NOVEL NEXT Chapter 88
Thump.
I jumped down from Chris’s arms and landed in the snow.
And then, I gazed upon the massive ice spire proudly positioned in the center of the snowy basin.
“Ice Spire.”
[Entry Level 45]
[1 Player Dungeon]
[Ice Spire]
This could be called the second version of the Training Tower.
Users who conquer this tower will gain new power.
Of course, it looks physically tough at this point.
“Well then, I’m going to level up, sis.”
“Yeah. Work hard.”
I looked up at Chris as she gently patted my head.
“Rain will manage just fine, but don’t overdo it.”
“…Okay.”
This time, I turned away from Chris and replied while looking at the Ice Spire.
The reason I didn’t look at Chris is that I lied.
If she sees my eyes, she’ll figure me out.
Chances are high that by the end of today, I will…
Be overexerting myself.
—
[Ice Spire, Floor 1]
Upon entering the tower, the walls made entirely of ice immediately caught my eye.
The torches embedded in the walls glowed softly, giving off a magical light.
“Well, at least it has safety measures.”
There’s a reason Chris scheduled the Ice Spire challenge for her day off.
If Lee Seulbi collapses while Chris is at work, it could be much more dangerous.
I silently apologized to Chris.
Sorry, Sister Chris, for not telling you in advance.
If Seulbi does happen to collapse, I bet you’d be really shocked.
But she’s much healthier than before, so even if she dies a few times, it shouldn’t lead to a serious situation.
There’s a high probability I’ll face ‘that’ at the end of this tower, too.
The specter of my past that I must overcome.
I’ve become much stronger since then, but that doesn’t mean I can win against a being that requires careful preparation. This won’t be easy again.
I fiddled with an item dangling at my waist. It was a special creation Chris gifted me. I’m not sure why it’s round.
This is a kind of emergency call device. If you pull the string at the end, it sends a direct signal to Chris. It’s connected to a smartphone out in the real world, which means I could receive emergency signals even while working.
You could say it’s a safety measure for ‘Lee Seulbi,’ who isn’t feeling well. If anything happens, I could use the messenger app or step outside the capsule to make an emergency call on my smartphone, but I ended up carrying it around due to Chris’s insistence.
Sister Chris sure worries a lot.
As I stood in the hall of the Ice Spire’s first floor, lost in thought, the expected presence revealed itself.
From the darkness of the ceiling, a red figure fell down.
Thud.
A massive chunk of red meat appeared before me.
Graaah!
[Level 50 Blood-Red Angler]
[HP 10,000,000 / 10,000,000 (100%)]
The named monsters that previously appeared in the Elite Dungeon are restructured to fit a one-player dungeon.
Just like the ‘Training Tower.’
In that case, what’s at the end of this tower will be the same too.
Shwing.
Slash.
I drew my dagger, ‘Astaroth,’ and swung it to the side. A silver arc followed the blade.
Graaah!
I charged forward, shedding silver light towards the Blood-Red Angler, which was giving a terrifying scream.
—
[Ice Spire, Floor 8]
[Level 50 Ancient Golem Fallen Angel Valiel]
[HP 2,967,056 / 12,000,000 (24%)]
Boom, Boom, Crash!*
A huge dark sword crashed down above me. I swiftly moved my body to dodge all three swords.
Graaah!
Having blocked the Fallen Angel Valiel’s dark blades rushing towards me, I casually glanced back.
The dark sword’s remnants were quickly disappearing. As expected, all the special patterns are the same.
There’s no special gimmick to neutralize the dark and light blades, and I don’t have to face both the Archangel and the Fallen Angel simultaneously.
What I’m facing is just a slightly tougher Fallen Angel Golem.
I forcefully pushed away the Fallen Angel’s blade and pulled back my body. At the same time, I lowered my stance and positioned my sword at my waist.
The Time of One Flash.
Flash!
The silver new type became a flash of light.
Ohhhh!
The long silver light engraved on Valiel’s body emitted an eerie sound.
Slash.
I swiftly pivoted after cutting Valiel.
Again, the second One Flash.
Flash!
Twisting my body for the third.
Flash!
Ohhhh!
Rumble!
Through three One Flashes, utilizing the cooldown reset, the body of Archangel Valiel was sliced into pieces and scattered on the floor.
I immediately turned towards the staircase leading up to the 9th floor.
—
[Ice Spire, Floor 9]
“Oh.”
Is that the one?
[Level 50 Ice Ogre King]
[HP 15,000,000 / 15,000,000 (100%)]
A gigantic ogre with a face revealing beastly instincts. Its wide-open mouth shows large fangs, looking like it might bite a foe at any moment.
The hands covered in white fur are enormous. The sharp claws at the tips gleam menacingly. It doesn’t even need a weapon. It’ll just tear me apart with those gigantic hands.
Chomp.
From the slightly parted mouth of the monster, cold air flowed out.
According to info from users who encountered it first, this monster emits freezing air that can freeze users. And it does so continuously.
This thing is the ‘Ice Ogre King,’ known for being unmanageable with current user specs.
The infamous gatekeeper of the 9th floor of the Ice Spire.
But for me, the Ogre King is just a step in my journey.
Well, if I didn’t have Astaroth, it might have been a struggle even for me, right?
I suppose it sounds fortunate, but that’s also my ability.
To be precise, it’s Chris’s wealth, but still.
Slash.
I drew Astaroth.
And grinned.
“I’m just passing through.”
—
Of course, I couldn’t pass through as quickly as I hoped.
The so-called ‘Wailing Wall’ and the gatekeeper of Floor 9, ‘Ice Ogre King.’ This is no easy opponent.
Huff, Graaah!
As the Ice Ogre King swung its arms left and right, I slightly pulled back and quickly lifted my sword to engage. This was a strategic blocking skill to utilize the Just Guard effect for a vitality buff.
The Ogre King spread its arms wide, seemingly trying to crush me as I dove in.
Clapping pattern. Here comes the counterattack.
Slash, BamBamBam!
My Astaroth found the Ogre King’s back and danced around, spilling silver and starlight.
Grrr!
The Ogre King growled and turned its body to glare at me directly. Its movements were relatively slow.
Huff!
Its massive body soared into the air and fell, trying to crush me.
Thud.
Boom!
I timed it perfectly, turned around, and used ‘Backward Evasion.’ The Ogre King’s slam left a massive shockwave, but it couldn’t harm me thanks to the invincibility granted by the backward evasion.
By turning around and using backward evasion, I could re-engage from behind while skipping the approach step. It’s a way to use an invincible skill in solo play to handle the back, which is different from maintaining my position with a diving counter.
I quickly checked the Ogre King’s HP.
Still 87%.
Certainly, the rate at which its HP decreases is remarkably slow.
This is the penalty due to a level difference.
And there’s even a rampage mode.
The pattern itself isn’t that complicated. What’s threatening is the pressure of the imminent rampage and the eight successive cold air bursts that appear when its HP is below 60%. The success of the raid depends on how much the damage potential of each class can be maximized.
This is the boss designed to measure individual damage limits. If you can’t deliver enough DPS to take it down before the rampage, it won’t even let you pass.
Since it’s a giant boss, all its attacks hit. Its patterns are also slow and simple. For me, pursuing a speedy battle by maximizing agility makes it a boss where I can’t easily widen the gap compared to other users. When facing multiple opponents or tricky pattern bosses, my agility advantage begins to fade.
However, if I maintain a meticulously calculated damage cycle using Astaroth, I can definitely achieve enough damage to not be hindered by the rampage.
I squinted, determined to land even one more strike between my invincibility and response skills, continuing the precarious battle.
—
[Level 50 Ice Ogre King]
[HP 8,970,551 / 15,000,000 (59%)]
Grrrrr!!
Huff!
Suddenly, the Ice Ogre King, letting out a roar, jumped up almost to the ceiling.
A sign of a special pattern, the cold air burst.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The tremors from the Ogre King’s colossal body crashing down shook the Ice Spire. Simultaneously, massive ice crystals began to fall from the ceiling.
The fallen ice crystals shattered, forming cold areas on the ground.
There were a total of eight cold areas spread out on the floor.
Swish!
I identified a path that wouldn’t touch the cold areas and used my approach skill to follow the Ogre King. My new type surged forward, immediately spilling silver as it started to slice through the Ogre King’s body.
The free damage time was longer than I expected. 30 seconds? 40 seconds? While I relentlessly wielded my sword, I briefly glanced at the tower’s walls adorned with torches.
I had previously noted the information regarding the gimmick that could destroy the ‘torch object.’ It meant I should throw out torches to clear the cold areas during this time. But at my current level, I can’t afford to ease up on the damage even for a moment. I can enjoy leisurely completing the gimmick later.
Woooosh.
After sitting still for dozens of seconds taking hits, the Ogre King finally expanded its body and opened its mouth.
Grrrr!
Inside the Ice Spire, where no wind could be felt, the flow of air changed.
The cold air within was getting sucked directly into the Ogre King’s mouth.
Even the eight cold areas lying on the ground.
Wham!
Cold air burst out suddenly from the Ogre King’s body as it pounded its chest.
It was the beginning of the eight successive cold air burst pattern.