Chapter 15
<Bad Ending Maker Chapter 15>
In front of the dungeon, 'Fallen Sand Palace'.
Oasis carefully examined the dungeon information.
Dungeon: Fallen Sand Palace
– Danger Level: Medium
– Related Quests: 12
– Recommended Level: 55
“Hmm……”
When Oasis searched for the dungeon’s strategies online, hundreds of results appeared.
It seemed to be a fairly popular dungeon.
‘There wasn’t a single guide for the Subterranean Viper’s Lair.’
Back then, she could just follow Labo’s orders, but now Labo wasn’t here.
‘I need to do my part!’
As Oasis was intently studying the guides, a voice called out from behind.
“Is this your first time in this dungeon?”
“Ah, yes.”
It was her first time hunting in a full party of four. Oasis turned around, smiling awkwardly while scratching the back of her head.
The party leader—a shield warrior preparing to enter the dungeon—returned her smile.
Despite his fierce-looking character, his grin was friendly.
“Don’t worry. We’ll handle aggro management, so just focus on healing when necessary.”
The mage and archer behind him nodded emphatically.
“We’re really grateful you came. Clearing this dungeon is part of our second-class advancement quest, and we’ve been stuck here for days.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Healer-nim! We’ll carry you on our backs if we have to!”
Oasis laughed awkwardly.
She’d somehow joined their party and followed them here, but interacting with others still felt unfamiliar.
‘I’ve barely spoken to anyone besides Master……’
As if to break the tension, the shield warrior spoke cheerfully.
“We need to clear this for our second class, but it’s impossible without a healer. None of us can fill that role.”
“I see……”
“We’ve been camping here for days and happened to spot you. We took the liberty of approaching first.”
Oasis scratched the back of her head, recalling the moment.
“Haha, I thought you were going to PK me or something……”
“Huh? PK?”
The three players exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
“Seems you don’t know. There’s an unspoken rule in Undertown.”
Oasis tilted her head.
“An unspoken rule?”
“We don’t PK priest-class players,” the mage and archer explained with shrugs.
“Undertown’s population is already a mess. Even if you try to form a raid party, tanks and DPS are manageable, but healers are impossible to find.”
“Priests are rare even in regular cities, but it’s worse here. That’s why the ‘no PK priests’ rule exists.”
“Oh, I see.”
If that were true, staying alone in Undertown might not be so dangerous.
“What if a priest starts a PK first?”
“Then we’d have to fight back, I guess…… But priest classes are inherently weak in PVP. Hardly anyone initiates.”
“Battle priests are great in party PKs, but healing priests struggle. If the enemy targets the priest, it’s game over.”
Oasis furrowed her brow.
‘Priests aren’t good in PVP……’
Her small hand tightened around her staff.
‘Will I be okay? I need to stay by Master’s side……’
“Ah, Healer-nim.”
“Yes?”
Startled, Oasis answered hastily. The shield warrior cautiously asked,
“What’s your item level? This dungeon’s boss requires at least item level 350 to survive.”
Oasis quickly checked her status.
User ID: Oasis
– Class: High Priest
– Character Lv: 46
– Item Lv: 435
Her weapon was a level 30 staff from her class advancement, but the rest was a full level 45 ‘Basilisk Larva’ set, boosting her item level significantly.
Her gear was better than expected. Oasis nodded firmly.
“Yes, it’s over 350!”
“Then we’re good.”
The shield warrior grinned and stepped forward.
“Alright, shall we go?”
“Let’s go~!”
“Second class, here we come~!”
The mage and archer followed enthusiastically.
Oasis trailed slightly behind, tiptoeing after them.
The ‘Fallen Sand Palace’ was an epic-grade dungeon.
Originally a Season 1 raid dungeon, it once dropped gear considered best-in-slot during that era.
But that was long past—now, at the end of Season 5, the level cap had risen from 50 to 90, reducing its former treasures to mid-level fodder.
With story and questline changes, the 24-player raid had become a standard 4-player dungeon.
Most players visited during their second-class advancement quest upon reaching level 50.
– How dare you filthy mortals set foot in my palace!
The dungeon boss, Sand King ‘Sylar Khan’, swung his scimitar, stirring a sandstorm.
– Go, my soldiers! Drive out the intruders!
The king vanished into the dungeon, and sand soldiers wielding weapons poured forth.
Oasis watched the cutscene with parted lips—her first time seeing it.
‘Now that I think about it, I skipped all the storylines while playing.’
Power-leveling with Master had left her no time to experience Wings Online’s main story. She’d heard it was interesting.
‘Maybe I’ll look it up later……’
Dozens of sand soldiers lunged at the party.
“Eek?!”
Oasis flinched as the mobs surged forward.
“Taunt!”
The shield warrior roared.
The sand soldiers, drawn by the area taunt, turned toward him.
He crouched low and activated his next skill.
“Thornmail!”
As the skill name 'Thorn Armor' suggests, the magic condensed on his armor and shield formed sharp thorns.
The sand soldiers attacked the shield warrior all at once, but his HP barely decreased while theirs rapidly dropped.
Meanwhile, the mage who had gathered blue frost energy in both hands shouted,
“Frozen Thrust!”
As he extended his hand, a frosty mist swept over the sand soldiers. The skill prioritized freezing probability over damage. Those with low freeze resistance froze solid instantly.
Right after, as if waiting for this moment, the archer unleashed his skill.
“Rain of Arrows~!”
Plucking his great bow, dozens of arrows stormed down like bombardment.
Thudududud!
Physical damage against frozen targets multiplied by 1.5x. Not a single sand soldier remained—only experience and gold lingered.
“Wow……”
Oasis gaped at the flawless combo. The shield warrior, now relaxed, grinned.
“We struggled so hard trying to clear this with just three.”
“Th-that’s amazing.”
“We’ve mastered everything up to the boss room. The boss is the real issue…”
The momentarily gloomy warrior perked up and shouted,
“But now that we have a healer, we’ll crush it!”
“So we’ll speedrun you to the boss room!”
“Just sit back and enjoy the ride~!”
Without waiting for heals, the trio charged forward, effortlessly obliterating sand soldiers. Oasis trailed behind, dazed.
Two hours later, in the boss room.
“Final pattern! Stay sharp!”
—Kreeegh!
Desert King Sili Khan roared furiously. Sand rose from fallen soldiers’ bodies, absorbing into him until his eyes blazed crimson.
“Everyone behind me! Sandstorm incoming!”
The shield warrior raised his shield to activate Guard Stance—
—Die, insects!
But Sili Khan’s skill was a split-second faster.
Before the party could regroup, the sandstorm engulfed them.
“Oh crap!?”
The panicked warrior whirled around just as—
“Holy Shield!”
Oasis conjured a radiant barrier, blocking the onslaught.
Kwaaaah!
The shield shattered within seconds but bought enough time for everyone to hide.
“Nice save, healer!”
“We’d have wiped without you!”
Oasis scratched his head, chuckling awkwardly.
When the storm subsided, the mage and archer surged forward.
“Finish him!”
“Die already, bastard!”
Frost and arrows obliterated Sili Khan’s remaining HP.
—How… could this…
Thud! He collapsed, kneeling.
“Clear! Wow!”
“We did it!”
The party cheered, dancing around his corpse.
“Healers make everything easy~!”
“Seriously, didn’t expect it to be this smooth.”
“Group pic, quick!”
Amid the celebration, Oasis silently studied Sili Khan.
“…….”
Once the terror of 24-player raids, now humiliated by a 4-man party.
—How hollow… my glory…
Clutching a broken scimitar, the Desert King glared resentfully before crumbling into sand. His crown dissolved first, then his entire body.
Boss Monster: Desert King Sili Khan defeated!
Dungeon: Fallen Sand Palace cleared!
Fanfare blared as sunlight flooded the ruins.
“Great work, everyone!”
“Class advancement, finally~!”
The shield warrior turned to Oasis.
“You were incredible. Never seen heals that crisp.”
“Nah… I kept messing up aggro…”
Oasis forced a smile. Without the warrior’s timely taunts, they’d have wiped.
“Your reflexes are top-tier. You’ll master aggro in no time.”
“I… hope so.”
“Enough chat—loot time!”
The archer rummaged through the loot and gasped.
“Holy ****! A Unique drop!”
There it was—a glowing pink staff:
Desert King’s Authority (Unappraised)
“No way… my first Unique!”
“Only two staff classes here anyway.”
The mage stepped back.
“I’m good. Healer should take it.”
“Wait, really?!”
He shook his head.
“We’d have failed without you. Just party with us more, okay?”
The tank pressed the staff into Oasis’s hands.
“You helped us without needing a class quest. This is thanks.”
“Ah…”
Oasis accepted it slowly, then beamed.
“Thank you! I’ll treasure it!”
As they laughed, he thought: Maybe party play isn’t so bad with kind people.
—Hey.
A whisper cut through the cheer—dark, heavy, utterly foreign.
—Where are you?
Master Labo’s voice.
“Hic?!”
Oasis hiccuped involuntarily—despite lacking a diaphragm.
“……?”
The party stared, baffled.
