When Manho regained his sight, he found himself shrouded in a thick, eerie fog that made visibility difficult. The air was heavy with moisture, and the ground beneath was soft and muddy. Some shadows of tall trees were visible from afar. When Manho surveyed his surroundings, he felt a bit of pressure, knowing he was about to attempt the Fog Swamp in Abyssal tier difficulty.
In New Haven, dungeons had different levels and different difficulty tiers. The tiers were Normal, Savage, and Abyssal. Starting from Normal, the difficulty was self-explanatory, but when it came to Savage difficulty, only a few players in the game could beat it. As for Abyssal difficulty, it was impossible for most other players.
But Manho had some confidence, all because of his memories and his legacy weapon.
When the rest of the group saw where they were, they started to panic, especially Bluesmoke. He stood at a modest height and had a slim frame that showed he hadn't fully grown, but his face revealed he was in his late twenties and the oldest in the group.
Bluesmoke said, "What the fuck have you done? I know you're level 7, but what the fuck???" He stopped speaking to inhale some air and continued, "Even those from tier 2 guilds didn't have the courage to try the dungeon on Savage difficulty, and you chose to try Abyssal difficulty?" He kept ranting, "We are fucked... we are fucked..."
When the rest of the group looked at him, they almost started to laugh because of his hysteria. When Manho was looking at him, he chuckled. He had no memory of this player from his last life. 'He may be just a mediocre player...' Manho thought.
Suddenly, Luke whispered to Manho, "Why did you choose Abyssal difficulty? We can't beat it with our group."
When Manho heard that, he suddenly said in a loud voice, "I know someone who was in the beta test of the game, so I know everything about the dungeon. You don't need to be scared. Just follow my lead and do everything I say, or I won't take responsibility for what happens to you."
When they heard what Manho said, all of them let out a sigh of relief—except for Bluesmoke, who kept yelling and cursing. "What if you know about the dungeon? It's not like you've tried it yourself... so we are still fucked."
When Manho heard that, he didn't say anything. 'He's right. It's not like reading about something and actually trying it.'
Manho said he knew someone from the beta test of the game so he wouldn't draw any unnecessary suspicion about himself because he was going to lead them to conquer the dungeon.
Manho suddenly said, "Alright, Bluesmoke, shut the fuck up or I will kick you from the party." Bluesmoke, a level 5 healer, suddenly quieted down and didn't make a peep after Manho's warning.
Then Manho said, "I'll tell you the plan, so listen up carefully!"
"I will be the scout and the physical damage dealer of the squad. I will go in front of the group," he continued. "I'll get the aggro from the monster, and then we'll kill it one by one."
"You, Sweet Pumpkin, and Bluesmoke will stay at the back of the group. Creed will be in the middle, and Brightsmile and I will be the spear of the squad."
"From the information I have about the dungeon, there are naturally-made traps in the swamp—this is just in Abyssal difficulty."
"Don't worry about the traps; I know where they are, so it will be easy. Just focus on your jobs."
"Healer, focus most of your heals on the tank."
"Mages, don't attack until I tell you to."
"And everything will be okay."
When the squad heard that, they didn't say anything, except for Bluesmoke, who wanted to say something, but when Manho looked at him and smiled, he fumbled and didn't say anything.
Manho said, "Prepare; I'm going to get our first monster!"
When Manho said that, he dashed into the dense forest. As he sprinted, his movements were swift and erratic, like a leaf caught in a wild gust of wind. He didn't follow a straight path but zigzagged with an almost instinctual awareness of the dangers around him. Each step was calculated, his eyes constantly scanning the ground for the telltale signs of the treacherous terrain—patches of soft earth that could give way into a hidden pit or clusters of twisted roots lying in wait to trip the unwary.
When Manho thought about these traps, he felt a headache. In his last life, every guild that tried this dungeon on Abyssal difficulty suffered massive casualties because of these traps.
As Manho sprinted through the forest, avoiding the traps, he saw a group of huge monsters that looked like mutated sea crabs. They were called Mire Lurkers. One of them looked like a large, amphibious creature with a broad, flat body and long, powerful limbs. Its skin was a mottled green and brown, perfect for blending into the swamp.
When Manho inspected him, he saw:
Mire Lurker (Level 10)Health Points (HP): 2000/2000
Its HP was high, but Manho didn't mind. This kind of monster was one of the weakest in the swamp. Manho disappeared, activating stealth, and dashed to one of them, slashing it.
-350 HP
When Manho saw the damage he dealt, he smiled. 'They are strong and have physical damage resistance,' he thought. When the rest of the monsters saw Manho, they started to attack him. Manho didn't even flinch before he jumped back and started running.
There were six monsters in the pack that were following him. Manho was going to use the natural traps to kill them. When the monsters were following him, they didn't pay attention to the traps as they normally would, and four of them fell into the traps and died.
Manho didn't get any EXP for their deaths. 'This isn't going to work a second time,' Manho thought. He knew the last two monsters wouldn't follow him blindly because the monsters had some intelligence.
When the rest of the group was waiting for Manho, they saw his shadow emerge from the forest, and he was yelling, "Prepare for the fight!!"
Manho was sprinting and dodging the attacks of the giant monsters. When Manho arrived at the group, they saw that there were two giant crabs. When the rest inspected them, they gasped in shock; the monsters were quite strong.
Manho said, "Don't worry, they are quite weak against magic damage. The only strong thing about them is their defense."
When the squad heard that, the pressure they felt eased up a little. Suddenly, Manho said, "Brightsmile, go for the first monster and use Taunt!"
**Taunt**: A powerful skill that draws the attention of nearby enemies, forcing them to focus their attacks on the user. When activated, it generates a surge of aggro, compelling foes to abandon their current targets and redirect their hostility toward the tank.
- **Cast Time**: Instant.
- **Cooldown**: 3 minutes.
luke class was called shield-warrior it was one of the most basic classes in new haven they are specialists in defensive combat, focusing on using shields not just for protection but also as weapons. They are trained to turn any shield into a tool of offense and defense, often working as tank or front-line defenders.
When Luke heard Manho's command, he didn't hesitate and immediately used Taunt to draw the aggro of the huge monster in front of them. Suddenly, he yelled, "Get ready, guys! We're gonna have seafood tonight!".
The rest of the group didn't even hear him; they were entirely focused on the monster in front of them. It was a Level 10 creature—taking it down seemed nearly impossible given their current levels and equipment.