December 4, 2022. 8:40 AM – Tolbana, Floor 1

  The morning air drifted calmly, giving players a sense of peace that clashed with what was coming. Tolbana's streets were boiling with activity: players reviewed strategies, traded items, and formed parties ahead of the imminent battle.

  Silver arrived looking for Veget's party, hoping there was still a spot open. He also hoped to see Yuiha—she'd said she would come with a companion—though he couldn't spot them anywhere. They'd spent the night in a nearby village, but he hadn't noticed when she'd left the inn.

  —Silver! —Veget's voice pulled him from his thoughts—. Will you join us? We've got one slot.

  —Yeah, I'm in for the raid —Silver answered, relieved.

  —Perfect. That fills the team.

  A notification popped up before his eyes. He pressed Accept and the party window unfolded: Veget, Miwa, HappyGoose, Ryuho, Lank.

  Veget was the leader. Tall, solidly built, with short brown hair and the beginnings of a beard. He wore heavy armor and carried a rectangular shield. Stern but fair, he always prioritized the party's safety.

  Miwa, average height, wore a light leather tunic, round glasses, and a bag stuffed with potions. A novice alchemist, she carried a dagger.

  HappyGoose, on the short and chubby side, had messy black hair and a lance bigger than he was. Impulsive and jokey—but very quick.

  Ryuho, tall and serious, wore his long hair in a braid. He used a katana and avoided spending skills unless it was absolutely necessary. He hated losing control—or the moment when an attack animation left him exposed.

  Lank, the main tank, was muscular, dark-skinned, with curly hair. He carried a massive shield and a scimitar.

  Silver had fought alongside Veget, Miwa, and Ryuho before and knew they worked well together. Ryuho and Miwa were siblings and read each other perfectly in combat. He didn't know the other two, but he trusted Veget's judgment.

  —Nice shield —Silver said, eyeing his friend's gear.

  —Got it after we dropped the mini-boss in the forest —Veget grinned—. Iron Wall. Great defense.

  —I picked up something interesting too.

  Silver opened his inventory and equipped the Warden's Aegis—smaller than Veget's, but far more striking. Miwa stepped closer, curious.

  —You look great with that shield —she teased with a playful smile—. Will you be my knight and protect me?

  —I'll get a shield and be your knight! —HappyGoose shouted before Silver could answer.

  —You? You use a long spear because you're scared to get within a meter of the monsters —Ryuho said dryly.

  —Even so, I'll take a shield for Miwa-chan! —HappyGoose declared with pride.

  Miwa snorted, amused, while the whole group burst into laughter.

  December 4, 2022. 9:30 AM – Tolbana, Floor 1

  A large crowd had gathered in the amphitheater at the main square. As in the past few days, Diavel stood at the center, coordinating full-party formations. The plan was clear: parties would rotate their shield users to the front to withstand Illfang's strikes in intervals, giving them time to use potions. Damage dealers would capitalize on the openings between his onslaughts to inflict as much damage as possible.

  Voices blended into a nervous murmur. Some debated strategy, others nodded without fully understanding, and more than a few avoided looking toward the structure looming to the north, hidden beyond the hills.

  Veget approached the cluster of leaders gathered around Diavel. The rest of his party stayed back, speaking in low voices.

  —Miwa, there'll be a lot of players hitting the boss. You don't need to take unnecessary risks —Ryuho said calmly, though the worry showed on his face—. You'll help most by handing out potions. This is an endurance fight.

  —He's right, Miwa-chan —HappyGoose added with a gentle smile—. You'll be our guardian angel today.

  —Don't treat me like I'm useless —Miwa huffed, a mix of annoyance and resignation—. I know I'm no expert... but I'll do what I can without becoming a burden.

  —They're right, kid —Lank added in the protective tone he often used with her.

  Silver watched in silence. The times they'd fought together, Miwa had struck him as brave—determined to survive this digital hell. But he also understood Ryuho. If Valeria were trapped here with him, he'd never let her take needless risks.

  He lifted his gaze to the sky and shut his eyes. He remembered the day he put on the NerveGear. To the very last moment he'd resisted. At one point, his sister—tired of insisting—told him it was fine, that she'd do it herself. For some reason he could no longer fully recall, he took the helmet from her hands and put it on himself.

  For the first time, he was glad he had. The alternative would have been seeing her here.

  About fifteen minutes later, Veget returned.

  —All right, it's settled. Each party will send four shield users to the front —he explained steadily—. The rest focus on striking when a window opens. Silver... I know that shield's more for show than anything, but I'll need you up front —he added with a half-smile toward Silver.

  —I'll be honest... I've never used a shield until today —Silver scratched the back of his neck—. But I suppose it's just planting your feet and eating hits, right?

  Lank and Veget exchanged a look. They couldn't tell if he was overconfident... or if he simply didn't grasp what the frontline really meant.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  —Relax, I'm not saying what you do is easy —Silver lifted both hands, peaceably—. I'm saying I should be able to learn it. Maybe not as well as you—but well enough.

  —If you don't do it well... you could die —Miwa's voice came from behind him, so sincere it tightened his shoulders.

  Silver glanced back and smiled.

  —If I mess up, I'm counting on you to shove a potion down my throat.

  —Only if I've got one left after saving onii-san —she shot back with a half-smile and a wink.

  December 4, 2022. 11:00 AM – Boss Antechamber, Floor 1

  Nearly fifty players reached the entrance to the boss chamber. Tension and anxiety were palpable. Everyone checked gear and inventory in a thick hush. Silver went over the plan again.

  As his eyes scanned the assemblies of players, he found Yuiha among one of the groups, alongside the short-haired brunette he'd seen leave with her the first time back in the Town of Beginnings. Yuiha noticed him too and waved with a smile that somehow shone even now. He managed a small lift of his right hand in return.

  Just then, Diavel spoke:

  —All right, it's time! Remember what we practiced! Hold formation and stick to the plan!

  He pushed both hands against the great doors to the boss room.

  The door opened with a deep metallic groan, revealing a vast rectangular chamber. The air inside was dense and still, as if sealed for centuries. The floor was made of dark stone slabs, timeworn yet tightly fitted. Thick, cracked columns—built from the same stone—rose along the walls, giving the place the feel of a forgotten ceremonial hall.

  The ceiling, lost in shadow, seemed to rise beyond sight, reinforcing how small the players were before the power lurking here. There were no windows or obvious light sources, yet a reddish luminescence hovered in the air, emanating from symbols carved into the floor before the throne.

  The acoustics were strange: every step, every breath amplified and then vanished, as if the space itself refused to let sound escape.

  At the far end, upon an elevated platform of carved stone, sat the boss's throne. There waited Illfang the Kobold Lord, motionless, with three sentinels posted around him—guardians of a ceremony that was about to begin. Illfang slouched forward, the massive axe leaned at his side, head bowed as if asleep.

  Then, without warning, came the harsh scrape of metal on stone.

  Illfang's crimson eyes flared like coals in the dark. His long ears twitched; the sound of his deep breathing rolled through the chamber. With a movement that seemed impossible for a body that size, he rose slowly, planting a clawed hand on the throne's arm.

  Leather creaked; muscles—thick as tree trunks—coiled like springs. He stood to his full height, a living tower, jaws parting to bare curved fangs. His three Ruin Kobold Sentinels stepped forward in unison, forming ranks before him.

  The air seemed to drop in temperature. The boss's guttural roar boomed off the walls like a swallowed thunder, and a system message hovered above his head:

  [Floor Boss: Illfang the Kobold Lord]

  The battle had begun.

  —Groups A and C, switch!

  —Group B, brace to block!

  —Groups D, E, and F, keep the sentinels busy!

  Diavel's firm, powerful voice snapped the players back to "reality." He commanded like a true leader, coordinating the parties as if they were a trained army.

  Minutes passed and the boss's health bars dropped slowly, while players stayed free of deaths and serious wounds thanks to Diavel's precise calls. Small teams—including Yuiha and her friend—prevented the sentinels from harassing the squads focused on Illfang. Everything pointed to a resounding success: the first floor would fall, and morale soared as players finally believed this deadly game could be cleared.

  And then it happened. In a few seconds, everything changed...

  Illfang's last health bar turned red, signaling he was close to death. As the guide described, he discarded shield and axe to change weapons.

  —Fall back! I'll handle this!

  Diavel's command rang out and the others obeyed at once. He sprinted forward bravely for the final clash. Illfang drew his new weapon. Silver heard a whisper at his side.

  —That... that's not a talwar... —HappyGoose's disbelieving voice made Silver look over.

  A shout shook the chamber.

  —NO! Get back as fast as you can! —the desperate cry came from a black-haired player fighting the sentinels.

  But it was already too late.

  The boss sprang, ricocheting off the walls with an agility he hadn't shown the entire fight. He dropped in front of Diavel and hammered down a savage strike with his blade, sending the leader flying. Illfang sprinted, intercepted him midair, and smashed him away with a second blow.

  The same player who had shouted ran to Diavel, but he was too late. The commander was wrapped in a bluish glow, then shattered into tiny, colorful fragments.

  Illfang leapt and landed in the middle of a group, unleashing a brutal roar—the true nightmare had begun. Players fell into chaos as the boss started his massacre.

  Yuiha and her friend—the one wielding a mace—closed in on Silver's team amid the bedlam. Illfang struck with a sword skill that broke through his guard and Lank's.

  [Stun effect resisted.] The notification rang in his mind as he raised his shield to eat the follow-up. Lank and another player beside them weren't as lucky. The odachi's arc was clean, cleaving both in half. They disintegrated before they could even scream. Fear and fury surged in Silver's chest in equal measure.

  Illfang turned and roared at the two girls. The brunette recoiled in panic and stumbled. As the boss raised his blade, Yuiha sprinted and covered her with her body. Without thinking, Silver threw himself in front of them and caught the blow on his shield, crashing backward. Veget arrived and slammed Illfang to force him a step away.

  —Idiot! Idiot, idiot... —Miwa's voice broke through as she jammed a potion bottle into his mouth, forcing him to drink.

  But he barely heard her. His focus locked on a message hovering before him:

  [Hidden condition met. Secret quest Warden's Covenant activated.]

  Meanwhile, the black-haired player who'd been holding the sentinels was now leading a charge on the boss with his companion—recently revealed when an attack tore her cloak.

  Her chestnut hair spilled free, shining like threads of light across her back, swaying with each motion as if the air itself celebrated her presence. A simple, immaculate white top fit her slim frame with almost ceremonial precision.

  And in her eyes—until now hidden by the hood's shadow—burned a resolve at odds with her delicate bearing. Not the eyes of someone lost in fear, but of someone who had decided to move forward, even if everything fell apart.

  The way they fought was art in motion. Silver had thought he'd improved over the month, but watching them, he felt like a novice again. Their attacks and sword skills flowed perfectly.

  Until an Illfang feint threw the young man off rhythm and the boss landed a heavy hit. He fell, and Illfang closed in to finish him. Most players went silent, certain it was over—except for a group led by a huge axe-wielder who intercepted Illfang's blow with a strike of his own, saving him.

  In that instant, the rest of the players surged at the enemy to end it. Illfang resisted and launched into his aerial rush—only for the black-haired player to intercept him midair, slamming him down. Together with his partner, they unleashed a final, perfectly coordinated assault that felt born from the soul, and he finally cleaved Illfang in two with a Vertical Arc.

  Illfang burst into thousands of colorful shards, and the vast hall fell into a silence that felt eternal.

  Until a simple notification lit everything up:

  [CONGRATULATIONS]

  Cheers exploded. They had won.

  And more importantly: they had survived.