The First Predators and the Ironwood Wall

The silence after Lyra's announcement was more terrifying than any monster's roar. The entire Floor 1, this whole world of Erathos, now knew her name, and knew her location. She was the prey, and an entire floor of players were the hunters.

They didn't have to wait long.

"They're here," Elara's voice rang out from the top of the ruined bell tower, where she was on lookout duty. Her voice was calm but firm. "A group of five, approaching from the east. They look pretty confident."

Yanaki nodded, her heart beating a little faster, not from fear, but from focus. She looked down at the single path leading up to the church. The bottleneck they had created looked very solid.

"Sylva, get ready," she commanded.

The Guardian Treant said nothing, merely nodding and stepping forward, its sturdy body completely blocking the entrance. The Legacy Shield was raised, the patterns on it emitting a soft green light.

The first five players appeared. Just as Elara had said, they looked very confident. Leading them was a burly man carrying a greatsword, likely a Berserker. Following him were two Archers and a Fire Mage. Lurking at the very back was a Rogue. A standard party, but somewhat ragtag and lacking discipline. They were opportunists, wanting to be the first to "take down" the juicy prey.

"Haha, look what we have here!" the Berserker laughed loudly when he saw Yanaki's party. "A little girl, a ghost, and a tree. This prize is ours for the taking! Get 'em!"

He let out a roar and charged up the slope.

As soon as he got close, Sylva stomped its foot hard on the ground. [Root Prison]!

Sturdy tree roots erupted from the ground, but the Berserker was prepared. He used a skill, his whole body glowing with a red aura, and easily tore through the roots. He charged straight up to Sylva and swung his greatsword.

CLANG!

A piercing sound echoed as metal met divine wood. The greatsword was stopped by the Legacy Shield. The Berserker was stunned to see his full-power attack only made his opponent slide back slightly.

"What the hell? Covering fire!" he yelled.

The two Archers and the Fire Mage in the back began their assault. Arrows and fireballs flew relentlessly towards Sylva.

"Elara, disrupt the mage!" Yanaki commanded.

From above, Elara began to sing. [Serene Lullaby] rang out, not enough to put him to sleep, but enough to disrupt the Mage's concentration. His fireballs became smaller, and his casting speed slowed considerably.

Meanwhile, Sylva stood firm as a rock, its shield taking the brunt of the attacks. When an Archer's arrow slipped through, aiming for Yanaki, Sylva only needed to tilt its body slightly to block it with its shoulder. Suddenly, as the Berserker was frantically hacking at the shield, a small vine whipped out from the shield's surface itself, lashing his hand. [Countering Vines]!

"Agh!" the Berserker cried out, his hand going numb for a moment from the unexpected blow.

The attacking party began to realize the problem. The wall in front of them was too tough. They couldn't break through the defense. Their ranged damage was being neutered, and they were constantly being harassed by crowd control and counter-attack skills.

"Damn it!" the Berserker roared after a few minutes of fruitless attacks. "This wall is too hard! Fall back! Let the stronger teams handle it!"

Realizing they couldn't win, the group of five quickly turned and fled, disappearing behind the ruins.

The first battle was over. They had won. Yanaki breathed a sigh of relief. Their defensive plan had worked.

But their joy was short-lived.

Elara's voice rang out again from the bell tower, this time with a distinct seriousness.

"They've retreated... but more groups are coming. From all directions."

She paused for a moment.

"A larger group is approaching from the north. Very fast. I think... it's Borg's party."

The brief moment of peace was over. The first wave of attacks was just a test. Now, the real enemies, those who already held a grudge against her, were on their way.

Yanaki looked to the north. Her eyes shone with determination. She clenched her fist. On her interface, the countdown timer was running.

23 hours, 17 minutes...

The real siege had only just begun.