Orc Lord Raid (Part 2)

Field boss raids. If sieges were the pinnacle of large-scale battles, then field boss raids were hailed as the flower of small-scale skirmishes.

As a solo player through and through, I hadn't properly joined many field boss raids. But most top-rankers never missed them if they could help it. And the reason? Items, of course.

The drops from field bosses matched the caliber of dungeon loot in grade, but their specs were always superior. Plus, they often came with unique options modeled after the boss's traits, making them wildly popular and expensive. But the real draw was the drop rate. Field bosses respawned only once every few days, while dungeon bosses could be challenged hundreds of times by countless players. That meant field boss drop rates blew dungeon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ones out of the water. Spot one, and you could pretty much count on at least a Unique item. Legendary bosses even dropped Legendary gear in about one out of every two kills—they were walking treasure troves.

That was why field boss raids were called the flower of small-scale battles. They were basically lotteries on legs, sparking fierce competition among players.

"Have you joined any field boss raids, Sandro? Even just spectating would give you a feel for how they play out in the field."

"A bit. I was in a raid guild briefly once, but I bailed quick, so I only got a handful of real runs."

"As you've seen, field bosses aren't that different from dungeon ones. Just way tankier with more AoE skills. Keep that in mind, and you're golden."

That's why you had to take them down fast upon discovery. Otherwise, hundreds of players swarmed in, turning it into a chaotic scrum. It was no exaggeration to say field bosses sparked the first guild hunting ground controls and kill-on-sight systems.

"Speaking of, how's your leveling? This Orc Lord's from the newly opened Ashen Mountains, so it's on the high side... Your Titan should handle it, right?"

One thing I'd learned riding Luitus: Unlike other summons, Titans couldn't level up. Their specs were fixed from the start—no gains, but no accuracy drops either. That's how I shredded higher-level mobs and players in the field and sieges without issue. Of course, spilling that to others would be a disaster, so I brushed it off.

"Yeah, I've leveled plenty, and my setup tweaks accuracy. Should be fine. Field bosses aren't solo material anyway. If I crash the party mid-raid, wrapping it up won't be a problem."

"True. Jump in at the end and unleash that AoE you showed last time—no one's getting near the loot."

"Any intel on Orc Lord strats? If it's fresh, it'll be a beast."

My old character must've been legit ranker-tier, 'cause Last Chance dropped info even top players struggled to get—stuff worth real money.

"No real tough phases except the last one. Watch for Unyielding Valor when HP dips below 25%."

The Orc Lord's single-target nuke in berserk mode. According to Last Chance, even top tankers could barely survive it. Current strat: Kite aggro while bursting it down like madmen.

But the payoff matched the pain. Known drops so far: one Legendary every two kills.

"Target the berserk phase. Titan crash there, and you wipe the Taeseong trash and solo the rest. You're the only one with a Titan—your call. Feasible?"

"If it goes like you say... yeah. Totally."

"So you're really raiding that Orc Lord like Last Chance suggested?"

"Yeah. No guarantees it'll go smooth or drop the necklace I want, but worth the shot. Nail this gear, and I'll skyrocket in power and cut leveling time big-time. Plus, it's Taeseong turf in conquered Kaljen Castle—gonna get harder to snag over time."

"Risk seems worth it if it pans out, but is Last Chance trustworthy? Dude's too friendly—got me paranoid."

It was 5 a.m. Quiet dawn streets as snacks, cracking open canned beers with Hyunjung at the convenience store by my place. First meetup in two weeks—both buried in grinding.

"Thought about backstabs, but Orc Lord's in Taeseong zone—Phoenix can't mobilize easy. And Last Chance is just tipping me off, not partying up."

"Tipping you off?"

"Yeah. Turns out he's got a spy in Taeseong. First-string, even."

"What? Another traitor besides Merlin? Those psychos! Told 'em to play a game, not shoot a movie."

"No clue why they're scheming so hard, but yeah. Probably got their own spies in Phoenix too. Anyway, spy tips when Orc Lord Jumbaka spawns."

Orc Lord 'Jumbaka'. Popped in Ashen Mountains of Taeseong's latest prize, Kaljen Castle. High-level spot, so NPC defenders were beasts—only recently conquered for their five-castle milestone.

"You know how conquering gives perks? Biggest is player taxes, but field boss alerts are huge too. No raid in 30 minutes post-spawn? Guild gets NPC tip-off on location."

That's why first spotters had to hustle—or it'd devolve into a guild vs. hyenas mudfight. Castle owners still had the edge, though.

With Last Chance's whisper tip, I'd hit a live Jumbaka for sure.

"Makes sense. You got that busted +8 Stealth on top of the Titan? Escape post-raid's cake—they don't know it's maxed. Hit me up if you need backup. Busy, but I'll swing."

"Nah. Solo hit-and-run's my style. How's your leveling?"

"Duh! Legendaries live up to the hype. Hit 330 in two weeks."

"Whoa, already?"

"Hunt speed's damn near doubled. Ditched parties, duo-grinding with a healer buddy. Might hit ranker status in months."

"Wait, you only gained 6 levels while I jumped 150? Shouldn't have loaned the gear—slacker!"

"Pfft. Hit 300 first, then talk. Experience turns to molasses, and you'll see why rankers are gods."

"Fine, finish this and split. Busiest stretch of my life."

"Haha, deal. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Watch your back sleeping or waking—loot that Jumbaka big!"

Parted with Hyunjung, crashed before sunrise.

Alarm yanked me up after three hours. Orc Lord respawn wasn't imminent, but pre-raid prep nagged—couldn't relax.

If Luitus despawns wrong, Sandro links to Magnum03. Game over for open hunting. Grind hard while I can.

Stealth on despawn hid my ID, but don't bet solely on luck.

Logged into Tayen, warped via space mage to Taeseong-held Kaljen Castle.

Newest conquered castle. Top players only for now—still quiet.

Came to scout Ashen Mountains map, but also snag a quest. 99% of players clueless, but Last Chance tipped me—grabbed it pre-raid.

"Those savage brutes'll be tough, but topple their chief, and the reward won't disappoint!"

Quest from Kaljen inner castle's chief admin. Pre-accept, and top cumulative DPS gets the head auto. Extra quest reward atop drops.

Ranker advice made plays efficient, airtight.

"Forgot this hidden skill quest amid all the crazy stories."

Hidden skills. Job-agnostic via quests—official name: special skills. Common and advanced skills were open to all, but these were rare opportunities.

This Holtein quest demanded Orc Lord head. In a hundreds-player raid, only one gets it. Ultra-exclusive.

Downside: Random skill on claim. Mismatch your build? Ditch it. Many did—cost two skill points per star. Pricey for meh effects, often weaker than advanced skills. "Special" meant rare, not OP. Most maxed at 1★ as aces.

Hence "hidden skill" moniker.

"Thought I'd miss these, but might snag one. Repeatable? I'd grind till a good roll. Shame."

They uniqued trees but often underperformed. Hard to fit perfectly, and 2 SP per star? Common skills ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠did similar for less. Truly "special" in scarcity ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠alone.