kscans

Chapter 358 - Reckless and Wingless

Let's get straight to the point: [Epel, Great Ice Spirit Guardian] is not the kind of boss an unprepared solo player can somehow manage on their first try.

In fact, it's doubtful the fight was even designed for a standard party. This thing is probably a major piece of content meant for a full raid.

No, not probably—it's almost certain. The proof? The mechanics are clearly beyond what a small group could possibly handle.

First, there are the countless clones it has deployed at all times, right from the start of the fight. They unleash a hailstorm of icicles that even I, with my evasion-focused build, can't completely dodge without [Fatal Read].

As the battle progresses, their attack patterns—or rather, the types of magic they use—increase to three, and at that point, it becomes truly impossible to deal with.

The icicles, thankfully, don't hit as hard as they look, but that's a cold comfort when you're trying to handle everything alone.

They have it all: fast-moving icicles that home in on you, beams fired at a slight offset to throw off your timing, and an area-of-effect freezing debuff. It's a free-for-all.

No way. I've got my hands full just dealing with these things. And they get instantly replaced when I take them out? It's like the game is blatantly telling solo players to get lost. I just don't have enough hands for this!

And putting those little extras aside, the real problem—one that makes its annoying minions look like a joke—is the big boss itself, Epel.

To start, it comes standard with an absurdly cheap ability: once an attack lands a clean hit, that attack no longer works on it.

I'm alone and constantly being chased by a barrage of projectiles, so I haven't been able to test this thoroughly. My assessment is just a guess for now, but the fact is, after I landed that first blow, my [Samidorizuki]’s slashes stopped doing any real damage.

I confirmed that the [Parabellum Bullet] I threw afterward did inflict damage, so thankfully it doesn't seem to gain resistance to broad categories like 'Swords' or 'Slashes'.

However, for a solo player like me whose options are limited—even if I have a few more than the average player—this is a fatal flaw. It only gains resistance, so a tiny bit of damage still gets through, meaning I could chip away at it... but that's it.

It's just not realistic. Trying to fight a war of attrition against this thing while being relentlessly targeted by an army of floating turrets? I wouldn't do it even if you paid me.

If it were more like the [Gemlant Quintesta, the Jewel-Eating Queen] I fought before—a boss that stays put and focuses on summoning—I might have had a chance...

—but it seems this Great Spirit is the type that likes to get its own hands dirty.

"Tch—I messed up...!"

With no room to breathe, I realized the count I'd been struggling to keep in the back of my mind was off. I let out a loud curse.

I dodged a volley of beams from the minions, and as my body hung in the air, I used [Hare Real]'s void-touch to slam myself back down onto the icy ground—[Construction].

I managed to deploy [Twaibolt Mirari] just in time, successfully hiding my cowering form beneath the twin greatshields.

And a moment later—

"Whoa... that was close!?"

A high-pitched ping—the telltale sign my ears had picked up just before—was followed by Epel's periodic ultimate attack: a 'Homing & Spread Mixed Indiscriminate Wide-Range Super-Destruction Beam'.

Number of beams: a lot.

Power: probably instant death if one grazes you.

It's a mandatory gimmick skill. A warning sound echoes five seconds before it fires, and it reloads ninety seconds after it's done.

Perhaps they share an energy source, because the minions stop moving when Epel unleashes that attack. So, if you handle it properly—by hiding behind one of the great ice trees, which is likely the intended method—it can even become a short break...

"Ngh... ghh, g-ghh...!"

But if you mess up the timing, this is what happens. The beam pins both me and my shields to the ground, its aftershock mercilessly chipping away at my HP.

Recovery is possible, but Arcadia's built-in healing method, potions, are the humble type—they heal over time and restore a modest amount of health.

Plus, there's a cooldown, so you can't use them consecutively or stack their effects. And if you rely on them too much, you get a wonderfully thematic debuff called 'Potion Sickness,' which leaves you unable to use them at all and lowers your stats.

In short, they're garbage. Help me, Sora-sama!

"Nngh...! ...Hah!—I survived!"

The moment the light and pressure of the massive laser vanished, I dismissed my twin shields and immediately jumped away.

Instantly, the minions, the [Splinter Ice Sprites (Liepis Aisia)], resumed their barrage—and the Great Spirit, having finished its spectacular show, became a mass projectile itself.

In other words, a direct physical attack from the big guy.

Seriously, every single monster is the same...! Can you please not use your massive size as a simple but brutally effective offensive tool!?

"DAAAAAAAHHHHHH! This is impossible! I can't win!"

It's just not happening. This isn't a scale one person can handle! I've been messing with this thing for nearly thirty minutes and I've only taken down a single health bar!

I scrambled desperately to escape the combination of its low-altitude charge and the unending barrage of ice, searching my mind for any strategy or technique, but came up with nothing.

I felt like I was being slapped in the face with the reality of solo play.

Our usual duo strategy is already considered outrageous by Arcadia's standards, but that only works because of my partner's incredible versatility.

They can call me a Ranker or an Acrobat all they want, but in the end, I'm just one player. It's only natural that a specialized build like mine has its limits on solo expeditions...!

Okay, I get it. I admit it.

This is just like the [Dusty Worm, Great Serpent of Dust]. As I am now, I don't see any way to beat Epel on my own—so it's time to change my objective!

Come to think of it, I've never tried this anywhere else, but a certain precedent has proven that it is systemically possible.

That's right. Even if I can't defeat it, if all I'm doing is forcibly snatching the material I'm after—

"You damn monster... I'm at least taking one of those feathers back with me...!"

Just like the [Ruby Bullet Rabbit], whose materials can be obtained without killing it by breaking off its horn, it's worth a shot. There's a sliver of hope.

In that case, I don't need a weapon that can't deal damage anymore.

What I need are legs to weave through the bullet hell and the brute force of its giant body to get close to those massive wings. And hands, to grab those feathers, rip them out, and make them mine!

"Alright, you overgrown bird, give me those feathers!"

And so, with a roar fueled entirely by desperation...

the curtain rose on a chaotic second round between me and the Great Spirit.