Chapter 39: The Path of Radiance
Under the fierce barrage of the party’s DPS (Damage Per Second) players, the first Blood Zombie’s health quickly plummeted. It let out a final, guttural roar before collapsing to the ground.
Evelyn’s Grizzly Bear held the Grudging Foreman at bay for over ten seconds. Her timely healing kept it alive just long enough for Ryan and the others to finish off the zombie and redirect their attention to the Foreman. With the monster’s aggro gradually shifting, the transition was smooth.
The Blood Zombies only managed to inflict about 70 damage per hit on Ryan—a negligible amount given his considerable health pool. Even the Foreman’s massive, fan-like hand, when it slammed into him, only dealt around 100 damage. Combined with the minor hits from the remaining zombies, it barely put a dent in his health. The party’s tension eased.
"Quite tough, aren’t you? Not bad, keep it up!" Evelyn said with a smile, already casting her pet revival skill after the last monster dropped. Her optimism was growing. With this team, she started to believe they might actually clear the upper levels of the Abandoned Mine.
Mia rolled her eyes at Evelyn’s cheer, then waved at Ryan, shouting, "Go, go, go! Let’s get to the back and kill the boss for some gear!" Her excitement was palpable. As a first-time player, she had already been drawn deeply into the game’s world.
Ryan glanced at Mia’s glowing expression, his heart swelling with pride. Despite being new, her gameplay was already on par with seasoned players—perhaps even surpassing some professionals. Her innate talent was astonishing, and he couldn’t help but feel both amazed and delighted.
Without further delay, Ryan led the group deeper into the mine, systematically eliminating the wandering elite monsters along the way. Though these enemies carried the "elite" tag, the rewards they dropped were underwhelming.
After a long grind, their haul amounted to just a few dozen silver coins, some linen cloth, and two green-tier items. One was the green shortbow they’d looted at the entrance. The other, a green dagger, wasn’t an upgrade for Faded Leaf Kitten, who already had something better. Evelyn planned to sell or trade it for something more useful for the party.
As the group pushed forward, Heavyblade Vina serving as their healer—suddenly gasped.