Chapter 114: Overcoming the Gimmick

To skip straight to the conclusion, our next attempt resulted in yet another failure.

“Another one-shot wipe.”

We had managed to cleanly slice the boss’s health bar down to exactly 30%, but from that precise threshold onward, our damage suddenly ceased to register entirely. Panicking slightly in that state, we had been ruthlessly wiped out right then and there. Na Eun-hyeok and I stared blankly at each other in sheer exasperation.

“We can absolutely execute everything flawlessly up to that exact threshold. The real issue is whatever comes immediately after.”

“Seriously, what is that bastard’s problem, throwing a literal fit and spitting fire breath from his jaws?”

“Right? He’s probably planning to roast our Un-ha to a perfect crisp and eat him for dinner…… or something.”

Engaging his mouth entirely before his brain, Na Eun-hyeok caught himself mid-sentence and abruptly shut his mouth. Of course, just because he had explicitly delivered the setup and withheld the very final punctuation didn’t mean it wasn’t perfectly audible. I was already fuming over the fact that a boss we practically had in our grasp had just reset, and having this prick start up his teasing routine again made my blood boil violently.

“You, watch your mouth.”

I glared daggers at Na Eun-hyeok. No response came back. As I cast my gaze downward, my eyes caught the small accessory I had gifted him dangling firmly from his waist. A deeply bizarre sensation rippled through me.

No. Pull yourself together, Chae Un-ha. There is absolutely zero reason to feel strange right now. He’s obviously just wearing it without a single shred of thought. No, actually, knowing that bastard, it wouldn’t surprise me if he kept that accessory equipped solely to mess with my head. That’s exactly what it is.

“Let’s go for the next try.”

Na Eun-hyeok’s oddly subdued voice briefly weighed on my mind, but I gave my head a sharp shake to scatter the intrusive thoughts. Yeah. Let’s hit the next run. Honestly, grinding through dungeon attempts was infinitely better. It strictly kept me from overanalyzing useless things.

We repeated the sequence down to the 30% health threshold twice more. However, the exact second the boss hit 30%, he consistently triggered an absolute invulnerability state where no damage numbers would register. Raining down attacks on an invulnerable target was entirely meaningless.

“It’s safe to assume he doesn’t possess a specific, hidden structural weak point.”

“Yeah. We’ve systematically targeted every conceivable hitbox, and since everything returns an invulnerability frame, it’s clearly not an encounter wrapped around a traditional weak-spot mechanic.”

“True. Which means it isn’t an un-voidable wipe phase either. We’re explicitly missing a core puzzle element.”

Following a brief silence, I offered my analysis.

“What if we’re supposed to execute an absolute maximum burst DPS phase the exact second he hits 30%?”

“How the hell do we burst him down if our damage numbers aren’t even registering?”

“I mean we trigger the burst phase at 31%. Slicing through that entire final chunk in a single, massive instance of damage.”

“There isn’t a single player in all of Zelfia capable of outputting a burst phase massive enough to delete 31% of a high-tier boss’s health bar in one shot. Even if you funnel every single buff in existence into a top-tier Mage, they won’t even scratch 10%.”

He wasn’t wrong. If a Mage—the class possessing the absolute highest single-target burst capability in Zelfia—couldn’t pull off a one-shot execution, it was physically impossible for even a Berserker melee damage-dealer to melt the boss instantly. Pondering deeper, a completely different theory surfaced.

“Then how about we completely strip our buffs the exact second he hits 30%?”

“Our buffs?”

“The protective barriers.”

To entirely avoid the ticking environmental burn damage, Na Eun-hyeok and I had been systematically slaughtering mimics to keep our barriers refreshed. We had to match the color of our barriers to the shifting flame colors precisely to avoid getting roasted alive.

“Thinking about it, the idea of the mimics actively helping us is a bit ridiculous anyway. Ultimately, they’re being used as literal sacrifices to break the seal on that hunk of junk.”

“You could easily argue they’re helping us out of pure spite for being used as sacrifices, but testing that theory is definitely worth a shot.”

“When we attempted the burst phase earlier, it felt like if we pool our absolute maximum damage right at the threshold, we can narrowly force him past that 30% mark.”

“Yeah.”

Our minds locked together in perfect alignment once more. Sharing a firm nod, we didn’t waste a single second before springing into motion, dashing toward our respective sectors to cleanly clear the designated mimics.

Until the 30% threshold, the encounter proceeded exactly as it had in previous runs. We seamlessly weaved through the knight’s slashing trajectories while inputting steady damage, all while refreshing our barriers to match the shifting elemental flames. Every single time Na Eun-hyeok brought his axe down, the boss’s health bar took a massive hit. Fighting right beside him, I added my own minor, minor drops of DPS to the pool. While my numbers weren’t game-changing, joining the vanguard had become an ingrained habit simply because he consistently nagged me to join the fray.

Before long, the health bar dipped below 35%.

“It’s coming.”

“Let’s go.”

We delivered the exact same command in a perfect, overlapping unison. With our minds perfectly synchronized, our execution was absolutely flawless. Following four final, brutal strikes from Na Eun-hyeok’s battleaxe, our protective barriers completely dissolved. Instead of turning back to hunt down new mimics to match the shifting flame colors, we charged straight into the knight’s hitbox. We hadn’t forgotten to heavily coat ourselves in a massive layer of various stat-boosting potions Na Eun-hyeok had handed over earlier.

Thud.

Instead of the jarring vibration of a blade deflecting off heavy armor, a clean, satisfying sensation of steel sinking deep into vulnerable flesh rippled through my hands.

“Bingo.”

Na Eun-hyeok flashed a sharp, confident grin at the exact same moment.

From that point onward, the fight was an absolute breeze. The boss attempted to execute a few alternative attack patterns, but they were entirely inconsequential. Na Eun-hyeok and I unleashed our absolute maximum burst damage, and the remaining 30% of the health bar violently tanked before completely bottoming out. The exact second the massive stone frame of the knight crashed heavily onto the floor, a rush of pure exhilaration shot straight to my brain.

“We did it!”

“Hell yeah!”

Without a single word of coordination, we instinctively sprinted straight toward each other. And, by some absolute miracle, we managed to halt our momentum a mere fraction of a second before violently throwing our arms around one another. Standing close enough that the tips of our noses were practically brushing, we exchanged an incredibly awkward stare.

“……Ahem.”

Seriously, what on earth was I thinking, trying to hug Na Eun-hyeok? It’s not like he’s cute or anything—well, okay, he is cute. But regardless, what the hell possessed me to try and embrace him?

Ultimately, it was nothing but pure, unadulterated habit. Executing a light shudder as if desperately trying to shake off an intimacy that had been permanently branded into my very bones, I took a sharp step backward.

“We cleared it.”

“Yeah.”

An uncomfortable silence immediately settled over the tail end of our brief exchange. We both cautiously averted our eyes.

“But the mission clear notification didn’t trigger.”

“Which explicitly means there’s a final boss waiting ahead.”

“Sigh.”

To think I still had to clear the remainder of this dungeon with Na Eun-hyeok. The puzzle mechanics were genuinely thrilling and my combat synchronization with Sephiroth was absolutely flawless, but the raw reality of having to physically hang around Na Eun-hyeok was immensely draining. Letting out a heavy sigh, I firmly grit my teeth.

“Are we even going to finish this today?”

“Yeah.”

Even so, Na Eun-hyeok’s supremely confident response offered a strange sense of comfort. Because at least within the confines of Zelfia, whenever Na Eun-hyeok declared something was entirely possible, it truly felt like a concrete reality. No, to be completely honest, I used to feel that exact same unwavering security around real-life Na Eun-hyeok as well……

No, stop. I fiercely shook my head once more, desperately fighting to scatter the lingering emotions.

“Let’s keep moving.”

“Yeah.”

We advanced firmly toward the next sector.

We systematically breached a succession of mob chambers and cleared several more trap corridors. Throughout the entire sequence, neither of us bit the dust even once. Never in my life had I realized the absolute, critical importance of perfect teamwork as fiercely as I did today. Perhaps because of the intensely bitter failures we had tasted only hours prior, the current sweetness of our smooth execution felt twice as rewarding.

And finally, we arrived right at the doorstep of the final boss chamber.

“Let’s kill this thing quickly and wrap it up.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Having invested an immense chunk of time on the mid-boss, both Na Eun-hyeok and I were in complete alignment regarding our desire to clear the final boss with absolute speed. Then again, looking at our historical track record, even if we had miraculously cleared the mid-boss on our first try, we would have still lunged into this final encounter with the exact same aggressive energy.

The final boss took the form of an immense stone statue of a priest. Unlike the previous encounter, there was zero need to hunt down mimics. The exact second our characters crossed into a specific radius, the priest monument autonomously ground into motion.

[O God of Fire, bestow upon us the blessing of the eternal flames.]

Accompanied by a piercing, horrific vocal effect, the massive stone walls of the chamber instantly caught fire. Since we were standing a considerable distance away, the flames didn’t immediately register any ticking burn damage. It seemed to function as a literal environmental boundary line. Carefully gauging the effective reach of the radiating heat, I spoke up.

“Let’s focus on outputting standard damage first.”

“Deal.”

Na Eun-hyeok immediately agreed. Weapons raised, both of us sprinted straight toward the giant priest statue. Literal sparks of fire erupted from the stone eyes of the colossus. The sight of those intensely blazing sockets felt distinctly unsettling.

[To the ignorant and blind, I grant the blessing of absolute darkness.]

Every single time the monument parted its stone jaws, a thick torrent of pitch-black smoke billowed out. First the knight spits fire breath, and now this guy? Do these bosses have gas burners permanently installed inside their digestive tracts or something? Right as that entirely useless thought crossed my mind, the screen plunged into absolute darkness.

“What the hell?”

“Just focus on evading through sound.”

Na Eun-hyeok’s completely calm voice instantly snapped me back to reality. Although my field of vision had been entirely blanked out by the blindness debuff, the game’s audio cues remained perfectly clear, mapping out exactly what was coming and from which direction. Hoping for a quick fix, I quickly chugged a debuff-purifying potion, but—

[A blessing cannot be dispelled.]

Only a thoroughly irritating system notification materialized, leaving the status anomaly entirely untouched. It seemed the game’s system explicitly categorized this absolute blindness state as an actual ‘blessing.’

I mean, regardless of how the boss words it, shouldn’t a debuff strictly be treated as a debuff by universal gaming law?

The exact millisecond I wrapped up that random thought, a sharp, air-cleaving sound erupted from my left. Intending to pivot my body in the exact opposite direction of that massive gale, I suddenly detected a faint wave of heat surging from my right side. I frantically executed a hard backward step.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion echoed, accompanied by a wave of intense heat rushing directly at my front. Even though I had successfully created a moderate distance, a sliver of residual fire damage still chipped away at my health. Because of the blindness effect, it was entirely impossible to visually analyze the exact nature of the boss’s attack, but it was highly probable that he would continue raining down these highly erratic, multi-directional assaults.

CRASH! BOOM!

“A brand-new attack pattern after all this time. I need to analyze the mechanics.”

Na Eun-hyeok’s distinctly amused, casual voice drifted over from across the dark void. It seemed he was effortlessly weaving through the priest’s onslaught without breaking a sweat. In the midst of the chaos, I carefully monitored the blind space around me, catching sight of a faint, flickering light gently shimmering somewhere toward the rear.

That looks like it’s sitting right near the perimeter walls.

Recalling how the chamber walls had caught fire earlier, I knew I had to approach that light with extreme caution. But with the screen entirely coated in black, gauging the exact distance was a logistical nightmare. To top it off, I had to simultaneously evade the priest’s incoming attacks, which could easily shift their aggro from Na Eun-hyeok to my position at any given millisecond.

SWOOSH. CRACKLE.

“Bleewee-ya, you see that?”

“You’re talking about that glowing trigger on the wall, right?”

“Yeah.”

Wait a single second. What the hell did he just call me? I froze in my tracks for a fraction of a millisecond, but before I could process it, Na Eun-hyeok’s next tactical order dropped.

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