Chapter 6

[Entry Level Requirement: 15]

[Elite Dungeon (Recommended 4-Player Party)]

[Orc King's Cave]

At the entrance of *Astra Online*'s first elite dungeon, the Orc King's Cave, players who had swiftly reached level 15 were gathering to form parties for the dungeon raid.

"Looking for a tank! Preferably a swordsman or brawler!"

"Need a ranged DPS!"

Among the players recruiting for their parties, there were also groups that had already pre-formed, aiming to achieve the prestigious first clear of the dungeon.

While some of the elite dungeon items were bound upon acquisition, other gear could be traded, making the dungeon a lucrative opportunity. Clearing it quickly would allow players to farm valuable gear and amass a fortune in gold.

The common interest among the early adventurers gathered around the Orc King's Cave was clear:

"Which party will be the first to clear this elite dungeon?"

If you had to pick the party closest to achieving the first clear, it would undoubtedly be this one.

"Whoa, that character's customization is amazing!"

"Isn't that 'Chris'? The leader of the party that achieved the first boss clear during the beta test."

"No way, really?"

A tall female player with blazing red hair stood out among the crowd—Chris. While the other players were eager to ask her questions, everyone here was also a competitor aiming for the first clear. There was no way she'd reveal her strategies so easily.

Besides, her current demeanor further discouraged anyone from approaching.

Tap, tap, tap.

In contrast to her fiery red hair, Chris had an icy, calm expression on her face, exuding a cool, unapproachable aura. She tapped her foot rhythmically, checking the time.

Tap, tap.

"Have you all been waiting long? Now that the great Cherni is here, you can rest easy!"

Thud.

"Whoa, what the hell? I just took damage! Is PvP enabled in this game?"

"Shut up. You're the last one to arrive, Cherni."

"Agh, come on, Chris! You know my situation. I had to work night shifts at the convenience store to save up for my personal capsule! I couldn’t skip my final shift. I even pulled two all-nighters to keep up with everyone's leveling pace!"

The male player, who had just been hit on the back of the head, grimaced. His name was Cherni. His face had a somewhat roguish look, but the bulging muscles beneath his clothes softened that impression.

Chris glanced over Cherni’s muscular frame with sharp eyes.

"What’s with the muscle customization? You don’t look like that in real life. What about your synchronization rate?"

"Hey, I’ve been working out recently! Just because I don’t show it doesn’t mean I’m not buff—ugh!"

Chris kicked Cherni in the leg.

"So, how’s the spirit summoner class? Is it much different from the beta test?"

"It’s pretty similar, aside from some tweaks. All classes but swordsman feel about the same."

"Good."

Chris turned away from Cherni and looked down, smiling brightly.

"And how's our little *Beimerung* doing? Getting used to being a mage?"

"Yes, Chris, sis!"

The small pink-haired female mage, known as *Beimerung*, nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at Chris.

Cherni, meanwhile, pulled a face that didn’t quite match his muscular build, complaining to Chris.

"Chris! Why do you treat me so differently from Beimerung? We’re both your juniors!"

"Shut up. You and Beimerung aren’t the same. Beimerung is cute."

"Behh."

Beimerung stuck her tongue out at Cherni while clinging to Chris.

"Alright, everyone's here now."

"Is Deathmaster here already?"

Chris nodded toward the cave entrance with her chin.

There, a tall male player leaned against the wall with his eyes closed.

"...I can hear the cave’s wails. It feels as if it’s granting us permission to challenge it."

"He’s at it again, huh?"@@novelbin@@

"Well, it *is* a role-playing game, so I think Beimerung finds it fun."

"Stop talking in the third person!"

As Cherni and Beimerung bickered, Chris, their party leader, stepped in and began briefing them on the dungeon strategy.

"The first boss might have changed since the beta, but the basic strategy should remain the same."

Beep.

An alert sounded, and a shared interface popped up among the four party members.

[Frontline - Brawler Deathmaster]

[Midline - Onmyoji Chris]

[Backline 1 - Mage Beimerung]

[Backline 2 - Spirit Summoner Cherni]

"As we suspected from the beta, there’s no dedicated healer class in this game. That means we need to limit the damage we take to what potions can handle."

"If the boss doesn’t target the backline, the tank will have to absorb all the hits, right?"

"Exactly. So the tank’s ability is critical. The midline and backline need to focus on handling the mechanics and dealing damage, while also clearing any adds."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

They reviewed the first boss's patterns they had learned during the beta test and prepared for any unexpected changes. Finally, the *Chris Raid Party* stood before the cave.

As they were about to enter, Cherni struck up a conversation with Chris.

"By the way, Chris, you didn’t change any of your other customizations, but you kept the red hair. Do you really like red that much?"

"No, I just thought it would match the color I *actually* like."

"Oh? And what color is that?"

As they walked into the dungeon, Chris gave a single reply.

"White!"

White hair fluttered in the wind.

The strands covering one of my eyes tickled my nose as they blew around.

"Achoo!"

I sneezed.

Virtual reality is really something—sneezing feels real too.

After hopping in place and stretching my small body as part of my usual warm-up routine, I headed straight for the *Orc King's Cave*.

This would be my first elite dungeon challenge.

I had heard that the real nightmare difficulty of *Astra Online* starts with elite dungeons.

"They said that even during the beta test, there were only a few parties that managed to clear the first boss."

I was well-prepared.

With the money I earned from leveling up, I stocked up on potions and equipped myself with a full set of gear from the field boss, the *Orc Gladiator*.

"Sniff."

I had a runny nose.

Probably from sneezing.

I sniffled and wiped my nose, rubbing it on the *Orc Gladiator’s* skirt.

Looking around cautiously from the edge of the cave entrance, I could see a decent number of players gathered in front of the dungeon.

These were the players who had already reached level 15 and were preparing for the dungeon raid.

There were probably already some parties inside the dungeon by now.

I clenched my tiny fists tightly.

My main goal for this dungeon wasn’t just to farm equipment—it was to earn gold.

If I could clear the dungeon early and sell the tradable gear, I’d make a lot of money.

“Then I can cash out...”

Chicken.

I really wanted to eat chicken.

There were plenty of delicious foods in this world, but unfortunately, chicken wasn’t one of them.

For some reason, this game decided to be realistic in the most unnecessary ways.

That crispy fried skin, the juicy meat, the unmistakable marinade of franchise chicken.

I beamed with a smile.

“Hehe.”

Just thinking about it made me happy.

I was practically drooling.

Alright.

I’m going to clear this dungeon, make a ton of money, and order some chicken delivery.

Avoiding the stares of other players, I cautiously advanced toward the dungeon entrance.

[Entry Level Requirement: 15]

[Elite Dungeon (Recommended 4-Player Party)]

[Orc King's Cave]

Standing in front of the entrance, I jumped forward with a hop.

I leaped into the dungeon that would bring me my beloved chicken.

*Clang, clang!*

“Ugh.”

As soon as I entered the dungeon with high hopes, I ran into difficulties on my way to the first boss.

My *Block* skill had already reached D-rank, but the damage from the regular orcs inside the elite dungeon was overwhelming.

Luckily, the damage I blocked was manageable with potions, but the boss’s attacks would be much stronger—and sharper.

If I failed to block and took direct hits, it would likely lead to a failed raid.

“This is like a Souls-like game.”

After barely dealing with the mobs, I sighed.

Slowly recovering my health, I proceeded carefully.

Before long, I reached the first boss.

The first boss was an orc with a bulky upper body, rippling with muscles.

He wielded iron gauntlets on both hands.

His HP was 10,500.

“Yikes.”

Considering that the field boss had around 3,000 HP, this was an absurd number.

It was no wonder this was an elite dungeon.

A party of four level-15 players would need at least five minutes of non-stop attacking to whittle down the boss’s HP.

“So, this is why they recommend a four-player party.”

Could I really clear this dungeon solo?

Shaking my head vigorously, I gripped the *Orc Gladiator’s Sword* in my hand.

Then, I smiled confidently.

*Astra Online*.

This world was made for me.

As a former hero of Astra, there’s no way I couldn’t overcome a challenge like this.

I took a step forward.

*Beep.*

A notification sound rang, indicating I had drawn aggro, and the *Orc Brawler* turned to face me.

He smirked, the pig-like face of the orc stretching into a grin.

The raid on the first boss of the *Orc King's Dungeon*, *Astra Online’s* first elite dungeon, had finally begun.

[First Boss]

[Level 16 Orc Brawler]

[HP: 10,500/10,500]