Published at 25th of March 2019 11:06 pm

Volume 7: Chapter 2: Palm Again

1

Going above the party limit of 6 Adventurers, a raid group allowed a large group of Adventurers to work together and challenge difficult quests in dungeons. When Elder Tales was just a game, challenging end game content was all the rage, and raiding quests were the most popular among them.

There were different types of raids, categorized by the number of participants. The largest were called Legion Raids, consisting of 96 Adventurers, but only a handful of Legion Raid quests existed in all of Yamato.

The most common raid quests on the server were Full Raids, which condensed the essence of running a raid into a well-rounded package, requiring 4 parties of 6 Adventurers each. Needing 24 Adventurers, conquering such raids was the path to fame within the server. When Elder Tales was still a game, there were weekly announcements detailing the achievements and expectations of the major guilds in raids, a well-received news in the game.

The Debauchery Tea Party which Shiroe took part in was an active group that aimed to complete Full Raids. If you included the reserves, Legion Raids required over a hundred people to challenge, so even the famous guilds seldom took part in them. That's why Full Raids were the most popular and perfect challenge in the server.

There might be some misunderstandings, but Full Raids did not require powerful equipment.

If you were a rookie in raids and they required powerful equipment obtained through raids to complete them, then no one would be able to complete such raids. No matter how difficult the mission might be, it was still a game. If no one wanted to play the game, then there was no point for the developers to release such content.

It needed to be tough enough to challenge the players, but must not be impossible to beat. For the developers of raiding content, this required good taste and experience.

So what was the content of a good raid challenge?

When Elder Tales was just a game, the game creator who was known as the lead designer said this.

'… Content that allows you and your companions to grow. '

Shiroe felt that these words literally reflected the message the creator wanted to convey.

A raid should be challenging enough for a team of a certain level of equipment to complete with some training. The training here referred to the analysis of the raid content, scouting the characteristics of the enemies, formulating a suitable battle plan, and training until you were proficient enough to achieve the mission objectives.

The strength and abilities of the players played an important role. With the right mix of people, the group would be able to complete the raid content. But sooner or later, you would run into content that you could not master. To overcome it, you would need to move as one with your teammates and work together. This went beyond the limits of the avatars' abilities and the strength of their equipment, it was the bond between comrades.

If you were determined to challenge difficult raid content, you would need people you could rely on as comrades. This level of teamwork required time to improve. If a bunch of ragtag Adventurers rushed into a difficult battle, the fragile relationships would deteriorate under pressure. If that happened, the coalition that was similar to a guild would crumble.

That's why Shiroe was so troubled.

Shiroe had made a lot of close friends after the battle of Sand Leaf. Even a long time player like Shiroe increased the number of people on his friend list multiple times. Although he could contact people by telepathy, he was unable to log into the internet. The chance of success would definitely increase if he requested aid from a professional raiding guild like Black Swords Knights or West Wind Brigade. But right now, the prominent guilds might be under the surveillance of some group. No, Shiroe had already confirmed that someone was keeping tabs on them. So he was unable to tap into these guilds for aid.

The abilities of individual Adventurers weren't bad either. But since a raid was group content, they would need to have a training camp if he chose that route. Building a new team was very risky. It would be nice to deepen the relationships between the team, but he wanted to finish the mission as soon as possible. With that condition in mind, Shiroe was hesitant about creating a new team.

There wouldn't be such problems if the Debauchery Tea Party was still here, Shiroe thought. That was a bold group of people, daring to take on any raid. He remembered Turi who liked sake and rushing into battle screaming. If it were that group that grabbed any chance to gain fame no matter the hardship, if Kanami and her comrades were still here, this raid would be a piece of cake.

"I understand. No problem."

Shiroe sighed in relief when he heard this answer.

The silver haired man in front of him readily accepted Shiroe's request.

This was Susukino, one of the 5 player cities. According to modern geography, this was approximately the city of Sapporo. There was a large bar in the center of the city which doubled as the guild house of Silver Sword.

Although it was a bar, the ceiling was high so it did not feel humid. The couch felt more like a long wooden bench and 'Eyes of Mystery' William Massachusetts was sitting on it, looking at Shiroe sharply.

"I am very grateful… But don't you want the details?"

"You'll tell me even if I don't ask."

Shiroe, who had contacted the guild master of Silver Sword, organized the things he wanted to say in his mind. William accepted the request, so that was a start. He would need to give a detailed explanation to strengthen their relationship.

During the formation of the Round Table Council, William was impatient and had a short temper. It wouldn't be wise to drag the explanation. Shiroe split up with Naotsugu in order to work separately, and he intended to bring back good news from his foray into the HQ of Silver Sword.

"The location is a new raid zone accessible from the depths of Palm. We have scouted the area, it is a Full Raid challenge. The enemies we encountered are level 89, the discovery was made by us. We have unsealed the entrance. You can assume the difficulty is very high."

"Hmm…"

After the talk with Kinjo, Shiroe's group made another trip to the deepest area of the depths of Palm to investigate the seal. Although the seal was still active, those that were permitted by ReGan would be able to enter through the door with an entry pass given by ReGan. As expected, they confirmed the interior contained a raid zone.

The ceiling of the zone was high with an ancient architecture design… it gave the impression of being an extension of the depths of Palm. This underground space that was illuminated by glowing crystals was filled with shrines and had arching ceilings, an amazing facility.

From afar, they saw some jelly-like monsters that had no fixed form. At level 89, Shiroe and Naotsugu should be able to take down a single one. But this was a Full Raid challenge, which meant it had been set to be on par with 24 level 89 Adventurers. Shiroe's group retreated without engaging.

As Shiroe expected, there was a limit to the number of people that could enter. This meant only 24 Adventurers could enter the zone. For quests that placed emphasis on numbers, you could not force your way through with overwhelming numbers.

William smirked as he listened intently to Shiroe's crisp report. He garnered a lot of information from Shiroe's minimal words. This was expected of veteran Adventurers who had gotten used to raids.

"What types of enemies are there? Speculations are fine too."

"What we saw are slime monsters, about 5 meters in width. Although this is just a guess, from experience and the shape of the facility, I think they might be Titans."

"Titans."

There were all sorts of monsters in Elder Tales. They were created by the game developers who pushed the limits of their imagination. The monsters were categorized into different types. Examples were the Sahuagin and goblins Shiroe's group fought in Sand Leaf. Others included the undead type Skeletons and the famed strongest mythical beasts Dragons. One such category of monsters was the Titans. Famous in Yamato, they were found in the north of Kanto. There were different types of Titans such as Cyclops and Frost Giants. They took pride in their high health and attack power, but were low in agility and speed. Unlike the image others had of Titans, high level Titans were able to attack with powerful magic. Compared to Dire Beasts and Treants, Titans were strong enemies.

"What a coincidence, I am familiar with these, they roam around Susukino."

William said.

Shiroe nodded in reply. This was one of the reasons why Shiroe approached Silver Sword. Based on Hokkaido in the real world, the Ezzo Empire was the front line of the People of the Land's war with the Titans. Silver Sword shifted their HQ to Susukino with its many Titan centric raids after leaving Akiba. After gaining this information, Shiroe visited one of the few organizations that enjoyed success in such quests, Silver Sword.

"But there are problems."

William continued while keeping his stubborn face on.

"Silver Sword is on hiatus right now. Short of people."

"Eh?"

"I mean there are members who won't take part in this raid. There are guys who are adamant not to take part in raids anymore, or intend to stay in Susukino forever."

William gave a tough reply.

"That means I can't take the job. Although we can still take on simple quests, but definitely not a tough one like this… this is too difficult. Although we have reached level 95, it is too big a challenge. It will be a stretch to gather 20 people."

"Is it… because of the memory loss?"

Shiroe asked about the horror of losing your memory, but William shook his head.

"The loss is exaggerated. We are not afraid. And we don't fear the fight. At least not because of the monsters."

"If not, then why?"

Shiroe was confused.

Shiroe could understand if it were because of fear. You might be able to respawn no matter how many times you died, but there was still some physiological inhibition towards dying. The pain had been dulled, and the discomfort was only of muscle ache when you lost most of your health bar. Even the pain during the instance of death was still bearable. But to see a steel sword pierce through your chest was enough to shatter the will of some Adventurers. Being shredded by the claws of a dire beast and seeing the scenes of disembowelment that were not censored. The horror of death remained.

Even famous guilds like D. D. D. and the Black Sword Knights were hesitant to challenge the hardest raids after the Catastrophe. And the difficulty of battle had increased after the Catastrophe. Team positioning was even harder without the overhead view of the battlefield. The level of monsters they could take on had dropped compared to the past when Elder Tales was just a game, a fact noted by most Adventurers. The major guilds had dropped their choice of raid difficulty correspondingly.

(Because of the fear of death, the drop in raiding membership is understandable. But…)

"Why?"

"Shiroe… Erm, Mr Shiroe."

"Just Shiroe is fine."

"Oh. How many times have you died so far, Shiroe?"

He was probably referring to the period after the Catastrophe, so Shiroe replied "None." William's dour face twisted with displeasure after hearing this response.

Instead of displeasure, his expression was closer to hesitance.

"I can't explain clearly to someone with no experience."

"…"

"Just die and you will understand. The incompetence, the bad side and the ugliness of yourself. Die a hundred times and you will understand a hundred times. They can't go on because it is too hard to face them."

William looked very young when he bit his lips.

Shiroe saw a young guild master who was disappointed in losing a place for him to prove himself. Although something Shiroe should understand was right there, the time for Shiroe to think about it was up.

With an explosive sound, a familiar man approached Shiroe with a menacing expression.

2

On the other hand, Naotsugu and ReGan were wandering around Susukino.

It was December. Susukino in the depths of winter was covered in silvery white. Two men were walking along the wide streets of Susukino. There were plenty of restaurants in the direction they were heading. They were going the other way from Shiroe, hoping to find members for their raid.

In Elder Tales, information like name, class and level could be seen easily. Shiroe and Naotsugu felt that the lowest level limit for this adventure was 90. Other information like guild, equipment, attitude and the way they spoke all played a part in their search. Shiroe said that gathering individuals for the raid is hard, but the members of the Tea Party were individuals anyway. Naotsugu thought that the most important thing was their instinctive feel, so he split up with Shiroe and wandered around.

"Looking for members?"

"Yeah."

Naotsugu answered the hunchback scholar walking beside him.

"I don't think we can gather 20 in an instant, but I was hoping for at least one for a start."

"Is it that easy to gather warriors for raids?"

"When things go smoothly, it is."

Naotsugu answered halfheartedly as he surveyed the streets. Compared to his first visit, the place was much more peaceful. The Susukino where Adventurers looked at each other with suspicion was no more.

Silver Sword had improved this place dramatically. That's the news he heard from Shiroe. This guild which left Akiba in search of raid quests came to this city in the north and was very influential. Silver Sword brought salvation to the violent anarchy of Susukino. Although it was not part of the Round Table Council, it was still a strong guild that was chosen as one of the twelve founding guilds. The members were different from the haughty people who ruled Susukino city. Even if their levels were the same at 90, Silver Sword was a guild that was trained through the fires of raiding.

A single top tier battle guild managed to improve the situation in Susukino, that's what Naotsugu heard from Shiroe.

A People of the Land elderly woman wearing a fur coat and a round Russian hat was walking slowly with a large bag in her hands and traveling with a child. She was probably carrying food inside. She had a peaceful expression and the kids seemed happy, meaning the state of the city was not too bad. She was rushing because it was too cold outside.

From the look of this street, the snow had been shoveled to the side, piling up 15cm high. It was still freezing outside, but it matched the scenery well; Naotsugu thought the place looked great. Shiny icicles formed under the roofs of buildings, and the city looked like a work of art decorated by crystals.

Passing through the residential area of the People of the Land, the roads widened. The artery that linked to the heart of Susukino. Although the abandoned buildings still looked like a frozen fortress to Naotsugu, he was used to this view compared to his trip down in May. This was the structure of this country of snow, serving the dual purpose of intimidation and practical insulation from the cold.

"Have you been to Susukino before, old man?"

"A few times."

"You will have to hold down the fort without us though."

"I was prepared for that. It would be troublesome to escort me while exploring the secrets of the depths."

ReGan replied with a hint of regret.

In a raid zone, the strength of the monsters required 5 to 6 Adventurers to defeat. With Naotsugu and Shiroe being above the requisite level, it was possible to fight with ReGan in tow to explore the depths of Palm. But for a raid that required 24 Adventurers, the fight would be very intensive. After discussing with ReGan, it would be best for him to stay in Susukino while they went for the raid.

"It is a pity."

"Of course. We are talking about the secrets of the Kunie. The truth we can undercover there is worth more than gold."

"We will bring back whatever information we can."

Naotsugu promised ReGan.

"No, please don't mind me. This is the duty of the Sage of Mirror Lake. There are lots of mysterious items in this city as well, a place the Adventurers are developing. While Sir Naotsugu is adventuring, I will research in Susukino in my own way. Just the thought of experiencing new things in the north makes me excited."

ReGan giggled and looked around the streets as he said this.

What a strong sense of curiosity. Although ReGan used honorifics when speaking, Naotsugu saw him as a man of the same generation. Naotsugu thought that ReGan looked like a graduate student from a science department who lived in the lab. The outgoing Naotsugu saw him as an interesting fellow he could talk to without reservation. And ReGan had hit it off with Shiroe as well.

"Well, you are right. There are lots of sights to see in Susukino too."

"Correct. I will use this chance to investigate the intercity transport gate."

"Mmmf!"

A sound interrupted their conversation.

They looked over on reflex, the top half of a person was buried in a snow pile by the road. That was an impressive way to fall. The person dived at an angle into the snow, so Naotsugu couldn't see the face. But the well-proportioned butt in hot pants stuck out nicely.

"Nice Panties!"

Naotsugu gave a thumbs up with a bright smile.

The outline of the behind flowed smoothly to the thigh.

"No arguments there."

ReGan said with a smile. (Ahh, this guy is a bro,) Naotsugu thought. Although he was a similar intellectual type like Shiroe, expressing his compliments without hesitation in this situation was much manlier.

ReGan continued levelheadedly.

"I am not familiar with the customs of the Adventurers, isn't this a low cut hot pants? So it would be wrong to call them panties."

"It's alright. Isn't it sad to exclude them? If you have panties in your heart, then those are panties."

"Well said."

"A little help here?"

The person exploded out of the snow pile in protest. Her head was probably buried very deep, she probably fell from the roof. She didn't seem to be hurt, just a slight redness on the tip of her nose. The strong body of Adventurers played a part here too.

"My bad."

"I forgot what to do when I saw that great ass."

Facing the unrepentant attitude of these two, the girl with small stature growled.

"It will be a loss for all men if my pretty face were to get hurt."

Naotsugu observed the self-declared victim who was about the height of his chest.

What a pretty and cute figure. A slender body, loose white blouse, hot pants that accentuated her long snow white thighs. The space between her pants and knee high socks shone brightly, an area called the 'absolute territory'. The top half of her costume looked like a uniform with her tie, but the bottom half was excessively exposed.

Even for men who were not looking to date, it was a fashion sense that made your heartbeat accelerate. Naotsugu's face was already burning hot. He was holding back on ceremony, but that cute face wearing a small silk hat which suited the tastes of man betrayed the atmosphere.

This was a sense of fulfillment and happiness Naotsugu had never seen before. An arrogant face declaring to the world how cute she was. Total confidence in the words she says.

Cute.

She was definitely cute.

Naotsugu didn't want to admit it, but it would be a lie to say she wasn't cute.

But saying "It will be a loss for all men" was a bit too much for Naotsugu's taste. Even so, he was still hesitant about retorting at a girl smiling at him with pudding like lips.

"Isn't it too arrogant to say something like that?"

ReGan retorted without inhibition.

(ReGan's stock is rising.)

Naotsugu was impressed.

"Hmmph… Meanie."

"Ah, she stood up."

ReGan was just teasing the girl who was recovering from her fall. She had a cheerful expression, but her face was red from ReGan's retort.

But she was still wearing a happy and proud expression. She was missing a sense of humbleness present in pretty girls. But this might be her unique way of expressing herself. The girl with a wonderful expression gave off a charismatic air about her.

"Hmmm… She is very cute but her expression is too arrogant, so even though she is cute I don't want to acknowledge it… By adding all the elements and judging the overall score, by volume and panties it is Ms. Marie's victory! In summary, a festival!"

"Huh?"

Naotsugu blurted this out unintentionally as he crossed his arms over his chest. Fortunately, the girl and ReGan didn't understand what he was saying. Naotsugu looked into the distance and waved his hands, pretending nothing happened. Naotsugu then pulled a towel out from his magic bag and tossed it to the girl.

She was dressed casually and didn't seem to be carrying a magic bag.

"Oh, I understand. I am kind to my fans."

The girl caught the towel and wiped away the snow without hesitation. She used her thumb to brush away the snow on her hat clumsily. Naotsugu took the chance to check the girl's status screen.

"Tetora."

"Call me Tetora-chan!"

Naotsugu was stunned by the forthcoming girl. Level 92, just like Naotsugu. An Adventurer who continued to battle after the Catastrophe. She belonged to the guild Light Indigo, and her class was Cleric.

"Well, seems like it's easier to get close to this guy here."

"It is ineffective when you say it out loud."

As Naotsugu was retorting, Tetora leapt agilely like a cat and hugged Naotsugu's left arm, hanging with her feet off the ground.

"Really? No effect? None? Even my hugs~?"

The confident face that recognized this to be the basics asked him. The answer was no effect! Although it was easy to deny, this was the pitifulness of men. Even if you knew that she was only toying with you, you wouldn't feel irritated when a pretty girl hugged you. Tetora had an orange like fragrance.

"Re, re, release me."

"Haha. That won't do Mr Naotsugu."

His status screen was read before he realized it. In this world, it was not strange for people who met for the first time to know each other’s names.

"I like to grind against men who are panicky. By the way, I hate people grinding me, so don't mix that up!"

"Like I said, let go!"

Tetora swung onto Naotsugu's back, grabbing his head and climbing onto his shoulder. With the Adventurers' strong body, he didn't really feel that she was heavy.

Tetora who was giggling as she hugged Naotsugu's head was certainly a cute girl.

With the system character design, it was not surprising to see handsome men and beautiful women all around. But that was on the outside; the atmosphere around a person could not be faked. Tetora gave off an elegant and sunny air, and Naotsugu thought she was way ahead of other Adventurers in grabbing attention.

"Just like a pika rabbit climbing a tree."

"The skeleton uncle over there is so mean!"

"She called me a skeleton…"

ReGan and Tetora seemed to be having a fun conversation.

"That was an emergency, so you should have helped me right? A poor girl like me bruising my nose will make my fans cry. Really, a disgraceful fall like that could have ended my career as an idol."

"Upside down with your panties sticking out…"

"Not panties! Hot pants!"

ReGan was not backing down. He realize that Tetora was concerned with her awkward appearance earlier and was attacking her.

"Hot… warm panties… ah… Did you leak because of the fright?"

"Leak, leaking is impossible!"

"Really?"

"This snowy country really chills your stomach…"

"That's right."

"What are you saying you blind old skeleton!"

Tetora was hugging Naotsugu's whole head as she bickered with ReGan. Naotsugu lifted his hands up and grabbed Tetora by the armpit and put her gently onto the ground. He felt ReGan's gaze on him.

He understood the meaning of this gaze immediately. ReGan was asking whether Naotsugu wanted to invite this girl.

Naotsugu observed Tetora with a raid in mind.

Clerics were front line healing characters. Equipped with heavy armor, they occupied the heavy responsibility of healing the main tank. That's why out of the 3 types of healers, Clerics were the only ones that could equip heavy armor.

In fact, out of the 12 classes, together with Guardians like Naotsugu and Samurai like Soujirou, Clerics were one of the 3 classes that could equip heavy armor. With their ability to equip shields, their defense was second only to Guardians.

Clerics were dependent on equipment, responsible for holding up the health of the defense line. The defense line had to withstand the brunt of the enemies' attacks. They were not limited to the blows from swords or axes, but also included area attacks such as dragon's breath.

Although the attacks were directed at the defense line, the Clerics would also suffer damage if they were in range. Clerics could use powerful healing spells in close range, but the front line was still a scary place. The Clerics who faced the risks fearlessly were also known in Elder Tales as the toughest defense.

Observing Tetora again, she was armored lightly.

Tetora might be wearing casual wear for traveling in the city, so he couldn't judge from this alone. If Shiroe were here, he might be able to tell whether the girl was wearing the best set up of equipment for her build, but these were all meaningless gimmicks to Naotsugu. Naotsugu was inconclusive about that. Her level was excellent, but Naotsugu was scouting for an excellent healer that could fight in raids.

But on a separate note, Naotsugu was hesitant about pushing a girl onto a dangerous battlefield.

"A beauty like me will spread pheromones wherever I go."

Tetora said with a 'can't be helped' expression.

She was misunderstanding why Naotsugu was looking at her from head to toe. Although Naotsugu was troubled by this, Tetora seemed to be enjoying herself as she stood with her hands on her hips. 'Pheromones pheromones, it can't be helped nya, I know what you are thinking nya fufufufu… ' She was so happy that she was almost singing out loud. Naotsugu didn't know what she was so happy about, trying to hug Naotsugu whenever she had the chance. Naotsugu did his best to dodge.

"I think the smell coming from your ass is not pheromones, but fart."

ReGan put his finger on his chin and commented, stopping Tetora's arrogant attitude.

"What did you say?"

"Right?"

Her face turned woeful, her knees slackened and then straightened in defiance.

"Idols don't fart!"

"What about pee?"

"We don't!"

Naotsugu's retort on reflex made Tetora fall into a trap. What a perfect combo.

"Well done you pass."

"Huh?"

"You pass… Ermm, this is kinda abrupt."

As ReGan said, it fell on instinct in the end.

Naotsugu felt a nostalgic air from Tetora. That was the feeling of his friends who pressed forward even though they were not concerned with victory.

That's how Naotsugu managed to solicit a new raid member.

3

"You have guts to show your face here, Log Horizon's Shiroe."

Shiroe turned around and saw the wrathful Demiqas draw near.

He left a trail of overturned table with food and dishes falling onto the floor. The members of Silver Sword looked uneasy at the sight of Demiqas, as they watched the table where their leader William was seated with the guest Shiroe.

This zone was situated within Susukino city, which was obviously a no-combat zone.

That's why no one drew their weapons. One of the Adventurers told a stunned People of the Land "Don't stay here, take a break inside."

Shiroe's expression softened when he heard this. This guild was not bad at all.

But the agitated Demiqas didn't care.

"Your easy going attitude is still the same."

"Long time no see, Mr. Democracy."

This muscle bound giant looked no different after half a year. Although his equipment had been updated, his thick arms and bloodshot eyes were still the same. This was indeed the world of Elder Tales, appearances didn't change with time. For Shiroe, this was both amazing and disappointing at the same time.

He knew the possibility of this happening. When they were planning the trip to Susukino, the first concern of Naotsugu was meeting Demiqas and his guild Brigandia again.

Shiroe had clashed with Brigandia in Susukino when he rescued Serara after the Catastrophe. Because Brigandia was using violence to control the city, Marie was worried about Serara's wellbeing, leading to the operation to rescue Serara. In this world where there was no permanent death, Shiroe's victory probably didn't have that much of an effect. But they succeeded in taking Serara with them and wounding Brigandia's pride.

"Let's take this outside Shiroe!"

. blogspot. com/-QB9GVVATib4/VDFccAfT8yI/AAAAAAAAAgo/qA9PXIvOlrk/s1600/800px-Log_Horizon_Vol01_018-019. jpg" class="img-responsive">

Demiqas' iron fist smashed onto the table.

Naotsugu was right. It was hard for him to be wrong though, since it was unrealistic for Demiqas to forget what happened 6 months ago and let it go with the wind.

"What do you want to do outside?"

Shiroe knew what was coming, but he asked anyway.

Although he knew what Demiqas wanted, Shiroe couldn't skip the necessary steps. Going back and forth with taunts and bickering. This was the karma Shiroe wrought, there was no escaping this. But he was soliciting for raid members right now, so Shiroe had to avoid showing his weak side to William.

"Do you prefer hamburgers or chicken cutlet?"

"Tofu."

"Tender and soft, just the way I like it. I will tenderize you until you are half dead, so get out there!"

"Shut up, Demi."

William cut him off curtly.

"This man is my guest."

"Like I give a sheet! William, this is my…"

"You lost, right?"

"Eh!"

"You lost. Just walk away."

"But…"

"I will kick your ass again, Demiqas."

William warned Demiqas in an icy tone.

Shiroe adjusted his glasses and thought. He understood the situation in Susukino from the information he had gathered. Half a year ago, chaos continued to reign after Shiroe left Susukino. After forming the Round Table Council, several expeditions were sent to Susukino to evacuate anyone who wanted to leave. After Silver Sword migrated to the north, there was still bloodlust in the air, but it was relatively stable for a player city in the border areas.

In this city ruled by several battle guilds, a high ranking guild within the server like Silver Sword brought stability to the region. William's gang was ranked 3rd behind Black Sword Knights and D. D. D. Although they did not actively patrol the streets, they did not tolerate Adventurers that disturbed the peace. From their perspective, Adventurers who bullied the powerless People of the Land were despicable weaklings. They would not allow such people to throw their weight around in Elder Tales.

An example of such reports was right before Shiroe's eyes.

There were 6 ears sticking out from behind the kitchen counter. The werecat People of the Land revealing just their eyes were observing the situation. They seemed to think this was troublesome, but there was no fear in their eyes.

Silver Sword earned the trust of the People of the Land in Susukino. When Elder Tales was just a game, Susukino was set to be the frontline city in the fight against Titans, a pioneer city built from the wilderness. This setting might have positive implications, too.

Instead of Brigandia which ruled the city with an iron fist, Silver Sword playing the role of the guardians of the city with no ulterior intentions was a much better upgrade.

Demiqas ground his teeth at William's threat and glared at Shiroe.

"You can't beat Shiroe anyway."

"I have upgraded my gear though difficult raids!"

On closer inspection, Demiqas' Wyvern Shin Guard seemed to have been modified heavily. From the equipment he was using, it was clear that Demiqas took part in many raids in these 6 months. And they were not easy quests. The Beast King's Coat was a loot from the level 90 raid quest 'Ruler of the Tenvuikutori Plains', an admirable achievement.

"Thinking that you can win because of your gear is the reason you will lose."

"!!"

William maintained a casual attitude while facing the silent anger of Demiqas. Shiroe didn't know what kind of relationship these two had, but he got the general gist. They had probably had a duel which William won overwhelmingly, forcing Demiqas to play second fiddle.

"Like I said, Brigandia has lost half its members. Mah, it can't be helped. They were defeated by a werecat swordsman who is not even in a guild. It's obvious that no one would want to stay. And the poopy Londark was headhunted by people from Kansai."

"Hey, idol wannabe. Is it okay for you to say poop?"

"Don't say poop, your popularity will plummet."

"Hah! I, I didn't say that okay? Idols don't say things like poop. That would tarnish my image."

"So you are going for the comedy route."

"I am a traditional beauty galaxy idol. Even the Voyager will rush into space without wearing shoes for me!"

"Just like a grade schooler. So what about Demiqas?"

"I am not a grade schooler! Demiqas is like the little brother of Silver Sword, or rather the whole guild is falling into that role. Anyway, peace came to Susukino. Really, I am not a grade schooler, okay? We have Demidemi's wife to thank for that. Before I forget, I am not a grade schooler from this point onwards alright."

The loud obnoxious voice traveled to the tense table where Shiroe, William, and Demiqas were. They seemed to be heading this way as the sound was getting louder. They were talking without sparing a thought for others.

"Really!? Wife!? What the hell!!"

"Marriage huh. How wonderful."

"Although he still denies the marriage stubbornly, my sources from the People of the Land network tell me he cleans the sheets daily and provides 3 meals a day. It makes the other guild members jealous, saying that his aristocratic People of the Land bride has Demidemi under her thumb."

"Eh…"

"The People of the Land he kidnapped to be a servant is being treated so delicately. Like the opening to a hentai game. Ah, Mr Naotsugu. Want to serve me? Hehehe. It can be arranged, I am an idol after all."

"Enough, get down you fake idol!"

Shiroe heard the cute voice giggling while uttering uncute contents.

There were 2 male voices accompanying this approaching trouble, and they sounded so familiar.

"That's why in this period of time, Demidemi has become a more rounded person, just like a ball. Ah, it's Demidemi."

Demiqas flew through the air instantly without any running start. Wyvern Kick. Gliding 5 meters through the air with a powerful kick, the renowned attack skill of Monks. He probably did it with his body movement instead of using the game menu as it seemed faster compared to half a year ago.

The attack with no preparatory movement was blocked by Naotsugu who grabbed his shield in an instant. The clear clashing sound showed that Demiqas was attacking seriously. If it were a real fight, the Guards operated by the Kunie should be rushing into this no-combat zone. Naotsugu didn't really want to fight. He was just taking the blow with the shield on his shoulder to avoid sounding off the alarm.

But the attack still reached the target. The slender girl hanging off Naotsugu's neck was being squashed by the pressure. Her mouth was open wide, hugging on to Naotsugu like a koala bear.

The ones at the doorway were Naotsugu, ReGan, and a Cleric. Naotsugu knew that there was a high chance Demiqas would attack Shiroe, so he came here to meet up with Shiroe. Unfortunately, they were just gossiping about Demiqas when they showed up.

Although they meant no harm, Demiqas was still angered by their talk. Well, Shiroe didn't blame him. Discussing such things in public and in such a tense situation, no wonder Demiqas was angry. The kick was a bit too much, but it was no problem for Naotsugu. Naotsugu had gotten used to Akatsuki's kicks. The leading expert in being kneed and kicked in Akiba was definitely Naotsugu the Guardian. With his 50% success rate when defending against Akatsuki, Naotsugu matched up well with Monks who specialized in kicking.

"A flying kick?"

"Where are you putting your hands at a time like this? Don't put your weight on me!"

"Damn you Tetora, running your mouth off!"

Their conversation was going nowhere as the scene descended into chaos.

Seemed like the Cleric hanging on to Naotsugu's neck was Tetora. A rather cute name. Shiroe understood when he read her level and guild. Naotsugu was probably recruiting members. With a couple more people, together with himself and Naotsugu, they should barely be able to form a Full Raid. As Shiroe breathed a sigh of relief, William laughed and announced.

"Great, with the healer and Demiqas, we will have the numbers. You have so much energy, save that kick for the actual raid, Haha."

Shiroe's sense of relief disappeared when he heard the mocking laughter.

The raid beyond the depths of Palm. Shiroe felt all sorts of worries piling up no matter where he went.

4

The preparations proceeded smoothly.

Adventurers kept most of their belongings in their rooms, their guild house, the bank, in a warehouse, or brought it along in their bags. Veteran Adventurers owned several weight reduction containers known as magic bags. Bringing along perishables and equipment needed for adventuring was common knowledge.

It was even more so for big battle guilds specializing in raids like Silver Sword. The elite members spent every day battling. They were ready before evening after William gave the word.

The world of Elder Tales after the Catastrophe moved twelve times slower than before. With the Fairy Rings rendered useless, the amount of time required to traverse great distances was depressingly long. You had to go through the straits of Lightport in order to reach the depths of Palm. Although Shiroe, Naotsugu, and ReGan flew past the straits on Griffons, it was not feasible for a group of 24 to travel that way.

Silver Sword was one of the major guilds competing for the honor of being the best in raids, so quite a number of them had flying mounts, but not all. Although they could make it by air if they squeezed, William decided to travel directly by land. Shiroe agreed with this means of travel.

Silver Sword was William's guild, so he was most suited for command.

Shiroe and Naotsugu understood this and had no qualms about following William's lead. The ones complaining were Demiqas, and Tetora. Demiqas threw a tantrum without a word because of his pride, while Tetora disturbed Naotsugu in a Tetora way, saying stuff like 'I want to be a flying idol. '

Shiroe felt that there was more than meets the eye.

For Naotsugu, spring had come.

There was only one way if they traveled by land. That was through the tunnel under the straits of Lightport. As expected, this tunnel also doubled as a dungeon in the world of Elder Tales, but was no threat to the Full Raid group with an average level of 93. This dungeon could be traversed alone for Adventurers above level 40 anyway.

The raid group led by William advanced into the dungeon underneath the straits.

The basics of group battle in Elder Tales was the party made of 6. The 24 men Full Raid was comprised of four parties; each party of six was then numbered from 1st to 4th.

Raid battles differed widely, so there was no such thing as the correct composition. But it was common to see the 1st party focus on defense and the 2nd party be well balanced for guerrilla missions. The 3rd and 4th parties concentrated on attack and were responsible for bringing down the enemy.

The first problem in planning a raid was assigning members to parties.

If you thought about the roles each member played, it would be based on their job class. For example, the tanks in the 1st party formed the defense line for the whole raid, as it was impossible for all the players to withstand the attacks of the raid boss indefinitely. The main tank would need to have the highest defense and health bar, and use the best taunting skills to focus the enemies' hate on himself. Only a Guardian met all these criteria. Although Samurai were a viable choice, Guardians were still better with their ability to equip shields.

But that was only in normal situations.

If the Samurai was of a higher level than the Guardian or had better equipment, the Samurai would be the better choice. And more important than the level and equipment was the character of the Adventurer. In raid battles, spending long periods of time tanking the enemies' attacks was a heavy burden. Skills were important, but mental toughness and the teamwork with others were crucial as well. There were some Guardians out there who preferred to concentrate on attacks and hated taunting enemies and protecting teammates. Instead of assigning them to the front lines, they would be more suited for command or the 3rd or 4th party which concentrated on attacking.

This meant that detailing the members was not limited to classes and levels, but also the character of the players, a complicated puzzle to derive the best combination. Taking into account the weaknesses and movements of the enemy monsters, there were plenty of permutations to consider, a difficult question that had plagued commanders for the past 20 years.

Shiroe understood that the reason why William chose to travel by land lay here. He wanted to understand the nature and strength of the new members as reference for the team roster when the time came.

(But, I don't think you can use this as reference.)

Shiroe was assigned as the leader of the 2nd party.

The members were Enchanter Shiroe.

Guardian Naotsugu.

Cleric Tetora.

Druid Vuorinen.

Swashbuckler Federico.

Monk Demiqas.

Vuorinen and Federico were veterans of Silver Sword, and they welcomed Shiroe more warmly than he expected.

The problem child was Demiqas, rushing out when the battle started to hunt down monsters. The monsters were between level 30 and 40. For the level 93 Demiqas, this was as challenging as poking through paper windows. It was hard to tell his character and teamwork from this.

Although Shiroe tried talking to him several times, Demiqas cut the conversation short with his curt and menacing replies.

"No need to rush."

The kind and warm Vuorinen told him.

"It will be great if we complete this by year's end."

There was a reason why Vuorinen thought this way.

Things like raid battles were not challenges you could complete in a day. From their experience of Elder Tales as a game, a raid zone had countless normal monsters and 5 to 10 raid bosses. They could be wiped out by a normal monster if they were careless. You would need to be wiped out dozens of times in order to understand the raid boss' capabilities and look for the way to victory, that's what raiding was all about.

If you died in a raid zone, you would not be sent to the cathedral in the player's city. You would respawn right at the entrance of the zone. This meant the entrance to the zone had the same capability as a cathedral.

Since they could challenge the zone from the entrance if they were wiped out, it was the norm for players to try again multiple times. Preparing to spend a month on this was reasonable.

William's instruction to purchase a month's worth of perishables reinforced Vuorinen's words. Shiroe was already prepared for this and squeezed all squeezed all sorts of materials and tools into his bags, enough to last him 2 months.

This was great for evading spies, Shiroe thought. Although Susukino was a border city with sparse population, it was still a player city. There was a high chance people were already watching him. It would be safe to stay in an unexplored region. Shiroe didn't know how true this was…

But even so, he didn't want this to drag too long.

Even if he stayed still, the chance of information leaking increased the longer he took. And if Shiroe was right, this was not a surveillance he could evade by switching zones. Although Nyanta and Akatsuki were creating an alibi for him in Akiba, there was no telling how long he could keep this up. So he wanted to wrap this up as soon as possible.

As Shiroe thought about this, he started missing his old friends.

How strange, Shiroe thought as he scratched his cheek.

It had been less than half a year, but he missed the guild house wrapped by an ancient tree. The fragrant wooden floors of the living room made by Michitaka, he missed the cheerful sound of everyone. He wanted to watch the sun rise from the balcony while drinking tea. In order to protect all this, he had to complete this mission. I am a guild master now, Shiroe pushed himself on with this thought.

"Wahh!"

Shiroe looked towards the source of the scream, Tetora was staring at him.

"What happened?"

"Mr Shiroe was smiling! I saw him smiling by himself!"

"He does smile every now and then."

"Really!? This was my first time seeing it…"

Barging in with this rude conversation were the duo Naotsugu and Tetora.

"Keep a distance from Shiroe. He is a closet pervert."

"Ahh. I see… Mr Shiroe is so pitiful. Want to see some panties?"

"You claim to be an idol and yet you are fine showing it to anyone?"

"I'm not showing. I'm just asking. Just curious. If I really wanted to show it, I will pretend it's an accident. And then report that guy to the police."

"That's being a trap, not an idol."

"Mr Naotsugu you meanie. Even if you are charmed by me, I still don't belong to any one person."

Although Shiroe didn't show it on his face, he was shocked by their unhesitant conversations. Naotsugu grunted 'I'm not charmed. ' Tetora used Tetora's way and hugged Naotsugu, saying 'The words of a true tsundere. I'm climbing up okay?'

They had good affinity with each other.

Shiroe forgot to be mad at being the subject of a rude discussion, but felt happy for some reason. This was just their second meeting. It was only natural that she had never seen Shiroe smile, and both of them knew nothing of each other.

Tetora somehow angered Naotsugu and fled, with Naotsugu chasing behind. Shiroe didn't feel the need to stop them. They could take on any monsters in this dungeon easily, and Demiqas was wiping out all the enemies nearby anyway.

Shiroe still waved and shouted 'Be careful okay' anyway. A hand patted his back and said to him 'You are really taking it easy. '

William was fully equipped with a giant bow on his back. He looked straight ahead with his sharp expression and walked to Shiroe's side.

"Instead of taking it easy, I feel that I am enjoying myself."

Shiroe replied.

William seemed to laugh bitterly upon hearing this response.

Shiroe only learned in these few days that William's sharp and guarded expression was his default face; he was not actually unhappy about anything. He did not show his thoughts through his face and his mocking smile didn't really mean anything. This was the norm for William.

A good commander needed to grasp the direction and character of his members. This would maximize the effectiveness of command and execution.

On the other hand, the members would also learn the perks of the commander over time. Just following orders blindly was meaningless. Only when you understood the intent and purpose would you be able to react in time to achieve the team's goal.

Appointed as the leader of the 2nd party, Shiroe tried spending more time understanding William. From the unhappy expression William wore all the time, Shiroe could imagine the guild issues William worried about all the time.

But this was to be expected. Without this level of ability, it would be impossible to lead a guild like Silver Sword to the top of the battle guild rankings.

"But he's not."

The meaning behind these vague words could be understood by following William's gaze and looking at the bulky figure destroying monsters. Indeed, Demiqas was straying away from the 2nd party's formation.

"He is an unstable factor."

Shiroe said apologetically with a hint of guilt. But William simply smiled and nodded. William used his left hand to stroke his chin and looked into the distance with a bitter smile.

"But he also needs this chance. Whether he will fight on or give up, we will know when the raid begins. Demi understands too. If he doesn't, then this will be his limit."

William seemed to be hinting at all sorts of things with cryptic words, but Shiroe didn't understand it at this point in time.

5

Three weeks later, the group was still raiding on.

The 1 month target they set was shattered easily, the way ahead seemed to be getting more unpredictable. They only took down 2 raid bosses after 3 weeks, and only had a vague idea of the whole raid zone.

The atmosphere of the group was growing increasingly fatigued and serious.

"Damn it!!"

The roaring Demiqas was taking damage from poison, Vuorinen cursed in his mind as he cast Heartbeat Healing on him. Demiqas would constantly be healed gradually over a 20 second period. Green and orange pulsing light effects surrounded the burly warrior.

Demiqas used his specialty of dashing while punching to charge at the yellow slime creature.

Lightning Fist. He leaned forward and struck with all his might, piercing the slime monster easily. But Vuorinen sighed, knowing it wouldn't work.

The Orcus Jelly splattered slime in all directions. A pungent smell from the pieces filled the air as they started to dissolve. The attacking Demiqas was also covered in white smoke and was smoldering. Orcus Jelly used its acidic body to attack enemies and would also damage anybody who came into contact with it. The 5 meter large slime ball didn't seem to be hurt.

"I told you so!"

Vuorinen rushed in Demiqas' direction. The muscle head warrior's strike had put him out of the 20 meter range of healing spells. Although he cast Heartbeat Healing on him, the recovery amount wouldn't be enough. If Vuorinen didn't cast Instant Cures and Minor Heals, Demiqas would fall again.

Vuorinen felt frustrated with Demiqas who had disrupted the formation again.

The dull thud from the sewage pipe on either side of them signaled the arrival of more Orcus Jellies.

A chaotic fight.

The raiding group of 24 was led by Vuorinen's guild master William, made up of 4 parties. But only the 1st and 2nd parties had acceptable levels of defense. The 1st party specialized in defense and was tanking the bulk of the Orcus Jellies from the front.

The 3rd and 4th parties were in charge of dishing out firepower to destroy the enemy. Their offense was heightened to kill their foes, but their defense was lacking. They were to dispose of the monsters the 1st party was pulling.

The 2nd party Vuorinen was assigned to have the task of guerrilla missions.

They had to intercept the monsters that got past the 1st party. When the enemies launched surprise attacks against the weakly armored 3rd or 4th party, the 2nd party would need to protect them.

The 1st party was in the spotlight as they held off the biggest enemies and attracted their hate, the 2nd party on the other hand needed quick reactions to danger and was very important from a tactical standpoint. All of the members needed to know what the task at hand was in order to coordinate efficiently.

The monsters emerging from the sides launched their attack.

The 1st party was holding the defense line ahead and couldn't pull back. Demiqas pulled a surprise attack when the raid bogged down to a stalemate. This was a dangerous time for enemy reinforcements to come in. They were coming at the flanks of the 3rd and 4th parties, the rear of the formation with weak defense. The lightly armored mages responsible for long range attacks were especially vulnerable. It would be over if they were to fall.

(This is not the time to worry about others!)

Vuorinen chased after Demiqas who had charged on ahead.

He watched his steps and moved ahead, failing to notice the translucent yellow pudding wall approaching until it was too late.

(This is bad,) Vuorinen thought as silvery mass manifested from his right.

"Anchor Howl!"

The ear splitting shout of the Guardian attracted the wrath of the Orcus Jelly. It was his teammate Naotsugu from the 2nd party. Vuorinen heard that Naotsugu was from a small but famous guild, and was impressed with his smooth movements in the raid battle.

The monster shook its ugly body, probably locking on to Naotsugu. Naotsugu raised his shield in defense, understanding that reckless strikes would invite counterattacks in the form of acid. He skillfully used his taunts and wielded his shield to minimize the damage. His ability might be even better than that of the Guardian Dinkuron, the defensive specialist of Silver Sword.

The Orcus Jelly from the left moved in to double team Naotsugu, rising up like bread dough and suddenly freezing.

Without even hearing it, Vuorinen could tell this was the timely Astral Hypnos spell cast by their Enchanter. Although it was only for 20 seconds, monsters hit by the spell would cease all movement. Because they were just sleeping, just a light hit was enough to dispel the condition. But the ability to reduce the number of active enemies was already a big help. Since this was a raid zone, the monsters here were all buffed up to raid zone level. The effectiveness of hypnosis spells was reduced to about 4 seconds. Just 4 seconds was enough to slip past the enemy and head for the front lines.

"Enemy reinforcement, requesting support! 8 o' clock, Orcus Jelly!!"

Shiroe shouted as he cast Astral Hypnos.

In response to the voice, the 3rd and 4th parties switched their attack target. The first blow came from the commander William. His crystal-like arrows sparkled like meteors, piercing holes through the stomach of the Orcus Jelly the size of fists. This was followed by fire, frost and lightning spells raining down in rapid succession.

All raid monsters had huge amounts of health. Even the combined attack of dozens could not take them down in a short period of time. The Orcus Jelly crippled by Shiroe had broken free, but the 4 seconds was enough for their Guardian to accumulate enough hate.

Vuorinen watched the nimble Cleric bounce around the battlefield.

The lightly armored Cleric was more experienced than she looked. She came from an unknown guild called Light Indigo but was no stranger to raid battles. Her lightly armored build contradicted directly with the orthodox build of a fully armored Cleric. But from her skillful positioning and movements, Vuorinen knew that she had a good sense and understanding of the situation.

Tetora moved back and forth repeatedly as she distributed her Reactive Heal among teammates. She hid behind Naotsugu when the Orcus Jelly compressed its body. Using the powerful defense of the Guardian to block the dangerous area attacks of the raid monsters, a move veterans used.

"Doing okay, Mr. Naotsugu?"

"The slime festival is really swell!"

"Wonderful…! Mr. Naotsugu is so cool…!"

"You are totally using me as a shield!"

"I healed you several times already so take some hits for me, alright?"

Vuorinen smiled when he saw the two of them bicker. Shiroe and the duo he brought along were impressively tenacious. Vuorinen was impressed.

Mysterious light shone from the tall ceiling within the zone. It was either illuminated by luminous mushrooms or magic. The bright lights kept the dungeons bright and the surroundings visible. When exploring the place, it was still advisable to use Bug Light though.

This place was several hundred meters underground. They had passed through the depths of Palms to a bigger battle zone 'Abyss Shaft'; a conservative estimate of the amount of soil above their heads would be several million tons. For Adventurers who were mainly students and working adults, it was very pressuring.

The complex sewage openings around the premises meant monsters could launch sneak attack at any time, intensifying the pressure. The raid was hard. They were not holding back either. The difficulty of this zone was tougher than Vuorinen expected.

They had to spend 8 to 10 hours battling dozens of rounds with monsters daily. This was their limit. Every fight was challenging, and they needed time to recover too. Their exploration area was still very limited.

Contrary to expectations, the trio was not discouraged at all.

Even the elites of Silver Sword were feeling the heat. Compared to normal Adventurers, this trio was full of life and vigor. This didn't seem to be the effect of skills and equipment, but rather because of their nature.

"I'm going to do it okay. Anytime now. Don't fall for me, alright?"

"Enough, just get on with it!"

"Fufu. Here I come. In response to everyone's request… listen to my song! 'Aurora Heal'!"

Colorful lights from the entire spectrum of the rainbow shone bright, healing the wounds of all allies in range slowly. The area attack of the Orcus Jellies did not only target the members holding down the defense line. Melee attackers using swords and axes would also take damage. A member of the 2nd party, Federico, was already at half health. It was the duty of Vuorinen to heal him when he had the time to spare. But with the monsters' fierce attack at hand, Vuorinen had to give the priority to the tanks.

In order to cover for Vuorinen who rushed out to support Demiqas, Tetora was using a big spell with long casting time to mass heal.

"I did it! I am so smart and cute, so perfect!"

"That's the truth, although your attitude disgusts me, I am grateful for the fix! Take this!"

"Focus your attacks! Keep your melee area attacks down!"

Shiroe cast support spells for Tetora. At the same time, Federico, whose wounds were on the mend, returned to the front lines.

While listening to the cheerful voice behind him, Vuorinen cast consecutive healing spells at Demiqas.

Orcus Jellies seemed like nothing but trouble for melee fighters and tanks. Acidic slime would spurt out when they were attacked from close range, an effective counterattack.effective counterattack. The acidic smog caused area damage and debuffs, another headache. Dealing with one was bad, facing 4 or 5 at once was even more of a pain.

"Come back, Demiqas!"

"To be held back by these small fries…!"

Demiqas roared as he retreated with Phantom Step. His hands were smoking from the acid. The wear and tear on his weapons seemed rather serious.

"Damn it, heal me!"

"Don't need to shout, I can hear you."

Vuorinen started to chant. Demiqas was on the verge of dying, and would fall if this kept up. Demiqas returned because he understood the risk, but his attitude was bad.

Demiqas seemed unhappy with Vuorinen's response and glared at him. His eyes seemed to be saying, 'If you know, then hurry up!'

Vuorinen sighed.

Demiqas was troublesome.

As a fellow party member, Vuorinen wished Demiqas would tone it down.

If he kept up his solitary strikes, his heal work would be compromised. Attacking without considering the casting range would cause the formation to crumble.

Demiqas had racked up several deaths. In a raid group with dozens of Adventurers, there were sure to be members with a healing class, so they could be revived with no issues. For Adventurers in raiding guilds like Vuorinen, death was just equivalent to fainting, but it also meant they would not be able to move when they went down. The overall performance of the group would drop with death.

No matter how dumb he might be, he had learned to avoid dying. But even if he retreated just before he fell, it was still unacceptable in terms of efficiency. When Demiqas was recovering, the 1st party had to cover for him.

Demiqas' reckless charge was reinforced by the kindness of the people around him. The support stopping would lead to the whole group falling into ruins.

(But…)

Vuorinen thought as he cast Healing Wind and Heartbeat Healing, rushing back to the front lines alongside Demiqas.

But even so, it was only fair to say that Demiqas was a good player.

They had spent 3 weeks exploring the depths of the underground dungeon. There had been many brutal battles in this period. Although they had never been wiped out completely, all the participating members had been killed more than 10 times.

In normal circumstances, people would want to vent their anger at their surroundings when faced with such pressure. For Shiroe and his group from Log Horizon to maintain their optimism was abnormal.

Vuorinen thought he was an elite in raids.

Led by the famous William, Vuorinen felt like a veteran who had been through hell.

Not only Vuorinen, all other members of Silver Sword were confident that they were the strongest guild in the server and they were proud of it.

But the guild specializing in raids and striving to be the strongest had its share of troubles. The core group has fallen to about 80 percent after the Catastrophe, and about 40 members were left. There were some who had quit raiding even though they still retained guild membership.

That was because raid battles in a zone that matched the level of the Adventurers were brutal.

The top guild D. D. D playing around in the Citadel of Seven Falls of about level 50 was evidence of this.

In the eyes of Vuorinen and the others, it was a joke. A bunch of level 90s running around a level 50 zone? Instead of being a major battle guild, it was more like a major fun and games guild.

But he could not dismiss Demiqas because of this pride. This dim witted, burly Monk was unable to understand the meaning of cooperation. He was unwilling to listen to others and gave them a ton of trouble. His attitude was poor, lacking all the essential elements for fighting raids.

But Demiqas was no coward.

Even D. D. D was hesitant when fighting level 90 end game content. But this martial artist did not slow down when facing the torrent of violence and death. He did not shy away from contact with monsters, and his eyes were unwavering.

Vuorinen knew that Demiqas' jealousy for Shiroe and Silver Sword were part of the reason. But fear was not something you can overcome with jealousy. There was no way Demiqas could handle the slime ball monsters more than twice his height by throwing tantrums.

Vuorinen had no answers, and could only add protective barriers on Demiqas and himself.

The situation was dire.

The exploration was not progressing well. Even Silver Sword was losing self-restraint and was on the verge of exploding. The most brutal battles in the whole server were probably here. They couldn't just let the vagrant continue to run amok. Vuorinen continued to commit to his duty as a healer to keep his party healthy as he rushed around the battlefield.

6

William, who held the trust of Silver Sword, was suffering.

After finishing the battle for the day, in the elaborate temporary base camp, William tossed out the papers documenting the results of the exploration. He stretched his back so far out that he almost toppled the canvas chair he was sitting on.

"It's not going well."

"Right."

Sitting beside him was Log Horizon's Shiroe. This young man in glasses was mapping out the area with an accuracy William could never match. William stretched out his legs wide, rocked his chair, and sighed. He knew he was furrowing his brow.

"How many to go?"

"Well…"

Shiroe traced his finger on the gigantic map.

"There are 3, no, 4 more."

This was an estimate of the number of raid bosses left in the zone.

Although there were all sorts of raid zones, this one appeared to be a typical multi stage raid zone. Raid dungeons were more challenging versions of normal dungeons, containing raid content.

Compared to party level dungeon zones, there were many more passages and rooms. There might even be traps and puzzles. Humongous areas lay within the key areas of the zone, and powerful raid bosses stood guard in them.

All the enemies were at raid level strength. Since this area was designed for a 24 person Full Raid, a party of 6 would never stand a chance. Even with a Full Raid group, there was still a chance you would be wiped out if you let down your guard. Silver Sword would be able to expedite their exploration process if they were facing normal monsters. But they were still stuck with filling the gaps in the map for now.

The problem lay with the raid bosses which required different tactics from normal monsters.

They had taken down '1st of the garden' Vandemi and '5th of the garden' Eroraider. Both of them were powerful and had special abilities which required complicated tactics to defeat.

"This is tedious."

"The fights with these 2 bosses were really close."

That was expected in raid boss battles.

Simply gathering powerful members wouldn't even get you to the fight, let alone lead you to victory.

Neither of the fights went perfectly, and they barely avoided being wiped out, with a handful out of the 24 escaping to safety. The other members were revived in safety, and this process was repeated 20 odd times. Including combat resuscitation, all the members had been incapacitated multiple times.

But some good did come out of this. Orcus Jelly, Mutant Griffon, Venom Hydrangea and Murderous Minotaur dropped lots of high quality materials such as primordial mud, variant leather, and comet metal only available through raids. These were high class items production class Adventurers could use to create quality equipment worth a fortune.

They also obtained 7 phantasmal class equipment after defeating 1st of the garden Vandemi and 5th of the garden Eroraider.

These equipment were a huge motivation for major guilds fighting to be the very best like no one ever was. The loot this round were types that they had never seen before. They were not only an upgrade of phantasmal class level equipment, it was a glorious accomplishment they could be proud of.

Shiroe poured out coffee from the pot that was 20cm tall. William counted the number of days they had left as he watched Shiroe's action.

"Ten days is our limit."

"…"

William was concerned about their supplies.

As they fought on, the Adventurers' equipment would suffer wear and tear. Death would cause even more damage which could not be mended by resuscitation spells. To keep the equipment in working condition, they had to constantly maintain them.

This was common sense in Elder Tales and William had already taken this into account. Such multi stage raids had always been a headache since the Elder Tales days. The members of the raid had subclasses of Blacksmith, Armor Craftsman, Seamstress and Carpenters. Doing maintenance when not engaging in battle was the norm for major guilds.

But repairs required materials. Without proper facilities, the material consumption rate was much more intense. And a guild like Silver Sword was full of members with phantasmal level equipment, which required phantasmal materials as well.

Apart from the maintenance of equipment, they also needed to take note of expendable items. That was the case for William's Holy Crystal Comet arrows. The powerful arrows were made by craftsmen from phantasmal materials. A skilled craftsman could make 500 arrows from Holy Rainbow Quartz. But 500 was not enough for consecutive battles like these. William had already expended 2000 of the 10,000 he had prepared. Other diminishing expendable items included potions, balms, talismans, and scrolls.

This meant that the supplies for raid battles were gathered from other raid battles, a vicious cycle.

To upkeep the equipment you got from raid battles, you would need to get materials from raid battles. By going through such cycles, you would obtain the power to challenge harder raid battles. If you succeeded in challenging a higher level raid, you would get even better equipment. And to maintain them, you would need to continue fighting difficult raids.

Historically, raiding guilds would periodically conduct raids of a lower level in order to maintain balance in the cycle. The purpose was to resupply. But with the Fairy Rings out of commission because of the Catastrophe, it was difficult to visit the raids spread all over the world. And even if that were not an issue, Silver Sword was a proud battle guild. Unless there was a pressing issue for resupply, they would rather not visit lower level raid zones.

William had kept on fighting after the Catastrophe.

He did not regret it, but he had exhausted a large portion of his resources and materials. In terms of Full Raid battles, William was confident that this group was the strongest within the server. But their finances were in a pitiful state.

"I have resources prepared from Akiba as well."

"How long will it last us?"

"Adding it in, we can last for 20 more days."

Shiroe replied bitterly. William heard that Log Horizon was a small guild with just 8 members. Supplying the elites of Silver Sword for 10 days was amazing. But that didn't change the situation. Downing 2 bosses took 3 weeks, and twice that number in 20 days would be hard. From past experience, bosses would get harder in the later stages.

And William had another concern.

Which was the origin of the man before him.

The silent Shiroe who seemed to have many secrets hid his true thinking behind his expression.

This zone itself was unnatural.

'1st of the garden' Vandemi.

'5th of the garden' Eroraider.

Even without seeing the other bosses, William could take a stab at their names. Probably '2nd of the garden' Mezarakurau, '3rd of the garden' Ibura Habura and '4th of the garden' Tarutaurugar. The bosses guarding this zone were the pride of 9 Great Prisons of Heroes, having the same form and name as their administrator. But they were not totally the same of course. In the expansion pack Heart of Fantasy, they were known as '1st of the prison' Vandemi and '5th of the prison' Eroraider. The raid bosses took the form of winged snakes and of a white horse which you would never forget. They made their appearance again after a slight change in name and color palette. They had also became stronger and discarded their old fighting patterns.

Games that recycled characters living in the database were common. This zone was just one of many examples. There should be some lore behind them if this world was still a game. Shiroe had not divulged the things he was hiding for some reason.

He was not in a position to nag at others.

This was William's true feeling.

He did think his group was wrong. He had no regrets over leaving Akiba or going through multiple raids in the north. Although he had no qualms about it, he felt that Silver Sword had distanced itself from the others. Man could not improve just by avoiding mistakes. William didn't want to know about all that. He just wanted to be the best and that would be enough. If his comrades felt intimidated, he, William, could wipe away their worries with just a shout.

But he understood that he could not keep this up and had to face reality.

He didn't want to admit it, but William thought he might be wrong.

He was wrong to reject Shiroe's invitation and leave the Round Table Council.

William wanted to talk about this with Shiroe.

But William was not sure what Shiroe was up to, and it seemed Shiroe was suffering from the secrets he was withholding. It was hard to lower his head and ask Shiroe to address his doubts. William was not an adult and he didn't want to be such an adult.

He mocked his childlike pride. He also had thoughts thinking that this was just fine.

The deteriorating supplies issue, fighting raid battles deep underground with no ready means of escape. In this situation which was worsening by the minute, what could he say to motivate his Silver Sword comrades? What could a loser like him who had only taken Elder Tales gaming seriously since birth say to his men?

William didn't think he could say anything. He was just going about this on a whim.

He felt like a child waving a weapon around to show his bravado. But he should make use of the weapon since he had one that was only natural. That was what William decided as a gamer.

"What do you think, Shiroe?"

"About what?"

William scratched his head roughly when he heard that response.

He had no answer ready for Shiroe's query.

William also needed a chance. To take up the challenge or give up.

To prove that he was someone or to become someone. What was the different between Demiqas who had lost his way and was picking fights wherever he went and Silver Sword?

The chance was before him, in the battle. That's what William determined.

So he strove on despite the hardships.

Share