Virtual Reality : Dystopian Tales Online

010.7 | The Five Grand Bosses of the 200th Floor

Aries beamed with delight as he trotted towards Allen. Despite possessing the same humanoid race, the degree of their strength has distributed them to levels. The disparity between the game levels is apparent. Allen could never beat Aries if they engage in a one-on-one fight.

Aries yanked his arms up and hooked Allen's shoulders. His gestures are not the least modest.

"Now you know the reason I won't leave?" Aries asked.

Allen sneered at him. "Wherever Clover goes, you follow. Of course, you won't leave."

"Exactly," Aries is not shy to admit it. "Look at him. Isn't he the best, the most powerful? To have such a benefactor like him, who would worry about this world?"

Melon chuckled at his logic. He saw someone coming over with a blackened face. "Of course, there is something to worry about."

The bartender must have overlooked the presence of another individual who stands beside Clover. Frass did not think twice to send attacks to the said player. Aries easily evaded as he broke away as far as he could. Frass did not pursue him, but anyone could see the dissatisfaction from his eyes.

"What benefactor are you talking about?" Frass sneered. "Say it once again, or you'll be kicked out in no time!"

Rios snapped his fan gently, then fanned himself lightly. He smiled, watching the little trouble the two players were playing. He was reminded of the old times when they were still inexperienced and had no foundation. They are as lost as the novice players trying to endure the cruel environment of the first server.

They were powerless back then, but they were never bothered. They are much stronger now. What is there to bother about?

"Clover lost his leash and now his dogs are causing trouble again," Melon said offhandedly.

"At least it is just the three of them," Allen sighed. "Ever wonder what will happen if the other nine dogs are also present."

The sudden developments of the guild masters surprised the spectators. The way they chatted seems like they were familiar. Only the close subordinates know the exchange between the masters of the Asterisks since they never openly disclosed their friendship. Anyway, the small intermission at least eased the tension brought by the appearance of the second boss.

Clover did not bother with whatever his guild members were doing and just concentrated on his job of leading the front lines. The mini spiders were wiped out. Nothing is left aside from the ashes and the scent of meat burning. Clover sneezed once when some dust drifted away.

Nobody foresaw that the first wave of attack would end just like that. The viewers are expecting the people inside the cave to have a little panic attack or someone yelling while running away from the spiders. Yet, Clover ended their imagination with a single arrow. The little spiders didn't even reach half of the distance.

The dark cave and the enormous spider didn't seem scary to like before.

The death of the mini spiders provoked the fury of the massive tarantula. Two of its front limbs made a whack onto the ground twice that rocked the cave. The standing people could not straighten up while the lying individuals grew dizzy. The tremor wasn't small as it overturned a few of the jagged stones.

The platform is intact and cannot be destroyed instantly. However, it is a mold that can be changed following the move of the boss. The minute the spider stepped on the floor, it triggered a miniature wave that moved to the ground. It started small from the epicenter but grew larger as it led out to the edges. Clover has to jump since the wave reached up to three feet in his position.

"Those two thumps are just its warning," Rios bobbed his head. He skipped up flawlessly and landed gracefully despite the flap rising to six feet in his position. "The level of this boss is no joke."

"That's over a thousand," Jung commented for the first time. He gawked at the enormous insect and appraised it. He clicked his tongue while frowning.

"That is like fighting two Clover," Melon raised his index and middle finger. "Fortunately, it wasn't as sharp as Clover."

The large tarantula only issued a warning, then restored to be calm. The first round ended easily like that. This kind of gameplay that involves a species that comes in groups is commonly done in rounds. The ruler - a King or a Queen - will discharge their servants to challenge the players. It will come into batches with an increasing level of strength.

This kind of tactic is unfair for players that needed to confront the first boss and then fight an entire clan of beasts the next. But what could they do? In the rules of the jungle, such a set-up is reasonable. The two parties are struggling to survive, so it is normal for each team to put out their best to win.

Clover is clear about this situation, so he wasn't as reckless as before. He finished the first round immediately to hasten the progress of the game. A thousand armies have fallen and thus the second army that is much stronger will come to attack them.

His conclusion quickly took place. The hush after the two thumps brought an unprecedented silence. The darkness remained mute until sounds of shell cracking came from elsewhere. It is coming from the egg capsules attached to the webs in between the nesting rocks.

The cracking started a little, then instantly there were sounds everywhere. It is as if all the eggs hatched at the same time. Sounds of something crawling and slimy sounded after that caused them to imagine something terrible. The eggs carried water sacks inside them so the moment it burst open, both the brood and the fluid came out.

The odor of the fluid is unpleasant. The players abruptly covered their noses. The onlookers could not smell the stinky scent, so they sought someone inside why people were covering their noses. The question is immediately replied with, "It stinks like molded socks topped with rotten eggs that grew spores after a week."

Rios hated the stench, so he immediately released his ability. Xavier accompanied him. The two of them recited their spells that erected a large magic circle on the ground. Whenever the magic circle touches, plants would start growing. Rios grew out of some herbs that could ward off the scent while Xavier opened up flowers to cast good fragrances into the air.

"Open up some light source," Clover ordered.

Melon responded with a hum. The undead vampire flicked his fingers once that immediately mobilized several floating specters. The specters assumed a shape of a smoky sphere that blew out like dandelions. They have large, outlined, hollow eyes that are quite expressive.

Some specters have the customary casual expression of just an employee going to a job, while a handful of them look so lost. They come in various proportions and have distinctive temperaments. Melon ordered them to go up and fly everywhere to scatter light. Most of the large specters listened instantly, while the younger ones played for a while before rushing to their positions.

The light provided by the specters was not bright, but it was enough to guide them. The specters are identified under the non-hostile species and accessories section so other monsters and beasts could not touch them. The light balls freely occupied the dim corners without fretting about any attack.

Clover estimated the numbers of the hatched eggs that must have summed up to a hundred. Now that the specters illuminated the nest, his assumption came to light. Indeed, a hundred human-sized spiders are squirming out of their nest.

He could not help but massage his temples.

"Does your head hurt?" Aries is suddenly standing beside him. "Shall we start?"

Clover c****d his head to peer at Aries. The bartender is taller than him, so he has to raise his head to look at his face. Aries has a remarkable pair of bluish-white irises that seem to reflect light like sky blue glass. This is one of his assets that made him popular among the players. Just staring at those eyes is enough for a person to become entranced.

Unfortunately, this feature never attracted Clover. It is actually the other way around. Aries is the one who became fascinated with Clover's jet black irises. The beauty standards of the present generation lean to the individuals with dark colors, by having dark-colored hair and skin.

The evolution of humans was affected by the long period of coldness that made the genes responsible for dark colors to be recessive. Most of the people now have light-colored hair — between brown to whitish blonde — and pale-colored skin. Variations are depending on their geographic location, but the dark colors weren't entirely prominent.

Clover's black hair and black irises are already rare.

So, Aries is never fascinated by his own appearance but likes Clover's appearance. Of course, some players would change their appearance in creating their avatars. But the beta test will at most duplicate their image. He could tell that his appearance must be ninety percent true.

Clover did not reply, but a sinister smile was painted on his lips. The glint coming from his eyes showed his genuine emotions, and that is of excitement. Aries could not help but hold his heart to stop it from falling. This naughty appearance of the usual docile-looking guild master is really tempting.

The fiery bow changed colors that shifted from violet-blue to pure dark violet. Clover raised the bow and pointed it to the nearest nest he could see. Three arrows were thrown out successively, carrying the flames of the bow. The nest immediately caught fire.

Some spiders escaped while a few of them died. The survivors released a loud shriek then rushed towards them in hurried steps. Clover adjusted the bow that lessened the flame, then used ordinary arrows to hit the incoming spiders. Aries did not dawdle around and rushed towards the nest without looking back.

The other guild masters also moved with the signal.

Jung swiftly moved in between the pointed rocks, avoiding the webs. Together with him is his group of beast subordinates that also slipped in with no sound. They are natural predators that are comparable to assassins. They are silent when hunting their prey.

Rios did not sneak in but walked into the field alone. Most of his subordinates are best suited for long-range attacks, so he lets them take the position of support. The ones that could do a melee were placed in the middle back-up position. As the only remaining person who could handle both, Rios unhurriedly strolled towards a nest.

Melon and his crew could only do their job once living creatures are dead. Clover eradicated the army of mini spiders, so there is nothing for them to use. Thus, he distributed his group and let them follow the others. They only have to watch and wait for the dead spiders to come.

Once a corpse is thrown out, these people will quickly use necromancy to revive the spider into a zombie. There are limits on the number of zombies that they could create. It also consumes their energy, so they don't overuse their ability and only revives at least a dozen.

The humanoid group could not fight with the spiders using bare strength, so they took out all their toys. Most of the time, they carry the support position of a team. Allen is the king that reigned over the humanoid race, so he takes the name of a [Ruler]. His ability is to activate faith that will reinforce his companion's stat. He could give blessings as long as the receiver is at most a hundred meters away.

Allen lifted his staff and invoked a series of blessings. There is suddenly the sound of ringing bells and people cheering that accompanied the boosted stat of the people under the one hundred meter radius. This effect will last for a few minutes. 

The Sora and the other Cassaianne Guild members are also carrying out their tasks. Xavier has been releasing healing spells and sprouting mana digester plants all over the place to supply people mana. Behind him is Marlene [Rene-88] playing out her lute to urge the healing process. 

Marcus [Mars-88] settled with the group of clerics from the Elven race. However, instead of carrying an arrow and bow, he is bearing a sniper g*n. The silent boy pulled the trigger with no worries, striking his targets precisely. The bullets of the g*n were inlaid using mana, so there was no need to refill it. 

Clover's arrow provoked the spiders. They suddenly become belligerent, charging the players in a wave. Aries got the closest distance, so he became the spider's immediate target. The bartender chuckled, then drew out a deck of cards from his pocket. 

He shuffled the deck skillfully, making the cards flip in the air, transferring the cards from one hand to the other. He chose five from the deck and hurled them to the spiders. The cards produced a whipping sound as they sharply whistled passed through the air before reaching the spider's head straight on. The way it got stuck to the beast's head made it look like a metal knife.

One dead body down and a necromancer will revive it back to life. The fallen enemy stood up unsteadily, then plunged straight towards its nest. It will attack its kin, then gnaw onto the web, tearing it loose. The other spiders will attack the zombified companion, increasing their rage. 

Rios only has his fan in his hands. The spiders surrounded him, but he is still leisurely fanning. One spider broke the stalemate, that went forward to strike Rios with its needles. But Rios was sharp and barred the incoming leg with his fan. He pressed the spider away by closing the fan that tossed the spider a few meters from the encirclement.

The beasts also started their hunt. They rarely bring a weapon and use their strength in fighting the battle. Jung's weapon is a ten-inch sharp claw that extends at will. He slashes any spider he finds on the way, breaking up its limbs so it won't be able to walk. His team also works efficiently, exploiting each other's strength to slay the enemies.

Clover only used his bow to hit the spiders. He would draw in five arrows, then release them to the five incoming spiders. The arrows made up of mana are strong and sturdy, so his one hit is enough to finish the spiders.

The formation is operating smoothly. The levels of the spiders were lower than them, so they dared to fight. It's just that there are a lot of them, so it took them time to finish. The minute the last of the second wave spider died, the big boss tarantula issued an uproar.

The players are alarmed and hastily took a step back to retreat. The shrieking noises echoed to the entire area that drove the players to cover their ears. While being inattentive because of the sharp crying, the boss tarantula motioned its body to face a direction. It is just in line with Clover.

Clover sensed the tarantula's shift of movement, so he quickly commanded the nearby players to watch out. But they are covering their ears from the noise. Only a few of them realized the situation and bolted out of the range.

The eyes of the huge tarantula glowed crimson and a laser light came out from it. It scourges the area towards Clover's angle. The outburst occurred quickly that there was no time to slip away.

Of course, Clover could make a run for it, but the other players might get hit. He did not take any chances and brought up some rocks from his satchel. He threw it in front of the players and recited out words. Two large golems rose, taking a defensive stance.

However, the activation of the golems took time to get completed. Before they could get covered by the defense barrier, the laser had already arrived in front of Clover. With a deafening bang, the laser whizzed upon contact that brought in a heavy wave of uncomfortable hotness.