Chapter 104: World Boss Raid (1)
A mountainous area so high that an ordinary person would find it hard to even breathe.
Thud.
The heavy body of the Sword Emperor knelt down.
“You’ve grown stronger.”
Once an imperial princess and the only apostle of GM, a woman named Rebecca gazed down at the Sword Emperor indifferently.
“I heard you were expelled from your position as an apostle.”
“…Yes.”
After the incident of the princess’s rampage, GM forgave all her sins.
He said it was fine for her to continue her duties as an apostle if she wished, but she refused.
Despite being blessed by GM, she could not remain in that glorious position with a body that had distorted His words and committed wrongdoings.
After stepping down from her position as an apostle, Rebecca spread rumors that she had been expelled for defying GM’s command.
She wished to reveal GM’s mercy toward such a foolish woman as herself, but she couldn’t.
If a woman who had committed such sins could be forgiven so easily, other believers might begin to think they, too, could sin and be forgiven without consequence.
Thus, Rebecca, with tears in her eyes, pulled herself down.
As the apostle who defied GM’s will, and as the first failed king—the princess.
Rebecca not only gave up her position as an apostle but also renounced all of her titles as a princess.
Though her succession to the throne had once been certain, she handed over all royal matters to her younger sibling, with whom she had long been in conflict.
Having abandoned everything she had achieved, she walked the path of a wanderer.
Now free from any restraints, she sought only one thing: overwhelming strength.
She desired to obtain the power to rescue and protect the one she loved when He was in danger again, just as He had been in the past.
To do so, she had to become a god.
Like the previous King of Beasts, she wandered and embarked on adventures, building a saga of hardships.
And to test the skills she had honed during that journey, she met the Sword Emperor after a long time and crossed blades with him.
Even though it was a pure battle of martial prowess, with none of the powers she had received from GM, the duel ended in her overwhelming victory.
“The golden power you used before—has the god reclaimed it?”
Contrary to the Sword Emperor’s question, GM had left his omnipotent power within her.
When she reported her decision to leave and wander, He told her she could return anytime she wished.
While the world believed that GM had taken back His power and bestowed it upon a new apostle, GM’s warmth still remained with her.
“Even after all that, you’ve grown even stronger.”
The Sword Emperor grasped Rebecca’s outstretched hand and rose to his feet.
“It’s because of the intense will and conviction burning in your eyes.”
He spoke as if he could see deep into her soul.
At first, when Rebecca sought him out, he thought she had come to protest that his newly raised disciple—though the Sword Emperor had only ever given advice through broadcast donations, he sincerely believed Zenith to be his disciple—had pushed her aside and taken the position of apostle.
Fortunately, the current Rebecca seemed to hold no attachment to the apostle’s position.
She looked more like her old self.
“Those eyes of yours—they’re the same as mine when I wandered around, seeking out the strong due to my unsatisfied desires. You’ll continue searching for stronger opponents, won’t you? Am I wrong?”
“…You’re right.”
“In that case, I have a good suggestion for you.”
“A suggestion?”
“Don’t feel burdened. It’s more like a reward for the one who defeated this Sword Emperor.”
Though Rebecca had no intention of feeling burdened regardless of what he said, she focused on his words.
“You know your master, right?Don Quixote.”
A name she hadn’t heard in a long time—her martial arts master, the Dao Emperor.
“What about my master?”
“That guy. He’s planning to participate in a major event hosted by GM’s messenger.”
“Hmm…?”
After GM had been said to fall asleep, it was known that the world of Rudera was managed by his closest messenger, Guide.
In reality, Albus had left Rudera in her care, as he was busy dealing with real-world matters or wandering around playing games.
“It’ll be more than enough of a battlefield for what you’re looking for. Dao Emperor would be happy if you showed up, too.”
Her former master.
Rebecca fell into thought.
Her master, the Dao Emperor, who had taught her martial arts during the desperate time when she learned anything and everything to ascend the throne, was said to be preparing for an expedition.
‘Not a bad idea.’
If it was a battlefield where someone who had risen to the top of the continent in weaponry was gathering comrades, it would surely help her grow and temper herself.
Having made up her mind, she bid farewell to the Sword Emperor and descended the mountain.
***
Deep within a pitch-black cave.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
The sound of something massive running echoed from the depths.
“…It’s coming. I’m counting on you, Alia.”
“Of course.”
At the request of Albus, the party leader, Alia stepped forward.
Swoosh.
The bracelet on her left arm reacted to her magic, expanding into a large round shield.
Roar!
A gigantic monster emerged from the darkness as it approached.
It was a Drake.
Far larger than the Wild Boar they had encountered before.
Though its front legs were short, its massive body, weighing over 10 tons, and its powerful muscular jaws had inspired the creation of a tyrant lizard monster Albus had seen in his previous life.
The Drake had specs approaching that of a top-tier magical beast.
Boom!
The Drake charged madly, but Alia’s shield blocked the impact.
The collision between the monstrous mass and her shield generated a force akin to a major traffic accident, yet Alia, having matured as a skilled tank, easily absorbed the shock.
“Taunt.”
Bzzz.
The magical energy that flowed from her seeped into the Drake’s mind.
Roarrrr!
The Drake thrashed about even more violently, trying to surge forward.
Her taunt skill, which she gained after switching to a tank class, had taken effect.
“It worked.”
Seeing that the Drake was now fully focused on her, Alia signaled to Albus.
“Alright, everyone, full attack!”
As Albus called for the attack, his companions moved according to their earlier plan.
Perizet swiftly passed beneath the Drake’s legs with the sand.
Crunch, crunch.
The fine sand blades sliced through the tendons in the Drake’s legs.
Roar!
However, perhaps because of its thick calf muscles, the Drake didn’t fall.
As Perizet retreated, Wald stepped forward.
“Ice Missile.”
He thrust his sword forward, magic circles appearing and activating from the blade.
Boom, boom.
Ice projectiles flew out, hitting the Drake’s legs.
Roarrrrr!
The Drake lost its balance and slowly collapsed.
Boom!
A cloud of dust rose into the air.
Even though it had lost its legs, the Drake still thrashed and rampaged around.
Wuuuuung.
Albus stood with his large bow aimed directly at the Drake, gathering magical energy into his hand.
Despite the creature’s frenzy, it was now lying on the ground—a perfect target for an archer.
“Yagne Yastra.”
Swoosh.
Albus activated his skill and released his grip on the bowstring.
A blue arrow flew slowly through the air.
Boommm!
With a flash of Cerenkov light, the arrow struck the Drake, causing a powerful explosion.
“Urgh!”
Did I put too much magic into it?
The shockwave from the explosion surged toward them.
Thud!
At that moment, a shield blocked the path of the shockwave in front of the party.
“Custodire.”
Wuuuung.
With Alia’s muttering, a shield of magic unfolded.
The wind died down.
Alia’s shield had absorbed the explosion.
Ding.
– You have defeated the Tyrant of the Deep Caverns, the Earth Dragon Drake.
As the storm settled, a message appeared, indicating that the Drake had been slain.
“To withstand even Albus’s attack for this long, it’s incredibly tough.”
“Well, it went according to plan, didn’t it?”
“It’s Albus’s plan. There’s no way it could fail.”
The party members looked at Albus with eyes filled with deep trust.
‘Why is everyone suddenly being so intense?’
From Albus’s perspective, he was simply balancing the tank and damage dealers, operating the party like in the games of his past life, but the way they had flawlessly hunted a top-tier monster felt different to them.
Albus’s archer build focused everything on firepower, sacrificing all other aspects for an extreme build.
This was something that worked well in combination with other roles capable of performing different tasks, but such an efficient build was unfamiliar in this world where game culture hadn’t yet developed.
“Well then, how about we celebrate today’s successful hunt with a meal?”
“That’s a good idea, Sword Mage.”
Even after several battles, Alia still called Albus’s companions by their roles rather than their names.
To her, a god, the value of mere mortals—besides Albus—meant nothing more than that.
Albus’s friends just thought she was a peculiar tank.
“Alright, let’s go!”
Gathering the Drake’s spoils, the group exited the dungeon and returned to the village.
“Phew! Looks like our party synergy is finally coming together. I think we could aim for even greater heights now,” Wald said suddenly, as he gulped down a cola.
They had easily subdued the dungeon boss, the Drake, without a scratch.
Of course, this was thanks to Albus’s overwhelming firepower and Alia’s extraordinary tanking abilities (enhanced by her divine presence), but the achievement itself was fitting for a frontline raiding party.
“I definitely agree.”
As the party members gained more experience and their teamwork grew, they were no longer satisfied with average challenges.
Alia concluded that it was safe to head toward more dangerous places.
“So, I’m proposing something. How about joining the World Boss Raid?”
“World Boss Raid?”
“It’s an event happening because the Two Towers of the Labyrinth have temporarily merged.”
“Hmm…?”
Though Albus had left the management of Rudera to Guide in order to enjoy the world properly, he was aware that a large event was in the works.
‘Wasn’t it the raid where players from both servers could participate simultaneously?’
The rewards were meant to entice players, so strong competitors were sure to flock to it.
‘I was planning to train a bit more before tackling such end-game content, but…’
It was hard to resist participating in Rudera’s first World Boss event.
Given how perfectly the party was working together… it wouldn’t be bad to join.