Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: The Third Named: Corps Commander Crow (3)
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Unfairness.
What binds me is unfairness itself.
A raid recommended for twelve people.
Solo play.
I’ve died so many times since returning to this world. Should I be glad that it’s just a game now? If I hadn’t had my companions in the past, wouldn’t I have already died and been left sprawling somewhere? Well, I suppose I started with a cheat code in the form of the Holy Sword, so I wouldn’t have given up my life so easily.
'Corps Commander Crow' was strong.
He was a demon of Corps Commander-level strength who had once fought head-on against the Hero's Party. His strength was of a different nature than the 'Fragment of the Hero' I had faced while on the brink of death.
The overwhelming speed and skill possessed by the Fragment of the Hero. Crow's massive HP and patterns that forced multiple people to work together.
In other words, even as I am now, I cannot defeat this foe without being prepared to die.
*Fwoosh!*
"Kuhk!"
As I grit my teeth, my eyes shooting open from the pain of the claw that had slashed diagonally across my small torso, a green light flowed from my belt and sealed the wound.
"A life is precious because you only have one. It's rare, you know?" I think someone said that once.
My life right now is cheap.
Because I don't just have one.
I can sacrifice this cheap life as many times as it takes to defeat my enemies, to grow stronger, and to meet my past companions.
How many times have I died today?
I've given up counting. It just gives me a headache.
I raised my sword.
*Kwwwwwaaaaa!*
Streaks of golden sword energy erupted from my blade.
*Flash!*
The instantaneously released sword energy sliced across Crow's torso. The energy cut effortlessly through even his tough feathers, leaving a long gash on his upper body.
*Caaaaaw—!!*
Crow let out a pained shriek.
Twice, three times, four times. The continuously fired sword energy began to dismantle the crow.
And I held back the final shot.
*Kwwwwwaaaaa!*
Soon, a golden aura flared up from my own body.
A temporary physical enhancement.
A power similar in nature to what the Holy Sword had given me in the past.
Mana, was it? Or internal energy, in martial arts terms? Of course, I can't feel a shred of it now, but using this power makes me feel, just for a moment, like I've returned to my past self.
*Caaaaaw!!*
*Flap, flap.*
With a beat of Crow's wings, his massive body began to rise into the air.
*Tap.*
I also leaped lightly, intending to sever his wings.
With my current physical abilities, a jump like this is possible.
*K-k-k-kang! Pzzzt!*
The golden light enveloping my body clashed with the purple aura surrounding Crow, sending out blinding sparks.
I landed on the ground, clicking my tongue.
I expected as much.
This protection around Crow was also part of the 'system'.
The system didn't just give power to me.
The boss's special phase, a special pattern generated by the system.
It was impossible to forcibly interrupt it.
It would be a different story if I had enough power to turn him into crow meat before he even entered the special pattern, but my strength isn't at that level. Even if I fully regained my past strength, it wouldn't be easy alone. He is, after all, a Corps Commander-level demon capable of facing the Hero.
"So, in the end, I have to follow the prescribed strategy."
*Fwaat!*
I shot across the battle area, heading for the first pig chimera that had appeared.
The feeling of cutting through the wind is pleasant. It's temporary, but the speed is incomparable to what I had before.
*Tap.*
I leaped forward lightly, slipping through the opening as it raised its warhammer, and aimed a single slash at its neck.
*Flash!*
*Kwakwakwa!*
With a flash accompanied by a storm, the chimera's head flew off, and its torso was torn to shreds.
One down.
Then I turned my head and spotted the next one.
*Kwaaaang!*
The second chimera's demonic energy blast struck where I had just been. But I had already reached striking distance.
*Flash, flash!*
Once to the left. Once to the right. I sheathed my sword. With the continuous flashes erupting from my waist, the pig butchering began.
*Kiiik, kiiiik!*
The sound of the pig squealing as my sword minced it was pathetic.
Don't cry. I was in more pain. They say children might start crying if they see someone else cry. Of course, I'm not a child, am I?
*Thud.*
*Swiiish!*
Just as the second chimera hit the floor, a sharp sound of something cutting through the air tickled my ear.
I followed its trajectory with my eyes, twisted my waist slightly, and ducked my head a little. *Thwack!* The feather that had grazed past me embedded itself in the ground behind me.
How cheap. I can't hit him, but he can attack me just fine.
It's fast, but I can easily dodge it now. Besides, Crow will come down once I've dealt with all the chimeras. Nothing to worry about.
*Tat-tat!*
Moving swiftly, I activated the bracelet's cooldown reset ability.
The last pig chimera swung its warhammer at me.
A trajectory that would have hit me squarely if I hadn't slowed down. Did it play some baseball? But my body is a baseball that changes speed. I moved my sword to my waist and accelerated. *Flash! Kwakwakwa!* The mana storm accompanying the single slash tore its body apart.
*Tap.*
Finally, I reached the center of the battle area.
And with a grin, I looked up at Crow.
"It's over. Come on down now."
*Thud.*
So obedient.
*Caaaaaw—!!*
It let out a great cry, glaring at me with its eyes.
*Fwoosh!*
At the same time, the surrounding scenery distorted.
Everything was blue.
This was a different space than before.
Still the deepest part of the Tree of the Abyss, of course, but it was the other side.
Crow's body was in the original world, while mine was on the other side.
The so-called 'Isolation' state.
Its eyes were still fixed on me.
The special phase doesn't end with killing the chimeras.
From now on, it's a new phase of battle.
In this state, my attacks can't reach Crow. My sword passes through him as if he were a ghost.
But Crow can still attack me in this state. His physical attacks can't reach me, but the pattern that ruptures my body from a distance was still effective.
A pattern cast on a distant target with aggro. The body stiffens, and demonic energy explodes from within. I'd died to this pattern a few times already. The feeling of an uninvited energy entering my body was extremely unpleasant.
I couldn't hear anything from the other side, but in the outside world, demonic energy explosions were going off continuously. Explosions covering the entire battle area. It seemed like the strategy was to split the party between those who entered the other side and those who remained outside, but how in the world were you supposed to clear it?
However, the battle area was divided into eight sections, and the explosion didn't occur in just one of them. Like a pizza with one slice removed. In party play, the tank could probably control this position, moving themselves to fix the safe zone for the party members. But how would the tank in the outside world survive the explosions? Is there some mechanic to protect the tank?
I've tried dozens of times today alone. I haven't found a way to damage him in this state, but...
*Tap.*
I turned my back on Crow and faced the other way.
My gaze fell upon the outer edge of the deepest part of the Tree of the Abyss, where the pig chimeras had been.
"I have a feeling there's something over there."
*Kwwwwwaaaaa!*
I fired my sword energy toward that spot.
***
*Tap, tap, tap.*
In the dead of night.
In Chris's dark room, only a floating hologram flickered.
"......."
Chris was organizing the information she had gathered from today's attempt on 'Corps Commander Crow'.
She let out a deep sigh.
"In the end, all we managed was to see the 90% special pattern once."
We were held up at the gatekeeper for a long time, but I thought we'd had enough time to attempt the third named boss.
In the first place, it was hard for many people to even survive that far.
Above all, the stacking 'Punishment' debuff that pierced through invincibility skills was the biggest problem.
You have to anticipate and avoid the explosion sites to not get stacks of Punishment. The melee dealers always have to be prepared, and the ranged dealers need to pinpoint the boundary between the near and far explosions and dodge with movement alone.
And the tank's survival is the biggest issue.
They have to control their distance to avoid the Punishment stacks, but if they get even a little too far, they get caught in Crow's Gaze and die instantly.
'Crow's Gaze'.
That pattern, which directly destroyed the insides of a distant opponent, was completely unavoidable.
This one is similar to Zakam. We'll only be able to beat it once the entire raid party adapts through countless attempts.
How many days will it take just to defeat Crow? A week? Two weeks?
If we got information from Rain, we could clear it quickly, but...
Chris shook her head vigorously.
*Get a grip, Chris.*
*How long are you going to rely on Rain?*
*Where did your determination to push through the patterns yourself as a vanguard and aim for the first clear go?*
After steeling her resolve and finishing her notes on the strategy, Chris headed to Rain's room.
*Tiptoe, tiptoe.*
The 'Do Not Enter' sign wasn't on Rain's door. She hadn't put it up since she started calling Chris a companion.
Still, she couldn't just barge in at this hour without permission.
She took out her smartphone and checked Rain's status on the messenger app.
[Swordsman 'Drizzle Rain' (Online)]
Rain was still fighting.
Chris clenched her fists.
"Rain, you can do it...!"