MMORPG: I was BUGGED-Chapter 287: The Alchemist’s Dilemma

The Castle of Doom buzzed with frenetic energy as players and leaders alike scurried around, attempting to decipher the elusive location of the final boss and the mysterious method to make it appear. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"There have to be some clues on how to locate it and bring it out from wherever hellhole it’s hiding," Ragnarok Reaper asserted.

"We’re doing our best to locate it. Everyone is currently searching, but there’s still no such luck," Doom Harbinger reported.

"What did the mages team say?" Ragnarok Reaper inquired, his tone hopeful for good news.

Doom Harbinger shook his head in disappointment. "Nothing. They couldn’t get the boss to appear with all the skills and spells they have."

Ragnarok Reaper didn’t give up and asked, "What about Maya’s team? Have they crafted something that would make the boss appear?"

"No . . . they don’t have the materials and blueprints necessary to craft anything like an item that could detect the boss."

Ragnarok Reaper clicked his tongue, beads of sweat coating his face. "How much time do we have before midnight?"

Doom Harbinger’s face darkened, and he answered with a serious expression, "Only around four hours more. Traversing this thick fog and recovering from the ailment took most of our time."

Ragnarok Reaper fell silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Have our men exhaust all resources to find this boss. Our efforts thus far would be a waste if we don’t defeat that motherfucker."

"Understood." Doom Harbinger recognized the frustration in Ragnarok Reaper’s words, evident from the use of strong language.

Meanwhile, Eclipse found himself engaged in a heated conversation with Maya, the guild’s supposed greatest alchemist amongst the players.

"Maya, we need something that can reveal the boss’s location. Have you concocted any potions or items that could help?" Eclipse asked, a hint of urgency in his voice.

Maya sighed, her brows furrowed in concentration. "I’ve been trying, but it’s not that simple. Crafting an item to unveil the boss’s location is no easy task. We’re running low on resources, and without the necessary materials, it’s impossible."

Eclipse frowned, unwilling to accept defeat. "Maya, you’re the greatest alchemist in the game. There has to be a way. We can’t afford to lose to this boss. Billions of money and our reputations are at stake here."

Maya’s gaze met Eclipse’s, her expression serious. "I may hold the title of the greatest alchemist in the past, but that title belongs to me no more. X is the one who crafted the cure and the mask, saving us all from the impending doom. He’s the true alchemist here."

She understood that shifting the attention to X was a dubious move, but in this stressful moment, she couldn’t think of anything else.

Eclipse’s constant harassment only added to her predicament. She needed a break from him and all his demands and complaints or she could never focus!

Eclipse’s eyes widened in surprise. "X? The new guy who just joined us? He’s a crafter too? How is that possible?"

Maya nodded solemnly. "Yes, X. He not only crafted the cure and the mask but also provided crucial information about the final boss. It seems he possesses skills beyond what we initially thought."

Eclipse struggled to process this revelation. The guild had always relied on Maya’s alchemical prowess, and now this newcomer, X, had overshadowed her achievements.

One of the reasons they secured a position in the top five was due to her, and the extent to which they were willing to go to keep her in their guild was no trivial matter.

And now, this . . .

For a fleeting moment, thoughts of the dungeon and the final boss vanished from Eclipse’s mind. All he could focus on was his burning desire to recruit X once this ordeal was over.

He was certain that others harbored similar thoughts.

With the emergence of another crafter, possibly even greater than Maya, Eclipse couldn’t simply sit back and let this opportunity slip through his fingers.

"What’s going on in that mind of yours?" Maya inquired, jolting Eclipse from his contemplations.

She stared at him with a deadpan expression. "Don’t tell me you’re considering recruiting him, right? I may like the idea because it would mean less work for me, but this guy is a total stranger and a weirdo. He could be a spy from another guild, you know."

Eclipse cleared his throat, steering the conversation in a different direction. "Anyway, let’s not dwell on that for now. Keep your focus on finding a way to make the boss appear. Our success rides on you and your team."

"I’m well aware of that," Maya responded, a hint of frustration in her voice. "And I haven’t had a moment to take a break since we got here. You better raise my salary after this, and I want a new and improved lab."

"Only if we emerge victorious from this, or there’ll be a salary decrease for all of you," Eclipse said with a stoic expression, signaling that he wasn’t kidding before he disappeared and rejoined the others outside.

Maya stuck out her tongue. "Stingy." She then got back to work while cursing Eclipse in her head.

But then, X suddenly appeared, startling her senseless.

"Whoa! Can’t you appear without shocking me to death?" Maya complained.

Xin didn’t mind her and went straight to the point, "I found a way to make the boss appear. Have your team ready to attack it with the most devastating spell in your arsenal the moment it does."

Maya paused and blinked, her head bobbing to the side. "Huh?"

"The array spell I placed will be ready in five minutes. I hope that’s enough time for the mages team to prepare their spells."

"W-wait . . . what do you mean? Did you really find a way to make the boss appear?" Maya asked in incredulity, but before she could finish her sentence, X had already left.

Maya couldn’t believe that he just disappeared like that without offering any clearance on what to do or expect.

Maya gritted her teeth and shouted in her head. ’Why are all men so infuriating?!’