Vol. 4: Chapter 8
While Hazel was the cornerstone of the team, she was still young and lacked experience. She could handle herself just fine, but leading a full squad was a heavy burden.
The team’s actual shot-caller was their mage, Lunara.
As their squad entered the narrow passage, they were immediately hit by a strange, sweet scent. Hazel, taking the lead, sniffed the air excitedly.
"It smells so good in here! You guys getting this?"
"Yeah, I smell it too," came the replies from behind her.
Lunara, ever observant, scanned the tunnel. "Hey, look," she said, her curiosity piqued. "The floor is covered in flower petals."
Hazel’s head snapped to the side. Sure enough, the stone floor along the walls was carpeted in petals. She leaned in for a closer look and noticed something else.
"It's not just flowers. There are seashells all over the walls, too."
The others began examining their surroundings, their initial excitement turning to puzzlement.
"Check it out, a turtle shell."
"And there are fish and shrimp over here."
"This is so weird. Why is there so much marine stuff down here?"
Muttering amongst themselves, they pressed forward. They weren't worried about an ambush; Kael had told them their designated path was clear of monsters.
Suddenly, Hazel let out a sharp gasp from the front of the line.
"Ah! Lunara, look! What is that? It's terrifying!"
"Halt!" Lunara's voice was sharp, bringing the team to an immediate stop. She turned to another mage behind her. "Lexi, light orb."
"On it."
Lexi stepped up behind Hazel and began to chant. A few seconds later, a glowing sphere of light rose from her palm. It drifted slowly into the air, illuminating the section of the tunnel Hazel was pointing at.
What swam into view was the severed head of a Great White Shark. Its massive jaw was agape, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth, poised as if to devour anyone who dared approach.
A collective shiver went down the girls' spines.
Lunara, however, studied it for a moment before letting out a breath. "It's okay," she called back to the team. "It's not a mob, just part of the scenery. Same as the fish on the walls."
"Oh!"
A wave of relief washed over the group. But they proceeded with far more caution now, their earlier confidence replaced by a wary tension. The walls were now dotted with the skeletal remains of various animals, adding to the grim atmosphere.
After a ten-minute walk, they finally arrived at their destination:
[Tidehowler's Lair]
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In the center of the cavern, a small white fox was curled up, its eyes already fixed on them as if it had been waiting. As they entered, it rose slowly to its feet, stretched languidly, and then stood there with a playful, almost smiling expression.
This wasn't a creature preparing for battle. This was a pet begging for head scratches.
Sure enough, some of the girls in the back were already melting.
"Aww, look at the cute little fox!"
"I just want to pet it!"
...
Hazel, however, felt a knot of dread in her stomach. The adorable sight didn't relax her in the slightest; it only brought back a painful memory. She’d seen a scene just like this before. At the bottom of the Verdant Pool, they had found a cute cat. Orion had approached it, cooing, and had been vaporized in a single hit.
Cute didn't mean weak. And it definitely didn't mean you could mess with it.
Lunara's voice boomed through the chamber, shaking the others from their daze. "Stay sharp! That's the boss. Don't let its looks fool you."
Her shout snapped them back to reality, and they quickly suppressed their urge to cuddle the enemy.
Hazel hefted her level 60 Dragonscale Bulwark and advanced slowly.
Her current stats were:
HP: 92,000+
Physical Attack: 8,500+
Physical Defense: 62,500+
Magic Defense: 36,500+
The team's priest cast a few buffs on Hazel, then fell back with the others to their designated waiting position. Shield in her left hand, one-handed hammer in her right, Hazel cautiously approached the boss.
[Tidehowler (Mage-Hate)]: Level 39
HP: 90,000,000
Physical Attack: 15,500
Magic Attack: 25,800
Physical Defense: 22,000
Magic Defense: 1,500
The stats were bizarre. It was a magic-based attacker with high physical defense but practically non-existent magic defense.
The moment Hazel stepped within 100 yards, Tidehowler raised a paw and cast a spell.
A serpent made of pure water surged toward Hazel.
-1 (Shield Absorption)
It didn't even penetrate her defenses. Hazel continued forward.
Tidehowler flicked its paw again.
[Lightning Strike]
A bolt of lightning crashed down from the ceiling, striking Hazel dead-on.
-113 (Shield Absorption)
That one broke through, but the damage was less than a mosquito bite.
When Hazel was finally in melee range, she swung her hammer.
-1
Tidehowler swiped back with its tiny claws.
-1 (Shield Absorption)
Seeing this, Hazel's teammates remained perfectly still, watching from a distance as their tank and the fox traded what amounted to love taps. They all remembered Kael's explicit instructions:
"Tidehowler has the 'Mage-Hate' modifier. Hazel has to hold its aggro solo for at least an hour before the mages can engage."
"Mage-Hate" meant that any damage from mages would generate a disproportionately high amount of threat. Many later bosses had similar mechanics.
"Mage-Hate" was manageable—you could just bring fewer mages or have them carefully control their DPS. The truly deadly bosses were the ones with "Priest-Hate" or even "Healer-Hate." Most standard groups couldn't clear those at all.
Tidehowler's laughably low magic resistance meant it was incredibly vulnerable to mage damage. As a cruel joke, the system had given it "Mage-Hate," forcing players into a tactical dilemma. That's why Kael had been so insistent that the mages wait a full hour before joining the fight.
And so, a young girl and a white fox began to gently "pat" each other.
-1
-1 (Shield Absorption)
-1
-3 (Shield Absorption)
The priest didn't even need to heal, just reapply Hazel's shield before it expired.
An hour is a strange length of time. The nine girls in the back started off on high alert, watching intently. But after three minutes of the mind-numbing stalemate, boredom began to set in.
Someone suggested a few rounds of Gwent to pass the time, with one person left on watch duty for Hazel.
The perfect proposal was, of course, immediately accepted. Soon, the sounds of shuffling cards filled the cavern.
But the player who was supposed to be watching Hazel's status bar got a little too invested in a particularly intense match, and the actual boss fight completely slipped her mind...
An hour and a half dragged by.
Hazel, still trading blows with the boss, felt a growing sense of unease. She risked a glance over her shoulder and saw all nine of her teammates completely engrossed in their card game.
A profound sense of abandonment washed over her.
Just then, Lunara happened to look up from her hand. She saw the tears welling up in Hazel's eyes and was struck by a wave of shame so intense it felt like a physical blow.
Oh god, she thought. Right. We're here to fight a boss.