CCBBWM 12

[Party] Geumgyul2: Ah; I’m screwed T_T

The sand pile vanished, but Geumgyul2’s hourglass above his head remained unchanged.

Beo-deul quickly checked the boss’s next move: closing the book and pulling out a pocket watch. It wasn’t hard to predict what came next.

[Party] Geumgyul2: Clock pattern incoming!

A large circle formed on the ground, and things that looked like clock hands began spinning rapidly. The slight hesitation in their spinning marked the safe zones to survive the pattern.

[Party] Dansogeum: ㅇㅅㅇ;; Why is this pattern already here?

Even Dansogeum, who’d been cursing the party, was thrown off by the poor timing. Useo had just activated a Berserker skill, and Geumgyul2 had his sand refill attempt forcibly canceled.

[Party] Gulbi: Hmm…;

Even usually-calm Gulbi sounded troubled. Understandably so, Useo, now a Berserker, couldn’t heal as the boss had become immune, causing his HP to drain rapidly.

[Party] Useo: I’m okay

Despite the situation, Useo didn’t hesitate. He dashed to the center of the spinning clock and typed in chat.

[Party] Useo: 2848
[Party] Dan So-Geum: You’re saying it’s do-or-die, right?
[Party] Dan So-Geum: …Whoa, you’re all really focused

2 o’clock, 8 o’clock, 4 o’clock, then 8 again. Gilmyu ran along with the precisely coordinated party. he’d seen videos where even a small misstep during this phase spelled doom.

[Party] Dansogeum: Whoa, Berserker lol your move speed is insane!

Just like she said, Useo was outpacing everyone likely due to a movement buff from the Berserker skill.

[Party] Useo: Gulbi-hyung, apply the damage buff first when the pattern ends

Instead of asking for healing, Useo prioritized buffing his teammates’ DPS. A complete contrast to his earlier advice to focus on survival.

[Party] Gulbi: Okay

When the boss fell into a groggy state, Gulbi refreshed everyone’s attack buffs as instructed. Meanwhile, Useo, his Berserker buff expired and with critically low health, continued attacking before darting out when the boss began to stir.

Watching him out of the corner of his eye, Beo-deul admired his reflexes before remembering his own dire situation.

[Party] Useo: Gilmyu, hang in there a bit
[Party] Gilmyu: O-okay
[Party] Useo: I’ll refill my sand and retake aggro, hang on

Gilmyu took Useo’s place. Gulbi’s delayed healing because he’d focused on Useo made Beo-deul feel like his character had just come back from hell.

A hit from the thick book made Gilmyu stagger. Beo-deul watched pitifully as a third of his HP disappeared. Gulbi’s HoT (healing-over-time) was barely restoring it.

In the midst of this chaos, a private message popped up:

[Whisper to Gilmyu] Dansogeum: Gilmyu-nim, Gilmyu-nim
[Whisper] Dansogeum: Are you good at tag? ㅇㅅㅇ

Tag? Now? Beo-deul blinked then it clicked.

[Whisper] Dansogeum: When I count to three, run toward the sand at 9 o’clock! ㅇㅅㅇ~!

The upper half of Gilmyu’s hourglass was about to empty…

[Whisper] Dansogeum: One~ Two~
[Party] Geumgyul2: Gilmyu! Your sand! T_T
[Whisper] Dansogeum: Three~!
[Whisper] Dansogeum: LOLOLOLOLOLOL

As he hit “three,” a notoriously deadly boss pattern began.

[Party] Gulbi: ;; Gilmyu might be the target?
**[Chrono Librarian ???]: How dare you desecrate this sacred space…!

The despairing boss turned ghostlike and let out a wail.

[Gilmyu has angered the Chrono Librarian ???!]
[The boss is now pursuing Gilmyu.]

When targeted, the player takes increased damage from all attacks. Gilmyu dashed toward the sand pile as Sogeum directed.

[Whisper] Dansogeum: LOLOLOLOL
[Whisper] Dansogeum: Can you see my messages now? ㅇㅅㅇ

Oh, he could see them alright. But even when he reached the sand, he couldn’t refill the hourglass while being attacked the action would get canceled.

[Party] Gilmyu: Helpppp
[Party] Gilmyu: Please save me TTTTTTTTT

The noob wept in this “hell-flavored” dungeon. An empty hourglass floated above his head, alongside sparkling debuffs.

[Party] Geumgyul2: Oh no;;
[Party] Gulbi: Not enough heals…
[Party] Useo: Hang on

The word Retry flashed in Beo-deul ’s mind. But then he saw it Useo’s gear glowed with golden effects, the mark of +15 enhancement or higher.

he recalled Useo’s level from earlier.

“He was 108, right?”

That meant he could only equip gear up to level 100. Endgame gear starts at level 140. Investing so much in sub-max gear? Not usually wise.

Beo-deul himself had spent quite a bit on low-level gear due to his lack of skill, but even then, he didn’t own a single item beyond +10. +15 on a level 100 weapon?

‘Still…’

he couldn’t help but doubt. Could swapping to upgraded gear really solve the situation? +10 or more grants serious bonus stats, sure but not that much.

Or so he thought.

[Party] Useo: Boss is silenced, go refill sand!

A few hits from Useo and the boss stopped attacking.

Beo-deul, wide-eyed, mashed the interaction key on the sand pile. he finished the motion successfully. His hourglass filled, and the screen-clearing debuffs vanished.

[Party] Geumgyul2: ??????
[Party] Gulbi: Is that the weapon from back then?
[Party] Useo: Yup

Back when? What weapon? She didn’t have time to ask. The boss had recovered and was once again hunting Gilmyu.

[Whisper] Dansogeum: LOL he’s using that cursed weapon like this

Cursed weapon? Beo-deul was baffled. That incredible weapon saved him how could anyone call it cursed?

[Whisper] Dansogeum: Guy’s got brains, I’ll give him thatㅇㅅㅇ That’s such an old item and he remembered it?

But Beo-deul was too busy dodging patterns to reply. So-Geum seemed to have turned their whisper window into her personal diary.

[Whisper] Dansogeum: Oh! he’s doing the book slam
[Whisper] Dansogeum: Nope, false alarm ㅇㅅㅇ…
[Whisper] Dansogeum: Oops, got it wrongㅋㅅㅋ sorry~
[Whisper] Dansogeum: Okay, now it’s the real one!
[Whisper] Dansogeum: Right? Aren’t I helpful? No need to thank me~ㅇㅅㅇr

Sometimes her tips were right, sometimes completely wrong. Beo-deul couldn’t tell if it was intentional. And why was she using whispers instead of party chat?

[Party] Gulbi: Sogeum’s been quiet for a while now
[Party] Geumgyul2: Thought it was just me feeling that
[Party] Geumgyul2: Kinda ominous
[Party] Dansogeum: ㅎvㅎ Did you miss me?
[Party] Useo: Nope
[Party] Dansogeum: LOLOLOL meanies
[Party] Geumgyul2: It’s more ominous that she’s smiling after that rejection;;

With Sogeum suddenly contributing only 20% of the usual 80% of the chat, others quickly noticed. Having passed a critical phase, they began interrogating her.

[Party] Geumgyul2: You’re doing something else, aren’t you?
[Party] Dansogeum: ㅇㅅㅇ?
[Party] Useo: You died and you’re multitasking? lol
[Party] Dansogeum: …????? Who killed me again?
[Party] Useo: Huh? Who died?

Beo-deul couldn’t speak up. It wasn’t his place. The others might have stabilized, but not him…

[Whisper] Dansogeum: TTTTTTTTTTT

Apparently flustered by their questioning, Sogeum came to cry in Gilmyu’s whisper chat. But in party chat, she kept a composed tone.

[Party] Dansogeum: ㅇ0ㅇ… Too shameless, I was left speechless
[Party] Gulbi: Sogeum, are you whispering Gilmyu?
[Party] Useo: ?
[Party] Geumgyul2: ?

[Party] Dansogeum: ?

Even Beo-deul coughed from shock at Gulbi’s sharp eye.

‘Why do I feel guilty even though I did nothing wrong…?’

Maybe it was Geumgyul2 and Useo’s reaction both only sending question marks, then staying silent.