Acao felt a pang of nostalgia. His current fame and command were starkly different from when he first met Su Yao. It was only after a frustrating encounter that he joined the Xia Thieves’ Guild, where he was exposed to the prowess of the legendary thief, Hong Yaotang. He realized games were filled with thrilling, passionate elements often overshadowed by monetary pursuits. Promoted to guild leader, Acao learned from Sister Yao not just combat techniques but also leadership, how to play the game without being played by it, and how to live life with integrity. In just a year, he transformed into a respected figure in Xia, needed by his country and even sought after by Nanbo Wan from Yan for high-stakes battles. However, unlike Ji Canghai and Nanbo Wan, Chen Wang did not lack money—his father was a board member at Human World Corporation. This was the one secret he kept from Su Yao; he feared she might think less of him if she knew.
From when he started to care about Sister Yao’s opinion of him, he wasn’t sure, but seeing her cozy with another man at last night’s banquet made him wish for the man’s immediate elimination. Ah, Ji Canghai was out, but that was not enough! He wasn’t worthy of Hong Yaotang; someone else should be eliminated—the man quietly sitting at computer #27, wearing headphones, sunglasses, and a hat that shadowed his face, a low-level, unremarkable assassin named San Chuan. Acao even more wary. A level 120+ assassin who had made it through the initial cut… What about those with max levels and gear bought with real money? They might as well be dead. Acao glanced at Qin Chuan several times, unable to gauge his strength, and continued on, pondering whether Sister Yao would side with him or the assassin when the time came. After all, thieves and assassins were natural adversaries. Acao gave a bitter smile as they navigated the labyrinthine depths of the Abyss of the End.
Meanwhile, Nanbo Wan and his group of priests were also wandering aimlessly in the abyss, having crossed countless caves and overcome numerous obstacles without finding a way back to the surface. Yet, they were certain they had seen the endpoint and were ahead of everyone else.
Sharing this sentiment was Han Yanyan, a max-level priestess with her staff worth a hundred thousand, casually strolling through the abyss, taking her time, knowing most others were still stuck on the first level. “That idiot Ji Canghai has been eliminated,” she mused, “but finding the end is really a challenge…”
Walking and walking, Han Yanyan passed through another cavern. Ahead was a narrow stone bridge, seemingly wide enough for just one person to cross, with bubbling lava beneath it. Just as Han Yanyan stepped onto the bridge, she saw a group of people approaching from the other side. Nan Bo Wan, along with the seven chief priests of the Dawn Mythology Court, had crossed paths with her once again. Although she wasn’t familiar with the priests, Nan Bo Wan, the king of Yan, was one of her ambiguous lovers. Now, Han Yanyan confidently walked onto the bridge. Historically, it had always been others who made way for her, and she assumed that given her relationship with Nan Bo Wan, he would certainly wait for her to cross first.
However, to her surprise, Nan Bo Wan and the priests also stepped onto the bridge, one by one. The narrow bridge could not accommodate two people side by side. When Han Yanyan reached the middle, so did the group from the opposite side, showing no intention of yielding.
“Holy shit, are we going to collide head-on? Does she have to back off?” Han Yanyan thought. “Brother Wan…” she typed, but the leading priest responded coldly with a single word: “Move.”
Han Yanyan was shocked. No one had ever dared to speak to her like that before. “Brother Wan, don’t your priests have eyes?” she typed furiously. Yet, Nan Bo Wan showed no reaction; he stood there as if waiting for her to retreat. Han Yanyan was getting annoyed. “Isn’t this just for some artifact? He doesn’t even recognize his girlfriend now?!” With a flourish, she drew the Six-Winged Holy Angel Staff from her waist, ready to unleash her full killing mode. She was confident that one blast of her Holy Thunderbolt would send several of them tumbling down. She had heard of Nan Bo Wan hiring professional gamers as thugs, but all he managed to get were these robotic figures? But now, even Nan Bo Wan seemed bewitched by them; he was not acting like himself… Wait? Han Yanyan suddenly realized she hadn’t seen Nan Bo Wan himself at the scene today… So, who was controlling Nan Bo Wan’s account now…?
In her moment of realization, Han Yanyan turned to look at the first machine of Nan Bo Wan, and standing in front of it was a completely unfamiliar person!
This stranger, this year’s WCG young champion hired by Nan Bo Wan, in that moment of her distraction, raised the long spear of the Brave Dragon Warrior, piercing through the chest of Li Yan Liu Li in one swift move, and then with a sweep, the renowned beauty and foremost priestess of Yan was swept into the lava below. The fiery lava enveloped her body, instantly incinerating the health of a level 200 priest. “Ignorant woman,” a priest sneered. With the artifact at stake, they followed the WCG champion, not the womanizing fool Nan Bo Wan.
Amidst Han Yanyan’s screams, the young man in front of the first machine expressionlessly led the priests across the bridge. Han Yanyan’s reaction was out of control, and ultimately, she was escorted out by the staff. Frustrated, she stormed straight to Old Chen’s room upon leaving, intent on firing everyone.
Meanwhile, the now cold and highly respected King of Yan, Nan Bo Wan, led his team towards the next cavern. After about half an hour, they arrived at a spacious area. Unlike the exterior’s flowing lava, here, drops of water fell from the rocks, creating an ethereal atmosphere.
In the center of the cavern stood a black stone monument, taller than the one at the end of the Sky Bridge. Nan Bo Wan’s group had ventured into the abyss directly, never having seen this kind of monument before, and they cautiously approached for a closer look.
A priest typed in the team chat, “Boss… After the finals, are you interested in becoming a general in Yan?” Another priest added, “Ever since General Crazy Bull Snot was killed by the Red Medicine Hall outside Tianya City a year ago, Yan has been without a general. To be honest, I think Luo Zishang isn’t that great; didn’t he lose to the Red Medicine Hall too? Now, with Brother Wan leading us to get the artifact, that guy insists on going solo.” The young man in front of the first machine smiled proudly, “I have the same intention; I bet Luo Zishang is just an average expert.”
“That’s right, boss, you’re this year’s WCG champion! Dealing with Luo Zishang would be a matter of one finger!” The priests echoed, already beginning to curry favor, as they had long been displeased with him.
It was rumored that two priests’ in-game wives were seduced away by Luo Zishang’s sweet talk. Recently, Luo Zishang suggested to Nan Bo Wan to abolish the court, claiming that keeping them would only bring shame to Yan. They had indeed been a source of embarrassment since the battle at Rebirth City, recalling the origin of the “Seven Times in One Night” nickname at the Eternal Life Palace.
The young man in front of the first machine was flattered by the praise, typing, “Once I meet that Luo Zishang, I’ll take him down first.” The priests cheered; the scene of him spearing the princess was still vivid in their minds, his fluid movements, seamless combos, and cool demeanor – they recognized his prowess, far beyond theirs. Brave Dragon Warrior Nan Bo Wan, with his spear in hand, cautiously approached the monument, looking up to see the words 【Eye of the Abyss】 carved on it, with a half-open, half-closed eye above the inscription. The Guardian of the Array Core at the Abyss Maze