The Ogre General, Grogthe, didn't just stand; it occupied the air. The massive slab of basalt it carried as a club stayed resting on its shoulder, but the sheer gravity of its level—a crushing Level 20 Mutant, sent a wave of dread through the Iron Hearth that no amount of cinnamon scent could fully mask.
Liam tightened his grip on the black iron greatsword. Beside him, Ellie's pink cat ears were pinned flat, her knuckles white as she gripped her own blade. She stayed anchored to his side, her shoulder pressing against his arm.
"I'm going in," Liam rumbled. "Keep the flank clear."
"Together," Ellie whispered, her voice trembling but firm. "I'm not letting you go in there alone, Liam."
Johan stepped forward, his massive white rabbit ears twitching as he slammed the butt of his shield into the dirt. "The kid's right. He's got the momentum. We follow his lead, or we're just meat for the grinder. I'm with you, Liam."
"Johan, shut up!" Saffron snapped, her tiger tail lashing with a flick of pure irritation. She didn't look at the rabbit-kin; her eyes were fixed on the Ogre, her pupils narrow and calculating. "You're a tank, not his cheerleader. We follow the guild's strategic protocols, not the whims of a Chef."
Liam didn't wait for the debate to end. He could feel the Ring of Hestia pulsing against his finger, demanding more. He could feel the 750,000 EXP he'd just gained from the ridge mobs humming in his veins, pushing him to Level 18, but the jump in stats felt raw, uncalibrated.
At 55 Speed, Liam was a blur of silver and black iron, with Ellie darting through his shadow as they aimed straight at the Ogre's massive, obsidian-plated knee.
[Skill Combo: Glutton's Charge]
[Bull Rush] (-50 Stamina)
[Absorption] (Target: Ogre Armour)
[Spin to Win] (-150 Stamina)
Liam slammed into the Ogre's leg. Ellie followed with a precision strike aimed at the joints. But instead of the satisfying crunch of bone or the shiver of shattered armour, there was only a dull, metallic clang.
The Ogre General didn't even budge. Its obsidian plating was too thick, its level gap providing a hidden 'Heavy Armour' buff that Liam's Level 18 stats couldn't pierce in a single strike.
The recoil was violent. Liam's sword bounced off the basalt-hard skin, the vibration travelling up his arms and rattling his teeth. He stumbled, his boots skidding in the dry dirt as he tried to transition into [Spin to Win], but the momentum was gone. He overbalanced, his centre of gravity shifting too far forward.
He fell.
He hit the dirt hard, sliding through the dust. Ellie, trying to catch him, was pulled down as well, both of them stopping at the feet of the Ogre's personal guard.
The silence that followed wasn't worshipful anymore. It was cold.
A few mages in the back started to titter. Then, a low chuckle erupted from a group of swordsmen.
"Wait... that's it?" a Level 12 Archer laughed, lowering her bow. "He just... tripped? And took the cat-girl down with him! I thought he was a glitch!"
"Man, we really got ahead of ourselves," another voice called out. "He's just a Vanguard with a weird smell and a lucky streak, and she's just a mascot."
Noir, who had been ready to cast [Cheetah's Grace], let her hands drop to her sides. She stared at Liam and Ellie, her ears twitching with embarrassment. "He's Level 18... and he just bounced off? I wasted my mana pool preparing for a miracle."
Johan stepped toward Liam, reaching out a massive hand. "Kid, get up. It's the armour, it's a level gap penalty, just…"
"Johan, I said shut up!" Saffron's voice was like a whip-crack. She stood still, her tiger ears no longer pinned in submission. They were swivelling, scanning the field with a sharp, judgmental edge. The "Predator" scent she'd been intoxicated by suddenly felt like a trick. "He's a liability, Johan. Get back in formation."
She exhaled a long, heavy breath, her tail lashing with annoyance. "I guess the pheromones got to us. He's not a monster. He's just a Chef who got a few lucky kills on trash mobs. He isn't actually that good. Johan, front and centre. Now."
"But Saffron—" Johan started.
"Now!" she roared.
Johan hesitated, looking at Liam and Ellie in the dirt, but the Guild Master's authority won out. He turned away, his rabbit ears drooping in shame as he slammed his shield back into the standard line.
The guild moved past them. They didn't just walk; they ignored them. The players who had been huddling near him for "safety" now gave him a wide berth, their faces twisted into sneers.
"Move it, Chef," a spearman muttered as he brushed past Liam's shoulder. "Go find some potatoes to peel. Let the actual warriors handle the Mutant."The Iron Hearth slammed into the Ogre General.
It was a massacre.
"Shields up! Rotate!" Johan roared, but the Ogre General didn't care about their rotations. It swung its basalt club in a horizontal arc. The impact didn't just break the shield wall; it shattered the players behind it.
Three guild girls were sent flying like ragdolls, their HP bars instantly dipping into the flickering red.
"Noir! Buffs! Where are the buffs?!" Saffron screamed, her Rare Greatsword clashing against the Ogre's obsidian plates and doing zero damage.
"I'm trying!" Noir shrieked, her hands glowing with a frantic, pale yellow light. "But the level gap is too high! The buffs are being resisted! We're too slow!"
The Ogre General roared, a sound that felt like a mountain collapsing. It lifted its massive foot and stomped, creating a localised earthquake. Johan went down, his rabbit ears flattened in agony as his legs gave out.
"Get back! Fall back to the portal!" Saffron yelled, her voice cracking.
Liam and Ellie stood ten paces away. Ellie's hand was locked around his wrist, her breathing shallow. She watched her "friends" scream as their armour was crushed like parchment.
[System Warning: Party Morale - Critical]
[System Warning: Formation Integrity - 12%]
"He's just standing there!" a girl screamed as she crawled away. "Liam, Ellie, do something!"
"Why?" Liam's voice was a low, hollow growl. "I thought we weren't that good."