**Floor 52, year 38**
"The quest for the next trial will require a party. You have twenty minutes to gather a team. After that, choose a leader for the party. Whichever leader you choose, the boss will correspond to the leader's Class. Choose carefully." the curator explained from the same holographic screen. As the screen went off, a quest appeared.
[Quest: Subjugate the Orcs]
[Requirements: At least ten players in a group]
*******
Reagan stood at the head of a ten - person party, his silhouette vastly different from the boy who had struggled against an arachnid months ago. He wore reinforced burnished silver Knight armor - the mark of a Knight Class. In his hand, he gripped a heavy, obsidian - edged longsword.
At his right side, Liam Kincaid was a wall of of iron. He had fully transitioned into a Guardian Knight, his massive tower shield hung on his hand. At his left side, stood Valeria Pottersmith, now an Elite Archer. Behind, there were players with different class, mage, tanker, support (healers) etc
Before them, stood a ten meter tall, massive stone door. Reagan pushed the door open as it creacked. A breeze hit them as the door opened.
The interior is a sprawling, temple - like cavern filled with High Orc warriors. The Orcs are hulking, bipedal monstrosities with deep, crimson - red skin. They are clad in rugged, dark leather armor reinforced with jagged metal plates and tribal furs, giving them a primitive yet formidable appearances. Towering over the players, they wield massive, crudely forged weapons; heavy cleavers, spiked clubs, and long - handled axes that can shatter stones. They stood ten feet tall, as they let guttural roars upon seeing them
At the center, sat an Orc on his throne seat.
"I am the Great Orc, Kargath. The sovereign of this domain, and the chieftain of the Orcs tribe." The orc introduced itself calmly with a haughty tone.
Reagan and his party were shocked. Unlike the mindless orcs and beasts of the lower floors, this particular orc introduced himself with a chilling intelligence.
'It can talk? No, it's like I'm hearing a voice in my head. It's using Telepathy.'
"What are the names of who dare to challenge me." It commanded, interrupting Reagan from his thoughts
"Reagan Greywoods." Reagan himself as he stepped up unfazed by the monster's aura.
"Reagan, that's a good name. Unlike the others I've faced before, you are the only one who is unfazed by my aura. Tell me, are you ready to
die?"
"No. You will be the one dying today."
"Hahahaha. You are quite confident for a human. But, the confidence doesn't seem to be running in your group."
Reagan looked back to see the morale of group they had, has already dropped.
"We can't do it. How are we supposed to fight them. We will all die." A girl with a frightened face said as her legs gave out falling on the stone floor. She is a mage clad in a witch outfit and a staff in her hand.
"If we don't fight we will all die, but if we fight, we have a chance of survival." Valeria encouraged her as she squatted beside her.
"There is no reason to encourage each other, you will all die. Don't worry I'll make sure I carve your names and use your skulls to drink your blood as a sign of remembrance." Kargath said as he stood from his seat clenching his sword in his hand.
"Stay in formation as we discussed. Healers support us from the rear, tankers, aggro the monsters and create a distraction for the damage dealers. We only need to take out their leader. If we cut off the head, the rest will be mindless monsters like the ones we've faced before. Leave the leader to me." Reagan said with a leadership's aura.
"Attack!" Reagan and Kargath said in unison
The room fell into a battlefield as guttural roars and clashing sounds of weapons echoed in the room.
Reagan dashed towards the boss. Kargath did the same. He raised his sword and brought it down like a meteor. Reagan blocked the sword with his own. They attack was heavy that it number Reagan's hand for a few second.
[TITLE: BOSS SLAYER TRIGGERED]
[All stats increased by 15%]
"Ohhh, you're strong enough to block my attack. No wonder the confidence."
"Don't underestimate me." Reagan said as he parried another attack
*******
Valeria stood at the rear, her fingers bloodied from minutes of relentless firing. Her bow, a masterpiece of enchanted wood, hummed with every release as he shit down two orcs with her dual shot arrows. But she was hitting a wall. Her quiver was almost empty and her inventory which was stacked with arrows was empty.
The battle had continued for half an hour.
Then, she saw a body fly past her crushing on a nearby pillar. She is the mage from before. She coughed up blood as her body slid to the floor. She tried healing herself but a spiked club landed on her head crushing it.
"Tasha..."
Before she could finish her sentence, she was next. A club hit her from the back, sending her flying to the ceiling.
Boom.
The Orcs had realized that as long as Valeria and the support were alive, their front lines would be picked apart. The formation began to fall apart.
The sound alerted Reagan who was in the middle of the fight. He looked towards the direction where the noice came from, only to see Valeria falling from the ceiling.
"Valeria."
"What will you do." Kargath questioned him with a mocking tone.
Reagan was caught in a dilemma: he was the only one capable of holding down the boss, but the only one fast enough to protect the back
And then he thought of Liam
He looked for Liam only to see him struggling to fend off two orcs.
He looked back and saw a blur of gray fur. The orc that attacked Valeria, sprinted towards her to finish the job.
Valeria saw it. She drew her arrow and fired. The orc blocked parried the arrow with its axe.
It swung down its rusted blade.
"Valeria!" Reagan screamed.
He lunged with all his speed, but he was a spli - second too late. The orc's blade didn't aim for her heart; it went for her throat, a tactical strike to ensure she couldn't call for help.