They returned to the mouth of Gulu's cavern and settled down to recover again.
The mood was light this time. Glances were exchanged, then suppressed laughter broke out. Hair-Stays-Perfect laughed the loudest, his voice echoing off the damp stone walls, full of swagger and self-satisfaction. Beast-Lover's laughter was different, tinged with a shameless sort of regret as he sighed that he had not properly flirted with Kazehana before killing her.
To be fair, Kazehana had been striking. Inky black hair, green eyes, and a figure that turned heads even through armor. As an avid anime fan, Beast-Lover had felt a familiar pull, she was the spitting image of the live-action adaptation he'd always dreamed of for a dozen of his favorite waifus. The memory alone seemed to energize him more than the fight had.
"PvP in a place like this is incredible," Hair-Stays-Perfect said, cracking his neck with relish. "Feels like a real fight."
He looked completely in his element, as though he had been waiting for an excuse to swing at other players all day. With a name like his, it was hardly surprising.
Let-There-Be-Light only smiled. When everyone's health and mana bars were full, he straightened and began assigning roles with calm efficiency.
"Not-A-Bystander, you're main Tank. Pull Gulu back to the entrance of that side passage. Hair-Stays-Perfect, you're backup. If aggro slips or he gets into trouble, you step in and stabilize. Sky-Slasher, Amy, Beast-Lover, standard formation. Spread in a triangle and keep your damage steady. Night-Stalker," he glanced at Flynn, "do your thing, but watch your aggro."
Mini-bosses were not true Bosses, but they were a clear step above regular elites. An ordinary elite could be handled by three to five players at the same level. A mini-boss required at least five competent players, and even then, success was not guaranteed.
Most Murlocs in this cave were already one or two levels above them. Gulu himself was level twelve. Without a Rogue's detection skills, they could not see his exact health bar, which meant they would have to estimate based on damage dealt. That uncertainty alone added tension.
Still, this was the Starter Zone. Difficulty would not be absurd. Borg, the Silver-Fang had proven that. Aside from his enraged phase, he had been more of a training dummy than a nightmare.
Even so, Let-There-Be-Light hesitated.
With a faintly pained look, he opened a trade window and handed Flynn five basic health potions and five mana potions. "If you get into trouble, drink immediately."
Flynn accepted them, then muttered almost to himself, "If this were real life, there wouldn't be potions that instantly restore you."
A collective chill ran through the group.
Amy stared at him. "It's a game. Please remember that."
Flynn blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "Right. Zoned out."
Several of them nearly facepalmed.
Let-There-Be-Light decided it was better not to ask further questions. He raised his staff and gave the signal.
Not-A-Bystander charged first, shield slamming hard into Gulu's skull.
Knights had three advancement paths. Kazehana's Holy Knight path granted Holy Flash. The Guardian path offered Shield Bash. The Vindicator path unlocked Seal of Righteousness. Not-A-Bystander had chosen Guardian. Shield Bash dealt minimal damage, but it generated enormous threat.
"Humans!" Gulu screeched as the shield struck. "You disturb the great Gulu! Gulu will tear you to shreds!"
He lunged forward, weapon raised. Not-A-Bystander did not panic. He retreated steadily, drawing Gulu away from the open cavern and toward the side passage entrance exactly as instructed.
There was logic behind it. One Ranger had escaped earlier. If they fought in the center of the cavern, that Ranger might attempt a surprise attack from range. Pulling Gulu back ensured that even if the Ranger reappeared, distance and sightlines would limit the damage.
Once Gulu's aggro stabilized on the Tank, Let-There-Be-Light called out, "Damage in. Watch your threat. Amy, Night-Stalker, control yourselves."
Arrows and spells flew. Flynn slipped behind Gulu and drove his dagger in with a precise Keen Strike. The damage number was solid, and aside from Amy's Double Shot, his output was the highest in the group, even edging past Hair-Stays-Perfect's.
Not-A-Bystander held firm. His green-grade shield significantly boosted both defense and block chance. Though his weapon was still common quality, Shield Bash's threat generation kept Gulu locked on him.
Mini-bosses distinguished themselves through stronger skill sets. Gulu's kit was straightforward but dangerous. He had Cleave, Poisoned Blade, and a three-hit Combo. Cleave and Poisoned Blade triggered randomly and did not care about aggro, splashing damage onto nearby targets. They inflicted damage over time, which was manageable for a main tank but dangerous for lightly armored classes.
Flynn took one unexpected hit early on, but after that, he adjusted. The next time Gulu's blade flashed toward him, he twisted aside cleanly.
Let-There-Be-Light constantly monitored damage output, mentally calculating how much health Gulu must have left. When he finished the estimate, his expression tightened.
"Over three thousand HP," he said. "Just slightly below the Wolf Boss."
The atmosphere shifted.
Three thousand meant at least four or five minutes of sustained fighting. The longer the battle, the greater the strain on tank and healer alike.
Still, their execution was clean. Gulu's health steadily dropped. Aggro never wavered from Not-A-Bystander. Let-There-Be-Light focused almost entirely on keeping the tank alive, only diverting attention when random abilities struck others.
When Gulu's health dipped to around twenty percent, the entire group grew alert without needing a reminder. Would he enrage? Flee? Call for help?
Let-There-Be-Light glanced at Flynn. "Twenty percent. Melee, ease back. Let's see what he does."
Gulu suddenly let out a shrill cry. "Damn humans! The great Gulu is angry!"
For a split second, Let-There-Be-Light braced for a damage spike.
Then Gulu screeched again, voice rising. "Come forth, my servants! Kill these humans!"
Realization hit instantly.
"Call for help!" Let-There-Be-Light snapped.
Two Murlocs materialized on either side of Gulu, their forms solidifying from faint distortions in the air. Let-There-Be-Light targeted them quickly and checked their status.
His stomach dropped.
"Elites."
The two elite Murlocs lunged at the nearest target, which happened to be Hair-Stays-Perfect. Two heavy impacts landed almost back-to-back.
Hair-Stays-Perfect dropped.
It happened so fast that he barely had time to process it. As a Warrior in plate armor, even without Guardian specialization, he should have survived longer. But his timing had been terrible. He had just been afflicted by Cleave and Poisoned Blade, his health hovering around half. Confident he could handle it, he had not used a potion.
The elites erased him before he could react.
With Hair-Stays-Perfect down, the two elite Murlocs shifted targets.
"Night-Stalker, Amy, each take one," Let-There-Be-Light ordered immediately. "Kite them. Don't brute force it."
The last part was aimed squarely at Flynn.
With Hair-Stays-Perfect gone, their damage output dropped noticeably. No one else besides Not-A-Bystander could stand toe-to-toe with an elite Murloc. Kiting was their only option.
Amy reacted before the command finished, firing at one elite and drawing it away with practiced steps. As a Ranger, kiting was second nature.
Flynn, for his part, had been growing bored with the steady rhythm of Tank-holds, Rogue-stabs-from-behind. It was efficient, but it lacked tension. He preferred something that pushed back.
Still, he had followed orders without complaint.
He knew his own weakness. He was unfamiliar with monster behavior and core mechanics. That ignorance was a liability, and he compensated by obeying team strategy.
Now, however, Let-There-Be-Light had effectively handed him a solo assignment.
Flynn's eyes sharpened.
He stepped lightly backward and slashed forward at the same time, Keen Strike carving through scaled flesh. Blood sprayed, and the elite Murloc locked onto him instantly.
Instead of turning and running, Flynn retreated in a series of controlled backward leaps.
Let-There-Be-Light glanced over while casting heals and did a double take.
Normally, a player retreating backward moved slightly slower than when running forward. That small difference meant you could not safely create distance from a pursuing monster unless you turned your back and ran. For fragile classes, that moment of turning was always risky.
Flynn, however, seemed to ignore that rule.
He slid back, his feet precise, spacing perfect, as the elite's claws sliced empty air just short of his chest.
After building enough distance, he finally spun and dashed into the passage, drawing the elite away from the main fight.
As long as no one else attacked it, the aggro would stay on him.
Behind him, Gulu was still alive, with his health ticking down. The fight was now split into two fronts. And somehow, in the middle of it all, Flynn looked more awake than he had since the battle began.