Chapter Nineteen: The Final Stretch (Birthday Request for Support)

After the first wave of bubbles ended, the shaman quickly came over to Liu Zong’s side. While helping him steady his breath and calm his nerves, he asked, “How are you holding up? Still able to keep up with the pace?”

“The first two waves were fine, but the third one was a problem. The speed suddenly increased and my stats couldn’t quite keep up,” Liu Zong answered earnestly.

“This is only the beginning. Next time, there will be just 330 bubbles, so there will be six waves. The first three waves are the same as now, but the fourth wave will speed up again, the fifth wave will have bubbles colliding with each other, and the sixth wave will automatically split each bubble into three smaller ones,” the shaman explained quickly.

“If you really can’t dodge, run over to me. But I won’t be able to shield you from everything, and your presence might affect my own dodging, so only do that if you have no other choice.”

Liu Zong nodded. He understood well the role of a support in a dungeon: if the hunters or rogues got into trouble, it might be manageable, but if the shaman went down, their fight would be over.

The second bubble wave began soon after. As the shaman had said, there were fewer bubbles this time but they were much harder to deal with. Although the dodging space was clearly larger, Liu Zong’s evasions became more thrilling, yet he survived unscathed—thanks to both luck and the keen instincts he’d honed from serving as bait.

The third bubble attack dropped only 110 bubbles. The first six waves were identical to the previous attack, but the last three waves changed completely. In the seventh wave, the bubbles would split endlessly upon colliding with each other.

After splitting, the bubbles changed color: blue ones radiated chilling cold, green ones looked poisonous—Liu Zong was certain that even the druids wouldn’t survive a brush with one of those.

Worst of all, when these colored bubbles collided again or bounced off the ground, they would no longer fall, but instead drift slowly toward the nearest player.

As for the final wave, Liu Zong was convinced it would detonate in a chain explosion after hitting a player once—though no one wanted to find out for certain.

By the eighth wave, the hunters had changed tactics. The druid led all the slow-floating bubbles around the periphery, while the rest of the team focused their attacks on the Hundred-Eyed Giant, now down to just one percent of its health.

When the Hundred-Eyed Giant finally collapsed, the bubbles slowly vanished into the air. Watching his teammates sitting on the ground, gasping for breath, Liu Zong couldn’t help but say, “I really admire you all.”

The hunter laughed. “It’s nothing. Who knows how many times this dungeon has been cleared already? We’re long since familiar with the movement patterns. Actually, I’m surprised you made it through—looks like you’ll never have to worry about finding a team again.”

The shaman and the others gave Liu Zong approving smiles. The rogue even patted him on the shoulder and said, “Go loot the corpse. They say those who loot the Pearl King’s body have better luck in future dungeons!”

“Exactly! This shouldn’t be called the Pearl King at all—it should be called the Emperor of Luck.”

Amid their laughter, Liu Zong obtained the Pearl of Fortune, along with the blueprints for a pearl cultivation farm and the quest item proving the defeat of the Hundred-Eyed Giant: the “Dull Monocle.”

After storing these three items away, the group grew serious, turning their attention to the depths of the cavern. There, a massive door of iron stood slightly ajar, leaving just enough space for one person to pass through at a time.

Standing before the door, the hunter didn’t rush in. Instead, he studied the carvings on its surface for a long time, even pulling out a notebook to check his notes.

At last, the hunter told Liu Zong that this dungeon had been run nearly thirty thousand times, and every corner had been thoroughly studied. It was said that the door and the monsters beyond were connected—details like the gap left by the door or the patterns on its surface could reveal which monsters awaited them.

Once inside, the attacks would come in relentless waves, with no place to rest. That meant they had to be fully prepared before entering.

The rogue and the others agreed with this assessment. Like the hunter, they analyzed what might be waiting behind the door and even offered their own opinions.

Soon the hunter laid out their plan: this time they’d use the standard approach. The druid would take the lead, transforming into a giant bear to tank at the front; the rogue would attack freely, while the hunter would guard Liu Zong at the rear.

According to the hunter, once inside, there would be three to five chances for monsters to attack from the rear; he had to ensure Liu Zong’s safety.

Once all was arranged, the hunter confirmed with Liu Zong the coordination they’d discussed the night before. Then, with a nod, the druid led the way and they charged through the door.

Beyond it was a narrow corridor, rising and falling, with specimen jars as tall as a person stacked along both walls.

The corridor’s guardians would jump out from these specimen jars. The speed and number of monsters varied, but most often three to five would burst forth at once.

Sometimes two waves would attack in succession; other times, there would be a long lull before the next assault.

Fortunately, the group had anticipated this. Each time, the druid managed to pull all the monsters to himself, allowing the others to swiftly dispatch them.

As they cleared out the creatures, Liu Zong noticed that they all seemed to be made from scavengers—there were hardly any ranged or magic-wielding beasts among them.

The hunter, who remained beside Liu Zong, even found time to explain. “It was all carved on the door, just as I thought. After meeting the Pearl King, luck improves. This time, the Master Tamer put all his effort into scavengers. Our final foe will be a stitched two-headed hound.”

“Is a two-headed hound easier to deal with?” Liu Zong couldn’t help but ask.

Just then, the hunter glanced back and shot down a monster that had appeared behind them. Only then did he answer, “Not exactly easier—just different. It doesn’t have the brute strength of a behemoth or the devouring attack of an octopus, so a small mistake won’t get you killed in an instant.”

Liu Zong responded with an “Oh,” dodged a monster lunging from behind, and asked, “So what attacks does the two-headed hound use?”

The hunter wanted to explain but struggled for words. In the end, he simply said, “You’ll understand when we get there.”

At that moment, the druid at the front let out a roar, and the rogue shouted with delight, “I see a cluster of specimen jars—we’re almost at the boss!”