With the help of others, I managed to kill the trio. Despite their advanced levels, we were still superior.


    “Where is Blanche?”


    I asked.


    Aurora adjusted her glasses, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the battlefield. “Last I saw, she went into the jungle. She said she’d catch up after clearing camps.”


    Thalia, clutching her staff tightly, added, “She was supposed to regroup with us by now. I don’t like this.”


    Artemeni stepped forward, her spear resting on her shoulder. “We can’t afford to lose her. She’s strong, but if the enemy ambushes her…”


    I sighed. She shouldn’t have left by herself.


    “Alright. We are pushing this lane to the Drake level. After that, we will go and kill the drake while G?kb?rü finds Blanche.”


    The others nodded at my decision. At this point, we shouldn’t spread. The enemy champions were too strong. G?kb?rü trotted up to me, his sapphire eyes gleaming with understanding as if he’d heard every word.


    “Find her,” I commanded, resting a hand on his snow-white fur. His ears perked up, and without hesitation, he darted off into the jungle, a streak of white amidst the darkened foliage.


    “Let’s move,” I said, turning back to the others. “The longer we linger, the more time the enemy has to regroup.”


    We tore through the minions and pushed the lane back. However, a low growl echoing in my mind stopped me from going to the drake right away.


    “Fight. Danger. 5 champions.”


    I closed my eyes and allowed G?kb?rü’s vision to flow into mine. Through G?kb?rü’s eyes, I saw the scene unfold like a vivid dream. Blanche was cornered in a narrow part of the jungle, her rapier flashing with electricity as she fended off the relentless onslaught of five enemy champions. G?kb?rü growled again, his instincts urging him to jump in.


    I snapped back to my own vision and opened my eyes.


    “She’s pinned down,” I said sharply, my voice cutting through the tension. “All five of them are on her. We need to move now.”


    With that, we plunged into the jungle, moving as one.


    The enemy did not see us coming as they were blinded by killing Blanche. However, it was hard with G?kb?rü constantly creating ice walls and making the ground slippery. Artemeni as the tank was the first one to jump into action. She charged into the fray like a living battering ram, her spear sweeping wide to knock back two of the enemy champions who had surrounded Blanche. The clang of steel against steel reverberated through the jungle as she parried a blow from the enemy tank, her stance unyielding despite the barrage.


    Blanche stumbled back, catching her breath, her rapier crackling with energy. “ I did not expect all of them…” She muttered, though her voice carrying annoyance of once again being saved by others.


    “Save it for some other time! It is five on five! We will wipe them out!”


    Artemeni barked, planting her spear in the ground to create some space. Aurora darted to the side, her hands already glowing with concentrated mana. A fiery barrage erupted from her palms, targeting the enemy mage, who hastily conjured a barrier to block the assault. The heat from her spells singed the jungle, filling the air with a sharp, acrid tang. Unfortunately for the enemy mage, I wasn’t about to let this chance go. I fired a quick arrow, aiming for his throat. But the enemy support was already ready and blocked my attack with a mana barrier.


    Thalia raised her staff high, invoking a radiant pulse of healing magic that bathed Blanche in warm light. “Stay in the fight!” she shouted, her voice laced with determination. I took in a large breath and let out a roar.


    (You used Roar of War Goddess. Aliera’s divine power cleanses all of your debuffs. Your combat skills increases by 50 percent in effectiveness. Your Strength and Vitality increased by 30 percent.)


    (All of your allies receives the same blessings.)


    (You carry Aliera’s divine power. All stats increases by 5 more.)


    Each time we killed them they spawned later. If we wiped them out here we probably would have time to destroy at least one of the towers and open a way to their base. Aurora locked eyes with me. She knew that using the Roar of War Goddess was something one couldn’t do on a whim. It was a way to finish this fight quickly and without suffering too much damage.


    Artemeni seized the moment, her spear spinning like a cyclone as she drove back the enemy tank with a flurry of brutal blows. The ground cracked beneath her strikes, sending shockwaves that disrupted the enemy''s footing.


    “Push forward!” she shouted, her voice a battle cry that rang through the jungle.


    Aurora capitalized on the opening, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air.


    “Graviton Crush!”


    The space surrounding the mage and support twisted, collapsing into a dense, crushing force. The mage’s barrier cracked like shattering glass under immense pressure, and the support was dragged to their knees, their movements sluggish and strained.


    I saw my chance and nocked another arrow, imbuing it with the power of Aliera’s blessing. It shimmered with divine energy, a streak of light against the shadowed jungle as it shot through the air. This time, it pierced the mage’s shoulder, sending him sprawling to the ground with a cry of pain.


    Blanche had regained her footing, her annoyance fading into cold focus. Her rapier surged with lightning as she lunged at the enemy assassin. The blade moved like a whip, striking with pinpoint precision as arcs of electricity danced through the air. Her opponent faltered, their daggers clattering uselessly to the ground as the currents rendered them paralyzed.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.G?kb?rü circled the battlefield, bringing snow and cold with every lap to slow down our enemies. The enemy ranger tried to snipe him but G?kb?rü’s agility and ferocity made him an elusive target, a phantom in the snowstorm he created.


    Artemeni roared, locking her spear against the enemy tank’s shield in a brutal contest of strength. With the divine blessing surging through her veins, she forced the tank back step by step, until they stumbled and left their flank exposed.


    “Now!” she yelled.


    Aurora didn’t hesitate. She unleashed a torrent of fire and wind that engulfed the tank, their armor glowing red-hot before they collapsed to the ground. Thalia was quick to follow up, her staff slamming into the earth as radiant chains erupted, ensnaring the fallen enemy and preventing their escape. The support was the next to fall, overwhelmed by Aurora’s relentless assault. Their healing magic flickered out as they succumbed to the crushing weight of the battle. That left the ganker and the ranger, both of whom were cornered with nowhere to run.


    The ganker tried to make a desperate move, darting toward me with daggers glinting in the dim light. But Blanche intercepted, her rapier slashing across their chest and sending them sprawling.


    The ranger let out a guttural yell and fired a desperate shot toward Blanche, but G?kb?rü intercepted, his icy jaws snapping the arrow in half. Before they could nock another, I let loose a final arrow, striking true and ending the fight.


    “We don’t have time to rest,” I barked, already moving.


    “We will take the bottom tower and retreat back to the drake. Quick.”


    The team didn’t waste a moment. With the enemy champions down, we barreled down the lane, clearing the remaining minions and focusing fire on the enemy''s bottom tower. Aurora unleashed precise mana bolts, each one searing through the tower’s defenses, while Artemeni braced herself against its retaliatory strikes, shielding us with her sheer presence.


    Finally, the tower crumbled, collapsing in a cascade of shattered stone and mana sparks. The lane was open.


    “Fall back!” I commanded. “We’re not pushing further without the drake’s buff. Let’s regroup and prepare.”


    Even though the open base was vulnerable, the enemy champions were about to spawn. While there was a chance that we could take them down just like before, I didn’t want to risk anyone. The team didn’t argue, retreating swiftly into the jungle.


    “We’ve got a small window. The enemy will be back soon, but we need that drake. Thalia, make sure everyone’s topped off. Aurora, keep your mana reserves steady. Artemeni, you’ll hold the Drake’s aggro. Blanche and I will focus on dealing damage.”


    Blanche sheathed her rapier, her expression unreadable as she silently fell into step beside me. Her pride stung, no doubt, but there was no time for discussions about her earlier mistake. The battlefield didn’t allow for second-guessing.


    (Your team has slain the Water Drake.)


    (All of your team acquires the passive skill Tidebreaker’s Fury. Harnessing the fluid grace and adaptability of the Water Drake, your movements flow like water and your vitality surges with every passing moment.)


    (All stats increases by 5.)


    (Health and mana regeneration increase by 20%, scaling with the drake’s slain power. You have slain a level 3 drake.)


    (Whenever you hit an enemy you have a 20 percent chance to decrease their defense by 10 for 5 minutes. It stacks to 5.)


    “Aurora, Thalia. I need a barrier to hide us.”


    I said as we retreated back to our side. Aurora quickly raised her hands, weaving the threads of mana with expert precision. Soon a shimmering dome of translucent energy enveloped us. It was a barrier that bent light, distorting our figures, and making us nearly invisible to anyone observing from a distance.


    Thalia, ever the calm presence, raised her staff and muttered an incantation, her voice steady. “Radiant Rejuvenation.” A soft, golden glow cascaded over the group, restoring our stamina and vitality, and ensuring we were in peak condition for what lay ahead.


    “Alright. We have three win conditions.”


    I spoke out.


    “The first and most unlikely one to get us to win is just rushing to the base, killing all enemy champions and minions then destroying the base. I am sure I don’t need to tell you why this is unlikely and suicidal, even by my standards.”


    The group remained silent, understanding the gravity of my words. At this point they were exhausted even with drake buffs and our enemy kept spawning back stronger each time we killed them, sapping our stamina lower and lower.


    “The second one is to wait for the next drake. It will be a wind drake. According to the info we had, slaying all four drakes will give us an immensely strong buff besides the regular drake buff. We may be able to steamroll the enemy with it.”


    “Seems safer,” Thalia said, her voice steady. “But it still puts us in danger of being ambushed on the way.”


    I nodded. She was right.


    “If we are attacked when we are fighting the drake we might both lose the drake and lose the fight.”


    Artemeni added, her eyes heavy. She was there when the Gorchump Mother was stolen so she was probably afraid of it happening again.


    “The third option,” I said, locking eyes with each of my team members, “is the most aggressive, but it requires perfect execution. We split into two groups—one to create a diversion, and the other to destroy the enemy’s base.”


    Aurora tapped her fingers together, considering the third option carefully. “It’s risky,” she said, looking at the others. “And we don’t know how they will behave now. They may not bite our baits and stand at full defense.”


    “Agreed,” Artemeni said, her voice growing more cautious. “The second plan looks the best.”


    Blanche’s eyes were cold, and I could see the hint of a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. She had that hunger in her eyes. Was it because she was having a bad time with being caught several times by the enemy team? Or was she simply too individualistic to fully move with a team she wasn’t the leader of?


    “You have my vote for the aggressive plan. I don’t like waiting around. We finish this now.”


    Every eye turned to Blanche, questioning her decision.