NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6
[Entry Level 15]
[Elite Dungeon (4-person party recommended)]
[Orc King’s Cave]
At the entrance of the first Elite Dungeon of ‘Astria Online’, the Orc King’s Cave.
Users who quickly reached Level 15 were forming parties to tackle the Elite Dungeon.
“Looking for a tank, either a knight or a fighter!”
“Need a ranged dealer!”
Among those trying to recruit party members, there were users who had already formed a strategy party for the first clear.
The Elite Dungeon drop items included some that bound upon acquisition but also equipment that could be traded.
If they quickly cleared the dungeon and farmed, they could gather a fortune in gold.
The common interest of the advance team users gathered around the ‘Orc King’s Cave.’
“Which party will be the first to clear this Elite Dungeon?”
If you had to choose the party closest to the first clear, it would undoubtedly be this one.
“Oh, that person’s character model is super pretty!”
“That’s ‘Chris,’ right? The party leader who cleared the 1st Named during the beta test.”
“Whoa.”
With her hair seemingly ablaze red, the tall female user, ‘Chris.’
The surrounding users seemed to have many questions for Chris, but all who gathered here were competitors aiming for a dungeon clear. She wouldn’t just give away hints.
And currently, her aura deterred other users from approaching even more.
Tap, tap, tap.
Contrary to her blazing red hair, Chris exuded a cool demeanor, radiating an icy vibe with her calm expression.
She rhythmically tapped her feet while checking the time repeatedly.
Tap-tap-tap.
“Did everyone wait long? With this Cherni here, you can relax now!”
Thud.
“Wow, oof! What’s this? Incoming damage! Are we PK in this game!?”
“Shut it. You’re the latest one here, Cherni.”
“Ugh, Chris-sunbaenim! You know my situation, right? I was working a night shift till recently to buy a personal capsule, and I couldn’t help but be late! I pulled two all-nighters to keep up with everyone’s leveling pace!”
The male user, known as ‘Cherni,’ frowned as Chris smacked him on the back of his head.
Although he had a somewhat silly face that might seem trifling at first glance, the muscles bulging under his outfit diminished that impression significantly.
Chris scrutinized every inch of Cherni with sharp eyes.
“What’s up with that muscle customization? You weren’t this fit in reality, were you? What about synchronization rates?”
“What do you mean! I’ve been working out hard lately! It’s just that I don’t show off, but if I did, I’d be… oof!”
Chris kicked Cherni’s legs.
“Onmyoji, right? So, has it changed much since the beta test?”
“The core mechanics seem similar. The other job classes are pretty much the same as during the beta, except for knights.”
“Good.”
Chris turned her head away from Cherni and glanced down with a bright smile.
“How’s our Bae Merong doing? Have you gotten used to being a mage?”
“Yes, Sister Chris!”
The small-statured, pink-haired mage user, known as ‘Bae Merong,’ sparkled her eyes and nodded towards Chris.
Cherni, not fitting in with his bulk, made a sad face and pleaded towards Chris.
“Oh, Chris-sunbaenim! Both Bae Merong and I are juniors; why the different treatment?”
“Shut up. You and Bae Merong aren’t even comparable. Bae Merong is cute.”
“Bae!”
Bae Merong stuck out her tongue while sticking closely to Chris.
“Great, now that everyone’s here.”
“Did the Deathly Death-senpai arrive already?”
Chris pointed with her chin towards the cave entrance.
There, a tall male user leaned back against the wall, eyes gently closed.
“…I can hear the cave’s wail. It seems to permit our challenge.”
“That senpai’s doing that again.”
“It’s an RPG, so I think it’s fine for Bae Merong.”
“Don’t speak in third person!”
Chris, acting as the mediator between Cherni and Bae Merong, started the briefing before entering the dungeon.
“The pattern of the 1st Named might have changed since the beta, but it will basically follow a similar route.”
Beeep.
With a notification sound, an interface popped up between the four party members.
[Frontline – Fighter Deathly Death]
[Midfield – Onmyoji Chris]
[Rear1 – Mage Bae Merong]
[Rear2 – Onmyoji Cherni]
“Though we predicted during the beta test, this game lacks any healer class. This means we can only allow as much damage as we can cover with potions.”
“Basically, if there’s no rear attack from the Named, the frontline tank must absorb all the attacks.”
“Yup. This is why the tank’s capabilities are incredibly important. The midfield and rear need to focus on gimmick execution and dealing damage.”
All party members nodded in agreement.
Having reviewed the 1st Named’s patterns known from the beta, they were now ready for any unknown Named threats.
The ‘Chris Raid’ finally stood before the cave entrance.
Before entering the dungeon, Cherni spoke up to Chris.
“By the way, Chris-senpai, you haven’t touched your character model, but you went with the red hair again this time? Do you really like red?”
“No, I just thought it matched my favorite color.”
“Is that right? What color do you like?”
As they stepped towards the dungeon, Chris left one last remark.
“White!”
A few moments later
The white hair fluttered in the wind.
The bangs, slightly covering one eye, danced as they tickled my nose.
“Achoo!”
I sneezed.
Virtual reality is incredible; even sneezes feel real.
After doing a little warm-up, bouncing and stretching my small body, I headed straight for the ‘Orc King’s Cave’.
The first challenge of the Elite Dungeon.
I heard the hellish difficulty of ‘Astria Online started in earnest from the Elite Dungeon.
“They said only a few parties managed to tackle the 1st Named revealed during the beta test.”
I was thoroughly prepared.
With the money I gathered while leveling up, I bought tons of potions and even equipped a full set of gear from the field boss, the ‘Orc Warrior’.
Sniff.
I wiped my nose.
Could it be from sneezing?
As I wiped my nose on the Orc Warrior’s skirt, I glanced around.
Peeking from the corner of the cave, I noticed quite a few users gathered at the dungeon entrance.
Users who had also reached Level 15 were already preparing to tackle the dungeon.
Some parties had already entered the dungeon.
I clenched my tiny hands tightly.
While equipment farming was part of the dungeon’s goal, the most crucial thing was gold.
If we succeed in the early clear, we could sell the tradeable equipment for a lot of gold.
“Time to cash out.”
Chicken.
I wanted to eat chicken.
There was plenty of delicious food in this world, but sadly, chicken was absent.
This game absurdly maintained realism in trivial matters.
Crisp fried batter, juicy chicken meat, and that unique flavor of franchise chicken that’s hard to replicate.
I smiled broadly.
“Heh.”
Even the thought made me happy.
Before I knew it, I was drooling.
Alright.
I’ll clear the dungeon, make a lot of money, and order chicken.
Avoiding the gazes of the other users, I cautiously advanced until I finally reached the dungeon entrance.
[Entry Level 15]
[Elite Dungeon (4-person party recommended)]
[Orc King’s Cave]
Standing before it.
Jump.
I lightly hopped and dashed into the dungeon entrance.
To the place that would bring me chicken.
Clank, clank!
“Oof.”
Confidently entering the dungeon, I immediately encountered obstacles just from the first Named’s area.
My ‘Block’ skill had already risen to D-rank, but the damage from the regular Orcs inside the Elite Dungeon was beyond imagination.
Fortunately, the damage reaching me was manageable with potions, but the Named’s attack would be much stronger and sharper.
If I failed to block and let damage through, it would directly lead to a failed strategy.
“It’s almost like a Souls game level.”
I barely dealt with the regular mobs and sighed.
I cautiously advanced, slowly recovering my health.
Before long, I could finally reach the first Named.
The appearance of the 1st Named was an Orc covered in thick muscles from the waist up.
He wore iron gauntlets on both hands.
HP was 10,500.
“Yikes.”
Considering the field boss only had around 3,000 HP, this was an astounding number.
No wonder it was called an Elite Dungeon.
This Named’s HP was so high that a party of four at Level 15 would need to attack non-stop for over five minutes to even chip at it.
“They said it was recommended for four participants.”
Could I really tackle this dungeon alone?
Shaking head.
I vigorously shook my head and gripped the Orc Warrior’s sword firmly in my hand.
Then, I confidently smiled.
‘Astria Online’.
This world is for me.
As the hero of Astria, there’s no way I can’t overcome this level of hurdles.
I stepped forward.
Beep.
An aggro alert sounded as the Orc Fighter looked my way.
Grin.
The Orc Fighter’s pig-like head smiled at me.
Orc King’s Dungeon
Entry Level 15.
The first Elite Dungeon I would face in Astria Online.
The attempt to tackle its first Named had finally begun.
[1st Named]
[Level 16 Orc Fighter]
[HP 10,500/10,500]