The six of them, combined with the variety of Izel's experiments, clear the monsters within an hour. Pakeeja opens the chest with everyone standing outside of the now empty altar. Unlike the Onyx General who carries a massive sword and stands at 20 meters tall, this monster wields a staff and stands at 12 meters tall.
[Shadow Tactician | Common | Level 20 | Greater]
40,000
With a similar ghost-like appearance to the Silhouettes, the Boss monster's size and health bar made it seem weaker than the Onyx General. Tara and her friends are smart enough to know that couldn't be farther from the truth. Dark energy swirls in the air over the top of the monster's staff, the space around the white jewel shifting slightly. Several black arrows suddenly shoot from this ball towards Tara and the others.
Tara swiftly spins out of the way as Aelix dashes in front of Pakeeja, drawing two of them towards her shield. Asuka forgoes guarding, insteading slamming a hand down to summon a 5 meter tall brown brick wall before Hanit and Izel.
"Asuka!" Hanit cries out as Asuka is thrown through the air. Asuka twists her body in midair to regain her balance, stabbing her sword into the ground as she lands. Even then she's still dragged back several yards.
"I'm fine! Just throw a Heal my way and focus on the Boss." Asuka assures, cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders. Without looking her way, Hanit chants a spell as she fires three arrows consecutively at the Boss.
Tara dashes forth, her eyes aglow and luckily enough Hidden Sight activates.
"It nullifies elemental damage! So strike it fast and hit it hard!" Tara cuts into the monster, aura shining bright.
Unlike when fighting the Mobs, she doesn't hold back. Her attacks deal 300 physical damage with an additional 100 written in cobalt blue and 200 in phlox pink. Even better is the Bleed and Dampen effects activating thus making the Boss weaker.
"You need both your weapons?" Asuka snickers when Tara skids beside her after being flung back.
"This is not a competition!" Tara snaps though inwardly within their spheres Oorun says a curse in the ancient tongue while Wolyung summons her spear with a smile.
A sudden barrage of several basketball sized darkness causes the arguing Tara and Asuka to jump apart before anything can come from it. They both dash forward but Asuka is faster than Tara with longer legs. Despite the additional damage from her daggers. Asuka with her one blade does nearly double Tara's overall damage.
As the four of them dodge and block, while Izel and Hanit support them, Tara begins to notice something. Her and Aelix's movements are stiffer and not as flexible. Both Asuka and Pakeeja carry every action as if their virtual body is their physical. This lack of discongruity leads them to exhibit stronger, faster attacks. Tara can't help it when she finds herself analyzing Asuka's movements. What is the difference?
Tara's not sure how to get better control of her body. The only thing she can do is ask. Pakeeja would happily assist but she knew Asuka would be smug.
"Dancer and Starry, pin the Shadow Tactician down. Melody and Lavender, don't hold back anymore. Sword, think you can separate the weapon from their grip?" Pakeeja gives out orders, their brow knitted a few hours later.
"I can do one better if they can actually keep it in place for 10 seconds. What do you have planned?" Asuka replies.
"Divine intervention? I'm trying something new." Pakeeja smiles in return. "On three! One...two...three!"
Tara uses Solar Thunder Waltz, dazzling in front of the monster's face and striking both eyes with heavily focused aura jabs. Aelix appears overhead, spear crackling with energy as chains of lightning bind the monster's limbs. Thousands of cyan arrows pinhole the monster's body as Izel copies Hanit's attack.
The ground beneath Asuka's feet begins to crumble as umber and crimson Essence starts to swirl around her. Power surges through her body, pupils shifting from circle shaped to diamond shaped unbeknownst to her. She practically teleports as she's suddenly hovering over the monster's wrist.
"One Sword Style: Rending Fang!"
At first, as Asuka lands and hops backwards, there's no sign of any damage done. Then a piercing cry that shakes space erupts from the ghost-like monster as it's entire hand is dissected from its body. The staff it wields falls to the ground causing a small quake. Truly enraged and about to enter its Berserk phase, Pakeeja floats between its blinded eyes.
The bright verdant green sphere of wind enveloping Pakeeja shifts to a deep cobalt as they cut down. A devastating tornado blooms from the slash, blowing their friends backwards with the monster at the center.
Innumerable blades of wind cut the Shadow Tactician from all sides, rapidly plummeting its Health Bar. It's Recovery rate can't keep up and it soon gave an anguished cry of defeat.
Pakeeja floats down as the group's rewards burst forth in an explosion of light. When it is later all counted, the group finds they had been given triple compared to the Onyx General.
What is more shocking is Pakeeja's state! The normally 4 feet tall gnome has shrunk by a foot!
"What was that?!" Izel exclaims as they all rush to Pakeeja's side.
"A Divine Blessing. It can boost one attack Skill of mine to max level. The downside is I can only use it once every natural month and it puts me in a Weakened state for a while." Pakeeja's face flushes with exhaustion as they plop onto the ground.
"I have one as well but it's only meant for healing Skills." Hanit confesses after a beat. Everyone's excited eyes go from a prideful but tired Pakeeja to a certain but embarrassed Hanit. Even with such a long cooldown, the fact that two of their friends had such powerful Skills made them all excited.
Asuka and Tara guard Pakeeja as they rest, leaving Aelix, Hanit, and to collect the spoils.
"How do I get my body to move naturally like yours?" Tara fills the silence. Pakeeja looks up from the screens of the other teams and Asuka turns her full body to face Tara instead of simply cutting an eye.
Tara is expecting some sort of sign that she was being looked down on. What she receives is decidedly not that. Gone was the challenge and rivalry on Asuka's face instead of...sadness? Melancholy? She can't find the right word.
"We really did have different childhoods. You should really go to your old man for that. I'll just say that a strong mind and strong body will help you increase your combat standards immensely." Asuka replies cryptically before her facade returns with a 'humph'. She stomps off towards Hanit while calling Aelix to take her place.
"What is her problem?" Tara wonders, unnerved.
"You're the only grandchild right? Unlike you who doesn't have to worry about succession with Blueriver, it's different for other families of Guilds at that level." Pakeeja speaks up watching Asuka relax once she is within speaking distance of Hanit.
Tara hadn't thought of that deeply before. The founding members' children and grandchildren of the various Super Guilds are in constant, intense competition. Sometimes even sudden changes in power made the news! By being the Founding Leader's only grandchild, Tara had been spared a life of strife. While Asuka gets along with her sister, it is likely the two fought often with their cousins and peers.
"Is it the same for you?" Tara asks. The glassy eyed look and imperceptible smile Pakeeja gives her makes Tara unsure if it's from tiredness or something else.
They make a very large haul fighting this Boss, 3 times as much than earlier with 120 Mysterious Crystals and Tier Shards! At the sight of the loot, a well rested Pakeeja makes the decision to go Boss hunting! Though between their first Boss with their Explorers, looking into the Sacred Beasts Cavern, and the most recent bout all 12 hours of the session had been used up.
Luckily, there are several more days of the Event to reap rewards from if you don't wipe. Over the next three days, those that have suffered defeat time and time again, figure out the good and bad news.
The good news is that not losing a level nor any Equipment upon death. Furthermore, they are immediately sent back to their campsite to recuperate. The bad news was they were individually restricted to the campsite for two hours upon death before venturing out. Additionally, monsters killed did not respawn unless a new location was found.
Thus, despite many Super Guilds having higher combat standards, a cycle of defeat and rest is created. Only several Super Guilds close to Ultra Guilds, like White Mountain and the few others from China, India, and Mexico had continued success.
Only the Ultra Guilds Eastern America's Blueriver, Japan's Harmony's Blade, and Cameroon's Turquoise Rockfowl buck this trend entirely. It goes without saying that out of smaller Workshops only Ruby Blade and Lapis Tome sweep through their respective Mobs and Bosses!
The teens who are new to virtual reality are showing massive improvement in their bodily control and casting time. Much to the surprise of those who came from families with a stake in the gaming world, all of these naturals are a welcome gift!
Asuka, for example, is miffed at Tara's growth just from a vague comment. While Tara hasn't gotten rid of her stiffness completely, she is much more flexible and quicker three days later.
As welcome as she is to the Blueriver headquarters, seeing her grandfather is another matter entirely. He has his hand in everything pertaining to the organization, including keeping his only level up. Instead, she had asked her mother Karuna the best way to increase her physical and mental strength. Karuna immediately pulls her wife and daughter into a presentation of her personal theories about the subject.
For now, Tara tries to eat an energy filled meal and a 20 minute meditation session before logging on. The effects are small thus far but noticeable. It seems that her brain burns the extra calories making her virtual body more comfortable and the clear minded state she achieved lets her process faster.
Alongside the constant battling over the three day period, her Skills that demand Proficiency for growth have all gained an extra level. Inspect is level 5 and Pinpoint is Level 3, both of which she had learned from the Key of Light. Reflect and Obscure from the Key of Darkness are both Level 2, the same now as her Riversword Bladeplay moves! She could now keep up with Asuka's base damage if they went all out.
After defeating the [Shadow Tactician], the six Novelists went to the other areas on the island to further their Skills and collect more items. Of the rest of the elemental Bosses only the [Light General] gave them the most trouble with its ability to reflect all damage back to the source.