Hollow Earth Online - The Return of the Swordmaster

In the early morning, Earl and I made our way to the Castor Tavern to meet with other adventurers who would join us in clearing the Slumbering Marshland.

Upon entering, the same girl from yesterday warmly welcomed us. "Welcome to the Castor Tavern!" she exclaimed with a smile.

Earl introduced her as Dorothy, the Castor Tavern receptionist and the daughter of Reed, the Tavern Manager.

Turning my attention to the tables on the far left, I observed several adventurers in worn-out gear.

I approached them and organized them into groups based on their classes. To my surprise, all of them were warriors, which explained the challenges they were facing.

It seemed evident that they lacked experience in VRMMO games.

Considering the familiarity and ease of using a sword, I understood their choice, as it resembled a baseball bat or longer and larger kitchen knife.

I couldn't help but wonder if Old Man Ori possessed some kind of clairvoyance for sending me dozens of Steel Swords and a dozen sets of Iron plated leather armors.

I made a mental note to express my gratitude to him upon my return.

In the tavern, approximately ten Warriors wore gloomy expressions, seemingly disheartened by their equipment.

Taking charge, I retrieved armor and swords from my inventory, and as I distributed them, I noticed a spark of gratitude in the warriors' eyes.

Seeking potions, I requested Dorothy's assistance.

After a few minutes, the warriors appeared revitalized with their new gear.

Expressing their thanks, they addressed me as "Big Brother Asriel," and I reciprocated, expressing anticipation for our upcoming battles.

Formulating a simple party plan due to the lack of ranged classes, the warriors formed a two man group, led by Earl.

They would engage a single enemy together, providing mutual cover.

I distributed HP Potions to each adventurer, emphasizing the importance of covering one another when their HP dropped below half.

Employing the strategy of double-teaming single opponents to close the level gap, I emphasized the need for coordination to exploit skill cooldowns effectively.

Prior to our departure, Earl distributed pack lunches provided by his mother, creating a sense of camaraderie reminiscent of a camping trip.

Our group then set out for the Slumbering Marshland, where half a dozen Lizardmen patrolled the outer edges.

Initiating combat, I drew aggro from one Lizardman, dodging its Spear Thrust with practiced ease.

Earl cast Fireballs, reminiscent of our experiences in various MMO games, swiftly dispatching the monsters.

Observing the other adventurers holding their own in their first duo engagement, I cast Stone Skin on everyone for added protection.

However, I refrained from providing a damage boost, allowing them to gauge their skill damage and acclimate to their capabilities.

Clearing the marshland gradually, we took a break upon reaching the Salamander's Den.

I encouraged them to enjoy the packed lunch before we continued, emphasizing the importance of planning our approach to deal with the formidable Bloodred Salamander.

A fire-breathing oversized lizard with a decent AoE skill, if ever it unleashes its skill, would undoubtedly result in severe consequences due to the adventurers' limited Flame Resistance.

To mitigate the risk, my strategy was to lure the Bloodred Salamander away from its den, positioning it to face northward while the adventurers engaged the two Redscale Lizardmen guarding the entrance.

For this encounter, I instructed the adventurers to form a five-man group, acknowledging that the initial attempts might be challenging.

To bolster their capabilities, I bestowed two additional buffs: Sharp Edge and Status Boost. 

While these buffs would enhance their damage output, I cautioned them about the heightened vulnerability, emphasizing the importance of utilizing Sword Parry rotations to mitigate incoming damage.

Though I could easily dispatch these monsters myself, this presented a valuable opportunity to impart proper combat techniques, benefiting them in the long run.

After all, experience is the best teacher.

Cautiously running while my cousin was on my back, we approached the Salamander's Den.

A burst of flames erupted from the entrance, and before it could reach the other adventurers, Earl swiftly cast Ice Shard five times, creating an Ice Wall, effectively blocking the scorching flame skill.

Earl then retaliated by hurling a fireball at the Bloodred Salamander, causing minimal damage but clearly provoking the colossal lizard.

The Bloodred Salamander pursued us a short distance north from its den.

After safely releasing my cousin at a distance, I returned to draw the Bloodred Salamander's aggro.

The large creature unleashed its Flame Breath skill, but Earl acted swiftly, casting Stone Wall, a level 25 Mage skill that conjured a robust wall.

Although the wall melted like a molten magma, it effectively absorbed a significant portion of the Salamander's fiery assault.

Observing Earl consuming an MP Potion, I refrained from using any Aura, knowing the Bloodred Salamander possessed formidable elemental resistance.

Unleashing two separate Quick Slash attacks on its front legs, I anticipated severing them, but the creature remained standing on all four legs.

Despite this, its legs sustained considerable damage, causing a noticeable decrease in mobility.

Just as I prepared to resume my assault, the Bloodred Salamander's four legs became frozen in place.

Attempting to thaw its immobilized limbs, the creature was interrupted as a burning boulder collided with its head, resulting in the shattering of two front legs upon impact.

The Mage Class level 30 skill, Meteorite, proved to be the game-changer.

With two missing legs and two frozen limbs, the Bloodred Salamander was incapacitated and unable to relocate itself.

Leveraging his skills, Wisdom of a Sage and Knowledge of a Sage, which allowed him to use skills for 30 seconds for only 30% of the MP cost and temporarily increasing his level by 10 for a short time, Earl unleashed a barrage of Meteorites upon the Bloodred Salamander. 

Despite the creature regenerating its legs, it remained immobile, as Earl continually recast Ice Shard each time the meteorite thawed the ice.

It was a painful thirty seconds as the Bloodred Salamander endured being frozen, burned, and smashed to pieces.

Earl, known in Arcadia Online as the Grand Magus Eridanus, had gained fame for creating the skill and equipment combo guide for the Mage, Archmage, and Grand Magus Class.

His proficiency in utilizing Meteorite showcased his expertise as a Spell Weaver.

Although the spell had been overpowered in the early days of Arcadia Online, after players discovered that the Bard song buff, Melody of the Stars, lowered the mana consumption by 80 percent, the long casting time and the high MP cost provided some resemblance of balance.

Now, with Earl casting a dozen of them seamlessly, I couldn't help but feel a sense of fear for anyone who might become Earl's enemy.

"It's already well done, Big Bro Asriel," Earl said, smiling at the roasted lizard.

It appeared that the other battle had also concluded.

Though their HPs were slightly above a third, it seemed they had learned a valuable lesson today, that with a little teamwork, they could achieve much more.

The expressions on their faces reflected hope and newfound confidence.

I was about to head over to Earl to congratulate him when another rumbling emanated from the ground.

A second Bloodred Salamander emerged, seemingly the partner of the first, and was headed straight for the adventurers.

Whispering, "Aura: Wind," I swiftly cast WindWalker to catch up with the giant lizard.

Positioning myself in front of the charging Salamander, I used Gale Counter to block its charge attack, sending the creature airborne about 20 feet high.

Moving beneath it, I unleashed Tempest Roaring Sword Slash, propelling the Salamander even higher, reaching around 100 ft in the air.

Utilizing Windwalker, I ascended rapidly above it and executed Gale Thrust, sending the flying lizard spiraling back to the ground.

Remembering the saying, "What goes up, must come down," I anticipated the giant lizard's descent.

Upon impact with the ground, or more likely a wall, the Bloodred Salamander was split in half due to the tremendous force, resulting in its demise.

The onlookers appeared both surprised and dumbfounded, except for Earl, who enthusiastically exclaimed, "Big Bro Asriel, did you see my follow-up skill? Did you see it?"

"Yeah… Ah It's amazing," I replied in disbelief. 

Celebration filled the air after the successful clearing of Slumbering Marshland.

Entrusting Earl with the responsibility of looting and distributing the monster drops, I made my way to the Transport Gate.

Once the portal was activated, we all returned to Castor Town.