Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Clearing 'Aspero's Citadel'
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At the one-third mark, the explosion pattern changed once, but Chris's party made it through unscathed. They had succeeded in depleting all of Aspero's HP.
[3rd Named Boss]
[Level 40 Demon General Aspero]
[HP 1/6,000,000]
However, Aspero did not fall.
Sensing something was amiss, Chris shouted to her party members.
"It's not over! There's something more!"
Thud!
Vwooooom.
Aspero slammed the chimera's arm into the floor.
Simultaneously, countless orbs began to fill the entire combat area.
"Omnidirectional explosion! Beimerung! What's the cooldown on Ice Prison!?"
"Two seconds, one second. It's ready now!"
"Use Ice Prison first!"
Crrrack.
The party members' bodies froze. Soon, the demonic orbs exploded all at once.
KABOOM!
"Ugh, this pattern has no safe zone! We have to use all our invincibility and party protection skills!"
"Why isn't it ending!?"
Vwooooom.
Without a moment's rest, countless orbs formed again.
The second explosion pattern.
"Undine!"
Fwaah!
With Cherni's shout, a giant water bubble enveloped the party members.
KABOOM!
The second explosion was blocked by the Spirit Master's 'Water Sphere' skill, protecting the party.
"Prepare for the third explosion! There's bound to be one! Everyone has to survive on their own!"
Vwooooom.
Before Chris could even finish speaking, violet orbs filled the combat area. A prelude to the third explosion.
Tap tap.
KABOOM!
This time, all four of them were able to use their Rear Dodge to get through the pattern.
But the explosions weren't over yet.
Vwooooom.
"What!? No way!"
An unexpected fourth area-wide attack, but the skilled members of Chris's Attack Squad responded without delay.
KABOOM!
Swish.
The Fighter, Death of Death, successfully resisted the explosion using 'Cloud Step', the equivalent of the Swordsman's 'Counterattack'.
Fortunately, by this point, the ranged classes also had a personal invincibility skill in addition to Rear Dodge.
Dozens of talismans materialized around Chris's body, blocking the explosion before tearing apart. The flames enveloping Beimerung's body dissipated, and the rocks surrounding Cherni shattered.
They had safely passed the fourth explosion. Was it really over now?
But 'Demon General Aspero' easily betrayed the party's expectations.
Vwooooom.
The fifth explosion. This time, it was unavoidable. None of their invincibility skills were off cooldown.
The faces of all the party members turned pale.
KABOOM!
"Aaaargh!"
"Gah!"
Swept up in the fifth explosion, the party members were sent flying in all directions. Their HP bars were all at rock bottom.
And then, the sixth explosion.
"Is Rear Dodge up!?"
"Is it? Ah, I don't think so!"
The cooldown was short by a tiny, minuscule amount.
If you don't dodge the third explosion with perfect timing, the cooldown for Rear Dodge won't reset in time.
Chris screamed in despair.
"Th-This is bullshit! How are we supposed to clear this?!"
KABOOM!
Amidst the explosions engulfing everything, Death of Death's battle cry rang out.
"Woooooah!"
The last thing the party members saw amidst the explosions...
was the sight of the Fighter, Death of Death, becoming a dragon.
Tatatatat!
Having revived at the entrance to the stairs leading to the top floor of the third area, the members of Chris's Attack Squad rushed up the steps.
Death of Death hadn't revived. That meant he was still alive.
If the battle was still ongoing, a barrier would be maintained, preventing anyone from entering from the outside. Re-entry after reviving was impossible. But they had to check his status.
And what the party members saw when they reached the combat area with Aspero again was...
...the figure of Death of Death, frozen with his fist extended forward, and the body of Aspero, slowly turning to dust and disappearing.
The party members let out a cheer.
"U-Uwaaaah! We cleared it!"
"How did you do it!? Death, how did you survive?"
"Hah."
Relaxing his stance and letting out a light breath, Death of Death shared his skill interface with the party.
[Dragon Fist]
[Invincible while casting]
[Cooldown: 1 minute]
Chris let out a gasp of admiration.
"The new skill from the Tower of Training...!"
"The invincibility frame on the new skill, was that something you could use intentionally? It's so short it might as well not exist."
"A skill that pierces enemies in a straight line with a fist imbued with the power of a dragon. It has an invincibility frame for the briefest of moments before the fist makes contact. It was a gamble, but it seems to have paid off."
Chris slapped Death of Death's back and burst out laughing.
"Ahaha! Nice, nice! Death, you! I'll lift the restriction on your use of the company's test room!"
"Mm!"
Death of Death closed his eyes contentedly and clenched his fist.
"We cleared it this time, but are we going to have to get through all six area-wide explosions every time? The difficulty is too high."
To Cherni's complaint, Chris shook her head.
"No. We just have to calculate the cooldowns of our invincibility skills and use them well. Just now, since it was the first time seeing the pattern, we started with the safest party protection skill, right?"
Beimerung understood Chris's words at once.
"Ah...! If we use the invincibility skills with shorter cooldowns first!"
"Right. We can use it one more time. By the same logic, if we use the other invincibility skills in order of shortest cooldown, the party protection skill's cooldown will be back up in the middle. As long as we figure out the interval and number of explosions in the desperation pattern, we won't have to pull off monkey tricks like Death did."
"C-Cough. Monkey tricks, you say? I am the number one contributor to this successful clear. I'd appreciate it if you treated me as such."
"Still, that doesn't change the fact that it's difficult. There are still many people who can't even use Rear Dodge properly. The physical skill requirement is getting higher and higher."
"Ultimately, it's a matter of practice and repetition. Even with the sync rate limit, if you try dozens of times and memorize the timing with your body, anyone can do it."
Chris smiled with satisfaction.
She had broken through a named boss's desperation pattern on the first try and cleared it.
This time, she must have beaten the Noname party.
"So, did Chris's Attack Squad get the first clear? Anyone have the area announcements on?"
"...Gasp!"
Beimerung, who had checked the area announcements, choked.
"Th-This, five minutes ago. I mean, this announcement popped up during our attempt."
"What!?"
[The 'Noname' party has succeeded in the first clear of the elite dungeon, 'Aspero's Citadel'!]
***
"Cough, cough. Hahh."
After the battle ended, I drank a potion, and my nearly depleted HP slowly began to rise.
I hugged my body and waited for the terrible pain to subside.
A moment later, once the pain had completely faded, I reviewed the battle.
"So it's a 0% HP desperation pattern."
Orb explosions that fill the entire combat area. Six times in total.
I can resist it three times in order with Rear Dodge, Counterattack, and Flash.
Then for the fourth, Rear Dodge is off cooldown, and for the fifth, Counterattack. No problem so far.
But there was no way to avoid the sixth explosion.
Of course, as long as I'm not right next to an orb, it's not an instant kill. It was possible to clear by tanking it once with my body.
But.
"It hurts. I'm telling you, it hurts."
I whined.
If Beimerung or Cherni were here, they could have used a party protection skill for one of them.
"Haaah."
I let out a light sigh.
This is the solo play I chose for myself. There's no use complaining.
As long as there's no way to avoid the sixth demonic explosion, I'll have to endure terrible pain every time I run it, but since it doesn't kill me, I just have to bear it for a moment.
Anyway, Lady Rain, another excellent clear!
I forced a bright smile, clenched my fist, and raised it high.
Finally, it was time to check the reward items.
Stomp, stomp.
I strode confidently to the item box left by Aspero and exercised my victor's rights.
[Demon General Aspero's Yin-Yang Orb]
[Elite Grade]
[Attack Power: 270]
['Demon Sealing Formation' Skill Damage +40%]
[Socket 1: EMPTY]
[Socket 2: EMPTY]
(Binds when equipped)
"Gasp...!"
The attack power and skill multiplier were just as I expected.
But the most important fact was that from this weapon onward, there were two Echostone slots.
Considering Zarkan's weapon had only one slot, this was a huge difference in specs.
It meant I could combine various Echostones.
A stat and lifesteal combo. Or attack power and lifesteal would be good too.
I checked the number of 'Zarkan Coins' I had.
After I finished farming Zarkan, I mostly just ran carries. So I didn't have many coins from dismantling accessories.
But I had been doing my daily quests consistently. If I gathered just a few more coins, I'd be able to purchase an Echostone at a fixed price and equip it.
And then, after checking one more item, I let out a cheer.
"Waaah! An Echostone!"
[Purple Echostone]
[Weapon Socket Item]
[Strength +30]
(Binds when equipped)
A tradable Echostone, which still maintained a high price!
Each class's primary stat also affects attack power, but it's a tier below an attack power Echostone. However, the stat increase could provide additional benefits in combat.
In particular, classes like the 'Warrior', which has holding skills that pin down enemies with strength, preferred strength stat Echostones over attack power Echostones.
The problem was, the early raiders were now at the point where they had gathered enough Zarkan Coins to purchase an Echostone at a fixed price.
Zarkan's weapons had one slot. Players who bought one at a fixed price didn't need to buy an expensive tradable Echostone.
"But."
My calculations complete, I gave a mischievous grin and carefully tucked the Echostone away.
This new weapon has two slots.
You'd have to buy one tradable Echostone to make use of both slots right away.
I already got one during the first Zarkan clear and was using it.
"By the time Aspero's weapons start flooding the market, the price of tradable Echostones will skyrocket."
I opened the auction house with a beaming smile.
It was a shame my class weapon didn't drop, but I'd get it eventually if I kept running the dungeon.
I should be able to sell the Yin-Yang Orb I just got for a good price, too.
I paused.
The moment I was about to list the Yin-Yang Orb on the auction house, someone's face flashed through my mind.
I put the Yin-Yang Orb back in my inventory, sat down, and agonized over it.
"Uuuugh...."