Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Clearing Death Knight Zakam
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The Red and White Attack Squad's full-scale assault on the second named boss began.
Their goal for the day was to clear the second named boss quickly and figure out as many patterns of the final named boss as possible.
However, Death Knight Zakam was no pushover.
The Red and White Attack Squad had to waste most of their attempt time just trying to minimize deaths during the normal patterns.
[Second Named Boss]
[Level 53]
[Death Knight Zakam]
[HP 474,007,911 / 500,000,000 (94%)]
Craaaash!
"Uwaaaah!!"
[Attack Squad member 'TopCatch' has died.]
"Aargh~! What are you doing! Keep going! We have to hold out for the next two minutes, no matter what!"
Chris lamented the state of her now eleven-member squad, but she pressed on with the raid.
As expected, the sword energy from the rear was the most threatening. But they couldn't rely solely on party protection skills.
It was different from the Black Dragon's spear pattern, which counted as a projectile. This could only be avoided with invincibility skills. They could try rotating the party protection skills of the ranged dealers in a set order, but if the person in charge failed, the entire rear line of dealers would be wiped out. Ultimately, they had to rely on individual survival through personal invincibility skills.
The strategy for Zakam's special phase that Rain had told her was for a single person. The solution for a twelve-person party was still a mystery. However, that wasn't a major issue at this point.
Surviving the relentless onslaught of normal patterns. That was where the difficulty began.
"You could say the normal patterns are the hardest part of the second boss. Four minutes, four minutes after the battle starts! I'll figure out a strategy for the timed special pattern somehow. Don't get greedy with your damage; focus on survival as much as possible!"
Following Chris's orders, the squad members proceeded with the raid, playing as cautiously as possible.
Facing Zakam's constantly descending greatsword, the tank, Death of Death, stared wide-eyed, holding the front line. The melee dealers also began to grasp the range of the greatsword's attacks. The ranged dealers were learning to read the tells for the rear sword energy.
It was a kind of endurance test.
Once every four minutes.
Executing the mechanic three times during the fifteen-minute battle.
This would let them shave off 60% of his HP.
Zakam's HP was 500 million.
If they could chip away 300 million HP with the mechanic, the squad would only need to deal 200 million themselves. Even without going all out on damage, they had enough time to clear it.
And finally, the four minutes of nightmare that seemed to stretch on forever passed.
Eleven members had survived.
Ruuuumble.
A powerful demonic energy gathered around Zakam's body, and a vibration shook the entire great Tree of the Abyss.
"Entering the special phase. It's the Demonic Energy Infusion pattern!"
Tatatat.
All the squad members gathered in a small area.
The pattern Rain had told them about.
Zakam's 'Demonic Energy Infusion.'
At twelve stacks, it turns into 'Demonic Energy Overload.'
The problem was, with a twelve-person party, one stack would fly to each member.
Since it was a type of buff, it couldn't be resisted. It would pierce invincibility skills and even provide a slight increase in attack power.
In the previous attempt, only four had survived to face this pattern, and each of them received three infusions.
After that came the wipe mechanic.
The infused demonic energy became shackles, binding their feet and lifting them into the air.
Unable to take any action, they were all annihilated by Zakam's area-of-effect attack.
Ruuuumble.
Seeing all the squad members gathered before Zakam, who was drawing in demonic energy, Chris decided to test a certain method.
"We have to create the 'Demonic Energy Overload,' no matter what."
The individual 'Demonic Energy Infusions' were meaningless.
They had to narrow the target down to one person to create the 'Demonic Energy Overload.'
Could this method work?
While Chris was thinking, Zakam finished his action.
Thrust.
He stretched his hand toward the sky.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
A purplish energy shot out from Zakam's hand several times. It rose into the air and began to pour down on all the squad members.
The Demonic Energy Infusion pattern, twelve bolts for twelve people. No, since there were only eleven of them now, one person would receive two.
Chris's order rang out.
"Go Seung-woo, Seopseobi! Wide-Area Smokescreen!"
'Wide-Area Smokescreen.'
A skill for the Ranger class that temporarily removes them from a named boss's target list.
It was usually used to drop aggro or to move stealthily through densely packed monster areas.
Poof, poof!
Except for the squad leader, Chris, who stood slightly apart, everyone's figures blurred within the smokescreen.
Fzzt! Fzzt! Fzzt!
Having lost their targets, the demonic energies circled in the air for a moment before shooting toward Chris.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Vwoooom!
As all twelve demonic energies converged on Chris's body, a faint purplish glow began to emanate from her.
Chris checked her buff window and smiled triumphantly.
[Demonic Energy Overload (1m 30s)]
Twelve Demonic Energy Infusions. The Demonic Energy Overload was complete.
The demonic energy shed by the holder of Demonic Energy Overload... Rain said this would prevent their bodies from floating during Zakam's wipe mechanic.
"Gather around me!"
Tatata!
The squad members who had been hiding in the smoke all rushed out and gathered around Chris.
- That's enough. There's nothing more to see. Die!
Ruuuumble!
A sphere of demonic energy gathered above Zakam's hand, and an unprecedented force began to bind the party members' bodies.
But it was different from the previous attempt where their bodies had floated. This time, they could all still move.
At the same time, Zakam's sphere of demonic energy emitted a brilliant light.
Flash!
Craaaash!
The protection of the demonic energy Zakam himself had infused.
Thanks to it, all the squad members were able to survive the demonic explosion unscathed.
Looks of elation appeared on everyone's faces.
"We did it!"
"We passed it!"
"No time to celebrate! Everyone except the tank, spread out!"
Boom! Crash!
Zakam returned to his normal patterns.
Startled, the squad members, excluding Death of Death, scrambled back to their original positions.
Tat.
Chris also created distance and took up a position behind Zakam.
Still shedding demonic energy, she watched Zakam's patterns closely.
"Now, I just have to feed him this."
[Demonic Energy Overload (1m 15s)]
The next minute of the fight passed without much change.
Shwwwiing!
"Gah!"
[Attack Squad member 'Gandal' has died.]
In the midst of it all, the Warrior, Gandal, who failed to escape the range of Zakam's left and right blades, died.
Ten members remained.
Chris broke out in a cold sweat.
This boss... it's possible to clear him even with fewer people.
But it's extremely difficult to deal damage amidst the relentless patterns. Even if they could blow away 60% of his HP with the mechanic, they still had to deal the remaining 200 million themselves.
How on earth did Rain manage to deal damage?
Chris grumbled lightly as she checked the remaining time on her Demonic Energy Overload.
[Demonic Energy Overload (30s)]
She said this energy would explode when the duration runs out.
In Zakam's second phase, a new pattern was added where he would suck the farthest person into his grasp. If another party member didn't interrupt it with a status effect skill, they would have all their power drained and die.
So I have to feed it to him right before it explodes, just as he's about to absorb it and make it his own power.
How did Rain escape that grasp on her own?
Thwack!
Just then, the Mage Yeon Min-ah was sucked into Zakam's grasp.
"Huk!"
"Stun him!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The squad members hit Zakam, who was holding Yeon Min-ah, with status effect skills.
- Kgh.
Zakam shook his head and dropped Yeon Min-ah.
Tatatat!
Seeing this, Chris immediately moved to the very back.
The next absorption pattern coincides with the timing of the Demonic Energy Overload's explosion.
I can feed it to him.
[Demonic Energy Overload (5s)]
Shwoooosh!
Finally, Zakam's grasp sucked Chris in.
Caught in his grasp, Chris shouted.
"Don't interrupt yet! Do it when I tell you to!"
Sluuurp!
The life drain pattern.
Instead of her life force, Chris felt the Demonic Energy Overload moving toward Zakam.
Four seconds, three seconds, two seconds.
The Demonic Energy Overload buff disappeared. Any longer, and her life force would be drained.
"Interrupt him now!"
Thwack! Thwack!
The squad's stuns landed. Zakam let go of Chris and shook his head.
And, at that moment.
Thump!
- Guh!?
Thud.
Zakam's body lurched, and his knees hit the ground.
Demonic Explosion, groggy state.
Thud.
Chris landed on the ground, her eyes flashing as she raised a talisman.
Vwoooom!
[Divine Descent]
[Cooldown: 5 minutes]
[Greatly increases the stats, attack power, critical hit chance, and critical hit damage of all party members (Duration: 30 seconds)]
The Yin-Yang Master's new skill from the Ice Crystal Tower.
Fwaaaah!
A blue aura enveloped the squad members' bodies, and their pent-up frustration took the form of skills, beginning to converge on the kneeling Zakam.
Special pattern completely solved.
After that, it was just a matter of repeating the process.
[Second Named Boss]
[Level 53]
[Death Knight Zakam]
[HP 4,941,159 / 500,000,000 (1%)]
Before they knew it, Zakam's HP was nearing rock bottom.
The final phase, which they entered after three Demonic Explosions.
- Graaaah! You bastards, you bastards!
Flash, flash!
Craaaash!
Terrifying sword energy erupted from Zakam's greatsword, spreading in all directions.
Only four members remained.
Chris, Death of Death, Hopkins, and Beimerung.
"J-Just a little more...!"
"Uwoooooh!"
Kwang!
Death of Death's 'Dragon Fist' exploded forth.
Vwoooom!
Beimerung squeezed her eyes shut and raised her hands. Above them, the Mage's ultimate damage skill, 'Arcane Burst,' began to gather.
"Sword energy, please, don't come this way!"
"I'll protect you with a ward, so just focus!"
Chris stood in front of Beimerung.
Zakam had entered his berserk pattern. With only four squad members left, they had hit the enrage timer.
Hwoong! Hwoong! Hwoong!
Vwoooom!
Zakam's greatsword shone with an ominous purplish light.
After this, an unending storm of sword energy would sweep through the area.
Which would come first? Beimerung's Arcane Burst, or Zakam's berserk pattern?
Flash!
Just as Zakam's sword energy shot out.
Craaaash!
Beimerung's Arcane Burst detonated.
Ding.
[Raid Dungeon 'Tree of the Abyss' Progress: 2/3]