If everything went according to plan, there would be nothing more satisfying.
But sometimes, there are moments like this.
When things go too smoothly, as if scripted, suspicion and hesitation creep in.
That’s because I knew the world wouldn’t just roll along according to my will.
That was exactly the situation Dahav was in right now.
‘The minions are dying this fast?’
To put it simply, the number of hits required to take down the Harpies was decreasing.
‘At first, it was five hits per Harpy, the third one took only four, and…’
Just now, the fifth Harpy was defeated with only three attacks.
It wasn’t without reason.
‘Desert’s Wrath.’
Its power was being underestimated.
Because the remaining damage from that skill didn’t display properly, I wasn’t paying full attention, but even if it was only 1% damage per second, the stacks would add up significantly.
Little drops make a mighty ocean; it was like clothes slowly soaking in rain.
Thud—! Boom—!
When the tenth and final Harpy was defeated, it only took two strikes.
‘A skill that lets even the tank deal damage—this is amazing!’
Thanks to that, the Horde of ten Harpy minions in the second phase was quickly wiped out, leaving the Dark Knight with lots of HP remaining.
After dealing with the minions, the Harpy Queen was no different from the first phase.
Smooth sailing.
It felt like a fresh breeze; a smile involuntarily spread across my face.
‘Things are going much better than expected.’
Of course, the next phase remained, so the crisis was not over yet.
But considering the current gap in power, I was confident we could capture the victory.
Dahav kicked off the ground with confidence and charged forward.
Thud—!
The distance to the Harpy Queen closed in an instant.
He was so focused on attacking the Dark Knight that he didn’t even notice his own impending peril.
As if mocking that, Dahav’s dagger sliced through the air.
Like a needle, the blade stabbed the Harpy Queen’s vital spot.
Because of the wounds made by targeting only the vitals, Dahav’s whole body was instantly stained with the Harpy Queen’s blood.
‘It begins.’
Boom—!
Dahav swiftly withdrew the dagger as if on cue.
It was a familiar move, but the Harpy Queen’s reaction was markedly different this time.
Her pupils rolled back, and a scream that shook the heavens and earth burst forth.
Kiiiiiik—!!
Of course, I knew this from Wilhelm’s footage, and I had been prepared for the third phase, but facing it firsthand sent chills down my spine.
‘Harpy Queen Alpha Mode.’
The third phase triggered when the Harpy Queen’s health dropped below 20%.
It was a desperate pattern that even the Player, Rabo, and Nazarik failed to overcome.
The second phase was merely nerve-wracking, but now, with the third phase engaged, cold sweat ran down Dahav’s back.
‘This feeling… it’s been a long time.’
It was similar to the pressure I felt when facing a champion boxer during my pro boxing days.
That level of Alpha Mode was overwhelming.
All of the Harpy Queen’s stats doubled.
If an already formidable Harpy Queen becomes even more resilient, it was like facing a towering mountain—and that power was genuinely terrifying.
‘The problem is, that’s not even the end.’
In Alpha Mode, the Harpy Queen was immune to Aggro.
No, the very concept of Aggro ceased to exist.
She targeted the strongest attackers first in turn, so much so that it could be called reverse Aggro.
Because of this, the tactic of holding the Dark Knight as a tank like in phases one and two was impossible.
‘Yeah, it’s a real pain.’
A massive stat boost that makes it impossible to handle in a one-on-one fight against someone of the same level, plus the ability to use aggro-play with the Dark Knight’s Servant skill.
That was why so many had already failed.
In other words, even a player like Dahav, who understood the entire combat system, would be overwhelmed by the Harpy Queen’s Alpha Mode and its extraordinary power.
Wilhelm of the Domain of One had suffered quite a lot against her as well.
‘Of course, that only applies if you face the Harpy Queen head-on.’
What set Wilhelm and myself apart now was the presence of the Watactics Cape.
There was no longer a need to confront the Harpy Queen directly.
Dahav resummoned all the Ghouls except the Dark Knight and activated the skill on the cape draped over his back.
Soon, his body slowly faded and then completely disappeared.
Click—
The player who had entered the field vanished without a trace, leaving only a black-veil-clad knight visible.
As planned, the Harpy Queen began charging at the Dark Knight.
‘Good.’
Dummy play.
Along with Wilhelm’s strategy videos, this was the attack method Dahav had prepared in his mind.
It exploited the fact that once the Harpy Queen’s target moved a certain distance away, she couldn’t lock onto them.
When the Harpy Queen targeted someone for an attack, the standard dummy play was to have the top Aggro player heal and buff repeatedly, dying and reviving to keep control.
Leaving the top Aggro to endure alone without healing or buffs was tantamount to suicide.
So this method was dummy play that deviated from the RPG game’s principles.
‘No, healing is still possible even if separated.’
To be precise, the remaining MP would become the Dark Knight’s healing.
Kiiik—!
The Harpy Queen became even more vicious, descending swiftly and heavily to snatch the Dark Knight’s body with her talons.
The Dark Knight struggled, but the power gap made the outcome obvious.
Crack—!
As her talons squeezed tighter, the Dark Knight’s body was crushed, and the Harpy Queen casually threw him to the ground as if he were nothing.
Normally, being crushed to the brink of death would mean death, but the Dark Knight did not die.
Dark energy swirled from the ground, and his battered body rose again.
Kiiik—?
The Harpy Queen looked slightly startled as she faced the Dark Knight who had returned to his place.
But it didn’t affect the battle.
She simply dropped down again, caught him with her claws, and crushed him once more.
The result was the same as before.
This cycle of destruction and revival repeated.
Seeing such a weak opponent revive repeatedly only enraged the Harpy Queen even more.
To finish off the Dark Knight, she twisted her body to unleash the most powerful attack she could—the Wing Fan Storm.
But a sharp pain surged through her body, preventing her from doing so.
Thud—! Boom—!
Though she bore many wounds as if surrounded by buckshot, thanks to Dahav, the Harpy Queen did not fall.
At the same time, she glared at Dahav, who had just inflicted the pain.
Though there was no concept of Aggro, just from the murderous look in her eyes, it was clear who she considered the enemy.
‘It’s done now.’
She thought she could end it by repeatedly striking the vital spot.
But the doubled defense and stats became more of an obstacle than expected.
A single miscalculation in a raid meant defeat, and Dahav was paying the price.
Overkill—!
[You have been hit by a critical vital strike!]
[Due to critical hit, you receive 300% additional damage!]
[Warning! Health has dropped below 50%!]
[Severe damage received, entering Critical State.]
[You cannot act for 3 seconds.]
Even without the message window, I could tell the status was dire.
An unfamiliar, overwhelming pain surged through.
“Ugh…”
Meanwhile, the Harpy Queen raised her talons once more.
‘Damn it, I was too complacent passing through the early stages of phases two and three.’
I regretted it, but it was too late.
The Harpy Queen wrapped her body around me again, slamming me with full force.
Blood mixed with a red tinge spilled from her mouth, and the warning message popped up again.
[Warning! Health has dropped below 10%!]
A chill ran down Dahav’s face, and seeing that, the Harpy Queen struck the final blow, confident of her victory.
Though I still had consciousness, my body refused to obey as I watched death rush toward me.
Flash!
The Dark Knight, with his massive frame, pushed the charging Harpy Queen to the side.
In doing so, his body was halved again, but thanks to that, Dahav was able to escape the Critical State.
‘Thanks, and sorry. Looks like you’ll have to endure a little longer.’
From now on, there could be no more mistakes or carelessness.
Just as I was about to extend my hand to the ground, I summoned all the summonable Ghouls.
Of course, even the Dark Knight couldn’t possibly handle the Harpy Queen’s brutal attacks alone—no ordinary Ghoul would stand a chance.
“Summon.”
The Ghouls sprang forward at the command.
Had only the Ghouls rushed in, the Harpy Queen would have easily brushed them off.
Dahav moved his feet and dashed forward.
This was the final push—the last chance to pull every ounce of strength left.
“From now on, no more distractions. I’ll give it everything I have!”
Though barely two seconds, focusing to the extreme made it feel like time stretched endlessly.
The distance to the Harpy Queen closed instantly.
“Where are you looking? Your opponent is me.”
Thanks to the dropped HP and the second ability on the Watactics Cape, ‘Herculean Power’, the movement speed was comparable to when using Hanibarame’s Blessing.
The first move is a slash:
Absorbing the full force of the skill, Dahav soared far beyond his previous speed, aiming for the vital spot.
But the result was different.
Focus was at its peak with no room for error.
Clang—!
The attacks clashed midair.
But the difference in strength was clear—only Dahav staggered backward while the Harpy Queen immediately followed with her next move.
She pushed her razor-sharp talons forward, closing the distance.
The open bird’s claws gleamed with an even sharper murderous intent than before.
‘Catch and crush.’
In such a compromised stance and breathless condition, it was impossible to block or dodge this attack.
Nor was it easy to evade a swift and agile opponent like the Harpy Queen.
“Please.”
The Dark Knight leapt forward, plunging himself into the open talons.
Overkill—!
As the Harpy Queen fiercely crushed the Dark Knight, the Ghouls swarmed the Harpy Queen’s body.
Dahav grinned grimly and declared,
“Explode!”