**[3rd Named Boss]**  
   **[Level 33 Outpost Commander Zarkan]**  
   **[HP 989,004 / 3,300,000]**

   Boom, boom, boom, boom!

   "Beimerung, Ice Prison!"

   "Yes!"

   As Beimerung cast *Ice Prison*, the party members' bodies became encased in ice.

   The initial circular explosion could be blocked by this.

   Then came the second explosion, pulling inward.

   Tat-tat!

   Chris's raid party performed a perfect synchronized backstep at the precise moment.

   Once again, the "invincibility during casting" allowed them to avoid all damage.

   "The third explosion is coming!"

   "Watch the ground! The ground!"

   The third explosion was a crisscross pattern.

   Luckily, there was a safe zone as part of the mechanic. Chris's raid party moved into it and avoided the attack.

   "Is everyone still alive? We handled that well this time! If we keep doing it like this, we'll be fine!"

   "Guaah!"

   A desperate scream suddenly echoed out.

   Chris quickly turned her head.

   Deathmaster, the fighter handling two giant Chimera hounds, hadn’t managed to reach the safe zone and was pinned under one of the creatures.

   Chris screamed.

   "Aah! Deathmaster, what are you doing?!"

   Due to Deathmaster’s premature retirement while tanking the two Chimera hounds, Chris’s raid party had to prepare for the next attempt.

---

   "I’m really sorry."

   "It’s fine. Can you dodge next time?"

   "I’ll try, but handling two Chimera hounds and dodging AoE patterns is no easy task."

   "If you can’t do it, no one can. You have to."

   Chris sighed.

   Still, they made a lot of progress this time. Just surviving the special pattern that kicks in below 40% HP was a huge improvement.

   "But seriously, a boss that dodges attacks?"

   "Raising agility seems to help a bit. Oh, and look, another cheap mana stone just popped up."

   "We figured something like this could happen. That’s why I told everyone to bring spare accessories, remember?"

   During the break, Chris’s raid party started reinforcing their equipment with extra gear.

   They were using *refined mana stones*, which could not only strengthen weapon attack power but also add extra stats to accessories, to boost their agility.

   "From now on, we need to focus not just on each class’s primary stats but also on secondary stats."

   "Seems like no other parties have reached the third named boss yet. The price of refined mana stones hasn’t gone up."

   Deathmaster nodded.

   "The second boss was quite difficult too. Handling those bomb spheres wasn’t easy, and if we parked them in the wrong place, it was a reset."

   "Ugh... When the bombs start in the center, it’s pure hell. Beimerung worked so hard to keep them controlled."

   "Still, it’s a good thing we figured out how to tank the third boss from a distance. Chris, your early aggro management allowed the other DPS to start hitting safely."

   "The long-range magic cannon pattern isn’t too threatening. After four shots, we close in to reset the pattern and then force another ranged attack."

   "With enough practice, even Beimerung should be able to do it!"

   "Well, it was supposed to be you handling the damage."

   Among the long-range classes, mages had the highest pure damage output. But because Chris had better pattern recognition, she had to take charge of long-range tanking Zarkan.

   "And then there are the two giant Chimera hounds that appear when the boss drops below 50% HP."

   "Their health is way too high. It’s impossible to deal with them while fighting the boss. The best we can do is have me keep them busy, like now."

   "The fighter in the third boss fight isn’t the main tank; they’re handling the adds. I’m the one handling the boss’s long-range tanking as the onmyoji, so you’ll have to keep those hounds on a leash."

   After reminding the party of the strategy, Chris stood up and clapped her hands.

   "Anyway, we’re all set. We’ve passed the 40% HP pattern, and we’ve boosted our agility, so..."

   "All that’s left is to clear it!"

   The party was renewing their determination when suddenly:

   **[Noname Party has successfully completed the first clear of the elite dungeon, 'Demon Army Outpost'!]**

   "What?!"

   "First clear? Already?"

   A message flashed across the region announcement window.

   Chris’s raid party members were stunned at the implications.

   They had blazed through the dungeon at an impressive speed.

   They had no choice but to fight through every monster wave in the first section, but from the second section onward, they found shortcuts to move faster. The second boss also fell quickly thanks to Beimerung’s skillful orb handling, and it didn’t take many tries.

   And yet, another party had beaten them to the first clear.

   "...Noname Party?"

   "You idiot, Jae-Wook! It’s *No Name* Party, not Noname!"

   "Don’t use my real name!"

   Cherni and Beimerung began bickering.

   While they fought, Deathmaster raised a question.

   "What does it mean?"

   "It could be one of two things. Either they didn’t input a party name during party creation, or..."

   Chris paused before continuing.

   "...they didn’t form a party and soloed the dungeon."

   "Solo play? First clear solo? That’s impossible!"

   "Yeah, no way. It’s more likely a party that didn’t want their name known."

   "...I don’t get it. Almost every party aiming for a first clear is motivated by fame and accomplishment. Sure, some might want to dominate the market by selling weapons early, but..."

   "All the top five parties I know of have names. This isn’t any of them."

   Memories of previous elite dungeon clears flashed through Chris’s mind.

   Chris’s raid party had been the first to clear the level 15 and 25 elite dungeons.

   At the same time, mysterious weapons appeared on the auction house.

   "...No Name Party."

---

   "Whew, that was tough."

   To think there’d be additional patterns...

   I collapsed onto the floor of the training ground, glaring at the fading body of the third named boss, *Commander Zarkan*.

   He had been a real piece of work.

   This so-called combat-hungry warlord had summoned two giant Chimera hounds the moment the fight turned against him.

   On top of that, a third explosion was added once he dropped below 40% HP. I had to use every trick—approaching, backstepping, and counterattacking—to avoid it all.

   Thankfully, my experience from the *Gaju’s Statue* fight helped. Even while being chased by the Chimeras, I focused everything on Zarkan.

   And, I pulled it off!

   I puffed out my chest.

   This dungeon was harder than any I’d faced before, but this time, I cleared it without dying.

   Can I finally say, “The hero has arrived!” with pride?

   My heart swelled with joy for a moment.

   "Oh, right, the rewards."

   The most important part of clearing—a chance to open the reward chest.

   I calmed my pounding heart and looted the chest.

   **[Zarkan’s Sword]**  
   **[Elite Grade]**  
   **[Attack Power: 200]**  
   **[Increases Moonlight Slash skill damage by 30%]**  
   **[Socket 1: EMPTY]**  
   (Bound on equip)

   "Attack power 200, a sword for a swordsman...!"

   Thump-thump, thump-thump!

   I couldn’t contain my excitement.

   My last elite dungeon weapon, the *Sealed Demon’s Sword*, only reached an attack power of 150 even after refining it with mana stones.

   But this one had 200 attack power, and it wasn’t even refined yet!

   The skill multiplier was the same as the previous elite dungeon weapon, but the condition for “successful block” had been removed.

   The swordsman’s main skill, *Starlight Slash*, which scaled with the *Moonlight Slash* multiplier, had just become much more powerful, without any conditions.

   I jumped up and down in excitement!

   I was over the moon.

   "...Wait, there’s more?"

   The loot wasn’t just the weapon.

   **[Red Echo Stone]**  
   **[Weapon Socket Item]**  
   **[HP Drain 100]**  
   (Bound on equip)

   "Whoa...!"

   It was a socket item that drained HP from enemies!

   I checked the weapon again.

   Sure enough, this elite dungeon weapon had a socket.

   If I added the *Echo Stone* to the weapon, I’d be able to recover some health with each hit, mitigating minor damage.

   Even though it was a small amount, it still had potential. It could save on potion costs too.

   Just what I needed right now!

   But...

   "First socket items are really expensive, though."

   The cost would be close to the price of the weapon itself.

   I grimaced as I glanced back and

 forth between the sword and the *Red Echo Stone*.

   How’s my health? Still okay. If I farm a bit more today, I’ll make up for it.

   To farm faster? I need to raise my specs.

   With a determined mind, I closed my eyes and slotted the *Echo Stone* into the weapon.

   **[Zarkan’s Sword]**  
   **[Elite Grade]**  
   **[Attack Power: 200]**  
   **[Increases Moonlight Slash skill damage by 30%]**  
   **[Socket 1: Red Echo Stone (HP Drain 100)]**  
   (Bound Item)

   "Haaah...."

   I let out a deep sigh.

   There was no turning back now.

   The sword and the *Red Echo Stone* were mine alone.

   More than the joy of increasing my specs, anxiety filled my heart.

   From now on, I had to run this dungeon as many times as possible.

   Oh, and I still need to refine my mana stones.

   Click-clack.

   After finishing my equipment upgrades, I finally left the dungeon.

---

   Vooom.

   As the strange floating sensation from the area transfer faded, I arrived at the rocky mountain area. I had returned to the starting point.

   "Looking for party members! Swordsman here! Confident in tanking!"

   "Ranger looking for a group! Anyone need a ranger?"

   The area was crowded with players looking for parties. It seemed the latecomers were now starting to form groups.

   I smiled slightly.

   I’d completed the dungeon as part of the first wave, so I could take full advantage of this opportunity.

   I glanced at the dungeon entrance and prepared to leap inside.

   "...Rain?"

   "Huh!?"

   Startled, I almost tripped.

   Halfway into my jump toward the dungeon, I turned my head toward the source of the voice calling my name.

   The person standing there was...

   "...Chris?!"