Lefiya's body was still trembling uncontrollably, the cold sensation of a narrow escape crawling up her spine to her scalp. She leaned against the frozen stone wall, gasping for air. The image of that poison-coated dagger and the hollow, soulless eyes of the creature refused to leave her mind.
"Hey, you okay?" Tiona leaned in. For once, she wasn't her usual boisterous self, instead gently poking Lefiya's arm with concern.
"I... I'm fine..." Lefiya shook her head, her voice still raspy. She looked up at Linn with a complex mix of emotions: gratitude, lingering fear, and a deep sense of shame for her own negligence.
Linn didn't say much. He pulled a cloth-wrapped object from the leather pouch at his waist and tossed it to her.
"Take it."
Lefiya caught it instinctively. Opening it, she found a piece of warm, golden-brown dried meat emitting a strange, savory aroma.
"What is this...?"
"Dried meat. Good for calming the nerves," Linn said, walking forward without looking back. "Be more careful next time. The monsters in this place are devious. I might not make it in time next time."
His words were still blunt and far from comforting, but Lefiya felt a strange warmth bloom in her chest. She took a large bite of the meat. A unique, slightly spicy flavor exploded in her mouth, dispelling the last of her fear and helping her chaotic thoughts settle.
"Tione, put Lefiya in the middle."
Tione immediately adjusted their formation, her expression more serious than ever. She positioned Lefiya between herself and Ais, her eyes warily scanning every shadow where an enemy might be lurking.
After that moment of terror, the atmosphere of the makeshift party had shifted entirely. Their previous ease and curiosity had vanished, replaced by a high-strung, wire-tight alertness. They finally understood on a visceral level that this was not the Dungeon. The sense of security provided by their levels and stats meant absolutely nothing here.
Every corner turned, every door opened, could mean death.
They continued for another ten minutes or so until they reached a bottomless vertical shaft. Next to the shaft was a lift platform made of crude iron chains and massive gears. It looked weathered and worn, as if it might fall apart at any second.
In the small clearing before the platform, about a dozen Godrick Soldiers were patrolling. Two of them held heavy crossbows, standing on high ledges at the back. The others were a mixed squad of sword-and-shield infantry and halberdiers, completely blocking the only path to the lift.
"Trouble..." Tione frowned. "We're blocked."
"Can't we just charge in and cut them all down?" Tiona gripped Urga tightly, eager to go, but there was a new glint of calculation in her eyes; she didn't just brainlessly charge as she had before.
"No," Tione immediately vetoed the idea. "They have the high ground. Those two snipers are a problem. The moment we charge, we'll become sitting ducks."
"Then... should I blast them off with magic?" Lefiya suggested softly, though she didn't sound very confident. In this suppressed state, her chant time was longer and the power was drastically reduced; she couldn't guarantee a one-shot kill.
While they were at an impasse, Ais, who had been silent, finally spoke. Her gaze landed on Linn. "You lead."
Everyone froze for a second, then snapped their eyes toward Linn.
Linn was leaning against the wall, checking the edge of Bloodhound's Fang. He raised an eyebrow. "Me? I don't know how to lead. I only know how to kill or be killed."
"No," Ais shook her head, her golden eyes incredibly earnest. "You know what to do. Just like before—you know where the traps are, where the ambushes are, and you know how to deal with them."
Linn looked into those clear eyes for two seconds.
"...Fine."
He stood up straight and rolled his shoulders. His lazy demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by the razor-sharp edge of a veteran of a thousand wars.
"The plan is simple." His gaze swept over everyone. "Amazon sister."
"It's Tiona!" Tiona corrected him, huffing.
"Right, Tiona," Linn followed suit easily. "You're the toughest and your weapon is the most eye-catching. You're the decoy."
"Decoy?!" Tiona's eyes went wide.
"Yeah, decoy." Linn's gaze was non-negotiable. "Charge in. You don't need to kill anyone; just keep the attention of the shield-bearers and halberdiers in front. Remember: block and dodge. Don't trade hits. Your body might not be able to tank it right now."
Next, his gaze shifted to Lefiya. "Elf. See those two with the crossbows on the high ledge? Your job is to suppress them. You don't have to kill them, just make sure they don't have time to aim at Tiona. Use your fastest low-tier magic and harass them constantly."
"I—I understand!" Lefiya nodded heavily, gripping her staff. She immediately began her chant.
「Release, O light of rays...」
"Tione," Linn looked at the elder Amazon. "You circle around from the left. There are some crates there you can use as cover. Your goal is to take out those two snipers. Make it quick."
"Got it," Tione said succinctly.
Finally, Linn looked at Ais. "As for you... wait for my signal."
"And what about you?" Tiona couldn't help but ask.
"Me?" Linn smiled and tapped the small buckler at his waist. "I handle the accidents. Alright, if you trust me, let's move."
The moment he finished, Tiona took a deep breath and was the first to charge out!
"ORAAAA! Look over here, you pieces of trash!"
She didn't charge in a straight line this time. Instead, she ran in a wide arc, holding the massive Urga across her body. As expected, her large silhouette and exaggerated weapon immediately drew the attention of every soldier in the front.
Twang! Twang!
The snipers on the ledge fired first. Two bolts hissed through the air.
Tiona roared, the muscles in her arms bulging as she used the flat of her blade to bat away one bolt, while performing a clumsy roll to dodge the second. The form was ugly, but she was unharmed!
「Fusillade Fallarica!!」
Just as the snipers were about to reload, Lefiya's magic arrived! Several arrows of light struck with precision. Though the power wasn't enough to kill the snipers in one go, the impact effectively disrupted their movements.
"Now!"
Tione's figure lunged from the shadows on the left like a panther. She stepped on a discarded wooden crate, twisted her body in mid-air, and scaled the ledge at an impossible angle. Before the two snipers could react, cold steel had already sliced across their throats.
Almost simultaneously, on the front lines, the three shield-bearers and the halberdier—whose attention had been entirely occupied by Tiona—launched a coordinated assault against her.
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