**[Title]**
Isn't the balance for the new expansion dungeon "Ice Tower" completely broken? (+559)
**[Content]**
How is this even a reasonable difficulty for a solo dungeon?
Looking at the Training Tower in the Plains Zone, you'd expect a new skill at the end here too, but with the current specs, you absolutely can't clear the 9th floor.
You can barely make it to the 8th floor since there’s no berserk mode yet, but the real problem is the boss on the 9th floor, the "Ice Ogre King."
I have full shrine gear and an elite+ attack echo, but if your damage isn’t nearly perfect, he enters berserk mode before reaching 60% HP.
And his berserk AoE patterns can't even be avoided with invincibility skills.
He freezes the whole area and smashes down, killing you in one hit.
Even if you somehow manage to damage him down to 60%, there’s another problem.
He spams 8 consecutive AoE freezing attacks.
You can dodge those with invincibility, but you can't afford to stop dealing damage for even a second.
Oh, by the way, the attacks come in quick succession, so you’ll need to use the invincibility frames from the Training Tower skills at least once.
The invincibility window for Training Tower skills is ridiculously short, so you’ll have to try many times to get it right.
Also, even if you mix in the 8-second invincibility skill cooldown, you can only resist five attacks at most. If you didn’t farm the cooldown-reset bracelet from the Dwarf Village, don’t even bother attempting this.
And even if you manage to resist them, your damage just won’t be enough at the current level.
The entry level for the dungeon is 45, but the Ice Ogre King is level 50. The level gap means your damage barely registers.
It seems like full farming from the elite dungeon in this area is the bare minimum to even attempt it.
Or you’ll have to wait until the next area opens to level up further and then try again.
While I’m complaining in the title, it’s clear they didn’t intend for this to be cleared yet.
Some people are just messing around to see how much HP they can shave off, calling it "Ogre Popping," but don’t waste your time. Just come back later.
**[Comments]**
- The lore hunters and side-quest addicts found it and leaked the info, so everyone rushed over, haha. It’s obvious they didn’t expect people to try it now, considering you have to cross a massive mountain to get there.
ㄴ Yeah, the entrance is on the opposite side of the basin. You can access it after the next area opens, but some people forced a route open, lol.
ㄴ Really? Does that mean we can get to the next area already?
ㄴ What have you learned so far? Without full farming from the previous elite dungeon, you won’t survive the mob swarms in the next area. At least the Ice Tower is 1v1, and you can push through to the 8th floor since there’s no berserk mode.
ㄴ Did they already map out the entire expansion in advance?
ㄴ Yeah, but no one expected players to force a path like this, even the game devs.
ㄴ More surprising is the number of people already at level 45. Do you guys ever sleep?
- I know a way to reduce the 8 consecutive AoE freeze attacks. When he hits 60%, eight fields of ice appear, right? You can throw torches from the wall objects at the fields, and if you clear five of them, the boss only absorbs three. So you only need to resist three times.
ㄴ Really? Then you don’t even need to farm the bracelet from the Dwarf Village.
ㄴ But you can’t deal damage while doing that, lol. You need to keep hitting while resisting. Trying to manage that mechanic could trigger the berserk mode.
ㄴ Yeah, you absolutely have to level up to reduce the level penalty. Even if you farm the elite dungeon in this zone, your damage will still be lacking. The level gap is just too much.
- Someone on the official forums posted a screenshot of a mage bringing the boss down to 40%. They succeeded in resisting 8 times after trying for 10 hours. That’s the current record.
ㄴ Mage OP, lol.
ㄴ When are they nerfing mages?
ㄴ What about swordmasters or martial artists? What’s Big White doing? If anyone could do it, it’d be him with a legendary weapon.
ㄴ He’s probably not level 45 yet.
ㄴ Big White plays quietly. Even if he clears it, we wouldn’t know unless it’s an elite dungeon with an announcement.
- Speaking of Big White, there’s a known spot where you can meet him. He’s been seen farming in the Ice Troll hunting grounds.
ㄴ Is he leveling up? Can you talk to him if you meet him?
ㄴ If you hang around nearby, you can chat with him, lol.
ㄴ Yeah, I talked to him yesterday.
ㄴ What did he say?
ㄴ "My spot," haha.
ㄴ So cute, lol.
ㄴ For real... if Big White says "My spot," you’ve gotta give it up...
ㄴ Who taught him that?
ㄴ He usually doesn’t mind if you hunt near him. If he’s uncomfortable, he just moves to another spot.
ㄴ Don’t bother Big White... just give up your spot...
ㄴ Wow, he’s a celebrity now, even doing ads.
ㄴ I’ve been watching Big White since his early days in the Orc Warrior zone. I knew he’d make it big.
---
Lately, I’ve been running into a lot of people.
“This is strange.”
*Far Snowfield* is a vast area.
Even the *Snow Hill* region, where I’m hunting Ice Trolls, is spacious enough for hundreds of players with full shrine farming to hunt without crowding.
And yet, I keep seeing players nearby.
**Hovering.**
“Oh my, it’s Big White.”
“Wow, she’s really hunting here!”
Lately, my social skills have improved. Maybe it’s because I’ve been interacting more with other players in these hunting zones.
I can even approach people I’ve never met and strike up a conversation.
I walked toward the two women loitering around the Ice Troll respawn point.
When I talk first, most players tend to leave the spot for me.
But since I don’t own the hunting ground, we usually negotiate through conversation.
“Excuse me, are you planning to hunt here?”
As I chirped up, the women’s eyes sparkled.
“Ahh! Just listen to how cute her voice is! I’ve never heard Big White’s voice before!”
“Big White—no, Miss Rain—do you want to party with us and hunt together?”
I shook my head.
Party hunting for leveling wasn’t inefficient, but I preferred to hunt alone.
There was only one person I wanted to level up with.
**Growl, growl.**
Accompanied by angry, heavy breaths, a red-haired Onmyoji appeared from below the snow-covered hill.
Spiritual orbs circled around her, and the talismans in her hands glowed with a fierce red aura. She was in full battle mode.
I hurriedly turned to the women.
“Um, my companion’s here. It might be dangerous if you stay here.”
“Ah...!”
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
“It’s Chris!”
They quickly bolted out of my sight.
**Pitter-patter.**
Now free of the women, I greeted Chris happily.
“Chris, I saved a good spot where lots of trolls spawn.”
“Thanks to you, I’ll level up quickly.”
Chris, her expression now soft and smiling, gently patted my head.
“...But were you really going to attack them? The penalty for PK in the open field is huge. They didn’t do anything that bad.”
“Hmph, trying to hunt *you* is a grave sin.”
“...Hunt me?”
But I’m not prey...
---
**Flash.**
**Kaaak!**
With each slash of my silver sword, *Astaroth*, the Ice Trolls spewed green blood and fell.
**Boom!**
**Kiieek!**
Chris’s talisman embedded itself in the ground, forming a sealing formation beneath an Ice Troll. An explosion tore the troll apart.
“Alright! I’ve hit level 44!”
“I’m already 45. But when did you reach 44?”
Chris had already reached level 44.
She didn’t get much time to log in during the week, so when did she level up?
“Ah, I’ve been working late recently, so I’ve had to level up during what little sleep I could spare.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
Chris did look tired. She must have been leveling up while I was asleep.
She looked at me curiously.
“You’ve been leveling up faster this time, unlike in the last area.”
“It’s the new expansion zone, so I wanted to hit level 45 as soon as possible to access the next dungeon. Plus, there’s a place I want to check out once I’m 45.”
“Could it be...”
“Yes. I’m going to challenge the Ice Tower.”
“You
do know that’s technically part of the next region, right? But, well, it’s you...”
I nodded.
The level penalty could be overcome.
Now that a route had opened, nothing could stop me.
“The path is through snow-covered mountains, but they say the blizzards make it hard to progress, and the snow is piled up high. Guess that’s what happens when you take an unintended route.”
“...That’s quite a problem. Rain, I’ll have to go with you.”
“...?”
I mean, sure, it’ll be cold, but I’ve got the *Ignition Stone* from the Dwarf Village.
The in-game clothing also keeps me warm.
It’s not something Chris should be this worried about.
---
As I trudged through the snow-covered valleys, I finally understood why Chris was concerned.
**Swoosh.**
My body sank into the snow up to my waist.
“I-Incredible!”
I was furious.
**Slash, slash, slash!**
I swung *Astaroth* furiously, slicing through the snow to clear a path and continued forward.
**Swoosh.**
But only a short distance later, I sank into the snow again.
I was on the verge of tears.
Just then, a hand reached from behind and slipped under my armpits.
That hand effortlessly lifted me into the air.
Dangling.
I turned my head to look back.
“Chris.”
“See? It’s hard to do this alone, isn’t it?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be leveling up?”
“It’s fine. I enjoy spending time with you more than anything.”
Chris held me securely, supporting me with her arms while resting my head on her shoulder.
“Um, uhm...”
I felt embarrassed.
Though Seulbi’s body couldn’t move in the real world, in this game, I could walk around freely. But here I was, being carried by Chris.
“Hehe.”
Chris chuckled as she carried me, happily humming to herself.
I clung to her like a cicada as we crossed the snow-covered mountains.