Chapter 58
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: The Complexity of Relationships
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I'd planned to mess up as many as five times, but Hyun-ah's holding up way better than expected. We might clear this faster than I thought.
In the 'Swamp Guardian - Kellim' raid, a tank could say they'd fulfilled their entire duty just by blocking Kellim's attacks. That's how tricky its attack patterns were. In strategy videos, he'd seen tanks flying across the battlefield from Kellim's greatsword uppercuts more than once or twice.
Anyway, if Hyun-ah kept up her performance, taking down Kellim would be the other heroes' job.
"Tank's doing great!! Everyone else, this is where it really starts—focus up!"
"Got it!"
They'd met the raid's most basic condition: holding aggro. Now it was time to boost their clear chances with his leadership and the dealers' execution. The top priority was the Void Buff, of course.
And exactly one minute into the fight, Kellim unleashed its first Void Buff. But it didn't always use just the Void Buff unconditionally.
'Void Buff or Back-of-the-Neck Strike.'
Before the raid, Minguk had rewatched Kellim strategy videos countless times. Kellim randomly used one of two skills: Void Buff or Back-of-the-Neck Strike.
He'd even checked attack patterns based on HP differences, hoping for a pattern, but disappointingly, no clear rules emerged. Then Kellim suddenly locked eyes on Minguk.
"...!"
This run, Kellim went for Back-of-the-Neck Strike. At least it didn't target a specific hero like that when using Void Buff.
With the non-tank team members in a square formation, spotting the target was easy. Minguk immediately stepped forward.
Whir!
At the same moment, Kellim vanished like a shadow from Hyun-ah and reappeared where Minguk had been, swinging its massive sword in an X-slash. He dodged the attack, but the wind pressure alone shook his body with its sheer power.
"If that lands properly..."
In strategy videos, low-HP classes like healers lost about half their total health to Back-of-the-Neck Strike.
But feeling the real force, half HP seemed generous—it was a miracle not to be bisected in one hit. Maybe his gear was helping?
Either way, with Back-of-the-Neck Strike used, the next pattern was obvious.
"Kim So-jeong!"
As a melee dealer, she needed to venture farthest out and back for the Void Buff, so to minimize DPS loss, Minguk picked her as the first buff recipient.
The Void Buff couldn't stack anyway, so no need for her to run out again after getting it once.
He'd pre-assigned these tactical moves, so So-jeong stood farthest from the team as her role required.
The other two dealers advanced naturally, positioning her as the most distant from Kellim.
Void, death, oblivion.
Kellim's Void Buff hung over So-jeong amid its gloomy mutter. But she didn't rush in immediately—Kellim paired the buff with an attack pattern. Her eyes and ears turned to Minguk.
"Move in now!"
Minguk signaled as a massive fireball formed above Kellim's hand.
Boom!!!
The Void Bomb shattered the ground with a roar. The explosion was fiercer than expected, its wide radius even clipping Yuna, who was at a safe distance, for some damage.
"If those keep chaining... we'll need to circle the outskirts."
He had a rough solution in mind. The team would sense it from the power too.
"Second one's Jeong Ye-rin! Big loop around the outside!"
Plenty of time until the next Void Buff cast, but prepping orders covered surprises. Then Hyun-ah and So-jeong's spotlight began.
"Haaap!"
Void Buff surging through her, So-jeong felt power overflowing. She could bisect the monster in one go. No clue why a boss would buff heroes like this.
But with it in the pattern, she wouldn't waste it. As the first buffed, max focus on DPS could net huge contribution here.
Crackle!
Mana surged from her heart's depths, gathering in her greatsword with a howl. Sparks enveloped the blade as she lightning-slashed at Kellim.
Minguk checked his Hero Pad as Kellim's HP plummeted. So-jeong's damage share spiked under the buff, and Kellim's aggro ticked up.
Still manageable. Hyun-ah wasn't yielding aggro easily, pulling it back with tank skills at perfect timings.
"Jeong Ye-rin! Pull back farther! Yuna, up front! Position with team distances in mind!"
"Yes, got it!"
"Back-of-the-Neck Strike! Yuna!"
Even in hard raids, precise pattern reads, raid leader orders, and team execution made clears possible regardless of gear gaps.
And Team GGW had both in spades.
Bam! Boom! KABOOM!
Behind Minguk casting heals, fiery blasts chained. Third buff target Yuna looped the battlefield's rear at top speed.
"Next buff's mine! Hyun-ah! On buff use, pop both survival cooldowns back-to-back—don't forget!"
"Roger! Locked in!"
"HP 34%. Dealers, step it up!"
So-jeong and Ye-rin, first and second buffed, went berserk on DPS in buff-fueled frenzy. But Void Buff earned its raid spot—Kellim's HP lingered despite it.
Dealers' output was key here. Still, no major flubs like buff order mixups or bad positioning for a first clear. Minor corrections weren't errors—just tweaks.
Boom! Bam!
Ye-rin's chain magic hammered Kellim back with a groan. So-jeong hacked chunks off its HP wildly.
"Yaaah! Heavy Shot!"
Yuna stretched her stance, drawing her bow full and firing at Kellim's torso. The arrow whistled, piercing its head. Grotesque that it didn't drop, arrow lodged as it kept slashing at Hyun-ah.
"15%!"
With the boss HP call, Minguk shielded and HoT'd Hyun-ah, then checked positions. Ranged dealers Yuna and Ye-rin attacked closer than him, mindful of spots amid frenzy.
Void, death, oblivion.
Minguk met Kellim's gaze amid the mutter. His heart raced like he'd chugged four energy drinks—euphoria welled, urging him to swing a weapon now.
"Gotta watch newbies for this too—they'll zone out on the buff high."
Minguk shook it off, prepping to run while muttering. Others might laugh, since GGW were newbies too.
But his flawless leading and the team's synergy had pushed the infamous instant-death-pattern Kellim raid to near-victory.
Then Void Bombs streaked at him.
Boom! KABOOM!
To escape the blasts, Minguk sprinted the outskirts. Wider radius than thought—no breather. Like a runner against the rival team in sports day, full sprint nonstop.
"Shit, this is..."
Minguk's face twisted ugly.
He hadn't expected dodging bombs to be tough. So-jeong, Ye-rin, Yuna all escaped easily. But trying it...
First, second, third bombs—his back burned. Not fully out, HP down 20%. Before the fourth, he maximized distance and self-shielded.
KABOOM!!!
Bloody from the massive blast, dizzy Minguk chanted heals. Wounds closed, pain eased; he shook his head.
"Nearly died there."
He eyed the dealers who'd dodged effortlessly with awe. No, before that—his own physicality sucked this bad? Time to train stamina with sex—no, gym iron-pumping.
At the fourth Void Bomb, Kellim's HP was 6%. As good as cleared, barring tank or healer blunders. Hyun-ah and Minguk made none, big or small.
Completed the subjugation of "Void Prison".
2 Achievement Points granted to Hero Pad.
Hero Codex count updated.
"Yes! YES!!!"
Hyun-ah hurled her weapon skyward, fist pumping with a roar as Kellim fell. Tougher than expected, but she'd tanked perfectly, others shone, and they One-Tried it.
The rest buzzed too after thirty minutes' fierce battle. Just buff crash fatigue kept them lying down instead of yelling like her. As for Minguk...
Han Minguk's Challenge for an A-Rank Class! Ppuu, Spun into Being by Chaos, Cheers You On! Accept the Quest!
📍 Goal: Clear ‘Void Prison’ 10 times in One Try!
⏰ Time Limit: One week! Just nine left?
🎁 Reward: 【Class Stone(A) - Guardian Knight】, 10 Revival Stones!
Snag that 【Class Stone(A) - Guardian Knight】 early, sell it for big bucks. Revival Stones as bonus! Drop rates aren't high anyway. Since you're repeating clears, rewards make it sweeter, right?
"This guy's timing is always so random."
He eyed the sudden quest.
Why the ominous vibe it'd drop the Class Stone before claiming the reward...?