Chapter 19: The Final Stretch
After the first wave of bubbles ended, the shaman quickly approached Leon, calming his emotions and breath while asking, "How are you doing? Can you still keep up?"
"The first two waves were fine, but the third one was a bit tricky. The speed suddenly increased, and my attributes couldn't quite keep up," Leon replied earnestly.
"This is just the beginning. There will only be 330 bubbles next time, but the variations will increase to six waves. The first three waves will be like now, but the fourth will speed up, the fifth will have bubbles colliding with each other, and the sixth will automatically split into three smaller bubbles," the shaman explained quickly.
"If you really can't dodge, come over to me, but I can't block everything for you, and your presence will affect my dodging. So only come if absolutely necessary."
Leon nodded, understanding the importance of support in a dungeon. If the Squad or thiefs were in trouble, it might not be a big deal, but if the shaman went down, their battle would be over.
The second round of bubbles started soon after. Just as the shaman had said, there were fewer bubbles but they were harder to deal with. Although there was more space to dodge, Leon's movements became more dangerous. Fortunately, with a bit of luck and the training he'd gained from acting as bait, he survived without major issues.
The third wave of bubbles consisted of only 110, and the first six waves were identical to the previous round. However, the last three waves were entirely different. During the seventh wave, the bubbles began splitting infinitely when they collided.
Once split, the bubbles changed color. The blue ones emitted a chilling cold, while the green ones looked poisonous, and Leon was certain that even the druids couldn't handle being touched by them.
The most terrifying part was that when the colored bubbles collided again or bounced off the ground, they wouldn't fall down but instead floated slowly toward the nearest player.
As for the final wave, Leon had every reason to believe that it involved chain explosions upon hitting players. However, none of the players were willing to test this theory.
By the eighth wave, the Squad had changed their strategy. The druids led all the slowly floating bubbles around the perimeter while the others focused all their attacks on the Hundred-Eyed Giant, which only had 1% of its health left.
When the Hundred-Eyed Giant finally fell, the bubbles gradually disappeared into the air. Leon looked at the panting group sitting on the ground and couldn't help but say, "I really admire you all."
The hunter laughed heartily, "It's nothing. This dungeon has been run so many times, we know the positions like the back of our hand. But you, I didn't expect you to hold on. Looks like you won't have to worry about finding a team in the future."
The shaman and others smiled at Leon with trust, and the thief patted his shoulder, saying, "Go loot the body. I heard that whoever loots the Pearl King's body will have smoother dungeon runs later."
"Exactly, it shouldn't be called the Pearl King, but the Emperor of Luck," someone added jokingly.
Amid the laughter, Leon looted the Emperor's Pearl, along with a blueprint for a pearl farm building and the quest item as proof of defeating the Hundred-Eyed Giant: [Dull Cyclops Eye].
After collecting the three items, the group stopped joking and turned their gaze toward the depths of the cave.
There, a massive iron gate stood slightly ajar, leaving only a small passage for one person to pass through.
Standing before the giant gate, the hunter didn't rush in but instead studied the patterns on it for a long time. He even took out a notebook to compare his findings.
Finally, the hunter told Leon that this dungeon had been cleared nearly 30,000 times, and every corner had been studied. It was said that the door and the monsters behind it were somehow connected.
For example, the gap left in the door and the patterns on it hinted at the nature of the monsters ahead.
Since the attacks behind the door would come wave after wave without stopping, and there was no place to rest, they had to prepare thoroughly before entering.
The thief and the others agreed with the hunter's analysis. Like the hunter, they studied the situation, even offering their own insights.
Soon, the hunter made the arrangements. They would use a standard strategy this time: the druid would transform into a bear to tank at the front, the thief would attack freely, and the hunter would stay at the back to guard Leon.
According to the hunter, this was because the monsters would have three to five opportunities to attack from behind after they entered the door, and he had to ensure Leon's safety.
After confirming the coordination they had discussed the previous night, the hunter nodded. The druid opened the path, and they charged through the gate.
Behind the gate was a narrow passage that wound up and down, with specimen jars piled as tall as a person on either side.
The monsters guarding the passage jumped out from these specimen jars, emerging at different speeds and in varying numbers, usually three to five at a time.
Sometimes two waves would jump out together, and other times there would be long gaps between them.
Thankfully, the group had anticipated this situation. Each time, the druid skillfully pulled all the monsters to himself, allowing the others to clear them out.
As they cleared the monsters, Leon noticed that most of them seemed to be made from scavenger creatures, with few ranged or magical monsters among them.
The hunter, who had been sticking close to Leon, still had the energy to explain.
"The patterns on the door were right. It seems after meeting the Pearl King, our luck improved. This time, the Headmaster put all his effort into creating scavengers. Our final opponent will be the stitched-together Two-Headed Dog."
"Is the Two-Headed Dog easier to fight?" Leon couldn't help but ask.
At that moment, the hunter turned and shot down a small monster that had appeared from behind before explaining, "Not easier, just different. It doesn't have the Hundred-Eyed Giant's overwhelming strength or the octopus's devouring attack, so you won't be instantly killed for a single mistake."
Leon nodded, dodging a monster that had lunged at him from behind. "So, what's the Two-Headed Dog's attack style?"
The hunter wanted to explain but struggled to find the right words. Finally, he said, "You'll understand when we get there."
Just then, the druid at the front let out a roar, and the thief shouted excitedly, "We found the cluster of specimen jars. The boss is just ahead!"