The Red and White Raid Team’s full-scale assault on the 2nd named boss had begun.
Their goal for today was to quickly clear the 2nd named boss and extract as many patterns as possible from the final boss.
However, *Death Knight Zakham* was not an easy opponent.
The Red and White Raid Team spent most of their attempt just minimizing casualties during the normal patterns.
---
[2nd Named Boss]
[Level 53]
[Death Knight Zakham]
[HP 474,007,911 / 500,000,000 (94%)]
---
*Boom!*
"Aaaah!!"
[Party member ‘OneWithTheCatch’ has died.]
"Ahh~! What are you doing! Keep going! You must hold out for at least 2 more minutes!"
Chris lamented the situation of the now 11-member raid team but continued issuing commands.
As expected, the backward sword energy attack was the most dangerous. However, they couldn’t rely solely on party shields for protection.
Unlike the projectile judgment pattern of the Black Dragon’s spear, Zakham’s attack could only be avoided with invulnerability skills. They could rotate party shields held by the long-range damage dealers, but if anyone failed, the entire backline could be wiped out. Ultimately, each person had to rely on their personal invulnerability to survive.
The special phase strategy for Zakham, as explained by Rain, was designed for one person. A solution for 12 players was still a mystery. But for now, that wasn’t the biggest issue.
The challenge was keeping all the raid members alive through the relentless normal patterns. That was the real hurdle.
"The 2nd named boss has the hardest normal patterns. Four minutes—after the four-minute mark, we’ll hit the time-based special pattern! I’ll figure out the strategy for that! Don’t get greedy with damage, just focus on surviving!"
The raid members followed Chris’s orders, focusing on survival while proceeding with the attack.
Zakham’s massive greatsword constantly pounded the ground in front of the tank, *DeathOfDeath*, who stood firm, eyes wide open, holding the frontline. The melee DPS were slowly learning the range of the greatsword’s attacks. Meanwhile, the long-range DPS started to recognize the signs of the incoming backward sword energy attack.
This was a test of endurance.
Every four minutes.
Over the 15-minute battle, they would face the special gimmick three times.
This would shave off 60% of Zakham’s HP.
Zakham’s total HP was 500 million.
If they could remove 300 million HP through the gimmick, they would only need to directly deal with 200 million. They had enough time to win, even without extreme DPS.
Finally, the seemingly endless four minutes had passed.
The survivors numbered 11.
*Rumble...*
Dark mana gathered around Zakham’s body, and the entire Abyssal Tree shook as if it were about to collapse.
"We’ve entered the special phase! It’s the dark mana infusion pattern!"
*Tap, tap, tap.*
All raid members quickly gathered within a narrow area.
The pattern Rain had told them about.
Zakham’s *Dark Mana Infusion*.
Once 12 stacks accumulated, it would trigger *Dark Mana Rampage*.
The problem was that, in a 12-player raid, one stack would be aimed at each player.
It was a type of debuff that couldn’t be resisted. It would pierce through invulnerability skills and even slightly increase Zakham’s attack power.
In a previous attempt, only four players survived to see this phase, and each received three stacks.
The result was a wipe.
The dark mana infused into their bodies immobilized them, suspending them in midair, and they were helplessly obliterated by Zakham’s area-of-effect attack.
*Rumble...*
As Zakham gathered dark mana, Chris, seeing all the raid members gathered, decided to try something.
"We need to trigger *Dark Mana Rampage*."
The individual dark mana infusions didn’t matter.
By reducing the target to one person, they could trigger *Dark Mana Rampage*.
Could this method work?
As Chris thought it through, Zakham finished his action.
*Thud.*
He reached out his hand into the air.
*Boom, boom, boom!*
Purple energy erupted from Zakham’s hand, rising into the air, before descending upon all the raid members.
The dark mana infusion pattern targeted each of the 12 raid members, but now, with only 11 members, one person would receive two stacks.
Chris gave the command.
"Gosungwoo, Seopseop! Use your *Smoke Bomb*!"
*Smoke Bomb*.
A skill from the *Ranger* class that temporarily removes the user from the boss’s target list.
Normally, this skill is used to drop aggro or sneak through a densely populated monster area.
*Boom, boom!*
Everyone except Chris, who was standing slightly apart, became obscured in the smoke.
*Zap, zap, zap!*
The dark mana, having lost its targets in the smoke, all converged toward Chris.
*Boom, boom!*
As all 12 stacks of dark mana concentrated on Chris, a faint purple glow began to radiate from her body.
Chris checked her buff bar and smiled triumphantly.
---
[Dark Mana Rampage (1 minute 30 seconds)]
---
Twelve stacks of dark mana infusion had triggered *Dark Mana Rampage*.
With the dark mana coursing through her, Chris and the raid members wouldn’t be lifted into the air during Zakham’s next wipe mechanic.
"Everyone, gather around me!"
*Tap, tap, tap!*
The raid members hiding in the smoke rushed out and gathered around Chris.
- That’s enough. I’ve seen all I need. Die!
*Rumble!*
Dark mana gathered in Zakham’s hand, and an unprecedented force began to tighten around the raid members.
However, unlike the previous attempts where they were lifted into the air, this time they could still move.
At the same time, Zakham’s dark mana orb emitted a bright light.
*Flash!*
*Boom!*
The dark mana protecting them from Zakham’s wipe.
Thanks to it, all the raid members survived the explosion unharmed.
Everyone’s faces lit up with joy.
"We did it!"
"We survived!"
"No time to celebrate! Everyone spread out except the tank!"
*Boom! Bang!*
Zakham returned to his normal pattern.
Everyone, except *DeathOfDeath*, scrambled back to their original positions.
*Tap, tap.*
Chris, still leaking dark mana from her body, quickly repositioned herself behind Zakham.
"Now, time to feed him this."
---
[Dark Mana Rampage (1 minute 15 seconds)]
---
The next minute passed without much change.
*Slice!*
"Ugh!"
---
[Party member ‘Gandal’ has died.]
---
In the meantime, *Gandal*, the spear-wielding warrior, failed to escape Zakham’s sword range and perished.
Only ten members remained.
Chris broke out in a cold sweat.
This boss could be beaten with fewer people.
But delivering damage amidst these relentless patterns was extremely difficult. Even though they could shave off 60% of Zakham’s HP with the gimmick, they still had to deal with 200 million directly.
How did Rain manage to land her attacks?
Chris grumbled lightly to herself as she checked the remaining time on *Dark Mana Rampage*.
---
[Dark Mana Rampage (30 seconds)]
---
Once the timer ended, the dark mana would explode.
In Zakham’s 2nd phase, a new pattern was introduced: he would grab the farthest raid member. If the other raid members didn’t interrupt him with a crowd control skill, the person in his grasp would have all their strength drained and die.
Before Zakham could absorb the rampaging dark mana and convert it into his strength, they had to strike at the right moment, just before the explosion.
How had Rain escaped from his grasp?
Suddenly, the mage *Yeon Mina* was caught in Zakham’s hand.
"Gah!"
"Stun him now!"
*Boom, boom, boom!*
The raid members used their crowd control abilities to stop Zakham as he gripped Yeon Mina.
- Grrr.
Zakham shook his head and released Yeon Mina.
*Tap, tap, tap!*
Seeing this, Chris immediately moved to the back.
The next absorption pattern would overlap with the dark mana explosion.
It was time.
---
[Dark Mana Rampage (5 seconds)]
---
*Shuuu!*
Finally, Zakham’s hand reached out for Chris.
Caught in his grasp, Chris shouted.
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
"Don’t interrupt yet! Wait for my signal!"
*Swoosh!*
Zakham’s life-draining pattern.
Instead of her life force, Chris could feel the rampaging dark mana being drawn into Zakham.
4 seconds, 3 seconds, 2 seconds.
The *Dark Mana Rampage* buff disappeared. If they left it any longer, Zakham would start draining her life.
"Now! Interrupt him!"
*Boom, boom!*
The raid members stunned Zakham, causing him to release Chris as he shook his head.
And in that moment—
*Thud!*
- Urgh!?
*Crash.*
Zakham’s body convulsed, and he fell to his knees.
The dark mana exploded, leaving him in a groggy state.
*Thud.*
Chris landed on the ground, her eyes flashing as she raised a talisman.
*Bzzt!*
---
[Spiritual Possession]
[Cooldown: 5 minutes]
[Greatly increases all stats, attack power, critical hit rate, and critical damage for the entire party (Duration: 30 seconds)]
---
A new skill from the *Onmyoji* class,
*Spiritual Possession*.
*Whoooosh!*
A blue aura enveloped the raid members, and their pent-up fury took shape as they focused all their attacks on the kneeling Zakham.
The special phase was perfectly cleared.
Now, all they had to do was repeat the process.
---
[2nd Named Boss]
[Level 53]
[Death Knight Zakham]
[HP 4,941,159 / 500,000,000 (1%)]
---
Zakham’s HP was nearly depleted.
After three dark mana explosions, the final phase began.
- Grrraaaagh! You... You all...!
*Flash, flash!*
*Boom!*
Terrifying waves of sword energy erupted from Zakham’s greatsword, flying in all directions.
Only four members remained standing: Chris, *DeathOfDeath*, *Hopkins*, and *Beimerung*.
"Just a little longer...!"
"Uwoooo!"
*Boom!*
*DeathOfDeath* unleashed his powerful *Dragon Fist*.
*Bzzzt!*
*Beimerung* closed her eyes and raised her hands, gathering her ultimate spell, *Arcane Burst*, above her head.
"Please, please, don’t let the sword energy hit me!"
"I’ll shield you with a protective talisman! Just focus!"
Chris stood in front of Beimerung, ready to protect her.
Zakham had entered his berserk phase. With only four members remaining, they were now on a time limit.
*Whoosh, whoosh!*
*Bzzt!*
Zakham’s greatsword glowed ominously with dark purple energy.
Soon, unstoppable sword energy would sweep the battlefield.
Would Beimerung’s *Arcane Burst* hit first? Or would Zakham’s berserk pattern overwhelm them?
*Flash!*
As Zakham’s sword energy flew toward them—
*Boom!*
Beimerung’s *Arcane Burst* detonated.
---
*Ding!*
[Raid Dungeon 'Abyssal Tree' Progress: 2/3]