Flames in the Crystal Grove
"Lua, Lua! This is Sally! I hired her to help me make my lamps," Liora exclaimed with excitement, rushing toward Lua the moment she saw her step out of the house. The little girl waved her arms with energy, dragging her new friend behind her.
"Is that so?" Lua replied in her usual calm and gentle tone, softly patting Liora's head with a rare display of tenderness. "You wanted to go out and gather materials, right? You must be running low on crystals."
"Yes! Can we bring Sally too?" Liora asked without a moment's hesitation.
Lua nodded naturally. "That's fine."
Sally had just opened her mouth to ask what exactly "gathering materials" meant, when she felt a sudden wave of vertigo. In the blink of an eye, she was lifted by the waist, dangling upside down while the scenery around her blurred with speed. Trees zipped past, closer and farther, as if they were flying through the forest.
Liora, tucked under Lua's other arm, was already used to it. She laughed joyfully, enjoying the ride like a magical roller coaster.
With one final leap, they landed in the area where bisons usually grazed and crystals sparkled. The terrain was wide and rocky, with formations of mana quartz rising like petrified trees.
But something was wrong.
Lua narrowed her eyes. There were no signs of bisons. The air carried a different tone. She stepped forward, subtly sniffing the wind like a seasoned predator reading the environment.
"Gather materials," she ordered firmly, kneeling to examine the ground. A deep groove stretched across the area, as if something massive had dragged itself along, leaving a clear trail through the hardened dirt.
Liora wasted no time. She pulled out a pickaxe and shovel she had bought from Silver and handed the shovel to Sally with a cheerful grin.
"We need to collect as many crystals as we can. But if you see anything strange or useful, grab it too. Everything helps," she explained with confidence that far outweighed her actual experience—this was only her second time gathering with Lua.
Sally nodded, still a little dizzy from the trip. Her eyes sparkled as she took in the scenery: it was truly magical. Crystals of many colors jutted from the ground and trees like frozen leaves in time. Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting shifting rainbows across the forest floor. The air smelled of dense mana—sweet and fresh like a divine perfume.
Lua handed them a high-capacity storage bag—just like the one she had lent to Joe and his group. She was definitely spoiling Liora a little, but no one in the village dared question her about it.
Liora began mining crystals with enthusiasm. As she struck the formations, shards broke off and fell, and one of her trained ants emerged from its vial, collected the crystal, and deposited it into her bag. The process was fast and efficient.
She even lent one of her ants to Sally so she could keep up.
While the girls collected crystals, glowing mushrooms, and brightly lit flowers, Lua remained focused on the trail. With a smooth motion, she began tracing runes in the air, sending out pulses of scanning magic.
A three-dimensional image formed before her—made entirely of light: the silhouette of a colossal serpent. Three meters thick. Over sixty meters long. The markings on the ground confirmed it—this creature had devoured the bisons that once roamed here.
Then she felt it.
In the distance, trees began to fall one after another, like dominos being knocked over by something enormous forcing its way through the forest.
Lua narrowed her gaze.
"Sia, send a party invite to the girls," she commanded immediately. One hand gripped her sword, while the other traced defensive runes in the air. All around them, stone walls rose up with precision, shielding Liora and Sally.
The two girls blinked as a floating window appeared in front of them:
🌀 Lua has invited you to her party. Accept?
[✔️ Yes] [✖️ No]
Liora tapped Yes without hesitation. Sally took a moment, then accepted too—just as both turned to look at what Lua was facing.
The forest was breaking apart before their eyes.
A monstrous creature emerged from the trees. A serpent, covered in dull gray scales, its body crowned with curved horns and deep golden eyes set in sunken sockets. Its tongue flicked through the air—longer than Lua herself. When it opened its mouth, saliva dripped down, hissing as it turned the soil beneath it… into solid stone.
"SSSssshhhh…" hissed the creature, locking eyes with Lua. Its massive body coiled, tension building like a spring ready to snap.
Lua didn't move. She simply said, without looking back:
"Don't leave the wall."
Sally swallowed hard, and a new information window appeared in front of her:
🐍 Petrifying Serpent – Lv. 50
🏆 Title: Zone Boss
HP: 4,880,540 / 5,000,000
⚠️ Status: Territory Lost
🔻 Debuff: Unstable Instinct – Defense -25%, Perception -25%
"Another boss out of its territory? Boss, I think the forest is a little agitated," said Sia inside Lua's mind.
"Yes. This is bison territory. Maybe it's trying to take over after losing its own… but it's strange it has no followers," Lua replied, her voice serious, her red eyes beginning to glow more intensely.
"Can you beat it? It has way too much HP. What if we bring in players? They won't deal much damage, but at least they're immortal… they could reach you if things go bad," insisted Sia with concern.
"It doesn't matter if they're immortal. Dying still hurts. I'll handle it. This isn't the first zone boss I've faced."
"I'd feel better if I could see your status panel… I still don't understand why I can't activate it," muttered Sia, irritated.
"It's not important right now."
Before her, the serpent finished coiling its titanic body like a spring. In the next heartbeat, it launched itself forward, mouth wide open, aiming to swallow Lua whole.
Lua swung her sword in a wide arc just as a blue aura flared around her. Instantly, her blade extended, cloaked in black flames that crackled like shadows. With a swift slash, she struck toward the serpent's open mouth, then leapt to the side, dodging the attack with perfect timing.
The serpent roared, its body quaking the earth beneath them. Its upper jaw bore dark, smoking burns—its fury unmistakable.
Furious, the creature twisted its massive body and swung its tail like a devastating whip. Lua leapt into the air, narrowly dodging the strike as the shockwave uprooted the nearby trees.
While midair, Lua placed her left hand against the blade of her sword. The aura around her shifted—from a cold blue to a deep crimson red. Flames surged along her back, and without hesitation, she unleashed a series of descending strikes. From her blade, waves of carmine fire shot downward like blazing bursts.
Despite its massive size, the serpent moved with uncanny agility, weaving through the incoming attacks with fluid motions. Still, the ground beneath it was left scorched and torn, bearing the burning scars of Lua's strikes.
A platform of air materialized beneath her feet, and Lua used it to launch herself forward like a bolt of lightning. The serpent reacted, opening its mouth again—this time not to bite, but to release a roar accompanied by a stream of putrid green liquid.
Lua extended her hand and wrote a rune-based spell so swiftly it appeared as a mere flash. A stone barrier formed around her—only to shatter instantly as the acid struck. From the shards, Lua burst forth unharmed, surging toward the beast and slashing a fiery arc straight into its gaping maw.
Her red eyes glowed with intensity. Even the small horns on her forehead began to shimmer faintly as the ambient heat rose to scorching levels.
The blade struck deep inside the serpent's mouth, forcing it to recoil with a furious roar. It rose up like a living wall and, without warning, lunged forward, aiming to impale Lua with one of its horns.
Lua blocked with her sword, but the sheer force of the blow sent her flying.
She spun midair, stabilizing herself with floating platforms, and landed gracefully not far from Sally and Liora—who watched her with growing awe and concern.
Liora stepped forward, anxious to help. Instinctively, she opened her status panel—something she rarely did. But this time, she was searching for anything that might assist Lua.
🌟 STATUS PANEL – LIORA
───────────────────────────────
Name: Liora
Level: 10 | Race Level: 1
Race: Guardian Angel (Magic Support Type)
Title: Goddess of Fortune
───────────────────────────────
STATS
HP: 380
MP: 978
Damage: 1
Defense: 22 (+21 from equipment)
Strength: 2 | Endurance: 2
Intelligence: 37 | Agility: 24 (+8 from equipment)
Dexterity: 34 (+1 from equipment)
Luck: 20 (fixed) (max)
EXP: 0 / 2,000
───────────────────────────────
ABILITIES
• Blessing of the World (Passive) – Permanently doubles Luck.
• Legendary Race (Passive) – Doubles status points gained per level.
• Minor Healing – Level 1
• Sacred Purification – Level 1
🌠 Blessing of Warm Light – Level 1
Type: Buff
Mana: 20 MP | Cooldown: 30 s
Effect: Increases HP regeneration by 15% for 10 s to a nearby ally.
Bonus: If the target is below 30% HP, the healing is doubled for the first 3 s.
🌠 Shield of Grace – Level 1
Type: Buff (Defensive)
Mana: 25 MP | Cooldown: 40 s
Effect: Grants a barrier that blocks up to 150 damage for 8 s.
Bonus: While active, incoming damage is reduced by an additional 10%.
🌠 Voice of Valor – Level 1
Type: Buff (Aura)
Mana: 18 MP | Cooldown: 60 s
Effect: Increases ATK and DEF by 10% to allies within 10 meters for 15 s.
Bonus: If Liora has more than 50% MP, also grants +5 AGI.
───────────────────────────────
EQUIPMENT
• Ant Necklace x3
• Small Horn Earring (+3 Agility, +1 Dexterity)
• Horned Rabbit Hide Set (+19 Defense, +3 Agility)
• Soft Hide Pants (+5 Defense, +1 Agility)
• Horn Gloves (+2 Defense, +3% gathering efficiency)
• Rabbit Hide Boots (+3 Defense, +2 Agility)
🔸 Set Bonus Active:Silent Movement – Reduces movement noise by 10%.
Liora didn't fully understand what each ability did, but she knew they were meant to protect and support. She closed her eyes and activated them one by one, bathing Lua in a radiant, sacred light.
Lua felt the blessings instantly. For a moment, she turned to Liora with a faint smile that eased the girl's worry… then fixed her gaze on the serpent once more. Her body now shimmered with golden energy, and her sword felt lighter. In a blink, she sprinted toward the beast, faster and stronger than before.
Sally, still behind the stone wall, also opened her status panel. She felt like she had to help… even if she wasn't sure how.
🌑 STATUS PANEL – SALLY
───────────────────────────────
Name: Sally
Level: 3 | Race Level: 0
Race: Void (Magical Debuffer Type)
Title: —
───────────────────────────────
STATS
HP: 160
MP: 305
Damage: 1
Defense: 22 (1 base + equipment)
Strength: 0 | Endurance: 0
Intelligence: 14
Agility: 12 (4 base + equipment)
Dexterity: 8
Luck: 6
EXP: 0 / 400
───────────────────────────────
ABILITIES
🌠 Whispers of the Hollow – Level 1
Type: Debuff (Magic – Mental)
Mana: 25 MP | Cooldown: 20 s
Effect: Inflicts mental disorientation for 6 s, reducing accuracy and critical chance by 30%.
Bonus: If the target is already suffering another debuff, they also lose peripheral vision temporarily.
🌠 Weight of Emptiness – Level 1
Type: Debuff (Magic – Physical)
Mana: 28 MP | Cooldown: 25 s
Effect: Slows the enemy by 40% for 5 s and reduces jump/evasion capabilities.
Bonus: If the enemy is paralyzed or immobilized, this debuff extends the duration by 2 s.
───────────────────────────────
EQUIPMENT
• Small Horn Earring (+3 Agility, +1 Dexterity)
• Horned Rabbit Hide Hat (+3 Defense, +1 Agility)
• Horned Rabbit Leather Armor (+8 Defense, +1 Agility)
• Soft Hide Pants (+5 Defense, +1 Agility)
• Horn Gloves (+2 Defense, +3% gathering efficiency)
• Rabbit Hide Boots (+3 Defense, +2 Agility)
🔸 Set Bonus Active:Silent Movement – Reduces movement noise by 10%.
Sally swallowed hard.
She was a seasoned gamer. Years spent in her room, mastering all kinds of builds and classes. And now that she knew she was a debuffer, she understood exactly what her job was.
She quickly analyzed her skills, took a deep breath… and aimed at the serpent.
She extended her hands. Two dark spells shot out in quick succession.
A black shimmer fell over the creature like a living shadow—but a sharp sound, like shattering glass, echoed through the air.
"Missed," muttered Sally, frowning. It was a failure due to level difference. She knew that perfectly well. But she didn't stop.
One after another, she kept casting her skills relentlessly, maintaining a steady rhythm from her corner. Every time Liora's cooldowns ended, she renewed her buffs on Lua, keeping her empowered to keep fighting.
Then finally—one of the debuffs broke through.
The serpent faltered, its movement growing sluggish and heavy. A faint dark glow began to cling to its body: the effect of Weight of Emptiness. Sally exhaled in relief.
"It landed…!"
Lua didn't waste the chance.
Taking full advantage of the slowed enemy, she unleashed a flurry of quick and precise strikes. Her other hand didn't rest—runes flowed through the air as she gathered crimson flames from the surroundings. The air began to spiral. The fire obeyed her will.
The serpent tried to pull back, but its slowed body couldn't react in time. Lua kept pressuring it, blocking its retreat with her relentless attacks. In seconds, a burning vortex began forming around it.
Then it ignited.
A whirlwind of carmine fire rose like a pillar of inferno, engulfing the serpent entirely. The beast screamed, writhing within the flames—its silhouette barely visible in the searing glow.
Sally and Liora watched in silence, wide-eyed and breathless.
When the spell ended, the ground was scorched black. The air reeked of ash and mana. And though the creature still stood, it was badly wounded. Its scales were cracked, its body scorched in multiple places. But it had not fallen yet.
With renewed rage, the serpent roared and charged toward Lua once more.
Sally and Liora, both out of mana, could only remain where they were. The crystal bags at their feet shimmered faintly—forgotten. They were no longer gatherers… they were witnesses.
The battle raged on.
…
Elsewhere, back in the village…
Everything had come to a halt. From rooftops, fields, and workshops, all eyes turned toward the eastern forest—where a massive crimson spiral had just erupted into the sky. The phenomenon was visible from anywhere in the settlement.
Construction, farming, and daily tasks ceased completely.
"What the hell was that?" asked Joe, eyes wide.
"I don't know… but Lua went that way. With Liora and Sally," Bert replied, a hint of worry in his voice.
"Looks exciting… wanna go check it out?" said Joe, already ready to bolt.
"It's way too far. The beasts will eat us before we even get there," said Sig, arms crossed.
"Tsk. This is driving me crazy. I can't stand being stuck here building anymore. Let's just go level up—even if we die. It's just a percentage penalty," Joe grumbled.
Steve, still working on a nearby structure, turned to them. "If I had more hands, I could finish this house in a week. But with just Joe helping… it's gonna take a month. I need at least five more builders."
Sig nodded and took command in a clear voice:
"Alright. Silver, if you've finished the tools for the mission, help Steve for now. Julia, keep working on the paper project. We already handled the heavy stuff. The old man said he could help now that he's free, so go find him. Edward's probably out hunting in the forest, and the other two players aren't around to hire. That's why Loli, Bert, Joe, Dean, and I will go hunt ants. We need to level up and get mana stones."
She turned to Alfred:
"You're in charge of coordination for the day. Priority is to recruit at least two new workers. Get them into the game as soon as possible."
Everyone nodded at the orders.
"If we have to, we'll hunt at night," Sig added with determination. "We'll see if Joe and Dean can handle the ants this time. And if you screw it up again, Uncle… I'll make you hunt rabbits until all our people are in the game," she said, tone flat but eyes sharp as blades.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it…" Joe muttered, though he didn't exactly sound convincing.