Chapter 133: The Inverted Triangle
"Everyone, get up now! Don't dawdle! If you've eaten your fill, it's time to work hard, right?"
Gwen woke up the residents who had been sleeping after gorging themselves on bread and wine until their bellies were about to burst.
The residents, who had been sound asleep, got up quickly as if nothing had happened.
It was a reaction forged by the constant threat to their lives in underground life.
I nodded once as I watched them check their weapons as soon as they got up.
They were undoubtedly elite.
It was natural for those who had survived in such a hellish place until now.
They probably had the skills to slap around even the elite soldiers that exist outside and still have room to spare.
That's why they were a precious force.
There was a need to descend to the lower floors with as little damage as possible and intact.
"Everyone, line up!"
The residents aligned themselves neatly at the command of their leader, Gwen.
In an instant, a fine unit was formed.
"That was fast."
Annette murmured with admiration in her eyes.
She apparently had no idea that those who had been sprawled out on the floor sleeping could line up so quickly.
"People who survive in such places are different."
Kamian said.
"We are also those who have survived."
I threw in a word with a meaningful smile.
"And of course, we will survive today as well."
"Of course, senior."
Annette nodded her head vigorously.
I opened my mouth to Kamian, who was silently looking at me.
"Such experiences can only be had by us, even at the academy.
Especially, the experience of fighting many against many with our lives on the line is special.
That specialness will naturally become our strength."
"Certainly, we couldn't have such experiences just by being at the academy."
"Yes, so take pride. Our party is special."
Special.
There is power in that word.
The power to greatly boost one's confidence and pride.
Even now, it was evident.
I could see the strength in Annette and Kamian's eyes.
That was exactly what I was aiming for with my words.
Now, the morale and enthusiasm of our party were at their peak.
'I've been a raid leader in games for so long; this is a piece of cake.'
I smiled smugly to myself.
I am a leader.
An experienced leader.
So leading a party of just three was nothing to me.
"We're ready on our end. We can move out anytime."
Gwen said to me.
"We're ready as well. Let's go."
We had already exchanged enough opinions about the strategy earlier.
Of course, I was naturally the one who led the discussion.
The Savior of the 10th Underground Floor.
As the newly acquired title suggested, my position here was absolute.
"Alright. Let's go, everyone!"
And so, we finally set off to annihilate the undead.
A frontal assault.
It was the strategy I had chosen.
Sometimes, it's better to smash through with force from the front rather than trying some half-baked stratagem.
Now was one of those times.
If there is enough power, there is no need for petty tricks.
And I had judged that we had that sufficient power.
Of course, behind that was the information power I had gained from numerous experiences in the game.
'That vampire isn't here right now.'
The high-ranking vampire I had encountered when I first fell to the 10th underground floor.
The human hunter, Riel.
If it were as per my experience, she would now be with her master in their original residence on the 13th underground floor.
If I think about the flow of events at that time, it's certain.
'Besides, originally.'
This garbage floor, which only has moss, was a space of no interest to the residents below.
There is an elevator, the only exit, but everyone knows that it's impossible to leave.
The only value is in the new human arrivals.
Monsters and undead target them as fresh prey, and humans replenish their forces.
But that too is a very rare occurrence, just an eventful incident that happens now and then.
In the end, the 10th underground floor was a place for their own fierce struggle for survival.
'No need to worry about the dangerous ones then.'
My gaze shifted to Annette walking beside me.
Another reason why I confidently chose a frontal assault.
"Junior Annette."
I spoke to her in a quiet voice.
"Oh, yes. Senior."
"Have you ever fought the undead?"
"What—"
As expected, she had none.
While you might encounter monsters, undead are not beings you come across easily.
So it's not strange at all that she has no combat experience.
But because of that, she wouldn't know her hidden true value.
I was planning to draw that out here.
"Right. It doesn't really matter. You can gain experience this time."
"Yes, I'll do my best not to be a burden."
Annette was firming up her resolve.
I liked that.
"But you know."
"Yes?"
"We're going to arrange our formation like this."
I roughly drew an inverted triangle in the air with my finger.
"Kamian and I in the front line, and you in the rear."
Two damage dealers and tanks.
One healer.
It was the best formation we could make with the three of us.
The easiest way would be to blend in with the group of residents led by Gwen, but we decided to fight as an independent squad for the growth of me and these guys.
We might seem laughable with just the three of us, but we were not a force to be underestimated.
I was sure of that.
As the leader, I was confident that I had completely transformed from a mere civilian into something entirely different.
"So I'll be supporting from the back?"
"Ah, you'll be supporting, but not just supporting. I'm planning to use you as one of the core elements."
"Co-core?"
Annette blinked in surprise.
It seemed completely unexpected to her.
That's because, as of now, her offensive abilities were below average.
But I knew.
That when facing the undead, she becomes a completely different asset.
"Don't worry too much. It won't be that difficult. You just need to sing behind us."
"Sing...?"
"Yes, you know. The Song of Healing."
"The Song of Healing is for healing, but....."
Annette looked confused.
"I know. I know that."
The Song of Healing.
It was Annette's nickname and her unique trait.
Meaning it was a trait only she possessed.
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An extra chapter for today, enjoy it guys.
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