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Chapter 155: Monster Raid

Before the battle commenced, I rose from my seat momentarily and received the microphone from the host.

After a brief introduction on stage, I informed the demonstrators of crucial points before deploying our allies.

"Before we delve into the battle, there are a few things I'd like to share about the Monster Raid system.

Among those who couldn't join today's raid, there were inquiries about 4-player party quests, asking if they must be completed solely with other players. My answer to this is NO.

The 4-player multiplayer is entirely the users' choice. Though not present in the current trial version, in the official release, you'll be able to hire level 10 mercenaries, enabling you to enjoy solo raids with them. Also, quests to acquire hidden characters as companions at the village pub will be available in the official version, so please look forward to that.

However, for tackling more challenging dungeons, keep in mind that multiplayer centered around players, rather than NPC characters, can significantly ease the difficulty level.

Now, let's delve into the strategies used in the Monster Raid. Shall we take a look at the combat map together?"

Unlike the vast open fields showcased in Dragon Emblem 2's predecessor, the Raid mode now represented a specific area within a dungeon. Thus, the combat map featured a mix of elements like stairs and elevations akin to rocks.

"As you can sense from the map's structure, Dragon Emblem 2 emphasizes a more strategic aspect. While the basic framework involves character movement and attacks, utilizing terrain can inflict additional damage when attacking enemies from elevated positions. Conversely, be cautious when attacking from lower ground as it could yield contrasting results. I believe you're all familiar with what a character's demise signifies in Dragon Emblem... the desperation felt upon losing a precious ally in the previous installment."

My slightly eerie closing remarks elicited tense expressions from the participants.

For those who've experienced the despair of losing a precious comrade in the previous installment, the Raid system in Dragon Emblem 2 was akin to the disappearance of characters players had nurtured, elevating the tension to another level.

"If even one out of four acts rashly, it could lead to the downfall of all..."

After concluding a few more explanations about combat, I directed the demonstrators to begin the gameplay. Nakamura, the leader, after conferring with the party members, started deploying our allies.

The first party familiar with RPG games positioned the tank, the spear knight, at the forefront and placed the healer at the rear, forming a diamond-shaped tactical formation.

Soon, a message appeared at the center of the screen, announcing the onset of the battle.

-BATTLE START-

Crash!!!

Unlike the previous tiny icons, this time, as the characters personally controlled by the players emerged on the map, smiles spontaneously graced the faces of the spectators.

While numerous participants had departed for their own leveling-up due to an unexpected event announcement, we paid little heed to such matters.

On the contrary, the more players available for gameplay, the longer the event could last, and more related footage could be compiled. And undoubtedly, among those reaching level 10 here, approximately half would regretfully lose their characters.

The first raid, 'Hop Goblin's Dungeon,' comprised a simple mission divided into three stages. As players progressed through these small cooperative quests, approaching the midpoint of the story, they could challenge the first demonic tower.

The first battle commenced with the rogue's movement.

The Monster Raid employed an active turn-based system rather than alternating turns between allies and enemies. Characters with high agility could move in order of their action points.

Hence, the rogue, using nimble movements, had the advantage of seizing terrain before anyone else.

Positioned alongside the archer, flanking the spear knight, the rogue climbed onto a nearby rock and pressed the wait button.

Next was the archer. As the arrow's range extended upon ascending higher terrain, possessing the skill of curving shots, she had the advantage of targeting enemies from multiple angles.

The archer ascended nearby stairs and aimed her bow at a goblin in confrontation.

The timing roulette above the archer's character began to spin.

Swish! Thud!

As the arrow released by the archer precisely struck the goblin, it dealt 18 critical damage with a "kyeok" sound.

The player controlling the archer seemed to have invested significantly in dexterity, as the success range of the timing roulette was quite extensive.

"Wow..."

At that moment, while bypassing the spear knight and healer, six goblins began to move toward our allies, emitting growling noises.

"Kik, kik!"

The green-skinned monsters, wielding shabby swords and shields, charged towards the intruders. However, Nakamura's party, for a first-time challenger, adeptly utilized tactical maneuvers.

Especially the spear knight, although among the tankers, had lower defense due to not using a shield. Utilizing a long spear, she could attack from a distance of two squares and, in case enemies lined up, like threading a needle, pierce through them, attacking even the rear enemies in one go.

The archer ascended to the top of the dungeon while the spear knight drew the attention of the monsters from the center. The archer unleashed arrows in all directions, and the number of enemies rapidly dwindled.

"This seems manageable!"

As the party gained the upper hand in the first stage, they began to play more relaxedly.

"Only two left, healer, conserve your healing potion for the next stage."

"Understood."

Even when surrounded by two goblins, Nakamura maintained a considerable amount of health. Amidst this, treasure chests suddenly appeared all over the screen.

"Oh? Those are item boxes."

Certainly! Here's a light novel-style rendition of the chapter, integrating Korean gamer slang and Japanese vocabulary while addressing the given fixes:

---

**EP. 27: Monster Raid (1)**

Before the battle commenced, I momentarily rose from my seat to receive the microphone from the host.

After brief greetings on stage, I highlighted crucial points for the demonstrators before organizing our allies.

"Before we dive into the battle, there are some aspects of the Monster Raid system I'd like to shed light on for everyone.

Among those unable to join today's raid, many were curious about 4-player party quests - whether they exclusively require other players. My answer to that is NO.

A 4-player multiplayer remains solely the users' choice. While not available in the trial version, the official release will allow hiring level 10 mercenaries for solo raids. Quests to recruit hidden characters at town pubs are also prepared, hoping you'll enjoy them in the official release.

However, for tackling more challenging dungeons, multiplayer centered around players rather than NPC characters could significantly ease the difficulty level. Keep that in mind.

Now, let's delve into the strategies employed in Monster Raids. Shall we explore the combat map together?"

Dragon Emblem 2's Raid Mode depicted a dungeon space rather than the vast plains from its predecessor. Thus, the combat map exhibited areas with stairs or terrain differences like rocks, blending in.

"As sensed from the map's structure, Dragon Emblem 2 enhances strategic elements. While character movement and attacks constitute the basics, utilizing terrain to attack enemies from higher ground inflicts additional damage. Conversely, being attacked from lower positions might yield adverse outcomes. You all understand what a character's 'warrior death' signifies in Dragon Emblem, I presume..."

My somewhat eerie final words elicited tense expressions from the participants.

For those who've felt the despair of losing a precious ally in the previous game, the Raid System in Dragon Emblem 2 meant the disappearance of characters players had nurtured, elevating the tension level.

'If even one out of four goes awry, we're all done for...'

After a few additional explanations regarding combat, I directed the demonstrators to initiate gameplay. Soon, Nakamura, the leader, began organizing our allies after discussing with the party members.

The first RPG-savvy party positioned the tank, a spearman, at the forefront, and an alchemist at the rear, forming a diamond-shaped tactical formation.

Suddenly, a message announcing the start of battle emerged as two swords crossed on the screen.

_BATTLE START_

KABOOM!

Unlike the previous tiny icon representations, this time, as the characters we raised appeared on the map, onlookers involuntarily broke into smiles.

Though many had left for their own level-up due to the surprise event announcement, that didn't concern us much.

More participants meant longer event duration, more relevant video material to extract. Undoubtedly, about half of those reaching level 10 here would sadly lose their characters.

The first raid, 'Hop Goblin's Dungeon,' consisted of three simple stages. Clearing such small-scale cooperative quests while progressing through the mid-story allowed a challenge for the first tower of malevolence.

The first battle initiated with the rogue's movement.

The Monster Raid adopted an active-turn system, allowing movement based on the characters' high action points, rather than the alternating turns between allies and enemies.

Thus, rogues, using nimble moves, could swiftly seize terrain advantages over others.

Positioned between archers on both sides of the spearman, the rogue climbed atop a nearby rock and pressed the standby button.

Next, the archer. With increased range as they ascended higher terrain, combined with the ability to perform curved shots, they had the advantage of targeting enemies from various angles.

As the archer ascended nearby stairs, aiming towards a goblin in confrontation, the timing roulette above the archer's head began spinning.

_TING! BAM!_

As the arrow released by the archer precisely struck the goblin, it dealt a critical 18 damage with a resonating 'kiyak.'

Players utilizing the archer had invested significantly in their dexterity, widening the success range of the timing roulette.

"Wow..."

At that moment, as the spearman handled another goblin calling in reinforcements, the rogue, entangled by six goblins while retrieving treasure chests, was isolated.

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