"I don't think we can do this, Evie," Roxy said, her voice tight with unease. "We suffered a huge EXP penalty last time. It hasn't even been a full day, and you want to reattempt it again? My STR hasn't even reached 25 yet!"
She glanced around the open clearing at the edge of Illusion Forest. Players crowded the area, their weapons gleaming under the canopy light. Most teams were groups of ten or even fifteen—organized, confident, and armed to the teeth.
Roxy's throat went dry. Compared to them, their party of four looked pitiful. And four of them had low ATP thanks to their previous defeat.
Evie stood firm, though her calm expression didn't hide the guilt in her eyes. "I've commissioned someone to help us," she said. "He's strong."
That only made Roxy's stomach twist tighter.
"Can't we postpone it until we recover our ATP?" Ragnar asked. Even his deep voice sounded hesitant. He wasn't one to back down from danger, but charging into a boss zone half-prepared was suicide.
