Chapter Seventy-Four: An Accidental Encounter with the Boss

Moonshadow Autumn Veil’s voice was clear and melodious, like an oriole: “It’s fine, Explosive Maniacs only have two people. Just the two of them trying to take down a level 45 boss—there’s no way. Sisters, listen up, the company has issued an A-grade bounty this time. Whoever takes out Explosive Maniacs gets a reward of fifty thousand credit points. Did everyone hear that?”

“Yes!” came the uniform reply below.

Wu Hua was moved to tears. “You all think so highly of me, fifty thousand points for my head! You must all be born under the sign of the ox.”

“Big brother, what do we do now?” The bystander was anxious.

Wu Hua smiled. “Relax, I have plenty of ways to deal with them. These self-important folks, just follow me.”

In the lower mausoleum, Blue Ocean Company’s “Beret” regiment numbered over three hundred, mostly Controllers and Psionics. The group pulled down coffins, swinging ropes to reach the divine platform.

Hanmei Proud Snow and Moonshadow Autumn Veil, upon entering the upper mausoleum, were as shocked as Wu Hua and his companion; clearly, they hadn’t expected the upper chamber to have the same layout.

“Keep moving forward,” Moonshadow Autumn Veil ordered. Fortunately, the pile of potion crystals from the bat explosion had vanished, or it would have been a glaring flaw.

The female soldiers were having a grand time hauling coffins.

But Moonshadow Autumn Veil never imagined where Wu Hua and his companion were hiding. The two of them lay inside the coffin from which the six-legged bat had emerged, suspended at the bottom left of the passage entrance. Blue Ocean's people didn’t need to move that coffin to reach the divine platform, so Wu Hua and his companion peered through a narrow crack in the lid, observing the outside.

Wu Hua’s plan was to slip away once Blue Ocean's people moved in further. After all, it would take more than a day to get out, and he didn’t want to be trapped at the entrance by a horde of women, never to see sunlight again.

But Wu Hua hadn’t counted on one thing: this mausoleum was already the deepest part of the dungeon. There was simply no way forward.

The scene was grand indeed. Some female soldiers stood in the central open space, some sat resting on the ground, others stood atop coffins suspended high above. People were everywhere, up and down.

“Don’t make a sound. Or we’re done for today,” Wu Hua whispered.

The bystander dared not even breathe.

“Seventh Sister, where’s the switch?” A female soldier, AK-47 slung across her shoulder, was the first to swing up to the divine platform.

Hanmei Proud Snow, standing in the center of the open ground below, replied, “The cat’s eye on the left. Try pressing it.”

She clearly didn’t know the layout of the mausoleum’s mechanisms, only recalling what Wu Hua had said during the earlier battle.

The female soldier climbed onto the cat statue and pressed its eye, but nothing happened.

Wu Hua and the bystander exchanged bewildered glances. “That’s odd.”

“Try pressing the right side,” Hanmei Proud Snow said, puzzled.

The soldier followed instructions, but still no reaction.

“What’s going on? Explosive Maniacs pressed the left eye,” Hanmei Proud Snow said.

Moonshadow Autumn Veil frowned. “Little Flower, try everything on that cat statue, find the switch.”

The soldier, getting desperate, began pressing randomly. When she pressed the nose, something finally happened.

First, the gears above began to rumble, and all thirty coffins suspended overhead started descending.

The bystander felt his heart leap into his throat, but seeing Wu Hua’s sly eyes still scanning the outside, calm as ever, he couldn’t help but admire his composure.

He was ready: if any female soldier opened the lid, he’d stand up and fire wildly—take one down, break even; take two, profit.

He’d managed to acquire a purple-grade pistol. As long as it didn’t explode, this dungeon trip was worth it.

When all the coffins reached the ground, Blue Ocean Company's members spread out toward the walls, weapons in hand, formation steady and unflustered—a well-trained army, indeed.

At the very center, two tall women gestured and commanded. Wu Hua recognized Hanmei Proud Snow, but the other, though dressed in military garb and a beret, showed no signs of her profession—no gun, energy blade, staff, or psionic gloves. Surely she wasn’t a Metallurgist?

If she was, he’d be discovered sooner or later.

Wu Hua had barely thought this when Moonshadow Autumn Veil’s gaze shifted toward them.

“Damn! Did she spot me?” Wu Hua felt his heart pound.

“Sister Autumn Veil, what’s wrong?” Hanmei Proud Snow asked, confused.

Moonshadow Autumn Veil began walking toward the coffin where Wu Hua was hidden.

“Let’s do it!” The bystander prepared to force the lid open with his gun.

“Hold steady!” Wu Hua gripped his hand tightly.

Just then, a crashing sound of stone breaking startled everyone.

The mural at the center of the right wall shattered, and the wall collapsed. Amidst the rubble, a shadow appeared.

Countless lanterns and flashlights illuminated the figure, and Wu Hua finally saw it clearly. In that moment, he felt dizzy—the mysteries and vastness of the Star Wars world were never within the grasp of ordinary players.

Most people believed bosses had certain traits: fierce appearance, massive size, high attack power, and if anything else, they were simply ferocious beasts. That’s what Wu Hua had seen before, especially the Queen Bee and the Great White Shark. But the boss before him was nothing like that.

It was a chip warrior. If it hadn’t burst through the wall, it would be indistinguishable from a regular chip warrior player.

The boss wore thick brown armor and wielded an enormous blue energy sword, nearly as tall as itself. Its facial muscles resembled a human’s, but its eyes were like two shining gems—not human eyes at all.

“Attention, everyone! Level 45 major boss, Guardian of the Ayat Ruins!” Moonshadow Autumn Veil shouted.

Wu Hua was stunned. So far, the only major boss he’d seen in person was the Queen Bee on the Mulin Grasslands. He suspected even that queen wasn’t the most formidable among major bosses, but this human-sized warrior boss gave him an ominous feeling. It must be incredibly tough, otherwise why would Blue Ocean bring so many people?

As Wu Hua pondered, Blue Ocean's members sprang into action.

First, the warriors used “Thunder Strike” and “Heaven-Earth Cross Slash,” charging forward and hacking away. These skills not only dealt heavy damage but allowed for quick retreat if things went wrong.

The boss seemed unfazed, letting the crowd stab and slash at will.

Blue Ocean’s female warriors were no pushovers, but the boss stood unmoving. The damage numbers floating above its head were all “–1.”

These women were veterans, grouping in threes to attack specific parts—some slashed its wrists, some its chest, some chopped at its head, and some even jabbed at its eyes. The boss showed no expression or reaction, no matter how fiercely they attacked; damage numbers remained at “–1.”

The mausoleum rang with the clatter of metal.

The bystander pulled his head back, thoroughly stunned. “Big brother, what kind of boss is this? Isn’t it a bit too tough?”

Wu Hua watched intently. “If you ask me, it’s probably that alloy armor.”

He was right. The boss’s armor was forged from sixteen-element crystal alloy—any attack under three thousand points was useless. If a warrior could deal over three thousand in one strike, the world would turn upside down.

The boss ignored everyone, striding straight to the central open space. Its demeanor was mocking and contemptuous, as if to say: You useless warriors, is this all the attack power you have?

Blue Ocean's female warriors were stunned, looking at each other in disbelief.

But Moonshadow Autumn Veil calmly issued her next command: “Warriors, cover! Medical team, move up!”