MMORPG: I was BUGGED-Chapter 272: Confrontation in the Skies

Xin then retrieved a shell from his inventory, casually pressing the back of it, and Ragnarok Reaper’s voice resonated within.

It was one of Xin’s crafted items, the [Echo Shell] that allowed him to hear the conversation even from hundreds of meters away.

Down in the square, everyone was converged.

Ragnarok Reaper addressed the guild with a steady voice. "Securing the Castle of Doom on the fourth day marks the beginning of challenges we’ll be facing.

"As you all know, each passing day within the Castle of Doom means our enemies grow more powerful. Tomorrow, we confront a boss –– not just any boss, but one that has eluded defeat even the top guilds."

A wave of murmurs swept through the gathered players, and the anxiety on their faces deepened.

"Not even the top guilds could defeat?"

"Can we handle this?"

"I’m curious about the kind of enemy we’re up against."

Ragnarok Reaper’s voice echoed within the Castle of Doom. "Tomorrow, we’ll face one of Guildbane’s most formidable bosses –– Salathiir, the Demon Dragon."

Players exchanged looks and engaged in hushed conversations.

"Salathiir?"

"A dragon?"

"A demon dragon?"

"I have never faced a dragon before."

Apprehension filled the air as worry etched itself on every face, and the chat buzzed with heightened tension.

"Listen, everyone!" Fury exclaimed, taking charge. "This Demon Dragon is not to be underestimated. It possesses the advantage of the sky and, more ominously, can unleash swarms of tiny bat like devils into towns, putting the NPCs at risk."

Xin was shaken to learn that his intuition had been correct. He had anticipated an airborne threat targeting the town, but he hadn’t expected it to materialize so soon on the fifth day. He had initially presumed it would be the climax of challenges on the sixth and final day.

If this was the scenario on the fifth day, what formidable adversary awaited them on the last day?

The mere contemplation sent shivers down Xin’s spine.

Meanwhile, in the square, uncertainty rippled through the players, their voices forming a murmur.

"So, does this mean we not only have to face the boss but also protect the villagers?"

"We’re already down to fewer than seventy players. Can we afford to split up and safeguard every villager here?"

"Exactly."

"If even one NPC dies, we fail the dungeon, right?"

"That’s correct," affirmed Doom Harbinger. "But don’t worry; we’ve meticulously planned for this encounter."

Doom Harbinger nodded to Ragnarok Reaper and Eclipse.

From their inventories, Ragnarok Reaper and Eclipse produced something, and on the stage materialized a weapon . . . a magical shatter burst that towered over a regular human. It was made of metal and appeared formidable.

"We’ve specifically crafted these for this dungeon," announced Ragnarok Reaper. "We have twenty of these. They will be placed all around the castle battlement, and only mages will be allowed to operate them."

"These require special magical duds," added Doom Harbinger, pulling from his inventory a dud the size of a cannonball. "This is a holy dud that scatters upon contact in a wide area. Our enemies are weak against holy and light magic and these will allow us to defend the NPCs in this town."

At the mention of this, the players’ faces brightened.

"With this, we won’t have to split our group and disrupt our usual formation," Fury said. "Now, we will discuss our strategy against this Demon Dragon.

"The strategy is simple: the tank will control the aggro of the Demon Dragon, keeping it on the ground, while the rest of us, the leaders will take care of it, and the rest of the group will support us."

While the leaders explained their strategy for tomorrow, Xin quietly stood on the rooftop and observed the happenings down below.

"A Demon Dragon, huh?" Xin muttered.

"Dragons?" Hilda stuck out her tongue. "I hate dragons."

"Have you encountered one before?"

Hilda nodded. "I encounter them all the time. Nasty creatures that annoyingly attack from the sky. But even so, I love Tiny."

"Tiny?"

Hilda nodded with a smile and a sigh. "He’s my pet. He’s also a dragon. I left him behind in the castle. I miss him. I wonder what he’s doing right now?"

Xin didn’t know what to think. Tiny was supposed to be small, contrary to the size of a dragon. Or was it a juxtaposition? Maybe Tiny is a little dragon or lizard.

Regardless, Xin focused on the plan for tomorrow. They wanted to defend the castle with those scattered blasts, a good idea, but would it really work?

Bosses in this realm, like the Wormgod encountered before, have two distinct modes: [Berserk Mode] and [Last Stance] Mode.

Surely, that Demon Dragon would have those modes too. No question about that.

As Xin comprehended it, the guild leaders had only managed to lower the Demon Dragon’s HP to [Berserk Mode], and the reason for their defeat was their failure to anticipate the swarms of tiny devils that flew into the sky and attacked the NPCs in town.

They were also forced to split their group, resulting in the death of many players during that encounter.

Sooner or later, Xin knew that the Demon Dragon would take to the sky, and he bet that the guild leaders were aware of this possibility too.

The question now was . . . what were they going to do about that? Xin doubted that a mere Scatter Blast could deter the Demon Dragon.

Xin shrugged, deciding that it was no longer his problem since he wouldn’t be joining in the fight tomorrow. He would let them handle it and observe for now.

Instead, he was more concerned about the children and decided to visit them.

Back in the hideout, Xin and Poppy were talking as usual when Poppy suddenly said, "I heard that you will be facing a dragon tomorrow."

"Where did you hear that?" Xin asked. Could she have heard about it from the players, or was it a clue from the NPCs?

Poppy leaned and whispered, "I heard it in the town."

Xin thought that there was probably more to it than, but he still needed more clues to know if he was correct with his thoughts.