The cute and innocent girl Shadyna is being bullied~

By a metal box, no less. Sateri, can't you do something about these bosses' designs?

Even though I haven't done anything to it (directly), it's firing lasers at me! Isn't that rude? At least invite me to a tea party and brag about your evil plans first!

…Because I blew the whole mountain away, there's no place to hold a tea party anymore? Hey, I didn't plan for that to happen, okay? Who could have predicted that Sateri had a scripted event in case of a carpet bombing?!

*FWOOSH*

Eek! I'm sorry!

Every three seconds, a laser will strike at my position, so I have to be constantly on the move. I think its lock does not move for the last half second before firing, which is a good thing for me.

_ Elri (Party): Why are you here?

_ Miel (Party): left me for dead to save her own skin…

Hey! Last I checked, you weren't laser-ed, !

Apparently she used a [Recall] item to return to the main force's position. Good thinking, considering the lack of mountain means plunging to the ground from the height of several kilometers. Without [Air Cushion], it is unlikely for her to survive.

…Why are there so few players with that skill, despite the easy unlock condition? Is flailing around midair not usual behavior?

_ Hessy (Party): , can we [Recall] yet?

_ Shadyna (Party): Wait a minute. I need to get close…

*Zzzzt zzzzt* *FWOOSH*

If I can get close, that is.

The boss still has an AoE attack which it hasn't used for some reason. My apprentices could avoid both as long as they weren't backed into a wall, so I should be fine.

Switching off [Friendship Engine], I begin freefalling to the ground. Most of the distance between us is due to height difference. Once I drop to the ground, it will be in my spell range. One little girl falling from the sky coming right up~

It's charging up for another laser again. I'm in motion so no issue here.

*WHAM*

_ Shadyna (Party): HYA?!

I was hit!?

Red filled my vision as the laser engulfed me. An explosion followed suit and threw me sideways violently. And have I mentioned that I am spinning like a curveball? Because I am spinning like a curveball!!!

Spinny spinny spin~

_ Shadyna: [Friendship Engine]!!!

I managed to call the skill name despite the whole world rotating before my eyes. Bleurgh… Even if this is not reality, I can still feel disoriented and overwhelmed by such rough treatment you know!

Having stabilized, I barely turned in time to evade the next laser. Okay, you (not so) little jerk, you either track my position, or you can lead the shot by my current velocity, but mixing targeting modes is illegal! Don't do one thing for a few times then switch to the other to catch me off guard!

Especially when I would be caught off guard!

Since it is being as predictable as a heroine in love, I have to bank left and right randomly to avoid its attacks. I am already aiming for the ground, what's the point of trying to shoot me down anyway?!

If anything, hitting me from that direction would keep me in the air longer!

_ Hessy (Party): , still breathing?

_ Shadyna (Party): I am alive, thank you very much! I lost 7k HP though!

A bit stronger than the weird mask's magical bolts, most likely due to it being a single-target attack. Actually, is it single-target? That laser can wipe a party if everyone stands closely enough!

With overflow HP, I have a total of 40k HP. 7k is not something I can't recover from. My potions can't keep up if I get hit all the time though.

…

After half a minute of lethal light show, I finally land on the surface.

From afar, it looks pretty small, but this boss is actually as big as a house. Seeing it towering me at this close range, I can only think of one thing.

_ Shadyna (Party): This is just a huge refrigerator.

When you find a metallic box with a side looking like doors, with a snowy background, most sane people will think of a fridge first and foremost, right?

…Although I would like to ask why it is needed in this kind of weather.

_ Elri (Party): Huh, also described it as such.

See~?

During our short exchange, the boss has escalated its offense. In addition to the death laser, it is hurling burning boulders at me now.

Yes, a fridge, using rocks, that are literally on fire. What the heck happened when you designed this thing, Sateri?!

Compared to the weird mask, weird fridge has lower rate of fire. The burning boulders explode on impact though, so evasion requires jumping or using [Leap] to get out of the AoE in time. This attack was the one giving trouble, and for good reason.

Without perfect evasion, the defender will get hit eventually, and pushed back due to the impact. And this thing doesn't seem to be the type that lets up its assault for the sake of sportsmanship, causing its target to end up backed against the wall.

Once that happens, it's over. The defender no longer gets a free evasion by being blown away, then it becomes what gamers call a "stunlock", a chain of attacks that completely prevents all actions of the opponent. I saw it in 's footages, and it was horrifying.

Her ability to endure the assault for so long, that is.

Still, no one bullies my cute apprentice and gets away with it!

_ Shadyna: Heep~ ho~

Because there's no wall behind me, I can stay at long range and dodge with relative ease. Plopping down a familiar wooden board for [Recall] during the small gap between attacks, I use [Leap] to avoid having it caught up in the boulder attack.

_ Shadyna (Party): Sending [Recall] coordina…

*BOOM*

The boulder wasn't aimed at me.

_ Shadyna (Party): My wooden board!!!

For some reason, the boss targeted the board instead of me. I know it doesn't have a good opinion of furniture, but it only broke stuff after party wipe! Why did it switch target this time?!

_ Elri (Party): What is it this time?

_ Shadyna (Party): It is prioritizing the furniture over me!

_ Hessy (Party): Alright, we are moving on foot then. , lead the way.

_ Elri (Party): *Sighs* Fine.

Uuu, Hessy doesn't trust me at all~

It's our backup plan in case I fail to secure a [Recall] location. However, they are at the (former) foot of the mountain, which is a long distance to where I am. It will take several minutes to traverse. Several minutes that I do not have thanks to this clock in my vision ticking down mercilessly.

Annoying~

_ Shadyna (Party): Everyone, please move in formation. Mera, can you prepare to craft a [Mass Recall] item to these coordinates? Initiate the craft on my mark.

_ Mera (Party): Always ready~

You cannot craft it without a valid location. That's why I am going to make it available for a split second for Mera. The last boss becomes vulnerable thanks to the heroic sacrifice of the cute but sadly not-heroine sidekick, just long enough for the hero to swing his sword of mass destruction!

Actually, I prefer not being sacrificed for the plot, and such heroes should be shot on sight for kill-stealing. A bunch of jerks, those guys are…

Avoid the laser, then the next boulder, [Leap] back to the agreed position, place the backup board.

_ Shadyna (Party): NOW!

_ Mera (Party): Crafting started~ Please suffer and despair while waiting~

The despair is mostly coming from having to deal with you~

We need a [Mass Recall] item as it can be used almost instantly. What I am going to do has such a short window of opportunity that even Mera, with all her focus on MSP, can't cast it fast enough.

Now then, let's dance with the fridge until she finishes.

_ Shadyna: [Incompetent Charm]!

Brandishing my sword, I begin with a skill to convert all attributes to LDR. Let's "buff" this thing to kingdom come!

____________

Somewhere to the west of the (now gone) mountain, stands an outpost of . It has been their base of operations in the area since they abandoned the excavation site, mostly for detecting raid attempts to intercept.

And today, the outpost is brimming with players.

_ Torenis: So, you are saying there is another boss over there right now?

_ Vladina: Exactly.

After being tricked by the fake tablets, and returned and burnt through a lot of MP potions to arrive at this place. members were already rallying in response to the attack of the cafeteria crew on the mountain earlier.

It is overcrowded, and that does not include , whose members are off to grind somewhere at the edge of the world map again. Only a few topless idiots and the guildmaster, , join in to fulfill their obligations as a member of the alliance.

_ Olkan: Take the lead, . We don't know where the boss is anyway.

_ Torenis: I only know where the boss WAS before the mountain blew up. If it is still there, it will be around this pla…

*FWOOSH*

A red laser that came out of nowhere engulfed him, his pet bird, and a big chunk of the outpost wall, leaving a scorching trail in its wake.

And dead bodies. Lots of dead bodies.

_ Olkan: …That way, isn't it?

_ Vladina: Yeah, that way.

_ Cinrald: That way it is. Let's move!

_ Dead Torenis: Why did I join this alliance in the first place…?

Unlike important witnesses in mystery plots, 's death did not take away crucial information, especially when the information revealed itself, albeit in a violent fashion. Everyone simply decided to leave the revival to the healers and get moving before more lasers come their way.

____________

_ Mera (Party): ~, my body is ready~

Still waiting for the [Insanity Resistance]~

_ Shadyna (Party): Thanks~ Please stay in the middle of the group and use it on my mark.

_ Mera (Party): Roger~

Surprisingly, I landed most of my spells after two or three times. That rate usually applies when we are roughly at the same level. Not that I have many players with MDF as high as my MAT to verify, so I'll simply trust Elri with that info.

Is it worrisome that my firepower can solo a bonus boss…? I don't even have Gelly on the field, just Lutena for the LDR bonus.

Nevertheless, it is fully "buffed" now. One item, one debuff, one conversion buff for both attributes and statuses, to a total of six effects stacking together on the boss.

For statuses, I converted all to the most important status for a boss: MP regeneration. Enjoy having even more MP than you can ever spend, but make sure to be crippled in the process~ Oh, and its HP is constantly drained too, since that's how conversion skills work on HP and MP.

Not enough to beat its HP regeneration, but hey, it will help in the battle.

With that said and done, let's bring my crew here to finish the job. Pulling back to gain distance, I move towards my destination.

Laser, boulder, boulder, laser,… I wonder how far the lasers reach. They can probably hit some unsuspecting players given enough bad luck and time. If that happens, it's not my fault, okay?

Stopping in place, I turn to the lasert-shooting fridge with a smile.

_ Shadyna: Secret technique, backup of backup wooden board~

As expected, it hurls a burning rock the moment my board is placed. Did you really think I would call my friends into an AoE? You have fallen into my trap, just as I planned~

[Teleport]!

Nothing personal, fridge. Such was my thought as I appeared behind the boss, right where the backup board once was.

Behold, the backup of backup of backup board! Having a ridiculous STR to carry all this useless stuff around sure is convenient~

_ Shadyna (Party): Now, Mera!

With its laser and boulders both on cooldown, not to mention it facing the opposite direction altogether, the battle has been decided.

*Flash*

From the blinding light, my reinforcements arrive.

_ Shadyna: Everyone, charge!

_ Elri: Got it! BEGIN CHARGE!!!

Normally, we should spread out to avoid AoE attacks and get into positions. Having a boss showing its rear to you is not normal though, therefore I ordered the charge to take full advantage of it.

My party, the tanks, run to fight the target head-on. Elri's cavalry squad split up and run along our sides. Meanwhile, Hessy's nuke team start casting their spells.

They spent two days training for this moment, so everyone acted quickly without problem. Before anyone asks, no, we spent two days to pull a combined attack, not how to act when the boss turns its back to us.

_ Elri: , , whenever you are ready!

_ Fensen & Poltea: Understood!

The cavalries overtook the tanks to take the lead. I don't know what their plan is, but I know what I have to do: Keep the boss busy until melee range.

Because I still have the aggro, there's no doubt it will hurl stuff at me once it has the angles. Therefore, running with the rest of my party is not a good idea.

_ Shadyna: I will draw its attention! [Teleport]!

And back to the original position I go.

_ Poltea: In three!

The fridge predictably turns at me without fail. I may be able to [Teleport] back and forth forever to stay safe, but there would be no time to do anything, like casting debuffs, for example.

It's firing laser again. Dodge, dodge~

_ Fensen: Two!

_ Hessy: [Dark Bolt]!

_ Melodyn: [Elemental Bolt]!

Our ranged attackers have started their assault. I thought they would not be in the alpha strike due to being in cavalry, but I was wrong.

_ Poltea: One!

Ah, so that's how it is.

They timed it so that the cavalry girls would be at the boss's sides when the tanks get in range. That way, our frontline is maximized, allowing everyone to poke it without having someone else in front of them.

_ Fensen & Poltea: FIRE!

_ Miel: [Divine Impact]!

_ Elri: [Pierce]!

Our cavalries, tanks and ranged projectiles slam into the fridge so hard, I can feel the earth shaken by explosions created by their skills. There are a lot of numbers popping up, which give me a feeling of bliss that I have not experienced for quite some time.

More numbers are good, un!

Since there are so many players, I doubt we all hit it simultaneously. I do think most if not all invoked their [Alpha Strike Bonus] though, as those numbers are huge~

To give an example of how OP we are, let's examine Elri's multipliers. She has no SG-rank skill like me or my apprentices, but an [Accelerate Bonus] at level 10 gives her a x12 damage bonus. When she attacked with my apprentice and a level 10 [Alpha Strike Bonus], that is a x13 addition.

I'm not sure if this stacking has always been additive from the start, or it got nerfed and became that way, but the end result is a x25 multiplier instead of x156. That is still a really scary number though…

Now, imagine all 30 members having that kind of damage bonus. If each player deals 1000 base damage, it becomes a whopping 750k damage during that first attack. Such amount is almost enough to one-hit the first form of the weird mask, which can't have much less HP than this one.

Of course, it is different in reality. We dealt a LOT more than that.

It was thanks to and 's presence. Replace [Alpha Strike Bonus] with [Alpha Strike Power], and in addition to participating player count, their attacks from all the weapons they wield add up to the multipliers as well. Even if they were the only attackers, their multiplier would be x36 for the same skill levels, for seven weapons.

Sateri, 252 times the base damage is weird, no matter how you look at it. The slow attack speed doesn't matter because the target will have been pulverized already! Give Balance-chan a break once in a while, will you?

Big fridge fought well, but as a wise person in ancient time once said to his enemy… Get rekt, LOL~

Yes, I'm holding a grudge for the laser that hit me previously!

Having received too much damage (probably), the boss is trembling as if it was an old household appliance breaking down.

_ Shadyna: Everyone, scatter!

If my fight against the mask was anything to go by, this is the time to run like hell to avoid whatever attack the second form has in store! Needless to say, my [Friendship Engine] is on full power already.

The iron ring beneath floats up then starts spinning erratically around the main box. It reminds me of the electron rings around atom models in class. Need to replace the one in the middle with a sphere though.

*WHAM*

Its "doors" swing open, despite the lack of any player nearby to kick them from the inside. Instead, there's a shining orb there, completely wrapped in flames. Why are you storing hot things in a refrigerator?!

_ Tremire Husan: T̵͔̯͘ä̸͓i̵̫̐n̴̝̳̅͘t̷̨͌̏ḛ̷͌̽d̴̪̟̀͋ ̶̹̹̕s̴̼̯̅o̸̫̳̎ȕ̶̠̈́ḻ̵̣̓s̷̨̮̀̈́,̸̨͉̂̐ ̷̢͘m̵̬͘ͅã̶̛̺͉n̴̙̪̓y̷̧̠͋̎.̸̨̢̕ ̷͎̓B̵̨̜̋͝e̷̼̹̔ğ̶̮͍î̵̡̻̽n̶̥͂ ̶̭̕͝e̸̥̿̋x̴̩͖̓͌ȇ̵͖̔c̵̯̈ṷ̵̼̆̒ẗ̸͓ï̴̹͘ô̷̥̝̅ń̶̨̚,̵̡́͝ ̴͕̩̃[̶̝̹͋͝S̶͍̮͂̃o̸̰̭̒u̴̻̅l̶͈͊ ̸̨̥͗C̸̼̑l̴͕̼̃e̴̢͂̅͜a̶̱̾n̷͈̐s̶͚̘̽̇e̵͙͊]̶͇̔̌.̷͎̫̃

It drops onto the ground like a meteor, followed by an explosion fitting of its size.

In less than a second, the landscape changes into that of a fiery inferno. Clouds turn black. Chunks of earth shoot up into the air and burst into flame. What's left of the ground melts into pockets of boiling lava.

Stop stealing Lava Rift's identity, you crazy boss with a hard-to-hear voice!!!

_ Tremire Husan: N̷̤͐ȯ̷̡̳t̶̢̻̒ ̶̪͈͑e̷̪͂n̴͕͎̑o̷͎͝ú̸̖͌g̸͚̐͘ḣ̵̠̰̒.̴̝̅ ̶̱͉̈́H̵̰̜̃̒ó̶̺̅t̵̠̭͂͘t̴̡̻͒̈́ë̷̠̗r̴̝̯͌̈́.̶̪̮̆̽ ̴̧̳̇͝B̶̫͎͑r̴͉͕̚i̷̺̤͐g̵͋͐ͅh̴̝̠̓̌t̵̰̿ȩ̶̥̅r̴̦͐̏.̴̘̗͌ ̷̨̓̐F̷̧̰̉̾ṵ̸̍e̴͈̗̽l̵̪̣̉̔ ̵̣̍͜o̷̟͠͝u̴̥̹͋r̷̡̮̅̀ ̵̬̑f̶̪̔́ͅl̵͚̀ḁ̷̋̊m̵̡̺͛é̸̹,̴̛̫̎ ̴̠̋̑[̷̰͈́H̷̪̩͌̀e̶̛̯ả̶̡̺t̵̳̖̋̈́ ̷͔͋V̷̨͔͠ò̵͉̜̌r̴͙̲͂͝t̶̜̲̏è̸͕̙͘x̸̭̮̓͝]̴͇̑.̸̛̤̳̃

All the fires around us are turning into streams of light and getting sucked into the shining orb for some reason. The lava pond I'm looking at froze over after its flame was collected by the orb. How is that even possible…?

_ Hessy (Party): We are receiving [Fire] and [Water] environmental damage!

Why?!

_ Tremire Husan: [̴̼̆͘F̴͘ͅi̸̮̬̎́r̵͔͌͋ë̵̘́͠ ̸̻͇͒͝R̷̡̽ͅą̴͍̒ī̷̻̹ǹ̶͔]̸̪̅͝.̷̻̋͗

Without giving us time to consolidate, the boss begins its attack.

From the pitch black clouds above, burning boulders are dropping! They seem to be the same size as the ones thrown earlier. Another boss with a complete disregard for collateral damage?!

_ Elri (Party): Spread out, now! Watch out for the falling rocks!

Even the flames of those rocks are pulled to the orb. Halfway through the air, all of the molten rocks are wrapped in an additional layer of blue ice.

I'll ask again. WHY?! What's the point of using opposite elements together like that?!

[Inspect], any idea?

---

[Character Information]

[Name]: Tremire Husan

[Race]: Avitus Caelicola (Burning God)

[Level]: 50

[Status]

- HP: ==========

- MP: ==========

[History]:

Ancient god known for their cleansing flame. They can burn away the sins of souls inside their shell. Other gods asked them to hold trials by fire for mortals before reincarnation. Having to set aflame the same souls over and over again, they blamed themselves for the sins of mortals, and took away all the heat around them to create an even hotter blaze.

As invaders scorched the frozen shelter around them, Tremie Husan realized that their flame was insufficient. They need a bigger, stronger one, to purify all of the mortals' sufferings. Everything shall become the fuel for the inferno in them.

Let this world burn, and their fire shall burn even brighter.

---

…The burning jokes aside, isn't this thing a furnace instead of a fridge?! Don't go around setting stuff on fire just because you are too meek for the job, you crazy pyromaniac!

Although they were frozen, the falling rocks explode into more lava lakes when they touch the ground, which are quickly drained by the boss and freeze again. Our surroundings keep alternating between molten and freezing lands. No wonder why we have double environmental damage!

Over twenty minutes left. I guess we can say that things are finally… heating up. Satisfied now, Sateri?

____________

In another direction, a different alliance is also on the move. Their goal was to disrupt the bonus boss raid, until the zone turned to literal hell on earth.

Now they are just confused.

_ Player #1: Uh… did they defeat the boss?

_ Muscular idiot: Of course not! If could do it so quickly, they wouldn't have left their camp! Keep moving!

It was the Unity of Mankind, and their muscular leader who looks like a model member of instead.

_ Player #2: I don't know, boss. The explosions that blew up the mountain earlier looked deadly.

_ Muscular idiot: It was just a scripted event! They don't deal dama…

*BOOM*

_ Muscular idiot: BLARGH!?

A stray frozen burning boulder landed right onto his face before he could finish his sentence, killing him and everyone around him. 10k HP is a luxury for most players at this level, after all.

_ Dead player #1: …Is this scripted too?

_ Dead muscular idiot: …Beats me.

Their march is going to be a perilous one, that one is for certain.