Note: I forgot that Vaelstrasz has "a" after l and s = Vaelastrasz.
There was no doubt that Pariston's arrest and detention sent a magnitude-12 earthquake through the entire Hunter Association.
In particular, the "Temp Hunters" directly under his jurisdiction fell into unprecedented chaos almost overnight. While a faction of die-hard loyalists tried their best to mobilize a rescue operation, far more people chose to cut ties with him immediately, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
After all, being arrested by direct order of the V5's highest authority meant that Pariston had utterly lost his political backing. Most Temp Hunters worked as liaisons for major corporations, billionaires, and government departments; their political sensitivity was razor-sharp. If they didn't distance themselves now, they risked losing their livelihoods at any moment.
As for the election for the next Chairman, without Pariston acting as a wrench in the gears, the results were decided within a mere two hours.
To no one's surprise, the exceptionally organized Cheadle was elected as the 13th Chairman of the Hunter Association with an overwhelming majority. She immediately set to work handling the Association's internal affairs.
On the other side, Gon had regained his health under Alluka's (Nanika's) healing. Everything seemed to be heading toward a peaceful resolution.
But Allen knew this was merely the calm before the storm. It wouldn't be long before Beyond Netero and the Kakin Empire stepped onto the stage with a public declaration to conquer the Dark Continent, opening a new chapter in human history.
Taking advantage of this lull, Allen decisively marched toward his third dungeon raid: Blackwing Lair.
"Is this the place we're challenging?"
Standing on the ramp leading to the first boss's chamber, Baise cast a curious glance at the dragon eggs scattered everywhere and the towering, muscular frame of Razorgore the Untamed.
Allen nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. This time, your ability finally has room to shine."
"OK! Leave the humanoids to me." Baise looked up at the orcs standing on the balconies, instinctively licking her alluring red lips.
"Remember, mind-control as many enemies as possible and make them tear each other apart. Bodoro, stay close and protect Lupos. Don't let anyone interrupt his mind control," Allen calmly assigned the tasks.
Since the first boss was relatively low difficulty, the martial artist MT (Main Tank) stepped forward and swung his shield, knocking several orcs to the ground. Without a word, Lupos pressed his paws onto the orb, taking control of Razorgore the Untamed to begin destroying the eggs.
Baise and Allen worked in perfect sync, easily charming a large number of orc warriors and mages, commanding them to attack their own kind. In an instant, the room turned into a chaotic mess of fireballs and arcane explosions. Allen barely had to lift a finger; the enemies did the job for him.
After a few minutes, Phase One concluded.
The moment Phase Two began, a ready-and-waiting Allen drew his bowstring and released a terrifying arrow he had been charging for some time.
BOOM!
Following a deafening blast, Razorgore's health bar instantly dropped by a third. After a mere three arrows, the beast collapsed to the ground with a final scream.
"Is it my imagination, or did that feel easier than Molten Core?" Bodoro asked, stroking his chin with uncertainty.
"No, it's not an illusion. Baise's ability was a huge help here. As long as her aura holds out, things should go smoothly. Besides, we all became stronger during the Chimera Ant mission," Allen explained while kneeling to loot the body.
Arcane Infused Gem! Dragonstalker's Bracers! Bracers of Wrath!
Not bad. No "ninja" loot today.
"Well? Did anything good drop?" Baise leaned in expectantly.
"Sorry, only one piece for Bodoro. The rest are mine." Allen tossed the Bracers of Wrath to the martial artist and stuffed the other two into his own bag.
"Dammit! I protest! This is discrimination! Pure discrimination!" Baise complained indignantly. "Why does my gear never drop? Three times! I've gone through Molten Core three whole times without changing a single piece of equipment!"
At this moment, she looked exactly like those unlucky players in games, venting their helpless rage when the RNG doesn't go their way.
"Relax, there will be bread, and there will be gear. Persistence is key. As long as we keep raiding, you'll get what you want eventually," Allen comforted her, half-amused.
There was nothing else he could do. Loot drops weren't determined by human will; they were entirely random based on luck. Some "Luck Emperors" could finish their set in one lockout, while "Unlucky Ones" might wait for a single piece until the expansion ended. He remembered back in Level 70 days, someone carried one Warglaive of Azzinoth from their first Black Temple clear all the way until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion launched, and never saw the other half.
That's just fate.
"Exactly! Persistence! That's what my martial arts master used to say," Bodoro nodded in agreement as he quickly equipped his Bracers of Wrath.
This comment, unfortunately, acted like fuel to the fire.
Baise glared at him fiercely and roared, "Shut up! I don't want to hear your voice right now! And I definitely don't want to see your annoying face!"
"Uh... did I say something wrong again?" The honest Bodoro scratched his head, completely failing to understand why she was snapping at him.
"Generally speaking, I would categorize your behavior just now as 'bragging' and 'provocation,'" Allen said, rubbing his forehead and lamenting the martial artist's abysmal social EQ. In an actual game, he'd likely have his brains beaten out by the unlucky players.
After the brief interlude, the group soon reached the chamber of the second boss.
Seeing the familiar form of the Vaelastrasz the Corrupt, Baise's face filled with shock. "Isn't that... the red Nen beast you created?"
"Yes. Same rules as always! I'll handle this boss myself. You guys stay far away; getting hit by that terrifying dragon breath is no joke," Allen warned sternly.
Just as he was about to activate his Portal of Transit to start his kiting tactics, Vaelastrasz (his pet) suddenly spoke: "Let me join this battle."
"You?" Allen froze for a second.
"Yes. I can feel it. Inside his body, there is a powerful energy that can help me complete my evolution—the energy of life," Vaelastrasz replied excitedly.
"Life energy? Oh... I see! It's the Essence of the Red!"
A thoughtful light flashed in Allen's eyes. As per the lore, Vaelastrasz had been ambushed while hunting the Black Dragon Prince, Nefarian; he was wounded and corrupted by the Black Dragon's filth, forced to fight players.
But Vaelastrasz himself didn't want to fight, so before the battle, he would grant all players a buff called Essence of the Red, giving Warriors infinite rage, casters infinite mana, and Rogues infinite energy. Essentially, he gave away his most precious red dragon life essence so that players could kill him more quickly and efficiently.
This meant that Allen's pet, also a Red Dragon, could absorb that energy and transform it into her own...