Chapter 605: The Touch!
Before entering the White Mist Gate, Old Qin repeatedly emphasized his instructions.
“The ten-player mode boss just has a bit more HP than the nine-player mode; everything else should be unchanged. Everyone still fights using the previous method. Even if mistakes happen, try to hold on as long as possible. A one-shot clear is definitely impossible, so let’s just get some practice in.”
“Hey, CDX, you just feel things out first. Toss whatever spells you have at the boss, prioritize self-preservation. Only start dealing damage once you feel familiar with the boss’s movement patterns. Try your best not to die.”
Old Qin’s idea was to let CDX get familiar first, with survival as the top priority. Because if the boss in Death Mode kills someone, it will enter a berserk state, which could easily trigger a chain reaction leading to a total party wipe.
Once two or three people die consecutively, this raid attempt is basically GG.
CDX made a forward-pointing gesture.
Old Qin said, “Alright, everyone, let’s go. Same strategy as before.”
“Open the gay!”
Passing through the White Mist Gate, everyone entered the boss arena.
Having already wiped at least dozens of times against the Abyss Watchers, these players were already very familiar with the boss’s patterns. In the first phase, the focus was mainly on survival, letting the red-eyed player draw aggro, ensuring everyone could enter the second phase in optimal condition.
Right now, Old Qin and his team were going for the first kill, not a speed kill, so time wasn’t that pressing. The key was stability.
Because the first kill list is permanently displayed in the Firelink Shrine, but the speed kill list only records the top three teams. Even if they saved a minute or two now, others would definitely surpass them later.
Better to secure the first kill first, then slowly figure out the speed kill later.
Everyone surrounded the boss, carefully preserving their HP, only daring to sneak in a single hit. Not a single extra hit.
No choice. They had been traumatized by the boss’s one-shot kills. Being able to land one hit and retreat safely was already tough enough. Why ask for a bicycle?...
Old Qin then noticed that Wang Laji had actually put away his greatsword and obediently switched to a shield.
Old Qin glanced at him. “Laji, why did you betray the faith again?”
Wang Laji refused to accept that. “Betray the faith... what betrayal? Can a Sunbro’s actions be called betrayal?... This is all a sacrifice I’m making for a smooth clear!”
The first phase went relatively smoothly. The red-eyed player spawned just in time as the second one. The others threw magic from a distance, chipped in some damage, and successfully transitioned to the second phase.
But no one relaxed because of this. Everyone knew that the second-phase boss was essentially just the beginning...
“Dodge the boss’s charge! Keep your distance, watch out for the breakdance!”
“Don’t stand to the side during the last sequence of the breakdance! Spread out! Watch out for the boss’s recovery charge!”
“Try to strike early! Predict the boss’s roll position!”
Old Qin commanded through voice chat. Everyone performed their roles, circling the boss and waiting for an opportunity.
After such a long period of trial and error, everyone had a certain grasp of the boss’s movement patterns. Although the Death Mode boss had high intelligence, it couldn’t possibly utilize all the potential of its AI. Otherwise, players would never be able to beat it.
Chen Mo had considered this when designing it, so he only activated a portion of the AI’s capabilities. This made most top players suffer, but still left them with a possibility of defeating the boss.
Old Qin glanced over. CDX was indeed slacking off hardcore, only occasionally tossing spells from a distance, always maintaining a safe distance from the boss...
Although CDX hadn’t taken any damage so far, his damage output to the boss was also negligible. Just those few pyromancies, in ten-player mode, were basically like tickling the boss...
But Old Qin couldn’t say too much. After all, his instruction to CDX was to prioritize survival and just not die. So now, with CDX slacking off happily, Old Qin could only feel helpless.
“San Guang, is your Estus Flask almost empty? Fall back first. Someone else, switch gear and take over,” Old Qin commanded.
The strategy for the second phase was: team members would take turns wearing the Havel’s set and the Skull Ring to draw the boss’s aggro, while others dealt damage. When the main tank’s Estus Flask was almost empty, they would fall back, and someone else would switch gear to replace them.
This maximized the use of Estus Flasks and made the fight more efficient. If everyone just swarmed in chaotically, the boss could easily kill several people with a single combo, and the situation would become uncontrollable.
Gu San Guang quickly fell back, took off his Havel’s armor, and swiftly equipped his normal gear. Another player put on the full Havel’s set and engaged the boss.
The others weren’t idle either. Although the main tank was holding aggro, the boss’s attack patterns in this mode were very erratic. It wasn’t unusual for it to suddenly go crazy and target anyone. So everyone else had to stay highly focused, or a single mistake could lead to an instant kill.
Fortunately, these were all top players who had cleared multiple NG+ cycles, and they had already wiped so many times. So far, there had been no casualties. A few players got singed by the boss’s flames but recovered by drinking Estus.
The boss’s HP began to slowly decrease.
50%!
30%!
15%!
Seeing the boss’s HP approaching 10%, everyone’s hearts were pounding with excitement. This was the closest they had ever been to victory!
But at this stage, the main tank had already been swapped four times. Everyone’s Estus Flasks were nearly empty, and the boss’s attack frequency was getting faster and faster, with all kinds of close calls.
Suddenly, after a breakdance sequence, the boss leaped high into the air and slammed its sword down directly onto Old Qin, who was holding his shield, smashing him to the ground!
This strike took away most of his HP but didn’t kill him. The boss didn’t pursue either. Instead, it rolled away and went after someone else.
Old Qin let out a long breath. Just as he stood up and was about to drink an Estus Flask, the boss suddenly turned back! Another breakdance sequence. Old Qin only had time to raise his shield, but the combo drained all his stamina, and he was instantly killed.
“Holy shit! Spread out! The boss is going berserk!”
Although Old Qin was dead, he could still spectate. He quickly commanded everyone to spread out through voice chat. The boss only had 10% HP left, and there were still nine players alive. If they could just avoid the berserk phase, they had a good chance of clearing.
But the boss clearly didn’t want to give them that chance. The Farron Greatsword danced wildly, wreathed in layers of flame. The boss zipped across the entire arena like it was having a seizure. Amidst the massive waves of fire, the players couldn’t dodge in time, and their HP plummeted.
Many tried to drink Estus to heal, but the boss’s attack frequency was too fast. Drinking could get them hit, and many had already run out of Estus!
In an instant, two more players fell!
Now the situation was completely out of control. The boss, stacked with three layers of berserk, was unstoppable. Many players ran desperately but still couldn’t avoid its attacks.
Watching his teammates fall one by one, Old Qin sighed silently in his heart. “Well, that’s it. Poo gay!”
Old Qin couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful. If this CDX had dealt a bit more damage, maybe the boss’s HP would have dropped below 5% by now. Then they could have just thrown bodies at it and tried to brute force it. There might have been some hope.
But now, the boss’s HP had only just dropped below 10%. Brute forcing was useless!