They hesitated. Of course they did. Even through their avatars, I could almost feel their nervous glances. But hesitation didn't stop the clock ticking down. And the other players outside the party had already scream bloody murder.

"Shift, damn it! Don't question me just move!"

Ashockwave rolled like thunder under our feet, then the debuff started coming.

Thick, dark, and tarry fog burst outward from the epicenter, sweeping across the battlefield and grew to red as it moved past the first few players. Signifying the fact that the frontlines would only get partially flashed while the backline will get the worse of what's coming.

Unlucky players who I didn't care about, was not quick enough to move up in time so they staggered, coughing, little red veins spiderwebbing across their avatars.

The moment the first wave of effects washed over us, I realized just how tight this fight was going to be. The bark-skinned titan loomed above us, its frame like a moving fortress, arms thicker than the trunks of the trees it had torn down simply by existing here.

[RAID BOSS] Titan of Ashen Bark (Lv.66)

Good news was, the tanks was safe, and the stomped forward, dragging their formation up by a dozen yards. Too late for those already bleeding, but the movement kept the rest clean. Small victories.

From my perch on a tree branch West of where the boss was facing, the forest's height lending me vantage, I continued handing orders without pause:

"Two of the ranged DPS!" I looked at their usernames in the party, squinting slightly "Emberline, move North! In front of the boss! PyroPuff, south! Do not, and I repeat, do not attack at the same time! It might sounds like you're doing optimal damage but we need more consistency than burst! You split the circle."

Emberline, the longbow archer wrapped in black-plated leather, hesitated visibly, while PyroPuff, a tiny sorceress with a sunflower hat squeaked over voice:

"Uh, won't that, like, cut us off from each other? Opposite and separated from the boss?"

"JUST MOVE!" I almost squeaked in frustration, why couldn't they just listen to the professional? Don't they know that I'm literally the CJS69 that shut down their guild?

"AquaHalo, go with PyroPuff. Feral_Moon, you're with Emberline. You're glued to them, stay at least in 5 meters vicinity of each other."

"Thornhand, SolsticeRun, Buster2k, three tanks, right? Bring J97 and DaggerDan with you and stick East, 3 front 2 back like a pyramid scheme or something, do not let your guard down just because there's nothing to protect yet, remember it has a skill that will spawn minions."

"LyraBell, you're the only healer, somehow, Jack, you couldn't afford two?" I coughed at the rhetorical question I gave him, before continuing, "I see the staff that you have there, you can cast ranged heal, good, stay West with me, I need you to keep an eye on North and South (the two DPS and two Supports), and heal East (The 5 melees) when things come.

The chat filled with murmurs of protest, hesitations wrapped in polite tones, which I groaned in response, before firmly reassuring them with my customer service voice.

"It sounds like suicide, but trust me, it's the only way to both take the Titan down while keeping y'all alive."

A little silence, then nervous chuckling. J97 himself said nothing, just giving a curt nod, like he was humoring me.

I stayed on my branch, practically sitting down with my legs swinging, wristwatch glowing faintly with that sacred ticking interface only I seemed to care about.

Their formation, once a tight, tidy ball of safety, was unraveling like frayed rope. From above, it did looked suicidal, thin little strands stretched across the grove, north to south, east to west. But there was a method, the greatest player's method.

Some might say "You're only the top #3 player", well fuck you. DarkHeavens and SeeOh are a bunch of no life nerds anyways.

The Titan slammed its fists together again, and boom. A shockwave spiraled outward, fissures zig-zagging like black lightning through the soil, the animation didn't matter, I have to predict what's going on…

My eyes flicked to the wristwatch, its dial pulsing faintly with that mechanic tracker, 42 huh? I knew this one.

"Split thinner!" I shouted. "Don't let two of you fall into the same crack! It's the burying skill you saw earlier!"

The party scrambled as the ground tore open in jagged streaks, teeth of the forest floor itself was yawning wide to swallow them.

The ground clamped shut where moments earlier they had stood, sealing over with grotesque groans, whole squads of players disappeared screaming. The loud noise of so much yelling irritates me by a bunch, but I'm glad that the sunken ground wasn't over at the East where most of the party where, instead, it was North where Emberline and Feral_Moon were.

Then, I noticed that someone in the Lion's Parade was still in the effect range… Obviously, being an idiot who couldn't listen to orders, I wouldn't draft her, government.

The earth split wide beneath Feral_Moon's feet, a support was going to be swallowed. And the party would most likely start to panic and try to rescue her, ruining the whole plan and getting wiped.

Trust me, it's never worth it to risk a bunch to save a little.

For a fraction of a second, I saw it, the widening line, the dead-space opening under her boots, she was just barely out of it, just have to take 5 steps, or one simple dash.

Instinct took over, and lightning appeared underneath my shoes (figuretively).

I blitzed off my branch, the watch chiming faintly in my ear as my feet slammed down the trunk as if I was walking on a wall.

The world tunneled, my body folded into the sprint, faster than I ever remembered being in this cursed place, the Speed cloak came in clutch.

I tackled her hard, shoulder into her ribs, and we rolled across the ground just as the earth slammed shut where she'd been standing.

"LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE, DAMN IT, YOU'RE ALMOST DEAD YOU MAGGOT!"

Silence, then a deafening boom.

Her eyes were wide, her breath caught as her face turned from an expression of pain to confusion.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself down… I will not get mad a woman, that's the way of ninja, believe it.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," I teased, hand still pressed too firmly at her waist, maybe even a little lower than waist. "I don't save just anyone, you should feel lucky you have those beautiful eyes, Moondy."

A hush in the team chat. Then, disbelieving mutters.

"Woah there, Walley West."

"How did she go that fast??"

I ignored them, inside, I was grinning like an idiot. Lucky me, it was a girl I got to grab this time. If I had to tackle J97, we would have a fistfight right then and there. I thought as a girl's soft avatar clutched under me, my hands lingering far longer than heroic timing required, a filthy little victory.

Back to the boss.

- One skill that opens up the ground

- One skill that debuffs the backline with internal bleeding

That made two out of six skills logged, all heralded by the Titan slamming its fists together. Simple yet quite unbreakable and unpredictable, but a rhythm nonetheless.

I jumped back to my branch, licking my lips.

"Alright, listen to me, you guys obviously are not really trusting your sergeant, so I'm going to say what's important…"

I cleared my throat.

"Emberline, hold your damage two seconds longer, aim higher where the ribcage supposed to be, do not care about its feet, he won't stomp you to dead. PyroPuff, start moving with your support, you can rotate between all 4 sides, but do not, and I repeat, DO NOT, stay in a position for too long because we need all 4 covers, yes, move now."

"AquaHalo, shift left two steps, adjust your shoes, Feral_Moon, keep your buffs rolling, but stagger them. As I mentioned, we do not need fireworks."

"Tanks and melees, hold for command, do what you think is best for now."

And, for once, they listened.

The pattern took shape, everything pulsed in time with the rhythm, threads of light enhncing efficency just as shields rose to catch blows.

The melee's swords and daggers finally bit into bark, carving shallow but steady cuts.

I sat back, chest tight with something between pride and mania, they were learning, and if I can play the role of a reliable stray cat a while longer, I could make them mine.

The Titan roared, fissures glowing hot through its chest, and raised its fists again.

The sound cracked like thunder as they collided, sparks bursting out.

It's about to unleash another skill

My watch flickered, the second hand? 13.

Recognition hit me like a bucket of cold water, my grin twitched awkward.

"Ah… hell."

"Everyone!" I bellowed. "Drop everything, stop the buffs, stop the shields. Lyra, Moon, Aqua, stop the casting. You heard me. No heals or buffs! Don't waste your mana! Everyone put your weapons up and attack! I don't care what you've got! Throw rocks, bite its ankles, improvise if you have to!"

Confusion erupted in the channel, questions, curses, panic.

"What?!" Emberline gasped.

"You're insane!" PyroPuff squealed.

Even Jack's voice cracked through: "What if…"

But I didn't wait to explain, my sword was already out, steel shining red in the Titan's glow.

"JUST FUCKING LISTEN."

And I dove, blade first, my cloaked tightened as I also chimed in to attack.

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