...


    The next day, Shin and the rest of the Empyrean Talons were gathered in the place where they last logged out once again, getting ready to continue their exploration.


    Now that everyone was fully recovered, they could now perform to the best of their abilities.


    Sweeping his gaze at everyone and checking on their team composition, Shin started arranging their formation. "The monsters starting from here are always in groups, so we have to organize our formation accordingly."


    "Since we have Arthur, Owen, and Akailu together, we can run twin-tank tactics on one front while a regular tanking on the other."


    "Arthur can handle the Elites and Special Elites leading the group of monsters while Owen will be taking on the Common Rank Monsters alongside Akailu and his summoned beasts."


    Since Owen and Akailu were on similar levels, Shin believed that the two of them should be enough to be the main frontlines of the group.


    These two could at least hold their grounds against a group of Common Rank Monsters of the Awakened Continent so long as the backline was able to support them.


    "Leo and I should be enough to support Arthur while the rest can assist Owen and Akailu with taking down the regular monsters before proceeding to help us," he added before proceeding with the other members.


    "Chaotic Luck, you don''t have to summon a lot of your Solar Undead. Just a couple that can help keep the monsters in place should be enough. You can just focus on casting spells to help with the DPS instead."


    "Samael, since you are already experienced enough with these monsters, you can at least act as a proper sub-tank. Just follow their lead and continue what you have been doing up until now. And remember your main purpose for coming here."


    He then waited until those two nodded their head, signifying that they fully understood their respective roles before turning to the mages and marksmen of the group, particularly to Lorraine. "I will not say that much since you are more familiar with this role compared to me. I will be leaving the command over them to you."


    "Tsk! You make it sound a little better, but you want to dump all the responsibility on me so that you can focus on fighting those Elite Monsters," Lorraine rolled her eyes as she could see Shin''s true intention.


    Shin did not bother to deny it but still added. "Well, that''s one of the reasons. But I want them to familiarize themselves with the level of the monsters of the Awakened Continent and improve our team synergy."


    "Don''t worry. I will quickly take over the command once the situation becomes a little messy and save you," he said, trying to reassure her.


    "But since we are already together, I will not miss the chance to try doing some strategic maneuvers," he added before turning around and signaling the others to move.


    With their current team composition, Ithilien and Archimedes were responsible for scouting the area ahead. Given their respective speed and ability to move free in such an environment, their respective classes were perfect for the role, especially when Diablo was not around.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Ithilien moved across the forest, jumping from one tree branch to another, while Archimedes used some aerial maneuvers as he skillfully navigated his way through the gaps of the trees.


    Not long after, they were forced to halt their tracks as they saw a group of monsters ahead.


    It was a little horde of iron-skinned wild boars with a Special Elite standing in the middle with five common-rank monsters surrounding it.


    They quickly reported the situation to Shin right after making sure that there were no other groups of monsters nearby. After all, it would be troublesome if they were pincered by another horde of monsters while they were still busy dealing with the previous one later.


    Being trapped in the middle of two monster groups was still beyond their current abilities.


    ...


    Standing a few distance away from that group of monsters, Shin observed their initial stats before informing the others. "Fortunately, it seems to be a normal group of monsters and not a berserk group. This should be within our current capabilities."


    He then asked the group to get in position before ordering Owen. "Go lure them here."


    Owen nodded when he received the order and stepped out of the group. He then stared at the group of wild boars in the distance before inhaling deeply and shouting in the very next instant.


    Ha!


    ''Knight Skill (Tier 1): Taunt''


    Right after he shouted, the boars quickly turned their heads toward the direction of the group before charging at them angrily, particularly Owen, who just used his taunting skill.


    Shin stared at the boars for a couple of seconds before signaling to Akailu. "Next!"


    The giant boar was sent flying in the opposite direction, separating it from its group.


    "I''ll be going ahead!" said Arthur as he caught the dragon spear midair after it bounced off from the Special Elite Boar.


    Swoosh!


    "I''ll be leaving the rest to you," said Shin to Lorraine, who was standing beside him, before suddenly disappearing.


    Swoosh!


    Leonard also chased after the two, leaving the rest behind.


    Lorraine could only look at those three with a helpless look on her face before starting to command the rest.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    In the forefront of the group, the frontline members started taking on the wild boars in front of them, blocking their advances to protect the others behind them.


    Owen took on a pair of wild boards as he raised his shield, which reduced its size to match his build, while he brandished the holy sword in his other hand.


    Bang! Bang!


    He was doing relatively fighting against these two monsters despite the difference in size. He had to thank the weakened stats of these monsters, which was why he was able to hold his ground quite well.


    Bang! Bang!


    In the meantime, Akailu summoned a huge bear to help him hold the two other wild boards that were trying to get past him.


    This bear was cladded with the beast armor that Saint Blacksmith Berlin had crafted for him after he ran a couple of errands previously.


    He even felt a little jealous of this pet of his as the set of armor that it was wearing was way better than the high-quality equipment that he was wearing. Not only it was on set, but the armor itself possessed a metamorphosis effect that could match any kind of monster pet so long as they met certain requirements.


    Bang! Bang!


    At the same time, Samael was left to deal with the remaining wild boar. He was panicking at first, but he was able to quickly find his footing after realizing that the monster was not as scary as he thought it would be.


    He knew that the two purposely left this monster alone so that he could also train and prepare himself for future battles, so he was very thankful for their trust and expectation.


    Together with the assistance that he was getting from the backline members, he had gained enough courage to hold his ground.


    It took quite a while before he was able to fully adjust to the battle but was still doing quite well after seeing Owen and Akailu holding two wild boars at once.


    Ithilien and Archimedes were firing freely from a safe distance, dealing a lot of damage in the process, while Daulla was also free to bombard the frontline with her spells without holding back.


    With such a high vantage point, the two archers were having the time of their lives alongside their skills, especially with such huge targets. Continue your adventure with empire


    Meanwhile, Daulla could also practice some of the new techniques that she had just learned recently. She was able to put the Mana Manipulation Techniques and Spell Casting Techniques that she had picked up from Alice and Cloe in practice.


    With the current state of the battle, Huahua was having an easier time compared to her first time hunting with Shin and the others.


    It seemed like the training that she had undergone yesterday during the team battles was quite helpful. After all, what was happening here was nothing compared to what she had experienced during that fast-paced and chaotic battle.


    Lorraine oversaw everything from the backline before nodding her head. "It seems like everything is going according to his plan."


    She felt that it would not take that long before the entire team was able to become more comfortable with each other, making their hunting time much easier.


    "Given our current pace, it will not take that long before we are able to build a very solid synergy before we reach the innermost region of this map."


    "It is only at that time when the real challenges will start. I just hope that we will not encounter any Chieftain Rank Monsters before it happens, or else we will be screwed," she mumbled before joining the others.


    ......