Of course, the idea that the boss could be edible was just one of Pei Guang's many wild thoughts. But following the usual patterns, major bosses always had hints or clues leading up to the fight.: that's why he considered this possibility part of their preparation.
Unless he encountered something as clear-cut as, "Only a storm can fell the great tree," this was still just a hypothesis—an interesting one, but not definitive.
While Pei Guang was deep in thought, Jing Yuan approached. "Pei Guang, may I call you Ah Guang? Ah Guang~ your reward has arrived. It's over there—328 pulls. Feel free to use them however you wish. Oh, and there's one more thing…"
Hearing "328," Pei Guang's eyes lit up. It might only be half a ten-pull session, but it was still an unexpected windfall. Before this, he hadn't put much stock in the promised reward.
Traditionally, when an NPC promises a rare reward, it often gets delayed by various twists and side quests. What should have been a mid-game payout gets postponed indefinitely. But Jing Yuan? He delivered the goods before the mission was even over!
This sudden surprise left Pei Guang momentarily stunned. He hesitated before asking, "Wait, are you saying the rewards are already here? No extra tasks? No final conditions?"
Jing Yuan nodded. "Yes. You've done enough for Xianzhou already. Moving forward, you're welcome to accompany me—I could certainly use your assistance. Even the smallest help might turn the tide in our favor. Of course, if you decide it's too dangerous, I'll still extend Xianzhou's gratitude for everything you've done so far. The only thing I need is Dan Heng's strength to open the seal on the Ambrosial Arbor. Once that's done, Dan Heng is free to leave with you."
"Hisssss!" Pei Guang took a sharp breath, clearly struck by the implications.
March 7th pinched his cheek. "What's with the reaction, Ah Guang? Why do you look like that?"
Pei Guang rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I wasn't expecting another decision point for the future."
March 7th's face tensed. She remembered their earlier conversations, where Pei Guang had explained that when they invited him to join the train, there must have been an option to decline. If he'd chosen differently, he might have lived a normal, uneventful life. Nervously, she asked, "So… what happens if we just leave this time?"
Pei Guang analyzed the situation. "Let's break it down. We took Kafka's mission to resolve the Stellaron crisis on Xianzhou—to save as many people as possible. From what we know now, the Stellaron is tied to Phantylia. So, to resolve the crisis, we have to deal with her. If we just bail now, the Xianzhou will suffer massive casualties, and all we'll be able to do is mourn and collect loot from the wreckage."
Stelle swung her bat in a few practice motions. "Got it. So, we stick with him and go beat the crap out of that big boss lady!"
Pei Guang nodded. "Exactly. Following the standard game progression, that's the move. Of course, Jing Yuan's warning is fair—this will be dangerous. But there's no way I'm sitting this one out."
Stelle grinned. "Same here! If I don't get to poke her with my flaming lance, it'll never feel right!"
March 7th puffed up indignantly. "Exactly! And she had the nerve to try to use me to threaten you guys? Unforgivable! She needs to be taught a lesson. I may not be able to contribute much in the fight, but I can cheer you on with songs and dances!"
She was well aware of Pei Guang's buffing skills. That dance-based buff? Absolutely top-tier.
Welt chimed in. "If I can choose, I'll go too. If it gets too dire…"
He trailed off, unwilling to reveal too much. After all, they still had numerous contingency plans. If worst came to worst, Welt might not be able to hold Phantylia off indefinitely, but he was confident he could at least ensure the team's safe retreat to the train.
Seele readied her scythe. "I know what choice I'm making. Against someone aiming to destroy worlds, I don't need any more reasons—I just want to cut her down."
Silver Wolf: "As players, how could we possibly run from a boss before even fighting it?"
Bailu: "Huh? Can I join? Am I allowed to?"
Dan Heng nodded. "You can, but first, we need to unlock your bindings."
Bailu grew nervous. "Unlock my bindings? Won't that…"
Dan Heng reassured her. "No, absolutely not. This power won't go berserk. Trust me. You hold part of the power of the Imbibitor Lunae, and together, we can bring out its full potential."
Pei Guang turned to Dan Heng with a curious expression. "Wait, what? You and Bailu can pull off some kind of combo attack or fusion move?"
Dan Heng paused, then nodded. "Thanks to you, Ah Guang, I've gained a deeper understanding of the Path of Abundance. When I reached that realization, the memories of past Imbibitor Lunaes opened up to me. I even saw glimpses of their lives. After the last Imbibitor Lunae, the power was divided. As you said, with our cooperation, we can wield it at full strength. Together, we could even stall the Lord Ravager for quite some time on our own."
Under normal circumstances, Pei Guang would have been thrilled to hear that. Instead, he rolled his eyes. "Great. Now the boss just got harder."
Stelle was confused. "Wait, but Dan Heng getting stronger isn't a good thing?"
Pei Guang explained. "If we were out grinding levels for a good seven or eight centuries before this, sure, it'd make things easier. But we've been following the main storyline. Our overall power has been keeping pace with this dungeon's progression. The fact that Dan Heng is now strong enough to contend with an Emanator just means the Emanator is going to be even stronger."
March 7th recalled Pei Guang's earlier remarks. "Oh, you mean like what you said before about this Emanator possibly having two types of Emanator powers?"
Pei Guang: "Even if it doesn't have two, it's definitely rocking some Abundance powers. Combine that with Destruction, and you've got a warrior who can heal themselves. The thought alone makes my head hurt. Insane damage output, an unkillable body, terrifying recovery abilities, and let's throw in size-shifting for good measure. Maybe a second phase, a third phase, or even a death phase. If Dan Heng just got this strong, I'd bet my pulls that the boss starts at least three phases deep."
Based on his analysis, Pei Guang could already guess Phantylia's abilities: it wasn't rocket science. Abundance clearly leaned toward healing and recovery, while Destruction practically screamed "high DPS." Combining the two? You get an unkillable juggernaut capable of dishing out massive damage.
Silver Wolf was visibly shaken. "Invincible Ah Guang! Quick, think of something!"
Pei Guang turned to her with an incredulous look. "Silver Wolf, 'invincible' is a debuff. You, of all people, should know that. Are you messing with me or what?"
Silver Wolf grinned mischievously. "I'm messing with you… on purpose."
Pei Guang pinched her cheeks playfully. "You little—pinch, pinch, pinch!"
While tugging at her face, Pei Guang continued thinking out loud. "Actually, there's no need to overthink this. We've collected all the loot along the way, killed everything we needed to. When we reach the boss, it'll be a tough fight, but it's doable. Worst case, there's a scripted cutscene where something crazy happens. As for mechanics? Just follow my lead. I'm a pro at raid bosses. But before we dive in, let's open those treasures, shall we?"
Thanks for reading!
Upload rate: 2 chapters a day
20+ advanced chapters on Pat if you can’t wait
p@t reon.com/SenatusTheta
Don’t forget to check out my other translations!