[Don't come in. -Rain-]
Early morning, in front of Rain's room.
Chris was sitting next to it, dozing off.
Nod nod.
"Mmm... Our white kid shouldn't be in pain..."
Whirr- Click.
"Ah!"
Startled by the sound heard while half-asleep, Chris looked to the side.
"Eh."
The door opened, and a snow-white girl sitting in a wheelchair appeared.
The pretty white pajamas Chris bought wrapped her small body. She seems to have just finished getting ready to sleep.
Rain, who came out opening the door, was looking at her with a slightly surprised expression.
Chris jumped up and grabbed Rain's shoulders.
"Rain, are you okay!? Wh-what. Did you try all night long?"
"Ah... Yes."
Chris carefully examined Rain's expression.
An undisguisable look of pain, and an expression tinged with fatigue.
Thud.
Chris's heart sank.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
A pain as if her heart was being wrung.
"What should we do if you're like this from the first day..."
Chris hung her head.
Her lonely battle.
How can she help?
"...Unnie."
Rain hugged Chris's head to her chest.
"Do I look like I'm struggling?"
"I-if not struggling, then what!"
"..."
A small, soft hand wrapped around Chris's face.
Rain carefully raised Chris's face to meet her eyes.
Chris blankly stared into Rain's eyes.
In Rain's pupils, an emotion Chris hadn't read was swirling.
It was a sense of achievement.
"R-Rain!"
Chris's face brightened.
Rain smiled brightly too.
* * *
"To think you'd clear the 1st Named boss alone in just one day... Rain, eat this too."
"Ah~"
Chomp.
Rain well received the food Chris put in her mouth.
It's a precious time of communication that can be had once a day.
Chris decided to fully savor this time.
Though Rain has been eating alone for a while, fortunately they could eat together today.
Chris looked fondly at Rain chewing the meat she put in her mouth, then casually asked.
"So, how did you clear it? Well, in a way it's a first clear competition, so I know I shouldn't ask about this, but."
"It's Chris unnie. Of course I'll tell you... Ah, um. There are parts that are hard to talk about though."
Rain was about to speak without hesitation, but made a somewhat troubled expression and avoided Chris's gaze.
Chris nodded.
The part Rain is reluctant about must be about the driving force that allowed her to solo play. A hidden gimmick? Anyway, there might be methods like blasting away chunks of HP. If this is considered a first clear competition, it would be hard to tell.
"Um, so... Deal damage, when magic circles appear erase them in order, purify Ents, create barrier to block breath, repeat."
Chris made a dumbfounded expression.
"Th-that's all?"
"Um... The big picture. Oh, at 60% four magic circles. At 30% five appear."
Chris had anticipated that part too.
But how on earth could she step on all the magic circles alone?
While dodging demonic energy spears, and fending off Ents' attacks?
Even if she did all that, Rain is alone.
It should be physically impossible time-wise.
Perhaps reading the question in Chris's eyes, Rain scratched her face with a shy smile.
Feeling like it became an interrogating appearance, Chris also made an apologetic expression and changed the topic.
"Well anyway, it's possible alone. Haah, I'll have to whip those Red-White raid party guys who couldn't clear with 12 people."
Rain chuckled.
"Unnie, don't torment the guild members too much."
Then soon, she made a tender expression and muttered to herself.
"...Just two more gates to pass, and I can meet."
"...?"
Chris tilted her head looking at Rain's face.
The expression of affection Rain rarely makes.
That expression is one she only shows to herself.
But now Rain is making that expression while thinking of someone other than her.
What is it?
An inexplicable uneasiness bloomed in Chris's chest.
* * *
Chris laid Rain, who finished a long attempt, on the bed and patted her to sleep.
And when the promised attempt time approached, she logged into 'Astria Online'.
The moment the intermediate boss is defeated, all raid party members are bound to that raid dungeon.
The current progress is in front of the 'Tree of the Abyss' 1st Named boss 'Black Dragon'.
"Yawn."
Chris yawned.
But soon she glared at the Black Dragon with wide eyes.
Though she was tired from staying up all night worrying about Rain, she couldn't show weakness as the raid leader.
The 'Red-White raid party' members also started appearing one by one in front of the 1st Named boss.
When all raid members gathered in front of the Black Dragon, Chris gave a briefing before starting today's conquest.
Whirr.
A miniature hologram of the 1st Named boss combat area floated in front of Chris.
"Oh, a hologram PPT? You must have worked hard making it."
"We'll proceed according to this positioning today. Red Hot Chicken joins in phase 2, Cherni joins in phase 3 for a total of 5 people, ranged dealers performing gimmicks need to move organically. I've also decided backup members in case of death."
"As expected, if it goes like this. But we haven't seen the 30% special phase yet?"
"Even if we get through the second special phase, we don't know what will happen. No one would know after 60%."
"No, there are five magic circles in the 30% special phase."
At Chris's confident words, all Red-White raid members made puzzled expressions.
"No way."
Deathly Death opened his eyes wide.
Following his rarely seen agitation, Bae Merong and Cherni also opened their mouths.
Chris nodded.
"Ughh."
"Again!"
"Aaah! Even in raid dungeons!"
Deathly Death clutched his head, and Bae Merong and Cherni made dejected expressions.
"What? What is it?"
"What's going on, Guild Master? Deathly Death-nim?"
The original 'Chris party' members started showing strange reactions.
The Red-White raid members unfamiliar with this situation asked urgently.
Chris smiled and told this to all of the Red-White raid party.
"The 1st Named boss first clear came out at dawn today. Someone we know well did it."
"...!"
Only then did the other raid members catch on.
Elementalist Full Moon carefully spoke up.
"...Rain? By solo play?"
Nod nod.
At Chris's affirmation, the Red-White raid party was flipped upside down.
"Wh-what."
"Impossible! Really?"
"No, um. If it's Rain. But even so! It's not an elite dungeon, but a raid dungeon?"
Grin.
Watching the confused appearance of the raid members, Chris smiled cruelly.
"So, we absolutely must clear it with twelve people, right? You know, I might be disappointed if the attempt takes too long? There might be replacements for members who make a lot of mistakes..."
"Wah!"
Chris flipped the Red-White raid party upside down twice.
[1st Named Boss]
[Level 53]
[Black Dragon]
[HP 59,974,550 / 200,000,000 (30%)]
Flap, flap, flap.
The dragon's wing flapping began.
The start of the third special phase, flight pattern.
Tap tap tap tap!
"Finally the last special phase! This time five magic circles! We have to grit our teeth and do it!"
Chris shouted while quickly running to her assigned position.
Tap, tap, tap!
Other ranged dealers also moved in unison towards their respective gimmick performance positions.
Woong, woong, woong!
Swoosh!
Demonic energy spears generated from the Black Dragon's body floating in the air and started flying towards the ranged dealers moving to perform gimmicks.
"Guardian talisman, flame protection, anything is fine! We saved party protection skills for this moment, so use them freely for your own survival! There's only normal patterns after this!"
Raid parties running for first clear can be seen as pioneers exploring uncharted territory.
An unknown area with no one knowing.
The process of solving a puzzle without an answer key.
In fact, that overwhelming feeling is the biggest hurdle.
But if there's an answer, it's a different story.
This is also in line with the fact that additional clear parties pop up like bamboo shoots after a dungeon first clear party appears.
If you know, you can prepare in advance. You can boldly use skills with long cooldowns. You just need to get used to patterns and movements through repetitive practice.
Swish swish swish swish!
The Black Dragon's spears that flew in with an ominous sound cutting through air disappeared helplessly, blocked by the raid members' protection skills.
And the magic circles started disappearing one by one as they stepped on them.
Tap.
Chris succeeded in stepping on the last magic circle and purifying all the Ents.
Woong!
The moment all raid members gathered inside the barrier generated in the center of the combat area.
Boom boom boom boom boom!!!
The Black Dragon's breath concentrated to the extreme engulfed the raid members.
Chris could smile even in that terrifying breath.
"With this, all special phases end."
All that's left is the work of shaving off the dragon's remaining HP.
It didn't take long after that for the dragon's huge body to collapse.
Roooooar-!!
Thud thud thud.
Ding.
[Raid Dungeon 'Tree of the Abyss' Progress 1/3]
[Earrings of the Abyss]
[Legendary Grade]
[Strength +80 Agility +80 Intelligence +80]
[Critical Chance +12%]
[Critical Damage +30%]
[Unique Ability: 10% additional damage of attack power]
(Bound on acquire)
"Ohhh...! Legendary grade accessory! Critical chance in double digits!"
"To give so many precious stats that only increase bit by bit through leveling up, as expected of Legendary grade."
"Look at this, it even has a unique ability. Unconditional additional damage!"
"Just wearing that one would be an enormous spec up. You could become the strongest dealer even within the Red-White raid party."
The joy of clearing a raid dungeon Named boss.
The sweet reward that follows.
The entire Red-White raid party cheered.
"It's a bound item. Ahem, so we can't sell it?"
"Puhaha! Ko Seungwoo only thinks about money!"
Ranger Ko Seungwoo clicked his tongue, and Fighter Hopkins laughed heartily.
"I'll start the earrings auction. From me, two thousand gold."
"Gasp!"
"What!"
Chris coolly bid.
At that enormous amount, all Red-White raid members who were about to bid on the item became dumbstruck.
A weekly reset raid, guaranteed drop item. Later it will be left over.
It's quite expensive even for the first Legendary accessory.
But Chris's wealth was amazing.
"No one bidding higher? I'll distribute after today's attempt ends. We're proceeding to Area 2 right away."
Chris put the earrings in her inventory, then headed towards the opened path without looking back.
She was in a hurry.
The 1st Named boss took longer than expected.
Even auction time was precious.
Today, they need to clear up to the 2nd Named boss.