Little Chili nodded. "If I’m not mistaken, that ore is definitely a synthesis material for the longsword."

Vera laid out the plan. "I move faster than most of you, so I’ll kite it while Chili mines. If I go down, Lily takes over. Keep your distance and don’t get pulled, wild bosses have soft aggro ranges, so it transfers easier than a dungeon boss."

Everyone confirmed. Vera switched to her crossbow and walked forward.

Nightmare Wings reacted before she even came close. It roared, and the sound was less like a monster cry and more like a tearing of air, then it was already moving, charging toward her with a speed that immediately erased any assumption that it would be slow.

Don exhaled quietly. At least it was melee-type. That was something.

As Vera ran, she turned and fired an arrow over her shoulder. It connected and stripped 388 HP from the boss. Don heard himself gasp despite himself. Its physical defense was extraordinary.

What chilled him further was that Nightmare Wings’ movement speed was barely slower than Vera’s. The gap was closing faster than it should have.

Little Chili didn’t waste a moment. The moment the boss’s attention locked onto Vera, she bolted for the ore deposit at its feet, pulled a small iron pickaxe from her backpack, and began hammering. Sparks flew from the collision of iron against ore. Ten seconds of rhythmic hammering, and then the system chimed.

Player Little Chili failed to mine Magic Essence Stone.

Quinn was sweating. Nightmare Wings was now five meters behind Vera and closing.

Don made the call without deliberating. He pulled his longbow from his back. "Vera, dual control. Switch aggro with me."

Vera hesitated for half a second, then nodded.

Don raised the bow and fired. The arrow carved through the air and struck Nightmare Wings squarely in the back, iron tip sparking against black armor.

[875!]

Frustrating. His ranged damage was barely higher than Vera’s, her level and control coefficient were simply too dominant at range.

After three rapid shots, Nightmare Wings’ aggro shifted and it turned toward Don in fury. The moment it changed course, Vera raised her crossbow and struck it twice, and then Don held his fire. The result was predictable. Nightmare Wings’ aggro entered a chaotic state, its head turning between the two of them as though genuinely uncertain which target it wanted more.

Meanwhile, Little Chili’s pickaxe swung twice more and failed twice more.

She pressed her hands to her cheeks in distress. "I’m so sorry, everyone. I’m just completely useless right now!"

"Chili." Don kept his voice even. "The ore is too high-quality. That’s why the failure rate is elevated. It’s not you, just keep going."

She nodded and swung again.

A minute passed. Then the system chimed pleasantly, and Little Chili’s expression transformed instantly. She held up a handful of glittering gold ore, turning it so the light caught every facet. The sight of it was almost absurdly pretty against the dark, blasted landscape of the Scythe Demon territory.

She posted a screenshot to team chat.

Magic Essence Stone, Lower-tier Special Material. When added during weapon crafting, carries a chance to increase the weapon’s grade. However, if the addition fails, the weapon is also lost.

Don’s frown was immediate. "A double-edged sword."

Little Chili bit her lower lip. "Sister Vera. Brother Don. Should we keep collecting?"

Vera turned to Kira. "This is your call. That weapon is for you."

Kira’s answer was immediate and unambiguous. "How many moments like this do you get in a lifetime? I’m going all in."

That settled it. Little Chili began swinging with renewed force.

Nightmare Wings’ aggro continued to oscillate between Don and Vera, neither of them able to actually damage it faster than its passive regeneration rate. The math was clear, they were never going to kill it. But they didn’t need to kill it. They just needed to outlast it long enough for Little Chili to finish.

Vera, even while running, found a moment to strategize. "Don, should we bring everyone in? Create group aggro and keep it splitting focus across all of us?"

"No." Don was firm. "Yesterday I found a video on the forum, high view count. It was Elias Finch’s main raid team getting wiped on an elite boss. Nine high-level players, same idea as yours. They kept rotating aggro. You know what ended it?"

"What?"

"Boss hit 90 percent health and went berserk early. Movement speed and attack power both spiked. Elias Finch, 10,000 HP, best gear in the American region, got killed in two hits."

Vera went quiet for a moment. "So they’re thin-skinned about the teasing."

"Even bosses have limits. You push past them, they break."

Vera wiped imaginary sweat from her brow. "Don. Be honest. Is this one at that limit?"

Don swallowed. "Hard to say. Right now we just need Chili to finish fast." He raised his voice slightly. "Chili, when this ore is depleted, how long before it respawns? I want to mark the location."

Little Chili smiled without pausing her swing. "Brother Don, you’re so greedy. Special materials have slow refresh cycles, at least ten days for weapon-grade ore. The official notice confirmed it."

"Ten days." He sighed.

"We’ll still need it in ten days, though." She smiled with quiet confidence. "New players are entering Realms Online every day. Some of them will have money. I’ve already copied the coordinates into my notepad. I’ll check back periodically. And if we keep clearing Scythe Demons, we can have Uncle Butler forge extra longswords to keep in reserve."

Vera’s expression shifted to something resembling genuine surprise. "Chili. I didn’t realize you thought like that."

"I learned it from Don."

After the first successful mine, the failure rate began dropping. Little Chili was now collecting roughly one successful harvest for every two or three attempts, and the ore deposit was visibly shrinking. The end was in sight.

Then the unexpected happened.

Nightmare Wings froze mid-patrol. Its entire frame shuddered once, then went rigid.

Don’s voice was sharp. "It’s enraging. Vera, run. Now."

They split in opposite directions instantly.

[System: Nightmare Wings has been enraged, ATK speed and movement speed +30% for 15 minutes. During this period, aggro will not leave its aggro range. It will cycle through all enemy targets within 100 meters.]

Nightmare Wings’ primary target was Vera. But Vera had already vanished into the distance, her movements smooth and deliberate even under pressure.

Don’s command came through immediately. "All team members, return to the village. That includes Chili."

Little Chili’s voice had a stubborn edge. "Brother Don. One more minute. I’ll finish the last deposits."

"Little girl. Your life or the ore. Choose."

"Brother. Special ore is rare. And I can’t guarantee what I have is enough for even one upgrade attempt. One more hit. Please."

She was still hammering. Her eyes didn’t leave the ore.

Don looked at the four remaining girls. "Everyone else, return scrolls. Now."

Kira was already pulling one out. She said calmly, "Let’s go. I trust them to get out."

Seeing Kira move, the others followed. One by one, silver light rose from the ground, pulling them upward. Bernita, Quinn, Lily, all of them ascending in brief flashes.

Kira’s return scroll was still in her hand. Untorn.

Don opened his mouth. Kira spoke first. "Chili stayed because of my weapon. If I leave, I couldn’t live with myself."

Little Chili’s eyes filled immediately. "Sister Kira..."

Kira reached out and touched Little Chili’s cheek with two fingers, almost tender. "My little darling. I can’t bring myself to go."

In the team channel, Lily’s voice came through, indignant. "Sister Kira! You lied to us!"

"I just felt warm. I was using the scroll to fan myself."

Bernita’s voice was pitiful. "Waaah. I got tricked again." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Don said flatly, "Bernita, this is not your first time being fooled."

"..."

Back in the field, Vera had activated Realms Online’s team recording mode. On the team interface, the others could watch her perspective in real time. Nightmare Wings was ten meters behind her. The village was still a hundred meters ahead. Given the speed differential, basic math said it was going to close that gap before she made it.

Vera’s voice came through breathless but somehow still conversational. "This thing’s testosterone levels are completely out of control. Even if I, your elder sister, were the most beautiful woman alive, I still wouldn’t chase someone this enthusiastically."

Don was sweating. "You’re daydreaming right now. Of all the times."

"I’m at full sprint, you brat! Give me something useful!"

The distance continued to shrink. Little Chili hammered. The ore grew smaller. The margin narrowed on both fronts simultaneously.

Then, streaks of silver light appeared at the village entrance. Players with familiar name prefixes began walking out.

Vera saw them. And then she did something that made all three remaining team members stare in disbelief.

The stunningly beautiful woman’s expression crumpled. Her eyes went wide and glistening. Her voice, somehow both breathless and perfectly pitched, rang out across the open field.

"Help! Is there any kind brother out there who can save me?!"

Don, Kira, and Little Chili looked at each other in complete silence.

"She’s playing the victim," Don said finally.

"Completely," Kira agreed.

Little Chili had stopped hammering. She was just staring.