Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: The Truth of the World
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[Title]
Current 'Tree of the Abyss' Raid Progress for Each Squad.txt (+1554)
[Content]
This is the progress for the 'Tree of the Abyss' raid, Astria Online's first.
The first weekend since the dungeon opened is passing.
Sharing what I know about the current progress.
'Red and White' Squad: 2nd Named Boss Cleared
'Skada' Squad: Attempting 2nd Named Boss
'Affectionate Sage' Squad: Attempting 2nd Named Boss
'White Skull' Squad: Attempting 2nd Named Boss
Other Squads: Attempting 1st Named Boss
[Comments]
- fr? How do you know?
ㄴ Some people post progress screenshots.
ㄴ Yeah, and people have friends in each squad.
ㄴ They might not release the strategy yet, but you can still hear about their progress.
- Ugh, this is so frustrating. All the streamers have been stuck on the 1st named boss for days, so we haven't even seen the 2nd one, but there's already a party that's cleared it.
ㄴ I think Master Gyuam's squad is gonna beat the 1st boss today.
ㄴ Player Jo Hyeon-su lol
ㄴ Kekeke lol
ㄴ The 'We Got Married' squad saw the 1st boss's final phase too.
ㄴ Damn~
ㄴ The We Got Married vs. Jo Hyeon-su showdown is the most fun lol
ㄴ fr lol
- So the Red and White squad has already seen the final boss? Damn...
ㄴ Nah, no news about them seeing the final boss yet.
ㄴ What are they stuck on?
ㄴ idk? Maybe they beat the 2nd boss late yesterday and are taking a break?
ㄴ No way. They'd extend their raid time to see the patterns and plan tactics in advance, right?
- Seems like there's a mid-boss.
There was a mid-boss before the 1st named boss, so it makes sense.
To sum it up:
Area 1
Mid-Boss 'Miasma-Tainted Ent'
Named Boss 'Black Dragon'
Area 2
Mid-Boss '???'
Named Boss '???'
Area 3
Mid-Boss '???'
Named Boss '???'
ㄴ This has to be it.
ㄴ Nice and clean.
ㄴ The Area 1 mid-boss Ent was basically a named boss itself.
ㄴ So we're basically fighting 6 bosses.
ㄴ But there are three squads, 48 people just on the Korean server, attempting the 2nd named boss, and we haven't heard anything about an Area 2 mid-boss?
ㄴ White Skull is a forum squad, right? Aren't they releasing a video?
ㄴ They're one of the frontrunner teams, how can they release it?
ㄴ Seems like some areas have them and some don't.
ㄴ Haven't heard any news about anyone attempting the 3rd named boss, so I'm guessing there's a mid-boss before it.
ㄴ Man, but Red and White's progress is insane.
ㄴ fr, they're on pace to clear the final boss in the first week lol
*
[Title]
'White Skull' squad member here. The 2nd boss is screwed. (+2072)
[Content]
We gathered this morning for our first attempt, but it's been four hours and we still can't get past the normal patterns.
We're the fastest progressing forum squad, but we just can't get the hang of it.
Got permission from the raid leader to post a video.
Let's try to figure this out together.
What the hell are we supposed to do?
(Video)
[Comments]
- Whoa.
- That's insane.
- What the? I can't see the attacks.
- It's too fast.
- 'Death Knight Zakam'?
- 500 million HP lol
- The Black Dragon had 200 million lol
- Isn't there a gimmick? When the HP jumps this much in the next stage, there's usually a gimmick to chip it down.
ㄴ Look at the normal patterns. Does it look like they'll even let us see the gimmick?
ㄴ It's seriously too fast. The tank has to just keep blocking and parrying.
ㄴ Yeah, there's no time to deal damage. Even the melee DPS are dying to the aftershocks;
ㄴ Do we need a ranged tank?
ㄴ The White Skull Swordsman tank is just blocking. If a Swordsman is like that, how is a ranged dealer supposed to tank lol
- (OP) Yeah, ranged tanking is impossible. As you can see, if the person with aggro gets too far, he unleashes a sword wave, guaranteed. And that sword wave is no joke. Almost no wind-up, and it sweeps half the combat area. How long can you survive that?
ㄴ You're right; just saw it. What is that sword wave?
ㄴ He's firing it at the tank and behind him too lol
ㄴ Wow, this is crazy. His basic attack is an AoE lol
ㄴ Reminds me of that one infamous boss lol
- So you have to adapt to see the next pattern. Still, if you keep trying, you'll get it, right?
ㄴ Are those patterns something you can even adapt to...? I don't think I could do it even if I watched for a month.
ㄴ The normal patterns are hellishly difficult, and even if you get to the special phase, you still have to discover the gimmick to lower his HP.
ㄴ The 2nd boss is the Wailing Wall.
ㄴ We Got Married and Jo Hyeon-su's squads will probably see the 2nd boss today. Their streams are gonna be chaotic lol
- What about Whitey...? Is he not streaming?
ㄴ I cried because I wanted to see Whitey too T_T
ㄴ A top-tier player like Whitey isn't raiding with Red and White?
ㄴ Yeah, it came up on the first day of attempts, but it seems certain now.
ㄴ The proof shot for clearing the 2nd boss was posted. There were 12 people, without Whitey.
ㄴ Or maybe he worked too hard until now and is doing a chill raid with a squad that has a relaxed schedule?
ㄴ He might actually be doing it alone....
ㄴ What if suddenly a ['Noname' Attack Squad...] message pops up?
ㄴ lol
ㄴ But it is making me nervous.
ㄴ If that really happens, all hell will break loose...? It's not a dungeon, it's a raid.
ㄴ Considering Whitey's track record, it doesn't sound like a joke.
*
Leaving the remains of the 'Spearmen of Flame' and 'Shield Bearers of Ice' behind, I stood before the door to the deepest part.
Creeak, craaack.
The dark, murky vines parted, making a grotesque sound as they opened a path.
I finally entered a wide, circular space.
Wooooom.
A bizarre energy emanated from its center, spreading in all directions.
It was identical to the center of the World Tree.
However, what poured out from the center was not the green energy of life, but the violet energy of death.
And within that violet sphere.
Wooooom.
A human figure appeared.
"......."
I stared silently at the demon.
His attire was a robe that tightly wrapped his entire body. However, a material like crow feathers covered the entire robe.
Many demons don't wear proper clothing. The martial artist types don't wear shirts. The female types wear clothes, but they are often quite revealing. He didn't seem to be a muscular, martial artist type. Only the horns on his head revealed that he was a demon.
A surprisingly handsome face. In vulgar terms, a pretty boy, was it? If I had to compare, he had a similar feel to the 2nd named boss of the forward base, the dark elf 'Quartermaster Galloban'.
I let out a small gasp and said a single word.
"Oh, a crow."
"Kukuk, you're not wrong. But to call someone you've just met a crow... you're quite the outspoken guest."
He let out a small laugh.
Quite the gentleman.
He opened his eyes slightly and introduced himself.
"I am Crow, the one in charge of the north of this world."
Ting.
[3rd Named Boss]
[Level 53]
[Northern Corps Commander Crow]
[HP ??? / ???]
I smiled brightly as well.
"Oh, is that so? I'm Rain."
"The Hero of a thousand years ago, the Silver Sword. I know of you."
"......!"
This was a bit surprising.
Other NPCs don't know me, but this demon does.
Is he a demon who has lived for over a thousand years? I don't know the lifespan of demons, but all the ones I've met so far have been new faces. Then again, the Hero's Party did eliminate the demon high command back then.
The 'Ma' are born from pure demonic energy.
Demons were not originally from Astria. If I had to categorize them, they are invaders from another world. There is another world that could be called the Demon Realm, and it can be assumed they came from there.
They were trying to invade this world again. A world where they had failed once before. It must be because the god is dead. Destroying this godless world might be easier than eating cake.
As I watched him with a slightly wary gaze, he continued to speak.
"I know that in the past, Lucifer fell by your hand."
The name of the Demon King I had defeated flowed from his lips.
"Is that so? Has another Demon King been born? It won't be any different this time."
"For beings born of demonic energy, the concept of a Demon King doesn't truly exist."
He shook his head.
What does he mean? They have a proper hierarchy.
Or perhaps, there's a being above the Demon King.
Receiving my questioning gaze, Crow gave a strange smile.
"The one you called the Demon King in the past, Lucifer, was originally an angel of this world. I believe they were called the Demon Army when he was leading the demons."
"......!"
In my mind, the two angel-shaped golems I saw at the 'Ancient Verbeia Temple' came to mind.
Archangel Dominion, and.
Fallen Angel Valiel.
"Valiel?"
"As expected of the Hero, to know that name. That's right. The one who was once an angel, he rebelled against the god of this world and joined the demonic legion."
Crow also looked surprised.
"The goddess's mistake was to divide her power among the angels she birthed. And that she tried to lead this world together with those children."
My expression hardened.
The puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place.
The ancient dwarves.
Why they went so far as to build an underground labyrinth to protect the 'Unquenchable Flame'.
The image of the angel the dwarves saw was revealed in the form of a golem at the Ancient Verbeia Temple.
Before I arrived, there was a war of angels in this world.
And when the angels, born from pieces of the goddess's own being, were all annihilated during the war, the goddess lost her power as well.
I never saw a single angel during my time, so it's certain.
I, reborn on the Astria Continent. The goddess gave me only a Holy Sword and entrusted everything to me. And when it was all over, she vanished. Looking back, it seems the goddess's power was already extremely weakened from the moment she summoned my soul to this world.
If one of the divine beings who ruled the world turned into an enemy, it was only a matter of time before the dimension walked the path of ruin.
However, one question remains.
Why did he fall?
A being that could be considered a part of the goddess herself.
A divine being, born separate from the goddess with free will.
The reason for his fall.
"Why...?"
I blankly voiced the question.
"You would know, I imagine. O being who belongs to neither the higher dimension nor the lower."
He smiled, a pure white smile.
A being of pure demonic energy, Crow.
He knew many things.
Team Leader Han Yeo-reum's words echoed in my head.
Higher dimension, lower dimension.
Normalization.
Simulation.
Overwriting.
The truth their mother never told them.
The truth that the world they thought was their everything was nothing more than an ant farm observed from a higher dimension.
Beings like chess pieces on a chessboard.
Is that what beings of a lower dimension are?