Ch.137Iserath++

# 137. Iseratios++

When a boss enters Phase 2, some types become faster compared to Phase 1 while others become heavier, but most tend to speed up.

Iseratios was no exception.

『Insects. Behold the true flames of the underworld.』

Perhaps because Iseratios was a sorcerer type, the extent of change was relatively small, which was fortunate.

Of course, it was still deadly dangerous all the same.

‘Enhanced fire farts right from the start! You damn fart-spewing bastard!’

The fire fart pattern appears consistently regardless of phase, but in Phase 2, the radius of the fire farts widens and the number of attacks increases to two. If you retreat the same distance as before thinking the pattern would be the same, you’d get hit by the additional attack, stack debuffs, and become a black hole that drains healing like crazy.

“[Melee team retreat 6 steps!]”

Sure enough, Iseratios’s fire fart actually struck twice.

Thanks to doubling the distance compared to Phase 1, the enhanced fire fart barely missed the melee team again. However, while we avoided direct hits, the heat itself was unavoidable, causing Yehyun noona and her spirit to be overworked.

‘Yehyun noona can manage her condition herself, but I’m on edge not knowing when she might be depleted.’

Extremely speaking, Subin could fall into combat inability and it would be fine. But Yehyun noona absolutely couldn’t. Without her water attribute “coating,” the melee team’s dealing would plummet to the abyss, and melee positioning itself would become impossible.

“Soyu. Soul bond on Yehyun.”

“Animae necessitudo.”

That’s why I had Soyu noona cast a soul bond on Yehyun noona.

Just in case, really just in case a blind fireball flew toward Yehyun noona, so she wouldn’t die instantly.

‘The damage window is even worse than before.’

We successfully avoided attacks, but having to retreat so far meant the melee team could barely deal any damage. It was only thanks to Yuri and Arang’s good sense that they could squeeze in some chip damage; anyone else would have been too busy dodging.

As much as I wanted to create a damage window somehow…

『Despair.』

“[6, 12 both angles! Melee team 3! Main group 9!]”

『Despair.』

“[3, 9 both angles! Melee team 12! Main group 6!]”

『Despair.』

“[3, 6! Main group 9!]”

『Despair.』

“[9, 12! Melee team 3! Main group 6!]”

『Despair!』

“[3, 9, 12! Everyone 6!]”

This crazy fire maniac entered Phase 2 and tormented us with insanely difficult patterns. Among the melee team, only Arang managed to deal chip damage with her crossbow, while in the main group, Subin continued to show her skill by consistently landing chip damage. But our stamina was rapidly draining from the frequent and quick movements.

‘If this were a game, I’d be trying to squeeze in chip damage too.’

I didn’t dare try, thinking that if I misread a pattern or gave orders even slightly late, my precious comrades might get hurt or die.

The razor-sharp tension where no words other than my orders were tolerated.

This tightrope walk between life and death was extremely precarious, and the majesty of this world’s “demon”—unlike the Albs who came to pick fights with the Ayors, dungeon guardians, or other mobs—was terrifying, but…

Our concentration remained unbroken.

『Despair!!』

“[Donut! Advance 3 steps!]”

The suffocating 6-despair consecutive attack finally ended with a donut-shaped area attack.

“[Damage time!]”

And then came a brief damage window.

At my damage time order, the melee team rushed into the close-range area where residual heat remained.

“[Main group back 6 steps!]”

Ah.

The damage window was too short. At this rate…

『Insects.』

“[Seyeon block!]”

I felt truly sorry for Seyeon and feared something might happen to her, but I had her block the enhanced normal attack after she had been precariously holding aggro until now.

“…!!”

Seyeon staggered after blocking Iseratios’s consecutive fiery slaps.

But she didn’t fall and stood firm. Though I could only see her back, I could vividly imagine her gritting her teeth to avoid screaming so as not to affect us.

“[Damage time!]”

『Turn to ashes and disappear!』

“[Get out!]”

I even dropped the word “team” now. Even that word took too much time to say.

『Despair.』

“[3,9. Melee 12, Main 6!]”

『Despair!』

“[3,9,12. Melee 6!]”

『Despair!!』

“[Donut! Advance 3 steps! Damage time!]”

Another 3-hit despair combo.

I distinguished subtle differences in motion, the subtle concentration differences in the underworld flames on the ground, directed evasions, and distinguished between damage windows and non-damage windows.

The raid members performed water attribute coating concentration, healing and shields, chip damage, and basic aggro management without my orders.

‘It should be about time for the desperate pattern to appear.’

As a result of Seyeon taking the risk of being hit by enhanced normal attacks, we secured damage time to the limit. And judging by the damage we’d dealt so far, it wouldn’t be strange to enter Phase 3 soon.

[Fragment of Edenic]

A fragment of a holy sword that a goddess bestowed upon a legendary hero long ago. If the fragments are gathered, the legendary holy sword Edenic might be restored. A divine energy can be felt.

I took out the Fragment of Edenic from my inventory. Perhaps because demonic energy filled the surroundings, even though it was just a fragment, it was emitting intense light.

‘In the game, characters would stab this into demons to finish them off.’

I put it back in my inventory for now. It was enough to confirm that the Fragment of Edenic was in a different state than usual.

『Turn to ashes!』

“[Seyeon!]”

Seyeon excellently blocked the single-point explosion pattern.

“[Stun! Damage time!]”

This time Arang successfully stunned it, capturing a lucky damage window.

『Worthless insects!』

“[Sweeping! Main group 3!]”

“[Main group 6!]”

We frantically fled from the wide-area pattern that showed signs of desperation.

『Despair.』

『Despair.』

『Despair.』

『Despair.』

『Despair!』

『Despair!!』

Just when we thought we’d caught a damage window, another 6-hit despair tantrum.

It was so frustrating I truly wanted to despair.

It was nothing if not the mighty power befitting a “demon,” but Subin’s ice spear, thrown like a dagger, silenced Iseratios momentarily.

I sensed it.

Phase 3 was coming.

I immediately took out the Fragment of Edenic from my inventory, handed it to Danya, and shouted:

“To Arang.”

“Got it!”

Danya passed the Fragment of Edenic to Arang, and I made eye contact with Arang who was behind Iseratios.

I nodded silently. Arang, who had just put the fragment in her inventory, nodded back.

Right after that.

『….』

“[Cocoballs! Scatter! SCATTER!!!]”

The desperate (Phase 3) pattern began. Fireballs slightly larger than human heads suddenly appeared in more than a dozen places and fell mercilessly to the ground. I couldn’t give orders for each one. Everyone had to survive on their own.

In the game, this wasn’t an impossible pattern to avoid with some practice, and it had the cute name “Cocoballs,” but for those actually dodging it, it was pure hell.

Still, just as we were about to catch our breath after avoiding almost all of them:

“Ah!”

“Yehyun!!!”

Having exhausted her strength, Yehyun noona collapsed with a thud. And with incredibly bad luck, a cocoball—no, a fireball—was falling right where she had collapsed.

‘We’re fucked.’

My eyes met Yehyun noona’s. There wasn’t a trace of resentment toward me in her eyes. Rather, I felt her concern for me.

Noona was shaking her head.

Telling me not to come because she was done for.

‘No.’

Seyeon was far away. Every member of the main group except me had crucial roles. Especially Yehyun noona, who was the most important person in this raid.

If noona got hit by that, regardless of the injury, our entire group would be screwed.

So.

It was right for me to take the hit.

“Soyu!!!!!!!!”

“Nooooooo!!!!!”

After shouting Soyu noona’s name to signal her to focus healing on me, I successfully pushed Yehyun noona away just in time. And then…

“—————-!!!”

Terrible burning pain engulfed me.

In the midst of it, I covered my mouth with both hands to minimize the screams that would reach the raid members.

My whole body was hot, painful, felt like my flesh was being torn apart, cold, burning with screams, and my mind was hazy.

Probably either Subin or Yehyun noona splashed cold water on me, Soyu noona was frantically healing, and the raid members seemed to be panicking after seeing me get hit…

The fact that I could feel sensations meant I was still conscious.

And when pain exceeds a certain level, sometimes you feel less pain or can’t feel it at all in the moment.

“[Danya. To Yuri’s position. Yuri. Carry me.]”

With Soyu noona’s tremendous healing and my high willpower stat, I got back up. And I regrouped the raid members who had scattered because of the cocoballs.

『……』

Just as Yuri carried me and Danya took Yuri’s position, another desperate pattern tormented us.

“[Fire wall! Everyone 6! Left-right-left-right-right-left-left-right-right-right-left.]”

“Put me down! [Damage time!]”

A massive wall of underworld flames engulfed us, but with my orders—having memorized the pattern—we ran through the path like one body…

『…….die.』

Finally, the last desperate pattern arrived.

‘There’s no way to avoid this one.’

We had to get as close as possible, curl up like turtles, and endure.

Seyeon’s tanking and my buffs.

Yehyun noona’s elemental resistance.

Soyu noona’s protection and healing.

Potions.

Using all of these.

“[Huddle!!! Defensive stance!!!]”

[Skill ‘Command: Defend’ activated.]

[Keutjukyeora has activated ‘Fortress of Faith’.]

『Die!』

“[Endure!]”

『Die!!』

“[Endure!!]”

『Die!!!』

“[Endure!!!]”

『Die!!!!』

“[Endure!!!!]”

『Die!!!!!』

“[Arang!!!!!]”

Iseratios with its final desperate attack.

Veritas, enduring with the determination to defend at all costs.

Soon, a brilliant flash of light pierced through the underworld flame demon.