kscans

Chapter 127 - Chapter 127

After that, we proceeded to clear the dungeon smoothly.

Rena would take down any enemies I had a bad matchup against, and Naoto would handle her defense. Large groups of enemies that were difficult to finish off were wiped out by Sakinon's magic as we advanced.

Having a mage really is a huge help. The efficiency of gathering materials is on a whole other level.

Before, I couldn't party up with other people. But now, as long as Rena is with me, it's no longer a problem. I was once again realizing the fun and efficiency of raiding with a group.

We were currently clearing the Grade 5 Beast Dungeon.

"Naoto! A strong attack is coming!"

"Got it, Iron Shield!"

Naoto activated his skill, blocking the breath attack spewed by a wolf monster.

Sometimes he has trouble judging which attacks require a skill to block. Well, you can't always tell just by looking, so it can't be helped. Back when FWO was a game, I took hits over and over, developing a habit of using skills on attacks I knew were bad news, so now I can tell by instinct.

That said, Naoto was gradually starting to develop that sense, too.

"Rena, please take care of the enemy in the back right."

"Okay!"

"Sakinon, aim for the big bear on the left."

"Okey-dokey!"

Until I started teaming up with Naoto and the others, I only ever gave orders to Rena. Now that number has tripled. Of course, it's a lot of work, but...

"This feeling... it's awesome."

My teammates, clad in top-tier gear and possessing high physical abilities, follow my instructions with precision. We can easily annihilate swarms of monsters that gave me a decent amount of trouble when I challenged them solo.

FWO was originally designed as a game where multiple people cooperate to clear dungeons, so what we're doing now is the intended way to play.

There's a demerit to forming a party—the boss's health gets boosted according to the number of people—but the merits far outweigh it.

There's strength in numbers. Just going from one person to four makes this much of a difference.

So, what would happen when the S-rank students I've trained join us?

A party with everything: tanks, attackers, support, healers.

Just imagining it gets me excited.

--*--

After defeating the mid-boss, the Great Bear, we arrived at the boss's chamber.

"This is the final boss. And for the record, the boss here is the strongest among all the Grade 5 dungeons."

"Why'd you pick a place like that to clear?"

Naoto sounded a little displeased.

"Rena and I have already cleared the other dungeons, and our goal is to conquer a Grade 6 dungeon. I figured we might as well clear the harder one while the four of us can challenge it together. So, I'm counting on you guys."

"It doesn't feel bad to be relied on by you, Hayate."

"Yeah. Me too."

"Let's do our best!"

I was glad they seemed motivated.

"The final boss is Byakko, right? From the Four Divine Beasts?"

"That's right. The remaining Divine Beasts are mid-bosses in the Grade 6 dungeons. And the Byakko here was about as strong as them. If the settings are the same, then if we can beat Byakko here, it means we can beat the mid-bosses in the next dungeon, too."

Though it also depends on our equipment enhancement levels and the attributes of the weapons we use.

"When Byakko cloaks itself in a reddish aura, it's about to unleash a weapon-destroying attack. If you take it without activating a skill, it'll shatter even your gear in one hit, Naoto. So don't panic and screw up the timing for your skill."

"Got it. Can my defense block everything else as long as it's not cloaked in that red aura?"

"No problem—is what I'd like to say, but it's not an absolute guarantee. The specs might have changed from the game."

If the game settings were still in effect, Naoto's stats would be more than enough. But thinking that way leads to carelessness. And in the dungeons that have appeared in the real world, carelessness leads directly to death.

I don't want to die yet, and I don't want to see my friends die either.

"I'll give you a heads-up if a dangerous-looking attack is coming, but ultimately, I might have to leave it to your intuition, Naoto. For example—"

I directed just a tiny bit of killing intent toward Naoto.

"Whoa?!"

Naoto reflexively activated his skill and braced himself.

"W-What was that for?!"

"Hayate-kun, what are you doing?"

Sakinon, her expression serious, stepped in front of Naoto protectively.

I only directed that killing intent at Naoto, but she was able to sense it.

"H-Huh? What? What's wrong, everyone?"

It seemed Rena hadn't felt a thing. Is Sakinon's perception just that sharp?

"Sorry. I was just testing to see if Naoto could react to a truly dangerous attack."

"Please, don't ever do that again. I seriously thought I was going to die."

"Me too. That's not something you should direct at a person."

"Right. I'll be more careful."

I got scolded. I'll have to reflect on that.

But it was a good discovery to learn that Naoto and Sakinon have the ability to discern dangerous attacks. If they can react to that, they should be able to defend against any powerful attacks Byakko might try to sneak in among its regular ones.

"If we clear this place today, dinner's on me at our usual spot. So please forgive me for that."

"With dessert, too."

"And the drink bar set."

"Can I come, too?"

"You too, Rena."

I'm earning plenty from streaming, after all. For now, I was just glad it seemed they would forgive me.

Alright, it's about time we head in.

"Don't rule out the possibility that the boss isn't Byakko."

"Okay!"

"Roger."

"Got it."

"Alright then, let's go."

I placed my hand on the door to the boss room and stepped inside with Rena and the others.