Chapter 341 Dying Too Late
Even though Eleena wasn’t as high-profile as Princess Leah, the earliest believers of the God of Games more or less understood what made her extraordinary.
After all, even if the Players mostly began with the same default level but with different starting stats because of their physical attributes, that bit of starting stats wouldn’t affect their power when they increase in level.
And yet, even if some veterans had not really been active, they were neither blind nor dumb. As time went on, they would definitely notice what was unusual and connect that to the living example who was Princess Leah, more or less getting the idea.
Be that as it may, most of them would merely guess that Eleena had changed class from a cleric to a hidden-class. It was only now when she showed it out in the open when they realized that the young girl who always followed Edward’s group, quietly and guilelessly having her candies and occasionally stealing kills was actually the Saintess of the Church of Games…
Even if the Players’ thinking had been refined to almost resemble Earthlings (and became ever crazier) with Xi Wei’s various quests, they were still easily influenced.
Such as by the weight of the word, ‘Saintess’.
To earthlings, Saintess was no more than an adjective in literature, and especially after webnovels, games, and anime had abused the term to its limit, Saintess became no more different from archtype labels such as tsundere, kuudere, or yandere.
But to the people of this world, Saintesses were an agent of their gods next to divine children, a being of immeasurable rank.
And once they knew that the Saintess of their own church was fighting by their side, the Players who had felt exhausted physically felt a new power surging within them.
Under Eleena’s leadership, the remaining Players began another counterattack against the tortoise colossus. Despite the intensity of their fighting spirit, however, reality wouldn’t change because of human will—or most game development would be on the same level as Earth. The Players were still attacking the legs of colossus which defense they couldn’t even pierce, and it was only the few Junglewalker Players who could barely fire their arrows into the enemy’s body.
And when those arrows eventually reach the colossus, they had already lost all momentum, and there was no more damage than direct hits on its legs.
Worse still, when the Players attempted to climb p those legs or tried harassment to get closer, they would be blasted by the Pyrocrystal Cannon on the body of the tortoise colossus.
Therefore, in spite of a rallying of spirit, the Players were once again left helplessly awkward against the steel-skinned bustard which had a body full of thorns.
On the other hand, the slightest brush of the tortoise colossus on any Player would directly kill them, or at least wipe out half of their HP.
As such, even though Eleena was exerting her full strength with no holds barred to stop every single one of the colossus’s blows, it came at a price.
In the end, the Saintess was merely a hidden class-barriers, healing, and resurrection would all consume her blue bar. Her potions had long since been used up, and she was barely holding on even though other players were willingly offering her mana potions.
And after the battle lasted so long, every other Player’s blue bar were mostly drained as well.
As the end looms and even with Eleena’s filthy face keeping stoic, she was starting to become flustered inwardly.
“Don’t panic! Sure, the enemy is more powerful and scarier this time, but we can’t give up!”
Marnie seemed to sense that too, and promptly spoke out to calm the troops. “The best way to defeat horror is to confront it! Perseverance is victory, do your best-“
But before he could finish, he was crushed into a puddle by a giant boulder that was knocked off the body of the colossus, killing him instantly when his HP bar was emptied. Nonetheless, not only were the Players not spooked by the sight, they had even become a little pleased. “Marni has died again!”
“Doesn’t that mean we can turn things around? That we can defeat the monster now?”
“No, the first-rate Players are all dead. It’s going to be difficult to turn things around… damn it, if only Marni died earlier!”
Eleena naturally could hear the Players’ discussion.
She usually wouldn’t believe such superstition, but at this very moment, she was not going to give up on even the tiniest bit of hope.
It was therefore a shame that her other party members had all died horribly. Gou Dan was probably trampled into tiny scraps, Joe was directly eaten by the colossus whereas Edward was directly vaporized by its Pyrocrystal Cannon with nothing left of him. Even if Eleena had learned outstanding revival spells, she couldn’t make bricks without clay.
In fact, aside from Eleena, the only other first-rate Player who survived was Mufasa who just escorted the wood elf elders to safety and just returned.
Just as she was nearly exhausted, Mufasa was unable to unleash his wrath against such a supermassive foe.
It was like how the Player put it just now: the turning point had come too late…
Be that as it may, even as that thought crossed Eleena’s mind, the back of the tortoise colossus exploded violently.
The blast was so violent that half of the city of Crookes which had remained over the colossus’s back was reduced to ashes, and a skull-faced mushroom-cloud now billowed from it!
In fact, it was such a powerful explosion that the tortoise colossus let out a blood-curdling shriek, with a big chunk of its HP dropping off its red bar visibly!
Eleena couldn’t help gaping, unsure what had actually happened.
***
Tyler Meredith-Eleena’s maternal grandfather and mayor of Crookes stood at the edge of the crater and watched the explosion nonchalantly. He remained still and imposing no matter how the ensuing gales would rear at him, completely unlike the withering old man who was about to die before.
“Eleena, my heir. I may not agree with your choice, but I have witnessed your courage… and that is why this old man wouldn’t just sit around and watch you die.” He said as he raised his walking stick. “Elven keeper! In the name of Tyler Meredith, destroy every Pyrocrystal Cannon that had gone out of control without exception!”
He turned towards the edge of the city, but because his position wasn’t elevated and he couldn’t look downwards or see Eleena, whose face he longed to see once more.
Shaking his head in regret, the old man then drew out an old but exquisite key that had a special aesthetic to it.
He handed it to the shorter automaton which had been on standby beside him all along.
It nodded and left swiftly with the key.
“Eleena… grandchild, take it.”
Even as the old man watched his city being destroyed before his own eyes, there was relief even in his troubled look. “This is your grandfather’s last blessing to you!”
