The steady rhythm of Tenderizing Repercussions was the perfect follow-up to March of the Embers. Even though Jack had less practice with this melody, it was fresh in his mind. On his first try, he managed to play it well enough to finally discover what it did.

  You’ve played [Tenderizing Repercussions].

  Performance rate: C+

  +100XP in [Bard]

  Audience bonus: +500XP in [Bard]

  The beasts’ meat becomes more tender.

  A pulse emanated from Jack’s ocarina, rippling across the battlefield. Every roach on the field—which had been charging forward without hesitation despite Marie’s relentless barrage—suddenly stopped. It was as if the entire battlefield had glitched for a split second.

  Then, just as abruptly, the roaches resumed moving.

  “Oh my goodness! What was that?” Horace’s excited voice cut through the din of battle.

  “I-I don’t know,” Jack admitted, bewildered. The system message about “the beasts’ meat becoming more tender” didn’t make any sense. He hadn’t dealt damage. Yet somehow, the entire swarm had been briefly stunned.

  Does it mean I’ll be able to harvest better meat from them? Or will I get more of it?

  Whatever the case may be, staggering the whole wave made it more than worthy to play it. If it worked, Jack wasn’t going to question it.

  He quickly settled into a rhythm, cycling through his repertoire: Sitting Wind, March of the Embers, and Tenderizing Repercussions on an epic loop.

  The mini-stun effect from Tenderizing Repercussions was enough to halt the momentum of the roach horde, disrupting their charge and leaving them vulnerable to Marie’s bombs and Amari’s deadly precision. March of the Embers kept the party’s DPS high, while Sitting Wind ensured they could fight without worrying about their stamina running out. The team held the line precisely and efficiently, steadily chipping away at the swarm. Jack kept playing time and time again. The pressure was real, but he forced his fingers to steady as they danced over the ocarina.

  Everything seemed to be under control—until the boss finally entered the fray.

  The boss advanced, its massive frame surrounded by a contingent of giant roaches. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, Jack feared the creature was so large it could cross the ditch without having to descend.

  But his fears were unfounded. The boss lumbered down into the ditch.

  “Horace! It’s our time to shine,” Amari called. “Marie, hold the flanks!”

  As the boss hauled one of its spindly, segmented legs onto the edge of the ditch, preparing to climb out, Horace came charging.

  Hammer of Justice!

  The blow from Horace’s hammer struck the creature’s leg with a resounding crack, forcing it to recoil. The boss teetered, momentarily stunned. Horace’s body glowed golden as he charged forward again, slamming into the boss with incredible force.

  Heroic Charge!

  The impact sent the massive creature tumbling back into the ditch. Amari leaped into the fray, his claws flashing as he unleashed a rapid flurry of strikes, each aimed at the boss’s long, vulnerable neck. The creature roared in fury, its voice reverberating through the battlefield, but the cramped confines of the ditch hindered its movements.

  The boss made repeated attempts to climb out of the ditch, but every time it seemed on the verge of escaping or pinning Amari down, Horace intervened, countering their efforts with impeccable timing.

  Jack’s fingers danced over his ocarina as he played, heart pounding with excitement. This is in the bag! he thought, his confidence soaring.

  But the tide began to shift. The giant roaches surged forward, eager to aid their leader. Despite their efforts, the boss finally managed to plant one massive leg on the edge of the ditch, its bulk beginning to haul itself upward.

  “Stop it, Horace!” Amari shouted.

  “I can’t—all my CC skills are on cooldown!” Horace called back.

  “Fall back to the second ditch! Marie!”

  Marie turned on her heels and sprinted toward their fallback position. Without pausing, she hurled a bomb over her shoulder. It detonated mid-air with a blinding flash of light, leaving the roaches momentarily stunned and disoriented.

  Seeing the chaos, Jack knew he had to step up. He swapped to a new song. The dissonant arpeggios and half-tone steps made it challenging, but Jack pressed on. Though not perfect, he pulled it off.

  You’ve played [Sonic Valley].

  Performance rate: C

  +150XP in [Bard]

  Audience bonus: +500XP in [Bard]

  The roaches, once moving in perfect unison, scattered chaotically in all directions. Their orderly army now resembled a swarm of bumper cars, colliding into one another in their frenzy. Some were sent careening into others, the impact sending unfortunate roaches tumbling down the ditch. The queen remained unaffected, roaring furiously as she tried to rally her underlings, but her efforts were in vain.

  The song, amplified by Marie’s flash bomb, bought Horace, Amari, and Marie the crucial seconds they needed to retreat to the second line of defense.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “We should remember this combo for later,” Marie screamed to Jack.

  “Good job covering our retreat, Jack!” Amari called, his voice full of gratitude. “You’ve got so many new songs. I didn’t know this one or the one that stops them for half a second!”

  Jack shrugged, a small smile on his face. “And there might be even more you haven’t heard yet.”

  Amari glanced back at him, the gleam in his eye unmistakable—the look of a streamer who’d just found content for a new series of videos. “You have to tell me all about it later,” Amari said, grinning.

  The boss roared, its fury shaking the battlefield as the effects of Marie’s flash grenade and Jack’s dissonant Sonic Valley wore off. Order began to return to the swarm’s ranks. With another guttural howl, the boss rallied its underlings, activating a frenzy skill that sent the roaches charging forward in renewed chaos.

  But what awaited them was pure destruction.

  Marie was already at work, lobbing bombs with pinpoint precision. Explosions rocked the edges of the first ditch, sending roaches tumbling back into the pit and making it nearly impossible for them to climb out.

  Those that managed to escape the ditch found themselves in a merciless gauntlet. The terrain between the two ditches was littered with caltrops, bear traps, and jagged stakes. Trap after trap sprang to life, cutting down the roaches before they could regroup.

  Meanwhile, Jack unleashed another Sonic Valley, the dissonant melody throwing the roaches into disarray again. They stumbled into one another, triggering even more traps.

  Jack grimaced as his gaze shifted to the boss. It remained behind the swarm, observing. Its gleaming eyes reflected the battlefield like mirrors, and Jack realized its strategy: It’s using the smaller roaches as fodder to expose the traps.

  The boss let out another guttural growl, commanding its cohort of massive roaches to advance. These towering tanks shielded the smaller swarm from Marie’s bombardment, taking the brunt of the explosions and creating gaps in the defenses.

  As the larger roaches breached the ditch and pushed forward, their movements became sluggish, hindered by the relentless traps. Bear traps snapped shut with brutal efficiency while pointed stakes pierced through legs and torsos. The swarm's progress was slow and punishing, yet it remained steady.

  Traps began to falter. Some snapped under the strain, their mechanisms rendered useless. Others were buried under the growing heap of roach carcasses, their sharp edges dulled or completely blocked. What was once an unforgiving field of defenses now grew less effective with every advancing roach.

  Sensing the shift, the boss stirred, moving into the fray. Its massive frame triggered multiple traps with each step, taking significant damage as it advanced but clearing a path for its kin.

  Amari, perched above the battlefield, seized the opportunity. Shurikens flew from his hands, each strike landing with lethal precision. The boss’s health bar visibly dwindled under the assault.

  By the time the horde reached the second ditch, much of the swarm had fallen, and the boss had lost half its health.

  Amari and Horace were waiting at the edge of the second ditch. The giant roaches that had once shielded the boss were gone, leaving it exposed. Horace charged in, his hammer strikes landing with thunderous force, while Amari targeted the boss’s vulnerable neck with a relentless flurry of attacks.

  Bad luck for the boss that Amari’s wearing the Bugkeeper set, Jack thought, smirking as he saw the streak of critical hits. Those crits are insane.

  Marie’s bombs kept pummeling the wave with ruthless efficiency, keeping the smaller roaches at bay and preventing them from aiding their leader.

  The team’s strategy was working. The traps, the buffs, and their coordinated attacks had turned the tide of the battle. The second layer of defenses held strong, and victory seemed within reach.

  Jack surveyed the battlefield, his eyes darting from one chaotic scene to another. Explosions erupted in fiery bursts, Amari’s throwing stars glinted as they sliced through the air, and Horace’s shouts mingled with the booming sound of his skills. Everywhere he looked, something was happening.

  There was a click in Jack. A surge of inspiration. He took a deep breath, raised the ocarina to his lips, and played March of the Embers again. It was the eighth—or maybe ninth—time Jack had played the melody since the battle began, but this time, something was different. The urgency of the fight coursed through his fingertips, infusing the notes with raw energy and emotion. Each sound was sharper, more intense, as if the melody was alive, capturing the battle’s chaotic rhythm and desperate momentum.

  Jack wasn’t just playing music anymore; he was telling the story of the battle through his instrument.

  As the final note echoed across the battlefield, a message appeared:

  You’ve played [March of the Embers].

  Success rate: A+

  +300XP in [Bard]

  Audience bonus: +512XP in [Bard]

  All your allies deal +10(+2%) damage for 1 minute.

  [Soulful Performer] kicks in: All your allies receive +10(+2) attack for 10 minutes.

  “Woah! I pulled it off!” Jack thought, exhilarated.

  The effect was immediate. Amari’s critical strikes became sharper, slicing through the boss’s defenses with brutal efficiency. As its health bar dipped into the yellow zone, the creature shrieked in agony. Marie’s bombs exploded with greater force, sending waves of destruction through the swarm, while even Horace began landing heavy, punishing blows.

  But Jack didn’t stop there. He kept playing, cycling through melodies that kept the enemies disoriented while invigorating his allies. Confusion spread among the remaining roaches, and Jack’s melodies ensured his team stayed sharp, refreshed, and relentless.

  Finally, the boss let out a final, piercing roar. Its massive form quivered, then collapsed into a heap of twitching limbs.

  You’ve defeated the Mother Roach.

  +1 breach point.

  The moment the boss fell, the rest of the wave lost its buffs. Their heightened speed and defense vanished, and they crumbled under the onslaught. Within moments, the battlefield fell silent.

  Wave 10 is cleared!

  +1 breach point.

  Jack lowered the ocarina, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Victory was theirs. He ran over to meet the others.

  “Good job, everyone!” Amari called out from the ditch, his voice brimming with satisfaction. “That went much better than I was expecting.”

  “No kidding,” Marie said. She glanced toward Jack, a grin tugging at her lips. “Bards really are something else.”

  Jack tried to look humble, but Marie’s praise hit hard. He couldn’t help but stand a little straighter, his chest puffing slightly.

  “Dude! What was that at the end?” Horace shouted from below, his face glowing with excitement. “I got 10 attack just like that. It was awesome!”

  Jack scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “I got this new bard skill that triggers additional effects in my songs when I get a high enough performance grade. But it’s really hard to pull off.”

  Horace’s eyes sparkled with admiration as he looked up at him. “Hard to pull off? You made it look easy!”

  Amari nodded in agreement. “Seriously, Jack. I didn’t even know bards could be this impactful. The way you made the whole wave stagger? That was awesome.”

  Jack laughed nervously, rubbing his neck. “Guess I’ll have to keep practicing to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.”

  Amari smirked. “If that was a fluke, I can’t wait to see you at your best.”

  “Jack, can you come down here and loot the boss?” Horace asked, gesturing toward the hulking carcass nearby. “Since you have the butcher profession, it’s better if you do it!”

  “Right, right,” Jack replied.

  Marie stepped aside, allowing Jack to descend into the ditch where Amari and Horace stood near the slain boss. The Mother Roach’s grotesque form loomed larger than he expected, its cracked carapace glinting faintly in the light. Its massive mandibles twitched faintly, even in death, sending a shiver down his spine.

  Horace and Amari moved aside to give him space as he approached the carcass. Jack hesitated for a moment, his heart racing. He had looted elites before, but this was his first time looting a boss. What kind of treasure would it yield?

  He reached out and touched the grotesque body. The system’s golden light flared to life, and Jack braced himself for the rewards.