don't need to worry about the difficulty. My MP will hold up fine too, including my 'backup' supply."

"Right—in that case, the path has been laid, so get your butt in gear and work."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

Her words were those of a senior who works her junior to the bone, but she's more than fulfilling her role, so I have absolutely zero room to complain or feel any resentment.

Well then, following the guidance of the 'thread' that was connecting the cliff-towers in sequence…

"From now on I'm just gonna toss 'em up and start running, so you handle the confirmation part, 'kay?!"

All that's left for me is to throw myself into one RTA after another.

◇◆◇◆◇

The 'Time Limit'—an unavoidable trial in conquering the otherworldly realm upon the back of [Green Connect, Jehatreglie]—is in reality a special status ailment applied to all intruders the moment they set foot in the domain.

Its name is unknown, and its icon is shaped like a dancing leaf etched with a pattern resembling an eye. The effect it has on players is certain death after exactly thirty minutes.

In other words, players can only operate on the back of [Green Connect] for a mere half-hour… If the summary ended there, it would be natural for everyone to throw in the towel and declare it 'unconquerable.'

Naturally, a solution to this gimmick has been prepared.

"Nia?"

"I may not be a certain someone, but you can leave this to me!"

Atop the dragon, who kept its massive body afloat in the sky without even flapping its wings, guarding the fort while its master was away.

The artisan gripped the crystal pillar entrusted to her by her crush, whose monstrous level was becoming more apparent by the moment—the 'Dungeon Core' that appears exclusively in dungeons absorbed by [Green Connect]—and ignited her own magical light.

There are countless variations of Magic Craft formulas. The one wielded by the current sixth seat, [Milmarinus], was a spherical puzzle formed by countless overlapping layers of magic circles.

She wasn't creating it.

What was required of her was to decipher it.

"…, ……—"

The moment she activated the formula, she understood. It was an undeniable first-time experience, and she finally understood what her seniors meant when they had all said, 'It's impossible to put into words, but you'll get it the second you touch it.'

This was, indeed, impossible to verbalize. She had no way of knowing what this thing was or what it wanted—and yet, she vaguely knew how to solve it.

Click. Click. Click-clack-click.

It was like breathing, like walking. If someone were to ask her exactly how she was doing it, she wouldn't be able to explain the detailed logic, and it was the same thing.

Without understanding, without needing to understand…

"Alright, it's, done!"

"……Looks like this one's an idiot too, huh?"

Nia let out a cheer, having unlocked in thirty seconds what they said a normal, highly skilled artisan would take two to three minutes to solve. Beside her, Natsume let out a sigh, thinking, 'Are these two peas in a pod?'

As if in protest that such a thing was truly regrettable, the blue-haired girl sent a glare his way. In her hands, the 'Core' flickered as if speaking something, then silently dissolved and was absorbed into the artisan's avatar… and at the same time, the 'leaf' icon lit up below every raid member's status bar, and the number that had begun to accumulate a short while ago ticked up by one.

◇◆◇◆◇

The giant body collapsed with a tremor before scattering into phosphorescence a moment later.

A colossal, crimson-burning crab. The scene was so vivid it felt strange that the aroma of cooked food didn't waft through the air. To her companion who had split the boss enemy in two upon encountering it—

"No matter how low-level it is, it's not supposed to be something you can kill in one hit…"

The [Scorching Arm] let out a sigh that was pure exasperation at a known quantity. However, the one receiving that sort of gaze—a kind she had unwillingly grown all too used to—simply brushed it off with a cool expression.

"There are many others besides myself who can do this much."

"You don't call a few dozen people in a virtual world 'many.'"

The [Sword Queen], who stated it as a fact without a hint of doubt or humility, simply offered a small smile to the petite girl who had shot back a quick retort.

"Hn."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it."

When Iris sent her 'sword' back into the void and opened her arms to call her partner, Kokoro allowed herself to be lifted up without any particular shyness or hesitation.

"Progress is good."

"Indeed."

While in Iris's arms, she caught the 'Core' that emerged from the remnants of the boss's phosphorescence and fell towards them. She might be on the fuzzy line of whether she could be called a friend, but…

"The rate of buff accumulation is worlds apart from last time."

At the very least, they knew each other well enough that she felt no surprise as the crystal pillar vanished from those hands in mere seconds. Even with the deciphering-difficulty-reduction buff in effect from the full deployment of the Western Faction's rankers, her operational speed was still abnormal, but praising it now felt redundant.

And so, another count was added… fifteen minutes after the start of the assault, the number piled up beside the time-limit icon now read '102.'

The buff acquired from this flow of boss defeats and 'Core' deciphering was additional raid time, functioning at a rate of '1 count = 10 seconds.'

In other words, they had currently earned one thousand and twenty seconds… seventeen minutes of time. Even for a full-throttle start from perfect condition, it was more than enough of a gain—

A blue light, a severance, and then a clearing of vision.

"Next."

"Right."

The moment their bodies were sent back to the sea of trees where giant trees stood in groves, the [Sword Queen], her dress now dyed blue, began to run swiftly while still holding her companion.

It was a world of difference from the previous attempt she remembered. In addition to the overall increase in player strength over time, the momentum was fueled by a significant boost in motivation, starting with herself.

Their progress was already more than double… but that only put them slightly ahead of being evenly matched. If their exhaustion accumulated even a little and their clear speed dropped, the time limit would mercilessly close the distance.

Therefore, whatever came next depended on whether the raid could meet some condition and open a new path before each of them fell.

Somewhere else in the vast otherworld, another victory was won, and the count ticked up again.

The assault on the third [Colored Monster] had only just begun.