Chapter 208
Chapter 208: Raid - Challenge
"For the first attempt at the 【Lord of Storms】 raid, we'll proceed by observing mechanics and patterns! Everyone, focus more on defense rather than offense! Don't get swept up trying to deal damage recklessly!"
"Yes! Understood!"
"Got it!"
"Okay, defense over offense, defense over offense."
-I hope someone rushes out saying 'offense is the best defense'
-There's one crazy person above ㄷㄷ
-That'll be instantly immortalized in the community lololol
-Shocking fact) There was actually someone who did that
"Alright! Let's go! First attempt!"
With Raid Leader Redok's shout, the raid members charged onto the battlefield together.
Their expressions were filled with nervous excitement. Of course, except for Baek Woohyun. His face was as calm and indifferent as always.
If it weren't for his inverted eyes burning like white flames, no one would have thought he was someone about to enter a raid.
【────!】
-oh
-It reacted!
-Breath!!! Dodge!!! To the corner!!!
-? What breath
Perceiving their entry within a certain distance as the start of the raid, the 【Lord of Storms】 flashed its eyes and let out a roar.
The Otherworld Lord's power spread in all directions, making the already fierce rain even more intense. As if even this was part of the mechanics.
And it probably was. Not because rainwater was getting in their eyes, but simply because so much rain was falling that everything ahead had turned hazy white.
The creature then raised both arms bound by chains high up, though the chains didn't seem to actually restrain it at all.
Well, considering that it had devoured the Reverse Otherworld and created the Storm Fortress before, driving those chains into the ground itself, that made sense.
Perhaps some special measures would be needed to turn those into proper restraints. Baek Woohyun had learned from past raids that similar cases had existed before.
"Hoo."
Tap!
After exhaling briefly, Baek Woohyun stepped forward ahead of all the other raid members toward the 【Lord of Storms】.
It wasn't so much out of a desire to claim first place, but rather to experience the boss's first attack with his own body.
Through this, he intended to gauge how much the Otherworld Lord had weakened compared to 'that side' and respond accordingly. While also protecting the still-nervous raid members.
【──!】
Kuuung!
"Whoaa—!"
"The ground shakes just from the aftershock of its basic attack?!"
"Its size is seriously overpowered. Geez."
-That slam though ㄷㄷ
-The sheer size makes it scary as hell lololol
-Can we even maintain distance from this thing?
-Well, Hackphysical couldn't land a hit on it, right? Just hit the ground with a wild swing, right? Just like taking a shotgun blast, right?
"......"
'This is...'
Baek Woohyun's eyes gleamed ominously as he dodged the powerful downward strike. The reason was simple—it was far too pathetic compared to 'that side.'
Speed, destructive power, even the pressure of the attack—nothing about it could compare to the Otherworld Lord he had fought against on 'that side.'
He could guarantee that if the current Lord of Storms had attacked him in his prime, all that would remain would be a torn corpse in no time.
'...This might be easier than I expected?'
Realizing the Otherworld Lord had been weakened far more than he'd imagined, Baek Woohyun judged that this raid might not take as long as he'd thought.
The single strike 【Lord of Storms】 had shown was a full level below what he'd assumed when training the raid members.
......Perhaps enough that he could even consider bringing out that plan he'd carefully tucked away in a corner of his mind.
'Let me test it out a bit first.'
【──!】
Huuuung!
Baek Woohyun, who had briefly retreated to let the raid members gain experience, changed his mind and stepped forward again.
His demeanor was confident, showing no fear even facing a giant over several dozen meters tall.
The Lord of Storms, having failed its first attack, immediately reacted to his movement, and a fist larger than a two-story building aimed for him.
Surprisingly, Baek Woohyun didn't dodge—instead, he took another step forward.
It was a scene reminiscent of a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot, though if a comparison were needed, David and Goliath would be more apt.
Because he had more than enough ability to fell the giant.
"Hup!"
Swish!
【─?!】
-Wow -wtf -how did he do that;; -body size means nothing lololol
Overwhelming technique that transcended the overwhelming size difference!
There was a perfect sense of stability in Baek Woohyun's movements as he deflected the fist thrown by the 【Lord of Storms】.
As if no matter how large and powerful an existence gave its all, it could never disturb him.
"──!"
Kwang!
【─ ──!】
And immediately followed by a counterattack!
Baek Woohyun struck hard against the forearm exposed as the fist glanced off. It was a heavier blow that reversed the opponent's force against them.
The unexpected counterattack visibly caused the 【Lord of Storms】's movements to shrink back.
"Hmm..."
Baek Woohyun, who had narrowed his eyes at the sensation traveling through his fist, finally retreated.
Thinking he should observe the mechanics first.
【──!】
Kwaang!
"Ugh! Since it's so huge, even its basic attacks have insane range!"
"Still, it's pretty dodgeable though!"
"Watch out for the chains! Don't get careless after dodging and get hit!"
-That's definitely from experience lol -He got cocky after dodging and got caught by the chains ㅋㅋ -Body comedy is still ShinTube's specialty ㅋㅋㅋㅋ -Hackphysical probably brought Shintube along as the comedy relief ㅋㅋ
And so what followed was a typical 'Reverse Planet' raid.
A raid where the raid party members surrounding the raid boss 【Lord of Storms】 each moved about, attacking, defending, and evading.
As if to prove that the past two weeks of preparation weren't in vain, the raid members gritted their teeth and pressed on with the raid.
"Anyone whose defense and evasion skills are on cooldown, fall back immediately! Like I said before! This attempt is to observe patterns and mechanics, so survival is the top priority!"
"Understood!"
"I'll fall back for a moment!"
-They're doing better than I thought?
-Haven't even seen a single mechanic yet
-ㄴㄴ They're doing well. No buffs and they're not getting pushed back in skills
-I want to learn from Hackphysical too, damn
'ㅇㅇ' donated '1000 won'!
[If they handle the mechanics well, this looks like an easy clear]
'Reverse Planet' doesn't have the typical MMORPG role divisions of tank-dealer-healer. The only distinction is close-range/long-range based on ability builds.
This means raids also don't follow the pattern of tanking-dealing-healing according to role groups, but instead rely heavily on individual skill.
More precisely, for normal patterns like now, raid members individually survive and fight on their own, only cooperating when handling mechanics triggered by the raid boss's depleting health.
The most common ability build format became 2/1/1/1 (2 attack skills / 1 defense skill / 1 movement skill / 1 ultimate) because it tried to cover attack, defense, and evasion all at once.
Without a balanced ability build, you couldn't properly survive the non-mechanic phases of raids. Unless individual skill was overwhelmingly superior, of course.
There were once attempts to configure ability builds with the tank-DPS-healer trinity in mind, but unfortunately, they crumbled without overcoming the wall of makeshift raid parties.
"[Wind Blade]!"
"[Crown of Thorns]!"
'This is... pretty manageable?'
'The training with Hackphysical was way harder!'
Anyway, what mattered was that the section requiring individual skill was easier than expected.
As explained earlier, Baek Woohyun had trained them assuming the [Lord of Storms] would be at least one level stronger than this.
Unintentionally, they had ended up using the reverse perception operation that Team B of 'Superstar N (meaning Nuclear~)' had employed. Additionally, they were focusing on survival over offense.
Of course, that didn't mean the raid members' efforts should be undervalued.
Fighting a giant made of storms dozens of meters tall while reproducing supernatural ability builds without assistance was no easy feat.
Being able to conduct a battle that could result in accidents at any careless moment with relative ease was only because they were giving their all and maintaining full concentration.
[You vermin!]
"It spoke?!"
"Mechanic warning! Everyone respond appropriately!"
-I thought it couldn't talk since it only roared this whole time
-Got beaten so much its mouth opened up lol
-???: Stop it~ Don't hit me~
-The expression "beaten until it can talk" is hilarious lmao
[I'll kill you all!]
Gooooo─
Was it because they had relentlessly pressured it?
The [Lord of Storms], which had only been roaring since the start, spoke proper language for the first time.
Though it was just curses mixed with one-sided hatred toward the raid party, they had to pay attention to the fact that it did something different.
After all, in raids, when raid bosses took different actions, it was often a mechanic.
Kwaaaaaa─!
"Whirlwinds appearing! Everyone dodge! For now, proceed in the direction that avoids getting hit as much as possible!"
Indeed, that assumption proved correct this time as well.
With a tremendous release of energy, massive whirlwinds began swirling around the [Lord of Storms].
In cases of patterns that summoned and attacked with something, there were times when you had to deliberately get hit, but Redok, serving as raid leader, ordered them to dodge first.
That was because the whirlwinds were terrifyingly large and powerful to choose the option of taking hits.
-Doesn't seem like one per person?
-Too powerful to be a mechanic where you fulfill conditions by getting hit
-If you get caught in that, looks like instant death lol
-Domhwangcha~
"Survival is top priority! Focus on dodging!"
Kwaaaaaa─!
"Kyaa! It's coming this way!"
"Can't see ahead! Ugh! Rain, seriously!"
-Total chaos lol
-This is the true taste of raiding lol
-The unreasonableness that strikes the moment you think it's manageable
-Still, the first mechanic seems pretty basic??
The raid members scattered with screams as they were surrounded by multiple whirlwinds and even heavier rainfall caused by them.
Even without Redok's orders, they wouldn't have dared to attack anyway. They were too busy dodging to see properly in the limited visibility.
─Except for one person, Baek Woohyun.
"──!"
Taat!
Drawing out 'Soul Eater,' the Soul-Extinguishing Sword, Baek Woohyun roared and leaped toward a whirlwind.
The violently blowing wind blades tried to cut him down in an instant, but there was no way he'd fall to something of this level.
He jumped higher and higher, stepping on the surface of the whirlwind. High enough that no whirlwind could reach him.
Eventually reaching a height where he could even look down on the [Lord of Storms], almost standing in the sky, he twisted his body without hesitation.
The greatsword over 2 meters long willingly responded to his will, drawing a clear trajectory of slashing.
A superhuman strike descending from the heavens!
-No way lmao
-Stepping on whirlwinds to jump?
-Does that even make sense lol
-'Supernatural ability'
Seogеok!
[──!]
This attack clearly dealt significant damage to the [Lord of Storms].
Otherwise, why would a being at the level of an Otherworld Lord writhe in such pain and roar like this!