They dug down along the pillars exposed on the ground.
After about a minute, they broke through the dome of the underground Dragon's Lair.
Tashiniya and the others crowded together, eagerly watching the sleeping Fire Dragon.
In the dark Dragon's Lair, the Fire Dragon lay prostrate as if dozing, surrounded by countless monsters—Zombies, Skeletons, Creepers, Trolls—
They were densely packed, almost a monster tide.
This was the first time Tashiniya and the others had seen an MC Dungeon's Dragon Boss.
But there was nothing to fear; after all, Su Lin's Dragons were much larger than this big fellow below.
"A Level 4 female Fire Dragon."
Thanks to her rich experience in Dragon slaying, Aelita recognized the Dragon's attributes at a glance.
She moved away from the edge of the cave entrance, allowing Meluti to also step forward and take a look.
"So—"
Tashiniya looked up at Aelita expectantly.
"This Dragon can drop Dragon Eggs now?"
"If we're lucky—yes, that's right."
As she said this, Aelita couldn't help but feel a little smug.
In the entire MC Dungeon, if she claimed to be second in luck, who would dare say they surpassed her?
Aelita had the impressive achievement of acquiring three Dragon Eggs in one go.
Veronika gripped her Dragonflame Boneblood Sword, lowering her voice.
"Mr. Su Lin, do we need to make any arrangements?"
"No, just fight like this."
This time, Su Lin specifically did not bring any Dragon Rider Army for the Dragon slaying, except for Hilulele and the others. There were only Tashiniya and these new Dragon Slayers. Obtaining Dragon Eggs was not the most important task; with the current Dragon breeding farm on the fourth level, Su Lin could equip Tashiniya and the others with Dragons in minutes if he wished.
This time, he wanted Veronika and the others to engage in direct combat and eliminate this Dragon.
It could also be considered gaining combat experience for their future conquest of the Netherite Alloy Behemoth.
However, given that this was their first time undertaking such a high-difficulty task, Su Lin still gave them a few pointers.
Besides not being allowed to use Death Worm suicide bombers and TNT bombing, Su Lin also asked them to use the enchanted Dragonbone Longbows as little as possible.
This was only a Level 4 Dragon. With the Dragonbone Longbows Tashiniya and the others had, it probably wouldn't withstand a single volley.
What kind of training would that be!
Most bosses in the calamity mod have damage caps and invincibility frames. Even if the Dragonbone Longbow was incredibly powerful, they still had to grind it down one slash at a time.
Especially since the Netherite Alloy Behemoth also had ranged protection.
Too much reliance on bows would only lead to a faster death.
Before long, Tashiniya and the others, equipped and ready, began digging around to enter the Dragon's Lair.
"Golden apples, Totem of Undying, shields, alchemy potions, Dragonfrost Boneblood Sword—"
Hiding in the mine shaft, Tashiniya tallied her strategic supplies.
"All here!"
Satisfied, she turned to Veronika and the others, and Tashiniya, with the demeanor of a great general, began to give orders.
"Later, Veronika, Lulu, An Duo, Weini, Deconis, and Qiao Qiao, you will be in charge of the main attack. Meluti will clear the surrounding small monsters!"
"Understood."
This arrangement seemed quite reasonable to Veronika.
After all, Meluti's strength was indeed slightly weaker than the others.
Only—
"Captain, what about you?"
Lulu put her hands on her hips, staring intently at Tashiniya.
"Everyone else is fighting, what will you be responsible for?"
"This—"
Tashiniya scratched her cheek, then turned to the workbench and clanked away for a moment.
When she turned back, she was holding two red flags and waving them rhythmically.
"I'm responsible for cheering everyone on!"
As she spoke, the angel halo on Tashiniya's headband spun around, emitting colorful light bands that decorated the dim mine shaft like a nightclub.
"How about it! Very invigorating, right?"
"An angel halo isn't meant to be used like that! You idiot!"
Weini frantically grabbed Tashiniya by the neck.
"Bear with me, Weini, this is an angel's way of fighting!"
"Then why were you just now pretending to count supplies! Idiot! Take out all the Totems of Undying!"
Veronika gave up.
Tashiniya was clearly unreliable.
Forget it.
Veronika looked at Lulu and the others and said:
"Once the operation begins, everyone, please be sure to follow my command."
"Yes! Commander Veronika!"
Lulu saluted like a knight, full of spirit.
Weini ultimately couldn't get through to Tashiniya and could only let her hide up there, occasionally throwing down healing potions to save everyone's lives.
Ready, Veronika tightened her grip on her weapon—a wooden sword. She had prepared many, solely to increase the difficulty of the Dragon-slaying operation.
Veronika knew that the Dragonfrost Boneblood Sword countered Fire Dragons and delivered strong crowd control with every hit.
But she also clearly understood Su Lin's fundamental purpose in having them slay the Dragon in close combat this time—to prepare for future boss battles against calamity mod bosses.
Given this, convenience naturally couldn't be pursued. She wanted to achieve the feat of Dragon slaying with true skill and strength.
Veronika didn't demand this of others, but she herself had to do it.
After all, Su Lin had brought her because he valued her combat ability.
Disappointing a friend's expectations was a knight's great taboo.
Taking a deep breath, she signaled Meluti to dig open the mine shaft. Veronika's face instantly became as cold as steel.
She ignored the swarming monster tide; Meluti would handle everything.
"Whoosh!"
A crisp sound came from the firework in her hand, and Veronika stepped out, flying into the air.
If there was one thing she found difficult to adapt to after coming to the MC Dungeon, it was that Veronika had lost her high-level Crusader Knight's innate ability to fly.
But that didn't matter either.
At high speed with her elytra, Veronika immediately bypassed the monster tide and rushed to the top of the Dragon's head.
The firework effect just faded, and Veronika performed a plunging attack from the air.
Mid-air, her wooden sword changed to a wooden axe.
"Thud!"
The effect was outstanding!
The dull, magic-infused blow left Veronika's damage number on the Fire Dragon's head.
It didn't hurt, but it was very humiliating.
The Fire Dragon roared in fury, turning its head to bite Veronika, but only bit at air.
Veronika had no desire to prolong the fight; after her attack landed, she gracefully flipped backward like a swallow and landed.
Seeing the enraged giant claw that came for her again, Veronika swiftly pulled out her shield and blocked it with lightning speed.
She quickly switched to fireworks again to ascend and continue fighting the Dragon.
It was very much like the invincible application of three-dimensional maneuver gear.
This scene was highly spectacular.
"Lady Veronika is invincible!"
Lulu's face was flushed with excitement. She pulled out her shield and wooden sword and eagerly ran towards the Dragon.
She also wanted to impose strict discipline and demands on herself, just like Veronika!
"An Duo! Stop watching! After we defeat this Dragon, all the gold is yours! Go!"
Weini shouted, firing a healing arrow towards Meluti, who was surrounded by the monster tide.
Deconis, nearby, was a little restless. Honestly, she really wanted to take that arrow to the face, the one that would make her ecstatic.
Unfortunately—
Deconis still knew how to prioritize.
Her spellbook's pages rustled like flowing water without a breeze, then settled on a glowing page.
"Holy Sky Pasture, I command you to bestow blessings!"
"Sizzle—"
Burn marks gradually appeared on Deconis's arm, while a barely perceptible glow emanated from Veronika and the others.
"Mmm—"
Deconis covered her burning arm with a look of contentment.
Especially now that she had also eaten a golden apple.
Being healed by the golden apple while her lich body was burned by the sacrificial magic.
This feeling was "Awesome!"
Deconis excitedly increased her magic output, while also remembering to occasionally use Ender Pearls to teleport to critical positions and block damage with her shield.
Hmm… she was even willing to take the damage from the Ender Pearls.
"What a pervert—"
Su Lin wore a 'subway old man' face, watching Deconis's mysterious operations.
If you called her a slacker, she continuously applied blessings and always relied on her strong combat intuition to flash to critical positions and block damage.
But if you said she was genuinely fighting, she was losing health while fighting, and after losing health, she would cheer with a morbid look on her face, which was truly sanity-draining.
Who adjusted her?
Although he was full of complaints, Su Lin had to admit that Deconis's ability as a high-level priest was truly effective.
Although priestly magic was nerfed in MC Dungeon, when she used it, it was still more powerful than alchemy potions.
Overall, when they fought the Cataclysm boss, having Deconis around was equivalent to having a comprehensive alchemy potion buff at all times.
Besides Deconis, the others were also not to be underestimated—
They had lived long and were powerful.
Their combat was highly spectacular, and even occasional injuries were only due to Veronika and Weini's lack of initial coordination.
The only one who could be considered a slacker, Tashiniya, was now very earnestly clasping her hands and casting an angel's blessing.
Although the effect was unknown, it seemed to be related to recovery.
Self-healing potions, which could increase fault tolerance, were good.
"They'll be fine after a bit more time to mesh."
Su Lin nodded slightly.
Bringing this group of combat experts was truly the right decision!
"Everyone is working so hard—"
Aelita looked down with some emotion. Perhaps influenced by Veronika, everyone had switched to wooden swords, taking the opportunity to hone their cooperation and MC combat style.
This made Aelita, who was always pondering how to strategically carpet bomb, feel a little ashamed.
Hilulele stared intently at Veronika, then praised:
"Veronika's combat talent is still so powerful—"
Among these people, if anyone excelled in researching MC-style combat, it was Veronika.
Wearing elytra and holding fireworks, she attracted most of the Dragon's aggro, yet she could still easily bait the Dragon like a dog.
Later, even when the Dragon breathed fire, Veronika didn't use a shield; in the blink of an eye, she created an obsidian barrier to block all damage.
Then she flew up again to deliver a plunging attack to the Ender Dragon.
Her combat output was estimated to account for one-third of everyone's total.
Veronika was still growing in battle.
"It seems we have our main damage dealer for killing the Netherite Alloy Behemoth."
Su Lin clapped his hands happily, then looked at another person.
Li Qiaoqiao—
Unexpectedly, this extremely socially anxious girl seemed like a different person when fighting.
Her world seemed to contain only the enemy in front of her. She attacked very rarely, but each attack invariably hit the Dragon's eyes.
After a successful hit, she would quickly retreat into the darkness, as if completely vanishing from the world.
Li Qiaoqiao's output seemed even higher than Veronika's, yet the Dragon didn't have any aggro towards her.
"Assassin."
This word inexplicably appeared in Su Lin's mind, but there didn't seem to be such a profession on the Aetherium Continent.
Aelita murmured softly:
"Li Qiaoqiao is truly a terrifying individual."
If Veronika's combat was a poetic and picturesque art—
Li Qiaoqiao's combat style was a master of cunning and ruthlessness.
Aelita never expected that Li Qiaoqiao, who was always terribly shy and would blush for a long time just by talking to her—
Was actually a hidden BOSS.
Simplifying combat, emerging from the darkness, landing an attack, and vanishing back into the darkness—
Every one of her moves was aimed at swiftly killing the enemy, purely terrifying.
Aelita's expression grew more solemn.
"Who exactly is she? Although the Elven Queens have checked Li Qiaoqiao many times, and even Li Qiaoqiao's performance in the MC Dungeon is no different from others, or even more saintly.
After all, even now, Li Qiaoqiao still felt a little heartache for the villagers being imprisoned and drained of their value.
But ultimately, she seemed to have sprung out of a rock crevice; neither the Elven Kingdom nor the Lucanian Kingdom had any information about her.
"Don't overthink it."
Su Lin smiled and ruffled Aelita's hair.
"At least I can tell she's a very simple girl."
After so many days of getting along, Li Qiaoqiao remained as easily shy and reactive as when they first met.
Su Lin couldn't imagine her being any kind of dangerous character. He had also talked to Li Qiaoqiao, and she said that if she could, she wanted to stay in the MC Dungeon forever, with Tashiniya and the others.
So—
People who truly care about their companions are rarely bad people.
What's more, Su Lin now had two more directives; even if the so-called primordial gods of the Celestial Realm came to the MC Dungeon, they would have to obey.
As he pondered, a magical communication floated over.
Su Lin took it and saw it was from Lop.
He had already found The End Portal, successfully slayed the Dragon, and obtained the Broken Yamato.
He even resurrected the Ender Dragon and left it for Veronika and the others, then led his team to search for The End Ship.
This piece of information wasn't important; the other one was.
Lop encountered an abandoned fortress while searching for The End Ship in The End.