Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: The Third Named Boss, Captain Zarkan
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Leaving the warehouse district of Area 2, I reached Area 3 of the Demon Army's Forward Base.
From Area 3 onward, there were no barracks or warehouses in sight.
The elite soldiers, regular troops, and even the monsters had vanished at some point.
In the center of the area, there was only a wide training ground.
A training ground for the martial demons?
Did demons, born with naturally strong bodies, need to train?
Step by step.
I walked confidently into the training ground and stood in its center.
This had to be the battle area for the final named boss.
It wasn't hard to guess that the named boss was inside the wooden building directly ahead, which overlooked the entire training ground.
I was Rain, the Hero who had brilliantly defeated Kraksas and Galloban. My heart swelled with confidence. I felt like I could take on anything that appeared before me.
With a bold voice, I would announce my arrival.
Haaa, I took a deep breath. A lion's roar, erupting from my small throat.
"...I'm here."
Instead of a lion's roar, a sound like a kitten's purr escaped the timid Hero's throat.
*Ah, no. Rain. They'll look down on you if your voice is that meek.*
Whether it was the roar of a lion or the cry of a kitten, the message seemed to have reached the boss of the Demon Army's Forward Base.
*Crash!*
The roof of the wooden building at the head of the training ground shattered, and a humanoid figure burst out.
*Thud.*
The being landed lightly on the training ground floor and looked straight at me.
Its body, covered in powerful muscles, reminded me of the first named boss, Kraksas. While Galloban had been properly dressed, both Kraksas and the male demon before me were shirtless.
I puffed out my cheeks.
Was being shirtless the default for demons, a point of pride for martial demons, or were they just showing off their great bodies for others to admire?
As if uninterested in my thoughts, the demon spoke to me.
"I heard Kraksas and Galloban fell, and I wondered who it could be. To think it was a tiny human brat."
*Sorry for being small. You must be happy with your sturdy body, mister.*
"Martial demons pursue strength. Though you are an enemy I must kill, I respect you for making it this far."
*Rumble...*
A violet aura swirled around his body, and soon the entire training ground began to shake.
I took a step back and quickly raised my sword. Is the boss fight starting already?
"Show me the power that defeated Kraksas and Galloban!"
[Third Named Boss]
[Level 33 Forward Base Captain Zarkan]
[HP 3,300,000/3,300,000]
***
Not long after the battle with Zarkan began, I sensed that this fight was unfolding very differently from the previous named boss encounters.
*Whoosh!*
Taking advantage of an opening during his wide kick, I unleashed my Starlight Slash, but it only cut through empty air.
Zarkan had twisted his body lightly to dodge it.
"What!"
*Clang! Screeech.*
Before I could even register my surprise, I blocked Zarkan's incoming uppercut with my sword. My body was pushed far back.
A cold sweat trickled down my back. How long had it been since I was knocked back while blocking an attack? If that upward strike connected, I would definitely be launched into the air. I didn't even want to imagine what would follow. He must have a follow-up combo ready.
But the bigger problem was Zarkan's movement.
So far, the massive named bosses had naturally taken every hit. Even the humanoid ones, despite their high agility stats, showed no signs of dodging.
Here, for the first time, I was facing a named boss that knew how to evade attacks.
The small body customization gives a bonus to the agility stat. My agility was likely high compared to other Swordsmen of the same level.
Yet, the fact that a 'dodge' was registered meant that this named boss's agility, not just his strength, was unimaginably high.
My thought process was brief. The solution was simple.
I just couldn't rely solely on my agility stat and skills. I would have to follow Zarkan's movements with my senses and make my attacks land.
*Swish!*
A strange light flickered in Zarkan's eyes. It was because my sword strike, which had followed his movements, had wounded him.
And soon, he lightly kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.
"!?"
Zarkan leaped clean over me, unleashing a barrage of demonic energy blasts from directly overhead.
Just before the blasts hit me, I barely managed to use Backstep to get out of the way.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
Without even a moment to feel the chill run down my spine, Zarkan landed and instantly rushed toward me.
*CLANG! Screeech.*
After I blocked the uppercut and was pushed back, Zarkan waved his hand toward me.
*KABOOM!*
A second demonic energy blast. This time, however, it came from the front, so I was able to block it. But I immediately had to face another attack from Zarkan, who had leaped in front of me again.
I desperately blocked his relentless assault while racking my brain.
His patterns were even more relentless than Galloban's. This guy's attacks were varied and sharp. Truly the captain of the forward base; even his basic patterns were on another level compared to other named bosses.
I could block the demonic energy blast he fired while standing still after the uppercut. But I wouldn't be able to block the barrage he rained down from the air.
Right now, I was just scrambling to respond to his ceaseless patterns. While I had solved the 'dodge' issue by adding my own movements to my skills, I couldn't find an opening to attack.
In that case, I'll solve it one step at a time.
*Tap.*
Zarkan lightly kicks off the ground and leaps. He's about to rain down demonic energy blasts on my head. I'll use Backstep here. It's the only way.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
Zarkan landed and immediately threw an uppercut.
*Clang! Screeech.* After blocking the uppercut and being pushed back, I used an approach skill to close the distance to Zarkan.
A demonic energy blast had already formed in Zarkan's hand. It would fly straight at me any second.
Here, counterattack.
*Swoosh.*
I moved behind Zarkan and unleashed a sword strike. I could pour on the attacks during the animation delay of him firing the blast.
"Kugh!"
Startled by the attack from behind, Zarkan turned, and his fierce assault began anew.
I didn't release my sword-drawing stance. His normal attacks, aside from the uppercut, weren't very threatening.
I'll endure the attacks that can be covered by potions. Just like I did with the second named boss, Galloban.
I smiled as I continuously landed starlit sword strikes on Zarkan.
*It seems I can handle his normal patterns this way.*
The problem now is his special pattern.
[Third Named Boss]
[Level 33 Forward Base Captain Zarkan]
[HP 2,970,557/3,300,000]
"Indeed, you have the strength to have made it this far!"
A sign of a special pattern? It's too soon.
Zarkan's HP was at about 90%. If he used a special pattern now, it meant I could expect at least eight more.
*Thud.*
I watched Zarkan, who had moved to the center of the training ground, and broke out in a cold sweat.
*I have to do this multiple times? Then it better not be too difficult.*
*Rumble...*
Demonic energy gathered around his body, and soon, the entire training ground began to shake.
As expected, it feels like an AoE pattern. What's it going to be?
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
Demonic energy erupted from the floor of the training ground, causing a series of explosions.
Following the initial explosion around Zarkan's body, it continued to explode multiple times, expanding its range.
Concentric explosions of demonic energy. Like a donut shape. The explosions didn't repeat in a spot that had already been hit.
In that case.
*BOOM!*
When the explosion finally reached my feet, I immediately used an approach skill to stick close to Zarkan.
*BOOM!*
The next explosion swept through the spot where I had just been. But it didn't explode again in the area near Zarkan, where it had already gone off once.
*What, I didn't even need to use a dodge skill?*
I smiled brightly and joyfully unleashed my sword strikes on the stationary Zarkan.
However, the explosions weren't over yet.
*BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!*
The explosions, which had spread out to the edge of the training ground, now began to erupt back toward the center.
"Eek."
I sweated nervously, trying to time the explosions' arrival.
And finally, the last explosion went off at my feet, right next to Zarkan.
*Swoosh.*
*BOOM!*
I was able to get through the final explosion using the invincibility frames of Counterattack.
A special pattern of donut-shaped, concentric explosions, starting from Zarkan, spreading to the edge of the training ground, and then returning.
The first wave of concentric explosions can be handled with an approach skill.
The second, returning wave can be dealt with using Backstep or Counterattack. It wasn't as threatening as I thought, and there were many ways to handle it.
But it might not be over yet.
Just as I was cautiously backing away to prepare for the next pattern.
*Whoosh.*
Zarkan launched himself into the air.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
He had returned to the pattern of raining down demonic energy blasts from overhead.
I dodged the blasts with Backstep and prepared for the next uppercut.
*Huh, this is a normal pattern. Was the special phase over with just that?*
*If it keeps going like this, it might be easier than I thought.*