Forturied to dodge the ining attack but she wasn’t fast enough.

  [-203!]

  o Fortune, Balm didn’t get a ce to cast her heal when she saw the woman falling.

  “Fortune!”

  [Pyer Fortune has died!]

  The notification shook the party.

  “Damn.”

  “How dare you, stupid skeletons!”

  Cye felt frustrated as she watched her idol die before her eyes. She casted a [Holy Strike], wishing to extermihe audacious skeletons.

  [-105!]

  [-105!]

  Two brilliant rays of light barreled into the skeleton’s head as Cye’s tome miraculously triggered. With a crisp sound the oppo’s dry skull shattered, leaving only dust behind. Another elite died.

  However, Cye wasn’t happy, admonishing herself for not attag earlier.

  A moment ter Bloody Edge appeared behind the skill-casting skeleton guard, ramming his dagger into the oppo’s back, emptying out its HP.

  Only five enemies remained. Radiant Shield wore a guilty face as he closed the formation, stabilizing the party. The rest of the fight was te manageable.

  Balm focused on healing, keeping the two tanks alive as they held back the monsters.

  The other party members moved with purpose, dishing out as much damage as possible.

  A few mier the skeletons finally fell.

  Cye had an unhappy look on her face, hitting the ground with her wand.

  “You bunch of broken bones! How dare you kill Fortune! e on, stand up a me kill you again!”

  Balm stood o her friend, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

  “Nonono, mister skeleton, stay dead! Just go to rest!”

  Liam chuckled from their antics as a voice came from nearby.

  “Suys, I let you down.”

  Fortune caught up with the group. Within a dungeon one could return thrice after death as long as the party wasn’t wiped.

  “No, friend. You put your trust in me, and I failed you. I have to apologize.”, said Radiant Shield with righteousness in his voice.

  “N…”

  “Let it be.”, interrupted Liam as Forturied to speak again.

  “We shouldn’t harp on every mistake. Just learn from it, guys.”

  “You are right, Bleary Mirage. I will train my movements and be ready to dodge ime.”

  “Yeah, but instead of dodging we should start training fsh step.

  The same goes for you, Cye and Balm.”

  Suddenly beiioned, Cye uzzled:

  “What is fsh step?”

  The rest of the party held the same question, looking at Liam.

  “Fsh step is a mage’s way of using stance. Without 50% of your points in INT you won’t be able to learn it.

  On top of that it’s rather difficult, but once you got the hang of it, fsh step is more effit than simply dodging.”

  “Something like this exists? How does it work?”

  Fortune’s eyes sparkled, staring closely at Liam. She khat a tutorial on such a meic made freat video. She could already see millions of views rolling in.

  Liam g her, p for a moment.

  “50%!”

  Fortune was taken aback.

  “What?”

  “My cut from the video.”

  “B…”

  “Don’t argue. You are already making money by rec us. Holy, you should be paying us anyways.”

  Fortune opened her mouth, but no words came out. Eventually she let out a sigh.

  “You are right. We egotiate some terms.”

  “Good.”

  Fortune didn’t take it to heart. She was a veteran tent creator. Naturally she worked with others before, having made simir deals.

  Liam oher hand was gd that Fortune was susceptible to reason, not starting an argument.

  “Well then. You better listen up.”

  Cye dragged Balm towards Fortune, lining up like an obedient student.

  “o overdo it, I don’t expect you to succeed in one day.

  Fsh step is difficult because it is unintuitive, involving the movement of mana in your body.

  Those among you who have trained in martial arts before might have an advantage.

  Close your eyes. trate your mind and focus on your body. You o feel the mana flowing in your body.

  It’s a strange sensation, simir to the blood in your veins but artificially geed by the game.

  If you mao feel the mana, you want to push it, letting it run faster. Your body will enter a highly eic state.

  , you o imagine your body moving purely by will and you will perform a fsh step, telep a short distance.

  Train often enough and you will be able to aplish it in an instant.”

  “It really resembles some martial arts teiques.”, murmured Silver Bde.

  “Yes. But ultimately it is only a meic assisted by the game. Mages ’t really move their mana freely.”

  Cye, Balm and Fortune had wrinkled foreheads as they tried to replicate Liam’s instrus.

  The three mages closed their eyes, fog on their bodies. They tried to perceive the mana running through them.

  “Ha! Got it!”, excimed Cye happily.

  Liam stared at her in disbelief:

  “Really?!”

  “Ye… ah no, never mind.”

  Luckily Cye still had her eyes closed, not seeing the other party member’s annoyed looks.

  Liam allowed the three women to try for a minute before reminding them:

  “Alright, you should train ter. We still have a duo clear.”

  “Just a bit more, I’ll soo!”, pined Cye.

  “Ok. Then I will collect the loot in the meantime.”

  “Don’t you dare!”

  Everyone chuckled as Cye’s eyes shot open, staring fiercely at Bleary Mirage.

  Seeing the warrior stop ihe blond woman nodded calmly and approached the monsters on the floor.

  The loot wasn’t impressive pared to the number of monsters, but at least they received a green-magic shield for Radiant Shield.

  A short while ter Silver Bde gathered the party, fag the hallway which was free of fmes by now. A rge red metal door with religious engraving could be seen at the end.

  “Looks like a boss fight is ing up.”

  “Brace yourself, brave panions!”

  “Let’s do this.”

  The party hyped themselves up as Silver Bde pushed the heavy door open. Aensive room came into view. Fire bowls burning with bck fire were lined along the walls, illuminating mosaics of a tall nephilim fighting various races with his two spears.

  Patches of vents were scattered all over the walls and floor.

  Silver Bde studied the room with a sharp gaze, asking Bleary Mirage:

  “I guess those vents spew fire?”

  “Exactly. Those vents will turn red before firing, so stay vigint.”

  Everyone nodded solemnly as they ehe room. The door behind them shut abruptly, sending a tremble through the room.

  A light in the ceiling turned on, falling on a person kneeling in prayer. He wore a long white robe, his hear white as snow.

  Twe wings grew from behind the man’s back.

  But those wings deviated from the usual half-bd half-white inal nephilim as they were almost entirely doused in a bck tar-like color, with only a few white feathers remaining at the left tip.

  While the boss closed his ominous wings behind his back, standing up solemnly, the party didn’t fet to i him.

  [Head Priest FuyarhinRank: Lord

  Level: 9

  HP: 3000/3000]

  [-0!]

  Seeing a magical attack hit Fuyarhin’s back, Liam looked at Cye strangely.

  “He’s cheating!”

  “The fight hasn’t started yet.”

  Cye rolled her eyes, obviously not a fan of this meic.

  Meanwhile the head priest didn’t appear as if he noticed the attack at all. He turned around, showing the party his righteous face adorned with thin golden lines.

  “Brothers and Sisters. Why? Why have you e to do the bidding of the haughty holy nephilim?

  Shouldn’t you assist us? Isn’t it the wish of every inal nephilim to rekihe pact with hell? To be able to wield both the powers of light and darkness again?

  Oh, how glorious we were back then. It didn’t matter if others looked down on us as we dominated with absolute strength!

  But now! Look at us! Fighting amongst ourselves, simply because those holies say so? Pathetic!

  Reyr will succeed soon! And I won’t let you stop him!”

  While the head priest spoke, bck lines crept up his neck, stopping below his . His narrow eyes turned red. An ominous dark power pyed around his wings.

  Suddenly he began moving. Taking out a long white staff he rushed towards the party.

  Liam and his friends had already hoheir teamwork well enough. No one panicked as they took on a basiation, with Radiant Shield meeting the ining attack.

  But before the priest could e close, he was already weled by the party’s ratacks.

  [-52!]

  [-25!]

  [-34!]

  [-101!]

  “Nah, my damage… this guy has high magical defense.”

  Cye was displeased, seeing the disparity between hers and Silent Acacia’s damage.

  Fuyarhin however didn’t show any ge in his ferocious expression as his staff cshed with Radiant Shield’ shield.

  [Stance – 7]

  The tank was just about to annouhat the head priest appeared to be weak in attack when the enemy did something unpreted.

  The head priest’s staff turned quickly, attag with its other end as well.

  Radiant Shield was taken by surprise, only able to defend hastily, his stanegatively affected.

  [Stance -9]