Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Second Named Monster, 'Lesser Demon' (1)
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Cherni lamented. Beimerung felt discouraged.
"So the No Name Party's entire strength was just Rain, a single person. Hah, what have we even been fighting against all this time?"
"I'm starting to lose my confidence."
"Chris, did you know?"
At Death of Death's question, Chris nodded.
"Rain... When I visit your place later, I'm going to pinch your cheeks until they stretch!"
"Heh heh."
Smiling faintly beside Beimerung, who was vowing revenge, Chris looked down the wide, ice-covered corridor.
This was the path to the second named monster. At its end was the 'Specter of the Lesser Demon', which appeared to be a mid-boss.
It was a being she had confirmed through Rain's broadcast. Rain had already reached it and was just dawdling.
Seeing this, Cherni clicked his tongue.
"She's so relaxed."
"She knows there isn't a single party that can keep up."
"True, we barely beat the first named monster's enrage timer."
Rain was alone, but she knew better than anyone that she held the upper hand. The legendary weapon and the new skill from the Ice Crystal Tower made her an even more overwhelming presence.
Death of Death wore an expression full of doubt.
"I can't understand it. Even if she's using a legendary weapon, Rain is alone and there are four of us. Why are we falling behind in damage output?"
"Because she's hitting both colossi with AoE skills. The Swordsman's Flash and the new Ice Crystal Tower skill are both wide-range."
"As we tested earlier, trying to stack and fight them as a party actually lowers our total damage output. Dealing with multiple bosses makes it harder to react to their patterns, aggro inevitably bounces back and forth, and it's difficult to maintain proper targeting. Rain, who can relentlessly pour on attacks while fighting two or more named monsters, is the strange one here."
"And on top of that, you have to time everything to land a down on the right target. That's a play only Rain could pull off."
"How did she figure out you could use a down skill to send the named monster to the other side?"
"She must have discovered that because she was playing solo. Right before the big jump it does when there's no target nearby, it lies down for a moment. There's no way Rain would miss that."
The more they analyzed it, the more they could only marvel.
The four members of Chris's party were moved by Rain's performance, but at the same time, they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of defeat.
"The fact that Rain decided to stream her gameplay today means she's confident she can get the first clear even after revealing her entire strategy."
Chris clapped her hands once and flashed a confident smile.
"I'd love to wipe that smug look off her face. This is no time for us to just stand here in awe. We need to make her pay the price for being so relaxed, right?"
"R-Right! We may have lost the first named monster, but in the long run, we four have the advantage!"
"...Though it feels kind of pathetic that we have to scramble to keep up with a solo player."
"Wait a moment, would you? I want to rewind the footage and analyze it. Look, that shield-raising pattern and the spear-swinging pattern overlap, and she ducks her head first. Like this, and then if I use Flowing Step... Ack! Wh-what are you doing, Chris!"
Chris grabbed the collar of Death of Death, who had started shaking his head from side to side, and quickened her pace.
"Oh, my gosh! Chris! Look at Rain's live stream right now!"
"Beimerung... stop watching and let's make some progress! Why are you acting like this too?"
Chris, who had been looking at Beimerung with a pathetic expression, soon covered her mouth.
"Gasp...!"
Rain was looking directly at the broadcast screen, fiddling with her fingers before flashing two V-signs with both hands.
And then, she smiled bashfully.
Chris clutched her chest. Beimerung cupped her cheeks and let out a shrill scream.
"Gah!"
"Kyaa! So cute!"
"...Weren't we supposed to be making progress?"
"Just leave them, Death. The 'sisters' have lost their minds. I'll go on ahead and start clearing the mobs, okay?"
***
The existence of things like this certainly makes it feel like a game.
A translucent orb floated around me. This drone-like thing let me broadcast live and take screenshots.
Through this screen, many people must be watching my gameplay.
For a moment, I struck several poses for the window connecting this world to the world outside.
I made a V-sign with my fingers, gave a little smile, and hopped from side to side.
"A-Ahem."
My face slightly flushed, I cleared my throat and turned away.
I just did something so embarrassing.
However, aside from the broadcast function, there were no other settings for streaming, so it didn't really feel like other people were watching me.
When I watched other people's streams, they had status windows showing buff durations, chat windows for communication, area chat, and so on. Their screens looked very busy.
But that would ruin the sense of reality. I lived with all UI turned off. The only window through which I saw the world was my own eyes.
Still, this was my own way of communicating.
I looked at the end of the corridor, straight ahead, at the 'Specter of the Lesser Demon'.
It was a demon-shaped monster with enormous forearms and horns on its head.
Was it a similar type to the 'Sealed Lesser Demon' I'd seen once in the desert?
However, the word 'Sealed' was missing from its name. The chains that had been wrapped around its body were gone. And being a specter, it was slightly translucent.
"Hmm."
[Level 48 Specter of the Lesser Demon]
[HP 20,000,000 / 20,000,000 (100%)]
Strange.
For a mid-boss, its HP was on par with or even higher than a proper named monster.
In that case.
"A gimmick monster."
I smiled faintly and raised my sword.
Then I shot forward, rushing toward the Lesser Demon.
*Groooar!*
*Vwoom.*
The Lesser Demon rose, let out a roar, and began gathering demonic energy in its hands.
*Fwoosh! Fwoosh!*
Even as I got close and unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, it continued to gather demonic energy. Then, it started hurling that energy at my feet.
*Boom, boom, boom, boom!*
I moved nimbly, circling the demon from every direction. The orbs of demonic energy exploded where I had just been. However, it didn't try to attack by swinging its arms or anything.
Four magic projectiles, is that its only pattern?
*Vwoooo!*
Soon, a monster appeared from a magic circle a short distance away.
[Level 45 Demon's Magic Soldier]
[HP 800,000 / 800,000 (100%)]
A demon holding a purple sword and a purple shield. It seemed to be a creature summoned by the Specter of the Lesser Demon.
If I take that thing down first, something should happen.
*Tap, tap.*
I quickly put some distance between myself and the specter and dealt with the magic soldier at high speed.
"Graack!"
The magic soldier quickly fell to my relentless sword strikes. It left behind a purple shield in its place.
Special objects are always used in gimmicks.
This one, too, surely.
*KABOOM!*
I rolled to dodge an incoming magic projectile, twisting my body to grab the shield at the same time.
Even without mana and the Holy Sword, I could now perform movements of this caliber.
This was the movement of a Hero.
I immediately raised the shield, facing it directly toward the demon's magic projectile.
This was the experience and knowledge of a gamer.
*Vwoooooom!*
The magic projectile was absorbed into the purple shield. After absorbing a total of four projectiles, the shield began to emit a strong purple light.
I looked at the shield, now filled with demonic energy, and let out a sound of admiration.
"Oh."
As expected, it's the same mechanism as the charging gimmick for 'Akan', the second named monster of the Ancient Temple.
But this time, it wasn't charging my sword.
I can't attack with a shield, so do I just throw it?
*Whoosh!*
When I threw the shield charged with demonic energy, a powerful purple light erupted from the demon as the shield struck it.
*KWAAAAANG!*
*Graaaaaaah-!*
Amidst the powerful explosion of demonic energy, the mid-boss, 'Specter of the Lesser Demon', vanished in a flash of light.
The mid-boss's massive HP was just for show. If I had tried to kill it with raw damage, it would have taken forever.
Understanding the game developers' intention, I grinned.
A mid-boss that was practically teaching me what to do.
How kind of them.
This gimmick will definitely be used for the second named monster.
I finally entered the battle area for the second named monster. In the center of the room, which was entirely covered in ice.
Stood a paradoxical being, wreathed in flames that seemed capable of melting the very ice around it.
Forearms so massive they could crush a small body like mine in one hand, and large horns atop its demonic head.
An unsealed, complete Lesser Demon.
Not a specter, but a Lesser Demon with a distinct, physical form.
*Grrrk.*
Along with a guttural growl, a breath carrying the flames of hell flickered from the demon's maw.
Its HP was a staggering 50 million.
Compared to the first named monster, its HP had jumped immensely.
This was definitely a boss that could only be defeated by whittling down its HP through a gimmick.
This boss placement reminded me of 'Lion Valgar', the second named monster of Aspero's Fortress. That one had to be defeated by stacking bleed effects using cog-like objects.
In the mid-boss fight with the specter, the shield was easy to obtain, but this was a named monster. It wouldn't give up the object for charging demonic energy so easily.
I'll have to perform some task. I'll find out what that is once I start chipping away at its HP.
5%? 10%? In any case, I'll have to deal a certain amount of damage myself.
Being alone, the key will be how much I can shorten the time it takes to whittle down its HP with raw damage, even before considering the gimmick execution.
I'd almost prefer it if its regular patterns were difficult, too.
If its patterns are too easy, it'll be hard to create a gap between myself and the parties.
An enhanced version of the 'Sealed Lesser Demon' I saw in the desert.
Just how strong would it be in its unsealed state?
*Shing.* I drew Astaroth.
Trailing a silver light, I rushed toward the 'Lesser Demon'.
*GROOOOAR!*
With a savage roar from the Lesser Demon that now recognized my presence, the battle for the second named monster began.
[Second Named Monster]
[Level 48 Lesser Demon]
[HP 50,000,000 / 50,000,000 (100%)]