War Insignias x500.
All members gain Prospective Believer status.
Ladder Points +100.
Every word of the quest rewards made Roderick's heart pound, along with everyone else's.
But after the rush of joy came a sobering chill, like a bucket of ice water over their heads.
"Rust City? A Sin Aggregate?" Falcon's voice was dry. "What level of boss can swallow an entire city? Level eighty Dark Gold Tier? Or level ninety Epic Tier?"
Unease rippled through the party.
No one knew better than they did how terrifying a boss of that level could be.
The swift Shadow Lurkers in Howling Canyon alone had cost them a member and nearly wiped out the entire party.
And now they were supposed to face a Sin Aggregate, a monster whose name alone made their skin crawl?
"There are only fourteen of us left." Kevin, the mage who had cast the ice wall earlier, pushed his glasses up his nose. The habitual gesture betrayed his unease. "Our gear is poor, our levels are low, and we don't have enough people. A Gold Grade boss is the most we could take on. Anything above that would be suicide."
His words silenced everyone.
It was true. They were a band of castoffs and failures.
Their best equipment had either been stolen or destroyed in earlier battles.
Challenge a city-level boss with the scraps they had left?
That was no trial. It was suicide.
"Why don't we abandon this quest?" a warrior suggested quietly. "The Main Quest only says we have to reach the Holy Land. It doesn't say we have to complete this. Getting to the Court of Sin Punishment alive matters most."
Several people immediately agreed.
"Right. Rewards mean nothing if we're dead."
"The deity has already shown us the way. We shouldn't invite more