Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Quartermaster Galloban (2)
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"D-damn it...!"
Having escaped the named monster's combat zone, I stomped my foot in frustration.
What the hell are those demonic orbs filling up the entire area!?
Back when I was the Hero, I could have just blown away attacks like that with my sword aura. But now, my body is under the control of the game system.
Even though my stats have risen significantly through leveling and farming, they're still pathetic compared to my power at its peak.
Galloban, too, was bound by the game's system. He didn't chase after me when I ran out of the kitchen building.
"Hah."
There's no point in longing for the power I no longer have.
Even though this world is set on the Astria Continent, as long as it's a game, I have to conquer it like one.
Galloban's demonic orbs severely restrict a user's movement depending on their position, eventually covering the entire combat zone.
It's an orb pattern, like landmines that explode if you get too close.
Simply put, it's a time attack pattern.
It reminds me of the second named monster in the level 25 elite dungeon, the 'Patriarch's Statue'.
A structure where things get progressively harder if you don't defeat the named monster within a certain time, like the combat zone shrinking or adds piling up.
For me, playing solo, it was an even more challenging pattern.
The named monster's combat zone is a square.
A demonic orb rises from Galloban's hand, pursues me, and then stops moving after about five seconds.
In the first fight, I didn't know how Galloban would attack, so I let the orbs settle in the center, but...
"First things first, the initial placement of the orbs is crucial."
Whoom.
A purple orb rose from Galloban's hand and immediately began to chase me.
I moved quickly, luring the orb.
Five seconds later, I stopped at the edge of the combat zone.
Whoooom!
After its five-second pursuit, the orb emitted a strong light and stopped in place.
Clang!
I approached Galloban and crossed swords with him.
From now on, there's no time to worry about my own body.
I'd succeeded in placing the first orb where I wanted it.
I immediately threw myself into Galloban's chain of attacks.
There's no time to block every attack. I won't release my Sword-Drawing Stance.
I'll minimize the damage I take using only the increased agility and slight reflexive movements from the stance.
Shk! Shk! Shk!
Galloban's dagger repeatedly grazed my body, leaving wounds. But I still didn't release my Sword-Drawing Stance.
Like swordsmen who disregard their own bodies to wound each other, I launched my own strikes against his attacks.
I can handle this much damage.
The only thing I need to block is the final, powerful attack in his combo.
Clang!
I raised my sword at the perfect moment and blocked Galloban's final attack.
[Block (A)]
- Blocks attacks in a 180-degree arc in front of you.
- (Rank A) Successfully blocking within 0.2 seconds of skill activation grants the 'Vigor' buff, increasing all damage for 10 seconds.
A 'Just Guard' judgment, which activates when you block an enemy's attack with perfect timing.
A faint light enveloped my body after I blocked Galloban's attack.
In this state, I could rapidly chip away at Galloban's HP for ten seconds.
The demonic orbs were accumulating. Even if I started placing them from the edges, it wouldn't be long before they filled the entire combat zone.
The initial orb placement was just a way to create space to counterattack freely during the fight.
Block only the fatal attacks. Take the hits that deal just enough damage to be recovered with a potion.
Ignore the pain.
Before the purple orbs fill the area.
I will defeat Galloban.
[2nd Named]
[Level 33 Quartermaster Galloban]
[HP 224,120/2,610,000]
"Graaaah! You... you're just an ingredient!"
Galloban's HP dropped below 10%.
Whoom, whoom.
Without wiping the blood dripping from his mouth, he created orbs in both hands.
The galaxy of purple orbs that started from the edges already filled most of the combat zone.
The orb that had been chasing me for five seconds stopped in place, and the one following it soon stopped as well.
After checking the orbs' positions, I approached Galloban again.
It was a small amount, but there was still some space left.
It was worth attacking without regard for my own body.
My body, at 100% synchronization, cried out in pain every time it was cut by a blade, but this much was bearable.
"Heh."
For some reason, a laugh escaped me.
Laughing even though my body hurts... have I finally lost my mind?
But I think I was like this in the past, too.
Beyond the past year I'd spent in a daze, living just because I couldn't die, I felt my blood begin to boil.
The blood of the Hero, timid in daily life but brave in battle.
"Graaaaaah!"
Galloban, covered in blood, let out a desperate scream and created his final orbs.
Four of them this time.
But at the same time, Galloban's HP was critically low and flashing.
I won't dodge.
The moment the orbs rush at me, counterattack.
And then, I'll cut Galloban down in a single blow.
Shhhhhlick!
As if to mock the body that had endured so many attacks, Galloban was anticlimactically sliced in half.
"Oh."
So if you land the final blow with a slashing skill, they can get cut in half.
It's a mature-rated game, so it's definitely gruesome.
I crouched in front of Galloban's bisected body and poked it.
As expected, he didn't get back up.
*
Gogogogogo.
An orb containing immense power formed above Adjutant Kraksas's hand.
"We have to succeed this time!"
At Chris's shout, all the party members began to time their respective backward evasion skills.
Booooom!
The purple orb, filled with immense power, rushed toward the members of Chris's Attack Squad.
Tap, tap.
Kabooooom!
"Whoa!"
"Kyaaaah!?"
Chris and Death of Death successfully evaded. However, Cherni and Beimerung were caught in the aftermath of the explosion.
Neither of them died, but their HP bars were nearly empty.
"D-damn it."
Chris gritted her teeth.
Before Cherni and Beimerung could recover, Kraksas's merciless second attack flew toward them.
Kabooooom!
"Isn't this difficulty way too high!?"
Thump, thump!
Chris kicked furiously at the barracks tent.
Beimerung patted the furious Chris on the back and spoke.
"Does this mean we have to start actively using the 'invincibility during casting' frames?"
"I think so. It's extremely difficult because of the synchronization rate, and the invincibility window is incredibly short, but it's not impossible if we practice and get used to it."
In fact, at some point, Death of Death almost stopped getting hit by the first area-of-effect attack. He had become adept at utilizing the invincibility frames.
"I-I'm sorry."
Beimerung shrank back. She felt responsible for her failed evasion that had caused the party wipe.
"The timing of the damage isn't intuitive, which makes it very hard. But we can learn to dodge it by getting the feel for it over multiple tries. Still, if only the invincibility window were a little longer."
"R-right! The Mage's backward evasion invincibility is too short, too!"
Beimerung vehemently agreed with Cherni's excuse-like words.
Chris touched her chin, lost in thought.
A strategy where we individually evade the first attack and then tank the damage from the second explosion.
It was possible to get past the first special pattern using this method.
If you get caught in the second attack, your HP drops to the bottom, but you don't die.
After that, we just have to play it safe and slowly recover with potions.
It was risky, but for now, it was the only way.
Chris let out a sigh.
"To think we've only had three attempts where all four of us successfully dodged."
"And even if we get past the pattern, the elite soldiers respawn, and the next special phase is waiting. It's one obstacle after another."
Cherni, who had been deep in thought, spoke up.
"But isn't this strange? Astria Online has never given us an unbeatable pattern before, right? Even the Black Wyvern had a straightforward solution using the surrounding environment."
"You're right. But for this first named monster, there's nothing in the environment. He blows up the barracks right at the start, and the combat zone is just an empty lot. Maybe we can find an answer if we take a closer look at our skills."
"Huh?"
Beimerung made a questioning sound.
"What is it, Beimerung?"
"Um, while I was fighting the elite soldiers just now, my Mage skill 'Ice Barrier' ranked up. Would you take a look at this?"
Chris looked at the skill interface window Beimerung had shared.
[Ice Prison]
[Targets party members within 30m]
[Freezes party members, granting them 'Invincibility' against one attack]
[Cooldown: 1 minute]
"See? A derivative skill for Ice Barrier appeared."
"A party protection skill...!"
Seeing it, Chris breathed out.
"Right, in Astria Online, you never know what derivative skills or additional effects you'll get until a skill ranks up."
"Right now, almost all Mage players use the high-damage fire tree. It's pretty much become the standard build. Since I'm always in charge of the adds in our party, I had no choice but to use Ice Barrier a lot to block melee attacks."
"So you naturally acquire it around level 30 if you use your skills evenly!"
The party members' faces lit up.
With Beimerung's 'Ice Prison', they now had a way to withstand one of the area-of-effect attacks.
"Although, given how gamers prioritize efficiency, it's likely that almost no one knows about it."
"No. Among the high-level players, there must be someone who has information about party protection skills."
"The Spirit Master also has an elemental tree that was abandoned for being inefficient. Maybe that tree also has..."
Chris nodded. She wasn't sure about melee classes, but there was a high chance the magic classes had something similar.
It was possible that parties who knew this information had already surpassed Chris's Attack Squad.
"But we can't just stop to train all sorts of skills now, can we? We definitely have to use backward evasion for one of them. The tanking method is too unstable. Even if we avoid a direct hit, our HP drops to the bottom. In that state, we'd go down from a single graze from the elite soldiers."
Utilizing the 'invincibility during casting' frames from backward evasion.
In that regard, Chris's Attack Squad was surely the furthest ahead.
Chris rolled up her sleeves and smiled confidently.
"Alright! I'm feeling pumped! Now that we have a plan, let's go crush this thing!"