Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all upcoming chapters!
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
________________________________________
Chapter 60: Flawless Coordination
The five of them stood at the edge of the massive circular altar's highest tier. Below them, broad stone steps cascaded down like guiding threads dropped by a god, silently inviting them toward the dormant center.
The space was permeated with a dry, ancient scent, a stark contrast to the rotting dampness of the Dungeon.
"Are we... still inside the Dungeon?" Hyacine asked, hugging Little Ica and looking around, her voice filled with curiosity.
"This place... is magnificent," Lefiya murmured. As an Elf, she held an innate reverence for such grand architecture that seemed fused with nature and history.
Aiden didn't answer. His gaze swept past the two wider circular platforms and the lonely, broken pillars, finally landing overhead.
"Let's go. Be careful," Aiden withdrew his gaze and was the first to step onto the descending stairs. "The monsters should be below."
As soon as his voice fell, Robin followed close behind. Tifa and Hyacine flanked the sides, protecting the newly joined Lefiya in the center, forming a standard exploration formation.
The stairs were long but not steep, as if designed for ancient pilgrims to walk step-by-step toward the altar's center.
As they ventured deeper, the surrounding light began to shift subtly. The light filtering down from the skylight grew from a pale green to something brighter.
When they stepped onto the first broad platform, a group of colorful creatures noticed them.
There were dozens of round, jelly-like Slimes—Cryo, Electro, and Hydro variants—bouncing aimlessly. Behind them, over twenty Hilichurls wielding crude wooden clubs turned around, the eyes beneath their wooden masks radiating primitive hostility.
"That's a lot of them..." Tifa whispered, assuming a fighting stance.
"But they're spread out," Robin analyzed calmly. "They didn't rush us all at once. We can take them down piecemeal."
"But we have to be fast." Aiden's eyes sharpened. "These aren't stationary targets. Once the fighting starts, the noise will likely alert the other monsters deeper in the platform. We have to finish this group before they can encircle us."
"Understood!" the group responded in unison.
"Ride upon this wheel of flame."
Aiden chanted in a low voice, and surging magic power instantly erupted from his body.
In the next moment, scorching flames ignited around him like a magnificent feathered cloak. The air distorted from the heat; he looked as if he had transformed into a miniature sun. Even the ordinary longsword in his hand began to glow with an ominous red light.
Almost simultaneously, Robin closed her eyes.
[Family of Harmony].
An invisible mental network was instantly woven, tightly connecting Aiden, Tifa, and Hyacine.
In a split second, the thoughts of the three merged as one. Their fields of vision, hearing, sense of direction, and even their next combat intentions became crystal clear and shared among them.
This was a skill with high consumption, so Robin would only activate it the moment battle commenced and deactivate it immediately after to save precious mental energy.
However, Lefiya, positioned in the center of the formation, felt a sense of alienation.
She could clearly feel the rising fighting spirit from Aiden and the others, but she also felt excluded.
This was natural. Robin's skill, [Family of Harmony], had strict conditions. Lefiya was merely a temporary teammate they had just met; subconsciously, she wasn't recognized by Robin as "family," and thus could not enter the Harmony network.
Before she could think further, the battle erupted.
"Ya! Yika!"
The Hilichurls at the front let out strange roars, waving their wooden clubs as they charged.
Aiden moved.
He didn't exchange a single word with his companions, yet his body reacted with perfect precision.
He took a step forward, the flame-wreathed sword in his hand tracing a precise arc, instantly severing the necks of two Hilichurls.
At the exact moment of his attack, Tifa slid out from his flank, keeping her body low. A swift sweeping kick tripped three other charging Hilichurls. Without a pause, her fists howled through the air, delivering a rapid barrage of strikes to the fallen enemies in the blink of an eye. The crisp sound of cracking bones was incessant.
From the rear, Hyacine waved her staff gently. Several condensed wind blades whistled out. They didn't fly toward the Hilichurls but aimed precisely at several Slimes that were preparing to spit elemental orbs.
The wind blades sliced through their soft, gelatinous bodies, striking their cores directly and detonating them just before they could launch their attacks.
All of this happened within mere seconds.
Lefiya was completely stunned.
This level of coordination... it was as if they didn't need words or even eye contact to understand each other's thoughts.
Every time Aiden lunged, Tifa filled the gap on his flank perfectly. Every support attack from Hyacine accurately predicted the enemy's movements and the gaps in her allies' attacks.
The four of them seemed controlled by an invisible thread, moving as a seamlessly coordinated whole, harvesting the lives of monsters efficiently and ruthlessly.
No wasted movements. No hesitation. Every person's action seemed to be the perfect prelude to another's attack.
Such amazing teamwork... Envy welled up in Lefiya's eyes.
Flawless cooperative combat like this represented deep trust and bonds. Their relationship must be incredibly close...
She couldn't help but think of herself and Miss Ais.
She yearned to have this kind of coordination with Miss Ais, to become her most reliable support, to gain her recognition and praise...
In the moment she was lost in thought, Aiden's group had already cleared out nearly half of the Hilichurls and Slimes like cutting through melons and vegetables.
"I can't just watch!"
Lefiya quickly gathered her focus, tightening her grip on her staff.
She took a deep breath, and a clear chant in the elven tongue flowed rapidly from her lips.
"Noble warrior, forest archers. Let the invading plunderers be before you, take your bows. Respond to the voices of your brethren, nock the arrow and kindle the flame, forest light. I command you to loose, elven fire—"
She raised her staff high, the magic gemstone at its tip erupting with brilliant light.
"—Rain down, burn the savages!"
[Fusillade Fall]!
As her final chant fell, a massive magic circle unfolded in the air above her.
In the next second, hundreds of spears composed of fire, like a dense meteor shower dragging long tails of flame, poured down overwhelmingly toward the area where the monsters were most concentrated.
________________________________________
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations