The identity of the Zone 2 Boss was a massive stone tablet.
But there was no time to panic over that fact.
The weapon of a nearby stone statue was falling down upon the group's heads.
“Ian!”
-Boom!
Thanks to belatedly coming to their senses, they had narrowly avoided the attack, but their knees went weak at the destructive force that had left the ground deeply cratered.
Not only that, but the other stone statues were also approaching Ian's group.
[You humans...! I shall kill you all!]
Despite being in the form of a stone tablet, its voice was a mixture of resentment and hatred.
The cry of a fallen god echoed thunderously throughout the entire space.
“Run to the cave!”
At Emily's shout, everyone turned and began to run.
Because right now, that was the only path to survival.
Thanks to choosing to flee immediately, the group was able to safely escape from the altar and enter the cave.
“I never thought I'd live to see the day a cave felt welcoming.”
“Whew... same here. Looks like they aren't chasing us, thankfully.”
Ian and Emily could relate to what they were saying.
It was a cave as dark as pitch-black ink, but at this very moment, it felt as peaceful as the darkness before sleep.
But at the same time, they felt despondent.
“The problem is how we're supposed to defeat that thing...”
Emily caught her breath and clutched her forehead.
Seven moving stone statues and a stone tablet of unknown abilities.
It was a vicious composition that made the giant White Tiger they had faced in Zone 1 feel like a celestial maiden by comparison.
They couldn't even guess how many casualties there would be.
But if they waited until the players' levels exceeded the Boss's?
'No. We can't drag this out that long.'
They had already spent over a month clearing Zone 1.
If they spent a similar amount of time this time as well, there was no telling how many years it would take to clear the game.
And there was no guarantee that everyone would survive even after spending all that time.
But mulling it over here wasn't going to bring any answers.
Ian spoke to Emily, who was lost in worry.
“Let's return to the village and think about it for now.”
“It's quite late already, so that sounds good.”
“...All right.”
However, Ian's group did not make it back safely.
-Screeee!
“Why the hell are there bats here again?!”
Because another group of bats had already taken up residence inside the cave.
In the end, they were only able to escape the cave after fighting a desperate battle with the bats until the very end.
Still, if there was a silver lining to this misfortune.
“At least I gained a level.”
“What, you too, Shaora?”
“I leveled up too. Good to know that hell was worth it.”
Thanks to facing such an enormous number of enemies, everyone had achieved a level up.
Though they were in ragged shape, faint smiles spread across people's lips.
'Why didn't I level up!'
Everyone except Ian, who was the only one left treading in place.
It was a bitter night.
***
Having returned to the village, Ian's group immediately put their heads together.
Among them, the first to voice an opinion was Shaora.
He scratched his smooth head and spoke.
“I'd like to keep the fact that we found the Boss hidden for a while.”
“The reason being?”
“If we announce that we found the Boss, people will inevitably call for a raid to begin. But you saw it too, Emily. Fighting the Boss at our current level would be suicide. Even if we somehow won, we'd inevitably suffer heavy losses. So I'd like for us to announce it after some time.”
It was a sound argument with no easy way to refute.
But Emily glared at Shaora.
“But we spent a month in Zone 1. If we pour that much time in again, we'll never be able to clear this game in our lifetimes.”
“I know that too. But if we rush in and the damage spreads, it will hinder future raids. It might even slow us down more than before.”
Just as Shaora said, there were many players in this world, but only a handful had resolved to fight.
Roughly estimated, those currently fighting on the front lines numbered about a thousand.
Most of them hadn't even escaped Zone 1, and those fighting in Zone 2 numbered only about a hundred.
Even though there were 200,000 players.
That was how difficult it was to overcome the fear of death.
Especially for those who had witnessed someone dying right before their eyes.
Of course, he didn't think those still staying in Staria would fail to overcome their fear until the day the death game ended.
But until they came out to the front lines in earnest, they had to preserve their current forces as much as possible.
Because they had to show hope that they could get out of this place.
That was why Shaora had no choice but to stop Emily.
“I'm saying we need time, at least until the players' levels get on track.”
Even if they couldn't exceed the Boss's level, they needed time to close the gap to at least the same level, or a one-level difference at minimum.
In the air, their gazes clashed fiercely.
However, unlike before, Emily's gaze was filled with anguish.
Because she knew in her head that Shaora was right.
In the end, Emily let out a deep sigh.
“One week. No more than that.”
“That will be enough.”
“Still, just in case, let's give the party leaders a hint.”
“Let's do that. Then we'll need to think of a strategy to clear the Boss until then...”
The group recalled the scene of the altar in the cave.
The seven stone statues lined up around the stone tablet.
The moment they had brandished their weapons at them was still vivid, as if it had just happened.
Adrian spoke.
“I suppose the goal is to destroy all of those statues?”
“I think so too.”
“But the Boss was the tablet.”
“It might simply be a medium controlling the statues. Of course, we should keep in mind the possibility that it has other patterns.”
But everyone agreed with the opinion that they had to destroy all the statues.
The problem was that all seven statues had different appearances and different weapons.
There was no way to guess what patterns they would use to attack the players.
“It would be nice to know the statues' info, but I guess we'll have to clash with them head-on?”
Thinking back to what was regrettable during the Zone 1 Boss fight, it was trying to charge in blindly without even figuring out the Boss's patterns.
Because of that, they had lost ten people forever.
So this time, how about having a reserve party and rotating to carefully identify the Boss's patterns?
It was in the midst of Emily's deepening worries.
Ian spoke carefully.
“I was going to mention this later, but something was bothering me when I was in Zone 1.”
The story about the Zone 1 Boss, the guardian deity, that she had heard from the innkeeper Kate and the villagers.
The eyes of those listening to Ian turned deathly cold.
“Wh-why are you all looking at me like that?”
The first to move was Emily, who was beside Ian.
She grabbed Ian's head and put all her strength into her fingers.
“Why are you only mentioning this now, you crazy girl!”
“Ah, it hurts!”
“That's because I'm trying to hurt you!”
“Kyaah!”
Ian squirmed in pain.
But not a single person tried to stop Emily.
“You deserve it.”
“If you were hiding something that important, you deserve a few hits... Huh?”
At that moment, because she was twisting her body in resistance to the pain, the cloak wrapped around Ian's body slipped off smoothly.
Starting from her shoulders, her deeply indented collarbones, eye-catching cleavage, slender waist and distinct navel, and finally her pale, plump thighs.
The moment the appearance Ian had so desperately wanted to hide was revealed to the world, all sound vanished from the world.
“Huh?”
Only then did Ian realize her cloak had fallen to the ground.
And that her shameful outfit had been discovered by everyone.
Ian's pale face flushed bright red.
She quickly picked up the cloak to cover herself, but the people's... especially Emily's gaze did not leave her.
A voice as faint as an ant crawling flowed from Ian, who bowed her head to avoid their eyes.
“P-please forget what happened today...”
This only stirred both a protective instinct and sadistic desire in those who saw her.
Emily's lips stretched from ear to ear.
“Then will you try calling me unnie?”
Ian's eyes trembled uncontrollably.
***
Though an unsightly incident had occurred for a moment, after continued discussion, Ian's group decided on a policy for the raid.
Namely, identifying the true nature of the seven stone statues guarding the altar.
And verifying this was easier than they thought.
“What Ian said was true.”
There were a total of seven abandoned altars scattered throughout the Baltor Mountain Range.
Ian had proposed investigating the altars again because she had questions about that number.
The next morning.
Upon arriving at the altar closest to Lundel, Emily gained certainty the moment she read the tablet's contents.
≪When the blasphemous horde opposed the order of the benevolent Earth God and covered the land, he was the first to take up the sword and stand by the Earth God's side.
Tyr of Judgment.
His sword knew no hesitation, and the blade he struck down was the Earth God's solemn judgment itself.
The rebels who broke the law and rejected the earth's mercy knelt before his keen sword aura.
Descendants, bow your heads before this altar.
The peace of this land upon which you stand is built upon the sacrifice of Tyr, who cut down injustice in the name of 'Judgment'.≫
“Tyr of Judgment...”
Emily recalled the male statue holding a sword.
She could be certain that the man named Tyr spoken of in the tablet was that very statue.
And this was the same for the others who had gone to different altars.
“Sigurd the Indomitable, then.”
≪When the blasphemous horde opposed the order of the benevolent Earth God and covered the land, he was the first to take up the shield and stand by the Earth God's side.
Sigurd the Indomitable.
The enemies' cowardly blades shattered before his shield, and even the raging storms that shook the earth could not make Sigurd retreat a single step.
He endured every calamity that threatened the Earth God's peace himself, and stood his ground like an unshakable mountain range.
Descendants, bow your heads before this altar.
The peace of this land upon which you stand is built upon the sacrifice of Sigurd, who blocked every threat in the name of 'Indomitability'.≫
Shaora was able to see the tablet of Sigurd, the statue holding a massive shield.
“Brunhild the Iron-Blooded?”
≪When the blasphemous horde opposed the order of the benevolent Earth God and covered the land, she was the first to raise her fist and stand by the Earth God's side.
Brunhild the Iron-Blooded.
Whenever her gauntlet tore through the air, the vain ambitions of those who defied the Earth God crumbled into dust, and neither mercy nor hesitation could shake her heart of steel.
Her cold fighting spirit became the firmest law of the land itself.
Descendants, bow your heads before this altar.
The peace of this land upon which you stand is built upon the sacrifice of Brunhild, who purified the earth in the name of 'Iron Blood'.≫
In Adrian's case, he was able to check the tablet of Brunhild, the female warrior statue wearing gauntlets.
It was the same for the other raid members they had asked for help.
≪When the blasphemous horde opposed the order of the benevolent Earth God and covered the land, she was the first to take up the staff and stand by the Earth God's side.
Eira the Merciful.
Wherever her staff touched, life sprouted anew upon the earth, and the souls who went against the Earth God's providence finally found repentance and rest beneath her merciful hand.
She was the light representing the Earth God's infinite love, and the only guide who led the confused people back into the fertile embrace of the earth.
Descendants, bow your heads before this altar.
The peace of this land upon which you stand is built upon the sacrifice of Eira, who healed the earth's tragedies in the name of 'Mercy'.≫
Another person saw the tablet of Eira, the statue holding a staff.
≪When the blasphemous horde opposed the order of the benevolent Earth God and covered the land, he was the first to take up the axe and stand by the Earth God's side.
Beo the Feral.
Whenever his axe was swung, the bones of rebels who mocked the Earth God's order turned to dust, and his rough roar shook the earth and froze the hearts of the blasphemous.
His strength was the unrefined wrath of the earth itself, and he was the most loyal watchman who hunted those seeking to violate the Earth God's glory.
Descendants, bow your heads before this altar.
The peace of this land upon which you stand is built upon the sacrifice of Beo, who trampled the enemy mercilessly in the name of 'Ferocity'.≫
Another person saw the tablet of Beo, the statue with the head of a bear holding an axe.
≪When the blasphemous horde opposed the order of the benevolent Earth God and covered the land, he was the first to take up the bow and stand by the Earth God's side.
Vidor the Silent.
His silence was an unchanging oath of loyalty to the Earth God, and his gaze never lost sight of the hearts of those who threatened the earth's peace for even a moment.
Each time his soundless bowstring was drawn, the impure lips that slandered the Earth God fell into eternal slumber.
Descendants, bow your heads before this altar.
The peace of this land upon which you stand is built upon the sacrifice of Vidor, who eliminated every threat in the darkness in the name of 'Silence'.≫
Yet another person was able to check the tablet of Vidor, the statue with the head of an eagle holding a bow.
And finally, Ian arrived at the altar farthest away, together with Hakon.
“Um... Hakon?”
“Yes, Savior.”
She could see it.
“Why is there nothing written here?”
The empty tablet with nothing written on it, unlike the other altars.