Lately, meals have been dry bread, tough jerky, or godawful grass-and-berry soup. Food's scarce around the crumbling town. Even that pseudo-sweet shop was high-end, so this normal meal's price tag must be steep.
"So, Diamonwolf, what's this about? Grizzly mentioned protecting Ku, but I'm guessing it's about the North Dungeon strategy, right?"
Despite the meal's appeal, Diavel cuts to the chase. He's definitely leader material.
Diamonwolf, who hasn't touched his food, nods firmly, clearly impressed by Diavel's caliber, though there's a hint of rivalry in his eyes. Let them duke it out for top dog—Diavel doesn't seem that motivated anyway.
"Right. Tomorrow, we're making a big announcement in the town square."
"An announcement? About what?"
"That we cleared the South Dungeon. Including the boss."
Diamonwolf's solemn words make Shinon and me drop our spoons.
Cleared the South Dungeon? Beat the boss? Is this a joke? But their confident aura convinces me it's true.
"Wait! You six cleared the South Dungeon!? That's impossible!" Shinon slams the table, standing. Her reaction's justified—Diamonwolf's claim is absurd.
SAO's first floor took two months to clear. Yet they cleared a comparable dungeon in a month.
"Calm down. You're misunderstanding. We didn't do it alone. The South Dungeon's monsters are humanoid, with smart AI, but they spawn solo or in pairs. With a six-person party, clear roles for front and back lines, and enough recovery items, it's doable. We focused on earning Col over leveling, using sheer item quantity to clear it."
Easier said than done. I tear into my bread, awestruck by their unhinged strategy.
DBO has levels and stat points, with skill slots increasing at certain thresholds. But leveling doesn't make you dramatically stronger. Even at level 10, with low VIT, I lost 70% HP to that spider's cannon despite dodging a direct hit. Levels don't save you from quick death.
This game's enemies have high damage output and clever AI with tricky attacks and flawless teamwork. Unpredictable logic patterns are deadly. Even solo, they're tactical; in groups, their coordination is perfect.
Soloing's too risky in this game. The rewards are huge, but overwhelming force is safest.
Back to their strategy: Diamonwolf's team realized this early, prioritizing Col grinding, recovery items, and gear upgrades over leveling. While we grinded for scraps of safety, they hustled for cash.
Efficient Col farming is harder than EXP grinding. One or more of them must be beta testers, leveraging that knowledge for events and money-making. Then they hit the South Dungeon, fighting solo enemies with defined roles, burning through recovery items. Dungeon clears yield more EXP and Col, boosting levels and gear, increasing survivability.
Shinon didn't think of this because her mindset's solo-focused, likely from beta testing alone.
These guys are nuts. Strategizing this well in a death game within a month is insane. In a normal game, maybe, but this is a life-or-death battle with a madman.
Yet they pulled it off. They cleared the South Dungeon.
"You six beat the boss, too?"
"We planned to gather boss intel and retreat. We weren't overconfident. But some solo or small parties, spooked by our progress, rushed the boss and were in trouble. We fought to help and won."
Diamonwolf's grim look suggests those parties were wiped out or close to it. Still, keeping his team alive against a boss shows strategy trumps tactics.
"The boss was a slow, one-hit-focused physical attacker. I managed stamina to avoid exhaustion. Grizzly tanked with the Double Iron Greatshield from the South Dungeon, constantly eating Phosphorescent Herbs for recovery. Eagleeye, with the highest DEX, drew aggro and disrupted. Swallow chipped away from range. Rayfox supplied items, and Kingliger dealt damage when needed. We burned through items but got rare loot, tons of EXP, and Col."
Incredible. I nearly clap in admiration.
They're almost too calm, like they've played death games before.
"I get it, Diamonwolf. But why tell us? We're just players you saved. It sounds like you're asking for our help."
Yeah, that "tomorrow" line felt like a setup for a request. Diavel's sharp.
I glance at Shinon, wondering if I'm the only one who didn't catch it. Nope, she's unfazed—she knew. Another reminder of our gap in social skills.
"We planned to announce clearing the North Dungeon up to the boss, but meeting you changed that. Players are ready to tackle dungeons. Rather than letting eager players rush the boss unprepared, we should form a North Dungeon boss raid now."
For Diamonwolf, the South Dungeon's boss kill was a fluke. To ensure success, he wants a raid with maximum preparation.
It's a solid plan. Numbers matter, assuming quality backs it up.
"We want you as allies. In DBO, trust is hard. But a spark can ignite cooperation. We need you to be that spark."
"So, use us as bait to draw players? If you want us as shills, I'm out," Shinon snaps.
That's her style.
But I'm in. I didn't see it, but SAO's first-floor boss raid had a strategy meeting. He was there, and it paved the way to victory.