942 Second Round!

The bells rang as a last call for the cultivators to set out on their boats. Bu Dong was in the midst of a heated discussion with Zi Dan and Xia Mao about what they had to do next when they came down the stairs from their cabin. Behind them was Jing Yu who was holding their Panda Mercenary… Heala. 

After Bu Dong had heard about their experiences within the dungeon instance and how successful they had been by utilising the holy trinity (although they did not name it as such), he felt dumb that he did not realise it sooner especially since the recommendation emphasised the need for a tank and a healer to clear this dungeon instance. 

During the time they had to prepare for the second run, the Angry Ape Cultivator had discovered that the holy trinity might not have been fully integrated into the whole system yet. The whole RPG mechanic still seemed "lite" enough to allow an offensive composition to stand a chance against Nian and her underlings as long as they dodged enough. 

For example, the HP bar they had in their visor was an indicator of their health, but many Pandarens knew that it was not perfect but more of an estimate. Even if they received substantial damage from the monsters and were down to zero hit points, they could actually still fight on by pushing their limit. It was not a computational sequence of numbers but a battle of will against the monsters. (Of course only to a certain extent. Near-death, limbless humans can't do much after all but who knows? )

Bu Dong was confident that with Zi Dan's hidden healing skills and Heala's recovery magic, they might be able to pull through. Thus the group had decided to follow Bu Dong's advice and gamble their potential first clear on his new strategy. 

However, Xia Mao was still sceptical since they had yet to see Nian release any significant death-defying moves considering her health was barely a quarter down.

"Do you think we can ram the boat into her again like you did on your first run?" Bu Dong questioned, hoping to do some extra damage against Nian before the showdown. Every little bit might make the difference between a first clear and another defeat.

"I doubt that. Besides, if we ever encounter her in a similar situation, I'd probably just jump overboard. Once was more than enough and if possible, I want to avoid a repeat for sanity's sake." Xia Mao grumbled as he turned on the engine.

"The Nian shouldn't be in these parts anymore. The Village Chief gave us the information that she should be residing within the Volcanic Caverns now." Jing Yu added.

"Let's just hope the fire resistance charms will be enough for us to deal with her. Without Tanke around, we are going to need every little bit of protection we can get." Zi Dan slightly regretted the change since he had paid for two sets of extra armour. Thankfully those sets of armour could be refitted to fit anyone with the aid of Jin's cosmetic inscription. 

It was a revolutionary idea from Bu Dong who had done something similar in the past. The only downside was that the cosmetic inscription did not last forever. The moment the armour left Jin's store, it would turn back to its normal bulky form.

With everyone being well equipped after their shopping spree, Xia Mao cautiously navigated the motorboat towards the village harbour. The inhabitants cheerfully welcomed them back again. (Meanwhile in a separate dungeon instance, those returning offenders had been treated with disgust and spite. Some of the villagers even threw rocks at their boat.)

Chief Erming of the Song Chew Village queried whether they were well enough, revealing his knowledge about the fact that the cultivators were able to 'revive'.

"There is one last favour I'd personally like to ask of you before you embark towards finding the Nian." Erming requested and Xia Mao turned his head towards Bu Dong.

The Pandawan's stare was all the Blind Cat Cultivator needed to confirm the young boy's intention. "Apologies, Chief. We will try to accommodate your request, but we cannot make any promises. Perhaps after we have defeated the beast." 

"Ah, that is a valid response. I'd like you to get some flowers for my daughter." Chief Erming was understanding and did not force them. He still gave them the side quest, allowing their Pandamonium App to update their logs.

"The Rainbow Flower is native to our island. The flower exists in seven different varieties, each one a colour of the rainbow hence their name. They were a favourite of my late wife, and my daughter has inherited her love for these flowers. If you manage to gather all seven of them, I will give you a bonus." 

Bu Dong had already checked in the ever-busy forums with regards to the last quest left for the Elder Pandarens. It was a simple fetch quest that allowed the Chief to reward some Panda Medals to the group. The flowers themselves were not too difficult to find, but they were all over the place, meaning that one would have to backtrack unless they got the side quest early on. 

Chief Erming went into his hut and came out with a unique piece of firecracker that looked completely different from the others they had given out before. "Everyone in our village has contributed something to help craft this particular firecracker. We've harvested the materials from the Nian underlings you've slain and hoped that this item will help you in the fight against their mother."

The firecracker was gleaming even when it was not yet lighted. The really special thing about this particular firecracker was that it was shaped like a halberd. There was a hardened wooden shaft that held onto the firecracker, and they had even added an axe blade. 

Upon closer inspection, the cultivators saw small engravings of each and every villager the Elder Panderens had helped during the side quests. Village Chief Erming brought out a metal pen. "Please inscribe your names on the firecracker as well. This would have been impossible without your effort. Ah, Mr Bu Dong, please do not hesitate to write your name on it as well. Although this might be the first time we meet, your eyes and expression show me your resolution of wanting to bring the Nian down. That is all we need of you." 

"When it is my turn, I will be honoured to add my name to it with pride. For now, this source of achievement should be given solely to the Pandarens who aided you here." Bu Dong understood that based on the Elder Pandaren party's 'save' state, he seemed to be treated as a 'visitor' who was either benefitting from the trio's good reputation or from his own actions in the previous save.

"Uncle Xia Mao please let me take a photo of it! I suspect we might be among the first few parties who have managed to get this unique firecracker weapon!"

"So… Anyone capable of carrying a spear?" Bu Dong asked after taking a few pictures of the weapon which he decided to upload on behalf of their group into the spoiler section of the Nian Event subforum.

"Not too sure about Zi Dan and Xia Mao, but I have handled spears before as part of the training for my cloth blades." Jing Yu volunteered, and the two old men already placed their palms out to point at the Hungry Condor Cultivator, indicating she should have the honour.

"Remember, this is a one-time weapon. Once you light the fuse, you only have that amount of time to use it!" Erming warned them as he pointed into the direction of the Volcanic Caverns. "Also, please grant my brother the honour to escort your group inside the caverns. It's his sincere wish to face Nian on an equal footing and going along with your group will give him the greatest chance to survive such an encounter."

"Please allow me to join you in battle!" Yiming, the Village Head Hunter kowtowed before them, and the Elder Pandarens who previously accompanied him to battle, knew that he could hold himself in a fight and understood when to retreat as well. Bu Dong had not reached that particular side quest yet and just trusted the Pandarens in their judgement.