"Hey, little sister, brought quite the crew today!"
Yang Yan rose with a smirk, hands in his pockets, looking every bit the street thug.
But his skills were anything but lacking—already level 43, he was considered a second-tier player.
"Cut the crap!"
Qin Yu snapped coldly. "If you lose today, hand over your gear!"
"Fine."
Yang Yan's grin grew even more brazen.
"But here's the thing—what happens if you lose, little girl?"
"What... what do you want?!"
"Nothing much. Just want you to keep us company, have a drink, chat a bit... maybe even let us touch your legs."
"Hahahahahaha~~~~"
A wave of raucous laughter erupted from behind.
This group had grown accustomed to lawlessness. With the game merging into reality and granting them extraordinary abilities, they became even more brazen.
Abusing their power was routine—why would they fear a girl like Qin Yu?
Faced with such blatant humiliation, Qin Yu clenched her teeth in fury, unable to hold back.
She raised her hand and summoned the epic-tier equipment, the "Firework Bow."
Whoosh!
A rocket arrow shot through the air.
But unexpectedly, Yang Yan reacted with lightning speed, unleashing a punch that shattered the arrow mid-flight!
"How could..."
"Tsk tsk tsk, that stung pretty good!"
Yang Yan examined the scorch marks on his fist, then glanced at the bow in Qin Yu's hands. His expression suddenly turned amused.
"Such powerful fire-attribute attacks... That weapon in your hands must be some top-tier gear too, right?"
"...." Qin Yu instinctively shielded the weapon.
It was the "Flamefire Bow" Chen Nian had gifted her—invaluable. She hadn't expected him to recognize it at a glance.
"A woman with no real strength, yet she carries one piece of top-tier gear after another. You're truly a living bodhisattva, saving all sentient beings!"
"Guys, get pumped up!"
"Win this fight, snatch that thing from her, and another chance to strike it rich!"
"Hahahaha, Brother Yang's got sharp eyes!"
"That bow does look special—at least rare-grade gear. Wasn't feeling motivated before, but now this gets interesting."
The group rubbed their hands together, eyes burning with impatience.
Qin Yu, however, began to genuinely worry...
What if they couldn't win? Losing both the battle and the weapon—wouldn't that mean losing everything?
"Go!"
A clash between two groups of extraordinary beings erupted at the dock.
The stakes were high—an epic-tier piece of gear!
After a chaotic melee, Qin Yu's side inevitably found themselves at a disadvantage.
After all, the opponents were properly organized members of a gaming guild. In terms of discipline and cohesion, they were far superior to this disorganized bunch.
"They're too strong, Xiao Yu. We can't beat them..."
Deng Rongrong felt helpless. If he'd told Chen Nian about this, why go through all this trouble?
Something Chen Nian could handle alone—why mobilize such a massive force?
"We can win! We have numbers!"
To everyone's shock, Qin Yu summoned another group—about ten more extraordinary individuals.
Deng Rongrong was stunned. "Seriously, Xiao Yu? Where did you find all these people?"
"Money!"
Qin Yu had known all along they might lose, so she'd prepared a human wave tactic!
She'd overwhelm them with sheer numbers—and if it cost money, so be it!
She had the funds, so she'd spend them freely!
Even if she had to blow her entire stash today, Qin Yu was determined to win back her pride.
So, this wave of reinforcements charged forward, and another fierce battle erupted.
Still, they lost...
The hired mercenaries were beaten bloody, retreating in disarray.
Fortunately, the enemy didn't dare kill them.
If they had, the Enforcement Bureau would have intervened. So, no sane person would cross that line.
"Damn it, this bitch sure can call in reinforcements?"
"No matter how many rookies she brings, it won't matter!"
After two consecutive waves of fierce battles, Yang Yan's crew had suffered casualties and were already exhausted.
Just then, Qin Yu made a call.
A third wave of reinforcements rushed in!
"Does this bitch ever stop?"
"How many people did she call, fuck..."
Yang Yan's crew was finally fed up. They now understood just how terrifying a woman could be when she got really worked up!
Chen Nian, standing a hundred meters above, couldn't help but smile.
Looks like I won't have to intervene after all. Good. At least I won't get caught red-handed by Li Yunwei.
With his "Eagle Eyes" activated, he could survey the entire scene—and naturally spotted Li Yunwei lurking in the shadows.
But just then, outside the dock, a man walked slowly toward them.
He took a step forward.
Lightning pierced the darkness!
In the next instant, he stood beside the group, faint sparks of electricity still lingering on his body.
Thunder Mage, Chu Long!
Leader of the guild "Critical," currently the highest-ranked individual in Linhai City.
Seeing him arrive, the group bowed their heads in unison.
"Boss."
"Boss, you're here!"
Chu Long's contemptuous gaze swept over the crowd before him.
His right hand shot upward, a blinding ball of lightning blossoming in his palm. The dancing electricity resembled countless writhing snakes.
Suddenly, those lightning serpents shot out!
A wave of agonized screams followed immediately.
"Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!"
Under the relentless assault of countless lightning serpents, the entire group that had just arrived collapsed to the ground, their bodies covered in wisps of smoke.
How could they possibly withstand the attack of a high-level Thunder Mage?
They were all instantly knocked flat!
"A bunch of useless fools with no sense of self-awareness."
Chu Long lit a cigarette, not bothering to glance at this rabble again.
Absolute power crushes all opposition!
Once he joined the fray, Qin Yu's side had no chance of victory.
"How could this happen..."
"What are you waiting for? Hand over the goods!" Yang Yan roared impatiently. "Don't force our boss to get serious."
Qin Yu watched the men he'd paid handsomely lie whimpering on the ground, a chill creeping through his heart.
He never imagined the enemy had such terrifyingly strong fighters... Could he really hand over his "Firework Bow" to them?
No... This was a gift from Chen Nian!
"Sigh."
Li Yunwei sighed as well upon seeing this.
It seemed there would be no surprises tonight. Chen Nian hadn't shown up yet, so perhaps she'd overthought it.
True enough. Though he'd excelled in the last instructor test, he was still just an ordinary instructor—not even on par with a frontline player.
Compared to someone like Chu Long, the difference was like heaven and earth!
Holding such high expectations for Chen Nian was indeed wishful thinking.
But just then, a figure rose from the ground.
It was a frail, long-haired otaku who looked as though he could be blown over by a breeze. His posture as he stood was bizarre—he seemed to lift himself up from nothingness!
"Wh-what the hell?!"
The otaku, named Xiao Cheng, was utterly dumbfounded.
It felt like something had forcibly lifted him from behind—utterly bizarre!
Was there some invisible force behind him, compelling his body to move?
"Looking for death."
Chu Long's gaze turned icy as he raised his hand and unleashed another bolt of thunder.
The thunderbolt sliced through the darkness like a blade, growing larger and larger in Xiao Cheng's eyes!
He instinctively shielded his eyes with both hands, letting out a scream.
"Aaaah!!!!"
But what happened next made everyone present gasp in horror.
That bolt of lightning was shattered by this shut-in...