"Focus!"
Once again, he takes a tackle from the lizard and is hurled far away. This is bad; my HP is in the danger zone...
"I'll heal up! Regenerate!"
"Sorry! I didn't mean to worry you!"
While the regeneration takes effect, he drinks a healing potion and gets back into position. Is the muddy hand not firm enough? And why didn't my attack have the ice attribute? Could it be that knowing fire is its weakness made me subconsciously desire that power, preventing me from resonating with Phoebe? In that case, I need to take down the lizard first!
"Phoebe! For now, skip using attribute prayers and focus on buffs!"
"Power boost! Speed boost!"
With Phoebe's support magic enhancing me, I swing my shovel down at the lizard with all my might.
Thunk! After bashing it three times, the lizard, enveloped in a red aura, vanishes.
However, in concentrating on my attacks, I fail to notice a mud hand forming a fist and lunging at me. I get hit hard and am sent flying, suffering heavy damage.
Though the attacks are slow, I'm not killed by rapid strikes, but the ineffective regular attacks are the most troublesome.
I gulp down a health potion to recover some HP and exchange words with Phoebe.
"Hah, hah… that hurt a lot… Phoebe, the mud hand is weak to fire! I need your help for a little longer!"
"Fire, you say? Got it!"
With her response, red flames ignite around me, and I thrust them at the mud hand. It quickly disintegrates as if all its moisture has been drained, before vanishing in a burst of red light.
The mud hand is notably strong against physical attacks, but it has a significant weakness to elemental damage.
"I managed to hold on, but damn, what happened to it being easy at level 15… this is nothing like I expected…"
"Lena, let's retreat. I think this area is far more dangerous than we anticipated."
I kneel to catch my breath… Phoebe suggests a retreat, but…
What to do... It's certainly dangerous, but it's not impossible to fight... This time we struggled due to being outnumbered, but it might be different next time...
"Don't worry, we still have healing potions. Let's push a little further, and we'll retreat immediately if things get bad."
With that decision, I started walking deeper into the Wind Valley.
"Hah, hah... there are so many..."
We had encountered enemies multiple times in the Wind Valley, but they always came in numbers and varying types... We were constantly at a numerical disadvantage. If I could attack with their weak attributes, it would be easier, but the resonance skill only activates with Phoebe's coordination. Although we could communicate to prepare beforehand, switching attributes quickly during battle was difficult...
Phoebe couldn't discern which enemy I was targeting in the heat of the moment...
"Are you okay, Lena? Maybe we should turn back soon..."
"Yeah... Huh? Is someone there?"
I didn't want to worry Phoebe by taking too much damage, and even though my level had increased to 15, the consumption of healing potions was severe. I had already used half of what I bought, leaving me feeling uneasy. Just as I was about to head back, I spotted a resting player.
A large man equipped with an axe, dressed in a lab coat that seemed ill-suited for his muscular body, carried test tubes filled with what appeared to be potions.
"Wow, what luck to encounter someone out here!"
The man in the white coat noticed my presence and approached me with a leisurely demeanor. "Hello! Is it considered lucky to meet someone in this place?"
"Absolutely! Once you enter a dungeon in this world, you get shifted to a different channel, which significantly reduces the chances of encountering other players."
Shifting to a different channel? I didn't feel any such transition, and what exactly is a different channel? For now, I guess I should just remember that encounters with other players are rare in dungeons.
"Since it's fate that we've met here, why not team up to conquer this dungeon together?"
He invited me, and I instinctively glanced at the pocket of my chest where Phoebe was hiding, tucked away snugly. Lily had advised me to keep Phoebe's presence a secret, and while the man seemed friendly, I couldn't be sure of his intentions. Yet, the sheer number of enemies in this dungeon makes having an ally essential.
"Uh… there's a condition. It's fine as long as you don't mention us to anyone else."
"We? But you're all alone, aren't you? Are you perhaps on a quest about being haunted by a ghost or something? If so, I can keep it a secret! We could even share our secrets and become friends, if you'd like!"
'You have received a friend request from Ashton.'
'You have received a party request from Ashton.'
So this person is Ashton… Hmm, they don't seem malicious, so I suppose I can trust them.
"Got it, I'm counting on you, Ashton."
"Friend request accepted."
"Party request accepted."
I just became friends with Ashton—my third friend. Now that we're in a party together, Ashton's HP bar appears beneath mine.
"Alright, I'll reveal my secret first. I may look like this, but I'm actually female, whether it's in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional world. I randomly generated my appearance to boost my stats, and I ended up looking like a big man!"
"Wait, you too?! I'm the complete opposite! When I randomly generated my looks, I ended up with this cute appearance, but I'm a guy!"
"Wow, I can't believe such a coincidence exists!"
I never imagined there would be someone else whose appearance is the opposite of their gender—it makes me feel a sudden sense of closeness.
"Well, now it's time for my secret… Phoebe, this person doesn't seem bad, so it's okay for you to come out."
"Are you sure? Lily told me to be cautious and treat anyone who isn't you or Lena as a potential kidnapper of fairies…"
Phoebe peeks out, and I can't help but wonder what my sister has been teaching her.
"Wow! How cute! What is this adorable little person?!"
"I'm not just a little being; I'm Phoebe, a fairy. I was lured into this world by my sister and on my first quest, I nearly died when I was trapped by a giant spider. It was after that, risking my life to save me, that we began to journey together. My sister warned me that fairies are rare, so I should be careful not to get kidnapped, which is why I've been on guard."
"On your very first day here, you jumped into a life-threatening quest... since then, you've been inseparable! There's definitely a hint of romance between an NPC and a player! I get it! I won't breathe a word about your relationship!"
Um, it's not about a relationship; I just hope you don't spread word about Phoebe's existence… but maybe in this context, it will be fine? That's the feeling I had.
After sharing our secret, we exchanged status information, and their reaction was one of surprise.
"Level 15?! How did you end up here at such a low level?"
"Well, I thought maybe I could manage it based on what I found on the internet..."
"Since you can be revived, that's one thing. But going into the Wind Valley with such a low level and NPC Phoebe is reckless!"
Ah, I could have left Phoebe at home to guard it while I handled the challenge on my own... I had gotten so used to being together that it hadn't even crossed my mind.
"I'm sorry, Phoebe. I put you in danger without thinking."
"No, I'm not bothered by it, so please don't be too down, Lena," Phoebe said, apologizing while realizing that her reliance on recovery potions had led her onto dangerous ground.
"But don't worry, I'm here for you! Let me show you my stats," Ashton offered, pulling up her status screen.
**Ashton**
**Level**: 23
**Gender**: Female
**Class**: Great Axe User / Alchemist
**Status**
HP: 250
MP: 187
Strength: 126
Defense: 90
Dexterity: 63
Agility: 51
Intelligence: 79
Luck: 38
Ashton's stats reflected her as a true powerhouse. Although her skill levels were hidden, there was no doubt about her capabilities. Her HP was three times that of mine, and like my sister, she had two classes listed. That might be a significant factor boosting her stats. I've heard from Lily that leveling up allows you to have dual classes, and I can't wait to reach that level myself.
"All right, I'll take the lead, and Lena, please stay at the back and keep an eye out. I'll take care of the enemies, so leave it to me!" Ashton instructed confidently.
"Got it. Let's be careful," Lena replied.
As we started walking through the Windy Valley, it was less than a minute before Phoebe suddenly shouted, "Fish and zombies are coming from the river!"
"Understood—Shockwave Impact!" Ashton exclaimed, her voice calm but fierce as she slammed her axe into the ground. A yellow shockwave erupted, sending the zombies and fish flying away.
"Leave the zombies to me; please handle the fish!"
"Got it! Phoebe, channel the power of lightning!"
"Understood!"
Empowered by resonance, Archie unleashed a full-force thrust at the fish! The shockwave sent it crashing backward, and with its weak point struck, the fish vanished in an instant.
"Here we go!"
Meanwhile, Ashton, despite his relaxed demeanor, delivered a devastating blow that cleaved the zombie in half—wait, was that an attribute-less strike?
"Isn't the difference in power too great?"
"You can't compare a top-tier axe wielder to a beginner's class, Lena. Once you acquire a subclass or advance to a higher class, you'll grow stronger too!"
I hope that's true, but right now, I haven't even learned any combat skills… My tool-use skills have improved significantly, yet I still can't learn any attack skills.
After a few more fights, Ashton leveraged his size and the axe's weight with a skill called Typhoon, sweeping through enemies. He also immobilized foes with Shockwave Impact, stunning them with a shockwave, before Archie finished them off with his resonance-infused attacks. Occasionally, the number of enemies overwhelmed us, and I took a hit, but thanks to Ashton, the aggro was distributed, allowing me to recover safely.
"Thank you, Ashton! Your area attacks make this a lot easier…"
"Ashton, you're amazing! You're kicking enemies away with your axe!"
"I'm glad I could help! We're about to face the boss, but if we stay calm, we should be able to win."
It seems like the exit is close.
"I wish... I wish... those with the power to protect..."
When we emerged into an open area, I heard a voice—a voice filled with resentment.
"The boss fight has begun!"
"...Uh, this might be bad."
Just as I was gearing up for the battle, a weak voice slipped from Ashton. What's so bad?
"The power to protect the weak... the power to protect loved ones... I envy it... I want it, I want it!!!"
From thin air, a mass of darkness emerged, unleashing a blast of black wind. The mass twisted and began to form a human shape, gradually becoming a skeleton adorned with a crown.
Wait, this looks nothing like the boss I saw online!
'Number Boss: The Ruler of Those Who Cannot Protect has appeared.'
"I'm sorry, Lena! This is the boss I've been chasing for the numerical quest… I had searched for so long, and of all times, it shows up now… I've dragged Phoebe into this."
"Is that so!? Well, it can't be helped! And if you finally found it, that means it's a chance, right!? I'll handle myself and Phoebe, so focus on the fight!"
Encouraging the downcast Ashton, I realized the gravity of the situation. This boss was designed with Ashton in mind, expecting him to fight. Even if we focused solely on defense and escape, how much could we really hold out?