Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented

[Title]

Isn’t the difficulty balance of this expansion ‘Ice Tower’ a failure? (+559)

[Content]

Does the 1-player dungeon difficulty even make sense?

Thinking about the Training Tower in the Plains, I thought maybe we’d get new skills at the end here, but I definitely can’t get through the 9th floor with my current specs.

Up to the 8th floor, there’s no berserk mode, so I can kinda push through, but the 9th floor boss, ‘Ice Ogre King’, is the real problem.

I have full gear from the temple and an Elite+ attack power echo, but if I can’t deal damage like a masterpiece, the berserk mode pops out before 60%.

On top of that, it has an area-wide berserk pattern that you can’t dodge with invincibility skills.

It freezes you with an area-wide attack and then slams down, killing you in one hit.

Did you see me putting in crazy damage to hit 60%? That’s where the real problem starts.

An 8-hit area freeze pattern comes up.

I can dodge that with invulnerability, but I can’t take any breaks even for a bit when dealing damage.

Oh, and the intervals are short, so you absolutely need to use the invincibility judgment skill from the Training Tower in between.

The invincibility duration for the Training Tower skill is ridiculously short, so you’ll have to spam it until you succeed.

And even mixing in the Training Tower skill and rotating through the 8-second invulnerability, you know 5 consecutive resistances is the limit, right?

If you didn’t get the cooldown bracelet from the Dwarf Village, don’t even think about challenging it.

Even if you succeed in resisting, with my current level, the damage isn’t enough.

The entry level is 45, but the leveling cap in the ‘Par Snowfield Region’ is also 45.

But the Ice Ogre King is level 50. The level difference doesn’t allow for solid hits.

It seems that full farming in this region’s Elite Dungeon is the minimum requirement for a try.

Otherwise, you’ll probably need to level up more after the next area opens to take it down.

I’ve complained in the title, but honestly, it doesn’t seem like they meant for us to clear it right now.

There are folks trying to see how much HP they can take off ‘Ogre Pain’ ㅋㅋ Don’t waste your time, try again later.

[Comments]

– The world-exploring guys and sub-quest enthusiasts found info and all gathered here ㅋㅋ It’s honestly not right to try this now when you have to climb over a high mountain.

ㄴ Yeah, the basin entrance is on the opposite side. You can only enter after entering the next area, and it seems they forced their way through ㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴ Really? Then if you come out that way, can’t you go to the next area now?

ㄴ What have you learned so far? If you don’t full-farm the previous Elite Dungeon, you won’t be able to handle all the mobs in the next area. Fortunately, Ice Tower is a 1:1 and until the 8th floor has no berserk mode, so I barely got through that.

ㄴ Did they make the entire map for the expansion in advance?

ㄴ Yeah, but even for a game company, I doubt they thought about forcing a path.

ㄴ No, but isn’t there quite a few people already at level 45? ㅋㅋㅋ Are you guys not sleeping?

– I know a method to reduce the resistance chances for that 8-hit area ice burst. Once you enter 60%, 8 platforms appear, right? If you throw a torch object at the walls of the tower, you can erase a platform, and if you throw 5, the Ogre King will only absorb 3 platforms. Then you only need to resist 3 times.

ㄴ Really? Then I don’t have to farm the bracelet by raising friendship at the Dwarf Village.

ㄴ But during that, you can’t deal damage ㅋㅋ You have to keep dealing damage while resisting; doing that gimmick will probably trigger the berserk pattern.

ㄴ Yeah, you absolutely must level up to reduce the level difference penalty. Even after the Elite Dungeon opens in this region and doing all its farming, the damage will likely still be lacking because the level difference is a killer.

– A screenshot of a wizard reducing it to 40% was posted on the official homepage. They said they tried for ten hours and managed to get 8 resistances to succeed once. Seems like a top record.

ㄴ That’s nonsense ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴ Are they nerfing wizards?

ㄴ What about swordsmen or fighters? What about the dead and the white dog? If the white dog has a legendary weapon, maybe they could take it down.

ㄴ I don’t think someone has hit level 45 yet?

ㄴ The white dog is quietly playing the game. Even if they take it down, we have no way to know. In the Elite Dungeon, at least an announcement would pop up.

– Speaking of the white dog, there’s a recent famous spot where you can meet him. You might see the white dog while roaming around the Ice Troll spawn area.

ㄴ Is he leveling up? Can you talk to him if you meet him?

ㄴ If you hang around the area, you can talk to him ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴ Yeah, I talked to him yesterday.

ㄴ What did he say?

ㄴ “Give me some space” ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴ So cute ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴ For real… if the white dog says “Give me some space,” you better move aside…

ㄴ Who taught him such weird things?

ㄴ He doesn’t say much even if you hunt next to him. If it’s uncomfortable, he seems to just move himself.

ㄴ Don’t bother the white dog… give him space…

ㄴ Wow… now that he’s even shooting commercials, our white dog has really become a celebrity.

ㄴ I’ve watched the white dog since he was a newbie in the Orc warrior zone. I always knew he’d become great.

*

Recently, I’ve been running into a lot of people.

“That’s strange.”

The ‘Par Snowfield Region’ is quite vast.

Even in the snowy hills where I’m hunting Ice Trolls, there’s enough space for hundreds of elite farming players to hunt without a problem.

Yet, I keep seeing users nearby.

Peeking around.

“Oh look, it’s the white dog.”

“Wow, so you were hunting here.”

This time, it’s two women.

These days, my ability to engage in conversation has increased. Maybe it’s because I’ve talked to users I’ve run into in the designated hunting zones more often.

Now I can even start a conversation with someone I’ve never seen before.

I approached the sisters who were peeking near the spawn point of the Ice Trolls.

When I start talking first, most of the time they give me space.

But since I haven’t truly rented the hunting ground, there was also a need to communicate for adjustments.

“Hey, are you hunting here?”

As I chimed in, the sisters began to sparkle with excitement.

“Ahhh…! Just look at that pretty voice! This is my first time hearing the white dog’s voice!”

“White dog, I mean, Rain-nim, do you want to party and hunt with us?”

Nods of reluctance.

The experience efficiency for level-up party hunting isn’t bad, but I prefer to hunt alone.

The only person I can level up with is one.

“Grrr!”

Huff, puff.

With a furious snort, a red-haired Onmyoji appeared from below the snowy hills.

Around her, Onmyoji orbs spun, and the talismans in her hands glowed with a red aura. She’s fully in combat mode.

Urgently, I said to the sisters.

“Hey, my party is coming. You may want to move; it could be dangerous here.”

“Gasp…!”

“It’s Chris!”

Whoosh!

The sisters, who were just inviting me to a party, hurriedly vanished from my line of sight.

Swish.

Surrounded by the sisters, I happily welcomed Chris.

“Chris, I’ve secured a spot where trolls spawn a lot.”

“Hehe, thanks to you, Rain, I’ll be leveling up quickly.”

Chris softened her expression and gave my head a gentle pat as if to say she had never been angry.

“…But, were you really planning to attack? There’s a huge penalty for PKing in the regular field, right? Those sisters didn’t do anything that wrong.”

“Humph, trying to hunt Rain is a grave sin.”

“…Hunting?”

I’m not prey, though.

With a bright flash.

Kaaak!

Every time my sword gleamed silver as it passed, the Ice Trolls sprayed green blood and collapsed.

Kwahhhh!

Kiiik-!

Chris’s talisman embedded in the spot where the Ice Troll was standing formed a Demon Sealing Technique. The explosion that occurred tore apart the troll’s body.

“Alright! Achieved level 44!”

“I’m at level 45 now! But when did you hit level 44?”

Chris’s level was already at 44.

She hardly plays on weekdays, so when did she level up?

“Geez, I’ve been getting back late from work lately. I had to cut down on sleep and level up.”

“Ah, don’t overdo it.”

Chris did look tired. It seems she was leveling up while I was asleep.

Chris looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“You were taking it slow in the last area, but now you’re getting through quickly?”

“It’s a new expansion area, so I wanted to get to level 45, the minimum for the next dungeon entry, and explore the surroundings. Once I hit 45, I have places to go.”

“Are you…”

“Yes. I’m going to challenge the Ice Tower.”

“Do you know that originally it’s meant to be the next area dungeon? Well, it is you, Rain.”

I nodded.

The penalties from level differences can be overcome to a degree.

Now that a route is available for entry, nothing can stop me.

“That path to get there is completely snow-covered mountains… They say it’s hard to advance because there are snowstorms and the snow is piled so high.”

“…That sounds like a huge problem. Rain, I have to go with you.”

“……?”

Sure, it’s cold, but I have the ‘Fire Stone’ I got from the Dwarf Village.

In-game clothing also provides plenty of warmth.

It shouldn’t be a huge deal to warrant Chris’s concern.

As I crossed over a valley piled high with snow, I slowly understood why Chris was worried.

Plop.

My body sank deep into the snow, up to my waist.

“Th… this is ridiculous!”

I was extremely angry.

Pah pah pah pah!

I swung the starlit Astaroth wildly, clearing the snow away and began to move forward again.

Plop.

Not long after, my body sank deep into snow once again.

I was on the verge of tears.

At that moment, a hand approached from behind and slipped between my armpits.

With a quick lift, I was raised high.

Swinging.

I looked back, dangling from that hand.

“Chris.”

“Hehe. You can’t go alone, can you?”

“Aren’t you supposed to level up?”

“It’s fine. Being with you, Rain, is what makes me happiest.”

Chris lifted me up.

Supporting my bottom with her arm, my head rested over her shoulder.

“Ugh, umm.”

How embarrassing.

Though I can’t move my legs because of Lee Seulbi’s body, in this world, I should’ve been able to walk freely, yet here I am, being carried by a sister.

“Hehe.”

While holding me, Chris let out a silly laugh.

Dunga dunga.

As Chris carried me, I swung from her body across the snowy mountain.

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