This is the genius tactician Shadyna, bracing against an insurmountable battle!

  No, it's not the weird creature poking at us using its pole-sized limbs. It's tough, but not exactly scary anymore at our power level.

  

  

  

  Not the amount of small guilds and unaligned players trying to breach the walls either. If anything, stray attacks from the boss pose a greater threat to the fortifications.

  The scariest battle for me is actually…

  _ Hessy: , would you mind explaining why an Avitus Caelicola appeared in front of you?

  …Withstanding my beautiful manager's cold eyes. Thank you for the service, but that stare is extra icy cold even by our cafeteria's standards!

  _ Shadyna: W-wait! Shouldn't we deal with it first?!

  Unlike my guild members, I was within the aggro range when it spawned, and as such ended up being its main target after it killed everyone else in the vicinity. Although I won't be in immediate danger after one hit, I would appreciate it if she showed at least some concern for my wellbeing you know~?

  _ Hessy: , tank it. , , protect the walls. Mera, support them.

  Without a tiny bit of consideration for me, and co rush in to intercept all threats around us. 's pet Yassyl wields her tiny square shield and rams straight into one of the pointy limbs poking at me, creating several sparks as they connect. That looks about as lopsided as it can be considering their size difference, but anyone in the know would hide behind the cute black and white fairy for safety ten out of ten.

  Not too close behind her though, since there are some melee AoE mixed in the attacks.

  _ Hessy: Now, back to the topic.

  Scary! Even if it's not my fault (technically), it's still scary!

  _ Shadyna: Ehm… Do you know that using [Lightning] on the frames will cause lightning strikes?

  _ Hessy: *Sighs* And next you are going to say that [Lightning] heals mobs in this zone. Yes, there are clueless newbies or trolls doing that every day. What abo… Wait…

  She turns to look at the ballista and the dark elf knight who is awkwardly scratching his head, then back to me with an astounded expression.

  Is it too late to invoke the right to stay silent I wonder~?

  _ Hessy: You healed it with [Lightning]?!

  _ Shadyna: Sorry~!

  And please do not facepalm like that. It doesn't suit you~

  _ Hessy: Hold on… While stupid, that still happens frequently. There has to be something else.

  Hmm… That makes sense. It takes only one rogue actor to replicate what we did, and most bosses including this one weren't walled in like dangerous prisoners back then. Why do I have a feeling that she isn't sure which category I belong to though…?

  Oh well, both options are kind of damning so I am invoking my right to stay silent! It's not like I was the one performing the attack in the first place!

  _ Knight: …Could it be because the attacks healed it for over 20k HP?

  _ Hessy & Shadyna: …Ah.

  Nice deductions, but could you kindly refrain from using it to incriminate yourself (and me)?! I'm informed enough to know that the average players don't deal 5-digit damage on a moment's notice. You might as well craft a "This person did it" sign and put it next to me with that question of yours!

  _ Hessy: *Facepalms* What's done is done. We need to think about how to deal with it and the Magnus Bestia at the same time…

  

  

  Yup. The situation in the swamp is just about as chaotic according to the [World Voice] chat, and Gelly's view. Players poured in unimpeded since the boss spawned in an open area which ironically led to more fighting among themselves rather than fighting the boss. It being a semi-burrowing antlion-like creature seems to have some deterrence against unprepared direct assaults as well. I for one would not want to rush in against something known for using pit traps without intensive study and preparation first.

  Not all of them though. Some were seen blindly charging in while Gelly and Ophilie were fighting their way out of the danger zone. I wonder if it's because they have spiky hairstyles and hot tempers~?

  They are yelling loudly about the boss escorts as well, which I find a bit weird. I'm sure there wasn't any when it appeared in front of Gelly. Did they spawn after my pet bravely charged in the opposite direction?

  

  

  …Oi, I'll have you know that Gelly is a gentle soul who would not hurt a fly! Unprovoked at least! It's because you guys kept attacking her without bothering to check her affiliation that Ophilie got aggroed and kicked your butts.

  

  

  For the record, I can't control Ophilie directly. Her last command is to guard Gelly, and therefore will not stop until all aggroed enemies are dead or out of protection range. Most weren't fast enough to get out of harm's way, if the chat was anything to go by.

  _ Hessy: A slime? The boss has minions…?

  Distracted by new information, Hessy drops the Avitus Caelicola topic and stands still in deep thought. She's most likely checking the board for an image as the chaotic screaming match in chat is not the best description of a creature, or anything really.

  Hold on, wouldn't that mean…

  As if to confirm my fear, my manager quickly turns to me, or rather, my (lack of) cute wiggling pet.

  _ Hessy: It was also YOUR doing?!

  Uh… no? I honestly have no idea what happened in the swamp. The boss just decided to spawn in front of Gelly while we were trying to mine rocks… is a pretty good indicator that it was my fault huh.

  I'm sorry~

  …

  *FLASH*

  _ Fensen: Good evening! Ah, is getting punished again.

  _ Poltea: Good evening, everyone. , did you do something bad again?

  What do you mean, "again"?! I don't get a sword in my head that often, probably!

  _ Hessy: Evening, ,

  . We have to delay the Terra Cetus quest because this maniac decided to summon an Avitus Caelicola and a Magnus Bestia now of all times.

  _ Shadyna: I was only doing a quest there through Gelly~

  _ Hessy: You keep silent. Anyway, that's the current situation. I'm sorry for ruining the big day, but we need to do something about the unique bosses first.

  Harsh… I haven't caused any trouble for a while you know? I was enjoying a peaceful shopkeeping experience and living off passive incomes at my own pace. Newer players visiting my candy shop thought I was a new guild member most of the time.

  Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everyone goes to Hessy when it comes to guild-related business. She does give off the air of someone in charge and have authority after all.

  …Why did I get the guildmaster position again…?

  _ Poltea: Ah, please don't worry about it. It happens whenever we play with .

  _ Fensen: Un! Because it's !

  I would thank you both for your consideration, but I feel like I'm being treated like a trouble magnet again! Sad cry~

  _ Fensen: So~ Let's beat up the boss and get back to the event!

  _ Hessy: Hold on. We can't do that yet.

  _ Fensen: We can't?

  _ Poltea: Ah, is it because of the second form?

  It's exactly as she said, the bosses themselves are easy. The hard part is figuring out how to unlock the second form that would give us bonus loots. After realizing that even Nox can have one and drop additional rare items, no one in the know would want to fight a unique boss without pulling a stunt or two in hope of getting the second form.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  And there lies the problem: Everyone else wants them dead as soon as possible to get the loots for themselves. Even if some of them know or care about the additional drops, they most likely prefer getting their hands on any drops at all. They would be right of course, considering the competition from other opportunists and bigger guilds. It's relatively tame here thanks to our allies' walls, but the swamp has turned into a free-for-all PvP zone with no signs of anyone backing off.

  To make matters worse, we still have the event to work on. Other guilds are not going to wait while we screw around with the unique bosses. Being more efficient means nothing if even one big guild surpasses us because of the wasted time, and the Terra Cetus does seem a tad too big to be a respawning creature or have repeatable quests…

  _ Hessy: That's the gist of it. , what would you want us to do?

  _ Shadyna: Me? …I suppose doing all three at the same time is out of the question?

  It's technically four if we are including the quest Gelly is doing, but I have a feeling I'll get another sword to my head so I'll keep it to myself!

  This fragile half-elf's little sprout is to be sprinkled with water, not stabbed with spiky swords!

  _ Hessy: Obviously. We don't have enough bodies to throw against them. It was clear back then that they could bypass us with numbers even if they couldn't beat us. The same thing will happen again if we don't change our tactics.

  Indeed… Not to mention that the day team has already logged off and we would have to split our small roster into three separate parties… Nope, let's not do something that will make the battle for Sateri's stony feet look like a tutorial in comparison, un.

  On the other hand, my manager's concerns mostly apply when we fight fair and square, which I have no intention of doing. Even the most idealistic magical girl would not fight a last boss without a secret ultimate move if she can help it, thank you very much!

  _ Shadyna: Hmm~ I have a few ideas but I need more information before making a decision.

  _ Hessy: Fair enough. We don't have much time though, so make it quick. The Magnus Bestia is getting hammered as we speak.

  Eh, the big antlion seems to be doing fine if you ask me. Still skewering and munching everyone in its area pretty much unhindered from what Gelly is seeing.

  It's not a valid reason to have another tea party? Awww…

  ____________

  In a different part of Thunder Huts not too far from the Avitus Caelicola, an encampment protecting another boss has been overrun.

  The walls were smashed open in a concentrated surprise attack involving a literal [Lightning] bolt, leaving the garrison exposed as the attackers poured through the breach and engaged in melee.

  Despite the valiant efforts of the defenders, they were quickly crushed seconds into the fight. Such was the power of a wooden box filled with dumplings. The knight leading the conquest might have some mixed feelings about depending on OP consumables however.

  _ Member (Guild): The boss site is ours! Let's raid it before the enemy guild counterattacks!

  _ Knight (Guild): I'm on the way!

  Glancing in the direction of the rampaging titan beyond the walls, he can't help but notice the many armies marching towards it. The warning about the fortified defenses surrounding the unique boss did little to deter players it looks like. They, just like his guild, most likely were not aware of the real threats there until they got firsthand experience.

  BZZZZT!

  Nor the presence of lasers, but that's pretty minor in the grand scheme of things.

  The guildmaster approaches the metallic skeletal reptile resting at the center of the camp. While the food buffs are massive, they will still struggle to take a high-level boss down without strong equipment. That is why the generous sprout girl gave him an additional consumable to help with the raid.

  A debuff bomb. Against single targets, it is an effective damage multiplier for the entire raid, and this one was advertised to weaken both physical and magical defense to the max.

  _ Knight (Guild): Attack with everything you have at it after I throw the bomb. Got it?

  _ Members (Guild): Got it!!!

  _ Knight (Guild): Alright, here goes!!!

  Amidst the excitement of holding a great power in his hands, the self-proclaimed cool and stoic knight with a troublesome past fails to notice something.

  _ Knight: Take this! [ Super Love-love Cyclone]!

  Its creator's naming sense, or lack thereof to be specific.

  *BOOM*

  _ Knight: …

  _ Members: …

  _ Boss: …

  _ Knight: Wait, let me explain!!!

  By the time he fully comprehended what he just shouted, it was too late.

  _ Member: …It's okay. This is a fantasy game. You can be who you want to be.

  _ Knight: Just kill me already!!!

  While he was despairing of the (mis)understanding looks from his members, the angry boss who got caught in the blast gladly grants his wish.

  *WHACK*

  With violence. Lots of violence.

  _ Knight: BUWAH?! I didn't ask YOU! ATTACK! ATTACK!!!

  _ Members: CHARGE!!!

  Even though the raid quickly ended in the guild's victory thanks to the powerful buffs and debuffs after that, the poor guildmaster's reputation perished along with the boss.

  Still totally worth it, according to everyone else in the guild.

  ____________

  Contrary to the raging battle on the sunken ground, the airspace above the swamp is quite peaceful. Although that used to be taken for granted, it will soon change, all thanks to the newly introduced flying creatures, or worse, their murderous tamers.

  A group of such tamers are cautiously monitoring the situation from the sky. The little gothic leader of , being the meta-chasing player that she is, went out and tamed a low-level bird as soon as she finished reading the patch notes. Having an aerial platform is huge whether she specializes in summoning or not, and it shows as she observes a unique boss raid with little risk of getting caught in the crossfire.

  What surprises her is her fellow guildmaster of

  apparently had the same idea. Is her intellect on the same level as a musclehead maniac who only knows how to get into fights…?

  _ Cinrald (Party): What do you think, ?

  _ Vladina (Party): Unity of Mankind stalled, as expected. Your guild won't make any difference there.

  Despite having superior organization and firepower, the Anti-Sprout alliance struggles to approach the boss. Most member guilds could not fully commit because of their own Terra Cetus quests, leaving only a fraction of their forces to challenge the Magnus Bestia. As a result, they got stuck fighting the endless waves of unaligned players before they could even reach the boss.

  _ Cinrald (Party): Bummer. Any chance of us taking a slice once and co attack?

  The two are not particularly worried about the unique boss being surrounded by this amount of players. It's not because they think little of the unaligned players, but rather because have already made their move.

  The dark elven twin from the cafeteria dropped by the boss earlier when the alliance was still preparing for the offensive. Possessing superior SPD and unburdened by large troop movements, they ran through the battlefield pretty much unopposed, sent the boss some gifts, then hightailed out of there with a [Recall].

  Why is there a trail of corpses that followed them even though they could outrun everyone? The Bloodbath Sisters were simply in a mood to throw random lethal AoE attacks into target-rich environments. That, and they were constantly choosing the biggest crowds to run into on the way.

  Whose bright idea was it to send those maniacs to this place…? Silently thought as she witnessed that little operation of theirs.

  As for what kind of gifts they gave… They were multiple consumable items judging from the graphical effects. The little sage was not in position to do a proper [Inspect], though she had a pretty good idea.

  After all, it was quite easy to see the boss ramping up its attack and eating players left and right even faster than it had been doing up to that point.

  There was no doubt that the sisters executed the disruption (trolling) tactic of buffing boss during raids, and took it to the extremes. Considering the base stats of a Magnus Bestia, an item that can have noticeable effects on it must be on the level of a legendary sword already. The amount of zeros on its price tag is probably legendary as well.

  _ Vladina (Party): It will be tough with their current power level. Short of securing a foothold and killing the boss, our next best bet is somehow joining their own raid and dealing as much damage as possible. That way some of us may qualify for the treasure room and split the loots again.

  _ Cinrald (Party): Same plan it is then. They one-shot us so that part remains unchanged.

  _ Vladina (Party): *Shrugs* Well duh. They may kill the boss faster than previous raids however. If you intend to KS, you had better prepare a way to go in the moment they start.

  Despite a not too bright outlook, this play also confirmed that didn't intend to raid this boss for the time being. Playing their cards right, the alliance too can benefit from the bought time. The unorganized unaligned guilds taking the brunt of the buffed Magnus Bestia… much less likely.

  _ Cinrald (Party): Understood. I'll have someone keep an eye on it. Could you stay here until my replacement comes?

  _ Vladina (Party): I don't mind. I plan to be here for a while.

  Parting ways with the battle fetishist, resumes her observation. Her target is not the Magnus Bestia by the way, as she only needs to occasionally check whether the situation changes. She's monitoring something else, away from the battlefield, and much, much smaller.

  _ Vladina: Over… there.

  A slime girl is walking on a drained pond, ignoring the players rushing in the other direction towards the boss. Her destination? A big boulder extruding out of the ground.

  _ Vladina: Do these rocks have a secret loot or something…? She has been mining them for a while now.

  Not really, although the person responsible is not around to clarify that. In the end, the overanalyzing guildmaster continues observing a pet working on a gathering quest for another two hours.

  ____________

  Back in the camp where the Avitus Caelicola is still doing its utmost to take down a comparatively tiny waitress and her shield-wielding fairy, the waitress in charge is examining a lunchbox with great interest.

  No, it being made by a cute little half-elf has nothing to do with it.

  Probably. Hopefully.

  _ Hessy: I see… A Magnus Bestia has too much defense and attack for an average player anyway, so you can convert them to other stats without compromising its capabilities.

  _ Shadyna: Un! I converted attack power to attack speed and defense to HP regeneration since they will benefit the boss more.

  I am explaining to Hessy the buff items I crafted to help with the Magnus Bestia. Well, it's just my totally normal (and a bit OP) lunchbox, but enchanted with different buff skills.

  _ Hessy: Yes, attack speed scales better if you already one-shot enemies, and more HP regen on a boss is massive. And those are in addition to your normal buff skills… Good thinking, .

  _ Shadyna: Ehehe~

  _ Hessy: You used up all of the materials we grinded today though.

  _ Shadyna: I'm sowwy~

  It couldn't be helped, okay? I kinda wasted my storage crafting the siege weapons and the new lunchboxes are… expensive, to put it mildly.

  Meanwhile, from Blue Blood Federation also agreed to let us take command of this camp's garrison forces. In return, we would supply them with everything they need to defend the place from an endless horde of greedy marau… players, mainly consumables (sweets) and repair services.

  …We are going to be in the red for a while, aren't we?

  _ Hessy: I'll send our sages to help unlock the bosses' second forms. We need this figured out sooner than later. Not enough personnel to stop anyhow.

  _ Shadyna: Un! Back to grinding we go then!

  _ Fensen & Poltea: Ooooohhhh!!!

  And so, we continue our quest for the Terra Cetus in peace… Well, as peaceful as it can get with all the competition around anyway.

  Sigh~

  --- Topic: New Avitus Caelicola & Magnus Bestia ---

  …

  ## Serious Mage

  What's the status on the bosses? Are the big guilds joining the raids?

  ##

  ## Newbie Charisma build

  I'm not sure about the Avitus Caelicola, but Blue Blood guys certainly are not letting anyone near it! (>_<)

  They even have lasers! [Link]

  ##

  ## Flame knight of Darkness

  I wouldn't go near the fort if I were you.

  Source: I met the defenders (^_-)

  ##

  ## Manly Warrior

  Only two players in this game have that laser skill, in case you are wondering. (._.)

  Avitus Caelicola is probably out if "they" were there. Any luck with Magnus Bestia?

  ##

  ## The Dark Knife

  The Unity alliance's attack on the Magnus Bestia was repelled! The boss is fully within our grasp!

  ##

  ## Bountiful Hunter

  Say that when you are actually killing it. Why is the thing at full HP again?! (＃?Д?)

  ##

  ## WarlordPwnage

  (*￣m￣)

  We just didn't have enough players because the pillar guilds are prioritizing Terra Cetus. You guys are lucky this time.

  ##

  ## Manly Warrior

  I was back in Tyrel because of an explosion. What happened to the Magnus Bestia?! Σ(?Д?)

  ##

  ## Nearseeing Sage

  @Manly Warrior: This happened. [Pic]

  ##

  ## Mage of Sin

  They are seriously buffing a Magnus Bestia of all things?! OTZ

  Back to Terra Cetus then!

  ##

  ------