Chapter Seventeen: An Unexpected Encounter

The dim sky was utterly devoid of sunlight. Li Ren, who had long since lost track of time in this place, gazed helplessly at the thick, oppressive clouds overhead, their gloom unrelenting. For someone who called upon his underlings every hour, this period had been a rare chance to truly rest. Although the time ratio between the game and the outside world was set at 1:4, rest was necessary regardless. After all, for players, the gaming pod was essentially a multifunctional bed—the more advanced ones even providing nutrition absorption and similar features. In theory, one could stay inside indefinitely if one wished.

When the gaming pods were first released, they were touted as gateways to another world, promising no adverse effects from extended play. But really, what machine could be entirely free of side effects? Even Sauron, the fastest at leveling up, would choose to log off and rest occasionally.

Li Ren, however, had no such luxury. He was keenly aware of the risks of lingering too long in the game world, but given his circumstances, he was almost certainly dead in the real world. His soul had abruptly appeared in this place; it was perfectly natural that he couldn’t log out—there was simply no “host” for him to return to offline.

So, even though he remained online, Li Ren knew he still needed rest. In his former life, he had studied the soul and spirit, and had dabbled in qigong, though with little success. Still, those explorations gave him insight into the ancient understanding of the body, and he had memorized the states that brought the greatest benefits. Sleeplessness was for the immortals; he was well aware he could not attain such a level. To push on endlessly, ever excited and overstimulated, would only damage his spirit and soul—a price he was unwilling to pay. Now that he had his minions to help him, and they worked efficiently, there was no reason to overexert himself.

His underlings diligently harvested life after life, and his experience points grew steadily, though after reaching level 43, progress had clearly slowed. The experience required for each level was now dauntingly high. With little else to do, Li Ren began reorganizing his skills.

Seeing all his weapon skills maxed out at level one brought back memories he’d rather forget—those bitter, humiliating days. Yet now, it seemed almost worth it. Despite being thrashed to the edge of despair, he could at least say he’d weathered the storm and seen the light.

His sword skill had advanced well into level two, while his other skills had barely budged. There was little reason for them to increase; he had neither armor nor usable weapons, always relying on his sword. If not the sword skill, what else could possibly improve?

Li Ren had always been somewhat frustrated: why didn’t monsters ever drop equipment when he killed them? Even the unluckiest players could at least expect some gray-quality gear, but for him, it was as if reality itself intervened—slay a beast, and all that remained was a corpse, nothing more. It was profoundly vexing.

Hence, his other skills lacked any means of development. The Skeleton King wasn’t about to hand over weapons for him to train with, and besides, Li Ren had no desire to endure another crushing defeat. His current skills and gear were sufficient.

He was lost in these tangled thoughts when a familiar spatial ripple suddenly appeared before him. At once, he found himself immobilized, unable to act, forced to wait as a slowly spinning vortex drew him in.

After a brief moment of disorientation, Li Ren found himself once again upon the throne. This time, however, he was no longer the skeletal swordsman of before; he had advanced to the rank of Skeleton Decurion. The transformation was substantial, and he couldn’t help but anticipate the upcoming encounter with the players.

He quickly brought up the familiar control panel and began spying on the latest party to enter the Ultimate Skeleton Cavern, all without their knowledge. But unlike before, Li Ren’s brow gradually furrowed as he watched the five players before him. These were no ordinary adventurers—their strength was frankly extraordinary.

This time, he did not order the other skeletons to hide in the corners; instead, he dispatched all the skeletons lurking in side passages to the main thoroughfares, scrutinizing the players’ combat tactics. What he saw left him astounded.

He had always considered himself formidable, but these players were on another level. With seamless cooperation, they swiftly dispatched every elite skeleton in their path. In truth, it was less a five-person effort and more the work of a single individual; the other four merely watched, as if their presence was ornamental.

The leader was cloaked in a pitch-black robe, his face completely concealed by a hood. In his hand was an unremarkable staff, but his role as a mage was obvious.

Yet this mage was unlike any Li Ren had encountered. Any skeleton that crossed their path was instantly immobilized and slowed, never even reaching the mage before being obliterated by a barrage of spells.

Most astonishing was the mage’s continuous casting—never once did he pause to recover his mana.

Li Ren watched, entranced. Every movement, every spell was executed with breathtaking fluidity and precision, as if the skills themselves had been designed for such perfection. It was as if the mage had practiced each move countless times, and even the most ordinary spell could, at the right moment, turn the tide of battle in miraculous fashion.

Still, even a limitless wave of skeletons would eventually be slain.

For the first time, Li Ren felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.

“Now it’s your turn. Don’t let me down,” a calm, androgynous voice issued from beneath the black robe.

“Rest assured, Mo Ran. Our strength will not disappoint you,” replied one of the others, who seemed to be their leader.

“So it’s Mo Ran! The first player to enter ‘Land of the Gods’? The one with the hidden class ‘Shadow Whisperer’?” Li Ren recalled the system announcements at the game’s launch. Mo Ran, Radiance, Third Sword—these were names he remembered well. And of course, Five Star and Sauron, the first because he’d once been defeated by them and later founded his own guild, the second for always topping the level rankings and being the first to establish a guild. The system had paid them all considerable attention.

“Shadow Whisperer… I wonder what kind of class that truly is. Any hidden class announced by the system is bound to be formidable. It seems I’ll need to be exceptionally cautious,” Li Ren thought to himself.

It was clear the five were not an established team—Mo Ran and the other four were not close, their interaction more akin to an employer and hired hands. This surprised Li Ren. Opening the ultimate dungeon was supposed to be a difficult feat, and any group with the chance would surely be a well-practiced team. Their casual formation could only mean one thing: supreme confidence.

“This time, the opponents are truly terrifying,” Li Ren thought, observing the five. The shield warrior was clad in dazzling armor inlaid with mithril runes that glimmered with holy light, his massive shield shining like a mirror, nearly blinding in its brilliance.

The other three were two priests and a rogue—a double-priest formation, and a rogue renowned for agility. Taking them down would be no easy task.

The five wasted no time. Having barely exerted themselves and with all their buffs renewed in the central hall, they launched straight into battle.

A charging shield warrior drew Li Ren’s attention with a powerful blow—his gear was so blinding, it made Li Ren dizzy just to look at it.

How lucky, or perhaps how wealthy, must one be to assemble such equipment? Judging by the appearance and attributes, it was surely top-tier.

Sure enough, when Li Ren struck back, his attack only managed to chip off -500 HP, even though he’d used nearly half his strength. The paltry number surprised him.

And judging by the warrior’s health bar, it must have been at least 2,000 HP—far stronger than the shield-bearer from their last encounter.

“Holy Shock! Word of Light: Shatter!” Two intense beams of light struck Li Ren, instantly inflicting a hefty -800 and a lingering debuff on top of it.