Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 46
Chapter 46: General Assault Part 1
After returning to the base and handing the girl over to her family, Sora received a decent amount of experience points as the quest was completed.
A nearby soldier informed Sora that Giorl needed to see her, so she quickly made her way to the office.
As she walked, Sora couldn’t help but think about the Dark Knight she had just met.
“A daughter…”
Even though I think he is just an NPC, I can’t help but feel really curious about him.
If he trusted his long-honed gamer instincts, this knight was likely a key figure.
The ?UNK? was displayed along with an overwhelming level of 156 in a starting area where such a thing shouldn’t exist.
She hadn’t gotten a good look at the knight’s gear, but it seemed likely that everything was ranked A or higher.
To be blunt, even if every player in “Astral Online” banded together, the power difference was so vast that the knight could likely wipe them all out.
If such a person existed, perhaps he was a helper character for the Leviathan battle, but even then, he seemed like overkill.
If he did join the battle, the Leviathan would be defeated without much trouble, and that would throw off the game’s balance.
Dark Knight Hart.
Who exactly is he?
As Sora pondered this, she noticed Kuro and Aria walking together along the road. They spotted her and cheerfully approached.
“Good morning, Sora!”
“Good morning, Sora-sama.”
“Good morning… is that right? It’s night in the game right now.”
Since it was around 9:00 PM in Japan, it was likely around 7:00 AM where Kuro lived in America.
So, “good morning” made sense for Kuro, but Sora wasn’t sure about Aria, who was a resident of this world.
Aria smiled wryly and said,
“Sora-sama, the sun sets and rises on a whim. I don’t know how it works in the heavens where you reside, but in our world, it’s customary to say ‘good morning’ when we wake up.”
“Oh, right, I remember now. The day and night cycle in this world is completely random.”
That must be to avoid dividing players across the globe into constant night or day depending on their time zones.
In other online games, some maps had fixed day or night settings to address this issue.
The game ?Sky Fantasy?, which Sora had played three years ago, was exactly like that.
“Sora, how’s the progress on the errand quest?”
“Hmm, I’ve just finished the third one.”
“How many more do you think there are?”
“That’s something even I can’t say for sure.”
Sora smiled wryly along with Kuro.
These “errand quests” that tie into the main story can sometimes be done after just one or two, or, in some cases, they might drag on through six or seven… or even worse, force you to take a ridiculously long detour.
The main reason for this is to prevent the main quest from being completed too quickly, and also to add depth to the story.
From a player’s perspective, having a lot of errand quests can really kill the pacing.
So, a lot of it comes down to the developers’ sense of design.
“If I had to guess, I’d say the next quest is probably going to be something tied to the main story.”
Suddenly, the atmosphere around them grew more chaotic.
Where there were usually just conversations and the sounds of children playing, now the base was filled with the anxious voices of adults.
…Looks like my guess was right.
“Sora-sama! We have an emergency, we need your support immediately!”
Giorl, who had rushed out of the office, ran over to them, looking extremely troubled.
When Sora asked what was going on, Giorl replied with a serious expression.
“A ?Leviathan General? has appeared and is heading straight for us. If it reaches us, the base will be destroyed!”
So, it’s the boss that Shino and the others struggled with earlier today.
I don’t know if clearing three errand quests triggered it, but at least the story is finally moving forward.
Sora glanced over at Kuro.
Seeing the resolve in her eyes, she nodded deeply.
“Alright, let’s go. There are children here, so we need to take it down before it gets close to the base.”
“My squad and I will join you. If we don’t all take it on together, we won’t stand a chance against that monster.”
Oh, so Giorl is going to fight as well.
His level is around 18.
That’s about the same as the top frontline players, but I wonder how skilled an NPC can really be.
If things get dangerous, I’ll have him focus on defense.
Suddenly, Aria’s voice was heard. Just as Sora was thinking this.
“I will go too!”
“Huh?”
Both Sora and Kuro’s voices overlapped in surprise at the unexpected statement.
Wait, what is this flower-headed princess talking about?
But with a determined look in her eyes, Aria continued.
“I can use healing magic. I won’t be a burden, so please take me with you.”
“No, no, no! Aria, this is not like the enemies we’ve faced before. If you get targeted, and something happens…”
As Sora tried to stop her with all his might, a warning appeared before her eyes.
There, along with the title ?Great Serpent Surprise Attack?, the quest participation requirements were listed.
?Mandatory Requirement?: Aria must participate.
What…?
Sweat beaded on Sora’s forehead.
It seemed this wasn’t just a battle to repel the enemy but also a mission to protect her.
……………………………
Several hundred meters away from the base, a massive figure could be seen walking steadily on two legs, heading straight for them.
The creature was about four meters tall, with the head of a reptile and the body of a human. It had a tail, and its skin was like armor. In its right hand, it held a one-handed longsword as tall as itself.
To Sora and the others, it looked more like a monstrous greatsword, but his insight skill insisted it was indeed a one-handed sword.
—– —– —– —– —– —– —– —–
?Leviathan General?
?Level?: 35
?HP?: Unable to measure
A higher species created long ago, based on someone who once fought against the Leviathan. It uses one-handed longsword skills and has the characteristic of halving physical damage.
?Weakness?: Wind Attribute
—– —– —– —– —– —– —– —–
Alright, the attribute to use is decided. Now, all that’s left is to communicate the strategy.
Hiding in the bushes, Sora turned to the fully equipped Giorl, who was nearby, and said,
“Giorl, the enemy’s level is 35. If we take a direct hit from one of its attack skills, it could be instant death in the worst case.”
“Hmm, so what do you suggest?”
“Kuro and I will handle the attacks. Giorl, I want you and your team to focus on aggro (drawing opponent attention) and defending with your shields.”
“Understood.”
“Aria, your main job is to heal Kuro and me. Whatever you do, don’t try to attack with your bow. If you accidentally draw its attention, it could get you killed.”
“I-I understand.”
That concludes the strategy.
It’s a simple plan, really.
The defense units consist of four squads, each made up of four knights, including Giorl, with an average level of 17. One squad will be assigned to protect Aria, who is in charge of healing, so in reality, only three squads will be available to move.
With this lineup, we should be able to manage, even on our first try.
Ideally, Aria, who is essential for the temple and one of the conditions for a raid boss defeat, should be excluded from the team.
However, I never thought that the ‘Defeating Leviathan General’ quest that I accidentally accepted would have the condition of Aria accompany us.
Given the situation, all we can do is prioritize her safety in battle.
The only issue with this strategy is that if I, the main damage dealer, make a mistake, it could lead to a complete wipeout.
Sora unsheathed her ?Silver Sword? and looked at Kuro.
“The fact that it has two HP gauges likely means it has some sort of trigger ability. Kuro, make sure you stay close to me.”
“Got it. But I’m surprised they understand what you mean when you say ‘aggro’.”
“Hmm?”
Now that Kuro mentioned it, the NPCs had accepted the player-specific term “aggro” without any issues. They hadn’t asked for clarification, so I gave instructions without much thought. Perhaps this knowledge was pre-programmed into them.
Since it’s not a problem and they understand, there’s no need to worry too much about it.
“Alright, before we charge in, I have one last question for you, Aria.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“If… if you were to die, would you be able to come back?”
I hesitated for a moment before asking, and Aria responded with a bittersweet smile.
“I’ve heard that adventurers can be resurrected a set number of times by the miracle of the gods, but our lives are bound to this world.”
“I see. Thank you for telling me.”
It was what I expected, but now my resolve was firm. Not a single person here will die. As an adventurer named Sora, I swear to protect them all.
“Alright, everyone, let’s go!”
Sora raised the ?Silver Sword? and, alongside Kuro, who had drawn her jet-black sword, ?Night Cherry?, they dashed forward together.