In the invaded dimension—
A group of orc priests knelt before a towering figure clad in pitch-black armor.
The orcs in this dimension typically wore shabby hides, but this figure's magic-inscribed armor stood out, completely at odds with the rest.
"Lord Airi… a human outside the portal… he's already killed nearly a hundred of our soldiers!"
The orc priest's voice trembled.
But before he finished his sentence—
His head hit the ground.
The armored knight known as Airi turned.
His helmet resembled the skull of a beast, forged in steel, burning with cold blue fire in its eye sockets.
Blood—dark and thick—dripped from the longsword in his hand.
"You pathetic orcs of the lesser planes…
You don't even have a tenth of your ancestors' strength.
Thinking you could devour this plane? Foolish."
Airi kicked away the orc's corpse and walked slowly toward a glowing spatial rift in the distance.
On the other side of the rift was Blue Star's Jiangcheng Food Street.
Meanwhile—
That street had become a ruin.
Shops burned.
Goods lay in ashes.
Two orcs fought viciously over a piece of fried chicken.
Seconds later—
A Qi Cannon vaporized them both.
The fried chicken rolled to a stop… at Airi's feet.
The orc's head—frozen in a defiant stare—landed beside it.
"Interesting."
Airi crushed the orc's head under his boot.
In the blue flame of his helm, the figure of Zhao Mingwei—the Qi Master—was clearly reflected.
"A world where all magic and energy has dried up…
And yet, such a powerful mage appears…"
Airi scraped his armored gauntlet across his sword—
Dark sigils ignited along its blade.
"So you're the boss?"
Zhao used a scouting skill on Airi.
A window popped up:
[Annihilation Legion Vanguard – Airi | Abyssal Lord-Level BOSS | Level: 35 | HP: ???]
Lord-level BOSS?!
Zhao's eyes narrowed.
Even the toughest boss he'd ever faced in-game had only been level 27.
These orcs he just wiped out? Around level 20.
A Level 35 BOSS could one-shot him.
"I can smell your fear."
Airi walked forward with his sword.
"But you have no chance to run."
Run?
As a pro gamer, Zhao's instincts told him:
Retreat is the correct call.
Fighting enemies 10 levels higher? Only madmen or bug-abusers tried that.
But this wasn't a game anymore—this was real.
Zhao glanced at the fire-engulfed food street.
Guess I won't be eating that fried chicken any time soon…
No wait—what if the owner's dead? Will it ever come back?
His thoughts spiraled.
If I die here… do I die for real?
Then—
New intel flashed from his scan:
[Potential Loot: Wraith Ring, Light Sprite's Memory, Redemption Gloves, Chocobo Reins…]
Temptation.
Pure, seductive, devilish temptation.
Too late.
Airi's enchanted sword thrust forward.
Zhao spun his foot, dodged to the side, and unleashed a Fighter class skill—Crushing Fist!
His punch, wrapped in Tiger-Dragon Roar's phantom, slammed into Airi's abdomen.
A thunderous crack and electrical burst echoed.
-130
The number floated above Airi's head.
Zhao could feel the rage-fueled Qi slam into the BOSS's body.
"Decent power."
But Airi didn't flinch.
His glowing sword swept sideways—too fast.
Zhao's Qi orbs leapt to block it—
Shattered.
The blade skimmed across his neck.
He felt cold steel—
And leapt back instantly.
No wound.
No beheading.
But—
-1632
Zhao's health plummeted.
From 2700 → 1068
One strike from Airi nearly halved his HP.
"You're not human…"
Airi's flames flickered with surprise.
Zhao couldn't comprehend how to deal with this kind of boss:
Small hitbox.
Fast attack speed.
Super armor.
Level 35?!
Is this thing designed just to farm players?
Wait… "designed"?
"Are you… a monster from a game?"
Zhao shouted.
Airi sneered.
"Game? What is that?
I am a warrior of the Annihilation Legion,
seeking new hunting grounds for my master.
This world… is suitable.
And you—are nothing."
He leapt—
Sword aimed straight for Zhao's chest.
Zhao readied to dodge—
But his foot was caught by a translucent hand.
[You have been Bound!]
System message flashed in front of him.
Panic set in.
Is this… death?
He closed his eyes.
But instead of a death message—
He saw a new notification:
[Player 加奶不加价 has cast Holy Shield on you!]
(加奶不加价 – "Healing without Price Increase," likely a healer's username)
Zhao's eyes shot open.
Airi's blade struck a transparent barrier—
Cracks spread across it.
Then—
A fireball slammed into Airi's face!
Zhao turned.
There stood Jiang Qiao, staff in hand.
"Let me answer your question."
"Our identity…"
He raised his staff.
"…we are players."
His voice rang across the burning food street.
"No matter how many of you there are, weaklings are still weak."
Airi began to speak—
Only to be cut off mid-sentence by another fireball.
Then—an arrow struck his chest.
Then—a missile exploded at his feet, sending him stumbling.
Is it over?
No.
That was just the beginning.
Next came:
Frost Arrows
Lightning Strike
Exploding Magic Orbs
Laser Beams
Freezing Grenades
Dark Light Slash
Attacks from all eras—
From medieval fantasy to sci-fi futures—rained down.
Enraged, Airi finally slashed out with his sword, creating a magic barrier to shield himself.
And behind it—
He saw them.
Dozens of oddly dressed silhouettes.
Each with bizarre names floating overhead:
枫流火 (Maple Fire Flow)
酒桶进我野区 (Gragas Entered My Jungle)
没反馈就手抖 (No Feedback Makes My Hands Shake)
绝望的团团 (Desperate Tuantuan)
大尾巴狼 (Big-Tailed Wolf)
Each name was nonsense to Airi—
But the way they looked at him…
He felt like a steak on a plate.
"Let's begin Round Two."
Jiang Qiao summoned his Water Spirit and Fire Spirit.
In that instant, the number of players in the Abyss Hunt zone rose from 3 → 372.
Zhao looked at the wave of familiar and unfamiliar faces behind him—
And gave a bitter smile.
So this open-world BOSS drop's definitely gonna get ninja'd…
But—
At that moment, Zhao understood something:
Players are never alone.
(End of Chapter)