Cherni sighed. Bae Merong was intimidated.
“The strength of No Name party was just Rain, one person. Haah, what on earth have we been fighting against until now.”
“I’m losing confidence more and more.”
“Chris, did you know?”
To Deathly Death’s question, Chris nodded.
“Rain… When I go to unnie’s house later, I’m going to pinch your cheeks so hard!”
“Hehe.”
Chris, who chuckled next to Bae Merong swearing revenge, looked at the wide corridor covered entirely in ice.
On the way to the 2nd Named boss, at the end of this, is the ‘Lesser Demon’s Phantom’ that looks like a mid-boss.
An existence confirmed through the screen Rain is streaming. Rain had already reached in front of it and was dawdling.
Seeing that sight, Cherni clicked his tongue.
“She’s overflowing with composure.”
“She knows there’s no party that can catch up.”
“Well, we barely got past the 1st Named boss’s enrage too.”
Rain was alone, but she knew well that she was standing in a superior position more than ever. The existence of the Legendary weapon and Ice Spire Tower new skill made Rain an even more overwhelming being.
Deathly Death made an expression full of doubt.
“I can’t understand. No matter how much she’s using a Legendary weapon, Rain is alone and we are four. Why are we falling behind in damage output?”
“Because she attacks both giant soldiers with area skills. Both the Swordsman’s Flash Strike and Ice Spire Tower new skill are area types.”
“As we tried earlier, if we try to take them down together as a party, the total damage output rather decreases. When facing multiple bosses, pattern response is difficult, aggro inevitably ping-pongs, and it’s hard to properly target too. Rain is abnormal for pouring out attacks non-stop while facing two or more Named bosses.”
“On top of that, she has to calculate time and apply down to the correct target. It’s a play only possible for Rain.”
“How did she realize that Named bosses can be sent to the opposite side through down skills?”
“This too was probably discoverable because it’s solo play. The motion of lying down right before the big jump that Named bosses do when there’s no target nearby to attack, Rain wouldn’t miss that.”
The more they analyze, the more amazed they become.
Chris’s 4-person party couldn’t help but feel deep admiration for Rain’s good fight, while simultaneously feeling a strong sense of defeat.
“The fact that Rain decided to stream her play video today means she’s confident in getting first clear even after revealing all conquest strategies.”
Chris clapped once and smiled confidently.
“I want to make her look dejected. It’s not the time for us to just be amazed here either. We need to make her pay the price for being complacent.”
“Y-yes! We lost at the 1st Named boss, but we 4 people have the advantage if we go all the way!”
“…Somehow it feels pathetic that we have to desperately chase after a solo player though.”
“Wait a moment? I want to analyze while rewinding past scenes. There, the shield raising pattern and spear swinging pattern overlap, first she ducks her head. Like this, and then if I use Nimble Move… Ugh, w-what are you doing, Chris!”
Chris grabbed the collar of Deathly Death who started shaking his head left and right and hurried her steps.
“Oh my, oh my! Chris unnie! Look at Rain’s real-time screen now!”
“Bae Merong… We need to make progress instead of just watching! What’s wrong with you too?”
Chris, who was looking at Bae Merong with a pathetic expression, soon covered her mouth.
“Ahh…!”
Rain looked straight at the video streaming screen and wiggled her fingers, then showed two V-signs with both hands.
And smiled brightly.
Chris clutched her chest. Bae Merong hugged both her cheeks and let out a shrill scream.
“Cough!”
“Kyaah! So cute!”
“…Didn’t we say we’d make progress?”
“Leave them be, senior Deathly Death. The ‘unnies’ can’t come to their senses. I’ll go kill some mobs first?”
* * *
Seeing that something like this exists definitely gives a game-like feeling.
A translucent sphere moving around me. I can do real-time screen streaming and take screenshots with this drone-like thing.
Many people must be watching my play through this screen.
For a moment, I struck various poses towards the window connecting the outside world and this world.
I made V-signs with my fingers, smiled brightly, and even hopped left and right.
“A-ahem.”
I turned my body while clearing my throat with a slightly reddened face.
I did something embarrassing.
But since there are no settings for broadcasting other than the screen streaming function, I didn’t really feel like other people were watching me.
Looking at other people’s broadcasts, they have status windows showing buff durations etc., chat windows for communication or area chat windows. It looks like they have a lot to see in front of their eyes.
But doing that reduces the sense of reality. I live with all UI turned off. The only window to view the world is my eyes.
Still, I tried to have my own communication time like this.
I looked at the ‘Lesser Demon’s Phantom’ straight ahead at the end of the corridor.
A monster in the shape of a demon with hugely thick forearms and horns on its head.
Is it a similar type to the ‘Sealed Lesser Demon’ I saw in the desert area before?
But ‘Sealed’ is missing from the name. There are no chains tightly wrapped around its body. And as it’s a phantom, it’s slightly translucent.
“Hmm.”
[Level 48 Lesser Demon’s Phantom]
[HP 20,000,000 / 20,000,000 (100%)]
Strange.
For a mid-boss, its HP is above that of ordinary Named bosses.
Then.
“A gimmick monster.”
I smiled slightly and raised my sword.
And I rushed my body quickly towards the Lesser Demon.
Roar!
Woong.
The Lesser Demon raised its body, let out a roar, and started gathering demonic energy in its hands.
Swish swish swish!
Even though I’m getting close and swinging my sword, it’s still gathering demonic energy. And it started throwing demonic energy at my feet.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
I lightly flew my body and started moving in four directions, up, down, left and right of the demon. The demonic energy bullets that fell where I had been kept exploding. But it doesn’t particularly swing its arms to attack or anything.
Is the pattern just 4 demonic energy bullet launches, is this all?
Woong!
Soon, a monster appeared with a magic circle a little distance away.
[Level 45 Demon’s Cavalry]
[HP 800,000 / 800,000 (100%)]
A demon holding a purple sword and a purple shield. It looked like an entity summoned by the Lesser Demon’s Phantom.
For now, if I take that guy down, something should happen.
Tap tap.
I quickly distanced myself from the phantom and took care of the cavalry at high speed.
“Gaah!”
The cavalry soon collapsed under my harsh sword strikes. And left a purple shield in its place.
All special objects are used in gimmicks.
Surely, this too.
Crash!
While avoiding the incoming demonic energy bullet by rolling my body, I simultaneously twist my body and pick up the shield.
Even without mana and holy swords, I can now do this level of movement.
This is the movement of a hero.
I immediately held up the shield straight towards the demon’s demonic energy bullet.
This is the experience and knowledge of a gamer.
Woong!
The demonic energy bullet was absorbed into the purple shield. After absorbing a total of 4 demonic energy bullets, the shield soon started emitting a strong purple light.
I let out an exclamation looking at the shield that absorbed the demonic energy bullets.
“Oh.”
As expected, it’s the same mechanism as the charging gimmick of the Ancient Temple 2nd Named boss, ‘Arkan’.
But it’s not charged into the sword like last time.
Since I can’t attack with the shield, do I just throw it?
Whoosh!
When I threw the shield charged with demonic energy, soon a strong purple light burst out from the demon hit by the shield.
Crash!
Graaah-!
In the strong demonic energy explosion, the mid-boss ‘Lesser Demon’s Phantom’ disappeared emitting light.
The enormous HP possessed by the mid-boss was just a bluff. If I had tried to take it down with pure damage, it would have taken a long time.
I grinned after grasping the game company’s intention.
A mid-boss that seems to teach you how to do it.
How kind.
This gimmick will surely be used in the 2nd Named boss fight.
Finally entering the 2nd Named battle area. In the center of the room covered entirely in ice.
A contradictory being with flames that seemed like they would melt the ice was standing.
Huge forearms that could grasp a small body like mine in one hand, large horns on top of the demon’s head.
An unsealed, complete Lesser Demon.
A Lesser Demon with a clear substance, not a phantom.
Grrrrugh.
With a growling sound, hellish flames flickered in the breath from the demon’s maw.
Its HP is a whopping 50 million.
Compared to the 1st Named boss, the HP has increased enormously.
Surely, it’s a boss that can only be taken down by shaving HP through gimmicks.
This boss placement reminds me of the Aspero’s Fortress 2nd Named boss, ‘Lion Balgar’. That guy was taken down by stacking bleeding through gear object gimmicks.
In the mid-boss phantom, shields could be obtained easily, but this guy is a Named boss. It probably won’t give out demonic energy charging objects easily.
Something needs to be done. That can only be known after shaving some HP first.
5%? 10%? Anyway, a certain amount of HP needs to be shaved directly.
Since I’m alone, how much I can reduce the time to shave HP with pure damage is key. Putting aside gimmick performance.
I’d rather the normal patterns were difficult too.
If the patterns are easy, it’s actually not easy to widen the gap with people doing party play.
So it’s an enhanced version of the ‘Sealed Lesser Demon’ I saw in the desert area.
In an unsealed state, how strong will it be?
Clang, drawing Astaroth.
Shedding silver light, I rushed towards the ‘Lesser Demon’.
Roar!
With the Lesser Demon’s rough roar recognizing me, the 2nd Named boss battle began.
[2nd Named]
[Level 48 Lesser Demon]
[HP 50,000,000 / 50,000,000 (100%)]