Ch. 66 Temporary Alliance
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 66 – Temporary Alliance
The field boss raid progressed smoothly.
True to his name, Greentail’s attacks primarily focused on its massive tail.
The sweeping and short chopping motions strangely resembled the attack patterns of the Booming Tail Lizards we’d fought before.
White Lion, as the tank, never lost his aggro.
The battle couldn’t have been more stable.
The problem was firepower.
Greentail occasionally used a self-healing skill, recovering a percentage of its health each time. This prolonged battle led to the inevitable – the DPS and healers running out of mana.
Even with mana potions, there were limits.
With diminished mana, DPS drastically dropped.
They couldn’t outdamage the boss healing.
Healers without mana couldn’t heal, and the tanks would take the full force of the boss damage.
Vicious cycle leading to raid failure.
This is why White Lion had sought our help.
After the initial 20 minutes, the Returner Guild’s DPS began retreating to safety first. Once all DPS had withdrawn, the healer and White Lion followed.
Greentail’s slow movement speed allowed everyone to escape safely.
With no targets left, the wyvern wandered the canyon before returning to its original spot.
We whispered among ourselves as we observed, keeping our voices low and our discussion brief.
“So, what does everyone think?”
“Hmm…I could’ve taken it down easily if I were there…”
Isolin answered first, twisting her pink hair absentmindedly with a confident expression. She seemed to be visualizing the battle in her head.
“They seemed to lack firepower. Without that healing ability, it wouldn’t have been a problem at all.”
Gladie wasn’t negative either, idly checking her bow as if ready to fight immediately.
That left Nyongmom’s opinion. I turned to the small fairy knight pressed close beside me.
Lowering her head slightly, she answered quietly:
“I think…we should try it.”
With everyone agreement, I stood up abruptly.
The Returners returned about a minute later, all wearing relaxed expressions – confident they could escape death even if they failed to defeat the boss.
“Well? What do you think?”
White Lion’s question carried subtle expectation. Having demonstrated the boss’s manageable difficulty as requested, he wanted our decision.
I nodded.
“We’ll join you.”
“Excellent choice.”
Preparations began immediately. We checked equipment durability, counted potions, practiced escape routes, and only then drew our weapons to face the boss.
“Let’s begin.”
White Lion charged forward as tank, greatsword in hand just as before.
“Haaaah!”
The massive wyvern swung its tail in slow, heavy arcs.
With more DPS and an additional healer supporting the tank – plus Nyongmom adding her sword strikes – Greentail’s health dropped rapidly.
Everyone’s expressions have brightened. Some DPS even began excitedly discussing potential loot drops.
Only I couldn’t smile.
The Returner Guild would undoubtedly become a major obstacle.
In fact, anyone seeking to return to our original world posed a threat.
The best solution? Eliminate the source. And I had the means to do so now.
[Void Gaze] – a skill that paralyzed targets by meeting their eyes.
Using it on White Lion would certainly cause a major incident, making me hesitate.
Had I tried persuading him? Explaining how wonderful staying in this world could be? The horrors of destroying it to return home?
Never. Too concerned with maintaining neutrality publicly.
Those wishing to stay and those wanting to return were destined to clash. Fox Tail had already seen several minor conflicts over this.
With precise information about the “Bird that Sings Destruction” still scarce, large-scale confrontation remained a matter of time.
My deeper hesitation stemmed from aversion to murder.
Not killing directly – just immobilizing someone so the boss could finish them.
But even this rationalization didn’t make using the skill easier. I was just an ordinary person, after all. An ordinary person who found killing repulsive.
As I agonized, the boss’s health continued dropping. Even below half, our party remained comfortable.
Refreshing buffs and healing White Lion, I kept wrestling with myself.
This might be my only chance.
If White Lion grew stronger, ordinary methods might not stop him later.
What if persuasion failed? He’d said he’d willingly destroy this world to return home.
Another question arose: Did I want to stay here badly enough to kill for it?
As I agonized, a thunderous impact and screams shattered my thoughts.
…Prim!
Looking up, I saw something massive looming before me – a thick, green-scaled tail. Greentail’s tail was right in front of me.
What happened? In slowed time, I processed the scene.
Many eyes were on me – shock, surprise, guilt, and…was that a smirk?
CRASH!
The brutal impact rattled my skull. Vision darkened. As sensation faded, everything disappeared.
To any observer, it was clearly an accident.
During the otherwise smooth raid, disaster struck when Greentail’s health dropped below 20%. Ignoring the main tank, the wyvern spread its tattered wings and charged at Supreme in a low flight, tail swinging.
Too sudden for anyone to react. Nyongmom rushed forward but fell just short.
Thus, an accident.
BAM!
The small girl’s body tumbled across the ground, her health plummeting:
40%…30%…20%…10%…
Then 5%, stopping at 2%. On death’s doorstep but not dead. The screaming girls finally breathed sighs of relief.
As long as she lived, heals and potions could save her. And as a priest, Supreme could heal herself to recover quickly.
Everyone assumed this.
Nyongmom reached Supreme first, checking her before pouring a potion between her lips. The girl’s health began rising rapidly.
Despite the accident and two members being downed, the raid continued. Gladie and Isolin clearly wanted to check on Supreme but held their positions.
White Lion grew busy chasing the suddenly mobile wyvern.
Nyongmom narrowed her eyes. Greentail’s charge had obvious wind-up and would stop if someone intercepted.
Meaning White Lion could have prevented Supreme’s injury if he’d tried.
As suspicion hardened Nyongmom’s expression, Supreme’s body suddenly levitated upright without warning.
“Supreme…?”
No response. Instead, the small priest embraced Nyongmom tightly.
“Eek!”
Nyongmom’s cheeks flushed at the unexpected hug. Then came a scream.
A familiar voice – White Lion’s.
Nyongmom tried to turn toward the sound, but Supreme held firm.
“White Lion! Move! What are you doing?”
“Damn it! Raise your shield! Why aren’t you moving?”
CRUNCH! BAM! BAM!
More screams echoed, accompanied by sickening bone cracks. Nyongmom, familiar with the agony of broken bones, recognized the sounds—but these felt different
CRACK! SPLAT!
BAM!
Supreme finally released Nyongmom when an eerie silence fell.
Turning, Nyongmom saw the horror:
Crimson-stained plate armor, crushed and rolling across the ground. Bloodstains marked White Lion’s final moments.
[Lv. 45]
[Greentail]
[HP 5%]
With no tank holding aggro, Nyongmom moved instinctively. Drawing sword and shield, she threw herself at the wyvern, resuming the stalled battle.
The massive green wyvern fell quickly. With a final roar, its body collapsed.
THUD!
No cheers followed – just sighs of relief.
The small fairy knight, still gripping her weapons, turned warily, sensing unseen eyes upon her.
But no monster lurked behind her. Only the dazed priestess staring blankly back.
Finally, Nyongmom lowered her sword and shield.
Vrslop_translator
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