Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: The First Named Boss, 'Black Dragon' (3)
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Chris was in her workshop, projecting a hologram to create a simulation video.
It was a simulation program that had replaced the PowerPoints of the past. Through it, she could convey information more visually.
"Yeonmina at 5 o'clock, FullMoon at 7, TopFisher at 11, RedHotChicken at 1."
While organizing the raid members' positions for the second special phase of the first named boss, the 'Black Dragon', which begins at 60% HP, Chris decided to take a break.
She needed caffeine.
"..."
Sipping coffee on the terrace, Chris suddenly checked the time.
The current time was 3 AM.
A time when everyone was asleep.
Even for a weekday, the schedule for an official attack squad aiming for a raid's first clear was tight.
The Red and White attack squad, for instance, started at 8 PM and went until 2 AM. If a clear seemed possible, they'd extend the time. They were forced into a schedule of over six hours on weekdays and more than twelve on weekends.
It was a schedule one couldn't handle unless they were truly serious about the game.
"Haaah."
Chris let out a deep sigh.
This was 'Astria Online's' first raid dungeon.
It was on a completely different level from elite dungeons. The damage dealt by the named boss was in another dimension. The time to perform mechanics was also tight.
On top of that, there were the enhanced mechanics that appeared from the second phase.
Spears of demonic energy targeting the ranged dealers on the sides. Demonic energy-tainted ants constantly harassing the melee dealers in the center of the combat area.
Not only did they have to deal with the named boss, the Black Dragon, but they also had to handle auxiliary monsters while performing mechanics, so their progress was bound to be slow.
Special phases appeared at the 90% and 60% marks, so there would surely be one at 30% as well.
Judging by the pattern of the 60% special phase, the 30% special phase would likely have five ants and five magic circles.
Truly a legendary-grade dungeon, the 'Tree of the Abyss'.
Even the first named boss was no pushover.
"However."
Chris had no intention of spending a whole month trying to clear this raid.
Her goal was to clear it within a week at the minimum.
Tomorrow, she had to clear the first named boss, no matter what, and establish a strategy for the second one.
Otherwise.
Before returning to her own room, Chris stopped by Rain's place.
On the door, instead of a nameplate telling visitors to go away, there was a piece of paper with pretty handwriting.
[Do not enter. -Rain-]
"Heh."
Chris couldn't help but chuckle.
Cute.
But at the same time, she was anxious.
This raid dungeon, which was tough even for a 12-person party, Rain was challenging it alone.
Her motivation must have stemmed from a sense of duty that Chris couldn't comprehend.
That is, if she were to believe even half of what Team Leader Han Yeo-reum said.
Wouldn't she suffer immense pain due to the high synchronization rate?
She could only pray that Rain would log out immediately if she started feeling unwell.
There was a safety measure in place.
If a player's mind couldn't endure the pain, the capsule would automatically eject them. At the same time, a signal would be sent to Chris.
At that point, she would kick down the door and drag Rain to the hospital.
"Still."
If it was Rain. Perhaps.
The difficulty set by the game, the hurdle of a 12-person requirement...
She might just be able to break through it all by herself.
***
[First Named Boss]
[Level 53]
[Black Dragon]
[HP 200,000,000 / 200,000,000 (100%)]
*Tap, tap.*
I tapped my feet lightly in front of the first named boss, the 'Black Dragon'.
It was quite late.
The dead of night, when everyone was asleep.
But I wasn't tired yet. My body was fine.
I organized the information I had gathered so far.
HP is 200 million.
Special pattern at 90%. Three magic circles on the outskirts simultaneously. Step on them in order to disable them.
Ants appear during the special pattern, spawning in the center and attacking. They can be purified with the 'Essence of the World Tree' that appears after stepping on the magic circles.
I hadn't seen the 60% and 30% phases yet, but they were undoubtedly enhanced versions of the mechanic.
The enrage timer was 12 minutes from the start of the battle.
After 12 minutes, the Black Dragon would forcibly enter its flight pattern. At that point, there would be no more magic circles. Needless to say, clearing it would be impossible.
There were two major problems with tackling this guy alone.
The first was damage.
The Black Dragon's 200 million HP was based on a 12-person party.
Through delicate swordplay, I could strike the weak points between the Black Dragon's scales to deal more damage, but that alone wasn't enough to match the damage of twelve people.
My DPS had been checked during the time I spent establishing a strategy for the special phases.
200 million damage in 12 minutes by myself? Far from enough.
"However."
[Belt of the World Tree]
[Elite]
[Strength+50 Agility+50 Intelligence+50]
[Unique Ability: Blocks a fatal blow once. However, HP is fixed at 1% until combat ends (Cooldown: 30 minutes)]
I fiddled with the belt Igraine had given me.
'HP fixed at 1%.'
I could make up for the damage with this.
[Flash Strike]
[Cooldown 1 minute]
[Invincible during casting]
[True Flash Strike can be used at 1% HP or below]
[Starlight Sword Qi]
[Cooldown 1 minute]
[Fires 5 waves of starlit sword qi in a 15m x 3m area in front (4 hits at 500% of Starlight Slash's power, 1 hit at 2000%)]
[True Sword Qi can be used at 1% HP or below]
If I endured the pain just once, I could use my unique skills to my heart's content for the duration of the battle.
I had faced death several times while checking its patterns, but I had managed to escape brilliantly each time.
The reason I didn't use this function while figuring out the strategy wasn't because I was afraid of the pain.
The problem was the number of fatal pains that 'Iseulbi's' body could withstand.
I wasn't sure, but could it endure twenty times? Any more than that, and wouldn't the body reach its limit?
In other words, I had a limited number of lives.
'Lives,' as in the number of lives a player has in games like shooters.
How many lives does Iseulbi have?
Anyway, if I cleared this today and then rested, I should be able to endure a little more.
"If possible, I have to finish this in one go."
And the second problem: performing the mechanics.
The special phase mechanics were designed for twelve people.
The melee dealers had to draw the ants' aggro while the ranged dealers stepped on the magic circles to disable them.
Even if I could dodge the ants' attacks, the biggest hurdle was stepping on all the magic circles that spawned at the edges of the wide combat area within the time limit.
In the end, it was a matter of speed.
My speed was already fast, but I needed enough speed to overwhelmingly outpace a normal user.
This could probably be solved too.
The power imbued in the sword qi that activates at 1% HP.
"The feeling is similar to the mana I used back when I was the Hero."
Melee classes like Swordsman and Fighter didn't have the concept of MP, but that was just the game's system.
I knew how to wield this power.
Couldn't I use it by containing some of the power within my body instead of releasing it all?
If that was possible, I should be able to temporarily amplify my physical abilities.
*Smack!*
I slapped my face with my palm, steeling myself.
*Tap.*
And then, I stood before the 'Black Dragon's' massive form.
I had spent a lot of time establishing a strategy for a one-shot clear.
Hiding my nervousness, I put on a smile.
"Now, it's the real fight."
[First Named Boss]
[Level 53]
[Black Dragon]
[HP 198,641,059 / 200,000,000 (99%)]
*CRASH, CRASH!*
The Black Dragon's menacing forelegs slammed down at me. I danced precariously between them, continuously swinging my sword.
*CRASH!*
*Tap.*
On the third slam, I placed a hand on the massive dragon's foot and spun my body around once.
*Twirl.*
At the same time, my sword drew a semicircle above my head, grazing the Black Dragon's neck.
*SHIIING!*
The damage was registering well. The scales' defense wasn't a problem for me.
It was a dragon, but it was smaller than the world boss, the 'Green Dragon'. I didn't need to make any risky leaps to attack its weak spots.
*KAAAAAH!!*
The dragon let out a shriek.
*Vwooom!*
Simultaneously, spears of demonic energy formed around it.
There were twelve of them.
For a 12-person party, would that be one for each person?
But when playing solo, all of them would chase me.
The pattern to be most wary of among its normal attacks.
*VWOOOOM!*
Soon, the twelve spears, radiating an ominous aura, began to pursue me.
*Tat-tat-tat-tat!*
I immediately started running fast.
As if circling the dragon's body.
*Swoosh!* The first spear flew in, tearing through the air. I ducked to avoid it. The second, I twisted my waist to the left. The third and fourth, I dodged simultaneously with a jump. The fifth and sixth, aiming for me while I was in the air. I looked up and dodged backward. *Ta-tat!* I landed in an instant.
Seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven.
I succeeded in dodging a total of eleven spears.
*SHWIIIIK!*
The last spear flew straight at me.
I made no further evasive maneuvers.
Facing it as it flew right up to me, I thought for a moment.
The HP stat, I think it's pretty ambiguous.
Of course, in a raid dungeon, most attacks are basically one-shots anyway.
If an arm or leg gets cut off, how much HP does that reduce? If I'm left with 1% HP, do I have to fight with one arm or one leg? Heh. Of course, in reality, you could die from shock, so it would be fatal.
Anyway, there's no point in surviving ambiguously.
I have to die for sure, in one go.
*Thwump!*
"Keuk."
The spear, plunging down at an angle, pierced through my abdomen and embedded itself in the floor.
The horrifying pain of being impaled forced a scream out of me.
Ugh, I hate this feeling so much.
In reality, which organs would have been torn? Anyway, I'd definitely be dead, right?
I've experienced it a few times, but it's really unpleasant.
I'm just like a frog specimen in a lab.
*Thud.*
As the spear that had impaled me vanished, my body collapsed to the floor.
*Fwoooosh!*
My blurring vision filled with a green light.
*Jolt.*
And then, I pushed myself up.
*Vwooom!*
A green light swirled in the hole that had been punched through my abdomen.
The gift from Igraine.
[Unique Ability: Blocks a fatal blow once. However, HP is fixed at 1% until combat ends (Cooldown: 30 minutes)]
I offered a light word of thanks.
"Thank you, sis."
Now, I can fight with all my strength.
*Thwip.*
Facing the dragon's foreleg as it slammed down at me, I took my stance.
And unleashed my sword qi.
*Papapapat!*
Blood burst from the Black Dragon's foot, which had been shredded by the golden sword qi.
*KAAAAAAAH!!!*
*THUD, THUD!*
The dragon shrieked in pain and took two steps back.
*Flash!*
As if in pursuit, my body became a flash of light, streaking past the dragon's massive form.
*KWAKWAKWAKWA!*
The storm that followed in my wake left deep wounds on the dragon's body.
*KAAH, KAAAAH!!*
Can dragons even look flustered?
The beast seemed utterly confused.
I turned back and grinned.
"How's that? Hurts a lot, doesn't it? It's not as good as it used to be, but."
With this power.
I can tear apart an obese lizard like you all by myself.