The Normal difficulty run of the Sunken Reliquary continued much as it had begun: with Iron Resolve, spearheaded by Drake's overwhelming offensive power, cutting a swift path through the dungeon's waterlogged corridors and algae-slicked chambers. Drake remained focused, his [Relic Hunter] skill active, passively scanning for any further secrets the dungeon might hold, while his [Perfect Recall] meticulously logged every detail of the encounters.
They faced two more "bosses" before the final guardian of the Normal instance. The first was a pair of Coral Golems (Level 22 Normal Bosses) that shared a health pool and had a nasty habit of rooting players with grasping coral tendrils. Valerius expertly tanked them, keeping their attention while Elara (Mage) and Finn (Rogue) focused fire on one. Drake, however, found he could shatter the coral roots with a single, max-stack [Basic Attack Combo R/L] hit, freeing his teammates almost instantly. His damage on the Golems themselves was, as Valerius put it, "like a hot knife through butter." The fight was over in under two minutes, with Drake once again contributing a lion's share of the damage. He made sure to memorize the Golems' attack patterns, the timing of their root ability, and the visual cues for their heavy slams, even though they posed little threat on this difficulty.
"Root mechanic... on Hard mode, that could be lethal if not dealt with instantly. Good to know my damage can break it quickly. Need to watch for the telegraph – a slight tremor in the ground before the tendrils erupt."
The next encounter was against a Spectral Siren (Level 23 Normal Boss) in a large, flooded chamber. She floated ethereally, her song attempting to disorient the party while she launched bolts of chilling water magic. Valerius struggled slightly to maintain aggro as she teleported short distances. Elara's counter-spells were effective, and Finn darted in for quick stabs when the Siren was stationary. Drake found his [Initiate's Twin Blades] less effective against her ethereal form, similar to the [Spectral Librarian] in the Decrepit Archive, but the damage reduction wasn't nearly as severe. His [Relentless Assault] still stacked, and his physical attacks, while not hitting for their full potential, still contributed significantly. He focused on interrupting her longer casts with well-timed [Twin Fang Strikes] (84% SCR) when she paused to channel, and used [Blade Dance] (83% SCR) to avoid her AoE water bursts.
[Twin Fang Strike] << Skill Success! Average SCR 84%! Damage Dealt: ~300 (Reduced by Ethereal)! Siren's Channel Interrupted! >>
"Okay, some physical resistance, but not total immunity. Burst damage from Twin Fang is good for interrupts. Need to be mindful of positioning for Blade Dance to avoid her AoEs." The Siren eventually succumbed, her song fading into a mournful sigh.
Throughout these encounters, Drake confirmed his understanding of the basic fight structures. The Normal mode mechanics were straightforward, mostly relying on standard tank-and-spank strategies with occasional add management or minor environmental awareness. His [Perfect Recall] had built a comprehensive mental map of the entire dungeon, including mob placements, patrol routes, boss abilities, and even the approximate respawn timers of the trash packs they'd cleared.
Finally, they reached the antechamber before the last boss of the Normal version of the Sunken Reliquary. Valerius paused the group. "Alright, Drake, this is the Guardian of the Deep. On Normal, he's pretty simple. Tank him facing away from the group, watch for his 'Crushing Depth' AoE – just run out of it – and he occasionally summons a few weak adds. Nothing too fancy."
They entered the final, vast, circular chamber. In the center, a colossal, barnacle-encrusted Alvari construct, the Guardian of the Deep (Level 24 Normal End Boss), slowly rose from a deep pool of water, its eyes glowing with a baleful blue light.
The fight was, as Valerius predicted, relatively simple on Normal. Valerius held its attention with ease. Drake, with [Relentless Assault] quickly reaching its 1000-stack cap, unleashed a torrent of damage. His twin blades blurred, each 100% SCR Right Hand and 84% SCR Left Hand strike in his [Basic Attack Combo R/L] landing for hundreds of points of damage, amplified by crits and his titles. The "Crushing Depth" AoE was clearly telegraphed by a dark circle expanding on the floor, easily avoided. When the adds (Level 18 Sludge Minions) appeared, Drake dispatched them with a single 83% SCR [Blade Dance] before returning his attention to the boss.
The Guardian of the Deep, despite its impressive size and imposing appearance on Normal, simply couldn't withstand the focused DPS of the group, especially Drake's overwhelming contribution. Its health bar melted.
<< Guardian of the Deep Defeated! >> << Sunken Reliquary (Normal Mode) Cleared! >> << Party EXP Gained: +15000! >>
A large, ornate chest appeared in the center of the room. Valerius opened it. Standard Normal mode loot dropped: a couple of Green (Uncommon) quality gear pieces (which no one particularly needed), a handful of [Silver Ingots], some basic crafting materials, and a decent sum of copper and silver coins, which were automatically distributed. Drake received his share, along with a small sense of anticlimax. The Normal run had been almost trivially easy for him.
"See? Told ya Normal was a cakewalk with this group now," Valerius said, sheathing his sword. He looked at Drake. "Your damage is just… insane, man. Seriously. We were taking a good five minutes on that last boss before. That was, what, under hundred seconds?" Finn whistled. "More like eighty. I barely got my poisons stacked." Lyra, the quiet healer, offered Drake a rare smile. "Your precision is remarkable." Elara nodded, her usual intensity softened by clear impressiveness. "The efficiency is… optimal."
The group felt cohesive, their earlier struggles on Normal now a distant memory thanks to Drake's presence. A new sense of confidence, almost eagerness, filled the party. "So," Valerius began, a grin in his voice, "that was Normal. We learned the layout, Drake saw the basic mechanics. What do you say, Iron Resolve? Ready to show the server how Hard Mode is really done?"
Finn pumped a fist. "Hell yeah! Let's get that server first!" Elara's eyes glinted. "The increased challenge will be… stimulating. And the rewards are rumored to be significantly better." Lyra simply nodded, her expression calm but determined.
Drake looked at the eager faces of his new guildmates. He had his mental blueprint of the dungeon. He knew the Normal mechanics. Hard Mode would undoubtedly introduce new, far more punishing abilities and much tougher enemies. But the prospect of a genuine challenge, a potential server first, and the chance to truly test the limits of his [Twin Soul Bladesworn] class alongside a competent team, was undeniably appealing. His earlier doubts about his current SCR baselines felt distant now; his performance on Normal, even if against weaker foes, had been dominant.
"Hard Mode. This is what I came for. Time to see what this class, and this group, can really do under pressure."
"Alright," Drake said, a hint of his own eagerness in his voice. "Let's do Hard."
Valerius clapped him on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! Okay team, quick bio break, re-buff, then we zone into Hard. Let's make Iron Resolve legendary!" The party quickly exited the Normal instance, a shared sense of anticipation and resolve binding them together as they prepared to face the true challenge of the Sunken Reliquary.