After finalizing their strategy, the group decided to hold off the Skeleton Guardian while the rest ventured into the passage behind it to search for mechanisms—if no mechanisms were found, they would simply push forward.
In any case, directly confronting the Skeleton Guardian didn’t seem like a wise choice.
"Engage it now!" At Hu Tianyu’s command, the guild’s thieves sprang into action, testing the limits of the monster’s aggro range. Finally, when they closed in to a certain distance, the flames in the Skeleton Guardian’s eye sockets flared violently!
"ROOOOOAR!!!!!!" A deafening roar erupted, sending visible shockwaves rippling through the air. However, thanks to the distance and their preparations, the thieves remained unharmed.
"Crack, crack-crack." The sound of grinding bones echoed as the Skeleton Guardian patted its massive black shield before charging straight at the thieves!
"Don’t cluster together!"
Inside the vast corridor, players scrambled to take cover in the corners while the thieves kept the Skeleton Guardian occupied, leaving its back completely exposed.
They quickly realized that despite its enormous size and terrifying strength, the Skeleton Guardian was slow—likely due to the massive shield it carried. It couldn’t even keep up with the players’ movements.
"Avoid direct clashes! Everyone else, flank it!" Seizing the opportunity, the other players rushed past the distracted guardian.
"ROAR!!" Noticing the movement behind it, the Skeleton Guardian suddenly leaped into the air!
The players trying to slip past looked up just in time to see a colossal skeletal shadow crashing down on them!
"BOOM!!!!"
The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, shaking the entire castle violently.
The blast instantly wiped out every player in the vicinity, sending dozens straight to the respawn point while scattering equipment across the ground.
Spotting a few blue and purple-tier items among the loot, the remaining players abandoned their original plan and lunged for the gear.
"Damn it, these freeloading trash dare steal our guild’s loot? Kill them all!" Hu Tianyu was already furious over losing so many guild members to the Skeleton Guardian’s attack. Seeing the outsiders snatching their equipment, he immediately rallied his men to cut them down.
A bizarre scene unfolded—the Skeleton Guardian chased players, while the guild chased other players, turning the battlefield into utter chaos.
"Guild Leader, we can’t hold out!"
"Guild Leader, this damn monster’s way too OP!"
The Skeleton Guardian rampaged unchecked, crushing players with every charge. It showed no signs of fatigue, shrugging off both magical and physical attacks with ease.
Just then, Hu Tianyu noticed Su Qiao and her group slipping past unnoticed, sprinting at full speed toward the passage behind the guardian.
"Stop them!"
A barrage of spells rained down, attempting to intercept the Skyhawk Guild. But between the difficulty of casting accurately while moving and the Skeleton Guardian’s relentless destruction, the mages couldn’t halt their advance.
"Hahaha, guess you’ll have to keep it busy for us! We’re off to slay the boss!" Su Qiao couldn’t contain her laughter, thrilled to see the Skeleton Guardian stomping rival guild members underfoot.
Better yet, the sheer number of players served as perfect distractions, buying the Skyhawk Guild enough time to take down the boss.
The thought alone made Su Qiao’s heart race with excitement.
Soon after clearing the corridor, Su Qiao’s group encountered a few minor monsters, but they were easily dispatched, barely slowing their progress.
As they pressed forward, a grand hall came into view. At the far end stood a throne—and seated upon it was a skeletal mage, resting its skull on one hand.
The flickering flames in its hollow eyes betrayed a hint of surprise.
"Boss, that’s the hidden boss—the Lord of Decay!" The bald man beside Su Qiao couldn’t hide his glee at the sight.
"Perfect! Vanguards, engage! The rest, guard the passage—don’t let anyone else slip in!"
The guild had brought over a hundred members. After quickly arranging their formation, they prepared to take on the boss.
...
"Hmm?" At that moment, the Lord of Decay—or rather, Ye Chuan—rose from his throne with mild interest.
Though he wasn’t entirely sure of the players’ overall strength, he had to admit they had some skill if they’d managed to bypass his Skeleton Guardian.
Feeling playful, Ye Chuan deepened his voice and intoned,
"Foolish invaders, why do you disturb my ruined slumber?"
Then, feigning alarm, he took a step back. "Unless… you’ve learned of my legendary treasure vault?!"
His words sent waves of excitement through the Skyhawk Guild.
There really was treasure!
"Legendary weapons! Everyone, attack! Whoever lands the final blow gets a 500,000 bonus!" Su Qiao was practically vibrating with excitement as she pointed forward.
The players surged into action—warriors charged, while mages and archers unleashed a relentless barrage from the rear.
"Mana Shield."
With a casual wave of his skeletal hand, Ye Chuan conjured a glowing barrier that effortlessly blocked every attack.
Meanwhile, the warriors froze mid-charge, unable to move.
"What’s happening?!" Su Qiao gaped in disbelief.
"I can’t move my body!"
"What?!"
"Damn it, check your status bars!"
The players frantically checked their debuff lists—only to find rows upon rows of negative effects. Most bosses might inflict paralysis or fear at worst, but this? The sheer number of debuffs made some wonder if their eyes were deceiving them.
As the effects took hold, the players’ bodies flickered with multicolored lights while their HP plummeted in percentages. Healing spells and potions proved useless.
Within seconds, the players melted away before Ye Chuan’s eyes.
"It’s over, foolish thieves." With that, Ye Chuan inflicted Cognitive Pollution on every remaining player.
"It hurts… I can’t breathe…" Su Qiao’s eyes widened in horror. Her pain settings were at a mere 1%—why did it hurt so much?!
The next instant, the entire Skyhawk Guild was wiped out.
Surveying the sea of soul fragments and equipment left behind, Ye Chuan casually waved his hand, absorbing everything into his inventory.
"Not bad." He rubbed his skeletal chin thoughtfully.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
