The First Command

Lin Shenyue and her three companions stepped out, proceeding with caution. They had anticipated that the Undying Dynasty might be lying in wait at the city gates to ambush them.

Unbeknownst to them, however, the Undying Dynasty’s primary attention was currently consumed by the auction for Lin Shenyue’s pets, causing the matter of their fallen member to be temporarily sidelined.

Lin Shenyue’s taut nerves finally relaxed. Although this was her first time truly offending such a large guild, she understood implicitly that in any game, daring to cross a major guild inevitably led to relentless pursuit.

This wasn’t merely due to the guild’s domineering nature. For a large guild, maintaining face was paramount. If it couldn’t even protect its own members, other members would naturally lose trust, believing the guild incapable of safeguarding them.

Such a loss of faith would cause the guild to crumble, losing its cohesion. Thus, when a player provoked a large guild, they were often hunted until death—not out of tyranny, but because no guild could tolerate such blatant defiance.

****

Knowing the skeletons’ attack patterns beforehand, Ye Jue led the group directly through the horde of Skeleton Warriors, heading towards the forest.

Outside the city, some level 12 Skeleton Elites had already begun to appear, mixed among the regular Skeleton Warriors. They posed a significant challenge to the players.

Despite their distinctive shoulder armor, the growing tide of skeletons made them incredibly difficult to distinguish.

Lin Shenyue and her three companions paid no mind to these skeletal creatures, their destination clearly in sight.

As they walked, Ye Jue spoke directly. “Thus far, the information we’ve gathered indicates this wolf is a Level 13 BOSS. Compared to a dungeon BOSS, its HP is significantly higher, and it has a player limit.”

“Its strength will also increase with the number of attackers. This is a Silver-grade BOSS, but even as a Silver-grade, its true power far surpasses that of the Level 10 Gold-grade BOSS, the Tiger King.”

“Monsters above Level 10 receive a substantial boost in power, and as a major map BOSS, the Night Wolf King is naturally much stronger than any新手 village BOSS.”

“Does this BOSS have any special attributes?” Lin Shenyue inquired.

Ye Jue chuckled. “Why don’t you try guessing first?”

Lin Shenyue furrowed her brow in thought for a moment. “Firstly, it’s a wolf, which suggests it’s a pack animal. Even if there are no small monsters around the BOSS when we arrive, it will undoubtedly possess a skill to summon them.”

“Secondly, the name ‘Night Wolf King’ implies a skill related to nighttime, very likely the ability to create darkness. Wolves are typically high-attack, high-speed monsters, and the Night Wolf King, even as a BOSS, should be no exception. However, its defense will probably be relatively low.”

After a slight hesitation, Lin Shenyue continued, “Furthermore, wolves are inherently cunning. This means the wolf’s AI intelligence might be quite high, a point we need to be particularly wary of.”

Ye Jue’s eyes widened in astonishment, and he uttered, “Are you truly playing this game for the first time?”

Everything Lin Shenyue had analyzed was accurate and remarkably logical. She had only missed one detail, something most people would never consider: the Night Wolf King possessed a unique attribute.

It could enter a stealth state at night, during which it would not respond to any aggro, making it exceptionally difficult to deal with. However, this was a rather specific circumstance.

To deduce so many conclusions purely through analysis meant that during the upcoming battle, command would very likely fall to Lin Shenyue.

As a Priest, Lin Shenyue inherently possessed the ability to multitask. While her reaction speed might be slightly slower, her formidable computational power allowed her to keep pace with the current rhythm.

Moreover, Lin Shenyue’s exceptional analytical skills would enable her to anticipate monster skills, effectively reducing unpredictability. As a commander, her only lacking element was experience, a void Ye Jue could readily help fill.

In previous teams, Ye Jue had not served as a commander. Therefore, he only possessed basic command knowledge. However, for large-scale dungeons in the later stages, involving dozens of players, a mind as formidable as Lin Shenyue’s would be indispensable.

After a moment of contemplation, Ye Jue finally declared, “Yue’er, you will command this BOSS fight. You’ve fought BOSSes many times before, so you should know how to handle them.”

“You have the potential to become a top-tier commander, and I hope you will lead our future battles.”

Lin Shenyue was momentarily stunned. “What about you, then?”

Ye Jue chuckled. “I’m not suited for commanding, nor do I possess the talent for it. However, I can still offer you some experience.”

“You’ll take the lead this time, and I’ll step in to assist you with command if necessary.”

“I understand,” Lin Shenyue replied, nodding.

Ye Jue nodded in return, then led the team onward.

Upon hearing their conversation, Dark Demon frowned, messaging Divine Wind privately. “Are they treating a BOSS fight like child’s play? And with a novice commander making their debut?”

Divine Wind responded, “Don’t worry. You must realize that these two are no ordinary individuals, and…” He glanced at Ye Jue. “He absolutely possesses the ability to turn the tide.”

Dark Demon furrowed his brow, scoffing. “I’d like to see just how formidable this person you praise so highly truly is.”

Divine Wind simply chuckled, saying nothing more.

After leading the group to evade several waves of monsters, Ye Jue suddenly halted. “It’s just ahead,” he announced, his gaze turning to Lin Shenyue.

Lin Shenyue nodded, acknowledging his words, then took over the command. “Dark Demon, scout the situation around the BOSS. Divine Wind, clear the small monsters to the left. Karma Fire and I will clear the small monsters to the right. We’ll regroup here in one minute.”

Everyone promptly followed her orders.

One minute later, the group reassembled at the designated spot. Dark Demon reported, “I found the BOSS twenty meters ahead. It’s guarded by two elite monsters, and there are several scattered small monsters within a ten-meter radius.”

Lin Shenyue nodded. “Did you test the BOSS’s aggro range?”

Dark Demon confirmed, “The BOSS’s aggro range is five meters. The elite monsters are all within its aggro range and cannot be pulled out; their aggro range seems to be shared with the BOSS.”

“Additionally, two small monsters are within the BOSS’s aggro range, though they briefly move out of it while patrolling.”

Lin Shenyue pondered this for a moment. “Let’s clear the small monsters first,” she decided. Dark Demon’s information was thorough; all necessary scouting had been completed.

In such situations, the standard strategy was to clear the lesser threats first before focusing all firepower on the BOSS. Thus, Lin Shenyue issued this directive.

The group stood ready, prepared to face the BOSS’s challenge.