**[First Named Boss]**
**[Bone Dragon]**
**[HP 1,000,000,000 / 1,000,000,000 (100%)]**
“A billion, seriously?”
“What does that mean?”
Even though Chris was absent from the *Red and White Attack Squad*, the players gathered here were elite members who had pioneered countless raid dungeons. Their skills hadn’t diminished just because one leader was missing.
The temporary squad leader, *Death’s Embrace*, and vice-leader, *Baemelung*, quickly regained their composure, analyzing the situation in the face of the boss’s immense HP. The other team members were visibly shocked but quickly focused as their leaders set the example.
“It’s a sign of how strong players have become. New items that add holy damage to weapons have been introduced, and they needed to up the challenge for this expansion,” Baemelung reasoned.
“The last 12-player raid, *Tree of the Abyss*, had the first boss at 200 million HP, the second at 500 million, and the final one at 300 million,” Death’s Embrace noted.
“Right, and that was for 12 players. This dungeon’s elite boss, *Fusion of the Basin*, had a 100 million HP threshold for a four-player team. So, for this first named boss to have a billion HP... it can only mean one thing.”
Cherny, who had approached quietly to observe the monstrous Bone Dragon, nodded in agreement.
“It’s a boss where we need to chip away at the HP through a gimmick.”
“What kind of gimmick?” someone asked.
“Well, in a typical case, there would be special objects around for players to interact with.”
The other players began circling the Bone Dragon, searching for anything unusual.
But there were only cliffs and piles of bones. Surrounding the Bone Dragon, a ring of massive bone pillars stood like ominous sentinels, marking the battlefield.
Baemelung approached one of these pillars, attempting to pull it out with a grunt, but it wouldn’t budge—it was firmly rooted to the ground.
“Guess that’s not it.”
Cherny scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“Hmm. Nothing else here looks like it could be a special object.”
“In that case, maybe special objects will spawn during the battle, or we might have to counter its attacks. There could also be objects we haven’t noticed yet. We need to be careful on the first try.”
“The area is wide open, so it doesn’t seem like more will spawn. Baemelung, are you saying we should keep looking?”
“Yeah. Chris was always meticulous in raid dungeons. She’d spend at least twenty minutes scouting the area before a named fight.”
“Ugh, what a hassle. Let’s just hit it and see what happens.”
“Wait! Hold on!” Baemelung tried to stop him, but *Death’s Embrace* had already stepped forward, rolling his arms in a warm-up motion. Two other warriors from the squad, *Gandal* and *Leeroy Hopkins*, were spinning their axes and moving up with him.
“Ha-ha! They say to knock on the bridge before crossing it, but I guess this is a bone bridge?”
“Isn’t this exactly the kind of job for tanky warriors like us?”
“Heh, good attitude,” Baemelung muttered, watching the three large warriors ready to clash with the Bone Dragon. She sighed, knowing she couldn’t rein them in.
“Ah, I miss Chris,” Baemelung mumbled, envious of Chris, who was off enjoying a peaceful gorge expedition with Rain instead of dealing with this headache.
---
Chris seemed to be in a remarkably good mood as she explored the Bone Dragon’s surroundings with me. Actually, she’d been humming and smiling even before we descended.
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“These bones... they’re so thick and solid. Our Rain is a bit more delicate. Maybe I should get more calcium supplements...”
Chris was mumbling as she touched one of the Bone Dragon’s surrounding bone pillars. But why was she thinking about me while examining the Bone Dragon’s bones?
We’d been living together for a long time, yet understanding her completely still felt like a mystery. Her reactions to questions could be extreme, and this was just one more puzzle.
I puffed my cheeks in mild frustration.
“Aren’t you supposed to be looking for special objects?”
“Huh? Yes, of course! I’m diligently searching, you see?”
Chris quickly turned to look at me, startled, and I narrowed my eyes at her, suspicious.
“Doesn’t seem like it...”
“Our dear Rain is so suspicious! Come here, let me give you a hug.”
Chris’s warm smile made me relent, and, pretending to be reluctant, I let myself sink into her open arms.
*Sigh.*
In her embrace, the cold air of the eerie chasm seemed to fade away, replaced by her comforting warmth.
Ah, but this isn’t good. Chris seems off today, so I should be the one staying focused.
Where had my capable raid leader Chris gone? All I could feel was the happy, doting version of her. Yet, wrapped in her arms, I couldn’t find the strength to complain.
“...Ah!”
It wasn’t long before I regained my senses and gently pushed Chris away as she reveled in the feel of holding me close. Chris clicked her tongue in disappointment, and I huffed.
“Did you bring me to this dungeon just for this? I hug you every day at home!”
“Well, it’s my first time in a new dungeon with Rain. Hehe. When I’m running buses, there are other people around, and I can’t always hug you as much as I want.”
*Sigh.*
She loved clinging to me too much. I didn’t mind being her personal cuddle buddy, but some restraint in times like these would be appreciated.
Meanwhile, the Bone Dragon, restrained by the game system to only attack within its range, stared blankly at our affectionate exchange with its empty eye sockets.
“But I really don’t see anything unusual here,” I remarked, still searching for special objects.
When all else fails, there’s always one option—face it head-on.
*Swish.*
I drew Astaroth from its scabbard and began approaching the Bone Dragon’s massive figure.
*Tap.*
Chris continued examining the bone pillars around the area, knocking on one of them this time.
“...Aren’t we going to try the fight?”
“Rain, could you come over here for a moment?”
“...?”
Curious, I walked over to where Chris was tapping on one of the bone pillars.
*Tap, tap.*
She kept knocking on the pillar, and as I arrived, she spoke without looking away from the bone.
“Rain, what do you think this bone is made of?”
“...Made of? Isn’t it just bone? Um, calcium maybe?”
How would I know what bones are made of? I might’ve gone to school in my previous life, but «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» now I’d have to dig deep into those memories to figure it out. I felt strangely embarrassed and puffed up my cheeks.
“You’re not making fun of me for not going to school, right?”
“Heh, of course not. Bones are usually made of things like collagen and minerals, with calcium. You’re right! Calcium absorbs X-rays best, which is why bones appear white on X-ray images.”
Chris patted my head, praising me for my answer. Despite myself, I felt good but quickly pulled away from her hand.
“...There’s a reason you’re asking me this, right?”
“Of course. Try touching this dragon bone.”
Following her suggestion, I touched the pillar. It was smooth, solid, and didn’t seem hollow.
“If there’s only this one object here, it’s likely it serves some purpose. Though it might also just be decorative.”
“Oh.”
I liked to think of myself as analytical, but Chris was far more thorough. She didn’t overlook even a pebble.
“But the material... it feels off,” Chris added.
“Well, it *is* a dragon bone.”
“But it’s not quite like ordinary bone.”
“Material...?”
I tilted my head in thought, then clapped my hands.
“Oh, back in my day, high-quality weapons were said to be made from dragon bone. Difficult to work with, but it was supposed to be tougher than mithril.”
Now, in this game world, when we defeated a dragon boss or world boss, their bodies would eventually vanish, leaving loot behind. But on the old Astraea continent, people used dragon scales and bones for all kinds of weapons and armor.
Once, while working with the resistance, I’d encountered a dragon corrupted by miasma. After Melissa defeated it, she had marked its location on the map, hoping the resistance could salvage it.
“So, dragon bone could be considered a type of metal. And if this metal is standing upright like this, what could it be for?”
Chris was wondering about the purpose of this vertical metal structure.
I tugged on her sleeve, frustrated.
“Chris, can we start already?”
It’s been thirty minutes of analysis without even beginning the raid.
Chris was cautious to an unusual degree.
“We have to minimize the number of tries.”
Her serious gaze told me why. Chris didn’t want to see me hurt, knowing how in sync we were.
But this was a 12-player raid boss with a billion HP. Even if we found a gimmick to drain its HP, we’d still have to deal substantial damage ourselves.
Two people putting out enough DPS for a 12-player raid? Impossible.
The fact that we were here alone meant that Chris expected me to use my hero’s strength.
And that inevitably meant enduring pain and hardship along the way.