Honey, I've Leveled the Kids [Family-Focus, LitRPG - COMPLETE]

Going into the boss fight, we knew there would already be chaos with the Pantheon guild out and about. The problem was, we hadn't seen the Pantheon guild and now we had other players hunting us down because the goddess Branchelot commanded it.

"Ready?" I asked Naiad as I stood in front of her and Triangle.

Her arrow answered as it fired at the eagle diving at us. The human-turned-bird swung around so the arrow clipped his wing. Before he got closer, a large vulture fell on top of the eagle, ripping at its feathers. Giving Naiad time to fire another shot and Goldy blasted water at the bird.

I blocked the druid from landing on the cliff, dancing around and listening to Naiad's movement, ducking down when I she clicked her tongue to signal she was ready.

The player ran off, chased away from the three of our attacks instantly. But the druid would be back with backup, or worse, a Pantheon player.

"Watch your left!" I cried as the trees shook and sprouted legs right next to us. "Move to the higher part of the hills."

The kids listened and kept taking shots at Branchelot as she stood on the ground, screaming up into the air, yelling at the lightning bolts that struck at her. Her hair reached deeper into the ground, becoming the color of rich soil.

[Private Message from:

[Darrell: The gods are attacking her as much as their power lets them. It won't last long. Once its done, we'll charge in. Until then, keep running brother.]]

My family sprinted in and out of the trees, faces appeared on a few of them, screaming out the names of the gods they served as they jumped off the cliff and down to attack Branchelot.

Naiad was next to me and pointed at the trees. "How do we know what trees work for Branchelot and Nitia?"

I looked around and noticed the faceless trees were chasing us, while the others jumped off the cliff and went for Branchelot. "If it has a face, you're safe, otherwise run."

Trees, the white grass, players, and the gods, this fight was pure chaos that we didn't plan for. No sane person could thrive in this situation.

"Can I throw a bomb at Branchelot? There are a few players near there." Triangle held on to Goldy with both hands.

He learned to restrain himself finally.

"Do it, make it double trouble." I told him, hoping he would throw two bombs.

He tossed Goldy at me, forcing me to hug the fish between my chest and shield. Moment later the wonderful sound of jingle bombs filled the air. Four wonderful bombs flew. Three jingles and one Sticky Nicky.

I warned Darrel and everyone who helped us to not immediately dive in on the boss until the booms stopped. That was our opening signal.

"Oops!" Triangle cheered from the back as he ran next to Naiad. "I destroyed a tree of Nitia and-"

"Don't worry about. Just survive," I patted his back and handed Goldy back.

"Can I get that coconut?" He chirped up.

"Branchelot doesn't seem like the kind and forgiving type," Naiad said as she used another fire scroll to attack.

Squinting, I could see the coconut getting covered with dirt, threatening to be planted. If it did, it could grow the Demon Lord by siphoning everyone's strength again to create a stronger and enemy. We had to stop that. "If I get you the coconut, do you promise to not plant it?" I asked Triangle.

"Yay!" he jumped up. "I want coconut!"

I had no clue what Triangle would do with it, but I gritted my teeth. "Naiad, watch your brother! Let me know if anything happens with more players."

I jumped down the cliff and charged to the seed. While carrying the golden ring that the goddess Branchelot wanted. It was stupid, but it at least kept the kids safer.

Before I got any closer, the ground beneath shook and cracked apart.

"Rise and live!" Branchelot commanded out.

The earth split apart around Branchelot, throwing dirt and stones up into the air. I threw my shield above my head and ignored the sound of the pebbles raining down on it. The falling dirt didn't slow me down as I ran closer to the seed. Each moment I was away from the kids was a moment they were at risk.

"Stay focused on the seed," I muttered to myself. "Don't let the game distract you."

Something heavy slammed into my shield and I grunted as I pushed it away from and behind me. I didn't dare look back. "The seed. The seed."

I skidded to a stop as I picked up the coconut and put it in my inventory. The second it vanished, a powerful force launched me down the slope and closer to Branchelot.

I grunted with the impact as we tumbled around.

"Give it!" screamed the eagle from before.

His claws swiped at my face, drawing blood and searing pain. I leaned into our momentum and forced us to roll over one more time until my foot splashed into the muddy stream.

I was now further away from the kids, and a god separated us. And I had both the coconut and ring.

"Out of my way," I snarled at the attacker.

I barely remembered his words in time as another player blasted spells at my shield. I hid behind it, thinking of what to do next. The simplest answer would be to charge forward and ignore the gods like I always do.

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The game already gave me that solution. Thanks to the Lizard-folk and the first class I completed, I pulled out the oil and smashed against my shield.

"I said back off," I repeated my challenge.

The bird and magic user didn't stop. They tried splitting up my attention by the mage walking behind me.

Both failed to keep my attention for long as the rumbling sound from the earth happened again and Branchelot's laughter filled the air. "You can't touch me now, Chiliam! I'm free!" Her hair snapped free as she turned to look at me. "Just give me the ring."

I snapped my finger against my shield, the Checkhov's Ring igniting the oil. "Most gods don't reveal their goals!" I lectured, thinking about how Chiliam danced around our questions.

With the fire growing on my shield, the eagle backed off. I still had a goddess and a mage to worry about. The player transformed back into a human. Giving me the precious seconds to run toward the cliffs.

A giant white column came flying out of the ground, flinging me into the air like a pancake. I flipped around and got my shield underneath me. As I came down, I saw five floating white roots branched out from where Branchelot stood. Her dark eyes locked in with mine.

"Open the portal," her voice ordered me.

I approached the ground at a threatening speed. My shield could stop terrifying attacks, and I hoped it could work the same way as a surfboard. Leaving my side open for the mage to blast me with a large rock. My namesake.

The larger Boulder stopped as I was now at the bottom of the valley with the rest of the warriors. The opposite side of the battlefield I wanted to be on. My dislocated shoulder shot a numbing pain up my arm, making it impossible to hold my shield. I crawled away from the burning shield as I waited for the health potion to hurry up. Tick by tick, my health recovered as I listened to the screams of fighting around me and I hid by behind the boulder.

[Team Chat]

[Naiad: Dad, I'm sending Kerry after you.]

[Triangle: Do you want Goldy?]

[Dad: I'm healing, stay together.]

The battlefield focused on the roots. But I saw Darrell facing away from a branch as he fought off another set of three players trying to attack Syriaca as she floundered with her lack of magic. Their guild was attacking the root that dropped white tendrils down, trying to attach to players who remained still. Darrel swung his halberd around, the end glistening in ice magic as he hit a player and froze their arm and shattered it. The movement was devastating and chased the other warriors off.

"We're getting that demonic buff!" An attacker said as he charged forward once the swing stopped.

Darrell was slowly losing ground and Syriaca turned back to help, leaving their backs exposed. The white root dropped and attached to the napes of their necks. Neither of Darrell and Syriaca noticed.

A tiger jumped over the rock I hid behind and pounced. I ran to the side, realizing I had been sitting still for seconds, waiting for my health to recover. Still, I now stood without my shield as I faced down the druid from before.

"Determined, aren't you?" I pulled out my axe, putting a greater distance between me and my kids.

Glancing behind the tiger, I could see the roots smashing down on the ground, hitting the magical shields the players tossed up to protect the warriors. Trees walked around underneath to attack. Other trees attacked Branchelot's trees. I couldn't hear a tree fall in the forest with how loud the fight was from the screams and attacks.

Before I could study the battle further, the tiger lunged at me. I was completely defenseless against those sharp claws. But I wasn't cowering behind a shield. Stepping to the side, I swiped at the tiger with my axe. He growled and pounced again, giving me room to dance closer to Darrell and his guild.

Taking deep breaths, I fumbled as another attack came and gouged into my shoulder. My body was moving too slowly. I needed to go a little longer without my shield. I had to reach Darrell's group first to save them from the roots.

We exchanged attacks; the tiger moving faster than me and getting more swipes in. Each hit bringing on pain and making me question my idiotic plan on fighting a tiger off with just one axe. Just a few more steps and I would be fine. Another minute and I could get a health potion, but I would be dead by then. My body felt sluggish.

[Debuff Status: Rooted

-5% strength and -5% intelligence

Duration: Until the ailment is gone.]

"Crap." I cursed, hating myself for taking too long with what I thought was a simple plan.

My back hit something, and I heard a grunt behind me. One of the enemy fighters attacking Darrell's group. The druid-tiger didn't care and lunged at me. With a pivot around Darrell's adversary, I shoved him back and twisted my wrist with my arm in the air. The blazing shield lifted in the air at my summon. So did the tiger. I brought up my axe and swung back with one arm as my shield smashed their backs and transferred a burning effect to them.

This trick I practiced in our guildhall the past few days. To summon my shield in a straight line, I had to turn my wrist the opposite way than when I recalled it. Having it on fire added additional power to the ability as it hit my enemies.

A large branch covered with ice smashed down on their heads as Syriaca laughed. With deep breaths she chanted a spell that iced over the tiger and the enemy player's body, giving me a chance to smash down with my axe. I paused midway at noticing the root tendril hanging from Syriaca's neck. "Keep attacking them!" I ordered her. "I'm going to get your strength back."

I threw my shield above her head, recalled it, and tossed at Darrell and everyone else to help them out. I cut my root tendril and got the debuff removed completely. Together, we fought back the players.

"Keep moving to avoid getting that debuff. Drink your potions," I panted out, mad at myself for not not removing the root sooner.

[System Notification: Boss Battle! You slayed Lady Branchelot as a guardian, and that wasn't enough. Now you want to chop her down from being a goddess. Not even the faithful would rise against one. That's why you're a heathen.]

"The last line was unnecessary," I mumbled as I took a healing potion. Next in my queue would be a strength potion.

The ground rumbled as a dirt cloud rose in the air. I pulled my shield in close to me and tried to maintain upright as the earthquake threatened to knock all of us down. Branchelot's enormous foot smashed down next to us. The branches in her foot pulsing along.

"GIVE IT!" Branchelot bellowed out, "OR I WILL-"

BOOM!

Branchelot grunted and looked back as smoke plumed up her back.

"Run!" Darrell cried out before I could. He grabbed Syriaca and waved his guild members along.

I joined them as I gritted my teeth. Any further and I would be out of reach of my kids.

BOOM!

A familiar revolting smell filled the air. Darrel and his guild gagged, but I laughed at it. Triangle was saving the day with his all his bombs.

"Is this poison?" Syriaca coughed out.

"No, that's Triangle's bomb!" I informed my allies. "Watch out for the green slime. I need to get back to them."

A third explosion happened, and we saw that Branchelot's bark-covered back, pulsing in gray light, faced us. We turned directions, trying to get lost in the cloud, but ran into another root flying around in the air and a group fighting it.

"What's happening?" I asked Darrell.

The goddess didn't scream from either of Triangle's attacks, or any of the players attacking her. She cackled with amusement, raising her arms for a new phase. She had a two rows of red health bars over her and another yellow bar was next to it. The yellow was already down to its last quarter. We hadn't touched her health yet.

The army of a hundred players and we barely destroyed the shield in this time. The player attacks and keeping the ring away from the players, plus the stupid coconut was distracting me. A caw came right above my head, "Sir Dad," a rough voice called.

Looking up, I saw a vulture and a large archerfish falling at me. I barely caught Goldy in time. He flopped about in my arms, wiggling about. "Calm down!"

"Are you fine?" Kerry asked me.

"Yeah, what about the kids?" I hated having both pets. Without them, who was keeping the kids safe?

I should've been keeping them safe! Not some animals.

[Guild Chat]

[Naiad: Branchelot is sending out feeler vines for us. We have to keep moving. I need Kerry!]

[Triangle: I need that coconut.]

[Naiad: We NEED help. Pantheon is here.]

"I must go back!" Kerry called.

He took off back to the cliffs.

"Wait!" I shouted after him, but another bomb explosion muffled my cry - and worse, my children's.