First Clear! CBT Boss Conqueror
Spending 2 million won to pull one character—how's Merhen feeling right now? My blood sugar's crashing. The caffeine's awakening effect is getting crushed by exhaustion. If it feels obvious, well, it is. I'm pushing myself too hard, after all.
But it was necessary. To maximize skill and ultimate usage, minimize spec gains from just leveling up, and take down that boss as fast as possible. For that, I calculate every character skill cooldown and ultimate cooldown. I adjust with normal attacks so there's no waste on those cooldowns. This is the moment my two days of training pay off. I played rhythm games while singing to get used to brain multitasking.
Wasn't playing rhythm games just training so my body could keep up with my overflowing talent? ...Well, life throws sudden goal changes at you sometimes. On second thought, doing abs for two days doesn't give you a six-pack, and two days of rhythm games sure as hell won't make your body handle genius-level talent, so I definitely didn't urgently pivot my goals. ...Really.
The enemy's HP drops slowly but steadily. The idiom Yu Gong Moves the Mountain flashes through my mind. No matter how impossible it seems at first glance—even if the task at hand dwarfs what you can do, like digging a mountain with a shovel—if you don't give up, you'll achieve it eventually. And right now, another mountain is being shoveled away. The only special thing? The one wielding the shovel is a superhuman.
Someone digging with a shovel at excavator efficiency. ...Is this a bit too self-aggrandizing? The moment that thought hits, the culprit behind my fourth failed attempt greets me. This nine-hit combo can't be perfectly parried or dodged with rolls.
"...Once you've taken a hit———"
There are two counters. Spot the pattern coming ASAP, then dash away hard with full stamina. ...But that's no fun, right? It throws off the perfectly timed cooldowns the second you create distance. So I ditch the easy way and pick the hard one.
"———you think I'll fall for it again!!!!!"
I parry the first sweeping front-leg attack. One parry collapses the character's stance, like punishment for blocking an unblockable. But eight hits remain. Can't swap until the parry backlash ends. Luckily, it clears before the boss's second swipe. Swap and parry again? No. The time for swap plus parry input delay is longer than until the second hit lands. So, roll spam. Stamina drains fast. Rolls have invincibility frames, so yeah, expected.
Stamina's gone. No more rolls. But four hits left. ...This is the branch point. The next attacks? No clue if they're parryable. Even if they are, can I parry all four? I only know timings from death screens. But if it works. If my guess is right.
Swap to protagonist—the sharp bone on the boss's back twitches. An off-beat sound pierces my ears. Protagonist parries the third slash, stance crumbles. Fourth slash carves into her. HP plummets. But it clings on barely. Now for the final gamble.
The hit locks my character in stun—the most dangerous moment, no countermeasures. One more attack and I lose a DPS. Flow breaks, balance crumbles. But the boss does nothing. AI limits on non-humans. That flaw hands me the opening.
Out comes the healer. The hidden card never used in combat finally debuts. No action yet means skills and ultimate ready. No skimping on heals. Holding back for emergencies risks a death—and healers can't rez the dead. Better safe than sorry.
Boss's move wasted. That hidden back-blade bone fully exposed. Head throbs with migraine, eyes ache, but I can't stop grinning.
"Got anything else?"
Of course I can't.
"Then die."
I won.
Area Cleared
# In the end, no upsets. A few extra patterns popped, but nothing undoable. Boss HP hits zero—legs give out, massive body crashes. Final death cry, eyes close. Corpse fades. Then [Area Cleared] blasts across the screen. Confirmation. Done. Victory.
Focus shatters. Body feels drained. Slump into chair, tilt head back to stare at ceiling.
"...I WONNNNNNNN!!!!!!"
Scream with every last ounce. Pant raggedly. Satisfied grin spreads. Solving tough puzzles brings achievement rush. And today's was legitimately hard, even for a talent freak like me. Rush inevitable. Amped further by rewards.
Eyes drift from ceiling to chat. Reactions? Scorching, as expected. Can't control my smirk.
One message catches my eye amid the satisfaction.
"...Oh. Right."
Closed donations to focus—forgot. Flip 'em wide open. Boom—instant donation flood, like they were waiting. Matches last barrage, maybe tops it.
...Should've taken missions. My inner capitalist slave whispers.
# Donations taper, chat cools—eyes naturally shift to game.
"Alright, let's check the boss rewards?"
Manipulate menu for EXP first. Fingers freeze in EXP window. Too little? Nah.
Way more than expected.
"...Tough as it was, returns are massive."
Exit EXP, check items. Two drops. First since pre-[City] story items. Thought maybe no drops exist, or CBT hid 'em. No promo from devs leans toward hidden. Anyway, boss drops—high hopes.
"First one's a trophy? Proof of boss kill celebration?"
Tap directions for description.
◈ Medal awarded to the first to clear the CBT Boss
"...Huh."
Brain stalls. For real? Me, first clear protagonist? Wanted it, but rhythm games ate my time—figured no shot. Even if, no proof. Pinch cheek with right hand. Ow. Not dreaming.
"Wait, gotta screenshot this."
Fumble for phone, angle monitor and face together. Snap selfie.
"First time in my life doing something like this!!"
Screenshot game too. Swap title.
Stream Title: Who Am I? CBT Boss First Clear Owner!!!!!!!
"From now on, call me Raider CBT Boss First Clear User Merhen."
Puff chest proudly.
"First clear brings the envy and shade. I'll take it. I'm the FC owner!"
Open next item desc.
"Pfft."
Burst out loud. Had to.
◈ We'll see you soon.
"Why put this in-game?! Post on official site or SNS or something!!!!"
...These devs are wild.