Chapter 65 : 65. Distressed Aiko
This time Snow Goose went to the 11th floor, encountering 3 Swift Rock Lizards, 4 meters in length, comparable to Earth Dragons.
Aiko and Lia's output was too high, causing the front line to fail at holding the Magical Creatures' aggro, frequently chasing after the squishies.
But why were the front lines able to hold aggro before?
In battle, Aiko held her breath for a long time, finally rid herself of the Swift Rock Lizard's aggro, only to have the lizard chase her the moment she fired off a Light Arrow Technique.
It doesn't make sense!
Klrona fought for ages, shouldn't the lizard chase Klrona first?
To clear the 11th floor, Oru's arm was broken, and even with the assistance of Regeneration Art, it would take half a month to heal.
The adventure team's inventory of magic scrolls was also depleted. Each scroll was a pile of Gold Coins.
Snow Goose couldn't figure out the right strategy against the Swift Rock Lizards, so they had to forcefully use magic items,
Lia downed 16 Life Potions, Aiko's head hurt from overconsuming mana.
Everyone came back with soot on their faces, too little joy in clearing the level.
There was no victory banquet, but a criticism meeting instead.
More than an hour and it still wasn't over.
Aiko looked displeasedly at the downcast Healer Phyllis across from her.
This blond noble was full of arrogance when he first joined the team, but since coming out from the 11th floor of the Mystic Realm, he had been hanging his head like a deflated ball.
In this attempt to clear the level, Phyllis, who took on the command, had major issues.
There must be some kind of mechanism on the Swift Rock Lizards that Phyllis failed to recognize.
Aiko couldn't help but miss the days when Lin Da was still part of the team.
Celebratory feasts were filled with joy, there were Lin Da's late-night 'hometown cuisine', followed by a foot massage, then sleeping comfortably.
Those days of adventure, almost like indulgence!
When Lin Da commanded, there wasn't a single instance of such serious mistakes as Phyllis's.
The front line could always keep a tight hold on the Monsters' aggro, while the back line safely dealt damage, those creatures seemed blind, not seeing them at all.
Thinking back carefully, it seems like there was a certain knack to hitting Magical Creatures, a number of times...?
But back then, Aiko never imagined Lin Da would leave the team. Lin Da was supposed to stay in the team forever, as a trembling servant, then one day realize she, the Mage, was the most excellent one in the team, fall deeply in love with her, hopelessly, becoming a loyal dog...
But the reality was before her, Lin Da not only left the team but also formed his own!
The more Aiko thought about it, the more irritable she became. Damn Lin Da, why hasn't he come to beg her to join?
Aside from her, were there any other excellent adventurers who would join his group?
Could it be he was spending every day and night cuddling with that big Bear woman?
The mere thought made Aiko's eyes turn red; she hadn't even slept with Lin Da yet, how could she let an outsider get ahead of her!
In the background, Lia's voice scolded Phyllis.
This short redheaded girl, not much bigger than a panda, only had a fierce temper.
Lia, dressed in a white top and a black skirt, had numerous bandages wrapped around her thighs and arms, and an oversized pain-relieving patch stuck to her head. She was fuming with annoyance, her eyebrows arched as she pointed a finger unabashedly at the new Healer, Phyllis's nose:
"What the hell is wrong with you? Your strategy is completely unqualified!"
"The front line is stupid, too, unable to attract the ire of the Magical Creatures. I'm constantly being targeted!"
"Or it's Aiko who draws the Magical Creatures' attention, leaving everyone weary from holding them off, fighting in a way that makes no sense! Who's supposed to do what, when, and use which skills? Spell it out! Why is your guide only one page, when that traitor Lin Da's guide is as thick as a book?"
Lia's voice was crisp and sharp, like a sword slashing through the meeting room, piercing everyone's eardrums.
Phyllis slowly lifted his head, even as a new Healer who had joined Snow Goose to cling to Lia's coattails, he couldn't help feeling a bit angry now.
He had seen the strategy guide Lin Da had left in the room.
It was full of dense, incomprehensible data, many terms Phyllis had never heard of—clearly, the other party wasn't from a conventional Academic Faction background. Initially, Phyllis looked down on it, but as he read on, he discovered that Lin Da had actually marked out all the attack ranges and aggro values of the Magical Creatures on that level,
and analyzed their vocal sounds to determine their condition, pinpointing which part to strike for maximum damage and aggro,
That wasn't just a strategy guide—it was an encyclopedia dissecting and thoroughly researching the Magical Creatures!
Not just Phyllis, Phyllis thought even his teacher, a level 25 seasoned adventurer from the Noble Academy of White Dove City, couldn't produce a better strategy than Lin Da.
Lia demanded that he, a mere outstanding graduate, do better than Lin Da—she was blatantly making things difficult for him!
Moreover, he had tried hard... To cast Healing Arts on his teammates, he had consumed seven or eight Magic Potions, his magical circuits swollen and throbbing with pain, to the point it felt impossible even to urinate.
All these efforts, why couldn't Lia see them?
Plus, after being sternly rebuked by Lia, Phyllis finally felt a twinge of impatience and said in annoyance, "Well... Why don't you go find Lin Da?"
His words abruptly caught Lia off guard, her face turning crimson.
Aiko and the other members looked at Phyllis with eyes full of admiration.
They thought he was just a new bootlicker, but it turned out he had some backbone.
"Huh?! Why bring up that traitor? Are you sick or what?" Lia questioned, staring skeptically at Phyllis: "And aren't you a top graduate? Can't you even outperform a nobody like Lin Da who came up through the ranks? What use do I have for you then?"
But hell, I just can't match up to Lin Da, Phyllis thought furiously.
Right then, Phyllis really wanted to overturn the table and tell Lia that kicking Lin Da out was purely blind; such a person could be immediately appointed as an honorary professor if he showed up at the Academy!
Being part of a rock-level adventure team like hers was simply Lia and the others' dumb luck.
Phyllis worshipped Lin Da, who could produce such a detailed strategy, as if it were a flowing river.
But the problem was, he also wanted to cozy up to Lia's family, to expand his own family's business into Red Heart City...
Phyllis sulkily bowed his head: "I understand, I will seriously consider the strategy for the next level."
"Hmph," Lia, seeming victorious, sat down.
At this moment, Aiko suggested, "Maybe we shouldn't go to the 12th floor for now."
"The Ice Flower Adventure Team will be entering the 13th floor next month," Lia said with a grim look, "If we delay any further, the gap will only widen."
Aiko sighed. Was it possible that the Ice Flower Adventure Team was simply better than Snow Goose?
Their team members coordinated seamlessly, led by a veteran adventurer with vast experience, and then there was Isa, whose style of conduct commanded respect, earning her the unconditional trust of all her teammates.
Unlike the Snowflake Adventure Team, where Lia would get caught up in her own attacks mid-fight, completely forgetting her teammates couldn't keep up.
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