"You want me to do what?" Berry asked, confused at Reed's instructions.

"I want you to use your Area of Effect spells when I have the enemies' attention," Reed repeated. "With all of them grouped up near me, you'll be able to hit all of them with [Flame Strike]."

"How do you know I have that skill?" Berry accused, crossing his arms, glaring at Reed.

Reed gave him a bored look. "Because I've killed too many Resin Knights to the point where I know that [Flame Strike] is one of the basic skills."

"Reed, won't you get hurt?" Aphmau asked concern, not noticed Berry's glare at Reed.

The ronin shook his head and held out his crystal gauntlet. "Inspect this."

Another perk of being an Adventurer is that looking at items will automatically display a screen for them to read off of. This way, all information will be revealed when gaining loot from enemies, or making sure the estorrans are telling the truth when they sell them equipment.

< Butterfly Hand >: Crafted from the crystalized corpse of the majestic Moonlight Butterfly, for even in death its remains have a high affinity for magic.

[Rating: Unique] [Durability: 20/20] [Item Type: Crystal Gauntlet] [Weight: Light]

* Casting time for all spells is reduced by 50%.

* Potency for all spells is increased by 250%.

* Reduce all magic damage received by 80%.

* The durability of this item is repaired with MP.

Conditions: Must have at least 10 Class Points in Mage, and 5 Class Points in at least one other magic Class.

All items in Estorra have five ratings in their rarity: common, rare, epic, legendary, unique. For every tier above normal, the stats and effects of the item will increase.

However, unique items were custom items; only dropped by high-level and potent boss monsters, or crafted using materials. Unique items are always guaranteed to have a special effect of some kind.

Anyone who wants to get stronger strives for this because items can have unfair advantages. It's common sense in any role-playing game to overcome tough enemies or players.

However, in order to craft items, someone needs to have knowledge of how to craft them. Then you must have the proper technique to use the materials you want to use, as the items will have different effects.

People tried crafting their own items, but the process was too time consuming and too slow. Naturally, players would have rather hunted down fiends, gaining experience and loot, than spend 10 hours squatting in front of a hot blacksmith forge to melt metal.

But for those who loved seeing the high numbers and special effects on the items they made, and seeing the satisfied smiles of the people who wear them, while making a ton of gold? These were Adventurers called Crafters.

Some Adventurers had been Crafters, either for their Covenants or friends, or just being a merchant to make money in general.

Sadly, because of the fiends and bandits attacking the trade routes to town, prices for imported goods have drastically increased. This was tough for Adventurers, as the Council drastically passed several laws that cause Adventurers to pay 500% more than the actual price.

Now those Crafters, like many Adventurers, are sleeping the streets; who cannot even afford the basic supplies- let alone crafting materials. And that's not taking into account that Adventurers are discriminated, and are not even allowed in stores, or when they are refused service.

"Dude, where did you get that kind of loot?" Fart asked, never seeing a defense item with a percentage that high. But he glanced aside to see Berry and Talia look at that crystal gauntlet with greed; understandable since any magic user would want something like that.

The durability is extremely low, but since it can be repaired with MP, that just makes it more valuable. Considering its item rarity is unique, Fart knows that anything below that rating would make this crystal gauntlet not worth the effort to acquire. What did Reed have to fight in order to get something that powerful?

"Did Asher make that?" Aphmau asked as everyone's eyes never left their sight off of the item.

"Oh please," Reed scoffed. "That EVI can only do repair, and even so it's mediocre at best-"

"Oh, c'mon man, don't call them that," Fart interrupted, he wasn't a big fan of discrimination since he knows what it's like for being an Adventurer. "He's a good man, and an even better blacksmith."

"But he's a lousy person!" Talia snapped, all the frustration interacting with Asher rose like a flood. "I bet he even forgets to breath when he isn't ripping us off with the prices."

"...She does have a point," Alexis admitted as everyone looked at her; she's usually quiet like Penny. "What? We've all been to his shop!"

Because of the lack of Crafters, many Adventures flocked to Asher's blacksmith shop for repairs; not too far from the bar/Adventurer's Guild that Owen runs. This naturally boomed his family's business, as he seems to be one of the few estorrans who doesn't discriminate and he is the only blacksmith that allows everyone into his shop.

But as the prices for materials rose, he can't afford to buy materials to make custom items. If you want something custom made, you need to get the materials yourself as Asher makes it for you, but it is still expensive.

Despite Asher's plain a fair complexion, he is frustrating to work with. His blue eyes would be distracted by the weapons he's been ordered to craft and repair, talking to himself in a monologue as he ignores the customer while wondering around in his shop... while holding the item!

Aphmau had a first-hand experience of that. He took her pink scimitar, moved some of his black-brownish hair out of the way to clearly see the weapon as he talks like a commentator about how poorly the weapon is.

He went on a rant about the Chroma, the special dye that allows any Adventurer to color and style their weapons and armors, before he talked about how it was made out of copper.

But only after he was hammering the weapon on his anvil, was then he realized he didn't know whom the sword belonged too; he just took it!

Aphmau was sure Asher didn't mean it, but it was still not professional to unconsciously insult your customers while taking their stuff, even if it is for repairs. Even after she came back the next day to pick up the repaired scimitar, Asher didn't remember whom she is!

How could he forget a meif'wa that wears pink and gold, cloth armor that only covers her chest, forearms, and barely everything else below her waist?

Asher was known for having a forgetful memory when it comes to people, he preferred his job after all. So after many attempts to get him to remember her, Asher only remembered when Aphmau reminded him about her weapon he called her sword "weird" before he insulted the color.

However, instead of calling her "Aphmau", Asher instead called her "The-really-weird-sword-with-the-bad-Chroma-on-it!". Aphmau corrected him by saying he remembers the sword, and not her. But then he replied, "That's what I said."

And yet, even after remembering her, Asher couldn't remember why Aphmau was here! Aphmau then screamed/reminded him about her sword before Asher finally remembered, and when he went to go get it, but he couldn't remember where he left it! And when Asher returned it, the Chroma was removed, so Aphmau had to find another one to reapply the pink color; once it's removed, one will have to find another Chroma since they're a one-time use.

The only time Aphmau has ever seen Asher focused, and his voice take on a stern and scary tone, was when Reed asked him to sell the fancy armor set he is always working on in the back of his shop. No one knows why, but Asher won't let anyone go near it- let alone sell it.

"Ugh, don't remind me..." Aphmau groaned, rubbing her temples at that frustrating memory. "He's a good blacksmith, but his social skills needs work."

"Okay, all frustrating memories aside," Fart gestured towards Reed's Butterfly Hand in a dramatic manner. "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?!"

"Calm down, I'll tell you about it later," Reed gave his friend a playful punch on the shoulder. "I didn't forget about you."

"Woo~hoo~!" Fart jumped in excitement, not noticing how Reed said it, giving out a silent message: only Fart gets to know.

"Fine, you have overpowered loot," Talia scoffed before glaring at Reed. "Pretty hypocritical coming from you!"

Seriously, did Reed meet her before? He swore she looks familiar. "I had to kill level 50 boss that constantly flies, and only does magic damage, by myself." Reed gave her a cold look, causing her to tense. "I earned this Butterfly Hand unlike those Adventurers who pay for high-leveled equipment."

If it's one thing Fart knows about Reed, it is his beliefs about earning one's rewards though hard work and skill; he hates those 'pay-to-win' types of players who think that they could buy their way to the top.

But still, a flying monster that only does magic damage? Usually there were spells that blocked damage, but rarely magic damage at all! Maybe an resistance for a certain percentage against an element, but nothing too good.

As everyone else focused on Reed's plan for the dungeon raid, Fart looked from his spot on the tall hill near the Heart Tree. Thinking about the unknown monster Reed had to fight.

----------

Reed's crystal gauntlet mostly negated the paralysis from Alexis' [Lightning Trap], and the damage form Berry's [Flame Strike].

So Reed ran and he reached out of the fire, and grabbed the pommel of Berry's custom sword before crushing the small ball of red resin that was inserted. Without the resin fueling [Flame Strike], the skill ended early as the flames died out.

That's the one weakness of Resin Knights: they have a very potent bond between the resin to their skills. If one were to eliminate the source to fuel their magic, then they would only be powerful as an ordinary swordsman.

Still, despite knowing the risks, players would still pick that Class. Too bad Berry is one of them, and it's even worse that Reed knows this weakness all too well; he's killed a lot of Resin Knights back in the Beta.

The paralysis ended not too long after as Aphmau, Rune, and Alexis dropped to the ground in pain; scorch marks covering their slightly burned bodies as they groaned in pain.

The eight skeletons, that were burned harshly, were deathly still before crumbling into piles of bones and ash. The ash parted away from Reed as he stomped towards Berry as Penny and Talia ran up to heal the other girls.

Fart, however, being the impulsive one, held out his tower shield and continued to run until he crashed into Berry; knocking him onto the cold, moist floor.

"You idiot!" Fart shouted as Berry collapsed onto the ground. Aphmau looked at him in surprise; Fart is usually so calm and happy. But Reed just shrugged at his behavior, that's just how Fart is. "What was that?!"

Berry got up before glaring at Fart, and tried to stand his ground. "What? I did what Reed said-!"

"Reed said to set only him on fire!" Fart reminded, grabbing Berry by the collar of his armor. "Not everyone else!"

Berry's confidence from before died as Fart shook him. "H-He didn't give us instruction on-!"

"He shouldn't have to!" Alexis shouted as the ashes of the eight skeletons started to pile up away from the group, angry and glaring at Berry. "It's common sense to not set your allies on fire!"

"U-Uh, um, guys?" Penny watched the remains move on their own will. "The remains-"

"Yeah, Berry!" Aphmau shouted over Penny, her pink clothes were slightly burned as some of her body was exposed. "I'm nearly naked here!"

"It's okay," Talia tried to calm everyone and shift the hostility away from Berry. "I have a spell that repairs equipment."

Reed raised an eyebrow at that. Where did she get high-level magic like that? His eyes widen in alarms as he glanced at the missing skeletal remains. "Fine, but we got to move! Now!" He shouted as he ran ahead.

"Aw, what!" Rune pouted. "What about the loot...?"

Her marigold eyes widen in terror when a loud groan echoed from the rolling skulls of the defeated skeletons. "Okay, never mind!" Rune shouted in a hurry as everyone followed Reed.

Reed pulled out an unlit torch, using a bit of MP to ignite it and illuminate the dark path up ahead. "Alright, new plan!" He shouted as the clacking from the monster behind them became louder, and it let out a disturbing moan. "We rush into the next room, and kill everything in there!"

"Just keep running, we'll worry about that later!" Fart shouted as he looked behind him to see eight pairs of glowing red eyes in the dark. "An Elite is spawning!"

----------

"So... if he sets the enemies on fire, why would we need to do anything?" Rune asked, it wasn't cheap getting her daggers repaired, or any equipment for that matter since they're constantly being used. "Wouldn't the fire alone kill them off?"

"Because it might not do enough damage to kill them, and that's what I want to avoid." Reed explained, much to everyone's confusion, except Fart as he is already an experienced gamer. "The fire is to weaken the enemies that surrounds me, and the rest of you pick them off at your own pace; we have to make sure they don't die simultaneously."

Berry scoffed. "That sounds like a dumb reason."

"He's got a point, Reed," Aphmau nodded, but still didn't like Berry's harsh attitude. "Why should it matter? Isn't it good if they die faster?"

"We don't want them to die simultaneously," Fart decided to take over the explaining while Reed mentally thought of back-up plans. "When multiple enemies of the same kind, are defeated at the same time, the remains will merge to form an Elite: a powerful version of that monster."

Alexis couldn't believe it, fighting a horde of fiends seemed easier. "So we can't kill multiple enemies at once in a dungeon?" She then rolled her brown eyes in sarcasm. "Great... just, great!"

"No, no, they have to die at the exact same time." Reed clarified, recalling his experience going in dungeons with his buddies from the Beta of the game. "Believe me, even three enemies dying at the simultaneously is rare."

"Yeah, I mean, c'mon," Fart waved off their concerns stretching while he's lying down comfortably on the grass near the campfire. "What are the odds we run into an Elite?"

----------

As the group continued to plan, they couldn't hear the clacking of the man limping up the stairs that leads to the Heart Tree. His cold body covered in a patchwork of dirty rags and cloths scrapped together from various trash bins and sewers. He limped to the giant, some-what spiraling trunk of the Heart Tree, in the shadows away from Reed's group.

He climbed up into the  leaves of the Heart Tree before pulling out a pair of rusted sheers from his worn-out backpack. He reached and felt for the bulging masses of clumped leaves. One day during the year, these bulges will swell like ripe fruit, and allow bountiful harvest of resin of various kinds to fall naturally to the ground.

He didn't hesitate to cut them prematurely. He held it in his hands, peeling the leaves back like the skin of an orange as he looks at the resin he gathered; corrupted beyond redemption since he took it before the day it is naturally released.

He placed it in his backpack, and repeated the process over and over and over. More will grow  back in time, but none of the resin he gathered will ever be pure; only corrupted to use for curse magic.

And he's going to need a lot of it when he 's going to kill those people that are entering the dungeon... 

A/N: Still working on that boss fight, and some other stuff that'll happen in the story. But seriously, Asher is one of my favorite characters in Dreams of Estorra since he can't really remember people, and only remembers their weapons!