Occasionally, they encountered a few and easily eliminated them; it was remarkably uneventful.
Although the passages were complex, with a Ghost Soldier guiding them, they were unlikely to lose their way.
After advancing deeply into the cave for about fifteen minutes, the terrain gradually sloped downward. As they moved along, the figure of the Ghost Soldier drifted back from the front.
Ye Luo communicated with the Ghost Soldier, and his voice grew surprisingly alarmed.
"The Wolf King is right ahead—huh, there’s actually another BOSS!"
"Another BOSS?" Hidden Dragon asked, surprised.
"Yes, that’s what the Ghost Soldier said."
"Don’t worry, it might just be another giant wolf BOSS. We just killed two, and their combat strength wasn’t that impressive. Keep moving."
The group continued forward when suddenly a smooth path appeared before them. The floor was paved with stone slabs, and torches adorned the walls, giving it an almost human touch.
They walked on and came upon a massive archway.
In this subterranean cavern, it seemed quite out of place, but there were three big characters inscribed on the arch.
"Eh, what’s going on here?" Xiao Jie couldn’t help but feel astounded. Although the Wolf King, Wolf Soldiers, and Wolf Spirit Colonels seemed organized, they still gave off an overall beastly vibe.
But now, what lay before them bore traces of a civilized society.
They passed under the archway to find themselves in a vast cavern. Torches filled the area, and many pieces of furniture were arranged about. In the center of the cavern stood a stone bed, upon which sat an old White Wolf with a white beard that drifted about, giving him an otherworldly air—until one saw his old wolfish face, which made the scene quite strange.
The group came to an immediate halt, observing from a distance.
They saw several Wolf Demon Priests, surrounded by a dozen or so Wolf Soldiers. Wolf King Chi Mei Jian was half-kneeling before the old White Wolf, saying something.
"You’ve disappointed me, Chi Mei Jian, so easily deceived by the humans, led into a trap, causing the needless death of many of our kind. I warned you long ago not to let anger drive your actions. Have you forgotten everything?"
"Enough, let me meet them. Visitors should be greeted properly. Brave warriors, why not show yourselves? It would be an honor for this old wolf to extend you some hospitality."
To their surprise, this White Wolf’s tone lacked the ferocity of the other Wolf Demons and instead seemed crafty, as if calculating an old plot.
He seemed more like a cunning human.
The group slowly emerged from the darkness, forming a tight formation, and hovered their cursors over the White Wolf’s head to check his level attributes.
Xiao Jie had a feeling that this creature might be even more powerful than Wolf King Chi Mei Jian.
The aged White Wolf continued, "Gentlemen, as the saying goes, ’Men die for wealth, birds die for food.’ Presumably, you’ve come here with intentions of gain. It wouldn’t be right to send you away empty-handed. As it happens, there’s a Golden Treasure Chest in my cave, filled with treasures. Perhaps you should take these and leave this place."
"Great Ancestor!" Chi Mei Jian was shocked, his voice filled with disbelief, while the Wolf Soldiers and Wolf Spirits looked at each other uneasily.
However, the few Wolf Demon Priests did not seem surprised by this turn of events.
Xiao Jie was also startled—it wasn’t every day you encountered a BOSS willing to bribe players.
Now close enough, they could see the BOSS’s data appearing above its head.
Dong Lingzi (Holy Wolf Demon): Level 33 BOSS. Life Value: 1900/3800.
Holy cow, a Level 33 BOSS!
Huh, why is it at half-life?
Xiao Jie had encountered such half-life BOSSes before; the Corpse Vulture Ghost General was one of them.
And on the White Wolf’s head hung a DEBUFF.
[Demon Spider Poison: You are suffering from the acute poison of a Spider Demon, all attributes reduced by 50%.]
Xiao Jie was initially shocked but then delighted. Alarmed by the prospect of a Level 33 BOSS, but pleased this one had been poisoned, halving its attributes—wasn’t this a gift waiting to be unwrapped?
Hidden Dragon had noticed this too and appeared indecisive.
Accepting the White Wolf’s offer would net a tidy sum. The loot from the Golden Treasure Chest was bound to be as good as from any ordinary BOSS, and they wouldn’t even have to fight.
But the prospect of not battling two half-life BOSSes was quite irresistible.
So he asked in the chat room, "Given the life-or-death stakes here, everyone, what do you say—do we fight or not?"
"Fight, of course! We have to!"
"Sheesh, a half-life BOSS is a big present. Why wait?"
"Let’s do this, brothers. Today our Luoyang Branch takes off!"
"Let’s take them down. This one is definitely going to drop core items for a Magic profession!"
However, not everyone was on board.
Bai Ze said uneasily, "I think we should take the offer... This old wolf isn’t simple."
Ye Luo also commented, "I think so too. We can always come back another time."
But amongst the clamorous calls to engage, the voices of the few who opposed were barely heard.
"Brother Sui Feng, what do you think?" Hidden Dragon suddenly posed this question in the chat room, mainly because Xiao Jie’s performance in previous days was too impressive, prompting this subconscious inquiry.
At this moment, Xiao Jie was also hesitant. In any other game, there’d be no contemplation needed; to pass up such an opportunity would be an oversight.
But this was a death game, after all. Facing two BOSSes at once, the danger was not simply additive.
But then again, winning meant two Demon Cores!
Moreover, a thought suddenly crossed Xiao Jie’s mind—if the fight turned south, he would surely escape, but... he glanced at the others behind him, realizing they might not be as lucky.