บท 209: Pyramid of Light (IV)
"Technically, no. Having two teams was the smart way to do this. We will all be stuck in the spiritual dimension when one team dies. This allows the second team to enter and reach the final level. Attacking on both ends might be the key to winning this raid."
"I never heard of such a strange raid before. I mean, to fight when you're dead simultaneously as the living? I mean, that sounds so crazy." Agnis was astonished at what she was hearing.
"It's possible," Zero reassured her without a second doubt. "I fought numerous times in the spiritual realm. The people who died when we were fighting the Swamp Fairy still fought them after they died. In that battle, I fought with them side-by-side and completely obliterated the Swamp Fairy's spiritual form."
"Really? When?"
"At the time when I went unconscious. I had to make my way back from the other side and slip back into my body. I'm glad I made it back before Russ completely overwhelmed our forces."
"So that's when you woke up?" Agnis's eyes turned wide from shock. She was having a difficult time processing all this information. At the same time, she was starting to believe every word he was saying.
Zero slowly nodded.
"Damn." Agnis stomped. "I was hoping what you were saying was just a joke, but after the Black
Dragons that escaped from who knows where I don't know if I can take it as a joke anymore. Those things were freakishly scary. I have never seen such creatures before; I mean no disrespect towards the Black Dragons, but the thought of them changing into evil makes my skin crawl every time."
"I don't think they all do. It's just the ones that get consumed by rage."
"Well, I hope you're right because the population of black dragons is a lot higher than any other dragon species in the Draconis Village."
"I know. It's something I can't do anything about."
"Yea." Agnis sighed. "So what's the plan? We push through as much as possible, get overwhelmed by the enemy, then die? We'll all lose a level, which is pretty big for someone like us, where our levels are pretty high. I mean, I'm getting closer to level 150 very soon. You know, past level 150, it's not a walk in the park."
"I know. It's something we have to take a bet on."
"I hope you're right."
"Me too. Agnis." Zero whispered.
"So, our plans?" Zeraph glanced towards Zero, waiting for what he would say.
"Push as far as we can and map out as quickly as possible. If we die, we die. Then we'll push forward in the other realm as well."
"Wait. Is there a penalty for death in the game if you die twice?"
"I don't know."
"Nobody has taken the chance to see what happens. Rumors are going around that it's not a favorable outcome if they do."
"Those are just baseless rumors."
"Well, we should still tell everyone about the plan before we go head first into something we
don't know about."
"I know." Zero stopped, and he messaged all the eight sub-leaders telling them to stop and come huddle around him. "I just sent them a message. They'll be here in a second."
Every dragon and its companions tightly wrapped around Zero, Zeraph, and Agnis. They were suddenly wondering what Zero had to say when they arrived at the sixth level. Before they continued, they waited for Zero's message.
"Zero!" Valiant trotted over with the others. "What's the hold-up?"
The others were curiously peering toward him, waiting for an answer.
"We got something we should do."
"Aren't we doing what we should be doing already? I mean, there isn't much to do but blast through this dungeon." Valiant chuckled.
Reed smacked him on his head. "Enough with your lame joke, and listen to what he has to say."
"Hey! That hurts."
"Good."
Valiant grumbled and sulked.
"We will push as deep as we can through the dungeon and map out as much of the terrain as possible. Our team's objective is to get to the end as quickly as possible for the second team to get through it easily."
"What do you mean? Why would we need the second team anyways? I mean, aren't we enough?"
"No. There's more. The battle will get worse as we get deeper, and that's a given, but our real objective as a team is to die and get into the spiritual world."
"You're kidding me, right?" Valiant gave Zero a weary look. His tail was already flopping back and forth in agitation at the thought of death.
"No. This battle is two folds. One team will push through in the spiritual world, and the other team will go through the physical world. The number of players that can enter this dungeon is already predetermined in the physical world, but that does not mean that the spiritual attack is not welcomed. If my guess is right, it works on both dimensions." Zero cleared his voice. "This Pyramid is possibly made by the Egyptians, meaning their belief system is slightly different. We are in a pyramid crying out loud; it's a tomb for a king. The world of the dead will be where we have to go."
"Are you sure that's even a good idea? I mean, can we do it?" Valiant wasn't gung-ho about diving into the unknown. Everyone who had died made it a priority not to explore the world of the dead. The game elements of this world were a lot more different from the physical world. Things did not happen the way players wanted, so the spiritual world was a big letdown for many players.
"Yes, we can. I know there will be level reductions, but the experience points on the other side are much better. Trust me on this. I have lived through the first twenty-four hours and made it back alive, and I know what I say is true."
The players' voices cried out in concern as they bombarded him with questions.
"Really? Doesn't the dreary oppressive air make it difficult to travel?"
"What about the level handicap that I had heard about? Is that true as well?"
"Is the game system the same as fighting in the physical world? I mean, has anything changed?"
"What about where we are going to start if we die? Do we leave off where we died or what?"
"Enough!" Zero's voice boomed loudly, causing everyone to leer back in surprise. They did not think that Zero's human voice would make such an impact, leaving them all a bit shaken.
"To answer your question, there is no level handicap. You'll lose one level; if you fight and live, you'll gain more levels than when you started. That is only if you fight the monsters in the game.
There is no reward if you do not put your life on the line. The dreary atmosphere gets to you, but that does not mean it's impossible. When I say it's possible, it's possible. For the people who are concerned about the game mechanics in the spiritual plane, there is a big change. The physical skills that you have acquired do not work. Instead, what you need to take with you is belief."
"Belief? What good would that do?" A young green dragon spoke in an outburst. "Belief is not going to cut down monsters."
Zero eyed him down and sighed. "I'm saying that once you're dead, you're dead. You don't bring anything from the physical plane. All you got was the birthday suit that you were given. Now with that, it does not mean it's all over. What I meant by 'Belief' is that you need to believe that you can conjure up a weapon you are familiar with. This weapon is made from your energy and takes shape into a weapon. This is your best weapon in the spiritual world. Remember this, and don't panic."
"That's easier said than done. How are you sure we won't get even a worse penalty than before if we die a second time?"
"I don't. That's why this is a game. Be glad it's only a game. We have to take chances somewhere, don't we? If we want to succeed, failure is part of the process." Zero was walking around, meeting each individual in the eye when talking. He stressed his points as best as he could.
"Walking with our tails between our legs won't let us get anywhere we need. So take a chance, a jump of faith, because you don't know if that next jump was easier than you think."
The players nodded in understanding as his words touched and inflamed their souls in excitement. Their chatter became louder as they thought of the possibility of coming.
"Well then, one last thing, we are going to chart out the physical world to let our lower-level players in team two level up faster and safer. We don't want them to die, and we need all of them to make it to the final floor. That said, for the people who died, ensure you all find each other in the spiritual realm and stay together in groups. I don't know how or where we will end up. Until we find the answer, we'll keep pushing forward."
"That sounds like a decent plan for now." Valiant and the other dragons nodded their heads in agreement.
"It's the best I got. We're all going in blind."
"True. Wish we had a map of this place."
"Well, we better start one then, shouldn't we?" Reed smirked. "I mean, it would be good if you start using your head too for once in a while."
"What are you talking about? I always do." Valiant shook himself like a dog trying to buck Reed off his back. But, instead, Reed held on tight with a smile plastered on her face. "I swear, after the bullying incident, you got much meaner."
"Meaner? Hardly. I became much cooler."
Valiant snorted. "If you say so."
"I did." Reed haughtily replied, sitting up straight on Valiant's back.
Zero couldn't help but chuckle at the two; they worked more efficiently together than before.
Compared to his friends, Valiant did a pretty decent job of getting things under control when leading his group of friends. He was a natural-born leader in his way.
"Well then, let's get back on the road."
The players trudged forward into the dark passageways as they stepped through the unknown with more dedication than they had before. Even though death was imminent, the chance to explore a whole plane excited everyone at the prospect of getting stronger than they already were.
Zero knew he couldn't slack off and patiently observed the surrounding areas. He did not want to lose to anyone in the early stages of the game. But, on the other hand, he knew it would be detrimental to the team if they started dropping like flies too soon.
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