Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: The Second Named, 'Death Knight Zakam' (1)
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Thud, thud, thud!
The Red and White Attack Squad.
Led by Chris, the twelve heroes dashed through the interior of the 'Tree of the Abyss' at high speed.
Were they about halfway to the dungeon's deepest part?
It didn't take the Red and White Attack Squad long to break through the second area.
The demonic minions in the second area were numerous and had high HP, but that was all.
There was no mid-boss.
As they dealt with them, Chris muttered.
"We have to make as much progress as possible."
An image of Rain flashed through her mind.
Rain had pushed herself hard yesterday, so she would likely be asleep for a long time.
Chris now knew what she had to do.
Her role was to clear the path for Rain.
Even if the Red and White Attack Squad couldn't clear it, they had to give Rain as much information as possible.
Even if she couldn't help directly, she could lighten Rain's burden.
Somehow, Chris felt as if she were conquering the dungeon alongside Rain.
This wasn't just the Red and White Attack Squad.
It was the entire 'Red and White Guild,' including Rain.
A thirteen-member raid.
"This must be it."
"The second named boss room."
"Hmm, it's definitely similar to the first named boss's area."
At the far end of the Tree of the Abyss's second area, they faced a massive cavern.
The Red and White Attack Squad's ranger, Seopseobi, tapped his own shoulder and complained to his friend, Go Seung-woo.
"Man, how long is today's attempt scheduled for?"
"Until two in the morning, so we have about three hours left."
"Haaaah~ Thank goodness tomorrow is the weekend. To think we have to do this for nearly a month."
"Heh heh, what do you mean, a month? We're making good progress, right? We cleared the first named boss on the second day, so by a simple calculation, shouldn't we beat it within a week?"
"I hope so...."
Seopseobi trailed off, looking around the cavern.
An empty space existing inside the 'Tree of the Abyss'.
Unlike the 'Black Dragon' that had been openly waiting in the first area, the center of the second area was empty.
"It's eerie."
"Where did the boss go?"
The other squad members who followed them in also commented.
Just then.
Sway.
The first gust of wind.
It blew from mid-air.
Chris looked up.
Wind? Inside this massive tree?
Flick.
"Get back!"
Chris stretched out her right arm, pushing the squad members back.
Whoooom!
A powerful demonic energy began to concentrate in the empty air.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The instantly gathered demonic energy began to take the form of a giant person.
The first thing to emerge from it was a sword? No, it was too massive to be called a mere sword. But it was definitely sharpened.
A greatsword, more like a wide metal plank. Getting hit by that would likely tear your body apart rather than cut it.
Gooooooh!
Next, the hand gripping it and a massive suit of armor emerged.
A being clad in full plate armor that shone with an inky light.
On the helmet-like headpiece, a large horn protruded.
From within that helmet, a purplish light flared.
The thing that had fully revealed itself was like...
"A-Armor! It's giant armor!"
"Three or four people could probably fit inside."
"The armor is moving? W-wait. Is there something inside it?"
Amidst the squad members' awe and confusion, Chris calmly analyzed the target.
"This is the second named boss... Huh?"
Chris, too, was soon taken aback.
The burly warriors, Hopkins and Gandal, also tilted their heads in confusion.
"Khaha~! It's way bigger than us. But, 500 million HP? I must be seeing things, right?"
"No, I saw it too. It's definitely 500 million."
The first named boss had 200 million HP.
The second named boss has 500 million HP.
It had jumped by a whopping 2.5 times.
For named bosses in the same dungeon, for the HP to jump this much between one stage and the next...
"It must be a monster with a gimmick for chipping away its HP."
Chris nodded at Death of Death's words.
Flick.
The armor held the massive greatsword in one hand and extended it forward.
From within its helmet, a bizarre voice flowed out.
- Intruders. Is this the elves' doing?
"It's talking to us!"
"A named boss with dialogue. Let's listen?"
- The Northern Corps Commander's plan will soon enter its final stage. I will not allow you to interfere.
Fwoosh!
The greatsword gripped by the giant armor swung once, and a hair-raising sound of it cutting through the air was heard.
[2nd Named Boss]
[Level 53]
[Death Knight Zakam]
[HP 500,000,000 / 500,000,000 (100%)]
CRASH, CRASH, CRASH!
The fearsome greatsword mercilessly slammed down on the tank, Death of Death.
The massive greatsword moved as lightly as a piece of paper.
But the immense power it carried could not be ignored.
CRASH! CRASH!
Twice, three times, four times. A speed incomparable to any named boss they had faced before.
Death of Death frowned at the damage penetrating his counterattacks, but he barely held on by using all of his invincibility skills.
The interval between attacks was also short. It was impossible to maintain a damage cycle.
Death of Death had to be content with using the invincibility frames after his counter to land a Collapsing Fist whenever he could.
"There's no opening to attack! Is this boss even tankable?"
Whooom.
Kaboom!
The talismans floating around Chris struck Zakam's armor.
Chris checked her damage output as she attacked cautiously. At the same time, she warned her party members.
"This boss is hard to tank! Watch your aggro levels! Control your DPS!"
Swoosh.
Zakam, who had been maintaining a relentless assault on Death of Death, momentarily dissolved into demonic energy and reappeared behind him.
A technique reminiscent of a player's backstep.
And from the tip of its sword, an ominous energy flashed.
Fwoosh, Krakooom!
The greatsword swung, and in an instant, a crescent-shaped wave of black energy shot out.
"Urk!"
"Aaaargh!"
Two melee DPS caught in its range were swept away like autumn leaves.
[Attack Squad member 'Go Seung-woo' has died]
[Attack Squad member 'Gandal' has died]
"This is insane...!"
Chris was horrified.
A sword wave of incredible speed, difficult to even react to, swept through half the battle area in the blink of an eye.
"Did the aggro switch!?"
"No, it's a normal pattern!"
The named bosses of 'Astria Online'.
Some of them had normal patterns that could seem irregular. Still, the general framework of their normal patterns was repetitive. That rule had never been broken before.
However, for this one, 'Death Knight Zakam', that rule didn't apply.
There was no repetition in its patterns. It would mercilessly hammer the tank, then suddenly fire a sword wave.
A forward sword wave fired after a backstep—was the backstep the tell?
Not necessarily.
Krakooom!
Zakam suddenly turned and fired a sword wave at the rear DPS.
Crrrack.
"Beimerung, nice one!"
Chris broke out in a cold sweat as the sword wave grazed past her, giving a thumbs-up to Beimerung, who had prepared an 'Ice Prison' in advance.
But that was it.
Faced with the impossibly fast and terrifyingly wide-ranged sword wave attacks, the squad members fell one by one, and it didn't take long for everyone to be wiped out.
After that, the attempts for the rest of the time went similarly.
Zakam's patterns were powerful and fast.
Even the skilled tank, Death of Death, was flattened the moment that greatsword struck him, only to be minced by the follow-up attacks.
The ranged pattern, the sword wave. Irregular and fast. It was a one-hit kill. And its range was wide.
In addition to the crescent-shaped sword wave, Zakam showcased a variety of other sword waves, including a straight one that slashed upward from below and an explosive type that shot out in all directions.
The tank's purpose was merely to be a meat shield for the downward strikes. The ranged DPS also had to keep their eyes wide open.
Patterns of such incredible speed that even the members of the Red and White Attack Squad had never experienced before.
The second named boss with overwhelming normal patterns, 'Death Knight Zakam'.
The Red and White Attack Squad continued their attempts for the remaining time.
But they couldn't even get past the normal patterns, let alone see the special phase.
*
"......."
Gently, my eyes opened.
My room, on my bed.
It was dark outside.
I picked up my smartphone to check the time.
Three in the morning.
I'd fallen asleep after breakfast, so had I slept for a full 18 hours?
Whirr-
I loaded my limp body into the wheelchair and decided to go to the kitchen myself.
I could call the housekeeping robot, but it was louder than the wheelchair. A soundly sleeping Chris might wake up.
Was there anything simple to eat in the fridge?
I have to continue the attempts today, too.
Click.
I opened the door and looked to the side.
"Knghh."
Nodding off.
A red-haired woman was sitting next to my door, dozing.
"Chris."
I could feel her concern for me.
A warm feeling spread through my chest.
But at the same time, I was worried.
During the raid attempts, was she planning on doing this in front of my room every day?
"What should I do."
I dazedly reached out to touch Chris's body, then realized that in my current state, I had no way to carry the sleeping woman to her room.
I felt bad waking her. She was sleeping so soundly.
She must have pulled an all-nighter yesterday, too.
I went back into my room and brought out a thin blanket.
"At least this."
I covered Chris's body with the blanket and gently laid her down on the floor.
She didn't wake even as my hands laid her on the floor.
"......."
I gazed silently at Chris's sleeping face for a moment.
Then I turned my head toward my door.
[Do not enter. -Rain-]
The note I'd put up when the raid attempts started, meant to keep everyone out.
Should I take it down?
"...Huh?"
On that paper, in tiny, neat handwriting, were words I hadn't written.
[2nd Named Boss, 'Death Knight Zakam']
[HP: 500 million]
[Normal Patterns]
[Greatsword Slam. Up to 4 consecutive hits]
[Left/Right Swing]
[Sword Wave, crescent-shaped from back to front, straight-line upswing]
[Important: No repetition]
[Maybe there's a pattern if analyzed]
[Individual reaction speed is key]
[Status Effects - only works during upswing pattern]
[Window is very short. Requires 4 of the same skill]
[Patterns are difficult, but mastery through repetition seems possible]
[Catching the tells is crucial]
[HP for special phase entry?]
And at the very end.
[Sorry I couldn't see more patterns]
"Chris."
My eyes grew a little hot.
I lowered myself and gently hugged Chris.
"Heh."
On Chris's tired face, a happy smile appeared.
I went straight back to my room and laid down in the capsule.
The precious information Chris had given me.
It would save a lot of time.
I can't let it go to waste.
"Death Knight Zakam."
I'm taking this guy down today.