Chapter 167
The Hopping General, also known as the Locust Commander, wasn't particularly strong by himself.
His class was 4, with stats barely reaching class 5.He had three skills: Sky Step, Incite, and Whirlwind.
Sky Step was the same skill I used.Incite boosted the morale of nearby Hopping Soldiers.Whirlwind enhanced his attack power when swinging weapons with his four arms.
In short, he was the type of monster that only showed his true strength when surrounded by his swarm.
"First strike."His usual tactic was to attack in numbers, leap through the air, and finish off his prey.But what happens when a monster like that is the one ambushed?
"Neck Hunt."The answer was simple—he was fragile.
Before he could even raise his club to counter, I used the fallen Hopping Soldiers as stepping stones and closed the distance.Before he could fully react, I severed the wrist of his upper-left arm—the one wielding the cleaver.
"!?"
Despite the stat difference, the level gap wasn't enough to stop an armor-piercing strike from destroying a limb.Losing his strongest weapon arm threw him off.
Amina’s song had disrupted his aggro, delaying his reaction, but his attacks were also too broad.Every swing was telegraphed—his fighting style relied on his swarm covering his openings.
As my attack drew his attention, a flash of lightning surged.Claudia had caught up using Thunder Step.
"Hmph!"Just as I slipped past to flank him, Claudia struck with a Reverse Blow.His guard was lowered from Crushing Fist, and the unexpected hit landed cleanly.
"Gah!?"
Gasping for air, his face twisted in pain—but did he really have time to stand around?
True, the ground was littered with Hopping Soldiers, making it unstable for follow-up attacks.But even if combos were impossible, coordinated strikes were still an option.
Claudia retreated from the unstable footing, scattering his aggro again.While his focus was split between Amina, me, and Claudia, a golden gleam entered his vision.
"Here! The power of a thousand zeni! Know the might of money!!"Last to arrive, Nelle leaped with Sky Step, raising her halberd high above her head as the Locust Commander stood defenseless.
"GOLD SMASH!!"Even at a low skill level, the firepower of 100,000 zeni was devastating against a class 4 boss.And with Nelle’s EXBP leaning toward physical stats, the damage was even greater.
Her full-powered swing connected before his shield could react, splitting his face with a clean shink.
Critical hit.
A blow that guaranteed massive HP loss.But bosses weren’t so weak as to die in one hit.
Still, half his face had been sheared off, black ash scattering from the wound.His life was nearly spent.
"■■■■■■■■■■!!!!"
He screamed—howled.A general ordering his troops to slaughter the enemy before his own demise.
His skill, Incite, activated.
Overriding Amina’s taunt, all aggro shifted toward us.If the swarm attacked at once, we’d be overwhelmed.
But if we did nothing, the Hopping Soldiers would swarm us in seconds.
"I’LL TAKE CENTER STAGE!!!"…That’s what would have happened.
But if we overwrote his Incite with something even stronger, its effect would be nullified.
As Amina shouted, overlapping spotlights enveloped her.Center Light’s focus effect, layered with her Applause Song, surpassed the Locust Commander’s command.
"Nice."Mentally giving a thumbs-up, I launched the final attack while his attention was diverted.
"If the footing is unstable, just use attacks that don’t need it."
Claudia was the first to move.Using a Hopping Soldier as a stepping stone, she soared high into the air.
This was her other ultimate technique—one we hadn’t seen until now.
"Light-Dark Meteor."
White light and black shadow spiraled around her legs, combining with gravity for a devastating dropkick.
Seeing Claudia ascend, the commander tried to raise his shield—but he should have dodged instead.
"Ankles taken."Focusing upward left his lower half exposed.I slipped in and severed his front ankle, making him stagger.
You sure about turning your back on me?
Because behind him, a certain golden-furred fox girl was charging in with her halberd.
"Goodbye!! My two thousand zeni!!"A full-force slash split his back open, making him reel—just in time for Claudia’s descent.
"HAAAAAAAA!!!"Her kick pierced through his neck, cleanly decapitating him.
"Mission complete."The Hopping General collapsed.
"Now comes the cleanup!! Follow me, men!!!"With the boss gone, no more monsters would spawn.The battle shifted from defense to annihilation as the soldiers pushed forward.
Leading the charge was Knight Coltle.
The enemy’s combat ability hadn’t dropped, but with reinforcements cut off, the situation was far more manageable.
While mopping up the remaining Hopping Soldiers, we regrouped as the troops approached.
"We’ll leave cleanup to them. Once we’ve looted what we can, we’re pulling back.""Right. Overdoing it would just cause friction later.""Loot… including that?"
Our next steps were simple:Let the soldiers handle the remaining swarm while we fell back to the defense point.If we held there, the mission would soon be over.
"Obviously."
But first—time for rewards.
Nelle pointed at three golden treasure chests, one silver chest, and a wooden box half-hidden in the glow.
Raid bosses, designed for multiple participants, dropped more loot.Five chests were guaranteed—one gold, one silver, and the rest random.Each contained at least three items.
"The Hopping General’s drops include a guaranteed scroll and an earth-attribute class 4 spirit stone. The rest is up to luck."
The gold chests always contained one scroll—either Charge, Sky Step, or (rarely) Earth Magic.They could also drop equipment from the Hopping Series, which granted earth resistance and, as a set bonus, Sky Step (Class 4)—allowing two midair steps.
The silver chest had a fixed class 4 earth spirit stone, plus possible consumables or low-chance Hopping gear.
"Let’s open them quick. There are still enemies around. Nelle, handle the looting. Claudia and I will cover you.""Got it!"
But we had our lucky charm.
As Nelle opened the chests, Claudia and I kept the area clear while gathering drops.The swarm had left behind wing fragments and light magic stones glowing under the moonlight.Collecting them while staying alert was tricky.
"Hah! Hyah! With this many, it’s great training!!"
Claudia, treating them as perfect punching bags, made my looting easier.
"Liberta! Help me! I can’t carry all this alone!"
When Nelle called out, I turned—
"Whoa. A full set plus extras?"
—and saw two complete Hopping Series sets and two extra helmets lying there.
Normally, raid drops required farming the same boss repeatedly to collect a full set.The Hopping Series was valuable for granting Sky Step without consuming skill slots.
In-game, it had been in high demand—here, it could fetch a fortune at auction.
"As expected of Nelle."
I gave her a thumbs-up, and she responded with a peace sign and a grin—then proudly showed off two scrolls.
"No way. Nelle, you’re insane.""Ehehe."
Gold chests had four drop slots (one reserved for scrolls).With three chests, that meant eight slots minimum—enough for a full armor set.But the extra helmet and second scroll didn’t fit.
And the spirit stones piled at her feet…
Just how much did you boost the drop rate, Nelle?
Her usual dungeon luck, amplified by raid bonuses, had broken all expectations.
If she’d been an NPC with drop-rate buffs, she’d have been tier one.No—she’d have been patched out for balance.
Getting two full sets in one raid? Impossible for normal players.Even lucky players would be praised for just three pieces.
Yet Nelle had casually surpassed that.
Add her adorable embarrassed smile, and she’d have been a must-have unit—possibly banned in challenge runs.
Nelle the Drop Cheat. Amina the Song Genius. Ingrid with her unbeatable connections.
…Is our party too broken?
Claudia, our guardian, was also one of the strongest named characters.
I could only thank my luck for this lineup.Though maybe my luck was too skewed toward connections.
"Liberta? You okay? Spacing out.""Ah, yeah. Just thanking the gods for letting me meet Nelle.""Wha—? Out of nowhere?""No, really. Thank you, Nelle.""I-I feel the same! Every day’s fun, so… th-thank you too."
As I watched her wagging tail, I reaffirmed the importance of gratitude.
Bonds are worth cherishing.
Once we finished looting, Coltle’s voice rang out.
"Liberta! Leave the rest to us!""Then we’ll entrust it to you.""Understood!"
With the remnants being cleared, peace would soon return to this land.
And so, we witnessed the end of the raid.