Have A Taste of Your Own Medicine!

Altair wasn't the only one who felt speechless after witnessing the Colossal Scarlet Wolf's parameters. The numbers they saw were enough to incite dread within any player.

How could the game expect players to slay such a nonsensical amount of Health?! Over 200,000! That's how much Health the Field Boss possessed.

Fortunately, everyone was both reassured and baffled by Kieran's unshakable confidence.

"Don't worry. The Boss Monster isn't our primary objective for the time being. As frightening as it may seem, biding our time is our safest bet," Kieran voiced.

While he could reveal that the Field Boss's parameter inflated or deflated according to the volume of the attacking party, Kieran decided against divulging this information. 

At the end of the day, it'd become evident once the Colossal Scarlet Wolf slew enough of the players.

When it came to fighting against a Field Boss or even World Bosses within Zenith Online, quantity did not equate to a higher chance of defeating the boss. 

Rather than focus on increasing the quantity of the strike force, ideally, an experienced leader would stress the importance of quality. Combat experiences, sharp reflexes, and receptiveness to orders were some of the traits a leader should prioritize when attempting a Boss Raid.

Attempting to mooch off others in a high-stress environment like a Field Boss Raid would only lead to innumerable deaths or worse, abandonment of the dead weight.

"Oh lord… you've got to be pulling my leg right now. If the Field Boss has that much Health, how ridiculously high is its DEF?" Sithik complained, his expression filling with horror.

"The odds of it being horrific is highly likely," Kieran answered matter of factly. 

Even though he guessed as much, Sithik couldn't help but groan begrudgingly, rueing how he let Kieran convince him to go up against such a difficult opponent like a Field Boss.

After watching the large gathering of players attempt to go against the Colossal Scarlet Wolf for quite some time, Kieran withdrew the Novice Greatsword, silently resting the blade's edge on the ground.

A merciless gleam flashed in his eyes followed by a flash of exhilaration. 'Let us see who has the last laugh. I promise you… everyone should soon understand the weight of the name Aatrox.'

…

Meanwhile, near the Colossal Scarlet Wolf…

"Guild Leader Despot, what's wrong with this boss? Why is it so damn strong? Even the Dungeon's Very Difficult mode boss wasn't this powerful," A tall and staunch Knight beside Despot exclaimed. 

He went by the name of Suave Shield.

Similar to Bastion, it appeared he favored Strength and Endurance over Agility. As a result, his movements were extremely sluggish but his DEF was exceptionally high for his level. 

Unfortunately, he wore a look of despair despite his high DEF. The Colossal Scarlet Wolf's attack mutilated the Health Bars of tens of players at a time. Kieran's estimation that they wouldn't last more than ten minutes wasn't incorrect.

Based on this rate, hundreds of players would be mowed down every minute!

As Suave Shield raised this point, Despot silently narrowed his eyes and analyzed what took place. 

He wasn't like the rest, who immediately dashed into the battle. 

Because of the cunning Despot employed when targeting other players to kill-steal or simply PK them, he understood that gathering information was paramount when seeking to obtain victory or complete a difficult mission.

Therefore, Despot sat back and let the other foolish parties rush to their demise to passively acquire the information he needed. 

Even if he was only some small-time Guild Master in regard to the guild distinguishment system, Despot revealed why he held his position as the head of this small organization.

Hotheadnesses was only one aspect of his attitude.

Regrettably, though Despot found a few parties worth teaming up with, his reputation in the real world preceded him. This resulted in every party avoiding him like a contagious terminal illness.

If they were foolish enough to form a party or alliance with Despot, they'd be susceptible to being backstabbed in the future. Dying now seemed pitiful compared to beating a boss only to be backstabbed in the future.

However, as the minutes passed by and the number of players going against the Colossal Scarlet Wolf was greatly reduced, Despot noticed a pattern that others picked up on as well.

'Oh? Its presence and aura continue to grow more feeble. I don't think it's related to the time that has passed since it sometimes stagnates. It must be related to the death of countless players! Is this what separates Field Bosses from other bosses?' Despot wondered.

Despot's knowledge of Zenith Online was lacking, as with many other players. As a game whose official launch commenced less than two days ago, not much was known about it.

The world needed to be explored, and the limitations and restrictions needed to be confirmed.

The situation with the Colossal Scarlet Wolf was a learning experience for many since it revealed crucial information pertaining to Field Bosses.

Unfortunately, as quickly as the Colossal Scarlet Wolf's aura diminished, it just as quickly blazed with renewed glory.

A new surge of players rushed in, impatiently looking to land their fair share of damage to admittedly receive a portion of the rewards.

However, this new wave of players was primarily composed of greedy yet less experienced players. 

So they were of little to no assistance.

An upside of this influx of players, however, was Despot grasped the entire situation. 'So it is related to the number of players alive within the vicinity!'

After giving the matter some thought, Despot waved his hand toward a nearby party. "Oi, you lot at the Sunset Triad, I have a proposal for you. What do you say?"

Within Gena Village, the Shadow Cartel wasn't the only third-class criminal guild with ties to the Underworld in the real world, the Sunset Triad was another dark gaming organization of similar strength. 

As much as Despot wanted to avoid teaming up with people of a similar temperament, he understood that locking down the area and targeting the boss was impossible alone.

A male Hunter seeming to be just over 30 years old, going by the in-game name of Horizon Break, responded to Despot's call by lifting his mouth into a sneer. 

"What do you want from me, dammit? Do you really think I'll trust you dogs from the Shadow Cartel?" He responded.

"Oh? Does that mean you don't want to have a share in the EXP this boss will reward? Not to mention, I'm sure killing this Field Boss will result in additional rewards. Surely you're not stupid enough to forfeit this opportunity, right?" Despot answered, goading Horizon Break. 

The last part of his statement was naturally geared toward making Horizon Break recall the announcement that surfaced within Gena Village. It was clear that Kieran and his party members were rewarded handsomely.

The allure of Despot's words sparked Horizon Break's interest, his scornful expression morphing into one of budding interest. "Go on. I'm listening."

"Before tackling the boss, we must set up a perimeter and prohibit additional players from intervening in the Field Boss Raid. That, and we need to eliminate possible threats to our success. Finally, if you allow my Shadow Cartel to land the final hit, I'm willing to take a 65-35 split of the loot with the majority belonging to you," Despot proposed.

Horizon Break rubbed his chin dubiously.

The fact Despot was willing to give up 30% of the loot to obtain the last hit surprised him. Was the allure of the achievement that great? As a result, Horizon Break decided to test the waters.

He required more collateral to truly agree to it. "I'm willing to accept if this 65% includes the first pick at the loot."

"First pick?" Despot muttered with a frown.

This was sometimes a dangerous deal to make because one could never know when an absolute treasure dropped! Despot wasn't sure if the achievement was worth losing that probability.

Thus, Despot made a concession. "Only if we go up to a 50-50 split."

"Deal."

"Excellent. Direct some of your strong players to set up the perimeter. I shall do the same." Despot said.

While both sides sent approximately one-third of their forces to block the paths leading to this place, Despot and Horizon Break similarly began their efforts to neutralize possible threats.

It didn't take long for the Field Boss to suffer some damage. However, the strike forces' efforts were somewhat lackluster compared to the twenty minutes spent embroiled in combat. 

「Lv.15 Colossal Scarlet Wolf (Rare)

Field Boss

Beast-Type, Fire-Type

Health: 158,400/165,000 (96%) 」

Thanks to the high regeneration rate of a Field Boss, a lot of the damage the Colossal Scarlet suffered was healed in the next minute.

Meanwhile, as soon as Despot and the others sprung into action, Kieran began his assault as well. He set up the stream announcement on a delayed timer and motioned for the others to follow him.

As for the stream name? It was simple: Have A Taste of Your Own Medicine, Scrubs!