“Here, take a Fog Lamp.”
What deepened the unease was that I handed the critical Shadow Swamp item, used to dispel the mist, directly to the fire mage quartet.
They began to wonder if they were being set up to fend for themselves, left to the mercy of the dungeon. Fortunately, I assigned Bullhead, Watermist, and Scarlet Rain to join them, slipping a few Redstone Potions into their hands as well, which quelled that fear.
Yet, the fire mages’ confusion lingered.
“Tongtong, why are we grouped with the warriors?” Yoyo asked, eyeing Bullhead’s burly frame and marveling at how well-developed high schoolers could be.
“You’ll see soon enough,” I said with a stifled giggle, keeping my plan vague but reassuring. “Don’t worry, I’m not tricking you. You’re the stars of this show.”
With that said, they reluctantly suppressed their doubts, though questions still swirled.
“Once we enter the Shadow Swamp, you must follow my orders. If we fail to clear the dungeon, it’ll be on you,” I stressed before we stepped in, just to be safe.
Having witnessed my capabilities earlier, the team nodded without objection.
The lush greenery gave way to a muddy, treacherous swamp, shrouded in thick fog that obscured most of their vision. Even with the Fog Lamp’s guiding light, the team’s pace slowed considerably.
Still, as we pressed forward, we inevitably encountered the first wave of monsters.
“Don’t want to relive that first disaster,” Galaxy Vast muttered.
Autumn Waters and the others nodded, sharing the sentiment. Both groups had suffered crushing defeats against the Shadow Swamp’s initial monsters, and facing them again stirred mixed feelings.
“Last time, I blasted half the backline’s health away,” Yoyo admitted.
“I didn’t do much—just took out the priest,” Red Coral added.
“I blew myself up,” Weaving Night confessed.
All eyes turned to Fallen Sunny, waiting for her “achievement.”
She hesitated. “I was about to cast an AoE spell… and we wiped.”
“You win,” the trio said, their gazes shifting to something akin to awe while subtly stepping away from her.
Hey, you guys blow things up too! Fallen Sunny wanted to retort.
“Sister Watermist, drink the Redstone Potion, pull aggro, then switch to defensive stance and activate Shield Wall,” I ordered, cutting short their chatter. “Fire mages, drink your potions too.”
No preemptive strikes from the backline?
Though puzzled, the team trusted I had a plan and stayed silent. Yoyo and the others eyed the crimson liquid in their vials before downing them.
Watermist didn’t hesitate. After drinking the potion, she raised her shield, broke from the group, and charged a Withered Man-Eating Flower nearby.
The impact staggered the monster, while Watermist barely flinched, stabilizing herself and fluidly entering a defensive stance, activating her taunt skill.
Her seamless, practiced movements showcased her skill as Rose Heart’s elite main tank. Even I was impressed, though I offered a tip. “Sister Watermist, shift your weight back—it’ll make you sturdier.”
Watermist adjusted instinctively and found the pressure easier to manage.
Her taunt roused all the nearby Withered Man-Eating Flowers and Vine Monsters, which surged toward her. Though their attacks weren’t particularly strong, this was Hard mode, and their numbers gave them an edge. Even Watermist’s defenses could only hold for two rounds at most.
The team readied for combat, with warriors and holy knights prepared to relieve Watermist. But then I issued a command no one expected.
“Little Aunt, hold position (3558, 412).”
Yoyo froze. Is she seriously asking a squishy mage to tank?
Realizing my mistake, I quickly corrected. “Wait—activate your Elemental Shield first.”
That’s what you meant? Yoyo thought, slightly relieved.
But before she could fully relax, I added, “Little Aunt, prep Fire Blast.”
“What?! Tongtong, are you trying to get me killed?” Yoyo yelped, wondering if her teasing had pushed me to exact revenge.
Forums had deduced that explosion damage in the swamp scaled with a fire mage’s skill strength, and Fire Blast was one of the highest single-target damage skills available at this stage.
“Trust me,” I said, meeting her resistant gaze with my ultimate weapon. “If you die, I’ll be your hug pillow tonight.”
Hug… pillow?
The team didn’t know how to react to that.
“Deal!” Yoyo’s eyes lit up as if injected with adrenaline. Her casting speed surged, finishing Fire Blast a second faster than usual, releasing it before the monsters’ aggro could fully lock onto her.
In that moment, Yoyo was already planning how to “cherish” her niece that evening.
A dazzling blaze erupted in the swamp, rapidly gathering intense heat like a kindled spark.
The team knew this was the prelude to an explosion. Though they were at a safe distance, they instinctively stepped back, casting sympathetic glances at the figure at the blast’s center.
“Eh? I’m not dead?” Yoyo exclaimed, stunned to find herself alive.
Watermist, despite taking some hits, still had nearly half her health. The Withered Man-Eating Flowers and Vine Monsters, knocked back by the blast, were momentarily unable to counterattack.
“Little Aunt, fall back. Brother Bullhead, taunt and take Watermist’s position. Holy knights and priests, prioritize healing warriors. Everyone else except fire mages, start DPS.”
Seizing the moment, I rapid-fired orders.
The team, too shocked to process, acted on instinct. Weaving Night followed suit, unaware that a certain “demon” was about to strike.
“Sister Weaving Night, hold (3557, 408) with your shield up. Prep Fireball Barrage and Flame Pillar.”
“Okay—wait, what?!”
Weaving Night rushed to the position instinctively but realized too late what I meant. Her pre-channeled spells exploded like a blooming lotus as her words trailed off.
“Sister Sunny…”
“Sister Coral…”
Doran, watching from the back, opened her mouth but said nothing.
She got it now—this was a glorified suicide bomber strategy, but one that aligned with eco-friendly, sustainable resource use.
Good thing I didn’t pick fire mage, Doran thought, watching another brilliant explosion light up the swamp.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.